Viking China (Part 2)

[Rodie H]

You are welcome. Enjoy, enjoy and post your views when you return! Safe travels.

[Mark_T]

*BSK is booked,

*Peking duck in Kerry is booked

 

In that case, a couple of extra points:

 

If you want any details on how to find the BSK location feel free to ask, we traveled there from the Kerry Hotel using the Beijing metro and it was very easy. (The Orchid Hotel where they host the dinners is located in the area of the Hutongs where you will have the rickshaw ride).

 

For the duck at the Kerry you need to not only book a table but also make sure they know you want a duck as they have to start preparing it long before you get there. You may have done that as well, but just in case ...

[CowgirlCook]

Mark, Rodie and Peregrina - thank you so much. Your comments are very helpful with our planning. We are on Imperial Jewels beginning June 6th, flying in late June 5th. Is the possibility of Panda on the Jewels itinerary, or only Cultural Delights. Wanted BSK but won't get in until too late Friday for that. I believe we will opt for the Peking Dinner at the Kerry based on comments. Thank you all for taking your time - love talking trips!

[morry2121]

Do the traditional toilets have a railing to hang onto (like we have in tubs) to help with balance etc?

[Mark_T]

Is the possibility of Panda on the Jewels itinerary, or only Cultural Delights.

 

Yes, we were on Jewels from Beijing to Shanghai when we got lucky with the panda visit.

 

It is part of the official itinerary when going from Shanghai to Beijing, just not the other way around unless like us you get on an early flight that doesn't get delayed.

 

I'd guess that about half of the groups got to see them, the other half got very delayed and had to go straight to the ship as per the official plan.

[mee]

Do the traditional toilets have a railing to hang onto (like we have in tubs) to help with balance etc?

 

Not that I ever saw. Just need strong thigh muscles. :)

[jkerr]

morry2121 I never saw handrails in the western toilet. I will confirm that there is always at least one western but never any handrailings to assist with balance.

Never felt like the line was too long to wait for the western toilet either.

[travelfirst]

Just make sure you take your own toilet tissue with you. I had read this before I went and I took the middle of the roll out and flattened the roll and it was easier to pack.

I didn't take the whole rolls but partial ones flattened and they were easy to carry in your purse.

There are not many places along the way that have toilet tissue in the bathrooms...

 

Have a great trip.

[zumaqueen]

Do the traditional toilets have a railing to hang onto (like we have in tubs) to help with balance etc?

 

Sorry they don't exist. Best to stand In the long line for the ladies.

[morry2121]

Thanks everyone, I have a hip issue at present and a railing would be a big help but am hoping this will be gone by the time we leave. Just great to go prepared, thanks for all the tips.

[Rodie H]

To the different questions posed--

 

My group left early the day we were headed to the ship so we did get to see Pandas.

As for the railings, I never saw any. I did opt for the squatties (do them in gym class) and felt comfortable with it. I left the Western toilets for the others and there was a line for those. We had a lady in our group that had a disability and she did use the Western ones for sure. Sometimes she could find a handicapped stall. Definitely take the toilet paper, tissues. And, I took hand cleaner rather than use the sink in the bathrooms because there were no paper towels or ways to dry.

[oceanbreeze999]

any advise on how not to spend ton of $$ on roaming charges?

anybody purchased local SIM card? how much was the SIM and how much were calls to USA/CANADA?

 

also, about internet access in hotels and on ship.

what was your experience?

do i need my laptop with Ethernet cable to connect thru wall plug?

or will i-phone connect via WIFI?

oceanbreeze

[caribill]

any advise on how not to spend ton of $$ on roaming charges? Check with your cell phone service provider to see if there is a temporary plan you can be on which would allow calls from China without roaming charges.

anybody purchased local SIM card? how much was the SIM and how much were calls to USA/CANADA?

 

also, about internet access in hotels and on ship.

what was your experience? Our experience was that it was available at all hotels and on the ship, but when we were on the ship it was only available on ship's computers, not on our own devices. That may have changed by now.

do i need my laptop with Ethernet cable to connect thru wall plug?

or will i-phone connect via WIFI? We had some hotels with WIFI and some where we used the Ethernet cable.

oceanbreeze

 

See above in red

[Mark_T]

any advise on how not to spend ton of $$ on roaming charges?

anybody purchased local SIM card? how much was the SIM and how much were calls to USA/CANADA?

 

I used wifi in the hotels and either Facetime Audio, or a Magicjack app on my phone, so calls to the USA/Canada were free. Similarly iMessage on my iPhone avoided the need for txt charges.

 

also, about internet access in hotels and on ship. what was your experience? do i need my laptop with Ethernet cable to connect thru wall plug?or will i-phone connect via WIFI?

 

In all the hotels the wifi worked just fine on my iPhone and iPad.

 

On the ship there was no wifi, so had to use the ships computers to check emails and as a result, no VOIP phone calls possible from there.

 

It was actually quite good to not have phone access for a few days.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Mark_T

[caribill]

Also be aware that all the web sites you are used to using may not be available to you in China as many domains are blocked.

[OurBabymoon]

We are going on the Emerald to China on Aug 15th. I was wondering if anybody on this trip has received their air itinerary? I would like to apply for our visas, but need to put detailed air information. I did not pay for Custom Air.

[Going Coastal]

In March, we had state of the art WiFi access in all hotels, but no social media sites, Facebook, etc. On Emerald, my iPhone had good connection in the lounge. I did not use the phone or text functions there, only internet.

 

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

[Peregrina651]

In March, we had state of the art WiFi access in all hotels, but no social media sites, Facebook, etc. On Emerald, my iPhone had good connection in the lounge. I did not use the phone or text functions there, only internet.

 

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

 

How did you connect to the internet? With WiFi or mobile data? and if you used mobile data, did it cost you anything?

[Peregrina651]

We are going on the Emerald to China on Aug 15th. I was wondering if anybody on this trip has received their air itinerary? I would like to apply for our visas, but need to put detailed air information. I did not pay for Custom Air.

 

Call Viking to get it or if you are working with a TA, the TA will have to make the call.

[Going Coastal]

How did you connect to the internet? With WiFi or mobile data? and if you used mobile data, did it cost you anything?

 

 

Sorry if I was not clear. Strictly wifi on my phone but a lot of others, including my husband, were using other tablets as well for wifi so I don't think it was just my iPhone.

 

If you have used Viking in Europe, I think you will find Emerald wifi just as good.

[Mark_T]

If you have used Viking in Europe, I think you will find Emerald wifi just as good.

 

This is the odd thing about the Emerald, reports on the wifi remain inconsistent, on our cruise last October there simply was no wifi on the ship at all.

 

On other trips it is reported as available.

[oceanbreeze999]

when and where did you book your optional tang dynasty and summer palace events?

 

what is the story of "horrible " disembarkation" in Chongqing??

there are reports of "long, shaky, slippery, wobbly gangway?? from ship to shore in Chongqing...where you suppose to shlepp ALL YOUR LUGGAGE to shore??!! I believed that the luggage transfers were taken care of by Viking?? I heard/red advise to hire a " baggage handlers.."

 

also, apparently one has to be very careful receiving counterfit money as a change for large bills when paying for trinkets.. any comments??

 

out of curiosity, what did you cruisers buy as a souvenirs/mementos, where and how much was reasonable (in your mind) to pay for it?

 

did any of you try/tasted any "street delicacies"??

 

THE WIFI THING...

I read thru many postings on this forum, contacted Viking and the reports of availability of "INTERNET" WERE AS FOLLOWS:

1/ two desktops in computer room with sketchy/slow internet and line-ups for use..

2/ no WIFI at all, Need Ethernet cable to connect into "plug"

3/ WIFI works ONLY WITH laptop/notebook not with I-phone..?!

4/ NO INTERNET CONNECTION ON SHIP AT ALL! (THERE WERE COMPUTERS IN COMPUTER ROOM, BUT THEY WERE DOWN ALL TRIP LONG!)

5/ internet in hotels available for FEE!!?? and Need Ethernet cable to connect??

 

kindest regards

 

oceanbreeze

Edited May 9, 2015 by oceanbreeze999

[xlxo]

Also be aware that all the web sites you are used to using may not be available to you in China as many domains are blocked.

There are sites that allow you to test your fave sites to see if they work...

https://www.google.ca/search?q=test+china+sites+work

 

YouTube is the classic site that is blocked.

[xlxo]

3/ WIFI works ONLY WITH laptop/notebook not with I-phone..?!

Reception problems happened to be me in a few hotels. Smartphones and tablets have much smaller antennas compared to laptops. I found myself needing to run some devices by the doorway or bathroom. Reception was poor by the desk or window as it was too far from the repeaters in the hallways.

 

Can anyone recommend a good VPN that works in China? I hear some VPN's are blocked in China.

[OurBabymoon]

I have been calling Viking for several weeks now. Yesterday I got someone that promised to issue our air itinerary by next week and this morning, we got our flight information.

Very dissapointed since they are sending us through Tokyo, causing us to arrive too late to make it for dinner to BSK. Apparently all the flights have to be with the same airline and the return flights are booked/not available thru other airlines. (We got Nippon Air).

They said we can look for our own airfare and call them and see if they have them available at the contracted rate or if we wanted they can issue a refund of the air portion and we book on our own, losing the transfer and the insurance on the flights!