Homerun6320

79ti,

Viking pays the hotel but not the meals that day. We did get to select our seats but the airline can change them we were told.

Just over 4 months to go!! Can't wait!

I think you will find that Viking pays for your breakfast in the hotel on your free day. At least that was the case with us at the Beijing Fairmont (China Explorer 3/28 - 4/15). See my post 1939. Have a great trip.

Homerun

RahRah50,

Here, for what they're worth, are our experiences.

In Beijing we went to Rui Fu Xiang at 5 Dazhalan Jie in Chongwen District (there is another outlet at 190 Wangfujing Dajie). The opening price for silk brocade was $30 per meter. Some hard bargaining got it down to abt $15 -still too high!

In Shanghai we shopped at Shi Liu Pu Cloth Market, 168 Dongmen Lu (abt 20 min from Yu Yuan Gardens) and at the South Bund Material Market, 399 Lu Jia Bang Rd. Each of these is a 3 story building filled with individual stalls selling silk, silk brocade and other fabric. Shi Liu Pu is less frantic with less sales pressure. Prices ran $5 - $6 per meter after bargaining and the quality was good.

I'm sure there were other places (including an underground mall in Chongquing we never found) but time and the language barrier make this difficult. Let us know how you do.

Homerun

We returned last week from China Explorer, Mar 28 - Apr 15. This was Viking’s first ever run with this particular itinerary and included two new ports - Chengdu and Lijiang. As might be expected, there were a few hiccups but, all in all, an excellent trip. I’ll devote most of this post to the new stops but will include a few items that seem to have changed since last season.

Flight over and Beijing. VRC flew us over a day early (3/28) nonstop (14 hrs) from Washington Dulles and we arrived about 3:00 PM in Beijing. A Viking tour escort met about 40 of us near baggage claim, collected our checked luggage and bussed us to our hotel, the Fairmont. They paid for the additional “forced night” as well as breakfast the next morning - a great start! Didn’t go that way for everyone though - one couple didn’t get in until about 11:00 PM on 3/29 and started the tour early the next morning.

We can confirm that there are plenty of cabs in Beijing. However, you can’t always find one willing to take you where you want to go, at least not near our hotel. It seems to have something to do with zones and allowable charges. We nearly missed our Black Sesame Kitchen reservations when numerous cabs refused us.

If you are going to be moving about on your own, I recommend the subway. Yes, it’s a full contact sport but both signs and announcements are in English. Just be sure you have an up dated subway map. It should show recently opened Line 6.

VRC has split the opera and the Peking Duck dinner so that they occur on consecutive nights. The dinner got mixed reviews from our group.

Beijing was still cool, especially in the evenings and there was still some left over snow at the Great Wall. Layered clothing came in handy.

Xi’an. The Terracotta warriors were a highpoint and VRC has added a day to the stop for seeing the old City Wall.

Chengdu. This stop is unique to China Explorer and the Giant Pandas at the Research Station are the main attraction. The bears are divided among 3 different enclosures to try and spread out the crowds. We were there during a week long holiday (Tomb Sweeping) and it was crowded. The fee charged for holding a baby panda has increased to $340 and there were no appointments left by midday.

A Sichuan opera is included on day 6 and we thought this one was way better than the Beijing opera. You get to see one of the character put on his makeup and the last third of the show has several face changers. They are amazing.

Lijiang This stop is very much different from any of the others. It is a much smaller city and the schedule gives you a considerable amount of free time. The elevation there is about 7900 ft and several of us with respiratory problems were a little uncomfortable the first day.

There is a Naxi Embroidery Institute about 12 km north of the Old Town where you can see young Naxi women creating their very intricate embroidery. (You will have seen examples of this craft at the Jade Factory where you stopped for lunch on Day 3). There is a gallery where about 50 works by Masters and Instructors are for sale. This place is not on Viking’s itinerary but I can provide contact information if anyone is interested. (My email is rwchasteen@cox.net).

Chongqing, Emerald, Jingzhou, Wuhan and Shanghai All these have been covered in detail elsewhere in this thread so I won’t repeat the info. China Explorer has a very full itinerary and events are closely scheduled. If you are a shopper, you will find few opportunities except for the places Viking takes you, usually combined with lunch. If you need more time or are looking for something specific, you may have to give up an event ( eg.a museum visit or a meal) to make time for it. Finally, I am sorry to see that Viking apparently does not intend to offer Explorer in 2014. Maybe a loud chorus of approval from those of us who have been might change that.

Homerun

Kohola, Your spreadsheet looks like a very useful thing to have. It is clear that you put a lot of work into it. Trouble is, it's too small for my old eyes. When I enlarge the image it makes it too fuzzy to read. Any chance you could share the file in its original format? I also found a cool free internet site that teaches basic and not so basic vocabulary with audio files that help the western ear with the necessary inflections. We are on the July 7 China Explorer and I hope to have conquered a few phrases by then. Almost time to go get our visas.:D

Kohola,

Don't mean to pile on here but I have a request also. Since my wife does a lot of sewing we will be trying to shop for fabric when and where the schedule permits. I have researched several shops on the net, primarily in Beijing and Shanghai, and have a list with addresses.

My concern is that we will have trouble locating these places precisely in the time we have. Could you provide me with a phrase, something like "Where can I buy fabric?" Given the phrase, I can probably get our guide or hotel concierge to write the corresponding characters on a 3 x 5 card which we can use to inquire. By the way, we will be scouting for rahrah50.

Many thanks. Homerun

I wouldn't be surprised if VRC wasn't working on that right now. In fact I got a call from VRC yesterday while I was out for a while and didn't see the blinking light until late in the day--I'm not sure if it's about this or not--I also had an issue with my bluray dvd which is guaranteed for 2 years so it might have been that--as soon as I call I will post if it is relevant. It looks to me like you might have a forced overnight given the date you are leaving and the start of the cruise--is it 3/29? which would mean you arrive on 3/28 and have day 1 3/29 which is basically a free day. A lot of people (including us) used that day to do a private tour (although VRC wasn't too happy with that as they felt that we should rest and looking back on it they were right :) ) and to go somewhere special for dinner. A fellow CC member SteadyAT and her family went to Da Dong with some family friends that night. We took advantage of the free night and went to Black Sesame Kitchen. You could then decide what to do from then re Viking's options. If you are staying in the Financial St. area there are not a lot of choices around there--there is a TGIF right behind the hotel--but is that what we want to do when we go to China? Maybe at the end of the trip yes :) BSK requires reservations in advance (although it might be possible to get in at the last minute if that interests you--@$50 per person for one of the best meals I have ever had--including way too much wine and beer for our jet lagged brains and bodies!). Steady said her duck dinner was pretty spectacular. HAVE A WONDERFUL TRIP! I know you are crawling out of your skin right now. Let us know how you did on the Cultural Explorer--sounds like a pretty spectacular agenda! Below pics from BSK--last picture is of their homemade Black Sesame ice cream--Michelle is an ex-pat New Zealander.

GIOAC,

Many thanks (again) for some more good info. We arrive Beijing on Thur afternoon (3/28), have a "forced night", and then a free day on Fri 3/29. We are staying in the Fairmont (CBD). Depending on how we feel (VRC's recommendation noted), we may check out the Temple of Heaven Fri am and catch a nap in the afternoon.

We have had reservations at BSK for over a month and Michelle has confirmed them. (It's a 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration so I'm trying to make sure everything is wired).

Unless we hear that VCR has changed the duck dinner resturant (and/or whatever they substitute for those not going), we will probably try for reservations at Da Dong on Sunday night and go on our own.

We will report on China Explorer for those who follow.

Thanks again. Homerun

3. Food--VRC has tried to respond to past criticism about the duck dinners and according to those who went this year (we did not) it was not successful--kudos for trying--everyone really understood that this was an attempt to make things better. Our only not-so-up to standards meal was the Chinese casual dinner the same night as the duck. Given the number of people being fed and the attempts to respond to constructive criticism this was not such a bad thing. We LOVED the meal at the Jade factory which I had read was not so good in the past and the Mongolian barbecue at the Silk Carpet factory was also extremely good. Our only "criticism" of the food on the ship was the amount of food served--too much :)--and I'm not sure everyone would find that a criticism.

4. Optional excursions--They have split the duck dinner from the Beijing Opera. We LOVED the opera--very authentic experience and the excerpts chosen were very amusing--many people did not like the opera but I don't think they regretted going for the experience. The star of the first segment was very funny and while flipping through the channels one night in Shanghai we saw him performing on television. I was skeptical about the Tang Dynasty show in Xi'an but found it to be great and the food was some of the best, if not the best we had anywhere in China. Those people who did not attend the show had dinner at the same venue and said their dinner was equally good. The acrobats show in Shanghai was not optional but was fantastic as reported in the past. I couldn't look during some of the stunts!

GOAC,

Many thanks for the great info!! It's especially timely for us since we leave for Beijing on China Explorer Wed am (3/27). We assume we will be asked to make reservations for the optional Opera (Sat 3/30) and for the duck dinner on Sun soon after arrival. We will probably skip the opera and are undecided about the duck dinner. Neither of the duck dinner options sound particularly attractive.

Do you think Viking is likely to change the venue for either the duck dinner or its replacement by the time we get there? Or should we strike out on our own to, say, Da Dong or Made In China in the Hyatt?

Many thanks for your opinion. Homerun

I contacted the Peace Fairmont directly and as a President's club member (you can sign up on the Fairmont website) they have given us a great rate for three extra days - works out to just over $800 for the three nights and this includes the breakfast buffet - for a Fairmont, this is more than reasonable.

Email the hotel directly and see what they're willing to do.

Thanks very much. I'll check it out.

HR

Just to update my "extra day in Shanghai" post, Viking told our TA yesterday that an additional day in our hotel (Fairmont Peace) would cost $407 and that Viking would charge $100 per person to change our return flight by one day. In addition we would loose our hotel/airport transfer and our guide's help at the airport. Finally, Viking could not guarantee us the same flight one day later - all understandable.

Viking issued our tickets yesterday (six plus weeks prior to our departure) and our reservations show up as "confirmed" on United's web site. So we have been able to change our seats.

Now all I have to do is figure out a way to get DW to one of the fabric stores in Shanghai since we will not be going to Suzhou.

'

Thanks GIOC. Viking has already sent me a final itinerary with the flights, dates etc specified. The United web site shows our seat assignments but says the tickets have not yet been purchased (not sure I understand that).

We have asked our TA to get a price for one additional day. We hope we can get Viking's rate for an additional night fro the hotel. Will let you know how this goes.

HR

GoInOnaCruz,

Have been rereading some posts and noticed that you are adding one additional day in Shanghai at the end of your Imperial Jewels cruise next month. We are considering doing the same thing on our China Explorer trip (Mar 29 - Apr 15) so that we can do a one day visit to either Suzhou or Hangzhow.

We are wondering whether you arranged this thru Viking as a "deviation" and if you were able to get their rate for the additional hotel day. We assume it is best to do this before Viking purchases the plane tickets. Cost?

Many thanks for any info you are willing to provide.

Homerun

Thanks Homerun!!!! I am also a diehard fabric shopper and not bring home silk from China is just not an option. The internet is a great resource but it would just be nice to have someone who has experienced a great fabric shopping expereince.......

rahrah50,

You might wish to add this link to your fabric shopping references: www.meiguoxing.com/Shopping/Silk_Qipao_Clothing.html

It has a number of Qipao tailors but silk fabric sellers in Beijing as well. We plan to visit the Temple of Heaven on our free day in Bejing. One of the fabric stores (Yuanlong Silk Corp) is close to the Temple's North Gate so we will probably check it out.

Homerun

I tried to ask our group leader where to buy fabric and it was complete a complete bust. He had no idea what I was looking for. I looked for bolts of fabric when we went to the silk factory but did not easily see any. (Do all of the tours go to the Silk Factory or just Cultural Delights?)

 

Did anyone else see fabric stores along the way or hear about where to buy fabrics? The only bolts of fabric that I saw were the ones in the tailor shop on board the ship.

Peregrina,

My DW is a world class fabric shopper. We are on the Mar 29 China Explorer (Beijing to Shanghai)

cruise and have a "forced night" and free day on Mar 28.

So I have been doing some research on where to buy fabric in Beijing and our other ports. I should stress that I have no first hand experience with any of these places. All of my info comes from travel books and the internet. Maybe some others have actually been there and can comment. With that disclaimer, here's my list:

Beijing

Ya Xiu Market (3rd floor)

58 Gongti Bei Lu

Youyi Shopping City

Lufthansa Center

52 Liangmaqiao Lu

Chaoyang District

Chengdu

Lotus Market

(fabric, crafts, notions)

Chongqing

Fabric Market

In Jeifangbei near Chaotianmen

Shanghai

South Bund Fabric Market

399 Lujiabang Lu

(near Nanpu Bridge)

Qixiang Cloth Market

168 Dongmen Rd

(near Yu Yuan Garden)

Jiang Nan Silk Shopping Center

289 Ao Men Rd

I understand there are many shops in both Hangzhou (supposedly 600 stores) and Suzhow. Each within abt an hour of Shanghai by high speed train. We are considering adding an extra day in Shanghai.

Homerun

Peregrina,

Many thanks for your speedy and comprehensive reply. Your responses, together with the many posts we have read on this thread, give us a good idea of what to expect.

Delta Sky Miles FF has told us they will accept miles for upgrades but only on Y,B,or M class tickets - probably not what Viking will issue.

We will arrange a conference call with Viking and our TA to confirm the "forced night", airport transfers etc.

Finally, we promise to take copious notes on the new itinerary and report when we return.

Thanks again.

Homerun

We have reservations on the China Explorer from Beijing to Shanghai on March 29, 2013. We are using Viking Air and have a TA.

We have a few questions about the experiences of those who have done this. Since we will be starting from the US East Coast, we would normally arrive Beijing about 1130 PM on Friday March 29 (Day 1 of the itinerary). This would leave very little time for connection problems and jet lag recovery since tours (Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City etc) begin early on Saturday.

We have heard that Viking will fly passengers who arrive that late a day early (arriving late Thursday March 28). I think they call this a "forced overnight". Can anyone confirm this? Does Viking still meet the earlier flight and provide transportation to the hotel (Fairmont for us)?

Finally, if we feel one day early is not enough and opt for a deviation, who pays for what (hotel etc)?

We have some other questions regarding credit for frequent flyer miles and using them for upgrades but we will ask Delta when we know how Viking is going to schedule us. This will be our first river cruise so we will appreciate any info. We have started a Roll Call but no one has signed on yet.

Homerun