Cruising the Yangtze River is not new but there are a host of new participants. Other
incentive ideas include cruising the backwaters of Kerala in southern India, exploring the Mekong River in Laos and the Irrawaddy in Myanmar. With a passenger complement ranging from a dozen to about 200, these smaller vessels have the potential to provide a more exclusive and personalised experience than the big liners.
CHINA CRUISINGYangtze River cruises grew from the carriage of goods and passengers from otherwiseinaccessible upriver villages, towns and cities such as Chongqing and Shanghai. Asaccessibility improved, a new market evolved. Vessels were transformed by addingcarpets, silk curtains and white tablecloths. It is now a popular cruise destination fordomestic incentive groups.
Luxury operators including Victoria Cruises and Regal Cruises, have experiencedvarying degrees of success developing a niche market on China’s longest river.The controversy surrounding construction of the Three Gorges Dam near Yichanghas generated tremendous interest in cruises that last four days downstream and fivedays up-stream.Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) are among the most experienced companies organisingYangtze incentive trips. Its new ship, M.S. Yangzi Explorer on the Chongqing-Yichang route, will be launched next April.
With her 22 suites and 40 deluxe cabins – all with balconies – the new vessel will carry 136 passengers. According to A&K’s China travel specialist, Gerald Hatherly, the vessel will be the only internationally managed five-star cruise ship on the Yangtze. The ship will have an international kitchen serving Chinese and Western food, a spa, a library and a lecture room. The boat will be available for other guests as well as A&K clients. MYANMAR OPTIONSOrient-Express Trains and Cruises operates canal boats in Burgundy and since 1996, has used its European expertise to run the luxury river cruiser, The Road to Mandalay, on the Irrawaddy River.On-board facilities include a gym and beauty salon, piano bar, library and observation lounge. Small incentive groups have been hosted on the 108-passenger vessel.Typically, these are top achievers requiring a high level of personal attention, according to a company spokesman. Incentive tours can be booked with a short lead-time – as little as two weeks in many cases.
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