Sail the Yangtze River in China on the Viking Emerald
Viking River Cruises Ship on the Yangtze River in China
China is a marvelous place for a vacation, but the size of the country and the language issues make independent travel difficult for many travelers. Viking River Cruises has three delightful cruise tours that include either a five or eleven day Yangtze River cruise on the Viking Emerald river ship. I did the 13-day "Imperial Jewels of China" cruise tour, which featured three nights in Beijing, two nights in Xian, a five-night cruise on the Viking Emerald, and two nights in a Shanghai hotel.
The fare includes all intra-China flights, hotels, cruise, tours and shore excursions, most meals, and wine, beer, or soft drinks at lunch and dinner onboard the ship. Only beer and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner when ashore since China does not produce high-quality wines internally and adds a high tax to those produced elsewhere.
The Viking Emerald is a 256-passenger ship with six decks and balconies on all the cabins and suites. Passengers are assigned to a tour leader/guide when the cruise tour starts in either Beijing or Shanghai. Although each city also features local guides, this Viking guide stays with his/her group throughout the entire cruise tour. Each group has about 35, so the Viking Emerald has seven groups when it is full.
Deck 6 has a nice outdoor sun deck on the aft section, with lounge chairs, a swing, and a few tables. It also has a library/reading room, infirmary, spa, beauty salon, sauna, fitness center, and large Emerald Bar forward. Many guests enjoyed the Tai Chi class held each early morning outdoors on the sun deck.
Deck 5 has a large Observation Lounge and Internet/Computer Center forward and cabins and suites aft. The ship has complimentary Internet access from the computers in this center, and also has WiFi that works sporadically (depending on how many people are trying to use it) in the mid-ship areas of the Emerald Bar and Observation Lounge. A 24-hour self-serve coffee/tea/snacks area is also located on this deck.
Decks 3 and 4 feature cabins and suites.
Deck 2 features cabins forward, the reception desk and shop mid-ship, and the dining room in the aft section.
On decks 2 through 5, the Viking Emerald features onboard boutiques selling Chinese items such as silk clothing, calligraphy items, porcelain, jewelry, and wood carvings. The prices on these items are usually comparable to what guests can bargain for ashore.
Let's take a detailed photo tour of the Viking Emerald, starting with the Reception Area.
Reception Area
The Viking Emerald is filled with marvelous flower arrangements like this one seen in the reception area. The reception desk is on deck 2 just outside the dining room. I found the staff friendly and helpful. Viking has a European hotel manager who is well-acquainted with how the company runs its ships in Europe, so the dining and cabin service is much like guests would expect from a Viking cruise on a European river (although the other staff are mostly Chinese).
Chandelier in Reception Area
Although the Viking Emerald was built in Chongqing and looks much different than the Viking Longships operating in Europe, it still has sleek furnishings with elegant touches like this chandelier that hangs over the lobby/reception area.
The Dining Room joins the Reception Area on deck 2.
Dining Room
Dining on the Viking Emerald has many things in common with the excellent meals served on its European cruises. Breakfast and lunch feature a sumptuous buffet, but items can also be ordered from a menu. Dinner selections on most nights are from a menu, although the cruise does have one night where food is served family or Chinese-style from the rotating Lazy Susan in the middle of each table. Wine, beer, or soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner.
I thought the ship had an excellent mixture of Chinese, North American, and European dishes. Like the European cruises, breakfast included dishes that appeal to North American, British, Australian, European, or Chinese travelers such as egg dishes, baked beans, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, soups, and even noodle dishes.
Lunch was a diverse buffet, with delicious salad fixings, soups, fresh pasta dishes, or hot dishes. Guests could also order the sandwich of the day or other hot dishes from the menu, and there was always a table with Chinese specialties.
Dinner included appetizers, main courses, and desserts ordered from a menu. The appetizers usually featured some type of salad, a soup, a vegetarian option, and some other interesting dish like Thai fish cakes, chicken wings, Chinese carp, pork ribs, or a scallop or prawn dish. The main courses featured a meat dish (beef, chicken, pork, or lamb), a fish dish, and a vegetarian option. Those who didn't care for any of the main dishes on the set menu could always order grilled salmon, a roasted chicken breast, Caesar salad, or a charbroiled beef tenderloin steak.
We had three special dinners--a Captain's welcome dinner. Captain's farewell dinner, and a Chinese dinner.
The Viking Emerald had a selection of desserts at lunch and dinner. A cheese plate was also an option after dinner.
Having the European hotel manager plus a Chinese chef onboard was a great asset for the ship, since those who had sailed with Viking in Europe could either dine on almost the same dishes served on those cruises or choose a Chinese option at every meal.
The Viking Emerald has two great bars onboard--the Emerald Bar on deck 6 and the bar in the Observation Lounge on deck 5.
Emerald Bar
The Emerald Bar on deck 6 is a quiet place forward during the daytime, perfect for watching the river scenery or reading a book. In the evening, guests can socialize or dance to live music in this lounge.
Observation Lounge
The Observation Lounge on deck 5 has a nice bar, and is also used for all of the meetings and educational presentations on the Viking Emerald. On our 5-night "Imperial Jewels of China" cruise, we enjoyed presentations on such diverse topics as Chinese language lessons; vegetable carvings; mahjong lessons; information on the Three Gorges dam or the Yangtze River; and a moving personal story of life in China Today and over the past 40 years from the cruise director.
We also had a daily briefing (usually before dinner) about the next day's activities.
Library
The library or reading room on the Viking Emerald is on deck 6 and has a selection of travel books and fiction left by travelers. The room is also used by those playing cards or mahjong.
Fitness Center
Viking does not have a fitness center or spa on its European Longships, but it has both on the Viking Emerald. The spa features massages, facials, and other traditional spa treatments. The fitness center is small, but has a treadmill, stationary bicycle, and elliptical. The Viking Emerald also has a beauty salon for those needing a haircut, manicure, or pedicure.
The Viking Emerald has four types of cabins and suites: Explorer Suites, Junior Suites, Suites, and Veranda cabins.
The Veranda cabins, like the one in the photo above, are in six categories (A through F), depending on the location. All of the Veranda cabins are 250 square feet and have hotel-style beds that can be configured as either queen or twin. These cabins also include a private veranda with two chairs; bath with premium toiletries; bathrobe and slippers; bottled water replenished daily; telephone; safe; hair dryer; kettle with instant coffee or tea bags; air conditioning; TV with English language movies, news, and entertainment; and both 220 and 110 volt electrical outlets.
The Junior Suites (category JR) are 260 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Veranda cabins, plus a small refrigerator.
The Suites (category AA) are 301 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Junior Suites.
The Explorer Suites (category PS) measure 650 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Suites, plus a nice sitting area and two televisions.
The cabins are not quite as luxurious as those on the Viking Longships, but have a nice shower, desk, and seating area.
Everyone on our Viking River Cruises' tour thought having the 5-night cruise in the middle of our trip was perfect. After several days of touring, flights, and different hotels, relaxing on the ship was a nice respite. Most days we went ashore for about a half-day to tour and then had lectures, free time, or scenic sailing the rest of the day.
The ship has more onboard shopping opportunities than most river ships, so many people browsed and bought tailor-made silk clothing, jewelry, wooden seals, porcelain, or calligraphy items.
Others sat on their balconies or outdoors on either the sun deck or one of the other outdoor seating areas. The Yangtze River cruises do not have the low bridges found in Europe, so guests could sit outside most of the time they were onboard.
I think anyone who loves river cruising would enjoy a trip on the Viking Emerald, as would those who like organized land tours. The ship is larger than most river vessels, and it has more common areas and a better crew to passenger ratio than seen on most other river ships and ocean-going ships, with 145 crew for the 256 guests. The basic fare may seem high, but it is practically all-inclusive, and the hotels and ship are top notch.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
China is a marvelous place for a vacation, but the size of the country and the language issues make independent travel difficult for many travelers. Viking River Cruises has three delightful cruise tours that include either a five or eleven day Yangtze River cruise on the Viking Emerald river ship. I did the 13-day "Imperial Jewels of China" cruise tour, which featured three nights in Beijing, two nights in Xian, a five-night cruise on the Viking Emerald, and two nights in a Shanghai hotel.
The fare includes all intra-China flights, hotels, cruise, tours and shore excursions, most meals, and wine, beer, or soft drinks at lunch and dinner onboard the ship. Only beer and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner when ashore since China does not produce high-quality wines internally and adds a high tax to those produced elsewhere.
The Viking Emerald is a 256-passenger ship with six decks and balconies on all the cabins and suites. Passengers are assigned to a tour leader/guide when the cruise tour starts in either Beijing or Shanghai. Although each city also features local guides, this Viking guide stays with his/her group throughout the entire cruise tour. Each group has about 35, so the Viking Emerald has seven groups when it is full.
Deck 6 has a nice outdoor sun deck on the aft section, with lounge chairs, a swing, and a few tables. It also has a library/reading room, infirmary, spa, beauty salon, sauna, fitness center, and large Emerald Bar forward. Many guests enjoyed the Tai Chi class held each early morning outdoors on the sun deck.
Deck 5 has a large Observation Lounge and Internet/Computer Center forward and cabins and suites aft. The ship has complimentary Internet access from the computers in this center, and also has WiFi that works sporadically (depending on how many people are trying to use it) in the mid-ship areas of the Emerald Bar and Observation Lounge. A 24-hour self-serve coffee/tea/snacks area is also located on this deck.
Decks 3 and 4 feature cabins and suites.
Deck 2 features cabins forward, the reception desk and shop mid-ship, and the dining room in the aft section.
On decks 2 through 5, the Viking Emerald features onboard boutiques selling Chinese items such as silk clothing, calligraphy items, porcelain, jewelry, and wood carvings. The prices on these items are usually comparable to what guests can bargain for ashore.
Let's take a detailed photo tour of the Viking Emerald, starting with the Reception Area.
Reception Area
The Viking Emerald is filled with marvelous flower arrangements like this one seen in the reception area. The reception desk is on deck 2 just outside the dining room. I found the staff friendly and helpful. Viking has a European hotel manager who is well-acquainted with how the company runs its ships in Europe, so the dining and cabin service is much like guests would expect from a Viking cruise on a European river (although the other staff are mostly Chinese).
Chandelier in Reception Area
Although the Viking Emerald was built in Chongqing and looks much different than the Viking Longships operating in Europe, it still has sleek furnishings with elegant touches like this chandelier that hangs over the lobby/reception area.
The Dining Room joins the Reception Area on deck 2.
Dining Room
Dining on the Viking Emerald has many things in common with the excellent meals served on its European cruises. Breakfast and lunch feature a sumptuous buffet, but items can also be ordered from a menu. Dinner selections on most nights are from a menu, although the cruise does have one night where food is served family or Chinese-style from the rotating Lazy Susan in the middle of each table. Wine, beer, or soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner.
I thought the ship had an excellent mixture of Chinese, North American, and European dishes. Like the European cruises, breakfast included dishes that appeal to North American, British, Australian, European, or Chinese travelers such as egg dishes, baked beans, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads, soups, and even noodle dishes.
Lunch was a diverse buffet, with delicious salad fixings, soups, fresh pasta dishes, or hot dishes. Guests could also order the sandwich of the day or other hot dishes from the menu, and there was always a table with Chinese specialties.
Dinner included appetizers, main courses, and desserts ordered from a menu. The appetizers usually featured some type of salad, a soup, a vegetarian option, and some other interesting dish like Thai fish cakes, chicken wings, Chinese carp, pork ribs, or a scallop or prawn dish. The main courses featured a meat dish (beef, chicken, pork, or lamb), a fish dish, and a vegetarian option. Those who didn't care for any of the main dishes on the set menu could always order grilled salmon, a roasted chicken breast, Caesar salad, or a charbroiled beef tenderloin steak.
We had three special dinners--a Captain's welcome dinner. Captain's farewell dinner, and a Chinese dinner.
The Viking Emerald had a selection of desserts at lunch and dinner. A cheese plate was also an option after dinner.
Having the European hotel manager plus a Chinese chef onboard was a great asset for the ship, since those who had sailed with Viking in Europe could either dine on almost the same dishes served on those cruises or choose a Chinese option at every meal.
The Viking Emerald has two great bars onboard--the Emerald Bar on deck 6 and the bar in the Observation Lounge on deck 5.
Emerald Bar
The Emerald Bar on deck 6 is a quiet place forward during the daytime, perfect for watching the river scenery or reading a book. In the evening, guests can socialize or dance to live music in this lounge.
Observation Lounge
The Observation Lounge on deck 5 has a nice bar, and is also used for all of the meetings and educational presentations on the Viking Emerald. On our 5-night "Imperial Jewels of China" cruise, we enjoyed presentations on such diverse topics as Chinese language lessons; vegetable carvings; mahjong lessons; information on the Three Gorges dam or the Yangtze River; and a moving personal story of life in China Today and over the past 40 years from the cruise director.
We also had a daily briefing (usually before dinner) about the next day's activities.
Library
The library or reading room on the Viking Emerald is on deck 6 and has a selection of travel books and fiction left by travelers. The room is also used by those playing cards or mahjong.
Fitness Center
Viking does not have a fitness center or spa on its European Longships, but it has both on the Viking Emerald. The spa features massages, facials, and other traditional spa treatments. The fitness center is small, but has a treadmill, stationary bicycle, and elliptical. The Viking Emerald also has a beauty salon for those needing a haircut, manicure, or pedicure.
The Viking Emerald has four types of cabins and suites: Explorer Suites, Junior Suites, Suites, and Veranda cabins.
The Veranda cabins, like the one in the photo above, are in six categories (A through F), depending on the location. All of the Veranda cabins are 250 square feet and have hotel-style beds that can be configured as either queen or twin. These cabins also include a private veranda with two chairs; bath with premium toiletries; bathrobe and slippers; bottled water replenished daily; telephone; safe; hair dryer; kettle with instant coffee or tea bags; air conditioning; TV with English language movies, news, and entertainment; and both 220 and 110 volt electrical outlets.
The Junior Suites (category JR) are 260 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Veranda cabins, plus a small refrigerator.
The Suites (category AA) are 301 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Junior Suites.
The Explorer Suites (category PS) measure 650 square feet and have all the amenities found in the Suites, plus a nice sitting area and two televisions.
The cabins are not quite as luxurious as those on the Viking Longships, but have a nice shower, desk, and seating area.
Everyone on our Viking River Cruises' tour thought having the 5-night cruise in the middle of our trip was perfect. After several days of touring, flights, and different hotels, relaxing on the ship was a nice respite. Most days we went ashore for about a half-day to tour and then had lectures, free time, or scenic sailing the rest of the day.
The ship has more onboard shopping opportunities than most river ships, so many people browsed and bought tailor-made silk clothing, jewelry, wooden seals, porcelain, or calligraphy items.
Others sat on their balconies or outdoors on either the sun deck or one of the other outdoor seating areas. The Yangtze River cruises do not have the low bridges found in Europe, so guests could sit outside most of the time they were onboard.
I think anyone who loves river cruising would enjoy a trip on the Viking Emerald, as would those who like organized land tours. The ship is larger than most river vessels, and it has more common areas and a better crew to passenger ratio than seen on most other river ships and ocean-going ships, with 145 crew for the 256 guests. The basic fare may seem high, but it is practically all-inclusive, and the hotels and ship are top notch.
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary cruise accommodation for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.
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