After a long flight (two segments and 17 hours flying time), we checked into the Hyatt on the Bund hotel in Shanghai for two nites. The hotel is located only a few short blocks from the port - a five star hotel with spacious rooms and all very modern amenities and conveniences.

There was an inordinately long queue checking in at the port but after 45 minutes we were able to secure our boarding documents and proceed to the ship and the buffet for lunch. Many of our meals - all breakfasts and lunches and several dinners were taken at the Windows Cafe buffet. The food was always beautifully presented and well prepared and had more selections than many much larger ships. At dinner time, the tables were attractively set with place settings, linen table cloths and napkins - an especially nice touch for a buffet. They also served different ethnic specialties each night. The ship's policy includes complimentary wine and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner which they poured liberally. The main dining room, The Discovery, has open seating and we had no problem being accommodated with a table for two at around 8:00 o'clock on short notice. The ship offered a buy-one-get-one-free for their specialty restaurants (Aqualina and Prime C) which meant a total of $50.00 supplementary charge for two persons at both restaurants - well worth the additional fee and both were excellent.

Our cabins, located mid-ship, included a small balcony and were adequate with the usual size fixtures, bathroom, shower and furnishings. Read more