Viking China

[Aussieflyer]

Travel & Shop,

Thanks for the information on the weather - I think we probably will go ahead in November - the cool weather doesn't bother us (we're from Canberra Australia and are used to it!) though it would be a pity if it did rain all the time - did it hamper your enjoyment at all?

[Travel&Shop]

Travel & Shop,

Thanks for the information on the weather - I think we probably will go ahead in November - the cool weather doesn't bother us (we're from Canberra Australia and are used to it!) though it would be a pity if it did rain all the time - did it hamper your enjoyment at all?

 

The rain did not hamper our enjoyment of the trip. As I said, it never rained hard and in the end we had more sunny days than rainy ones. The only day I wished it had not rained was in Shanghai. We only had one full day there, so we never got a good view of the beautiful city buildings from the Bund. I actually enjoyed the rain on the other days, but being from Arizona rain is a bit of a treat for us!

[go2girl]

My three friends and I are leaving this weekend for the June 8 Imperial Jewels tour starting in Shanghai. Anybody else going?

[Bruce4fun]

Hello All,

Several questions, some of which may have been answered, but I did read most of the threads for the last 2 years.

 

About the liquids, do the authorities actually look in your presciptions to see if any are liquid?

Is there a hassle if pills are not in original container with label? Do they check these medicines upon arrival in Bejing also when entering the country?

 

Do you need more than $100US worth of Chinese Yuan for taxis, etc for 12 days? I will have several hundres US dollars in small bills for tipping, buying stuff.

 

We need to charge a small camera battery, does the 115V razor outlet actually work on the ship? It is a regular US 2 prong plug with no ground.

Or do some hotels have this outlet? It worked fine in Europe on the Viking ships which were otherwise 220V.

 

Did anyone take the Maglev at the end of tour from Shanghai to airport to catch plane home?

 

Any suggestions? We may want to go to Beijing 1 day early(Beijing to Shanghai), but Viking says they won't know the exact hotel until less than 90 days out. We would not really want to repack and move hotels unless we had to. They are saying Ritz Carlton, Westin, Shangri La, Raffles, Regent, or China World. That is a lot of variables.

 

 

Thanks,

Bruce4fun

[WIT]

Hello All,

Several questions, some of which may have been answered, but I did read most of the threads for the last 2 years.

 

About the liquids, do the authorities actually look in your presciptions to see if any are liquid? NO

Is there a hassle if pills are not in original container with label? NO

 

Do they check these medicines upon arrival in Bejing also when entering the country? NO

 

Do you need more than $100US worth of Chinese Yuan for taxis, etc for 12 days? I will have several hundres US dollars in small bills for tipping, buying stuff. YES

 

We need to charge a small camera battery, does the 115V razor outlet actually work on the ship? It is a regular US 2 prong plug with no ground.

Or do some hotels have this outlet? It worked fine in Europe on the Viking ships which were otherwise 220V.

 

Look at the fine print on the back of your charger. It may say it supports 220 as well as 110. Then you just need an adaptor plug rather than a converter.

 

An average day on the cruise will have you tipping the local guide $2-3US and the driver $1-2US. One can easily spend twice that bargaining on the street. If there are two of you a twelve day cruise might use $180US. ake sure the bills are clean and crisp or vendors won't accept them.

 

Our 4/07 Cultural Delights tour started at the China World - one of the finest hotels we have ever encountered.

 

My compliments on reading the entire thread. Few do so and do not realize they have asked questions answered frequently had they simply used the Search function.

 

WIT

[gr8lakes]

Hi Aussieflyer: We took the Viking China Cultural Delights cruise November 19th of last year. It was absolutely wonderful and a true lifetime experience.

The weather we had was great. We had temperatures in the 60s -70s with mostly sun from Shanghai to Chungching. Xian was in the 60s. When we got to Beijing, it was colder - definitely needed coat and gloves at the Great Wall because it was very windy. The last day in Beijing it was 19 degrees F - so very very cold. But, we loved it all. I definitely would take layers. I also threw in a small pair of earmuffs and they were very welcome.

Our guides told us that they think the cruises toward the end of the year are the best - the sites are not crowded at all - we were some of the only people at the Terracotta Warriors for about an hour- and the Forbidden City was wide open. You also avoid the very very hot and sticky summer months which can be overwhelming with heat. We were extremely lucky that the ship only had a total of 18 passengers on it. It probably won't ever happen again like that, but it was an unbelievable gift to have such personal service from the whole crew.

The guide also said the times to avoid are the first week of May and the First weeks of October as they are festivals and very very crowded at all the sites with Chinese people traveling within the county.

We hope you have a terrific time.

 

One suggestion if you have time in Shanghai - Take a cab to the Fabric Market on (Lujaibang sp?) Road- also know as the Soft Spinning Market. All the hotels have the location on the back of the cards they give you with key sights in the city. It is about a 4$ cab ride from the Shangri-La Hotel in Pudong. Cab drivers know exactly where it is and you can pick up a cab outside easily when you are finished.

You can buy scarves, purses, small fabric items, and have shirts, jackets, coats or anything you like made to order within 24 hours. My husband had two cashmere/wool sport coats made and he loves them. The best deal was a cashmere top coat he had made to measure in 24 hours for $60. It came in handy for the cold weather in Beijing. I had four silk jackets made for $35 each. You pick out the fabric from bolts on the shelves and pick out the design as well. There are probably a hundred different stalls there so you have lots of choices.

Be sure to bargain - they will quote prices on a calculator - and you will end up with about 10-15% of the first price they quote. The items are gorgeous! The prices there are better than we found anywhere else in China.

We wish you an enjoyable and interesting trip.

[go2girl]

Thanks, Bruce4fun for asking great questions and to Wit for answering them! I was wondering so many of the same things myself! Leaving in just a few days for the June 8 Imperial Jewels, and I was still trying to decide what to do with my meds. We are booked into the China World hotel and are sooooo excited!

 

Shannon

[Bruce4fun]

Thanks for the reply WIT, that helps a lot.

Bruce4fun

[Aussieflyer]

gr8lakes

Thank you for taking the time to reply and the good information. We have booked for November 12 - a shortened deal by the look of it as we fly in and out of Shanghai, then across to Chongqing to meet the cruise. We have booked a couple of extra days in Shanghai at the end so will certainly look at the fabric market. We are from Canberra Aust and it does get very chilly here-the past few days have been about 12 degrees C so I don't think it will be too much of a shock for us. The only thing is I hope it does not rain too much. We are looking forward to the trip as a first time to China.

Jenny

[catkoe1]

In your opinion.... why Viking over the other River CruiseLines for China??

Thanks in advance for the responses.

 

HAPPY CRUISIN:cool: TO ALL!

[coasters]

Cathy and Ron,

Saw your question on CC - asking about Viking to China.

Our personal experience with Viking River Cruises, (China Cultural Delights) on the Viking Century Sun and the hotels they arranged was far beyond our expectations.

The tours, accommodations, travel arrangements and guides all met or exceeded anything we had imagined.

(Far better guides, accommodations, food, venues and attention to details, than any other "tour" company we have cruised with thus far). All were truly 5 star.

You may want to search the CC (Viking China) for our report (pictures and journal) - we are "coasters" on cruise critic.

If we can be of assist, do not hesitate to email.

jerry(at)glevitz.com

Diane & Jerry

[Frankhenry]

Hi Newnanna,

 

I was wondering if you have any recent contact info for Luc, your tour guide. My wife and I met him on a tour in 2006 and have lost contact and we promised to send him some photos, etc.

 

He was a great guy, very informative and I'm not sure if you saw some of his work, but he's quite a talented artist as well.

 

Regards,

Mitch

San Diego CA

 

We were in Luc's tour group when we did the Cultural Delights tour last April/May. We agree - he was a big part of what made our trip so wonderful - as you say, very knowledgeable, well organized, good sense of humor, told some great stories .............. he also is a good singer.

Here is the contact information that he gave us:

(personal) LUC_713@YAHOO.COM.CN (note: there is an underscore between Luc and 713) or (office) BEIJINGOFFICE@VIKINGCHINA.COM

 

Carla

[Lady Meer]

In your opinion.... why Viking over the other River CruiseLines for China??

Thanks in advance for the responses.

 

HAPPY CRUISIN:cool: TO ALL!

 

We haven't had any experience of other river cruise companies but we thought the Viking arrangements were exceptionally good with their trips and choice of hotels, etc. Everything ran like clockwork. There were only 4 (out of 180) of us from the UK on our trip (May 2008). Our flight arrived at 5.30 am when we were met by a rep and taken to our hotel where our rooms were ready (this would not have happened in the UK!). We were told that if we weren't satisfied with the room we could move later in the day!

 

It's fair to say that I struggled with the food (the boat was fine) on the trips but one day our guide (David) had arranged for me to have french fries at one of the lunch stops! Everyone was so helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We got the impression that Viking was very welcome in China and their customers were treated very well.

 

The main reason we chose Viking was the fact that I could get western food on the boat!

 

We absolutely loved the trip and it was made even more special as we made some great friends from the US. :)

[Harry Cane]

We considered some other arrangements but frankly, when you add all you get with Viking, I think it's a pretty good deal. Not just that the arrangements were top notch, but every tour and entry was included in the price. Other than what you buy and the tips for the guide, pretty much all is included.

 

This was our first river cruise and our first Viking experience. They're now at the top of the list for the next adventure-- India!

[JamsA]

We are leaving from Chicago Ohare on July 20th to Beijing. It is our very first trip of this type. We would appreciate any help in understanding and making this trip easy and enjoyable. We understand that it might be a bit HOT over there. Thank you.

[Lucky Granny]

Hi, Jams.... We went on that trip last July and had a wonderful time. It was not as hot as we expected, given what we had heard. However, we live in South Louisiana, so we are used to heat and humidity. Chicago is pretty hot, also, so I don't think you will suffer too much. You need to read this board, going back about a couple of years to get an idea of what to expect - it seems there are a few details different each time the trip is made, but lots of good information is posted here. After that, you might think of a specific question you want to ask. Have a great trip!

 

Mary Frances

[Peregrina651]

Thank you to all the past cruisers who have posted your experiences and advice.

 

This thread is a treasure chest of knowledge. I haven't done this cruise yet but I've started to read the thread from start to finish. It is SO full of information and helpful tips; I'm taking notes as I go. Everything anyone wants to know about the Viking China river cruises is here and I am slowly absorbing it all.

 

I'm only up to July, 2006 but I do have one question for those who were on the early May, 2009 cruises. Would you comment on the weather that you experienced? Yes, I know that is no guarantee for what I might encounter but I figure that by looking at all the reports on May weather I might get a general idea of what to expect.

 

Thanks,

Andrea

[JamsA]

Mary Frances, Thank for your information. So kind of you. We are thristing for all the information we can gleem from people who have experieced this river trip in china. I have scanned the information you suggested; however we are new to using blogs like this.

Question: Will be need any medical 'shots' for this trip. Viking information says not, but then again they are selling the trip in difficult times.

 

thanks, Jams

[coasters]

Mary Frances, Thank for your information. So kind of you. We are thristing for all the information we can gleem from people who have experieced this river trip in china. I have scanned the information you suggested; however we are new to using blogs like this.

Question: Will be need any medical 'shots' for this trip. Viking information says not, but then again they are selling the trip in difficult times.

 

thanks, Jams

 

Jams, we did this trip in 2007, did not require any shots.

If concerned, use the CDC link below to be sure.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/china.aspx#vaccines

Jerry

[coasters]

Thank you to all the past cruisers who have posted your experiences and advice.

 

This thread is a treasure chest of knowledge. I haven't done this cruise yet but I've started to read the thread from start to finish. It is SO full of information and helpful tips; I'm taking notes as I go. Everything anyone wants to know about the Viking China river cruises is here and I am slowly absorbing it all.

 

I'm only up to July, 2006 but I do have one question for those who were on the early May, 2009 cruises. Would you comment on the weather that you experienced? Yes, I know that is no guarantee for what I might encounter but I figure that by looking at all the reports on May weather I might get a general idea of what to expect.

 

Thanks,

Andrea

 

Andrea, we had good to very good weather in late April 2007, captured that info. and other details in my Journal, which is posted on this board.

If I can help, feel free to email.

PS, my wife's maiden name is "Peregrin" -

Jerry

 

jerry@glevitz(dot)com

[Peregrina651]

Jerry, I would love to read your journal. Could you post the link to it so I can find it? Thanks. Also, I wish I could say there was a connection but my screen name is merely the Spanish word for pilgrim and comes from living in Boston.

 

As for shots, we got a whole bunch of them for a trip to South America (loved it!). In particular, we got yellow fever shots partially based on CC discussions indicating that China might requiring that immunization for anyone who had traveled into countries with yellow fever outbreaks. Even though we now have brand new passports that don't show our entry into Argentina, we will be carrying our yellow international immunization cards.

 

As for other immunization, even if it isn't required to enter the country, consider updating your tetanus and getting the Hepatitis B vaccines for your own safety, especially considering all the discussion in this thread about people getting sick.

[Lucky Granny]

Jams, we got Hepatitis A and B shots but did not have time for the complete series of either before we left - finished up after we got back. I don't remember why we got them as there were no required immunizations. You can sign up with the State Department to receive email notification of travel warnings and/or restrictions that develop before you leave. I recently received a warning from the State Department about Swine Flu quarantines in Beijing and Shanghai - some people are being required to remain in their hotel rooms for six days following arrival if there is reason to believe they might have been exposed to the virus. I don't remember the exact website but will post it if I can find it.

[Lucky Granny]

Jams....I'm back with the website: www.travelregistration.state.gov Thanks for reminding me, I registered for my trip to Europe next week.

[coasters]

Jerry, I would love to read your journal. Could you post the link to it so I can find it? Thanks. Also, I wish I could say there was a connection but my screen name is merely the Spanish word for pilgrim and comes from living in Boston.

 

As for shots, we got a whole bunch of them for a trip to South America (loved it!). In particular, we got yellow fever shots partially based on CC discussions indicating that China might requiring that immunization for anyone who had traveled into countries with yellow fever outbreaks. Even though we now have brand new passports that don't show our entry into Argentina, we will be carrying our yellow international immunization cards.

 

As for other immunization, even if it isn't required to enter the country, consider updating your tetanus and getting the Hepatitis B vaccines for your own safety, especially considering all the discussion in this thread about people getting sick.

 

Andrea,

thanks for clearing up the relative question...love your explanation, how creative!

Below are links to my journal and pictures. Thanks for sharing your photos with us, they were fabulous, excellent subjects and composition.

China was awesome! Keep in touch.

Journal and Photos from our Viking River trip April, 2007

http://glevitz.com/ebayimages/vikingjournal.htm

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/VikingBeijing

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...BuddistTemples

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...jingToShanghai

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...rcelainFactory

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/HongKong

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/Guilin

Jerry

[Peregrina651]

Thanks for sharing your photos with us, they were fabulous, excellent subjects and composition.

 

Thanks. I'm delighted that you took the time to look at them.

 

 

Journal and Photos from our Viking River trip April, 2007

http://glevitz.com/ebayimages/vikingjournal.htm

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/VikingBeijing

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...BuddistTemples

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...jingToShanghai

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWe...rcelainFactory

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/HongKong

http://picasaweb.google.com/JerrysWebPage/Guilin

Jerry

 

Thanks for the links. I've bookmarked them all. We are spending the weekend with our travel companions and this should be the perfect diversion.

 

I started to read your journal but I have to admit that I am going to put off looking at your photos for a few months. With so many months to go, images would just make the wait seem even longer--and it is long enough as it is.