Victoria Sabrina

The 2020-built MV Victoria Sabrina cruise ship is operated by the luxury travel brand "American Victoria Cruises China". The 7-deck high newbuild riverboat is deployed on Yangtze River (in China) and was scheduled to start operations in 2020 with the Inaugural Cruise on May 18th. In the vessel's design and construction participated 9 companies. The result is the world's largest river cruise ship ever built.

American Victoria Cruises is a 1993-founded joint venture/American-Chinese passenger shipping company that specializes in Yangtze cruisetours with 4-day/3-night downstream and 5-day/4-night upstream itineraries between homeports Chongqing and Yichang. The company targets mainly foreign tourists.

Victoria Sabrina cruises also in the Three Gorges Dam (Hubei Province) - USD 31 billion hydroelectric plant which construction works started in 1994 and were officially completed in 2003. The Dam became fully functional in 2012 (July). By the end of 2013, its full cost was already recovered. This project was intended to increase Yangtze River's shipping capacity, as well as to prevent flooding and to generate world-record power output (max capacity 22500 MW). The ship Victoria Sabrina passes the Dam, Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge, and also cruises along the Fengdu Wuyu Mountain (Jade Emperor Holy Area, Fengdu Ghost City) and through the shallow channel Shennv Stream (15-km long, with turbulent waters).

Victoria Sabrina ship's fleetmates are the 6-deck riverboats Victoria Anna (133 cabins, 266 pax), Victoria Jenna (189 cabins, 378 pax) and Victoria Katarina (132 cabins, 264 pax) and also the 5-deck riverboats Victoria Selina (108 cabins, 216 pax), Victoria Lianna (108 cabins, 216 pax), Victoria Grace (99 cabins, 198 pax) and Victoria Sophia (104 cabins, 208 pax).

Decks and Cabins

The river cruise ship Victoria Sabrina has 7 passenger decks (5 with cabins) and a total of 292 staterooms for max passenger capacity 876 (plus 195 crew-staff). Most cabin categories (all except Standard-Porthole) are with private (step-out) balconies. Complimentary cabin amenities (regardless room category) include twin beds (2 lower beds non-convertible to double bed) or Queen beds (non-convertible to twins), padded headboards, bedside cabinets with wall-mounted reading lamps, seating area (mini-bar, armchairs, coffee/dining table, mirrored vanity / writing desk with chair), wardrobe, electronic safe box (in the closet), smart HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system), recessed ceiling lights, 220V power sockets, USB charging ports, extension telephone, bottled mineral water, tea-making facility, en-suite bathroom (washbasin, WC-toilet, shower, hairdryer, towels, bath products), thermostat controlled air-conditioning. All cabins are triple-occupancy (fitted with single sofabeds for a 3rd passenger). Cabin balconies are furnished with 1 low table, 2 deckchairs, washing line.

Categories include Standard Cabin (sized 215 ft2 / 20 m2, with Porthole windows), Superior Staterooms (sized 275 ft2 / 26 m2), Executive Suite (sized 375 ft2 / 36 m2) and Shangri-La Suite (sized 2240 ft2 / 208 m2).

Suite categories (Executive, and Shangri-La) are both with booking-included Luxury Amenities package providing VIP perks (priority boarding and reservations, dedicated concierge service, complimentary Wi-Fi, happy hour drinks, exclusive access to private shipboard areas, free laundry).

Executive Suites are 1-Room Suite with sofabed and Queen-bed and feature a ceiling window. Shangri-La Suites are the riverboat's most luxurious and largest cabins. These are 2-Room Suites with 915 ft2 (85 m2) interior space, 1320 ft2 (123 m2) outdoor terrace, separate bedroom and lounge room (both with balcony access), two TVs. Both suite categories are larger bathrooms fitted with bathtub and window.

All staff and crew cabins are on decks 1-Theater and 2-First.

Shipboard facilities

Victoria Sabrina ship's onboard entertainment includes traditional Chinese cultural performances (live music and dancing), themed lectures (on history, culture, arts, economy, food and cooking, traditions, etc), evening shows, gourmet meals (food and beverage menus are designed mainly for foreign passengers), Chinese (English-speaking) guides on all land tours.

The unique 7-deck riverboat has 3 complimentary restaurants - Top of the Yangtze Restaurant (with soft furniture, including modern armchairs and curved sofas), Dynasty Dining Room (with 8-seat round tables and 2 buffet stations) and The View Restaurant (patisserie/bar lounge/cafe with 4-seat tables) - all featuring floor-ceiling windows and with a la carte menus.

The ship features dedicated Theater Deck (with a midship-located large Cinema), Observation Deck (fore-located Lounge Deck) and Sundeck (named Pinnacle) with sunbathing area (sunloungers / no Jacuzzis or swimming pool), seating area (with deckchairs, 4-seat tables, LED-illuminated furniture), open-air Bar. Sun Deck also serves as an open-air space for morning Tai Chi classes and nightly dance parties. SkyLight (large glass roof on Deck 7) covers the Atrium (midship-forward).

Other amenities include Yangtze Club (bar lounge with 4-seat tables, armchairs, bar stools, 2-seater couches), Reel to Reel Theater (Cinema/Lecture Hall/Conference Room), Lobby Deck with Reception Desk (24-hour guest services), Tours Desk (optional shore excursions booking), Foyer Lounge (with Kids Corner) and Gift Shop (selling brand clothing, fashion accessories, beauty products, jewellery, watches), Mahjong and Card Room, Oasis Mini Spa (treatment rooms for massages, Beauty Salon - hairdresser-barber-nail services), Fitness (Exercise Room with modern equipment), Clinic / Infirmary (medical facility with resident doctors and nurses on 24-hour duty). All decks are interconnected via outdoor and indoor stairs (including a midship-located sweeping grand staircase) and 4 lifts (passenger elevators).

Yangtze River cruise itineraries

From May through November, the riverboat Victoria Sabrina operates 3-night Chongqing-Yichang downstream itineraries (leaving out of Chongqing on Mondays) and 4-night Yichang-Chongqing upstream itineraries (departing from Yichang on Thursdays).

Most shore excursions are optional (at extra cost) and offer visiting Fengdu Ghost City (complex of temples and monasteries, Ming Mountain), White Emperor Temple (Fengjie, Chongqing), Return to the Three Gorges (live outdoor show), Three Gorges Tribe (Xiling Gorge), and Ship Lift Tour (alternatively - Qu Yuan Temple). Cruisetour price-inclusive excursions are three - Three Gorges Dam, Shennong Stream (Yangtze River tributary) and Jade Emperor Scenic Area (Fengdu).

The 2016-opened Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift is a hydraulic vessel elevator that can serve ships with max LOA length 113 m (371 ft).

4-Day / 3-Night Downstream itinerary (Chongqing to Yichang)

5-Days / 4-Night Upstream itinerary (Yichang to Chongqing)

Note: You can see the CruiseMapper's list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the "itinerary" section of our River Cruises hub. All companies and their fleets are listed there.