victoria I, not good

Almost immediately when I boarded the cruiser Victoria I, I knew this couldn't be a American Victoria cruiser, even under the same name. (Instead, it is actually managed by Changjiang OTS company, a Chinese company.) I had hardly pleasant first impression. The lobby was not bright and clean enough, and besides fairly messy with many clothes and scarves stands the boat wanted to sell. The front desk staff wore long poker faces and the baggage bellboys said no thanks at all and just took the tips coldly. I told myself, like taking the time machine back to 1980s, a very pure communist era, serious era, when people didn't talk about service at all.

The only good thing was the rooms for our group, which were on its 3rd deck, seemed small but all right, with facility. However, my room, to share with other guides, Room 101, first deck, end of the aisle, always was wet and smelt veird.

During the two nights' stay aboard, en route from Chongqing to Yichang, I experienced other intersting aspects with this Victoria boat.

First about the meals, we reminded the boat guide and chefs in advance,that our group of Cantonese originals, didn't eat spicy foods. And when we sat down we were not very happy with most hot chillies in its buffet lunch and dinner. Only three or four were kinda edible, like boiled vegetables and cold appetizers of chicken or duck, which came little in portion but more in bones and skins. Besides their sevice was so rude. At the first dinner , one waitoress murmured to one of our tables not to waste food, just because for those seniors, chicken skin and duck bones were not their healthy delicacies. They tried to explained in their poor Mandarin for the girl didn't understand much English. Their conversation was doomed, and in the end the girl rudely left one sentence and left, which was:
'If you don't like, then don't come.'
This must be the last straw, and the tour organizer couple, very angrily got the boat guide and managers of the restaurant and the boat, to complain on their rude attitude and poor meal quality. Of course I went to help explain and translate. In the end, the managers decided to pacify this couple and brought one bottle of wine, and fruits to their room to apologize. And they promised that the girl, possibly out of their mind and would be fired shortly.( But why do they employ an insane worker?). About one hour later, on its top deck, during the so called fashion performances, by its crew, we clearly saw that girl on the stage, performing in a bad mood and thus it made us uncomfortable too.

The boat guides were passionate. But since for better business the cruisers carried over one hundred Chinese passengers, their night mare was for sure. Our guide spoke English with strong accent and tried hard to explain but not too well though. He was himself desperate to control the mainland Chinese, smoking everywhere and crowded taking pictures and making noises, while he was explaining to the groups. While the other one, speaking Chinese language, felt even more frustrated that one of his guidance book( with DVDs) was stolen. He not only asked guides to check with each groups and after all this failed he openly complained during the dinner over speakers, and then miserably pleaded the one, who 'must mistakenly' took it should kindly return it , or he himself had to pay for the loss of 150 yuan worth. He talked that it was not fair for him, such a knowledgeable and, good guide to deserve for it. Instead, he talked to us guides, if each of the Chinese groups tipped him 5 yuan, he would feel better. And second day when we met him and asked about the book, he sadly shook his head.( Not sure about extra tips, for we left the boat before all other groups.)

And the dinner of second day, farewell dinner, the restaurant manager and her waitoress had big fight with one table, for one stupid guy smoked and burned a big hole out of the table cloth. They insisted the passenger admit and pay for it. But the whole table, shame on them, didn't admit smoking at all. In the end, the leader from their group, a government unit settled it, and asked for an invoice (to refund from the government of course). The performances were dead boring and amateur , if there were no entertainment from passengers, like three couples from our group ballroom dancing, and a Thai group singing their folk song.

And about their sightseeing program, which was the worst part, because:
Day one, the boat left the wharf in Chongqing about 2 hours late, which made our arrival time at The Ghost City in Fengdu delayed till 4:30. And due to the grey weather it was already dark actually, and after we finished visiting the kinda theme park with different statues of ghost from the hell, it was really black. We were so careful about each step because it was not brightly illuminated at all. Either by cable or by stairs we all thanked god that no ghost came to take our lives.

Day 2, we paid a visit to a Sheng Nong Creek, with nice view thanks to great weather. But due to their optional tour in the morning, the boat came to pass locks to travel between different water levels very late in the night. 10:30-11 pm, remember that locks are the largest size in the whole world. I regretted most people didn't stay up late, for according their announcement, 'they were not sure, but possibly around 12-1 am, the midnight time.'

Day 3, visit the three gorges dam in the morning, and no lunch included for that day, even though the boat would come to its destination about noon time.

Our group left the dam site but didn't return to the boat. And instead we were picked up by our own local bus, and would drive in great comfort to Wuhan.