Getting ready to cruise through spring

With a new season on the horizon, the tide is changing for cruise trips, Li Jing discovers

There are few ways to escape the capital more effectively than climbing aboard a boat and setting out to sea. With luxury cruise liners resembling floating five-star hotels with access to endless sunset views, it is no wonder that business is booming for cruise companies. According to the China Cruise and Yacht Industry Association (CCYIA), the number of outbound travelers from the Chinese mainland hit 790,000 in 2010, up 20.1 percent from just a year earlier. METRO asked three industry insiders to share their memories of very different cruises.

The short trip