Viking China

[Carolny]

Thanks, I'll keep checking. If it's a cool day here I'm packing mid to long sleeve stuff, warms days , I'm pulling out the shorts! Guess I'll figure it out in the next two weeks. I already bought 2 boxes of hand sanitzing wipes, probably will get a small bottle of the gel as well. Thanks so much for you're help.

[Carolny]

Lu Ann, look forward to meeting you. We don't arrive in Beijing until 8:30p.m. Guess we will be quite messed up time wise, I never can sleep on the plane. Plan to take some Tylenol PM in the hopes that might help. Keep putting off the packing and think I might actually make myself a list for this trip. Got some meds. hand wipes, etc. but just need to get a rainy day to organize!

[twototravel]

We originally booked the 17 May 07 cruise starting in Beijing. After reading several posts where flights were cancelled and the inability to catch another flight on the same day, we began to worry. The first full day in Beijing includes so many activities we would be very disappointed to miss any of them. We began exploring different options -- flying a day earlier, making our own flights, etc. If we were to fly in a day earlier we would have to take a taxi to the hotels - Viking River would not send someone to the airport to pick us up since it would not be on a scheduled airport day. Total additional charge would be $400, which included the additional night at the hotel. If we decided to book our own flights they would only deduct $2,440 for the air; we couldn't find any flights to and from Baltimore under that price, given that the arrival and departure airports are different. So, thanks to a very helpful phone agent at Viking River, we changed routes and are now departing on the 28 May tour starting from Shanghai. If we miss the first day we won't be too upset. The agent was wonderful -- didn't even charge us the $30 cancellation fee that we should have had to pay. Funny thing, we are now booked into different hotels. Instead of the Shangri-La Beijing and Shanghai Ritz, we are scheduled to stay at the Westin Beijing and the St. Regis, Shanghai.

 

Also, just want to add my thanks to everyone that has written in reviews and helpful hints.

[zelker]

Anyone who has cruised on the Yangtze - is there much of a difference sailing upstream or downstream? I read somewhere that if you sail upstream you actually sail during the night to gain more ground since it's slower but if you sail downstream, you dock at night and can get off the boat in some of the towns. (if it matters, we'll be on a Viking boat)

 

Have to pay deposit soon so any insight will be greatly appreciated!

 

Barb

[MarbellaSD]

We began exploring different options -- flying a day earlier, making our own flights, etc. If we were to fly in a day earlier we would have to take a taxi to the hotels - Viking River would not send someone to the airport to pick us up since it would not be on a scheduled airport day.

 

Also, just want to add my thanks to everyone that has written in reviews and helpful hints.

 

I realize you've already resolved your dilemma--but here is some info for others who are concerned or choose to make their own flight arrangments. (And I strongly encourage people to spend an extra day in Beijing if possible! I would have liked to see more of the city.)

 

We did make our own air arrangements, because we wanted to use miles to upgrade to business class. It was no probelm to take a taxi on our own at the Beijing airport. In fact, we saw the Viking people and they wrote the name of the hotel in Chinese for us to give the taxi driver. It cost us only $15 or so!

 

Some people on our flight who also upgraded using miles paid for Viking to provide transportation--$50 per person, each way! Our travel agent had told us that taking a taxi was no problem.

[Murphey]

Wow, what an amazing trip.......we just (and I mean just!) returned. China was amazing, but exhausting. We are pooped and I've got to get some things unpacked and in the wash. I've read back over the last couple of posts and can answer some questions....I'll do it as soon as I can gather my thoughts and get my brain off of "delay".

 

A couple of quick thoughts. DON'T miss Shanghai....it was a highlight!

 

Out of our group of 39, nearly 2/3rds got sick (me included!!) And I was paranoid about using purell, washing hands, not touching anything, and very careful what we ate....

 

Taxi's are cheap, cheap, cheap...don't be afraid of them. They are metered.

 

We stayed at the Shangri La in Beijing and Xi'an. St. Regis in Shanghai. All lovely hotels. Don't worry about the location of your hotel, you don't have much free time (or energy!) to go anywhere on your own.....but as I said above, if you want to venture out....taxi is the way to go.

 

Steps, steps and more steps......oh....did I say there were steps??????

 

Weather was all over the map.....

 

The first day in Beijing may seem like the Bataan Death March, but in retrospect, it forces you to adjust to China's time. Had we had free time, we all would have crashed at the hotel and would have had a harder time getting our sleep patterns adjusted. There is just no way around it, you are going to feel exhausted. We are so glad we did Shanghai at the end. This itinerary takes you from ancient history and slowly brings you to modern times......

 

You need 1 more day in each Beijing and Shanghai...

 

 

I'll be happy to answer any questions.....

[land lover]

Welcome home Murphey...glad you had a wonderfu.l

[twototravel]

Lori,

 

Looking back through the various posts, re-read yours and have a question. Where did you look up your reservation? Is your record location the same as your booking number?

 

Thanks, Cathy

 

Look for your flight assignment about 90 days before...after getting my Record locator number from Viking today, I looked up my reservation and was able to see, that my ticket was purchased on May 28. Lucky for us we did have okay auto seat assigments, except for our first leg none were assigned...I could see on an internet site that only singles were available so grabded two aisles. Don't want to not have a seat if they over book and we are somehow delayed getting to the airport. How long would the flight be from Minn. if that is what you are assigned?

 

More Later, L:) ri

[land lover]

Cathy,

 

No,it is not. The record locator is what airlines use to track your resevation, it is on your e-ticket.

I was referring to air flight reservations only. I looked mine up on the Air Canada sight.

 

I went thru Viking reservations and asked for the air department and they gave me the locator number. My air was through Viking.

 

Hope this helps.....

[RJG1011]

We went to China with Viking this summer on the Imperial cruise tour. We also extended to Hong Kong. It was simply fabulous. Viking was wonderful both on land and on sea from our tour guide to the floor sweepers on the ship.

 

The ships are western style and lovely. All cabins (except suites and min suites) have balconies and are exactly the same size. However, there is a caveat with this. It is a small ship holding only about 300 passengers, so nothing is on the scale of a typical cruise liner. You will not find a shopping mall, only a small shop. There is a sun deck which is lovely, but no pools or hot tubs. On the plus side, many of the crew members knew our names and went out of their way to assist us in anyway. As we came back from excursions, they greeted us by name, welcomed us back and provided hot towels and cold drinks.

 

We traveled in the heat of the summer and boy, was it hot! The daytime temps averaged 90 and the nights were not that much cooler. If you are from AZ, what you will find most oppresive is the humidity. California passengers found this very difficult to handle. The best time to cruise is spring and/or fall. However, these are the most expensive and crowded times as these are the tourist seasons in China, particularly October. Beijing's climate is much like that of the middle Atlantic states, so it can get quite cold and it does also get chilly in Shanghai. I think they shut down for the coldest months.

 

As I mentioned earlier, our ship, the Century Sun, accomodates up to 300 people, but there were only about 100 of us, so the service was extra special. That is one advantage of going in July or August as we did. No matter what season you choose, the trip will be absolutely wonderful. There is so much to see and do both on the Mainland and in Hong Kong that we know we hope to go again someday.

 

One last thing, Viking and our tour guide were extremely organized and prompt with flights in China and travel throughout the country. We took 5 flights within China and HK and had great service, arriving at the airport with enough time not to rush, but not so much as to be bored. Their baggage handling was superb and the only thing we lost were the Viking tags from our bags. Not one of our group of 31 (from our bus) lost a single bag or had any damage.

 

Whatever you decide, you'll have a fabulous trip just as we did!

 

I've read that Viking now has 2 new western-oriented ships (the Century Sky and Sun) for China cruises. Has anyone had the opportunity to sail on one of these ships and what did you think?

 

Also, what time of year do you feel is best for one of these river cruises? I understand summer months (June, July, August) can be very hot and humid. As we live in Arizona, we get all the heat we need at home! I believe spring and fall might be the best - but notice that there are also winter sailings as well.

 

Any insight and suggestions would be most appreciated.

[Carolny]

Hi Murphey, you mentioned many got sick on your bus, was it just stomach and cold problems or worse? It will be only 3 weeks to the day that we are suppose to leave for China, stiches came out yesterday, but still has a drain. Unless something happens quickly and he stops draining, we will either go with drain in or not go. Was wondering about dr. on ship and how sick people got. Maybe we should just cancel.

[Murphey]

I don't think we'll ever know whether it was the food or a Norwalk type virus. I can tell you that no one was sick until we boarded the ship. I did see the Dr. on board and was reasonably impressed. He cam to my cabin in the middle of the night. He gave me three different percriptions. Unfortunately they didn't do any good because I couldn't keep anything down. So, my husband called him back and he cam and gave me a shot that was the ticket. BTW, the whole bill for that episode was less than $15! Let me know if you have other questions or concerns....

[zelker]

For those of you that were in cabins on the Main Deck (Category E or F), what did you think about the location? Was noise an issue (from above or below)? Engine noise? Vibration?

 

And can someone tell me what the open space is in front of Cabin 209, across from 208, that shows on the deck map?

 

If you had it to do over again, would you pick a higher deck?

 

Thanks! Barb

[Murphey]

For those of you that were in cabins on the Main Deck (Category E or F), what did you think about the location? Was noise an issue (from above or below)? Engine noise? Vibration?

 

And can someone tell me what the open space is in front of Cabin 209, across from 208, that shows on the deck map?

 

If you had it to do over again, would you pick a higher deck?

 

Thanks! Barb

 

Barb...we were in 225. There is absolutely NO reason to be on a higher deck. The 2nd floor is very convenient too. If fact, the decks on 2 have a slightly larger balcony, because the balcony rail is not curved......We checked out all the other floors and wondered why anyone would pay to be any higher. We never heard a peep from either side and I asked our neighbors if they ever heard our TV in the morning and they said no....

[Carolny]

Thanks Murphey, it's good to know dr was OK. My husband will be more than likely traveling with a drain from surgery, long story, so if he can have it out by than glad to know it can be done.

[land lover]

For those of you that were in cabins on the Main Deck (Category E or F), what did you think about the location? Was noise an issue (from above or below)? Engine noise? Vibration?

 

And can someone tell me what the open space is in front of Cabin 209, across from 208, that shows on the deck map?

 

If you had it to do over again, would you pick a higher deck?

 

Thanks! Barb

 

Staff rooms and the employee stairs.

No noise, vibrations

[MarbellaSD]

For those of you that were in cabins on the Main Deck (Category E or F), what did you think about the location? Was noise an issue (from above or below)? Engine noise? Vibration?

 

And can someone tell me what the open space is in front of Cabin 209, across from 208, that shows on the deck map?

 

If you had it to do over again, would you pick a higher deck?

 

Thanks! Barb

 

I was on a higher deck--Cabin 455, at the back of the ship, and the engine vibrations were a bit annoying. So in hindsight, I wouldn't have spent the extra $$, although my husband liked the slightly bigger cabin we had. All the cabins on 2 are in the front, as the dining room is over the engines.

[zelker]

Staff rooms and the employee stairs.

No noise, vibrations

 

 

Lori - where are the employee stairs and staff rooms you refer to?

 

Weren't you guys in 209?

[zelker]

I was on a higher deck--Cabin 455, at the back of the ship, and the engine vibrations were a bit annoying. So in hindsight, I wouldn't have spent the extra $$, although my husband liked the slightly bigger cabin we had. All the cabins on 2 are in the front, as the dining room is over the engines.[/QUOT

 

Melanie - Thanks for the honest response! Makes me feel much better. I am extremely sensitive to engine noise, vibration, even engine smell so the further I am from it, the better. :>)

 

Barb

[zelker]

Barb...we were in 225. There is absolutely NO reason to be on a higher deck. The 2nd floor is very convenient too. If fact, the decks on 2 have a slightly larger balcony, because the balcony rail is not curved......We checked out all the other floors and wondered why anyone would pay to be any higher. We never heard a peep from either side and I asked our neighbors if they ever heard our TV in the morning and they said no....

 

 

And in fact 225 is available (as is 226, 227, and 228).

 

Unless something opens up, we'll be on an upstream cruise. Is one side of the boat better than the other for views, sun/shade, etc.? We're going in October.

 

Barb

[Murphey]

There is really no difference in the side. The most scenic part of the trip is when you are in a seperate boat going up the lesser gorges. The river isn't that wide and if something exciting comes up you can pop out to the lobby (which is just steps away from 225) and go out on the other side. When you go through the three gorges you are going to want to be on top anyway to hear the commentary. Side note....if you are very lucky, you might get Yang as your guide.......Unbelievable.....he was amazing....

[CruisinTexans]

Murphey,

 

Will you be doing a review of your cruise? We are booked on the Century Sun October 1, 2007, and would like to know what you thought of the cruise, what the weather was like, etc.

 

Thanks, Leslie

[cruzemaven]

We are booked on the Imperial Jewels trip for next September. We are going to Hong Kong in the beginning of the trip before Shanghai. When does Viking let you know which hotels you will be stayingt at?

[San Diego Ronni]

Just returned this morning from 16-day Viking China's Cultural Delights--Beijing to Hong Kong. Had a wonderful trip. Too delirious and bleary to write much right now, but just a warning. MANY people on this trip got ill, including me and my husband. The symptoms ranged from respiratory ones to severe vomiting and diarrhea. We religiously used antiseptic wipes, had shots before we left and ate/drank absolutely NOTHING outside of what the group was provided. Since we took all these precautions and still fell ill, I don't know what to say except that I guess it's just the luck of the draw! Just do the best you can and have a wonderful time! It is an absolutely enlightening cultural experience. Brenda was our guide and she was terrific! Our friends have continued on to Guilin and Hong Kong. Have fun!

[El Cajon Couple]

Just returned this morning from 16-day Viking China's Cultural Delights--Beijing to Hong Kong. Had a wonderful trip. Too delirious and bleary to write much right now, but just a warning. MANY people on this trip got ill, including me and my husband. The symptoms ranged from respiratory ones to severe vomiting and diarrhea. We religiously used antiseptic wipes, had shots before we left and ate/drank absolutely NOTHING outside of what the group was provided. Since we took all these precautions and still fell ill, I don't know what to say except that I guess it's just the luck of the draw! Just do the best you can and have a wonderful time! It is an absolutely enlightening cultural experience. Brenda was our guide and she was terrific! Our friends have continued on to Guilin and Hong Kong. Have fun!

We are booked on the same cruise next Spring. Now we are considering cancelling the trip because of the reports of diarrhea & other illnesses from past passengers! Do you think the problem is related to sanitation on the ship? Do you think Viking is aware of the extent of the problem? Do you think they can do anything about it?? Thanks for any thoughts regarding keeping healthy on this trip!