Yangtze River Century Voyage Cruise Practical Information, Advice & Tips

Useful Tips for Booking your Century Voyage Cruise

1. Select your Favorite Schedule

Century Voyage is going to sail from middle September to the end of December in 2024, running at the same day for 4 days & 3 nights downstream itinerary from Chongqing to Yichang, and 5 days & 4 nights upstream itinerary from Yichang to Chongqing. You can feel free to select a favorite date to perfectly match your travel time and budget.

Yangtze River Cruise Advice & Tips
2. Valid Documents & Real-name Registration

Once you decide to book a Century Voyage cruise with us, please provide us correct passport information, like your name and passport number. Real-name registration is needed when booking the ship. If there is any change and update of your documents, please inform your travel consultants immediately and provide us your latest personal info that we should deliver to the cruise company once you changed.

3. Please Provide Complete Personal Information for Booking

Complete and accurate personal information is necessary for the booking. Please provide us complete information including your and your family or group members’ name, nationality, gender, passport number, date of birth, favorite cabin types, number of cabins, and other personal requirements.

4. Confirmation Letter

Once your booking information is complete and we will inform the cruise company to reserve the room for you. Your travel consultants will send you the “CONFIRMATION LETTER” which contains important ship itinerary & transportation info, your personal information and other tips. Once you receive the confirmation letter, you can go on for payment.

5.What’s Included & Excluded in your Century Voyage Cruise

The following items are covered in your Century Voyage cruise fare.

  1. Arranged Shore Excursions: four shore excursions arranged by the cruise company (including transportation to/back from the sites, local guide service, tickets, etc.);
  2. Guide Service: Both Chinese and English-speaking guide service on the cruise;
  3. Meals Onboard: meals listed in the above itinerary specified as “B”, “L” and “D”, and Captain’s Welcome Party and Captain’s Farewell Party included;
  4. Drinks Onboard: Unlimited specific wines and beverages at the restaurant and bar;
  5. Afternoon tea and night snack listed in the itinerary;
  6. Activities: Cultural activities, Chinese lectures as well as evening shows and entertainment;
  7. WiFi: WiFi service onboard during the sailing trip;
  8. Butler service;
  9. Self-laundry machine use;
  10. Some service like front desk service for any request, guest room service to clean your room daily, catering service in the dining hall;
  11. Public facilities such as Fitness Center, Reading Room, Leisure Zone, Sun Deck, and so on;
  12. Porter Service: a porter to carry your luggage to get on or leave the cruise;
  13. Transfers: Bus between Yichang East Railway Station / Yichang Three Gorges Cruise Terminal and Maoping Port;
  14. Travel Insurance: travel insurance offered by China Discovery for your whole cruise;
  15. Taxes charged by the government.

The following items are excluded in your Century Voyage cruise fare. If you want to enjoy the service, please pay extra fee accordingly.

  1. The cost of your visa;
  2. Transfers: air or train to Chongqing or Yichang; as well as transportation between Chongqing airport or railway station and Chongqing Chaotianmen Port; transportation between Yichang airport or railway station and Yichang Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal;
  3. Meals not listed in the itinerary and drinks beyond the unlimited drink list;
  4. Upgrade your room or deck;
  5. Items of a personal nature such as laundry, internet, medical services, gift shop items, spa and beauty services, photograph, beverages and so on;
  6. Single Room Supplement: If you want to stay in one cabin (usually two beds in one cabin) on your own, you need to pay higher than one room shared with another.
  7. Tipping: you need to pay the service charge around 150 Yuan/person when checking in onboard. Besides, the service charge does not include a gratuity to the river guide or cruise director, which may be given at travelers' discretion based on your satisfaction with services received.

Useful Tips for Boarding your Cruise

1. Call the Ship or Check Email ahead

In normal circumstances, no matter you take downstream or upstream Yangtze cruises, you usually embark your ships at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port and Yichang Maoping Port. BUT, it may do some adjustments for special events, like weather condition, level of water, river navigational conditions, annual maintenance of the Three Gorges Dam ship locks, etc.

To make everything go smoothly, please call the ship (the phone number we’ll show you clearly in the Confirmation Letter) one day ahead or at least in the morning on the boarding day. Or, you can also check your mailbox on the boarding day or one day before to get the updated boarding information our travel consultant delivered. Please make sure your phone can be called through in China, so that we can also call you if there is any urgent change.

Yangtze River Cruise Advice & Tips
2. Find the Right Pier for Boarding
From To Distance Time
Chongqing Jiangbei Airport Chaotianmen Port 35km About 40~60mins
Chongqing North Railway Station 12km About 20~40mins
Yichang Sanxia Airport Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal 30~35km About 40~50mins
Yichang East Railway Station 9~12km About 25~30mins
Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal Yichang Maoping Port 50~60km About 1~1.5hrs
Yichang East Railway Station60-70km

Chongqing Chaotianmen Port has 13 sub-piers that different ships dock at different piers. While Maoping Port in used in Yichang is about 50km from the downtown. For upstream embarkation, travelers need to transfer to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal or Yichang East Railway Station for taking the arranged bus to Maoping for boarding; for downstream, they need to be transferred to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal for departure.

For the boarding piers in port cities, you can use our worry free private transfer service. The local guide or driver will take you to the correct cruise pier from the airport / train stations, etc.

3. Board the Ship at the Scheduled Time

Please plan your transportation to arrive in Chongqing or Yichang ahead and board your ship at the schedule time. If you are unsure to book the suitable flight or train, please discuss it with our travel consultants. If you have any trouble for your flight, train or local transportation to the port causing you arrive at the port late, please contact us at first time and we’ll try our best to help you solve the problem.

-- 4 days & 3 nights Chongqing - Yichang downstream cruise:

  1. Pier & boarding time: board your ship at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port at 18:00~21:00;

-- 5 days & 4 nights Yichang - Chongqing upstream cruise:

4. Collect Cruise Ticket & Get Security Check

Yangtze cruisers need to collect your cruise ticket with real-name info signed at the corresponding port in Chongqing / Yichang (please make sure your passport and ticket with consistent information). After the ticket collecting, you'll be followed to get security check before board the ship.

5. Check In

Travelers can get onboard and check in at least 3 hours before disembarkation. The friendly staff at front desk will ask your needs and please feel free to tell your personal requirements, like special eatery requirements, room or deck upgrading, transportation tips for departure and so on.

6. Ship Tipping

Almost all the 4 to 5-star Yangtze cruise ships require a compulsory ship service fee which is required to be paid when checking in at the front desk; it is the regulation of the cruise companies that travelers are supposed to follow. The tip amount differs from different cruise lines and will be specified in our Confirmation Letter, please kindly note this so that inconvenience can be avoided.

7. Life & Experience Onboard Tips

To know the colorful life and experience on Yangtze cruises, you can turn to the “Onboard Experience” page for details. You will have a clear understanding about the food & dining, drinking, entertainment and activities, services, facilities, health care & wellness and more.

Useful Tips for Disembarkation

1. Transportation for Departure

To transfer smoothly between the port and airport/railway station, you can ask ideas at the front desk. Some cruise company may arrange the coaches sending travelers directly to the airport and railway station which is very convenient and economic. Besides, you can use our worry free private car service and our local guide and driver (or driver only) will pick you up at the port and escort you to the airport/railway station or other places.

2. In-depth Sightseeing in Port Cities

If you want a half-day tour in Chongqing or Yichang before leave, you can enjoy the service and please tell your ideas to your travel consultant in advance and they will arrange the experienced guide and driver to guide you for the sightseeing.

Yangtze River Cruise Advice & Tips

For questions about booking, boarding and disembarkation, please feel free to contact our professional travel consultants who are here glad to help at any time!

2024 Schedule of Century Voyage

  • 2024
  • 2025
  • Jan.
  • Feb.
  • Mar.
  • Apr.
  • May.
  • June.
  • July.
  • Aug.
  • Sept.
  • Oct.
  • Nov.
  • Dec.
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
1234567
891011121314
151617181920

Chongqing → Yichang

from $768
21
2223

Yichang → Chongqing

from $807
24252627

Chongqing → Yichang

from $768
28
Please Note:
• The above price range is based on a standard cabin for twin sharing.
• The prices are valid by Dec.31 of the year.
• Please enquiry for the exact price according to your nationality, cruising time and cruising route.
• Please quote us for the price may change during China's Golden Week and Spring Festival.
• Limited winter schedules may be adjusted into other dates, cruise ships, etc. based on the arrangement of the cruise company.

Recommended Tours

Top tours chosen by most customers to explore in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

Gorgeous Scenery of Three Gorges

12 Days Classic China Tour with Yangtze Cruise

Shanghai / Yichang / Yangtze Cruise / Chongqing / Xian / Beijing

Our customers took a shore excursion to Kui Gate at White Emperor City, Qutang Gorge

13 Days Classic China Vacation Tour with Yangtze Cruise

Beijing / Xian / Guilin / Yangshuo / Yangtze Cruise / Shanghai

The Lesser Three Gorges

8 Days Chongqing Yangtze River & Zhangjiajie (via Changsha)

Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang / Changsha / Zhangjiajie

Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.

Customize a Trip

Have a question? Get answers from our travel experts or guests

  • Your Question:
  • Your Name:
  • Your Email:
  • Submit