VESSEL REVIEW – Changjiang San Hao – New luxury cruise ship built for Yangtze River features intelligent technology

The China Merchants Group subsidiary China Merchants Cruise Manufacturing Company has handed over a new luxury river cruise ship to local company Chongqing Changjiang Shipping for operation by its Yangtze River Overseas Cruise and Travel Company brand.

Classed by China Classification Society, Changjiang San Hao ("Yangtze No 3") was one of the first inland cruise ships to be built and completed in the country following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Construction began in July 2020 and was completed by December 2021, in time to allow operational sailings to commence early in the following year.

Changjiang San Hao has an LOA of 149.99 metres, a beam of 23 metres, a moulded depth of 4.7 metres, a design draught of three metres, capacity for 600 passengers, and a maximum speed of just over 13.4 knots. A Schottel rudder propeller powered by electric motors as well as a streamlined bottom hull ensure low noise and vibrations.

Cabin options include single staterooms and suites available in eight categories. Many cabins have their own balconies while some are barrier-free rooms to provide improved access for guests with limited mobility. The other onboard facilities include theatres, restaurants, cafes, indoor and outdoor bars, conference rooms, an exhibition hall, retail shops, children's play areas, a viewing area, a sun deck, a 100-metre fitness track, and an open-air water park.

One restaurant situated aft of the sun deck has seating for up to 100 people while another onboard restaurant can easily accommodate twice that number. The smaller private dining areas meanwhile have a total capacity of 300 guests.

The vessel is also notable for having an intelligent energy efficiency management system and a ship-to-shore integrated information management system. The former helps keep track of the energy consumption of the engines and all onboard electronics while the latter enables an operator at a shore-based control centre to also maintain a close watch on the condition of the vessel's propulsion and other systems, thus allowing the embarked crew to focus more on navigation and on fulfilling the needs of guests. A collision avoidance system that includes an array of video cameras providing a panoramic view is also fitted to guarantee even safer sailings in the often busy Yangtze River.

Changjiang San Hao's main area of operations will be the portion of the Yangtze River off Chongqing. Earlier this year, the vessel sailed on its maiden voyage, serving an eight-day itinerary from Wuhan to Chongqing.

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