Viking China

[Romeosc]

The Viking ship that plies the Danube is the SKY, not the CENTURY SKY.

 

The European ships are not as tall as there are bridges that the Chinese fleet could not go under!

[wallygator]

Wondering if anyone has done the "Extend your cruise" with Viking to Hong Kong? If so what hotel were you placed? How was the add on experience?

 

 

Thanks:):)

[Aussieflyer]

Just off the VCSun (the Sky has been leased to a chinese group - though we also had New Century cruising signage on top) and in Shanghai. Ours was a cruise only not cruise-tour so did not do Bejing or Xian. Th big excitement was snow for the last two days. The cruise was delayed several hours because of the bad weather and at one time it looked like we would be 9 hours late into Wuhan. Cruise was fine - IMO food was OK, the Chinese wine appalling, desserts not so good! It was the staff who were outstanding and made it worthwhile.The school was a highlight, especially as the children came out in the snow to welcome us.

[Peregrina651]

Wondering if anyone has done the "Extend your cruise" with Viking to Hong Kong? If so what hotel were you placed? How was the add on experience?

 

 

Thanks:):)

 

Wally, a number of people have mentioned the added-on. I wonder if they are still following the thread? Maybe you can search the thread for "Hong Kong" and then contact anyone who has gone (doesn't CC offer us a way to do that?). Just a thought...

[rico567]

Just off the VCSun (the Sky has been leased to a chinese group - though we also had New Century cruising signage on top) and in Shanghai. Ours was a cruise only not cruise-tour so did not do Bejing or Xian. Th big excitement was snow for the last two days. The cruise was delayed several hours because of the bad weather and at one time it looked like we would be 9 hours late into Wuhan. Cruise was fine - IMO food was OK, the Chinese wine appalling, desserts not so good! It was the staff who were outstanding and made it worthwhile.The school was a highlight, especially as the children came out in the snow to welcome us.

 

We were on the cruise just preceding yours (got back Nov. 6th), the CCD cruise / land tour, and it's amazing how much the weather changed in such a short time. We had great weather throughout, except for one day of rain at Shibaozai. We got to Beijing just after the first early-season snow had melted, but there was still some on the North-facing slopes when we went for our visit to the Great Wall.

[Sparky333]

We just got back a couple of days ago from the Imperial Jewels cruise. I'll post a few comments & pictures later when I get over this jet lag :o.

In the meantime I wanted to say to anyone getting ready to go - dress warmly!!!

 

We had packed for an expected temperature range of 70s in Shanghai (which was correct) to 50s or maybe 40s at night in Beijing. Wrong! It was freezing, literally, at the Great Wall & on the day we toured the Forbidden City & Summer Palace. I had gloves but not warm enough gloves - and I really wished I had warmer shoes. So if there's another trip running this year or if someone's booking next year in November - be prepared for very cold days!

[Romeosc]

We just got back a couple of days ago from the Imperial Jewels cruise. I'll post a few comments & pictures later when I get over this jet lag :o.

In the meantime I wanted to say to anyone getting ready to go - dress warmly!!!

 

We had packed for an expected temperature range of 70s in Shanghai (which was correct) to 50s or maybe 40s at night in Beijing. Wrong! It was freezing, literally, at the Great Wall & on the day we toured the Forbidden City & Summer Palace. I had gloves but not warm enough gloves - and I really wished I had warmer shoes. So if there's another trip running this year or if someone's booking next year in November - be prepared for very cYold days!

I'm glad we went when we did! (Sept 29th )

 

we had wonderful weather. Short sleeve most of time!

Very little rain. Only when weather forcaster was commAnded to have clear weather for "national day" parade. They salted clouds to rain the night befre clear "fog" and he lived!

[Dale]

I'm glad we went when we did! (Sept 29th )

 

we had wonderful weather. Short sleeve most of time!

Very little rain. Only when weather forcaster was commAnded to have clear weather for "national day" parade. They salted clouds to rain the night befre clear "fog" and he lived!

:D :D I read somewhere. But can’t really remember where, as if it really matters .

If someone there is executed the family has to buy the bullet. :D :D

[Aussieflyer]

As I said, we had a great time - it is cold; we had 2 degrees C in Wuhan, 7 C in Shanghai and some drizzle there. Lots of snow and dragon's breath (fog) on the river. The only thing we did not like was the fact that all staff have to take on an English name - think that is a bit much and that we should be able to cope with their Chinese names.

[rico567]

As I said, we had a great time - it is cold; we had 2 degrees C in Wuhan, 7 C in Shanghai and some drizzle there. Lots of snow and dragon's breath (fog) on the river. The only thing we did not like was the fact that all staff have to take on an English name - think that is a bit much and that we should be able to cope with their Chinese names.

 

That would have been fun....but I spent the six months before the cruise studying Mandarin, and am not sure how realistic it is. When I took my Mandarin course in a local university back in May, the instructors gave each of us Chinese names, trying to make them phonetically similar to our actual given name. Until we actually left on the cruise, I reinforced this learning with daily lessons on an mp3 player. Even with all this, my ability to handle conversational Chinese is strictly limited. Our guide in Qongjing graciously complimented my Mandarin, stating that it was "-somewhere between what we would call the beginner and the next level."

 

Having a bunch of Westerners with no experience in the language attempt even the pronunciation of Chinese names is just a recipe for frustration. Most will have never studied Chinese, and have no notion of how to do the tones, or the pronunciation of certain sounds that have no real equivalent in the sets of phonemes in most European languages. Unfortunately, the learning aspect on most of tours tends to be rather limited, and this was no exception.

 

However, I was pleased that we were given a series of lectures on Chinese history while on the boat, and our tour escort was wonderful, humorous, well-educated Beijing man who was a fountain of information on all things Chinese.

[gooch47]

Hello everyone!

 

I haven't had an opportunity to read all these posts. I'm sure they are full of important information.

 

We're looking at this trip for June or July of next year. They are currently offering some 2:1 specials ... maybe ... I have no idea if the savings are real or not.

 

One question: is there such a thing as booking a "guarantee" category. I can see very little difference between the lowest price balcony cabin and the highest price balcony cabin except for the location.

 

I also don't see anywhere on the web site where the cost for insurance purchased through them is shown. I got a quote from TravelGuard and it seemed quite high.

[rico567]

Hello everyone!

 

I haven't had an opportunity to read all these posts. I'm sure they are full of important information.

 

We're looking at this trip for June or July of next year. They are currently offering some 2:1 specials ... maybe ... I have no idea if the savings are real or not.

 

One question: is there such a thing as booking a "guarantee" category. I can see very little difference between the lowest price balcony cabin and the highest price balcony cabin except for the location.

 

I also don't see anywhere on the web site where the cost for insurance purchased through them is shown. I got a quote from TravelGuard and it seemed quite high.

 

First to address your statement about savings. Viking valued our tour at about $16K US, and we got it for half that (2-for-1, including airfare and transfers), $8K US plus insurance, which was right around $800 US. Are the savings "real?" I don't know. I know what Viking said it was worth, and what it cost us is very close to what a 3-week vacation on our own in Europe would have cost. Put it this way: the price was why we went, and why a number of people in our tour group said they bought the tour. The deal inclusive of airfare and transfers was the clincher. This was Viking's China's Cultural Delights, and the cheapest nonstop tickets we could find from Chicago to Shanghai (which was what Viking got for us) was around $1200 apiece. We were (and are) completely satisfied with the deal we got.

 

We purchased the insurance through Viking, and would never consider going on this type of package tour without full insurance. Normally we're on our own, pay as we go, and if we have to go home early or something, we're out some money for changing the airline tickets and that's about it.

 

Viking's insurance was about 10% of the tour cost, and I couldn't really find anything cheaper with the same coverage. This insurance included 100% coverage if we didn't go, for any reason (although if we didn't make the list of stated reasons, e.g. death in the family, coverage would be in the form of credit, not a refund) We made sure this policy, while purchased through Viking, was with a separate insurer, and included default by the tour provider. You should, too, especially if you're going to be paying by e-check (which is becoming more and more common) and saving the 3%, since you won't be covered against default by the tour provider by charging it to a credit card.

 

I don't know what a "guarantee" category is. We purchased our reservation, essentially paying for a cabin that had already been reserved, but not paid for, because the cruise was essentially full up. It was a class "A" cabin, and what everyone says is essentially correct....there's very little difference among the cabins themselves. I do know that the "A" class cabins are a "premium" reservation, and you're put in different hotels than those in the B and C class cabins, although I'm not in a position to testify as to the relative merits of those hotels, since we only saw the 5-star hotels we occupied- and they were very, very deluxe indeed.

[gooch47]

We would never consider a cruise without insurance. We just weren't sure what coverage the Viking insurance would cover, nor the cost. Looks like it would be fine.

 

A guarantee is you book a category, not a specific cabin. If the cruise line sells out of that category and someone new comes along and wants that category, you get moved up a level or possibly more. Since the cabins are all similar and there doesn't seem to be a problem with location, that would be a good chance to take.

 

Thanks for your reply.

[Romeosc]

We would never consider a cruise without insurance. We just weren't sure what coverage the Viking insurance would cover, nor the cost. Looks like it would be fine.

 

A guarantee is you book a category, not a specific cabin. If the cruise line sells out of that category and someone new comes along and wants that category, you get moved up a level or possibly more. Since the cabins are all similar and there doesn't seem to be a problem with location, that would be a good chance to take.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

 

Viking has always had a 2 for 1 sale, misleading, but still a good value! I compared with other cruise tours in China and prices could be beat, but I am glad that I did research on other companies and found out ameniities and details of tours was not as good! Most other ships don't have elevators or modern rooms!

 

Viking is totally 1st class. I did pay for a Higher Cat cabin to get 1/2 price and airfare for $800 even though the only cabin left was a lower category. All cabins except suites are same! I am happy we were on 2nd floor (near all the action!)

 

TAKE OUT INSURANCE. One group of 4 people on trip prior to ours was quaranteed after getting off plane. Someone had a fever! They missed all pre-cruise excursions (Beijing, Great Wall, Terra Cotta Warriors etc)!

 

Viking took them on a private tour of all that they missed including flights 5 extra days at NO CHARGE!

[Sparky333]

As far as the ship's crew being given English names - from what I've been reading that's not out of the norm - all university students pick English names. So I'm pretty sure it's not a Viking-imposed rule.

 

The cabin categories: we were in the lowest (F) & others in our tour group of 30 were in the highest and we were all staying in the same hotels. I think they used to put pax with different categories in different hotels but now they don't. Possibly their rooms are larger. We were in 5-star hotels all the way and our rooms were fabulous so I wouldn't go for the higher category for that reason. China World in Beijing was AMAZING - the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai was also incredible and the Shangri-La Golden Flower in Xian was also great if just a notch below the others.

 

One thing about our original cabin on the Century Sun - 205 - it was next to an employee office where cabin stewards were constantly going in & out (would assume that would pretty much happen all night as well as day). I think it would have been tough to sleep there. Luckily the ship was not full and we requested and were given a different cabin.

 

Something I was glad we did: upgraded to United's Economy Plus. It was a mere 5 inches extra of leg room but that amount made a big difference. My mom was in regular economy and when the person in front of her leaned back in their seat it was truly on her lap. $349 a year for myself plus any travel companion to get Economy Plus. Not sure we'll be able to take advantage of it again in the coming year but it was worth it for the 4 flights on this trip.

 

I thought Viking did a fantastic job. At one point the airport in Xian had been closed for a day due to snow/fog and people were camped out waiting for flights after missing theirs. Somehow Viking was able to get us on ours on time - we were marched through the crowds (felt rather awful - the ugly Americans getting priority) and didn't miss a step on the way to Beijing. It's at times like that you realize the huge value of traveling in a group and in particular with a company with a lot of clout. On our own we could've missed several days due to the flight delays.

 

I think all of the good information on this thread covers everything you need to know. I'm so glad I took the time to read the 130+ pages!

If anyone has any questions I'll be checking back. Here are a few pictures if you want a preview of what you'll see:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/jamison.leslie/China2009#

[Peregrina651]

Hello everyone!

 

I haven't had an opportunity to read all these posts. I'm sure they are full of important information.

 

Since roll calls don't really work on the smaller cruises, this thread kind of serves as the 'roll call' as well as a wealth of information. I still haven't finished reading the old posts but I still have 6 months to get it done.

 

We're looking at this trip for June or July of next year. They are currently offering some 2:1 specials ... maybe ... I have no idea if the savings are real or not.

 

I've been following Viking cruise pricing for a number of years now and it seems that their pricing is always 2 for 1. However, the real deals are in the airfare prices; the best deal on air fare savings was offered in May and June and the savings have dropped since. Also, you might get better pricing (a couple of hundred at best) through a travel agent and you can get a small savings if you know someone who has sailed on Viking who will give you their passenger #. Both you and your friend will benefit.

 

 

One question: is there such a thing as booking a "guarantee" category. I can see very little difference between the lowest price balcony cabin and the highest price balcony cabin except for the location.

 

Viking does not offer a guarantee category. All cabins have balconies.

I also don't see anywhere on the web site where the cost for insurance purchased through them is shown. I got a quote from TravelGuard and it seemed quite high.

 

As someone has pointed out, the Viking cancellation insurance is a credit not a refund. For that reason, we chose not to insure with Viking. The insurance is cheaper because they give you less; they keep your money --and charge you for the privilege of booking at a later date as opposed to losing your money all together.

 

Because we are travelling so far from home, we made sure that the policy we chose had plenty of coverage for emergency medical evacuation. This factor was almost more important than cancellation coverage.

 

I use TravelGuard; it offers a couple of different policies and levels of coverage. But, TG is not the only company offering travel insurance and there is a website that helps you compare travel insurance policies. Sorry I can't remember the name of it but it has been mentioned many, many times in many different CC threads. Maybe someone else can remember the name of the site??

 

Remember to compare not just prices but what you are getting in terms of coverage from one policy to the next. Cancellation is important but, to me, even more important is medical coverage and knowing that emergency medical evacuation will be covered.

[Sparky333]

One of the good sites to compare insurance companies/policies is tripinsurancestore dot com. I've used them several times and TravelInsured has been the best deal for what I wanted. I agree that the medical coverage is the most important thing to me if I'm going far from home and to a rural area or developing country.

Have had to put in a claim once with TravelGuard and it was very easy - no problem getting reimbursed.

 

That was a good point to remember about the referral from a previous Viking traveler. I think we got $50/pp ship's credit for having that. If anyone is booking and wants my number let me know. Disclaimer - I would also get a future credit for giving the referral but I won't be going with Viking for at least a few years & believe it's only good for a year (?) so that wouldn't be an incentive to me.

[Peregrina651]

If anyone is booking and wants my number let me know.

 

I guess we would all like to use CruiseCritic to give out our referral numbers.

[Sparky333]

Peregrina - not sure why a jab is necessary - i've clearly stated it would be of no benefit to me - i'm simply trying to help anyone else get credit. And I would not post my # on cc but through email.

Wow. Have a good trip.

[Romeosc]

Peregrina - not sure why a jab is necessary - i've clearly stated it would be of no benefit to me - i'm simply trying to help anyone else get credit. And I would not post my # on cc but through email.

Wow. Have a good trip.

 

I think it is OK since I wish I had doneit prior to booking and the only problem is your credit is only good for 1 year!

[Washington Apples]

Hi Sparky and Rob,

Glad to see you arrived home safe and sound! Love your pictures! You really got some great shots. I haven't unpacked my camera yet. It will be a hurculean task to sift through all of them. Congrats to you for getting right to it.

 

We missed you on the Li River and Hong Kong. You would have loved it. Nancy was our guide there, too. She's a real treasure! The whole trip was awesome, don't you think?

 

Say "hi" to Kathleen and Bob for us. We loved traveling (and eating) with all of you.

Washington Apples

aka Rich and Karen

[Washington Apples]

Hi Wally,

We just returned on Nov. 20th from the Imperial Jewels cruise/tour. We added the Guilin and Hong Kong tour at the end. In Guilin we stayed at the Sheraton Hotel, and in Hong Kong we were at the Kowloon Shangri-La. Both were great! The Shangri-La is on the waterfront promenade, and about a 20 minute walk to the Star Ferry pier. The entire trip was wonderful! I can't list all the highlights. You'll love it!

Karen

[Sparky333]

Karen & Rich -

Welcome back to you guys. I wish we'd been with you in Hong Kong - 12 days was not enough! I'm sure Nancy took great care of you there, also. She really was wonderful.

 

I'm sure your pictures are fabulous - it does take some effort to sort through a zillion of them. The only downside of digital - we take too many.

 

We really loved meeting & traveling with you. Enjoy your upcoming trips!

Leslie

[Peregrina651]

The following exhibition is at the MFA in Boston until May 23, 2010: Tibet/China Confluence.

 

 

[bxny]

They also sell souvenirs if you don't want to carry them home.

 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/terracottawarriors/