Aboard the Yi Dunho — The last time a Viking ship filled with English speakers sailed from China was on the Yangtze River, where a plague was raging.
Four years later, Viking launched its first ocean cruises targeting English-speaking customers, stopping in ports along the coasts of the East and South China Seas.
The Jo Sang-yi Dunho set out on her maiden voyage of ten days in mid-September, sailing from Shanghai to Shenzhen (Hong Kong), stopping overnight at both ports and stopping at Zhoushan, Dongtou, Pingtan Island, and Xiamen.
Many of Yi Dun’s food options feature Chinese cuisine, like this station with sweet coconut milk and a variety of side dishes like melon, beans, and sago pearls. Photo courtesy of Andrea Zelinski
The journey was born three years ago when Viking launched sea cruises for the Chinese domestic market. The joint venture between Viking and state-owned China Merchants Group, announced in 2019, led to the acquisition of Viking Ships in 2021.
The renamed ship, which Viking calls Yi Dun, has been re-flagged to allow it to visit a variety of Chinese ports beyond major ports like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing. Cruise lines including Silversea, Celebrity, Princess and Holland America Line make stops on multinational voyages, so many of the ports on Yi Dun voyages are places Viking has exclusive access to.
Viking’s English-speaking cruises will run from September to November, when Yi Dun will move to the Japanese market before resuming domestic cruises in China from June to September 2025. Viking will resume cruising to English-speaking customers in China from September to November 2025, offering longer cruises, some of which will also include stops in Japan.
This type of product is a new area for the cruise industry.
Mike Estill, COO of the Western Association of Travel Agencies, doesn’t recall any English-speaking cruise lines offering China-only itineraries. Nor does he recall any ships offering crossover products for American and Chinese audiences, given their different tastes. For example, the Chinese market tends to prefer casinos over lounging in the sun and swimming, but this ship has three pools and no casino.
“Overall, this is an experiment whose success is still uncertain,” Estill said.
Joost Ouendag, Viking’s vice president of product development, said the onboard experience for North Americans is similar to other Viking cruises. The only major change the adults-only brand has made for China cruises is allowing children, as they tend to travel as families.
“What you see, what you experience is largely Viking,” Ouendag said. “All we had to do to cater to North Americans was adjust the menu, adjust the signage.”
Viking chairman and CEO Thorstein Hagen, aboard Yi Dun, said bookings for ocean cruises in China were “good” in both markets, adding that “it will take some time to fully break through in China”.
Asked whether he planned to resume river cruises targeting Westerners in China, he said only: “It wouldn’t be illogical.”
The return of inbound tourism to China has been slow. In 2023, the country became one of the last major tourist destinations to reopen its borders after the pandemic. Inbound tourism that year was just under half of 2019, according to market research firm Statista. That’s consistent with what Alex Sharpe, CEO of Signature Travel Network, has noticed: demand from China has picked up, but it’s still well below 2019 levels. He said Viking’s strategy is helping to draw Westerners back into the market.
“It certainly seems like a smart move to leverage the presence of ships serving the US market during what is considered peak season in Asia and then focus on regional markets as they begin to recover towards the end of the season,” he said.
Idun experience
The 930-passenger ‘Idun’, which carries 650 passengers this time, retains Viking’s signature Nordic design, including a cozy fireplace and hot and cold water spa functions.
Over 200 Buddha statues line the interior walls of the Guanyin Temple in Zhoushan, China. Photo courtesy of Andrea Zelinski
Chinese sensibilities are readily apparent, with the two-story-tall projection of Chinese art in the atrium changing throughout the day.
And many of the food choices reflect Chinese influences. For example, The Restaurant offers dim sum for breakfast, a Taste of China selection for lunch, and a variety of Chinese street food on some evenings. Room service and nearly every restaurant offer a variety of Chinese-influenced options, but traditional Western cuisine is always available.
Almost all of the ship’s crew members are Chinese, and their cheerful attitudes and enthusiasm bridged the language barrier that was difficult to ignore. They had spent months studying English in preparation for our arrival, but the crew had difficulty communicating with some guests, for example, when they were making complicated food or drink orders or asking for directions on how to navigate the port on their own.
Viking operates all of its tours with highly qualified English-speaking tour guides offboard. Complimentary tours include acrobatic shows and theatrical performances about Buddha. Tours include temple visits and long rides into the mountains, home of oolong tea, and both tours include lunch.
