All About Cruising

Take an exciting and unusual journey on the Dnieper River and the Black Sea. The Dnieper River Cruise winds through Ukraine and is considered to be a hidden gem among travels. The best way to discover the heart of Ukraine is by embarking on a cruise. The advantages are the exclusive and unique cities that lay along the Dnieper River. Board our prestigious river cruise ship the Dnieper Princess at Ukraine's capital city: Kiev. The Princess is one of the largest River ships around. It has 5 beautiful decks, can carry over 300 passengers, and is renowned for its wonderful atmosphere. Enjoy your cruise on the largest river in the country. The Ukraine is rich in history and some cities date back hundreds of years. Finally the Dnieper River ends at the Black Sea which is one of the most fascinating inland seas of the world. The famous town of Yalta lie along the Black Sea as does one of the most beautiful cities in Ukraine: Odessa.

Did you know there are a couple of different ways you can pick a cruise? Of course over 88% of America uses the internet before making a purchase and cruise websites are included in this figure. And there are always discounts and deals on cruises. Not to mention you can get great prices by booking far in advance. A cruise is a great way to celebrate Christmas or to buy as a birthday gift.

You can also choose a cruise by the type of ship that fits your fancy. Do you want to travel aboard a 5-star floating luxury hotel? Or would you rather take a cruise on a smaller boat with big personality. There is a ship for everything these days.

Another way you can decide on a cruise is by picking any destination in the world. Practically every major city in the world is built on a large waterway. You can cruise down rivers visiting many capitals along the way, or you can cruse one of the lesser known seas like the Baltic for instance.

These are just a few ways to think outside the box when researching a cruise.

Take a cruise through history and visit the land of Tsars and Kings. A Volga river cruise offers the best that mother Russia has to offer including the Kremlin, Churches and Palaces. On your cruise you will experience not only the great classics of Moscow and St. Petersburg; but also the more remote regions of Russia that many tourists miss out on. Russia has a great diversity of people and the landscapes will leave with you an unforgettable impression. Visits the cites of the Golden Ring which include medieval Kremlin palaces, churches and monasteries. View a wealth of art treasures and historic treasures and ancient traditions that are part of everyday life in Russia.

For a comfortable river trip on the Russian waterways there are several popular middle-class ships from various cruise tour companies. The ships are all under the Russian flag and were mostly built in Germany or Austria. They differ essentially only by the size, age and cabin sizes.

During your cruise you can see Russia from the sun deck all the while never looking away from the beauty of the passing landscape. Sit in a comfortable reclining chair while the friendly Russian ship crew pampers you with attentive service. When it is time to take a land excursion you can relax because everything is usually taken care of from the German translators, to the travel arrangements, to meals.

A Russian River Cruise is a wonderful way to see the interior of the great country that is Russia.

Looking to experience the true culture on China. The 3 Gorges cruise will expose you to exotic lands. This tour is designed for those wanting to take a River Cruise on the Yangtze to see the Three Gorges area in depth. There are civilizations that date back 3000 years along the banks of China's largest river. The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydropower plant in the world. It is a true engineering marvel. The one week cruise visits all of the highlights in this region, from the comfort of your floating river ship. Combined with hotel stays in both Shanghai and Beijing, this program has less of the packing and unpacking, and the first ever 7 night sailing through the Greater and Lesser Gorges, aboard the deluxe MS Century Diamond featuring cabins with balconies. There are wonderful land excursions with English speaking guides too.

Below is a day by day brief on what you can expect to do on your 3 Gorges Vacation from Value Cruises.

DAY 1 USA-Shanghai
Board your overnight flights from the US to Shanghai.

DAY 2 Shanghai
Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel and overnight.

DAY 3 Shanghai
Your morning city tour includes the Bund, Nanjing Road and Yu Yuan Gardens. After lunch, tour the Children's Palace, where China's most talented children of the arts will welcome you and perform.

DAY 4 Shanghai
Today's sightseeing takes you to the Jade Buddha Temple, built in 1882 of rare white Burmese jade. Also visited is the Shanghai Museum, considered to be one of the best in China. After dinner, the day ends with a performance by the famous Shanghai Acrobats.

DAY 5 Shanghai-Chongqing
After breakfast transfer from the hotel to the airport for your flight to Chongqing. This 2000 year old city is famous for its fiery Sichuan food. The highlight of the day will be a visit to the Panda exhibit at the local zoo. Also unique is a stop at the Artist Village where prominent Chinese painters live and work in a communal environment. In the early evening embarkation is followed by dinner.

DAY 6 Shibaoshai or Wanxian
Today's shore excursion takes you to Shibaoshai, famous for its impressive 12-story, 13th century tower. Enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding area. There is enough time for a visit to the lively marketplace where you can go hunting for bargain souvenirs. (Wanxian is also a market town, called the "Gateway to East Sichuan". The city is famous for its silkworm cultivation, silk-weaving, and its nightly rattan and cane market.)

DAY 7 Danning River-Lesser Three Gorges
This morning, an excursion in smaller boats takes you up the Danning River, a tributary of the Yangtze and into a series of breathtaking narrow gorges with such curious names as "Misty Gorge", Dragon Gate" and "Iron Coffin Gorge".

DAY 8 Three Gorges Dam/Yichang
Marvel at the enormous Three Gorges Dam project, which you will visit this morning. In the afternoon, an excursion is planned to Yichang, once a sleepy provincial town, with a long and colorful history. Today, this city, with the recent construction of the Gezhouba and the Three Gorges Dam Projects, has mushroomed from 45,000 inhabitants to almost a half million.

DAY 9 New Zigui
With the building of the Three Gorges Dam Project, over one million people had to be relocated. The inhabitants of the city of Zigui were some of those. Today's shore excursion will introduce you to this "new" city.

DAY 10 Shennong Stream
Another tributary of the Yangtze, Shennong Stream also boasts clear running waters bordered by towering mountain cliffs. The stream was named after the legendary peasant, Shennong, the founder of traditional Chinese medicine, who supposedly gathered medicinal herbs in the area.

DAY 11 Fengdu
The highlight of the day will be your visit to Fengdu, "the city of ghosts". The hilltop temple complex is dedicated to the afterlife and traditional belief is that all people pass through Fengdu after death to hopefully receive a "passport to heaven". The city's reputation goes back to the Han Dynasty.

DAY 12 Chongqing-Beijing
Morning arrival back to Chongqing. After disembarkation, there will be free time for independent sightseeing. In the early afternoon, you will fly on to Beijing. A special Beijing treat is planned for the evening: a Peking Duck Banquet followed by a performance of the Peking Opera.

DAY 13 Beijing
In the morning, enjoy a guided tour of this city. Beijing is the most important city in China, not only as a capital, but also because of its 3,000 year old history, its majestic temples, huge palaces, impressive monuments and exceptional museums. The sightseeing will begin at the vast Tienanmen Square, the once Forbidden City and its Imperial Palace and gardens. Continue with your tour into the low-lying courtyard Hutong" houses built in the traditional style. You visit these "hutongs" in the traditional way, by bicycle rickshaws. Your stay also includes a stop inside one of the courtyard houses where you will have lunch with a local family. In the afternoon proceed to one of the city's most famous sites; the Temple of Heaven, where emperors of both the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvest.

DAY 14 Beijing
This morning's excursion takes you to the legendary Great Wall where you will marvel at the achievements of the men who built this 6,000-mile defensive structure over 2000 years ago. After lunch at the Wall, you visit a Jade Factory and then the renowned Ming Tombs, mausoleum of 13 Ming emperors, their empresses and concubines. Later, return back to Beijing for some shopping at the popular Silk Alley.

DAY 15 Beijing-USA
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your home bound flights.

INCLUDED FEATURES!

Round trip economy class airfare between the US and China *
Arrival and Departure transfers (if air purchased through us)*
Accommodation in first class hotels including 2 meals daily (Land/Cruise)*
All sightseeing including: BEIJING: Tienamen Square & Forbidden Palace, Great Wall SHANGHAI; City Tour, Tour of Children's Palace. CHONGQING: Panda Zoo, Artists Village. SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS: Acrobat show, Peking Opera Performance, Peking Duck Dinner, Hutong rikshaw tour and Lunch with Chinese Family
*Not included in Cruise Only rates shown below.

OUR UNIQUE CRUISE FEATURES!

Accommodations in all outside facing cabins on board the MS Century Diamond
Three meals daily while on board
Welcome drink and info meeting
Captain's Welcome and Farewell Dinners
All on board activities including lectures, lessons in Chinese cooking, art, calligraphy, tai chi and acupuncture
All on board entertainment including crew revues and talent shows.
Services of English speaking cruise directors throughout.

ALL SHORE EXCURSIONS INCLUDED!

English speaking Cruise Directors throughout

See more information on the Yangtze River Cruise Ship the MS Century Diamond.

If you are interested in taking a River Cruise through China contact Value Cruises. They have multiple packages available and you can see some great deals on cruises.

Value Cruises
Email us : travel@valuecruises.net
Call Toll Free: 800-795-1633