by Bert Archer
Last updated: 9:05 AM ET, Mon September 15, 2025
As of today, September 15, there’s a new player in the Chinese land and cruise market, and they are willing to reward advisors who book with them.
Well, new to us.
Century Cruise is a 30-year-old company that, until now, has been working quietly, providing the ships and the DMC services to companies like Viking, Uniworld, and AMA for their river cruise products in China.
But COVID changed all that.
In a nation whose consumer and tourist economy has not recovered as quickly as much of the rest of the world, Century, which is owned by a company called Gaund Holding, has decided to start handling matters itself, and is opening their phone lines, and their North American offices, to sell directly to the Canadian and American markets.
In anticipation of approaching this new market, for the past week, they have been hosting TravelPulse and 30 or so US travel advisors — many of whom who deal mainly or exclusively in the luxury market — on the Century Voyage. It's aim is to familiarize advisors with what they are marketing as a luxury, five-star product that includes land options in Beijing and Shanghai, the Great Wall, as well as a visit to the world’s biggest city, Chongqing, and the even-more-impressive-than-you-think-they’re-going-to-be Terracotta Warriors in the ancient capital of Xi’an, as well as a three-day cruise down the Yangtze (or Cháng Jiāng, as we’ve learned it’s called in China).
(Photo Credit: Bert Archer)
And though it’s not luxury or five-star by any meaningful North American definition (the fam tour, for instance, included a classic Chinese drop-and-shop visit to a “jade factory” selling nephrite and lunch upstairs with tourist-only set menus), it is an impressive itinerary, with several bucket list checkmarks and one of the most gorgeous Gorges cruises available anywhere (see photo, above). And it’s got an even more impressive - and presumably introductory - price of $7,337 (US$5,299) including air from Toronto and Vancouver, in addition to several US hubs.
For that, you get 14 days, 12 nights, all-inclusive (with the usual premium drink and upgrade exceptions) with a company that not only knows China (because it’s Chinese, and also served the Chinese market, with whom the cruise portion of these trips will be integrated depending on North American sales), but has been serving the Western market in one way or another for decades. The company also not only owns and operates the ships themselves, they build them too.
The Voyage, which celebrated its first birthday on this trip, is larger and differently configured from what European river cruisers might be accustomed to, with 260 cabins across six decks, though the food remains true to the river cruise tradition of being much better than what’s usually possible on ocean cruises.
But perhaps the biggest news for the advisors is the 30 per cent commission on all bookings made between Sept 15 and Oct 15, and a tour conductor ratio of 1:9.
After this date, there will be a flat 18 per cent commission on all sales, with no NCFs, with cruise commission on the entire tour. (Inclusive air is offered at the rate of US$1000, which is commission-free, and can be credited against the price of the tour for clients who want to make alternative air bookings.) They are also encouraging MICE bookings, and group rates start at 5 staterooms, with a US$250 per stateroom reduction from public fares.
More information is available at centurycruise.com, and bookings may be made by phone at 833-940-6254 until the website fully integrates Seaware).
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