We Tried Viking’s Cruise in China. Here’s Why It’s a Great Choice for Your First Visit.
Viking Yi Dun sits along The Bund in Shanghai at the start of our China cruise. (Photo by Colleen McDaniel)
For travelers who are looking into visiting China for the very first time, Viking offers something quite enticing.
The cruise line’s new “China Discovery” itinerary takes up to 930 cruisers on the ship Viking Yi Dun for coastal cruises between Shanghai and Hong Kong. With these 10-day voyages (plus, the attractive pre- or post-cruise land extensions to explore places like Beijing, Hong Kong or Mongolia), travelers have the opportunity to see a wonderful slice of this country in a highly curated and hassle-free manner.
We cruised on Viking Yi Dun for our China cruise, starting in Shanghai for the 10-day China Discovery itinerary. (Photo by John Roberts)
In a way, these ocean cruises also represent a special milestone for China, allowing Western travelers to come back to experience this magnificent destination in a way that has not been available for several years since the full-scale shutdown of the country during the global pandemic.
I joined Viking Yi Dun for the inaugural cruise from Shanghai. We had 10 days to experience some amazing sights, shows and food while onboard our ship and during shore time in the interesting ports. In fact, we learned that we were among the first large groups of travelers to come to China in a long time. And for some of these port stops, the residents might never have seen people who looked like us in their towns and cities.
We spent time in remote places, such as Zhoushan, which is one of 1,400 islands in an archipelago, and in the cities of Dongtou, Pingtan and Xiamen.
It was thrilling for me — and I hope for most of the people we met along the way — to engage in this cultural exchange.
I had such a fun and eye-opening experience on my first visit to China, and I can share five things that I think make a Viking cruise to China the best way to go for a first-time visitor.
1. Cultural Enrichment Abounds
This is the Living Room on Viking Yi Dun. We were excited to be welcomed aboard for this new Viking cruise itinerary in China. (Photo by John Roberts)
Viking’s tours get you up close to the people who live and work in the cities and rural areas that you visit on your China cruise. I’ll tell you all about our time ashore in a section that follows, but let’s look at your ship experience now.
Your first impressions and initial sense of immersion happen onboard your ship Viking Yi Dun.
The crew is nearly all Chinese, from the captain and cruise director to the waitstaff, cabin stewards and musicians. We delighted in chatting with the very attentive and energetic crew — even though it was in bits and pieces because of the obvious language barrier. The crew know all the basic terms and words to help fill your orders for drinks and food. Plus, they always will great you with a smiling “good morning” or “good afternoon.”
Our waiter Vincent shows us the selection of dim sun at breakfast on Viking Yi Dun. (Photo by John Roberts)
The managers all speak English quite well, but other crew members are taking daily English lessons on the ship and getting better by the day.
Cruisers on our sailing, including me, enjoyed trying to learn and pronounce new words in Chinese, even just to say hello (ni hao), please (qing), and thank you (xiexie). The interactions might seem a little different than you have experienced with crew on your prior cruises, but I think you will cherish the delightful way that the young workers approach their jobs and how hard they are hustling to ensure you get exactly what you need.
You also learn that there are more ways to communicate than just language.
The daily program features plenty of music and enrichment activities that bring China to life, as well.
Activities included two sessions on the “Art of Drinking Tea.” These elaborate presentations take place in the Explorers’ Lounge accompanied by traditional music from the onboard guqin master. A guqin is a seven-string plucked instrument that sits flat on a table and is often called the “father of Chinese music” as it dates to more than 3,000 years ago.
We attended the fascinating traditional Chinese tea ceremony at the Explorers’ Lounge. (Photo by John Roberts)
The Chinese tea ceremonies help travelers connect with the cultural importance of this practice. Plus, we all get to enjoy sipping from the cups during the presentation.
We also delighted at the shadow puppetry show during which the performers brought characters to life that told traditional stories in lively little scenes set to music with the puppets dancing, fighting and telling love stories.
Two guest speakers cruised with us, and their lineup of enrichment talks included presentations with titles like “Understanding Chinese Culture” and “Did the Ming Dynasty Initiate the Maritime Silk Road?”
We really enjoyed the chat about China’s opium wars, learning about the tense trade conflicts between Britain and China and the aftermath. Plus, there were fun activities like Tai Chi for beginners, Mahjong lessons and tile painting workshops to allow cruisers to further immerse themselves in their China experience.
2. Fantastic Foods Fill the Menus
Cruisers also enjoy eating dinner outside on Aquavit Terrace on Viking Yi Dun. We enjoyed the “hot pot” meal out here during our cruise. (Photo by John Roberts)
There are more than eight ways to enjoy a meal or snack during your cruise, with restaurants, in-room dining and snack counters at the Living Room Bar and Mamsen’s, as well as the popular Viking Afternoon Tea in Wintergarden.
This was my fourth cruise on a Viking ocean ship, and I am familiar with the eateries and what to expect on the menus, but there are additional fantastic regional specialties to bring the flavors of China to travelers on Viking Yi Dun.
The Restaurant and World Cafe buffet eatery has plenty of Chinese dishes sprinkled into the mix at every meal. At breakfast in the main dining room, The Restaurant, we fell in love with the Chinese Breakfast Set that includes scrambled eggs with Cantonese preserved pork bits, Chinese fried doughnuts, crispy spring rolls and rice congee with sliced shiitake mushrooms. We complemented this with selections from the dim sum trolley.
We were able to pick goodies like barbecue pork buns, shrimp shumei, purple sweet potato buns and golden cake.
Cruisers will find traditional Chinese favorites and fresh seafood featured at meals throughout the cruise. The lunch and dinner menus showcase Chinese selections alongside the Classic always-available items, such as beer-marinated chicken, steak and fries and poached Norwegian salmon.
We saw items like a tasty marinated yam and lettuce root soup, charcoal barbecued honey-glazed pork belly and gong bao chicken. You can always get shrimp and egg fried rice or vegetable fried noodles to accompany your dishes, too.
Afternoon tea on a Viking cruise is a wonderful tradition. You get all kinds of sweet and savory snacks to enjoy in the serene Winter Garden. (Photo by John Roberts)
The most variety, by far, is available at World Cafe, with soups, noodles, sushi and other regional specialties every day. We also were surprised several times on our cruise with pop-up stations that offered a seafood spread for lunch featuring abalone, crab, razor clams and halibut. We also had a dinner in World Cafe that featured popular street foods creations while we were in port at Xiamen.
We had fried wontons, steamed buns, stir-fried noodles, chicken and rice dishes and special desserts. One morning, the ship’s chefs lined up to greet cruisers and show off the haul of exotic fresh fruits they got from the market. Colleen and I adjusted our plans of having a more traditional egg breakfast and, instead, loaded up on dragon fruit, longans, mango, horn fruit, pineapple and all kinds of colorful and sweet stuff.
The Pool Grill offers a selection of specialty burgers but also has a Chinese chicken burger (seasoned chicken thigh), beef and lamb skewers, chicken wings and dan dan noodles plus spicy kimchi and variety of other spices, sauces and toppings to add to your meal.
You also will have the chance to book shore excursions that focus on food. We chose a tour called “A Taste of Shanghai” that took us to a market and to see some architecture of the city before culminating in an energetic cooking class during which we all pitched in prepping soup dumplings, as well as huge plates of noodles, pork and vegetables.
Chef Mike shows us around his kitchen during our “Taste of Shanghai” cooking class. (Photo by John Roberts)
That was our first Chinese family-style meal, and we would enjoy two more outings with lunches in a similar style. However, at our “Delicacies of Dongtou” and “Catch of the Day” in Pingtan shore excursions, we stopped at restaurants after our tour activities and were served huge meals with dishes of traditional regional favorites set up on Lazy Susan wheels that we could snag items from as they passed our seat at the circular tables.
In Dongtau, our tour gave us a look at the seaweed production for which the region is well known. We got to learn how it is processed and used in a wide variety of snacks and as ingredients in meals. Then, we had a couple dishes at lunch that used the seaweed.
In Pingtan, we visited a small fishing village and helped the fishermen haul in the nets to yield the morning catch. We had a few small fish in our nets but were treated to an impressive lunch packed with a variety of seafood, pork, beef, rice and noodle dishes.
Cruisers also can book the Kitchen Table experience that allows them to go shopping with the chef at a local market during your time on port and then come back onboard to enjoy an elaborate meal prepped and displayed in a special dining venue on Viking Yi Dun.
All of these culinary experiences that highlight the destination are in addition to the traditional favorite venues that Viking cruisers love. The following experiences all are included in your cruise fare.
Manfredi’s offers Italian cuisine, with an array of pastas and appetizers, plus mains courses like chicken parmesan or the Bistecca Fiorentino premium steak.
The Chef’s Table features rotating set-menu dinners. During our voyage, you could pick theme nights for Singaporean food, Thai dishes or Japan/Korean cuisine. We went for the Japanese and Korean menu and enjoyed a wonderful variety of enticing food, such as the Ocean Salad with crab meat, scallop and soba noodles and a Korean soup pot and barbecue beef short ribs. These are wine-pairing meals and a real treat not to be missed.
Mamsen’s is the casual eatery serving breakfast with the popular fresh-made waffles and snacks like sandwiches, fruit, soups and delicious cakes and pastries. All these dishes were inspired by the recipes of the mother of Viking Founder Tor Hagen.
The Living Room Bar has a small snack counter with muffins, pastries, sandwiches and other small bites available throughout the day.
Plus, you can order room service 24/7 (no fee) and get a variety of classic dishes and a few Chinese selections to enjoy as a quiet dining experience in your cabin.
3. Ship Activities and Decor Bring China Onboard, Too
The pool area is a beautiful retreat that is good in all weather conditions. (Photo by John Roberts)
If you’ve cruised with Viking before, especially on the ocean ships, you’ll feel right at home. Cruisers love the comfy modern Scandanavian decor that gives a relaxing and elegant feel. Viking Yi Dun is your home for the week, and the ship is easy to quickly learn your way around so that you can enjoy the full range of excellent amenities.
Familiar venues that are tried-and-true Viking favorites fill the ship’s spaces. Spots such as The Living Room, LivNordic Spa, Wintergarden, Explorers’ Lounge, World Cafe, Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant and The Restaurant let cruisers know they are traveling with Viking.
But Yi Dun offers several distinctive and welcome touches that beautifully integrate with the destination.
The Heritage Museum in the atrium showcases pieces from the timeline of modern Chinese maritime and commercial influence that started in the east and has spread throughout the world in recent decades. The nightclub 1872 (the same space called Torshavn on other Viking ocean ships) offers a drinks menu that leans into Chinese rice wines and interesting cocktails made with regional spirits instead of the Armagnacs you would see on the other ships, for example.
The Oriental Shop onboard sells a variety of Chinese teas, fans, chocolates and other keepsakes. (Photo by John Roberts)
The Oriental Shop is a large onboard boutique that is filled with all kinds of wonderful items that highlight the destination. You can pick up fragrances, a wide selection of teas in attractive tins, colorful fans, regional chocolates and clothing and other items with distinctive Chinese designs.
You can find a variety of interesting games on the ship. (Photo by John Roberts)
There are a number of games and puzzles available in the atrium area lounge spaces (Deck 2 overlooking the Living Room). Included are Chinese-themed puzzles and regional games like Chinese checkers, mahjong and other Chinese games that we had to ask crew how to play.
Guqin master Xun Tu plays the revered instrument in Wintergarden during afternoon tea. (Photo by John Roberts)
The ship’s musicians play traditional Chinese music in the Living Room, and the dance floor space there also is used to feature acts such as the acrobats from Guangzhou who we saw during our voyage.
We enjoyed the traditional music and other shows in the main theater. (Photo by John Roberts)
Nightly performances included a show by vocalist Chien Po who gave us and East meets West musical production blending Chinese masterpieces with widely recognized classics.
4. Viking Cruisers Feel Right at Home
I always enjoy cruising on Viking’s 930-passenger ocean ships. (Photo by John Roberts)
The layout, restaurants, public spaces and cabins on Viking Yi Dun match the other ships in the ocean fleet. So, if you have sailed on any other Viking ocean cruise, you will immediately know your way around your China cruise ship.
The Living Room is the main public space in the ship’s atrium on Decks 1 and 2. It features a bar, guest services desks and the dance floor space, as well as all kinds of couches and chairs that invite cruisers to relax, read a book and enjoy the music, games, puzzles and conversations with new friends.
The Wintergarden, Main Pool, Explorers’ Lounge and Aquavit Terrace with its sun-splashed infinity pool, hot tub and lounge chairs also offer wonderful spaces for cruisers to use while traveling on their coastal China itinerary.
The familiar Viking touch also is revealed through the smiles and enthusiasm. We were greeted with attentive and friendly service from the staff who spoke about their excitement to be working on these new cruises for Viking. You could see the confidence grow in these young workers who are still taking daily classes to enhance their English abilities.
It was a pure delight to engage and learn a little bit about their country and lives as we sailed during our 10 days onboard.
5. You’ll Go Where Few Others Do
We got to join the local fishermen in Pingtan, China, during the shore excursion called “Catch of the Day.” (Photo by Colleen McDaniel.
While visitor numbers from westerners to big Chinese cities still are way down since the end of the pandemic, places like Shanghai and Beijing still are quite familiar with U.S. travelers. It’s a different story for spots like Zhoushan, Dongtou, Pingtan and Xiamen.
We were told that few people who look like us had come to visit these spots in a long time. This was the very first trip for Viking, and we had more than 500 cruisers on this inaugural voyage. Most of these travelers had cruised with Viking before, usually several times, and they jumped at the chance to go with a trusted company to an intriguing new place like China.
Viking offers an array of pre- and post-cruise land tours that ideally complement the cruise trip and give you an enhanced China experience.
Viking offers a mix of included and premium tour options in each destination.
In Shanghai, most cruisers went on both a morning highlights of the city tour and then back out in the evening for an acrobatics show. This was quite the immersive way to kick off the voyage.
Colleen and I visited a park on our own and selected the “A Taste of Shanghai” tour in the evening. We visited some bustling neighborhoods and a small market before cooking and eating a large traditional Chinese meal. This was an ideal way to introduce ourselves to the culture and feel of Shanghai.
Other premium tours included the canals of Zhujiajiao and a Yixing teapot crafting and tea ceremony.
When we visited Zhoushan, the largest island in a namesake archipelago off China’s east coast in the East China Sea, the included tour was an evening show that was highly anticipated.
The Impression Putuo show is a spectacular visual and lights display. This is a Buddhism-themed outdoor spectacle that takes place at Mount Putuo. The audience fills an arena and stage that rotates during the show to reveal different backdrops in the surrounding mountains and landscapes as various scenes and songs play out.
The show is noteworthy as part of the Impression Series of seven shows throughout China. Impression Putuo was directed by Zhang Yimou who also directed the opening ceremony at the Beijing Olympics.
At Dongtou, there were tours to see temples, enjoy seafood lunches, go on a hike and try shell carving or mud pottery. We tried the delicacies of Dongtou, which gave us an overview of the seaweed production for which the region is well known.
Then, we visited the beautifully remote Pingtan, an island in a place known as the “Maldives of China.” The included tour visited Haitan Ancient City, and we picked a premium excursion called “Catch of the Day.”
This tour took our small group to a seaside fishing village to help the resident fishermen haul in nets during their morning at work. Well, the haul was meager, but there is a Plan B — a huge family style-lunch of seafood and other traditional delicacies at a local restaurant.
Video: Our Adventures in China with Viking
Beautiful Xiamen has a population of more than 5 million. It owns a rich history as a trade port, exporting the famous tea from Fujian province. It was one of the first Chinese harbors opened to the world in the second half of the 19th century. Now, it's known as the “Garden on the Sea” because of its coastal setting and beautiful gardens and colonial architecture.
We spent the morning at the Huihe Stone Cultural Park. Other tours brought cruisers to gardens or to see the architecture of the city, among other excursions.
The final port stop was Shenzhen, which sits just across a bay from Hong Kong. We had a boat tour called “Shenzhen from the Sea.” Most people opted for this included excursion that took us out into the bay for a few hours to see the coastal landscape, massive modern bridges and a glimpse of Hong Kong in the distance.
Good to Know Before You Go
While the itinerary is from Shanghai to Shenzhen (Hong Kong), you don’t get to spend any time in Hong Kong as part of the cruise itinerary. You have to extend your trip for time in Hong Kong.
Overall, I would say that the land extensions that Viking offers in conjunction with the cruises are essential to have the most satisfying and memorable vacation.
Viking offers a variety of China cruises, ranging from 10 to 22 days. Most itineraries are all in China, but a couple of the voyages include Japan.
The pre- and post-cruise land extensions to consider include:
Beijing: This is a three-night extension that gives you the chance to see the Forbidden City, Great Wall, Tiananmen Square and Ming Tombs.
Spirit of Mongolia: Wow! The chance to visit Mongolia, too. This is a five-night adventure to visit the capital city of Ulaanbaatar and the stunning landscapes of the Gobi Desert, where you can go on a camel safari or try your hand at archery.
Suzhou and Wuxi: This three-night itinerary includes visits to the iconic Grand Canal of Suzhou and one of the largest Buddha statues in China. You also will see beautiful gardens that date to 500 years ago, as well as learning about the region’s 4,000-year-old history in the silk industry.
Hong Kong: There are two Hong Kong options. You can spend three nights in Hong Kong to immerse yourself in the former British territory that possesses a mix of tradition and modernity. Activities include a sampan boat ride in the harbor, Cantonese lunch and visits to museums and temples.
Hong Kong and Guilin: This four-night option includes two days Guilin, a beautiful natural setting surrounded by hills and countryside. Here, you will visit the Lu Di Cave and go on a boat ride on the Li River to take in the tranquil landscapes and islands.
To travel in China, you will need a visa. We had Viking take care of ours through the cruise line’s partner GenVisa. You also can choose to go to an embassy if it’s convenient enough, or handle the process yourself online. Viking provides wonderful instruction and information for all the options, so you can pick what feels most comfortable to you.
China is a mostly cashless society, with most stores and vendors that you might deal with not accepting cash or even credit cards. Instead, they want you to pay with an app. The preferred methods are WeChat Pay or AliPay.
However, you might want to convert a little bit of your currency to the Chinese yuan for more remote regions, but in the cities, it was almost impossible to use anything but the payment apps.
For Internet of wifi usage, consider using a VPN so that you will be able to connect to your preferred websites and apps. China monitors web activity and blocks a large range of sites and apps that we are used to having access to in the West.
Have you been to China before? Do you have any more tips that can help cruisers or travelers who are going for the first time? Leave them in the comments below. Thanks.