In China, the Yangtze River is known as Chang Jiang or Long River.
The next part of our China trip was a very mixed bag. We embarked on a three-day Yangtze River cruise from Chongqing to Yichang.
This was our first riverboat cruise, as we had only cruised on much larger ships in the Caribbean and Alaska. This was going to be a TOTALLY different experience.
Our ship, the Century Sun, was pretty typical of riverboat cruises. About five decks, a small atrium with a guest services desk, a small shop with snacks and local art, one buffet-style restaurant, a lounge/bar/showroom, and a sun deck with about 150 “luxury” cabins and suites.
Embarkation was really interesting, as the river itself is WAY down an embankment. I’m sure it is not as steep or long during the rainy seasons when the river is higher.
Porters, who appear to be in their mid to late 50s, carry luggage down this steep embankment on a bamboo pole. Not just one, not even two, but FOUR! We watched in amazement as my bag and Chuck’s were strapped to one side with two similarly sized bags on the other.
I know our bags each weighed 40 pounds, so that worked out to be about 160 pounds, carried straight downhill!
The embarkation was easy because our Tour Manager had checked us all in, and the room keys were ready to go. We decided to ask about any available upgrades from a standard cabin to one of the six deluxe suites. Not a lot of perks, just a little more space.
Luckily, there were two left, and the price for upgrading was almost laughable —about $60 US a night —so we jumped at it since it actually came with complimentary laundry service.
One of the perks of a suite and one afforded to our tour group was the use of a private lounge on deck four forward. The lounge had comfortable indoor seating, a coffee machine, and two types of shortbread cookies. It also featured an outdoor deck overlooking the front of the ship, with 24-hour access.
As it turned out, this lounge was right next to our cabin. Waking up at 4 am, I was able to go next door, watch the sunrise, have some coffee, and catch up on social media and email using the WIFI hotspot we rented on the ship.
The cabin afforded us a little space to spread out, a small sitting area, and a larger bathroom. Not luxurious but comfortable. On the first day, we filled the laundry bag with most of the shorts and shirts we had worn in the previous six days. They picked them up in the morning and were back around dinner time.
While the staff was nice and friendly enough, the atmosphere and food were just OK. It allowed us to see the Three Gorges, which were beautiful. We saw some beautiful temples, small cities, and side tributaries of the river that we would not have seen otherwise.
The biggest downside to the cruise was the dampness. The air handling system, which I would hardly call air conditioning, cooled the room and circulated air, but it left the room very damp. The cabin smelled musty, and all of our moisture-wicking clothes absorbed the moisture and were left damp.
The other interesting thing about riverboat cruises is the way they dock. We were side by side with several other boats, and often we had to weave through them to reach the dock. Not to mention that you can see directly into the cabin across from you.
At the end of the day, it was a nice break from the hectic pace of the tour to stay in one place for three days and see so much.
