This was a great way to see China. Viking took care of everything. The hotels were very good and in excellent locations. The luggage was always handled by Viking arranged porters. Breakfasts were provided in the hotels for convenience and the dinners were in local restaurants to get a taste of the local cuisine and culture. They were always clean and we had no concern for our health. The best part of the trip was the excellent guide (Jamie) that made China come alive through her growing-up experiences. She had excellent English, great stories from her background, good humor that was easily understood, and developed a great friendship with the guests. Viking picked the best locations and experiences in China for the first time visitor and scheduled many of the tours to minimize the crowds.

The ship was very clean with several usable locations for viewing the river. All rooms seemed about equal as they all had small balconies and the ship small enough that even rooms on the ends were very close to the atrium. The small shops had good quality Chinese souvenirs that were reasonably priced. My wife had a Chinese jacket hand made and ready the next day. She ordered it the first day and got use out of it onboard a couple of times. She was very happy with the quality and price and her satisfacion led to several others being purchased. The meals gave the option for local cuisine or more standard fare. Even though it was nearly all buffet style, there were table waiters that gave suggestions, got drinks and kept water glasses filled. The entertainment was only so so but the river narratives were very interesting. This trip exceeded our expectations and I would recommend it heartily....especially if you get Jamie.