RC China sailings

[Aussie FF]

On 10/19/2021 at 6:49 AM, Ashland said:

I'll continue to always watch for the Singapore-Shanghai itinerary or the reverse...It was one of our favorites !!!!

One of our favourites as well.
This one is being extensively advertised by online TA's here, and will be full of Aussies.
Our favourite ship as well, but we are already booked elsewhere..:(
EDIT:Sorry, I thought it went to China. Must be a different one.

 

Edited October 21, 2021 by Aussie FF

[Ashland]

6 minutes ago, Aussie FF said:

One of our favourites as well.
This one is being extensively advertised by online TA's here, and will be full of Aussies.
Our favourite ship as well, but we are already booked elsewhere..:(
EDIT:Sorry, I thought it went to China. Must be a different one.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this.... but not really interested in Thailand.

Will continue to hope for Singapore to Shanghai again someday.

[welshrich]

We have done two cruises out of China, the first was a b2b2b which was meant to be out of Hong Kong but the middle section got switched to sail out of Shenzhen as a Chinese company chartered the ship.   We went to Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, it was an immersive cruise and I think about 99% of passengers were Chinese, it was great and you got used to going with the flow, there was a lot of gambling space but the bars were quieter and no one seemed to want a lounger so you could take your pick any time of the day, this was on Ovation and they charged for ifly and Northstar.   There were queues everywhere for meals and it was something the Chinese like to do together and would spend quite a while in the venues, We knew about the culture regarding spitting and personal space so although it was off putting it was not a shock.   The food was great, lots of Asian choices but still lots of international food too, it was the first time I got to sample deep fried frog.   The Second cruise was from Tianjin to Singapore, this was after we had done a tour of China which was hectic so ready for a rest, we noticed that the passenger mix was maybe just 10% Chinese on this one (Quantum) and the rest was international.   I would do them again and recommend them but always advise people to do the research especially about local customs and culture, we were shocked the first time someone just came and sat with us at the buffet without saying a word or if you got up  to get something I had someone actually sit in my seat.

[Joseph2017China]

1 hour ago, welshrich said:

We have done two cruises out of China, the first was a b2b2b which was meant to be out of Hong Kong but the middle section got switched to sail out of Shenzhen as a Chinese company chartered the ship.   We went to Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, it was an immersive cruise and I think about 99% of passengers were Chinese, it was great and you got used to going with the flow, there was a lot of gambling space but the bars were quieter and no one seemed to want a lounger so you could take your pick any time of the day, this was on Ovation and they charged for ifly and Northstar.   There were queues everywhere for meals and it was something the Chinese like to do together and would spend quite a while in the venues, We knew about the culture regarding spitting and personal space so although it was off putting it was not a shock.   The food was great, lots of Asian choices but still lots of international food too, it was the first time I got to sample deep fried frog.   The Second cruise was from Tianjin to Singapore, this was after we had done a tour of China which was hectic so ready for a rest, we noticed that the passenger mix was maybe just 10% Chinese on this one (Quantum) and the rest was international.   I would do them again and recommend them but always advise people to do the research especially about local customs and culture, we were shocked the first time someone just came and sat with us at the buffet without saying a word or if you got up  to get something I had someone actually sit in my seat.

Once we realized sharing tables was normal, it made it so much easier finding seats!!!!!

[Serengeti228]

It is true that sharing tables is the norm in Asian culture and it is more for the practical reason.

 

It is interesting to check out the norms of different lines from the CC boards. I am new here and will be on my first ever RCI cruise in Dec 2021. Been on the other cruise lines, NCL, HAL, Princess, Costa.... When I was on the TA, Alaska, Caribbean, Reposition, or Asia cruises with the other cruise lines, many passengers were open to share tables on the buffet deck with the other "strangers".

Edited October 21, 2021 by Serengeti228

[dtsh]

I sailed the Quantum before the pandemic from Shanghai to Japan.  I only chose to sail from China because I took a bunch of my wife's family along.

 

Since it was China, the North Star cost $ and the Solarium was only for suite or diamond.  There were more public spaces for smokers.  

 

The buffet and MDR menus were changed to more Chinese food.  Instead of Johnny Rocket, another specialty dining serving Chinese food was in its place. Instead of cheap souvenirs, there were plenty of high end stores on the ship.

Since the vast majority of the customers were Mainland Chinese, the experience will be significantly different than your typical cruise experience.   Most of the Chinese people on board travel as a huge group so many of their activities were done all at once, such as leaving the ship together during port days or going to meals.  The lounges were practically empty all the time.  On the other hand, the buffet was always PACKED. Its was so packed you couldn't find seating or had to share a table with others.  During dinner time at the MDR, you had to queue at least 30 min beforehand or else it would be a challenge to get seated soon after you arrive.

During port days when waiting for buses to take passengers to the city downtown, a fair share of queue cutting.  When coming back onto the ship undergoing the security screening, more queue cutting by middle aged Chinese ladies (大妈).

I booked my sailing through the RCL China site （https://www.rcclchina.com.cn/）and got fantastic deal for the China sailings.  So if you know somebody that understands Chinese who can help you navigate the site, you could even book from there.  However, they don't accept Western credit card and only takes payment from Chinese bank accounts.  It does take Alipay so you could potentially use that to pay if you book there.

Due to pandemic with RCL ships at lower capacity, hopefully the same could be true for China sailings. 

[Ashland]

18 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Once we realized sharing tables was normal, it made it so much easier finding seats!!!!!

We always wait for a table for two...just our preference.

[sfaaa]

20 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

Once we realized sharing tables was normal, it made it so much easier finding seats!!!!!

Sharing tables with unmasked total strangers during COVID is not normal.

[Cigar King]

4 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Sharing tables with unmasked total strangers during COVID is not normal.

The very first line says this was his experience prior to the pandemic.

[sfaaa]

Fair enough except the way things are going, COVID will likely be around for a long time.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, sfaaa said:

Fair enough except the way things are going, COVID will likely be around for a long time.

Agree...and the reason we'll only sit at a table for two especially going forward.

[LGW59]

On 10/18/2021 at 3:38 PM, MJSailors said:

        Is this policy still in effect ? Is China the only country that is requiring this kind  of Covid  test ?

        The question is, does such a test follow the science or is it a way for China to reduce  the amount of people wanting to come into the country ?

The test is NOT in effect, my husband flew back in August and while he did have to quarantine for 21 days, his Covid tests were via nasal swab.  China will continue to be very cautious on international travelers until the Olympic in February.

[MJSailors]

Thank you for clarifying. 

Interesting that China is very cautious about international travelers given the world-wide events that developed during the first three months of 2020.

[sgmn]

On 10/21/2021 at 2:04 PM, Serengeti228 said:

It is true that sharing tables is the norm in Asian culture and it is more for the practical reason.

 

Will be interesting if cruiseines encourage sharing of tables in the post pandemic world. We always have set dinner times and ask for a large table to meet others, but this Summer (in the UK anyway ), you could only sit with your travelling party in the MDR. And people self distanced in the buffet. Of course the cruises were less than 50% full so no need to share tables 

[Serengeti228]

2 hours ago, sgmn said:

Will be interesting if cruiseines encourage sharing of tables in the post pandemic world. We always have set dinner times and ask for a large table to meet others, but this Summer (in the UK anyway ), you could only sit with your travelling party in the MDR. And people self distanced in the buffet. Of course the cruises were less than 50% full so no need to share tables 

 

I think the days of sharing tables are over,  or at least in the next 2 years, I believe. During the pre-COVID days, I mostly cruised solo and I had no right to take up a table for 6 at the buffet and prevent others to share a table with me if they ever intended to. In the post COVID days, I would anticipate that I will only aim for a small table and have my own table. I would want to distance the strangers before they distance me.

[ONECRUISER]

17 hours ago, Ashland said:

Agree...and the reason we'll only sit at a table for two especially going forward.

Not sure why but Royal must think I'm Special...or trouble. Cruise SOLO and probably 35 out of 40 last Cruises assigned to 4 Top all to myself.

[Biker19]

Royal Caribbean Group is hopeful on the long-term potential in China, sees an opportunity with the potential Genting Cruise Lines exit, and is committed to the market despite deploying ships elsewhere for 2022.

 

"With respect to China, it remains closed for cruising, and we have redeployed the remaining two ships planned in 2022 to other key markets. We remain optimistic that we can capture long-term growth opportunities in the China market," said Naftali Holtz, chief financial officer, speaking on the company's year end and fourth quarter earnings call. 

 

Meanwhile the potential exit of Genting Cruise Lines could present an opportunity, according to Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

 

"We see opportunity," he said, noting Genting's potential exit. "China for us has been a long journey. We've had our ups and downs. We've had some incredibly productive and wonderful years and we've had some equally challenging years. And true to form, it seems to stay on the same path.

 

"There's a belief that after the Olympics are behind us, that there will be more positive news coming out of China," Bayley said.

 

"I think our long-term perspective of China is we're in China and we're going to make China work. We see a huge amount of upside and opportunity. I think Genting exiting the stage is, again, an opportunity for us. And our teams in Asia are already planning and leveraging (those opportunities). But our appetite for the opportunity has not shifted. We think China is always going to be a very important part of our strategic portfolio, and we are going to continue our journey as soon as the news starts to become more positive, which at some point, it does have to become more positive."

 

Royal Caribbean: Genting Exit Presents Opportunity in China - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News