cannockfrodo

You can just get a taxi from Phillipsburg, more cost effective if you can get another four people to join you.

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Thanks Rick.

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Check before you buy that it actually provides the drinks you want, it's very limited.

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Which cruise line is this with please?

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Tbf I've seen passengers in casual attire after 6pm all over two Cunard ships and nothing has been said. Not that I approve, if you say there's a dress code. Enforce it.

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Bullied ? Should read nulled (cancelled)

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When we finally did the escape room we enjoyed it. However our first go was bullied by the fact the others due to participate didn't show, most annoying. We felt, at the time, RCCI didn't push it enough.

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Just do it, life is too short. Both glib, annoying sentiments but both completely valid.

The time may come sooner than you think that travel becomes difficult either via expense or mobility issues and when that happens the only way you'll see the world is via travel documentaries.

I think you'd sooner be watching them in your dotage saying.....been there, done that.

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We didn't buy a visa, we didn't need one.

Our cruise didn't revisit China after Shanghai so we used the 144 her visa waiver.

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From the airport to our hotel, which was in the stadium complex so not in downtown Shanghai, the trip was about an hour.

Although our hotel wasn't downtown it was very well placed to use the metro which is cheap, efficient and easy to use.

The cruise terminal wasn't that far time wise from the hotel but it is the other side of Shanghai from the airport.

We flew Turkish via Istanbul on a par with Emirates tbf

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No, but feel free to ask anything you'd like

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Just done this cruise but in reverse.

What I would say is don't take the visa companies as gospel, they want to sell you a visa regardless.

However, alas, as you're visiting a part of China not covered by the 144 hr visa waiver that's specific to Shanghai you will need a visa.

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If I am understanding correctly we can use the 15 day cruise exemption if we are on a licensed and approved tour. Don't think hop on hop off would be covered. HAL has responded that it can be a private independent guide as long as they are licensed and approved.

 

I had my itinerary wrong. We are arriving from Japan to Shanghai and then leave for another Japanese port Okinawa so I don't think the 144 hour exemption will work for us.

 

Thoughts?

Yes it would as long as you're NOT returning to another part of China (HK) doesn't count.

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We booked the At the top option which takes you to the very top with a dedicated time slot.

After tea and dates in a private lounge you get an escort to the top level where you get more drinks and canapés.

Well worth the extra.

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Just got a call from our TA - says that we MUST get Visa for China - evidently folks have been having a lot of trouble - we leave in less than 2 weeks for a Panama Canal Cruise & need our passports - can't apply for Chinese Visa till mid December - gives us about 4 weeks till Pacific Cruise - think that's enough time to get a Visa??

Are you going to any part of China OTHER than Shanghai and Hong Kong ?

If so, then yes you need a visa.

If not, then no you don't.

See a previous post of mine regarding our very recent Far East cruise that included these two ports.

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We docked on Anthem. Didn't want to do Florence again so enjoyed the empty ship and had a wander after dinner.

It's not a tourist port and a bit steep in places.

We didn't spend a lot of time there tho to be fair.

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Won't do any harm to print off the Shanghai website rules either.

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I am flying into Singapore, boarding celebrity millennium beginning of January for a back t back cruise calling at Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines and disembarking in Shanghai for a one night stop in a hotel. I have read everything and am so confused. I think I'm definitely exempt but Celebrity told me to get one just in case! It's a lot of money for just in case! More thought gets please.

If you're not going to another part of China after your one night in Shanghai, then you can use the 144 hr visa without a problem.

Just make sure you have your return flight ticket handy.

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Just spent one hour trying to contact someone in P&O UK to get their view on the issue but all I managed was to be transferred several times from them to the company who provide a visa service CITB.

 

 

 

Does anyone have a name or suggested contact in P&O ?

 

 

 

Incidentally CITB charge in excess of £200 for their service.

We are in Shanghai now and arrived from the UK via Istanbul.

Some other cruisers we met did buy visas either direct from the embassy or via CITB, the fess ranged from £150-200 for the visas.

You DO NOT NEED TO BUY ONE !! Immigration process on arrival,is slow whether you have a visa or not, you have to be in a different line if you're using the 144 hour exemption .

Listening to others in the line flying in from other UK airports there is still genuine confusion at those airports and at cruise line offices as to who qualifies to use this exemption . After 9 months of this system being in use this is surely unacceptable and poor on all fronts.

We should all feel let down by EVERYONE involved in the travel industry who are supposed to be experts on this sort of stuff. It's what we pay for isn't it ?

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I messaged them via Facebook. They replied but the link they sent in answer wouldn't open. Just a blank screen.

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Does anyone have any tour guide recommendations for Shanghai?

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If you're going to a different part of China, other than Hong Kong, you'll need a visa of some sort.

We to are Brits flying to Shanghai spending 3 days there before picking up a cruise that doesn't revisit China and therefore don't need a visa.

Hope this helps.

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We're doing Discovering the southern Med in Jan 2017,something like that and haven't done a Viking ocean cruise before so would readily appreciate tips and advice.

Enjoy.

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It's in the region of £50, one of the most expensive we've been on.

It does offer three different routes and gives free water.

The currency is the dihram I think

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We've used this company many times and have always had good service and no problems.

Including an excellent Ephesus tour with just eight of us.

This company regularly does tours with smaller numbers which is a major plus over the 40/50 pax expensive ship bought trips.