Hubei Orient Royal Cruise ship Limited

Hubei Orient Royal Cruise has been organizing Yangtze River cruises since 1994. The company’s website identifies Yichang as the starting point of its cruise business, while its registered address is in Wuhan. Under the name Yangzi Explorer, it markets a new generation of Yangtze cruise ship, which entered service in 2025.

The Yangzi Explorer concept

The Yangzi Explorer is 104.8 meters long and 16.3 meters wide, has a draft of 2.5 meters, and is designed for a crew of 141. The operator lists the ship’s gross tonnage as 7,389. It is entirely suite-based, with 74 balcony suites and capacity for 148 guests. The smallest suite measures 31 square meters; according to the company, the crew-to-guest ratio is about one to one. The ship thus combines limited passenger capacity with comparatively spacious suites and personalized service. Its design was also adapted to the requirements of the ship lift at the Three Gorges Dam. The Yangzi Explorer can pass through the lift, which transports ships across the difference in elevation between river sections.

The 2026 itineraries connect Chongqing and Yichang. The downstream journey takes three nights; in the opposite direction, four-night itineraries via Badong or Shennongjia are available. Round trips cover the route from Yichang to Chongqing and back over seven nights. This stretch of river takes in the Three Gorges and connects the two cities with places such as Fuling, Zhongxian, and Wushan. In Fuling, shore excursion options include the underground Project 816 or the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum; Zhongxian offers an evening performance on the theme of the Three Kingdoms. In Wushan, an excursion explores the gorge area before the ship travels to Yichang via the Three Gorges ship lift. In Yichang, the program includes a visit to the dam and the Resettlement Museum. These routes form the core of the offering and vary by direction and intermediate stops.

The Yangtze River cruise overview provides context for the cruise region. The ship overview and company profiles help put river cruise ships and their operators into context.