Victoria Cruise Lines will debut the 570-passenger, 17,000-ton Victoria Isabella on Sept. 28, 2025, which it is said is the “largest and most advanced electric-hybrid vessel” to ply China’s Yangtze River.
“In addition to pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly innovation with a hybrid-electric engine designed to protect the Yangtze’s precious resources by drastically reducing emissions, the Victoria Isabella becomes the first passenger ship on the river equipped with an escalator,” the American-managed company said.
The vessel will be equipped with 236 Superior Staterooms with balconies and 22 Executive Suites – and is virtually identical to its sister ships: Victoria Sabrina, Victoria Jenna, Victoria Anna and Victoria Katarina.
Victoria deploys its ships on four-night upstream and three-night downstream itineraries between Chongqing and Yichang, with rates starting at $900 per person, per person, double; and seven-night roundtrip cruises from Chongqing with rates starting at $1,800 per person, double.
Victoria unveiled seasonal promotions, including a two-for-one offer on Victoria Isabella’s published rates, and noted that tour packages through American tour operators.
“While US passengers to China remain down from pre-pandemic levels, we are encouraged by a number of indicators that show the market is poised for a comeback, including a game-changing program which allows Americans to visit for up to ten days without requiring a visa,” said Victoria Cruise Lines President Benson Wu.
“Historically, the visa process created a significant barrier which has long hindered China’s tourism potential, and now that this issue has been mitigated, many of our industry partners in the U.S. are ramping up their efforts to promote and sell China vacations,” he added.
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