Our Passengers’ Safety is Our Top Priority!

You have no doubt learned about the sinking of the Eastern Star, a passenger vessel on the Yangtze River. This occurred Monday evening (China time) about 9:30pm.

We want to assure you that all of our Yangtze cruise vessels are sailing and are safe.

The Eastern Star is a local passenger ferry, slightly over 2,000 tons ,11 meters in width, and has a capacity of 550. It serves the route from Nanjing to Chongqing (Accidents occur mostly in the middle stream and downstream of the Yangtze River. The weather changes rapidly.). It was sailing upstream when it capsized between Wuhan and Yueyang. It is not the luxury cruise ship evaluated by the experts. Its facilities, safety, and comfort is far behind the luxury Yangtze cruise ships chosen by China Highlights.

All Yangtze cruise ships recommended by China Highlights have a weight over 10,000 tons, with a high standard of comfort, facilities, and of course safety. Most of our ships sail between Chongqing and Yichang, which is further inland, where there are no strong winds or rough water. They are all rated five stars by the China National Tourism Administration (its highest rating). They have been operating for more than five years and have been ranked “A” class—the top class by the Yangtze navigation authority. The vessels all have double-bottom hulls, an important safety feature, and conform to the highest standards for stable river navigation. They have been designed to withstand any type of weather conditions along the Yangtze. The captain and crew all adhere strictly to the safety requirements of the navigation authority.

How many years are those cruise ship companies in business?

• Victoria Cruises: 21 Years
• President Cruises: 7 years
• New Century Cruise: 11 years
• Yangtze Gold Cruise: 5 years
• Changjiang Cruises (CCOTC): 25 years

We assured that the safety of our passengers continues to be our top priority.

Transshipment Over Dam in Three Gorges Dam

In case of upgrading or maintenance on the Three Gorges Dam ship locks, or if the flow of the river's upper reaches exceed 40,000 cubic meter per second during flood season, the cruise will instead embark and disembark at Maoping pier, west of the ship locks in Yichang. The cruise company will be responsible for the transfer between Maoping and Yichang.

In case the low water level or unpermitted river conditions effect cruise arrival in the homeport of Chongqing, the ship will embark and disembark in Fuling, where is one and half hours bus ride to Chongqing. The cruise will be responsible for the transfer between Fuling and Chongqing.