All Aboard!

In the hustle and bustle of the busy Shanghai city, it’s easy to forget its both geographical, and literal location on the sea (Shang meaning 'on' and hai meaning 'sea'), but apart from the obligatory one hour Huangpu river cruise with out-of-towners, the thought of hauling anchor and setting sail for an adventure on the high seas is not one that crosses many an expat mind. From short hops to local islands, all-inclusive cruises or budget ferry trips to Japan however, there’s now a whole sea of waterborne travel opportunities out there to be explored.

Pushing the Boat Out

International operators Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises now offer a range all-inclusive cruises departing from Shanghai that take in the best of Japan and Korea in six - eight day trips. Of the two operators, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas is the larger ship (136,000 tons of ship to be exact, accommodating 3,114 guests and featuring 15 decks complete with ice skating rink, basketball court and mini golf course), but at 76,000 tons, Costa Cruises’ vessel, the Costa Victoria, makes for our top choice, offering a fantastic selection of ten bars and five restaurants to choose from, a Romanbath themed Pompeii Spa, a multi-purpose sports pitch and outdoor running track and two glass-walled ocean view entertainment areas to keep you busy.

The Voyager of the Seas can only access the Wusong International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District, but due to its smaller size, the Costa Victoria can set sail from the new Shanghai International Port Cruise Terminal (next to Hyatt on the Bund on Dongdaming Lu), meaning that your onboard vacation can start from an easy-to-reach downtown location. On 18 May, voyagers can enjoy Costa Victoria’s maiden Asia voyage which takes in the beautiful volcanic island and popular honeymoon destination of Jeju in Korea, the lush parks, ancient castle and artsy vibe of Japan’s Fukuoka, the scenic seaside city of Miyazaki surrounded by mountains and ocean views, and finally a day in Wakayama exploring its many ancient temples, shrines and gardens and the historic Wakayama Castle.

This 6-day, 5-night cruise on the Costa Victoria starts at just RMB 4,469 with up to a RMB 1,000 discount available to celebrate the route’s launch, so pack your sea legs and get onboard!

Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises departing Shanghai from May through August are bookable through Ctrip English. Tel: (400) 619 9999 (press 3) for details.

Plain Sailing – No Frills Ferries to Japan

If the idea of a cruise doesn’t float your boat, or you are simply time rich and cash poor you can still take advantage of Shanghai’s seaside locale with reasonably priced international ferry options that will get you to Japan within a couple of days. There are several lines running weekly between Shanghai and Kobe, Osaka and very recently, Nagasaki, departing from the Shanghai International Port Cruise Terminal. The Xinjianzhen operated by China-Japan International Ferry Co. departs for Kobe or Osaka on alternate Saturdays at 12.30pm (no sailings from 8-14 May due to maintenance), and the Shanghai Ferry Co.’s vessel, the Suzhou Hao, runs a weekly service to Osaka on Tuesdays at 11am.

Though by no means a luxury holiday vessel, the Xinjianzhen does offer a range of food and drink options including a cafeteria serving predominantly Chinese and Japanese fare with a handful of western standards, a lounge, karaoke rooms and Japanese style baths for first class and VIP passengers. A round trip to Shanghai-Kobe/Osaka on the Xinjianzhen starts at just RMB 1,950 for shared Japanese dormitory style accommodation and runs to RMB 9,750 for a private VIP cabin.

Alternatively, the Shanghai-Nagasaki ferry (26 hours), operated by HTB Cruise Corporation, (a subsidiary of Hui Ten Bosch, the Japanese operators of a Dutch theme park in Nagasaki), is keen for hordes of Chinese tourists to flock to see their tulips. The ship is an old Greek cruise liner called the Ocean Rose and departs Saturdays at 9am with seats costing RMB 1,518 and beds from RMB 3,768 one way (tickets available from the Sail Tower, 3F, 266 Hankou Lu, near Henan Lu).

Shanghai-Osaka/Kobe fares and schedules can be found at www.shinganjin.com and www.shanghai-ferry.co.jp/english

Land Lubbers Ahoy!

If the idea of more than a few hours on the water shivers your timbers then there are other options that’ll keep you much closer to home, and dry land.

If you’ve only got a day to spare then a short ferry ride to one of Shanghai’s nearby islands is the best choice. The largest and best-known of the three main islands in the Yangtze River Delta, Chongming, was made more easily accessible by land with the opening of the Yangtze River Tunnel and Bridge in 2009. Its smaller neighbours, Hengsha and Changxing, however remain far less well-known and are a great quick getaway for the adventurous weekend traveller looking to escape the big city.

Best known for its groves of succulent mandarin and naval oranges, there are a number of tourist attractions on Changxing including Chuizhu Yuan, a sprawling classical Chinese garden and the Shanghai Orange Garden Resort (Tel: (21) 3380 1233), a holiday resort complete with rock climbing, go-karting, swimming pools and accommodation choices that include villas, suites and yurts!

If the idyllic pace of the swathes of colourful orange groves and bamboo forests that cover much of the island is too slow for you, neighbouring Hengsha Island’s eastern shores offer the Hawaii Water Park where waterslides, motorboat rides, parasailing, skim-boarding and the like will cost you RMB 20-30 per activity. Pack a picnic or indulge in some local seafood and watch the sun go down from the Ocean-Watching Tower or the Sun-Watching Pavilion.

Boats to Changxing and Hengsha depart regularly from Wusong Passenger Transport Centre (251 Songbao Lu, Baoshan District about 10 minutes’ walk from Songbin Lu Metro Station (Line 3) and take approximately five minutes to Changxing (RMB 11) and over one hour to Hengsha (RMB 20). Tel: (21) 5657 1202.

Shengsi

Shengsi Island is a nice destination for a quick weekend boat excursion. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, southwest of Shanghai it is one of about 400 islands that make up the Zhoushan Archipelago, the only prefecture level “city” in China that is made up entirely of islands. Other islands of the archipelago, such as the picturesque Buddhist island of Putuoshan, can now be more easily reached with a road and boat combo via Ningbo and the Hangzhou Bay Bridge, but Shengsi, the easternmost isle, is somewhat farther flung. It’s about a three hour journey each way from downtown Shanghai so not quite a day trip but there are plenty of hotel and guest house options on the island and it's possible for budget travellers to take a tent and camp on the island’s Jihu Beach.

To get to Shengsi purchase a ticket (RMB 108) from Waima Lu Wharf (1588 Waima Lu, near Lujiabang Lu) which will take you by bus to Luhui Port and from there it’s a short ferry ride to Shengsi. Buses depart 7.50am, 9.15am, 12.30pm and 1.50pm and the total one-way journey time is approximately 3 hours.

Aimee Groom is an editor for ChinaTravel.net, a sister site to Ctrip.com, China’s leading online travel service provider. ChinaTravel.net brings readers everything they need to know to enjoy their China adventure to the fullest.