Two new cruise ships set to debut this year
2026-03-14 19:03:16
By Yan Wanqin
Two new cruise ships will enter service this year as part of Yichang’s three-phase plan targeting over 6 million passengers by 2035, doubling the number recorded in 2025, according to the Hubei Three Gorges Cultural Tourism Group.
The Vista Aurora is launched at Yichang Xinhui shipyard on January 16, 2026. Photo by Zheng Ming.
The Yichang-based company set new benchmarks in 2025, with cruise services and related products attracting a record 3 million visitors, a 16 percent increase year on year. Cruise operations contributed nearly 85 percent of the group's profits and generated more than 25 percent of revenue from related sectors.
Phase One (2026–2027) of the roadmap will enhance the popular "Two Dams and One Gorge" route while marking the group's entry into interprovincial vacation cruise tourism.
Phase Two (2028–2030) aims to strengthen the group's presence in the Three Gorges section by adding two more interprovincial cruise ships to its fleet.
Phase Three (2031–2035) will expand operations further along the Yangtze River by adding 10 to 20 ships to serve major routes including Yichang–Chongqing, Wuhan–Chongqing, and Shanghai–Chongqing.
This year, the group will also upgrade the onboard visitor experience, with improvements in dining, shopping, entertainment, performances, and accommodations.
The group currently operates 25 tourist ships and is building four interprovincial vacation cruise ships in two batches. The first, the Vista Harmony, is scheduled to begin operations in April, followed by the Vista Aurora in July, according to Mao Xiang, general manager of the tourism development division at the Three Gorges Cultural Tourism Group’s tourism business branch.
Construction of the remaining two ships will begin in October. A themed cruise vessel and a micro-vacation cruise ship are expected to enter service in September and October, respectively.
Yang Jing also contributed to this story.
Two new cruise ships will enter service this year as part of Yichang’s three-phase plan targeting over 6 million passengers by 2035, doubling the number recorded in 2025, according to the Hubei Three Gorges Cultural Tourism Group.
The Vista Aurora is launched at Yichang Xinhui shipyard on January 16, 2026. Photo by Zheng Ming.The Yichang-based company set new benchmarks in 2025, with cruise services and related products attracting a record 3 million visitors, a 16 percent increase year on year. Cruise operations contributed nearly 85 percent of the group's profits and generated more than 25 percent of revenue from related sectors.
Phase One (2026–2027) of the roadmap will enhance the popular "Two Dams and One Gorge" route while marking the group's entry into interprovincial vacation cruise tourism.
Phase Two (2028–2030) aims to strengthen the group's presence in the Three Gorges section by adding two more interprovincial cruise ships to its fleet.
Phase Three (2031–2035) will expand operations further along the Yangtze River by adding 10 to 20 ships to serve major routes including Yichang–Chongqing, Wuhan–Chongqing, and Shanghai–Chongqing.
This year, the group will also upgrade the onboard visitor experience, with improvements in dining, shopping, entertainment, performances, and accommodations.
The group currently operates 25 tourist ships and is building four interprovincial vacation cruise ships in two batches. The first, the Vista Harmony, is scheduled to begin operations in April, followed by the Vista Aurora in July, according to Mao Xiang, general manager of the tourism development division at the Three Gorges Cultural Tourism Group’s tourism business branch.
Construction of the remaining two ships will begin in October. A themed cruise vessel and a micro-vacation cruise ship are expected to enter service in September and October, respectively.
Yang Jing also contributed to this story.
