Dispatch from Donna: Discovering China with Regent Mariner

This is travel writer Donna Hull's fifth installment of "Dispatch from Donna," a weekly update during her 52-day voyage aboard Regent's Seven Seas Mariner.

Ahoy there! Booming, dynamic China is the star on week five of our Regent Seven Seas Mariner cruise from Vancouver to Singapore.


But first, we make a brief stop in Inchon, South Korea. Most passengers opt for the one-hour bus excursion to Seoul for a short introduction that includes a visit to Jogyesa, a practicing Buddhist temple, views of downtown high-rises, and the chance to shop for South Korean souvenirs along Insadong Antique Street. Arriving back at the ship, there’s still time to walk into Inchon where the alleyways contain a strange mix of fish market stalls, beauty shops and clothing stores.

Dalian, Mariner’s first Chinese port, eliminates any of my pre-conceived notions about China. International stores and 5-star hotels line wide flower-filled avenues near the port area. Alan and I choose to explore via the “Dalian Highlights and a Family Visit” excursion. The journey takes us to People’s Square where colorful kites fill the air. Afterwards, we walk through a working fish market, with seafood of every description on display. The tour continues out a side door into the bleak housing area for the seafood merchants. An elderly Chinese woman watches, then waves to us, from the windows of the Soviet style block apartments.

The bus drives to a more modern area where passengers divide into small groups to visit a typical Chinese apartment. The climb up a dirty, concrete stairwell is a stark contrast to the tiny, clean apartment with sleek wood floors where our Chinese hostess, aided by two English-speaking university students, shares her way of life with us. On the bus ride back to the port, tour guide, Joe, sings Chinese and American songs, a custom we will experience on most of the bus excursions in China.


When Mariner docks in Tianjin, all passengers are treated to a complimentary night at an upscale hotel in Beijing, with meals (our accommodations are at the luxurious Regent Beijing Hotel). The three-hour bus ride into the city includes lunch at a jade factory followed by a visit to the Great Wall. The next day, cruisers tour The Forbidden City before returning to the ship.

Those wishing to extend their stay in Beijing (which includes Alan and myself), purchase a second night’s lodging. One day is simply not enough to explore a city teeming with historical sites wedged between modern day high-rises.

Although Regent offers a half-day complimentary tour, we’ve hired a private guide for an in-depth experience. Beginning our day at the Temple of Heaven, we watch as retirees spend their morning practicing Tai Chi or ballroom dancing on the park-like outer grounds. Later we walk through what seems like a never-ending array of rooms and courtyards in The Forbidden City.

Our visit coincides with the last days of the national holiday celebrating the Communist China’s 60th anniversary. Red lanterns hang from doorways while the trees and shrubbery are lit with colorful lights adding to a festive, holiday feel. At Tiananmen Square, parade floats from China’s provinces line the edges of the vast space. Alan and I appear to be the only Westerners walking among thousands of Chinese as our guide leads us across the area in the late afternoon sun.

The return bus trip to the ship includes a combination of old and new Beijing. We explore the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium before visiting the Summer Palace for a stroll through the gardens followed by a multi-course Chinese lunch.

The hustle and bustle only increases as Mariner sails into Shanghai. Ship traffic crowds the Huangpu Jung River like rush hour on a Manhattan street. Junks, barges and ships represent old and new, reflecting the feeling that is Shanghai. A ride on the ultra-fast Maglev train complements a visit to the 18th century complex at Yu Garden.

A free shuttle bus transports cruisers to Julong Silk and Handicrafts Market in Dagu Lu Street. Armed with an address list, printed in English and Chinese, provided by the ship, Alan and I jump into a cab for a day of shopping. Along the way, we meet an American ex-pat who informs us that visitors to Shanghai must buy pearls, silk and perfume. Dodging street vendors on Nanjinglu Pedestrian Shopping Street, we find plenty of friendly, English speaking shopkeepers. Later that night, we sit in one of Mariner’s restaurants watching as passengers and crewmembers return to the ship loaded down with purchases.

The Chinese portion of our cruise ends with a multi-night stay in Hong Kong harbor. Cruisers tour Aberdeen, the old fishing village, for a ride along the waters in a motorized sampan, before shopping in the narrow lanes of Stanley Market. A cable car ride to Victoria Peak, with its panoramic view of the city, offers the perfect ending to our Hong Kong stay.

Next week, I’ll take a break from describing ports to tell you about life onboard the luxury cruise ship, Mariner.

—Donna Hull for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

All photos © Alan Hull and Donna Hull

Follow Donna on Twitter, visit her blog, and return here next week for the next "Dispatch from Donna" as she travels for 52 days aboard Regent's Seven Seas Mariner from Vancouver to Singapore.