Yangtze River cruise

A Famous Yangtze Pagoda Rescued From Flooding

Published October 14, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Sixth in a Series:

A Chinese symbol inside the Red Pagoda — if you rub it, it’s said to bring good fortune. Photo by Clark Norton.

Like all rivers, China’s Yangtze is constantly changing, though in this case humans have produced the most profound recent changes rather than nature.

The huge Three Gorges Dam project has resulted in the water level rising more than 100 to 300 feet, depending on the location and the season, along a particularly scenic stretch of the river known as the Three Gorges. The gorges, while not as dramatically steep as the pre-dam versions, are still scenic and still well worth seeing, as my wife, Catharine, and I discovered on a recent Yangtze cruise with Victoria Cruises.

The rising waters have even opened up new scenery to explore: one excursion from our ship, the Victoria Katarina, took us on a ferry ride down the… Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Baby boomer travel, Boat travel, Countries, Cruises, cultural travel, Uncategorized | Tagged acupuncture, China, Red Pagoda, Shanghai, ShiBaoZhai, Victoria Cruises, Victoria Katarina, Yangtze River, Yangtze River cruise | Leave a comment

Boomer Cruiser: Sailing China’s Yangtze (With Air Included)

Published February 18, 2014 | By Clark Norton

A boat sails through Qutang Gorge, one of the fabled Three Gorges, along China’s Yangtze River. Photo by Liu Liqun/ChinaStock.

River cruising has been one of our big topics recently, and for good reason: it’s the hottest segment of the cruising market, and it’s become a global craze, especially popular among baby boomers.

Asia is one of river cruising’s new hotspots, and while China’s Yangtze River cruises have been around for a while, it’s hard to think of a better way to experience the country than cruising through China’s heartland, with visits to Shanghai and Beijing on either end of a nine-day river voyage.

Pacific Delight Tours, one of America’s leading tour operators to China, has just announced a two-week all-inclusive package that includes those three highlights — as well as transpacific airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco to boot (airfare from JFK in New York will… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Boat travel, Cruises, Marketing | Tagged baby boomer travel, baby boomer travel trends, baby boomers, China travel, Pacific Delight Tours, river cruising, travel marketing, Victoria Cruises, Yangtze River cruise | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.