The cruise was an add on to a land tour of the major cities in China booked by Friendly Planet Travel. The first thing you notice when you walk on to the ship is the pervasive mold smell throughout. We were promised a "superior" cabin but were put into a standard cabin that was so mildewed that my eyes started to water within ten minutes of arrival. After they argued with us regarding what is supposed to constitute a "superior" cabin (this one was eight feet wide with no closet and sofa width single beds) We paid $300 for an upgrade to a junior suite (BAIT AND SWITCH!!!!!!!!) that was marginally less mildewed than our original cabin that I could almost breathe in. At least we had a place to put our suitcases.

The dining was the best part of the cruise. The wait staff was excellent and the food edible. The lectures were boring and more like sales pitches than informational programs. Because we both got sick from the mildew, we needed to visit the on board physician, Dr. Lee, who seemed quite personable and competent.

None of the shore excursions matched the description given in the brochure. We were supposed to go through the locks at the Three Gorges Dam but instead sat on the boat for an entire day not moving and going nowhere. Instead they took us on a horrible bus ride to the dam where you couldn't see anything. AWFUL. They promised a ride on a sampan through one of the smaller gorges - never happened. Instead they took the riverboat upriver to a Chinese style shopping arcade. Read more