Viking River Cruises vs Victoria Cruises - Tour Companies Compared

While China is a very hectic, very overwhelming country, it is also a country filled with incredible natural beauty. For the average tourist, these beautiful sites are largely inaccessible or extremely difficult to access due to a combination of language barriers and lack of public transportation. One of these gorgeous areas is located between Yichang and Chongqing: the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

With this in mind, many cruise companies have begun offering multi-day trips down the Yangtze River, making the relatively inaccessible easily accessible. One such cruise company is Victoria Cruises. They have a range of vessels and itineraries to suit one’s needs. We decided to hop aboard their most prestigious boat, the Victoria Jenna, for a five night/four day cruise luxurious cruise through the gorges. Newly renovated this year, the ship exudes class and comfort.

The rooms aboard the Victoria Jenna were clean and quite spacious considering we were on a ship. To compliment the five-star standard within the rooms itself, the Victoria Jenna offered ample facilities for it’s guests. Whether you want to lounge on the rooftop or grab a drink at the lovely Yangtze Club bar, there’s something for everyone. The dining options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner were fantastic; the Victoria Jenna offered an array of food from Asian to Western cuisine.

Of course, one of the main reason people cruise is for the excursions. We were lucky enough to go on all of the included and optional tours offered on the Victoria Jenna, and I’m thrilled that we did. They outsource local guides that are truly knowledgable about each and every site.

Last but not least, I was astounded by the staff; never have I seen a staff so attentive and friendly. A very special shoutout goes to Dick, our Cruise Director, who made sure that everything we needed was taken care of; Steven, our River Guide, who not only knew the in’s and out’s of the Yangtze, but also taught Mahjong and Chinese 101, on top of playing MC for the week; and Maggie, our fantastic waitress for every meal in the Executive Lounge, who not only knew us by name, but knew all of our food and drink preferences as well.

I wouldn't cruise down the river with any company other than Victoria Cruises! It was truly the highlight of my month-long journey in China.

Thanks again!
Sarah

Founder, The Five Foot Traveler

Victoria Jenna “an unreservedly positive experience”

Sailed the VICTORIA JENNA , on a 7 nite/8 day cruise Chongqing to Yichang (return), April 2016.

Can easily say, overall was the most outstanding cruise trip ever taken by us.

- the Jenna, was essentially a “new” ship, just on it's second trip out after refurbishing, with everything working to our satisfaction
- we were booked into an Executive Suite on deck 5, a large room with two double beds, new updated bathroom, ample storage, and outside balcony
- room location was very close to Executive Lounge, a large area on deck 6 utilized for all our meals, daily Happy Hour (wine, beer, snacks), and designated as a quiet area to hang out during the day for coffee, tea, and snacks, allowing us to meet new friends ... the Lounge was very popular with us with the attention and service provided second to none
- excellent meals more than met our expectations ... buffet breakfast and lunch served, with an a la carte dinner menu ... a mix of Western and Chinese
- passenger mix was mostly non-Asian with use of English-Mandarin on equal basis
- central to our cruise success was the Jenna”s Cruise Director (Dick Carpentier) who demonstrated time after time that he was a master of his trade. His Jenna staff, youthful and vibrant, was ALWAYS on top of everything, no matter what department
- onboard entertainment was above average – the costumes, traditional music and dance
- the Jenna River Guide (Steven) was very active providing timely and informative commentary as we wound our way thru the Gorges and other areas of interest
- the Yangtze sights, as advertised, provided us with great scenery thru the various gorges and the dam itself. Made three off-ship excursions (two via excursions on smaller vessels plus the dam tour itself) ... our favorite was on a small vessel thru the Gorges of Goddess Stream ... highly scenic and a must see. Overall, the Yangtze scenery was very good and spectacular in many spots ... in certain areas the perpetual mist resonated with some of the Chinese paintings that one comes across
- the Jenna provided us with a relaxed atmosphere. All land excursions were well organized and led by very experienced English speaking guides
- Wifi on the Jenna was great ... both for internet speed and reliability (note: no Google or Facebook access in China)
- special assistance was proactively provided by the Jenna front office to ensure the ease of boarding and that offloading went smoothly, including arrangements for ground transportation back to our Chongqing hotel and even calling the hotel the night before from the Jenna to ensure that the hotel would be ready for our early checkin ... all this was done without asking
- the Jenna team quickly saw upon boarding that I had limited personal mobility (canes) and really stepped up to provide all kinds of additional assistance to ensure I could get to wherever I wanted, literally every step of the way, including the land excursions. Can”t say how much I (and especially my wife) appreciated this
- to top it off, this cruise was very close to our 50th anniversary and Victoria Cruises made sure we would well remember ... a very special dinner was planned and personally prepared and served to us by the Executive Chef (Jack Shapensky) on our last night, including a large anniversary cake that we were pleased to share with others ... this was a big and pleasant surprise to us and totally unexpected

Would I recommend Victoria Cruises and the Victoria Jenna? ... the answer can be said in one word ... ABSOLUTELY! Our experience was 5 Star without question, far exceeding all (high) expectations, with the Jenna being a great complement to some wonderful Yangtze scenery. Special kuddos to Victoria Cruises and the Jenna team under Cruise Director Dick Carpentier. The very high level of service quality provided by a staff who sparkled at all times, the standout ship, the amenities, and the Yangtze itself, made for a most memorable trip

Only wish that Victoria Cruises sailed to more places than the Yangtze ... if/when they do, we will be lined up for

Booked this cruise through Victoria Cruises office in New York

I took a Victoria Cruises river cruise down the Yangtze River to tour the Three Gorges Dam in China in 2014. If you are a westerner in China, this is one of your best options. The company really does go the extra mile to try to make their western guests comfortable: They hire a European liaison just to greet and communicate with the western cohorts. Additionally, because the cruise line is very aware that westerners don't always have the same palette as the Chinese, the westerners have the option to eat in a separate dining area where more customized western food is served. At the end of the trip, we got a nice live cultural show from the crew. (Unfortunately, judging by some of their faces, only half of them really wanted to be there but I can't knock them for that). Overall, it was a very pleasant trip, with many wonderful land excursions along the river. I highly recommend Victoria Cruises for a westerner traveling in China.