New Ha Long Bay Cruise Added to Helen Wong's Tours' Vietnam Program

A three-day leisurely cruise of breathtaking Halong Bay has been added to Helen Wong's Tours' comprehensive Vietnam brochure for 2013-2014.

The cruise, aboard one of the two Au Co luxury ships, is included in the leading Asian specialist's newly created 12-day Treasure of the Bay itinerary from the company's list of Premium Group Tours.

It is priced from $3990 per person, twin share from Australia.

"Both Au Co vessels have well-appointed cabins with contemporary furnishings and private balcony," said Helen Wong, managing director and founder of Helen Wong's Tours.

"We listened to what our customers wanted, so we decided to add this two-night luxury experience to the program," she said. "Vietnam, in particular Halong Bay, is proving a very popular destination for Australians."

In all, Helen Wong's Tours has 12 group tours, five premium tours and four Indo China Encounters for independent travellers in its new brochure, some itineraries extending beyond Vietnam to major cities and attractions in Cambodia (home of ancient Angkor Wat), Laos, Myanmar and China.

New to the brochure, as is the case with the tour specialist's China program, is a series of quick response (QR) codes for Smart Phone owners so they can watch "virtual tour" video coverage of major areas featured in the programs.

Scan the codes in the brochure and you will videos accompanied by music and commentary, at the tail of each a call for action phone number.

The comprehensive brochure also puts much emphasis on the leading specialist's Encounters Programs, designed for those who prefer the freedom and flexibility to pre-plan private travel on a preferred date - ideal for family and independent travellers.

Helen Wong's Tours will also continue to offer good value for money through its use of quality accommodation and "Helen's Choice" series of bonus experiences included in the group and premium tour itineraries - at no additional cost.

Among the bonuses is dinner at the exclusive Press Club in the Vietnam capital of Hanoi, another a private twin-berth compartment on the overnight train journeys to and from Sapa in Vietnam's north.

Prices for group tours in the Vietnam brochure start at $3450 per person twin share from Australia for the 12-day Glimpse of Vietnam which visits Saigon, the Mekong Delta, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and Halong Bay (for an overnight stay).

Helen Wong's Tours, phone (02) 9267 7833, 1300 788328, www.helenwongstours.com

Victoria Cruises Adds Cultural Excursion

Victoria Cruises’ has redesigned ships and added a new excursion

Victoria Cruises, which has redesigned and rechristened the Victoria Liana, Victoria Selina and Victoria Prince, is launching a new shore excursion to Guqin Terrace in Wuhan, China, for 2011 sailings of its eight-night Three Gorges Discovery program in the upstream direction. It replaces the Hubei Provincial Museum on upstream sailings for a limited time through the 2011 sailing season.

Gugin Tai, or Heptachord Terrace, is on the bank of the Moon Lake, with dramatic scenery surrounding a teahouse and arboretum, commemorates the ancient legend of the friendship between famous musician heptachordist, Yu Boya, who lived here between 770 and 476 B.C., and a woodcutter, Zhong Ziqi, who gave him the appreciation of his music that musicians dream of. Zhong Ziqi died before they could meet a second time, and Yu Boya played, once again, by his friend’s grave and smashed his heptachord, never to play again.

“Guqin Terrace is quite remarkable both in terms of scenic beauty and historical intrigue,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations for Victoria Cruises. “Our guests will find the Terrace's peaceful setting exceptionally relaxing while absorbing its colorful background and developing an appreciation for one of the world’s oldest and most unique instruments.”

Victoria Cruise are represented in Australia by Helen Wongs Tours

Victoria Cruises Reestablishes Ritz Tours Partnership in China

Victoria Cruises has reestablished its exclusive relationship with Ritz Tours to offer six China itineraries incorporating Victoria Cruises' voyages on the Yangtze River. Among the co-ventures is the 14-night “Glories of the Yangtze” itinerary aboard the recently renovated Victoria Prince, with sightseeing in Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing and Shanghai. Highlights include the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, and the Badaling section of the Great Wall (Beijing); the Terra Cotta Warriors (Xi’an); the Chongqing Zoo; and Yu Gardens, The Bund and the Shanghai Museum (Shanghai), as well as a Yangtze River cruise. Fares start at $2,199 per person, double.

The program includes daily breakfast, 12 lunches, 13 dinners, five-star hotel accommodations, the cruise, intra-China air transportation, an English-speaking tour guide and evening cultural entertainment aboard the Victoria Prince and in other destinations as specified in the itinerary. Complementary travel protection is provided when the final deposit is received at least 60 days prior to departure. For more information, call 800-348-8084 or visit http://www.victoriacruises.com/.

In Australia: http://www.helenwongstours.com/

Victoria Cruises to Rename Two Rebuilt Ships Lianna and Selina

Victoria Queen will become Victoria Lianna

Victoria Cruises has decided to re-launch two of its vessels -- the Victoria Queen and Victoria Star -- as the Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina, respectively.

“Initially, our intention was to update the look and feel of these ships to bring them up to speed with our newest vessels, while preparing them for the fleet-wide introduction of our Executive Deck program,” said James Pi, chairman of Victoria Cruises, who named the ships after his grandchildren, Lianna and Selina Pi.

“Rather than settle for marginal improvements, however, we ultimately decided a full overhaul was necessary, particularly in the case of the Victoria Queen and Victoria Star, which saw several decks gutted and rebuilt from scratch,” Pi said. “Essentially, the Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina will have the appearance of entirely new ships with little or no resemblance to their previous incarnations.”

Throughout the winter season, Victoria Cruises has invested millions to overhaul Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina, as well as the Victoria Prince, which will retain its original name. All three vessels will feature renovated lobbies and hallways as well as new carpeting throughout the ships. All staterooms will be enhanced with new curtains, and in some cases, new furniture as well.

The Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina will get an entirely new deck featuring an additional Executive Lounge and à la carte restaurant for Executive Deck passengers (third and fourth decks), as well as an elevator.

“There’s a fine line between a structural renovation project and a new build, and we’ve certainly blurred that line,” Pi said. “The fact we started with previous vessels is merely a technicality. Passengers who have sailed the Queen or Star would never believe they were on the same ships.”

The new ships were projected to be ready for the beginning of the regular sailing season in mid-March, but now the Selina and Lianna will be delayed for two weeks. Passengers booked on those ships March 16 to 31 will be placed on other five-star ships sailing no more than one day before or after the original departure date. Where necessary, Victoria Cruises will make land arrangements at the cruise line’s expense to prevent changes from impacting the passengers’ connections and overall tour schedule.

Beginning in April, Executive Deck passengers on the Victoria Lianna, Selina, Prince and Empress will receive the same enhanced privileges as passengers on the Victoria Jenna, Anna and Katarina. This includes concierge service, enhanced accommodations and ship placement, access to VIP areas, à la carte meal service, private cultural lessons and reserved seating for evening entertainment.

In addition to Executive Suites, the Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina also feature a number of spacious Superior Staterooms on its Executive Decks, which afford guests the same privileges and amenities as Executive Suite passengers.

“After we expanded our Executive Deck program to the Victoria Anna and Victoria Katarina, we noticed a trend in terms of booking requests from our tour partners,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations and customer service for Victoria Cruises. “Our newer premiere-class vessels were selling out in record time. While this winter’s renovations were an enormous undertaking, the end result places these ships on equal footing with our flagship, the Victoria Jenna,” Greenman said. “In fact, we anticipate the Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina will now become our most requested ships.”

As an American-managed company adhering to the strictest Western standards, Victoria Cruises retained an interior design firm from New York to plan and oversee the renovations. Additional cosmetic alterations for the Victoria Prince and Victoria Empress are currently being considered and tentatively scheduled for next winter so as not to impact the regular cruise season.

A number of U.S. tour operators have already blocked significant space on the newly installed Executive Decks of the Victoria Lianna and Victoria Selina, which will feature 101 Superior Staterooms, seven Executive Suites and two Shangri-La Suites with a total passenger capacity of 220 guests. For more information, call 800-348-8084 or visit www.victoriacruises.com.

Victoria Cruise are represented in Australia by Helen Wongs Tours

Victoria Cruises Adds 14 Departures on China’s Yangtze River

In response to higher-than-anticipated demand for its “Three Gorges Highlights” program on China’s Yangtze River, Victoria Cruises has added 14 new departures in March on the Victoria Jenna, Victoria Anna and Victoria Katarina.

“While our March programs typically see lower occupancy, many were already close to capacity at the start of 2011, leading to the decision to expand our schedule with additional sailings,” said Larry Greenman, manager of public relations and customer service for Victoria Cruises. “Tourism to China has proven far more resilient than anyone had expected and is bouncing back at a much greater pace than other destinations closer to home.”

Newly scheduled 2011 sailings for the Victoria Jenna depart on March 6, March 9, March 13 and March 16. For the Victoria Anna, the cruise line has added March 1, March 4, March 8, March 11, March 15 and March 18. New Victoria Katarina departure dates are March 3, March 6, March 10 and March 13.

A one-time shore excursion fee of $90 per person will provide guests with an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam site in San Dou Ping, a tour of the “Ghost City” of Fengdu at Mingshan Hill, and a sailing through the Small Gorges of the Daning River, one of the Yangtze’s tributaries.

Rates start at $980 per person, based on double occupancy, for superior private balcony staterooms, and $1,180 per person, double occupancy, for Executive Deck accommodations. Victoria Cruises also offers Executive, Deluxe and Shangri-La Suites (priced from $1,590, $2,080 and $2,560 per person, double occupancy, respectively) which provide the same upgraded "Executive Deck" amenities with even more spacious, further enhanced suite accommodations.

For more information, visit www.VictoriaCruises.com.
Australian enquiries: Helen Wongs Tours

Cruise Weekly Comment: Yangtze River

Cruise Weekly – Comment by Roderick Eime

It's difficult to know whether Victoria Cruises' Yangtze River product rates as true expedition and adventure or whether it follows a model developed by the great European river cruise companies.

Travelling aboard Victoria's MV Queen, as I am right now, clearly it must fulfill both roles. The 90m, 4600 ton, 200 passenger vessel is designed purely for river travel along the busy waterway between Shanghai and Chongqing. Most itineraries spend their time among the famous Three Gorges and the city of Wushan. We gaze continuosly upward at the features and the dizzying precipes of the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges with occaional shore excursions into regions of the Lesser Gorges, the famous “Ghost City” at Fengdu as well as the great dam itself.

When Victoria Cruises began in 1994, the landscapes were distinctly different. Thanks to the gradual rise of the river level since the controversial, mind-boggling Three Gorges Dam project, the old traditional villages along both banks have been replaced by unremarkable concrete apartments placed above the new waterline.

The gorges themselves have largely escaped transformation except for the consistently higher river level, leaving their quite stunning geographic features for the guests aboard the small fleet of tourist boats plying the waters. Fishermen and farmers have turned tour guides and construction workers and there are many arguments for and against.

Before setting out for this China cruise, consider your clients' preferences carefully. Food, cabins, facilities and service is superior to any other Yangtze Cruise company and compares favourably to Western standards.

More information at: www.helenwongstours.com