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Viking China (Part 2)


BlueDevil75
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I too was a little worried so I checked the Beijing and Shanghai Airports sites to determine the policy. Batteries must be clearly marked with voltage and current capacity. I also checked some frequent traveler websites for anecdotes.

 

I'll post the airport info later so you can can see the requirements are for safe passage thru security.

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Sorry, I had poor wording.

 

 

 

It is power banks that are not allowed. These are devices that are basically batteries you have charged and then can be used to send power to or recharge other devices such as cell phones.

 

 

 

Regular camera batter chargers that you plug into a USB port or a wall outlet are 100% allowed.

 

 

 

Also no problem for the cords you use to get your devices recharged.

 

 

 

We had no issues with our power bank, others had power banks as well. We did 4 intra China flights and every security check was different. By the last flight we all knew items that were questioned or heavily scrutinized and just went ahead and put those items in their own bin. We kept all batteries, power cords, and our quiet vox in their own small packing cube so we could pull out easily and keep everything together. At one checkpoint they made us take out our noise cancelling headphones so they could examine further. Some had their camera lenses examined and some other odd items.

 

One member of our group had a metal walking cane that had to be checked which made it difficult for him walking to the gate but that was the rule. Others forgot and packed batteries in their checked luggage which will hold up the check in process. They will scan and call you back to take care of the offending item if anything is found. Just pay attention to your guide and they will help facilitate the process. Viking does a great job!

 

 

 

 

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We had no issues with our power bank, others had power banks as well.

 

Glad your group had no problem with the power banks.

 

Our group that traveled through the Beijing Airport had a big problem with their power banks as everyone of them was confiscated, no matter how small.

Protesting that they were allowed under the rules posted in English meant nothing to security personnel who spoke very little English.

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Glad your group had no problem with the power banks.

 

 

 

Our group that traveled through the Beijing Airport had a big problem with their power banks as everyone of them was confiscated, no matter how small.

 

Protesting that they were allowed under the rules posted in English meant nothing to security personnel who spoke very little English.

 

 

 

We flew into Beijing as our tour was Beijing to Shanghai so we didn't have to go through Beijing security. As I said each airport security within China was different, maybe that was the difference.

 

 

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Glad to hear that normal battery chargers are not a problem, don't know what I would do with the batteries for my camera and flash.

 

Now another topic--we'll be doing the Vikings Undiscovered Chino with the Hob Kong extension in October. How is the weather at this time--do we need to pack shorts or will jeans and capris be fine for the day tours. Don't want to overpack.

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My digital camera battery might only last one day if not re-charged. How can one survive without a camera battery charger?

 

.

 

Since there is no way to charge batteries while touring, I have two batteries for each camera and make sure that all are fully charged each night. There were a number of times on the China trip that I went through both batteries--and multiple SD cards.

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  • 1 month later...

In a review of our Viking Cruise documents, I notice that the Intra-China flights allow a carry-on of ONLY 8 x 16 x 22 and ONLY 11 lbs. Even a normal backpack would exceed the 8 inches. Can folks tell me if this is enforced? What has been your experience on carry-ons?

 

Thanks.

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In a review of our Viking Cruise documents, I notice that the Intra-China flights allow a carry-on of ONLY 8 x 16 x 22 and ONLY 11 lbs.

 

... by way of comparison the size limit on most US airlines is 9x14x22 so the Chinese limits don't really warranty the 'ONLY'.

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Looks like we'll be on the same vacation--we leave the US on Oct. 7 for the Viking Undiscovered China and will also be doing Hong Kong. I've been told by my friend and TA who went with Viking to China in October that you don't need to bring shorts. I'm hoping she's right because I don't want extra poundage in the luggage.

 

 

Glad to hear that normal battery chargers are not a problem, don't know what I would do with the batteries for my camera and flash.

 

Now another topic--we'll be doing the Vikings Undiscovered Chino with the Hob Kong extension in October. How is the weather at this time--do we need to pack shorts or will jeans and capris be fine for the day tours. Don't want to overpack.

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Looks like we'll be on the same vacation--we leave the US on Oct. 7 for the Viking Undiscovered China and will also be doing Hong Kong. I've been told by my friend and TA who went with Viking to China in October that you don't need to bring shorts. I'm hoping she's right because I don't want extra poundage in the luggage.

 

Weather-wise, for October, pack as if you were heading to Boston or New York City or Chicago in October, at least for the main part of the tour; I don't know about Hong Kong. Temps will be variable and you could get anywhere from warm (no jacket needed) to down right chilly (darn, I wish I had packed another layer). Be prepared for rain and raw weather (we were there in May and had a couple of damp, raw days). Start following the China weather, especially the long range forecasts. We used the on-board laundry service so that we didn't have to bring two weeks worth of clothing and it worked out wonderfully.

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Thank you for the link, gnome12. My question came from Smbruner's Post #4346 on page 218 of this thread. The #12 tip in the post describes and recommends the Silk Art Gallery. I'm not sure if the link from Trip Advisor describes the same place, but it was interesting anyway.

 

Glad to hear we'll be on the same adventure, candkd. Looking forward to meeting you! I am NOT looking forward to the decisions of packing, but shorts won't be included for us. Peregrina651's suggestions will be followed..various layers.

 

We will not be taking the extension to Hong Kong, but have added on two extra days in Beijing and have hired private guides to show us other parts of the city not covered by the Viking tours.

 

Thanks, again, to all who offer TONS of good advise.

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Our carryons were not rollers,

 

When we went, they neither sized them or weighed them. The sizes were reasonable, but the weight was definitely more than 11 pounds.

 

We are on a 2 month round-the-world adventure, with the Viking Imperial Jewels tour in the middle. We are traveling with only a backpack and rollaboard each. We had no issue at all with our Beijing-Xi'an or Xi'an-Chongqing internal flights. Just had to make sure our phones, tablets, computers,batteries, coins, liquids, and umbrella were taken out of our backpack for security inspection. Our rollaboards easily weighed 15kg/30lbs each.

 

Lots more logistic details here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=54134970&postcount=149

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  • 2 months later...

My wife Linda and I are booked on the April 10, Imperial Jewels of China cruise. This will be our first "brown water" cruise, which we are really looking forward to. I have read all the posts for the last two years. I would like to thank everyone who has posted with your experiences and tips. The information gleaned is being used in our planning and will help alleviate some of the surprises.

 

Thanks again,

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My wife Linda and I are booked on the April 10, Imperial Jewels of China cruise. This will be our first "brown water" cruise, which we are really looking forward to. I have read all the posts for the last two years. I would like to thank everyone who has posted with your experiences and tips. The information gleaned is being used in our planning and will help alleviate some of the surprises.

 

Thanks again,

 

Have a fantastic trip!

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  • 3 months later...

My wife and I are on the Imperial Jewels of China tour startingin Beijing on 25th April. Weare really looking forward to the combination of a land program and a cruiseelement. Although regular ocean cruisers,this will be our first river cruise. Having read through this thread I am impressed by how Viking ( via theirtour guides ) seem to have most things down to a “T”. Thanks also to the many contributors on thisthread. It has been very helpful.

 

I have a few questions which I appreciate have been askedbefore, but this thread goes back 7 years and I would be interested in anyfeedback from more recent travellers.

 

Luggage

We propose trying to travel a bit lighter than usual given the number oftransfers and also the internal checked limit of 20kg ( so much for the 2 x32kg long haul allowance ;-) ). However, the carry on limit of 5kg suggests using our small roller casesa waste as they would be almost empty to remain within limit. Is it better to avoid roller cases forcarryon and stick with a small back pack ? Also, does the one item include my wife’s handbag / purse ?

 

For the internal transfers from hotel – airport or ship etc, is the luggagecollected on checkout or collected the evening before ?

 

 

Money

We will probably pay on board tips on our account, but regards the Tour Guide ,is it OK to tip entirely in US dollars, and if so are larger bills a problem? I think we may take fair chunk of dollarsand set this aside for the tour guide tip and change more to Yuan for localuse. We have a two day extension onShanghai after we disembark so want to hold on to some local currency.

 

For local use, what typical denomination of Yuan would yousuggest ?

 

 

First afternoon / evening in Beijing

We arrive Beijing early afternoon. Arethere any activities that evening, or are we left to ourselves ?

 

 

Dining Onboard

I read that although we are in groups, you can dine with anyone onboard. On our cruises we always look to share atable at dinner and meet new people. Howdo they deal with the seating as we all arrive for dinner, or have peopleeffectively sorted out their table guests at pre dinner drinks ? We wouldn’twant to offend anyone in our group nor would we want to cause a problem if wewere imposing on someone else. Not sureI have explained that very well, but I am sure you get the idea.

 

Medications

Unfortunately I need to carry some meds. The guide from Viking says these need to be in their originalcontainers. For trips I usually carrymeds in there metal strips ie they are all marked with their names and brandand dosage. I just dispense with the carton/ box and leaflets that usually tell you all nasty things these drugs also doto you !! Makes it less bulky.

 

 

All feedback appreciated.

 

 

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My wife and I are on the Imperial Jewels of China tour startingin Beijing on 25th April. Weare really looking forward to the combination of a land program and a cruiseelement. Although regular ocean cruisers,this will be our first river cruise. Having read through this thread I am impressed by how Viking ( via theirtour guides ) seem to have most things down to a “T”. Thanks also to the many contributors on thisthread. It has been very helpful.

 

I have a few questions which I appreciate have been askedbefore, but this thread goes back 7 years and I would be interested in anyfeedback from more recent travellers.

 

Luggage

We propose trying to travel a bit lighter than usual given the number oftransfers and also the internal checked limit of 20kg ( so much for the 2 x32kg long haul allowance ;-) ). However, the carry on limit of 5kg suggests using our small roller casesa waste as they would be almost empty to remain within limit. Is it better to avoid roller cases forcarryon and stick with a small back pack ? Also, does the one item include my wife’s handbag / purse ?

 

For the internal transfers from hotel – airport or ship etc, is the luggagecollected on checkout or collected the evening before ? In the morning.

 

 

Money

We will probably pay on board tips on our account, but regards the Tour Guide ,is it OK to tip entirely in US dollars, and if so are larger bills a problem? I think we may take fair chunk of dollarsand set this aside for the tour guide tip and change more to Yuan for localuse. We have a two day extension onShanghai after we disembark so want to hold on to some local currency. We did our tip to the main guide as a combination of US $ and Yuan. Larger bills not a problem. For the tips to local guides, Yuan is best as they do not all have easy access to conversion from US $ to Yuan.

 

For local use, what typical denomination of Yuan would you suggest ?

 

 

First afternoon / evening in Beijing

We arrive Beijing early afternoon. Arethere any activities that evening, or are we left to ourselves ?

When we did it, this was the description. We were on our own (and plenty tired from the trip there).

Day 1 Beijing

Welcome to Beijing, China’s former imperial capital whose rich history dates back more than 3,000 years. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* After check-in, you have free time to relax or explore.

 

 

 

Dining Onboard

I read that although we are in groups, you can dine with anyone onboard. On our cruises we always look to share atable at dinner and meet new people. How do they deal with the seating as we all arrive for dinner, or have people effectively sorted out their table guests at pre dinner drinks ? We wouldn’twant to offend anyone in our group nor would we want to cause a problem if wewere imposing on someone else. Not sureI have explained that very well, but I am sure you get the idea. You pick who you want to eat with and can change if you so want at every meal. On the tour, you are in a group of about 30 people. At dinner on the ship, people tended to sit with members of their group, but it was not required. Basically, you walk in and choose where to sit. Usually people tended to sit in the same area each evening. Breakfast, unlike dinner, was more of a come anytime between x and y, so unlike dinner you did not all come in at the same time and thus might sit with different people where seating was available.

 

Medications

Unfortunately I need to carry some meds. The guide from Viking says these need to be in their originalcontainers. For trips I usually carrymeds in there metal strips ie they are all marked with their names and brandand dosage. I just dispense with the carton/ box and leaflets that usually tell you all nasty things these drugs also doto you !! Makes it less bulky. This is for Chinese customs, and although our meds were never inspected, it is best to be properly prepared in case then want to inspect them. The original containers prove it is a prescription for you. Over the counter meds could be carried the way you describe.

 

 

All feedback appreciated.

 

 

 

see red above

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Luggage

Is it better to avoid roller cases forcarryon and stick with a small back pack ? Also, does the one item include my wife’s handbag / purse ?

We were only allowed two checked bags, but we were able to carry on a small bag each. The purse didn't count.

 

Money

For local use, what typical denomination of Yuan would yousuggest ?

 

Credit cards are accepted everywhere except maybe street vendors or the occasional tip. That's where Yuans came in handy. But they do take US dollars as well.

 

First afternoon / evening in Beijing

We arrive Beijing early afternoon. Arethere any activities that evening, or are we left to ourselves ?

 

As mentioned above, on your own. But we did book a private dinner/night lake cruise. Pickup and drop off at the hotel. It was great to see Beijing at night.

 

You'll be taking lots of pictures and they are fussy about external battery packs at the airports. If you pack one, check the capacity beforehand or you'll lose it.

 

Laundry services are cheap on the ship. We could have packed less and had more of our laundry done.

 

Food and water on board and in the hotel restaurants is safe. But we used bottled water from any sink (hotel or ship).

 

You'll be assigned a tour guide and group on the first tour day, and you'll lunch together at a restaurant that day. You'll be with that group and guide until the end of the trip. You probably will be joining many of your group mates for lunch and dinner going forward.

 

We went with Viking on this trip early May 2017. Weather was great.

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Credit cards are accepted everywhere except maybe street vendors or the occasional tip. That's where Yuans came in handy. But they do take US dollars as well. Our experience is that some street vendors (mainly not in Beijing or Shanghai) only wanted Yuan and some only US $ (mainly in Beijing and Shanghai).

 

 

You'll be taking lots of pictures and they are fussy about external battery packs at the airports. If you pack one, check the capacity beforehand or you'll lose it. Fussy doesn't begin to describe it. Our experience with a group in Beijing last year was any battery storage device used to charge devices was confiscated no matter what the capacity. It does not matter what the sign at security says. They confiscated the battery packs and you could not discuss it with them as they spoke only Chinese. Also these are not supposed to be in checked luggage. By the way, no loose batteries in checked luggage.

 

 

 

 

see red above

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Thank you for the helpful responses Caribill and Mitina.

Regards the external battery packs. Is this referring to the fairly substantial external packs that some DSLR cameras use ? I just carry a small pocket Lumix camera but was planning taking a spare battery ie the small internal battery.

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