Hoyaheel

8 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 the 10 years, multiple re-entry tourist/visitors visa - apparetly - no longer granted. 

In the past - despite offering a 10 year multiple entry visa (for Americans) it was not a checkbox on the application - but in Section 2.2, select "Other" and type it in (as a request....). Honestly, I don't know that I've ever seen an application WITH a box marked "10 year" visa.....

4 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

A Visa is a process similar to a passport, where Chinese officials do background checks, and various other checks to insure you are welcomed in their country and it last for 10 years. 

That depends on the nationality of the passport. Not all nationalities are permitted 10 years, AND 10 years is not guaranteed - the Chinese authorities can do what they want (despite totally valid paperwork, I was denied a 10 year business visa twice 😉 I was granted 1 yr multiple entry, but had to reapply as my visits spanned more than 1 year. I have heard the tourist visa 10 yr is far more easily granted. But still - not guaranteed.....

This is why I use the term "technical clothing" as that covers LOTS of styles and fabrics, which fortunately these days, come in styles to suit most of us. I don't wear leggings as pants (or outside the garden). I mentioned fleece leggings & cargoes specifically because they had been mentioned up thread. I wasn't referring to  anyone specific or even saying anything bad about them, just that they're not my personal style. And trying to prevent intermountain west discrimination by stating that other people in the world use, wear, and shop for technical clothing  😉

And I found no shoes I wanted while in Wisconsin 😞

Easterners use gear too ;-) But FYI, when I lived in Utah, I didn't wear cargos or fleece leggings - just not my style, no matter where I live ;-)

I suspect they add the "check with ship staff" to cover any specific incidents that might arise - what if there was an issue and the boat was late arriving at the embarkation port and they need to clean or....Sounds like pretty standard CYA language so they don't have to update the website all the time.

41 minutes ago, Roz said:

Didn't know you could do that.  Thanks for the tip.

You can't always - depends on where the money comes from, right? 😉

[our last river cruise, our TA gave us a rebate and prepaid gratuities. I think the same for our next cruise, which is an ocean cruise. But our last ocean cruise -would have been the first cruise with this "new" TA - I think we might have had some OBC as well. Same agent - three different cruise companies - so I make no assumptions]

1 hour ago, Ann_on_the_road said:

Is is there a mute feature on this board?

 

 

It's called "Ignore". Hover your cursor over a user's name/avatar and the profile info should pop up. At the bottom of that box is a button that says "Ignore". Click it. I believe you can also do this manually within your own profile by adding usernames to a list.

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

 My FedEx and UPS guys know my work schedule (they won't ring the doorbell bell before 11am lest they wake me up) and where they can safely drop off my packages and we're on a first name basis...  

 

UPS guys (regular and at least two of the alternates 😉 know me very well (but they also do pickups/deliveries at my husband's manufacturing company every day, small towns!) and the mail carrier and the weekend mail carrier.... We try not to use fedex if possible because they are AWFUL here, but often you can't pick or don't know before ordering how things will be shipped - you just know how much it will cost....

I work in a larger market (I commute 30 miles each way) - I do my grocery shopping here, I can go to other stores after work if I really wanted to (though, any store that would have shoes I'd want would be another 10-15 miles away - in the opposite direction from home, so....) No perfect solution - reading reviews helps some but is far from foolproof, when looking at new options....

Trying to do my packing list for a long weekend trip this week - cold, potentially rainy but also potentially some dirty work (visiting my sister & BIL in their new house - they will put us to work as my husband has mad skills 😉 ) So probably 3 pairs - slip on sneakers, old sneakers, and possibly something I can wear with socks (my goretex walking shoes would work for rain and cold/socks). Not sure but I better start pulling out warmer clothing & shoes now! Temps are still summery here so I haven't needed anything warm yet..... 

Yeah, I can't wear most Merrells now (from when they changed in the mid-aughts, I think) They might have done some tweaks since then, as I've found a couple styles that will work for me now. Problem is -I think that my feet/needs are changing at the same time companies are changing their shoes....

Doesn't matter who I blame (me or them) - I'm still looking for shoes that work for me! 😉 I do most of my shopping online (I live remotely, trying to get variety in my size in person requires way too much driving) but I'm visiting my sister in the land of suburbia next weekend so if I can escape my nieces & nephew, I might see if I can try on some shoes.....

Not just footwear🤣

Just had to send back some Lands End ballet flats - I've owned several pairs in the past and really loved. Shape has changed. Current option, sadly, has a decent insole (one problem I typically have with a ballet flat) but doesn't have enough vamp. I don't find toe cleavage visually a problem, but it *does* mean there isn't enough shoe there to support my foot. Dangit. They were on sale. And so cute! (I ordered black watch plaid and leopard calf hair).

I will always notice what you are wearing and what car you drive. Got the car genes from my father. Not sure who passed the fashionista on to me - I think my paternal grandmother (who wore a very fashionable miniskirt to my christening ;-)

And also luggage. Esp carry-on luggage. I have an obsession. I love air travel for the people watching!!

[and if 20some years of education didn't drain that out of me, nothing can! ;-) If you enjoy it, it's not frivolous!]

11 hours ago, cruise kitty said:

 I feel the same way about cold weather, some how it's easier for me to pack lighter.

For me, I think it's because when it's cold, I'm wearing a coat (because when we travel, we're out walking/wandering about outside ALL the time, no matter what type of trip we're taking) so my wardrobe is instantly limited. Who cares how many different outfits I bring if all anyone else sees is my coat, hat & scarves? ;-)

I'll never have fewer than 2 pairs - to change up for my feet when needed, so a pair can air out or dry off if needed (though I try to bring goretex if I'm aware it could be wet) and in case a pair breaks/falls apart etc. Yes, that has happened to me! I don't need to bring 10 prs "just in case", but a back up pair? Yep! But otherwise, I just bring what I feel I'll need for a trip. 

It's much easier for me to pack fewer shoes on cold weather trips. Not sure why. In Alaska last year, one pair goretex hiking shoes (black), one pair birkenstock gizeh sandals (silver), one pair laceup privos (black), one pair privos mary janes (Black). On my AK cruise before that, I only had 3 prs! Goretex hiker (we actually hike, and that trip, we were visiting family outside Fairbanks and hiking with them), black mary jane, and I think a black sandal for on the ship/dinners. 

Don't say transit visa. That's a different thing - a G visa. What you're looking for is TWOV - Transit WITHOUT Visa. So if your itinerary meets China's requirements for TWOV, you just need to figure out if Celebrity will let you board or not. They can do whatever they want, right or wrong....

19 hours ago, Diego Da Monkey said:

Shanghai to Taiwan or to another mainland China stop that negates the visa.

Taiwan is NOT "China" and would count as a different country in terms of China's A-B-C TWOV (transit without visa) policy. A, B & C must all be different countries, with B being China 😉 [in terms of TWOV, Hong Kong is also not counted as "China"]

bubbachief- what matters is how long you'll be in China, and the ports/destination immediately prior & after your port. That's what China cares about.

What Celebrity cares about is a mystery to me ;-0

It's hard for me to feel bad for cruise companies who want to CYA, because the rules are so hard for people to understand, they're not posted easily online to see (they are in Timatic, which many airline websites have) and they vary by nationality of passport, so why should a cruise company be responsible for keeping that info up to date? They're gonna be yelled at & disparaged online if someone doesn't have the right paperwork and can't cruise, so in their shoes - I'd probably tell everyone to get a visa too! 😉

Cute outfits. I would be too hot in a merino pullover on an airplane (I have only been cold on airplanes twice in my life- and one of those times was actually a helicopter that was flying way too high without supplemental oxygen and I sort of passed out.) But anyway. Cute! Hope it works for you on the flight and the rest of the trip 😉

When we did Avalon in Europe (Dec 2014) we did NOT meet at the hotel together and travel to the ship if we were independent travelers. The only people transported to the ship by Avalon were those who booked the airport transfer same day, or who did the Avalon pre-cruise extension. So we got our bags on board ourselves. We just did Avalon Mekong and were transported together from the hotel, but our trip also included some days in the HCMC hotel & excursions from Avalon.....I'm not sure what the cruise-only passengers did - some might have gone directly to the ship and others traveled with us from the hotel?

If you see something you like, double check amazon for prices. I got a couple cute Coolibar pieces earlier this summer (for me, and for husband) cheaper on Amazon than I saw elsewhere. 

My husband loved the Lands End rash guards I got him (short and long sleeve) - tried to order more during a recent sale but they're backordered until January. Dangit, we're heading to beaches over the December holidays (not my choice - I'd happily go someplace cold & snowy, thank you ;-) ) I got myself a couple rash guards as well - the crew neck is fine but ironically the boatneck feels like it pulls tight (yeah, I have neck issues!) I kept it but I don't like to wear it as long as I'll wear the other. They all came in handy when we were in SE Asia last month - despite water resistant formulations and reapplying, we were constantly sweating off sunscreen and liked having backup.

Funny that a long sweater would bother you to sit on but a hoodie isn't a problem. I can't wear hoodies - all that fabric hanging at my neck makes me CRAZY, and if I had to lean against it in an airplane seat? No way.  So glad there are many choices out there that hopefully will make each of us happy  ;-)

I haven't read reviews of crystal, but do they not fit under the bed(s)? I was just on an Avalon ship on the mekong - only 18 cabins - but the suitcases fit under the beds 😉

I don't travel in skirts either (though I wear dresses year round as my preferred option, I just don't like to travel in them - long gets in the way and short can be more revealing than I like, esp if I'm hoisting luggage somewhere 😉

I have a few patterned cardigans I love - a couple are from Nordstrom (Halogen has had some cute options in the past) and Lands End does as well (their Suprima cotton?) and Talbots sometimes does as well. Most of my patterned options have black included so they fit nicely with the rest of my wardrobe. Most of those options are also short - waist or just above the hip - not longer.....

I travel in black because...dirt. Also, one flight the guy sitting next to me spilled two glasses of red wine on me. So. Black!

I typically wear a sleeveless or short sleeve tunic (for much travel - depends on temps overall for each trip - I wear EF crepe ankle length pants or a ponte pant, so I want a shirt that comes down below my butt) and a black cardigan, again longer since my preferred silhouette is long over lean.....

Whatever you wear on the plane should definitely be incorporated into the "regular" wardrobe for the entire trip, so your layers for shirt & sweater should be in colors & fabrics that will work with the rest of what you're bringing....

I typically wear a scarf (except in the hottest of summers en route to another hot destination...but sometimes even then!) so I can get an infusion of color & pattern from my scarf and not worry about wearing black top and bottom. But then, I love black and I wear black a lot. Am wearing a black cardigan over a black & white striped dress right now 😉

evisa is a great price. But it's single entry (for 30 days) with limited ports/airports/land crossings. Make sure it fits your needs if you use it (we needed multiple entry, but we did it via email after downloading the application, no need to send passport off to consulate, visa came on looseleaf that goes in the passport, worked no problem - but cost $135 per person plus fedex return shipping fees) If I could have had the $6 ship's visa or $25 evisa, would have done so, but not for most recent trip 😉 

Yeah, I would think it's the fabric not the dye process. Vinegar might work (not sure how it would affect the dy; I know with certain fabrics I've bought, I've "set" the dyes with salt water before washing, but I've never tried to set dye AND soften fabric with the same item)

ETA Professor Google tells me a salt water soak also softens fabric, so...

https://m.wikihow.com/Naturally-Soften-Laundry

55 minutes ago, originolsin said:

we had time and prefer to have it in our passport for the memory).  

Cambodian immigration stapled my vietnam visa into my passport, so now it's there 😉