I did it years ago back when there were gorges. Frankly, assuming you don't have young kids in tow (but, maybe you do, given the interest in pandas), I think there are much cooler ways to approach the area. It's possible to knock down a lot of the best spots in Sichaun and Yunnan (Jiuzhaigou, Lijiang, Dali, Shangri-la, etc) over the course of a week (without killing yourself).... but, you will need to spend a lot of time on busses in order to make it happen. Chengdu and Kunming are interesting in and of themselves, but the places I parenthesized above --along with some of their peers-- are truly pristine. While the river cruise is more hands off, the over land journey provides significantly better scenery, adventure, and flexibility IMO.

I try to do trips like that several times per year and always come back delighted beyond belief, even if also tired and hungry. However, one thing that works in my favor, is that I always have time to spare (i.e. no preset "return to work" date). My computer comes along and I do the GPRS thing so I can be just as productive onboard a train/bus as I can back in my office (though I do miss out a few meetings, of course).