Viking China

[Osnab]

By the way, if make-up is a concern, I purchased a tinted moisturizer for the trip and used that instead of regular makeup. It was also small enough that I could put it in my ziploc bag for carry-on.

 

Debi, this made me think about the carry on restrictions on the intra-China flights. If anyone is concerned about this, just an FYI - you don't have to worry about it. You can carry any amount of liquids and don't need them in a baggie. (Be sure you check when you're there, as it may change.)

Felicia

[Osnab]

I'm going to clean-up my pics before posting them on Picassa to share with others. I had a lot of memory with me so just snapped as much as I liked. I'll probably delete 1/4 of them before posting and will crop and clean-up others. I hope to get to it today. I haven't posted to Picassa before, but have a friend who does it all the time. If you don't get a response from anyone else, I'll ask her for directions.

 

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Felicia

[Osnab]

Felicia mentioned earlier, how rude the flight attendants were to the Chinese. We noticed this as well. In fact, one of the male attendants was so rude to a Chinese couple with a child that a US passenger spoke to a flight supervisor about it.

--D

 

Just to clarify what I meant - the flight attendants were rude on United, not on the intra-China flights.

I filled out a customer service questionnaire from United and mentioned that in there. I doubt they'll do anything about it, but you never know.

Felicia

[Osnab]

I'll be more than happy to help you with Picasa.

First however, I'll need to know how you want to share the pictures...

1. Via email

2. Via a CD

3. Via a web album.

Can you reply?

Would you want to call me (New Jersey) for help?

Jerry

 

Jerry-- thanks for the offer! Truly appreciated!

I'd like to share them via email and also posting on here. If it's not too much trouble to type it out, that would be great, but if it's too long or complicated, I can call you. Just let me know.

Felicia

[coasters]

I'll assume you already downloaded the free Picasa program from Google.

 

There are several ways to move the pictures from camera card to computer. Fastest is to move pictures from card (via card adapter or slot) to your computer.

Connecting your camera to your computer via cable, is another way...but usually much slower when moving many picture files.

 

On your computer, when you start the Picasa application, the pictures should load automatically. You should see thumbnails or a list of them, depending on how you set up your preferences in Picasa.

 

As you doubleclick on the image or (filename) it will "open". Under the picture you will see "make a caption" . (If you do not see this, look to the left corner for a small button that when you put your cursor ver says show/hide caption)

 

With show caption selected, click on the caption text, add your description.

 

That takes care of the caption or descriptions.

 

To email pictures, you first must set up the Picasa under "options" then under the tab labeled email pick the program you use for email, then while here, select the size of the image you want to send.

 

---------------------

 

That's all for now, I'll must go, but will get back in a few hours. Let me know how far you got with this and any questions thus far.

 

Jerry

[MSEm]

If I purchase anything large at the Silk Factory, I would probably ship it home. The Silk Factory will be near the beginning of our trip. We begin in Hong Kong.

Also what was the approximate cost of a Queen/King Duvet?

 

Thanks for the info on shopping near the Beijing Ritz. I would like to try to find the NON-Designer shopping area.

 

Also is there a place I could buy 2-4 bottles of Chinese Wine before I arrive at the Beijing Airport. We are members of a wine tasting group. The Chinese wine would be new for everyone for our December gathering.

 

Thanks again for all the wonderful information.

Emily

 

We depart home on Holloween and arrive back on Thanksgiving.

[Osnab]

I've been busy today getting my photos and misc. things in a photo album and I ran across the beverage package sheet from the ship. For those of you interested, here is what it says:

Felicia

 

Offering:

Drinks in the bar & in the restaurant (only from those listed below)

~ House wine white (by the glass) Great Wall China

~ House wine red (by the glass) Chateau Mi Shui China

~ Plus different kinds of beers on board:

Chongqing draft beer China

Chongqing can China

 

All non alcoholic drinks as Coca Cola, Sprite, juices, mineral water, etc.

Bottled water for your cabin

One daily pre-dinner cocktail (no spirits or liquors, only cocktails)

One daily after dinner cocktail (no spirits or liquors, only cocktail)

Espresso or Cappuccino

 

By taking advantages of your All Inclusive offer, we have a special gift for you:

A set of exclusive postcards

A bottle of Viking Sparkling wine delivered for your cabin

A Viking baseball cap or a Viking waist bag

 

Price for a package for one cabin, occupied with:

Two persons USD $220.00

One person USD $110.00

 

Please order this package latest at noon, one day after embarkation

 

[Osnab]

Also is there a place I could buy 2-4 bottles of Chinese Wine before I arrive at the Beijing Airport. We are members of a wine tasting group. The Chinese wine would be new for everyone for our December gathering.

 

Thanks again for all the wonderful information.

Emily

 

We depart home on Holloween and arrive back on Thanksgiving.

 

Emily:

Paul (our escort) said he suggested we not purchase wine at the airport because you have to go thru security with it a separate time. I didn't really understand this until I saw it.....you go thru regular security, then you can buy the wine in a shop at the airport (duty free). Then sure enough, there's a small security area right before you show your boarding pass to get on the plane. I've never seen that before.

So one person had purchased liquor and he had to stand aside and wait for someone else to come over and go thru his carry on. Apparently, this is a really big deal.

So if you are going to purchase it, be sure you put it in your checked luggage when you get your boarding pass. (just wrap it well.)

The best bet would be to stop at a liquor store and have them ship the bottles home, if your state allows that. (Tennessee does not.)

Felicia

[Osnab]

I'll assume you already downloaded the free Picasa program from Google.

 

Yes, got that done!

 

With show caption selected, click on the caption text, add your description.

 

Done

 

 

To email pictures, you first must set up the Picasa under "options" then under the tab labeled email pick the program you use for email, then while here, select the size of the image you want to send.

 

Now you got me. I've got Picasa open and I don't see "options" anywhere. I also have 3 choices for emailing, and I've tried to use Picasa email. Currently, there is one picture in there that says it's ready to be emailed. (I was experimenting with it.) I can't get that picture to go away. I sent it, but it is still sitting there. Does that make sense- what I'm trying to say?

Felicia

[WIT]

If I purchase anything large at the Silk Factory, I would probably ship it home. The Silk Factory will be near the beginning of our trip. We begin in Hong Kong.

Also what was the approximate cost of a Queen/King Duvet?

 

Thanks for the info on shopping near the Beijing Ritz. I would like to try to find the NON-Designer shopping area.

 

Also is there a place I could buy 2-4 bottles of Chinese Wine before I arrive at the Beijing Airport. We are members of a wine tasting group. The Chinese wine would be new for everyone for our December gathering.

 

Thanks again for all the wonderful information.

Emily

Emily - I suggest you purchase Tsing Tao, an excellent pilsner which is the only draft beer available on the Century Sun. Wine in China has a LONG way to go before it becomes drinkable. On our CD cruise/tour last April, we tried several times to finish glasses of wine available but could NOT take a second sip. Beware also of vendors close to the boat with familiar labels - the content are rotgut. Do not go to China to drink. Chinese food, on the other hand, had nuances we have never experienced elsewhere. All the veggies will impress - American Chinese menus feature what would be expensive (meat=impressive) in China, but even 'Americanized' fare on the boat will give you more vegetables than you ever saw on a US menu. Always try the steamed dumplings (Xian's breakfast at the Shangri-La was the best) - a little chili oil or a dab of bean paste will create a savory memory.

WIT

[WIT]

Now you got me. I've got Picasa open and I don't see "options" anywhere. I also have 3 choices for emailing, and I've tried to use Picasa email. Currently, there is one picture in there that says it's ready to be emailed. (I was experimenting with it.) I can't get that picture to go away. I sent it, but it is still sitting there. Does that make sense- what I'm trying to say?

Felicia

Felicia - You should SELECT the pics you want to put in your publicalbum by either marking them with a STAR, or by selecting an entire FOLDER with the pics you want to share.

 

I assume, of course, that you already have a Gmail account (free w/2GB). Just persist - you can do it.

WIT

[coasters]

Felicia,

sorry I was away for the day...

I see where WIT suggested you get gmail, that's fine, however, Picasa works with other email as well.

 

I should be arriving home today after 3PM should you want to call. I'll be only too happy to walk you thru the Picasa process.

 

732-974-8737 Jerry

[WIT]

If I purchase anything large at the Silk Factory, I would probably ship it home. The Silk Factory will be near the beginning of our trip. We begin in Hong Kong.

Also what was the approximate cost of a Queen/King Duvet?

 

Emily - The link below will show you the price chart on the wall in the Silk Factory in Souzhou on April 24th of this year. They have two different quality levels. We bought two twin duvets for our king bed (easier to fold and you can share the bed without having to share your duvet).

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/billwitowski/ShanghaiGuilinHongKong

WIT

[WIT]

The Travel Channel just advertised Tony Bourdain's show No Reservations will cover Shanghai tonight.

WIT

[Minnesota Nice x II]

They have two different quality levels. We bought two twin duvets for our king bed (easier to fold and you can share the bed without having to share your duvet).

WIT

 

I laughed out loud when I saw the twin duvet posting. There were twin duvets on our cabin #232's bed. I'm so use to fighting for duvet coverage at home that I defensively grabbed the duvet in my sleep and caught myself falling out of bed.

 

There was another gal in our group who fell out of their bed as well. Bet the same thing happened...fighting for covers when you already had your own!

[coasters]

Felicia,

How you doin' with Picasa?

Once you set up Picasa for the email program you typically use, when you're ready to email pictures (after selecting them, putting them on "hold" then clicking the email button,) it will automatically open that application for you and show a list of the pictures to be sent.

The pictures will then be emailed to the addressees you want.

Jerry

Jerry

[Osnab]

Felicia,

How you doin' with Picasa?

Once you set up Picasa for the email program you typically use, when you're ready to email pictures (after selecting them, putting them on "hold" then clicking the email button,) it will automatically open that application for you and show a list of the pictures to be sent.

The pictures will then be emailed to the addressees you want.

Jerry

Jerry

 

Jerry: I haven't had a chance to look at it any further. I have been flung back into work and had to termiante someone Monday. I am still having a hard time getting my body back to the local time. I'm going to try to work on it this week and if I'm not able to, I'll definitely get to it this weekend.

 

Did you have a hard time getting your time clock back? I keep waking up at 4:00A, 3:30A, etc!

Felicia

[coasters]

Felicia, Time change.... not really, I always get up at 4 -5 AM! However, I do go to sleep very early. My wife did have jet lag problems much like you describe.

My internal time clock changed years ago (1974) when I gave up cigarettes. I used to go to sleep at midnight, wake 8 or 9 (or later if I could).

Feel free to phone me if I can help you with the Picasa.

[Miss Priss]

Hi everyone:

 

We've just returned from our trip to China with a start in Hong Kong. Our trip was the one just before the typhoon hit, so we avoided any problems connected with it, but did have rain on some of our days.

 

Absolutely LOVED it. Everyone has given such good reports that I would probably only ditto. Our group of 8 did about as much as could be done during the trip, and other than a delay of about an hour on one of the intra China flights, there was nothing to complain about. Our guide was Francis in Hong Kong (wonderful) and Matthew the rest of the trip (wonderful). I was surprised to hear about the people getting "lost", because Francis and Matthew just didn't let that happen, yet weren't "in you face" at all. Local guides were great and very well versed in their cities, and the staff on the ship was top notch. We tried to learn the Chinese names of our guides and waitresses and they really appreciated that)

 

In Hong Kong we opted for a trip to Lantau Island to see the Po Lin Monastery and enjoyed it very much. We also saw one of the few remaining fishing villages where the Chinese live on "stilt" homes.

 

All the hotels were 5 star. Our food was good and we had some great meals. It did take some getting used to when we had a whole chicken with head and feet, and a whole fish. (Don't turn the fish over, that will capsize a fishing boat!) Had cocktails at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hong Kong and enjoyed a beautiful view. Star Ferry was a hoot.

 

I can't think of a thing we would skip. In Bejing on our last day we took a 4 mile walk around the city. Great experience.

 

It seems we got rain on all of our scenic trips, i.e. 3 gorges, Li River, etc., but as Francis told us, " much better this way because this is the way the artist sees it"

 

If anyone has any questions you think I can answer, let me know. We had no illness problems and the Eastern toilets are doable. I used them all the time with no problem, just remember to look for TP as you walk into the restroom, not the stall! It's in a dispenser as you enter.

 

Marian

[Minnesota Nice x II]

Your trip sounds absolutely lovely, Marian, rain and all. We would have loved to have seen and learned more of the religious cultures in China but it wasn't included in the Imperials Jewels portion. Your description of Hong Kong makes me rethink my "no desire" to visit the city. Ah, well, an excuse to go back. And, an excuse to read more from the suggested reading lists. . .I find I enjoy reading more after a trip than before the trip.

 

And, Felicia . . . jet lag! I thought I'd be back to "normal" when I went into work on Monday (having 4 days to catch-up) but come 2 or 3 pm, I feel as if all the life has been sucked out of me. One of the employees that I see multiple times of the day is Vietnamese and he said it takes about a week to recover from flying East; flying West isn't as taxing for some reason? [i also decided yesterday to finish off my Airborne tablets by taking one-a-day. I was beginning to feel rundown, not just tired, and thought they might help ward off any cold virus that was lurking. I refuse to succumb to a cold.

 

We've been getting back to normal in 30-minute increments. Yesterday a.m., I got up and read the message board, fooled around with my Great Wall photos and put supper into the crock pot. We were going to jump into bed after dinner and watch the ABC Fall line-up, but I fell asleep within 15 minutes of turning on the TV. Ah, well . . .we have such lovely memories to dream about!

 

--D

[susietb]

We just signed up for the August 31st 2008 trip starting in Beijing with a Vietnam Extension. Anyone joining us?

[Miss Priss]

Minnesota - You and me both regarding jet lag. I was determined not to have it affect me, but there's no getting around it. It took me a week to get back to normal - but I left for Florida 4 days after returning home on a "girls week out" so had time to do nothing. (I know, wah wah)

 

One interesting thing we did on Lantau Island was go to a small temple they had in the fishing village. Our local guide told us how they told fortunes by shaking a stick out of a container and then reading it, and also about throwing blocks that were flat on one side and rounded on the other. I was picked to demonstrate - first by asking the gods to give me a good fortune and then throwing the blocks on the floor. I was very nervous because I didn't want to throw "bad luck" and create an uneasy feeling for everyone, but luckily threw one up and one down which means good luck. There was a great sigh of relief from everyone! Our guide gave us a lot of history about the major religions in China and the Po Lin Monastery tour was very interesting.

 

Marian

[Minnesota Nice x II]

I was very nervous because I didn't want to throw "bad luck" and create an uneasy feeling for everyone, but luckily threw one up and one down which means good luck.

Marian

 

I feel very fortunate that our river portion of the trip wasn't canceled due to the typhoon, so you threw good luck for all of the Viking China travelers.

 

I also feel incredibly lucky that we decided to travel to China NOW to see the beauty of the landscape and the beauty of the people. People we know and work with still have a hard time understanding our trip to China and have asked questions such as "Why China?" and "Has That Always Been a Dream?" No, it hasn't always been a dream but when we stumbled across the possibility, it just seemed like the right trip at the right time. During the trip, we kept asking ourselves "Can you believe we are in China?" As you know, China is such a rapidly developing nation that it will be a much different looking place next year when folks go to the Olympics and in 2009 after the Yangtze River Basin is flooded, and BEYOND. We certainly didn't do everything we wanted but it was a delicious sampling.

 

I also feel "lucky" for stumbling onto this message board. Unless there were lurkers out there who didn't present themselves, only 2 of our group of 200 found this board. So, and my apologies for going off-subject here, has anyone found a message board on Viking Tours? India is another one of those countries that is rapidly changing; I'd love to hear from some of the virgin Viking travelers to India (as they prepare for the trip and return home).

 

Thanks again to all those who shared their China experiences with us!

 

--D & D

[coasters]

D&D

Viking Tours is very new, it may be a little while until you find any information posted.

Happy that you enjoyed China!

Jerry

[WIT]

Has anyone found a message board on Viking Tours? India is another one of those countries that is rapidly changing; I'd love to hear from some of the virgin Viking travelers to India (as they prepare for the trip and return home).

 

--D & D

D & D - The River Cruises section of Cruise Critic has lots of Viking commentary. I searched the forum there & found 250 posts. Here is the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=7455431

 

Among those 250 posts are some are many about Viking China which are not seen on this thread. Those aware of this dichotomy often 'double-post' to reach everybody with their questions. Cruise Critic should move the Viking China thread from "Other Cruise Lines" to the "River Cruises" forum.

 

I have yet to see a post about cruising India.

WIT