Viking China

[whp]

It cost around $8000 for two round trip business class airfares. I know that seems like an exorbitant amount, but I will not sit cramped in coach for 14 hours. We fly to Europe quite often and always fly coach. Usually after eight or ten hours it is exhausting. This is the first time we splurged on business class. My friends who travel to China quite often for business tell me it is the only way to go. My wife and I look at this as the trip of a lifetime and we spared nothing to make it a wonderful trip. This is probably the first and only time I will get to fly like this and we are very very excited to fly business. Can't wait. We leave in two days.

Enjoy your trip. We go next May 2 Shanghai to Beijing with other couples and are getting excited with all these great roll call comments. Anyone want to join us? Guaranteed Fun.

[whp]

We are thinking of arriving one or two days early to get over jet lag and see more of Shanghai. If you did on your tour, what would you recommend that we see or do during the extra time prior to the "official' tour starting?

[whp]

If we decide to arrive a day or two early, what options are there to get from airport to our hotel downtown and what is an estimate of cost? How may can a taxi hold as there will be 6 of us and I don't know if they have any taxi vans, minibusses etc? Also someone mentioned a train of some kind like in europe?

[Turtles06]

Our Imperial Jewels trip is almost here. We fly out Thursday morning. Have had a few people on FB send PM's that they will also be on the same trip. Nice to talk to others before hand.

 

Thanks to everyone that has shared their knowledge and provided so many helpful hints & tips. I think we're ready!

 

 

 

Cathy

 

You must be bouncing off the walls with excitement. I hope you have a FANTASTIC time! Pls come back here to CC and tell us about it!!!

[caribill]

We are thinking of arriving one or two days early to get over jet lag and see more of Shanghai. If you did on your tour, what would you recommend that we see or do during the extra time prior to the "official' tour starting?

 

Jade Buddha Temple

 

Observation deck from either Jinmao Building or World Financial Center (only on a relatuvely clear day)

 

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum 2000 Century Avenue http://www.sstm.otg.cn/howyi

Tuesday-Sunday 9 AM - 5 PM RMB 60

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum station on Shanghai Metro Line 2.

[caribill]

If we decide to arrive a day or two early, what options are there to get from airport to our hotel downtown and what is an estimate of cost? How may can a taxi hold as there will be 6 of us and I don't know if they have any taxi vans, minibusses etc? Also someone mentioned a train of some kind like in europe?

 

 

This should answer most of these questions:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai/pudong-airport.htm

[no fuss travel]

If we decide to arrive a day or two early, what options are there to get from airport to our hotel downtown and what is an estimate of cost? How may can a taxi hold as there will be 6 of us and I don't know if they have any taxi vans, minibusses etc? Also someone mentioned a train of some kind like in europe?

 

 

Make sure you the directions to your hotel written in Chinese so that the taxi driver can get you there. Very few of the taxi drivers speak English. Most of the hotels have instructions on their website that you can give to the taxi driver to make sure they deliver you to the correct hotel. Print them before you leave home.

[Luv2SailAway]

I'm going on the Viking Sun on its October 30th cruise Shanghai to Beijing and very much looking forward to it. I've heard wonderful things about it from friends who have been on it. Seems like this may be the last one for the Viking Sun as they have a new one for next year (Viking Emerald I believe).

 

I'm hoping that the weather won't be too cold but I know that China is very hot during the summer months. I was there in 1999 in August and it was very hot.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[castledavies]

If we decide to arrive a day or two early, what options are there to get from airport to our hotel downtown and what is an estimate of cost? How may can a taxi hold as there will be 6 of us and I don't know if they have any taxi vans, minibusses etc? Also someone mentioned a train of some kind like in europe?

 

You'll find a lot of info at

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g308272-i2804-k3844596-Taxi_from_PVG_to_Grand_Hyatt-Shanghai.html

I have also gone to the Grand Hyatt's website and printed out a "hotel card" in Chinese which I will have with me as we get a taxi at PVG. However I think it is probably unnecessary.

[Turtles06]

Here's a link to what I thought was a fascinating article that appeared the other day in the Washington Post about how Chinese consumers, despite their growing affluence, still resist purchasing dryers for their clothes, as there's a strong cultural preference for air drying. (Also sounds like some interesting photo ops.)

 

(Frankly, I love air dried clothes. People in my neighborhood who tried it were practically tarred and feathered for hanging the wash out!)

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090305875.html

[Dorothylyn]

Plan to go on Viking from Beijing to Shanghai for the trip-

Would love to hear from others going April 21th on this trip-

Viking is planning our air! wish we could go Coach!

What is the best advice to get from all who have gone

or plan to go on this trip-tdreid1@embarqmail.com

two sisters from Texas

[H2Otstr]

I just looked at our Cultural Delights trip on March 28, 2011 and every cabin is Sold Out except one of the suites. Surprised that there is no one else on our trip that is posting here.

[coasters]

It cost around $8000 for two round trip business class airfares. I know that seems like an exorbitant amount, but I will not sit cramped in coach for 14 hours. We fly to Europe quite often and always fly coach. Usually after eight or ten hours it is exhausting. This is the first time we splurged on business class. My friends who travel to China quite often for business tell me it is the only way to go. My wife and I look at this as the trip of a lifetime and we spared nothing to make it a wonderful trip. This is probably the first and only time I will get to fly like this and we are very very excited to fly business. Can't wait. We leave in two days.

 

As my travel agent says:

"Fly first class - if you don't, your heirs will"!

Enjoy the trip .. you will love China!

Jerry

[luvinretirement]

We Leave on October 19th to begin the October 20th Imperial Jewels tour. Picked up our visas yesterday and our shots are up to date -- ready to go -- only thing left to do is pack.

[gooch47]

Just a suggestion for those who are thinking about booking but haven't yet:

 

I would suggest doing the Shanghai to Beijing route instead of the opposite. The Shanghai portion of the trip is much less intensive than the Beijing one and you won't be as hampered by travel fatigue and jet lag if you do Shanghai first.

[Turtles06]

Just a suggestion for those who are thinking about booking but haven't yet:

 

I would suggest doing the Shanghai to Beijing route instead of the opposite. The Shanghai portion of the trip is much less intensive than the Beijing one and you won't be as hampered by travel fatigue and jet lag if you do Shanghai first.

 

Well, another way to look at it is this: many posters on this thread talk about being exhausted by the end of the trip, so another option, if you want to be "freshest" for Beijing, is to start there and maybe even get in a day or so early.

 

I know that when I've been traveling for a couple of weeks, no matter how great the trip, I'm pretty much thinking about getting home...:)

[gooch47]

I agree getting there early is best, but not everyone has that option. I'm fairly sure I couldn't have handled Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City with jet lag.

 

Everyone to their own opinion, of course.

[no fuss travel]

We found that starting with Beijing we were fine for Forbidden City and the Summer Palace but that night at the Chinese Opera we were nodding off. Anyone who had arrived earlier was fine but all of us who arrived the day before were pretty tired.(jet lagged)

[caribill]

that night at the Chinese Opera we were nodding off. Anyone who had arrived earlier was fine

 

There have been posts on this thread which have said that the night at the Chinese Opera was not worth it.

 

Based on that wisdom, we did not attend on our recent Viking trip. Those that did attend said that the food was mediocre at best and the opera was almost unbearable. One attendee said that he would rather "have a root canal without an anesthetic instead of ever seeing it again."

[seanf]

There have been posts on this thread which have said that the night at the Chinese Opera was not worth it

There have also been plenty saying that it is worth going to, including mine. The food on this night was not the best meal of the trip, but the Opera experience was really good and enjoyed by the majority of people on my tour

 

Sean :)

[gooch47]

We didn't go to either optional show but heard the same thing about the Opera. One woman had to leave the theater. It was physically hurting her ears. We are sorry we missed the other one, though.

[traveler55]

how did you ever get prices so low. in may it is priced at around $1700 for the same itinerary.

 

WE booked our airline tickets as soon as they went on sale for those dates which was the middle to end of Nov. I guess booking early paid off for us.

[caribill]

We didn't go to either optional show but heard the same thing about the Opera. One woman had to leave the theater. It was physically hurting her ears. We are sorry we missed the other one, though.

 

The Tang Dynasty show was excellent. Food was also very good.

[PSL Ag]

We leave this Sunday for our Imperial Jewels trip. Begins in Beijing. We had done custom air with Viking, and ended up with Air Canada Direct from Toronto, and they were $600 less for Business class than the published rate--special of some kind, anyway was a pleasant surprise.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Dan Z.

[SFSusan]

I've learned so much by browsing this thread in advance of our Imperial Jewels trip (Shanghai to Beijing) on October 20 -- thank you, everyone!

 

I still have a couple of questions:

For those who can't walk far or up many steps, which are the most strenuous excursions? And is it still worth it to go on the bus and see the countryside, maybe walk around a little bit?

 

Does the ship have a store selling practical items like batteries, aspirin, etc?

 

I'm considering at least bringing face masks for the pollution (I have chronic asthma and my husband has COPD), but I hate the crappy white ones that make you look like an alien! Does anyone know if a simple surgeon's mask (cloth, soft) would also work? (or a handkerchief across one's nose and mouth?)

 

Thanks in advance!