Victoria Cruise Lines will debut the 570-passenger Victoria Isabella in September as the largest ship sailing the Yangtze River.
Victoria says it is breaking its own record set in 2020, when the line introduced the Victoria Sabrina.
The Isabella will be "virtually identical" to the Sabrina, Victoria said. One difference: It will be the first passenger ship of its size equipped with an escalator.
The ship will have 236 staterooms that the company says will have the comforts of a five-star hotel. The rooms will have private balconies. There will be 22 executive suites that include the luxury amenities package, along with two Shangri-La Suites, the largest onboard.
"While U.S. passengers to China remain down from pre-pandemic levels, we are encouraged by a number of indicators that show the market is poised for a comeback, including a game-changing program which allows Americans to visit for up to ten days without requiring a visa," said company president Benson Wu.
The Isabella will join a fleet already with the Sabrina, Jenna, Anna and Katarina.