Romeosc

Does stock owners OBC combine with OBC from other offers?

I'm not sure what you mean by standard rate. Balcony cabins come with either Bella, Fantastica or Aurea rates.

The "experiences" are the only rates MSC currently offer.

 

But, all the balcony cabins on deck 8 are the standard size and are Bella experience. However many suffer a problem with the views being limited by lifeboats, only those on the front and rear humps have unrestricted views, they of course tend to be snapped up first by those who know about the lifeboats.

 

Hope this helps

 

Pete

Thanks

There is a "Balcony Sale" on the Aug 26th cruise from Barcelona for $999 (for Bella I guess) ....was wondering if there is any larger "Bella rate" balconies. The Bella rate Balcony HC are booked and to get Fantasia is $200 more per person and I'm not interested in the upgrade of amenities since we usually spend most of our time on land!

Thanks again

The reasom for the price difference is the cabins are not graded B1, B2, B3 etc but "Bella", "Fantastica". "Aurea" Eperience. ie different service levels.

 

10207 is a "Bella" Balcony, 11134 is a "Fantastica" Balcony, hence the price difference.

 

10207 is 148 sq ft (124 living, 24 bathroom) with a 34 sq ft balcony. (So it is a small balcony cabin)

 

11134 is 283 sq ft (244 living, 39 bathroom) with a 61 sq ft balcony

 

there are only 6 "Bella" HC cabins 8266, 8273, 9211, 9213, 9214, 9216

 

THere are 22 "Fantastica" HC cabins:-4 on deck 9; 8 on deck 10; 6 on deck 11; , 4 on deck 12.

So maybe all the Bella HC cabins are booked which only leaves Fantastica available

 

Note:- a standard balcony cabin is 192 sq ft with a 42 sq ft balcony

 

Pete

Thanks

I asked for a Bella HC, but none were available.... most cruise lines will automatically free upgrade to next available HC, but I guess MSC doesn't...

Do you know if there any larger Bella cabins that qualify for standard Balcony rate?

If you are are trying to decide on particular cabins, I have a listing of every cabin onboard with the square footage of the cabin overall (plus broken down into bathroom and living space) and the balcony. Let me know if you need that info on certain ones.

 

Overall, I think B2 is a safe bet though some forward have steel balcony siding versus plexiglass.

 

Bret

I am being quoted higher rate for handicap room 11134.... I thought HC balconies are same price as balcony. We were quoted on 10207 originally They said I would have to go to B2 to get HC accessible balcony which is $200 more per person!

Thanks for your help

Steve

That's a change. We were able to take (no flash) pictures.

We were allowed to take pictures and videos, but no flash as noted.

We also bought the DVD at end of show

Ps. We took several hundred dollars us To barter with "not now" vendors. For fake terra-cotta warriors and Mont Blanc pens (lol)

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I agree with Peregrina about packing light. Many days there is not time to change before dinner. I packed a lot of "travel" tops that could be washed in the sink and dry by the next morning. A cheaper option, than designated travel clothes, is to purchase workout clothes or golf clothes. On the ship however, we found the rooms quite humid and it tool 2 days for some things to dry. If you have shipboard credit, you can use it towards laundry. Travel size bottles of Downy Wrinkle and Fabreeze can help extend the life of your shorts/pants for more than one day :)

We packed light. My wife brought clothes that were out of date and had our guide write a note in chinese for our room attendant to give to someone who might want them. This allowed her more room for new outfits and shopping!

Iowa (our guide) told us not to worry about luggage restrictions, he would help us since we were supporting Chinese economy!

We brought back 4 full suitcases, a silk rug, and 2 backpacks of fake terra cotta warriors!

Enjoy!

I love the idea that smaller groups are formed for the excursions/land tours. But how are they formed? Do you indicate if you prefer mild, moderate or strenuous levels?

 

Currently DH & I are capable of lots of walking, climbing stairs, etc. But who knows how we'll be functioning in 2013....If we are limited in mobility I'd hate to hold others back, but conversely....

Don't worry, there will be people with all kinds of capabilities on same tour. We had a lady with a motorized cart and also young athletic type. They made concessions for all. Most tours separate for some free time and meet back at bus. The loading of her motorized cart gave many of us more time to shop with the $ vendors.

Well, if smartphones have also become cameras, I suppose we should expect our cameras to become phones! ;)

The iPhone 4s is a good P&S camera.... If Steve Jobs were still alive, he might have made a telephone for your DSLR(LOL)..... I am amazed by how many Apple products I carry on a vacation! (phone, camera, ipad & computer to copy pictures)

Most of the digital P&S cameras have picture taking options which allow you the same range of control (f-stop, etc.) that you had with the old fancy film cameras.

For the non pro, the new point & shoots are wonderful!

I bought the Olympus SP-810UZ superzoom with a 36x (24-864mm equiv.) 3.0" LCD and 720p HD video recording.I am going on a African Safari and didn't want to have to change lenses with all the dust! Wonderful camera with anti shake and face recognition. I was going to buy a Nikon 3100, but a pro convinced me I would be better with a high end point and shoot.

Rick Steve's "Europe through the Back Door", 2009. includes a card to be copied or cut out to put in your wallet.

 

It states in 5 languages, "Dear Thief, Sorry this contains so little money." "Consider changing your profession."

i have a free iPhone app called "world Nomads" for each country with phrases such as:

Don't Shoot! - beer kai chiang

Stop Thief - juah shiaw tow

Police - jing charh

Those drugs aren't mine - churh sheer doo pin bu shih war de

LOL it speaks them as well!!!

Luckily I have never needed it except to use for directions .....

Thanks so much to all of you who responded about the tips for our China trip! We've been to Europe twice so we have done most of your suggestions......all except carrying different credit cards.....I'll do that next time and I think we'll get cards that don't charge fees. Also, great idea about different SD cards for our camera. I have taken a virtual pharmacy before but had not thought of Ace bandages.

 

Keep any and all hints coming.......thanks again.

My wife is a Klutz....( but I do still love her!) She has fallen in more countries than the stock market! She often is looking at the sights and trips. (hence the need for ace bandages and Neosporin.

We often had a line waiting at cabin door needing something from the Pharmacy or "supply room". We have lent extension cords, SD cards, umbrellas, baseball caps, ponchos and even spare cameras! We always carry a spare $50 or less camera! I guess I should have been a boy scout since we are always prepared!

Everything we don't need can be abandoned to make room for purchases!

Wow, what a great list! I second the "take different credit cards" thing, even if you're going to China, where you may not use credit cards as much. We got to Shanghai just in time to find out that one of the 2 credit cards we had taken (me; husband took another but not that one) was being used, even though I still had my card and my husband's was at home safe and sound. Talk about trying to call Master Card collect from a hotel in Shanghai - not fun or easy! We finally got through to the operator what we needed and were connected (free, as far as we know so far) but it was a hassle, especially since we were cranky due to jet lag. It's probably overkill, but some cards have an overseas number to call instead of the U.S. or 1-800 numbers, so you might want to ask about that. This is the first time someone has used my card, but it seems to be getting more common, and with internet sales, people can rack up a lot of charges with no trouble at all. The person who used mine had a great time charging dating services and itunes! Ick!

 

Anyway, other than that, I can't think of anything Romeo missed, except that I like to carry a little wrist thing (for cell phones) when I'm traveling. It makes it easier to carry a card key (or real key) when you're on a ship and going back and forth between dining room and room, etc.

I pay a fee to American Express and they monitor all my cards and will call me to verify before they cancel, but I forgot once my regular cell number was fraud contact and they couldn't reach me for 18 hours. They flagged the card because of "out of pattern spending"!

I had wallet stolen in Barcelona (yeah my fault)!, and every card my wife had with her was the same as mine. When we cancelled mine we were without a card until AE FedExed one to our next port! NOW we always make sure we have different cards with us!

Thank you for this information about the luggage....I cannot go for a weekend with just one bag!!!! Any other advice concerning this trip: what TO do and what NOT to do???? Would appreciate any help.

SOME HINTS!

My wife and I keep a "packing list" and add to or modify after each trip. We usually modify on flight home, while memories are fresh!

Not all hints are CHINA specific, but feel free to add your own thoughts!

(Pack some small items that come in handy)

Portable luggage scale (about $10)

Traveling alarm clock - or use iPhone!

European Power Adapters if staying overnight pre/post cruise.

Pack a couple of cheap extension cords and 3-in-1 adapters(never enough AC outlets to charge everything) (to be left behind)

Super Glue, Duct Tape & 2 part epoxy .... be prepared! I had to repair a CPAP mask while in Egypt!

Ace Bandages, Pepto Bismo, Cipro and medicine, extra reading glasses Magic Markers, pens blank address labels (to stick on wrapped purchases). I used to forget what was wrapped in tissue paper and open and reopen etc!

A legal pad for notes, keep track of purchases, so you don't forget anyone.

We take 5 packs of rain ponchos from dollar store (2 for a $1). I gave them free to friends in Rome.... I could of paid for my cruise if I had a case of them (LOL)!

SD cards, batteries ( I even carry a second cheap digital camera and at least 1 SD per day per camera.) If camera is stolen or lost, you only loose that 1 days pictures... not the entire cruise! I number SD Cards 1-25 and have a sheet of paper with same numbers and a line so I can fill in where each SD card was used.

We pack a folding suitcase in each suitcase to put dirty clothes in and leave room for souvenirs.

Detergent in Zip Lock bags to do washables in room.

Pack several size Zip lock bags

I take a separate file folder with info about excursions, etc for each port. Later I empty pockets into them every day with receipts, tickets, postcards etc. from each port.

I also vacuum pack clothes (SpaceBags) and when we are ready to repack pack small shot glasses etc inside cloths and borrow maids vacuum and reduce to smaller size, and keeps in odors.

Take a list of addresses and contacts to send post cards and to call in case of emergency. Have neighbors and friends numbers in case they need to turn off alarm or other emergency. Pre-address postcards to save time and write on plane or during down time.

Take business cards or print personal cards with your contact info... easier than trying to find a piece of paper and pen to write your email and contact info for all your new friends!

I notify all Credit card companies with list of countries we are visiting!

Make sure you and spouse are taking credit cards with different numbers... if one is stolen and canceled (make photocopies) the others are still usable! Also Photocopy Passports to make replacement easier!

Take a unlocked quad band phone and buy a world sim card for it. Incoming calls are free in Most ports! We always use it on deck after re-boarding ship to call US... normally morning in US!

Outgoing calls are $0.35 per minute to US. (Give that number to friends and credit card companies in case of emergency.)

When returning, we dispose of ponchos, and other weight not valuable enough to return to US!

My wife took older clothes and left on-board to make room for new purchases! We had guide write in Chinese notes saying "Please keep these or give to someone who might want them". She gave the steward the bags of clothes with note and additional tip. ONCE I LEFT CLOTHES IN TRASH IN GREECE AND HOTEL CLEANED THEM AND SENT THEM TO MY HOME ADDRESS!

Some people have posted that the flight to Hong Kong is very strict on the weight limit.

We did not do the HK extension. We had no problem on internal or international flights.

The backpack weighed over 50 pounds, since it contained the terra-cotta "army" (lol). I was worried that the customs inspector in Chicago was going to break them to make sure they didn't include drugs, he called over a supervisor to look at the collection and after I explained they were for gifts, he shook his head and smiled and said "Welcome Home!"

We are booked on this tour for next October. My question is: Is only one (1) piece of luggage allowed? What if you have more than one piece of luggage?

 

Would appreciate any advice....our trip is from Beijing to Shanghai and then the extended trip to Hong Kong.

 

Thanks.

They are VERY liberal about lugguage. We carried 2 large suitcases with a suitcase inside of each plus a carryon each. We came back with 4 large suitcases 3 carryons and a silk rug carried on!

Our guide, Iowa, told us as long as we supported the Chinese economy, not to worry! We did have our FedEx bill of Ladonna ready just in case!

I have been reading your "journal" and it is helping us decide which type of cruise to take next year (river or ocean with land tour).... We find your journal extremely helpful in giving us more information as far as the river cruise experience on the Yangtze and your day by day account. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. The Shutterfly pictures are a plus too.

 

Also, thanks to everyone else on this thread with all the great reports and hints. It will take me a while to get thru it all. We are definitely leaning towards taking this Viking Cultural 17-day trip either in 2012 or 2013. We had a Princess trip booked out of Beijing with a 8-day land tour in Beijiing, Xian & Yangtze River next October, but we decided to cancel & change it as it was over the first week of October (Golden Week - National Holidays) and we did not want to get caught in those type of crowds.. So, now I decided to research the river cruises and discovered this monster thread...

 

Thank again..

We were on the Viking trip that coincided with the 50th anniversary of National Day. Only thing we missed was inside T- Square. They were having a parade for the National Leaders! We got to watch the hundreds of busses in a constant parade to Square. City traffic was closed and we were lucky that Viking could get our buses a short distance from our hotel! In America the crowds watch the parade... In China the crowds were the parade for the few dignitaries!

The national forecaster was warned that weather " would be PERFECT!". They seeded the clouds and smog went away and it was perfect for air show and parade! Fireworks were amazing! We went to great wall that day, so Viking did great planning! Crowds for the week was very manageable!

I'm very interested in the 30 Mont Blanc pens. Are they easy to find? I gather they looked good or did you buy them as a joke. I bought 10 pair of Oakley sunglasses in Mexico that had Oakley spelled wrong as a joke for stocking stuffers. I plan on buying some joke type items this trip' date=' like the Mao watches.[/quote']

 

They look great .... Nice box with name on them! The weight is the give a way! Most venders on street and in market have them or variations. Also ornamental chopsticks and MaJong sets. We brought back over 150 pounds of booty not counting silk rug.

 

wife had guide write out in Chinese several notes "PLEASE GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS THEM.... IF YOU DON'T WANT". Wy wife brought all older outfits which she left at hotels and on boat to make room for purchases!

 

We had 2 large suitcases each with a suitcase inside and 2 carryons.....left China with 4 suitcases full of new stuff as well as 3 carryons and a silk rug! Felt like a Jewish Santa when we got home!

Romeosc, please tell me more about the t.w. purchase. Where you bought, how big are they, how many per box, any problems bringing to US, etc. Did you buy at end of trip or beginning? (wondering about carrying them on smaller flights) Thanks! They sound like an awesome souvenir!

The terra cotta warriors were in nice gift boxes... 4 to a box 6" tall.

I took them out of boxes(even though they were nice cloth lined) because of size limitations!

I wrapped each in paper while on Vikings bus and put them all in a small backpack. We had no problems on any of the intranet china fights including caring the silk rug and 30 Mont Blanc pen sets(lol)!

They look like chess pieces on a large chess set.

They were bought at the Ming Tombs in Beijing...... The first days of our trip!

BlueDevil75 -- Thanks for the great trip report. We are booked on the same trip starting 3/27/12, Shanghai to Bejing. Given your report, I plan to bring my laptop to access internet in the hotels and in bar areas of ship -- hope I have same luck you did. Thanks for the heads-up on tipping. Sounds kind of steep to me, but suppose its expected like on the larger ships. Just wondering if you found some really good deals on particular souvenirs that we should watch out for? Thanks agin for all the info....

We ARE shoppers..... I bought several sets of boxed non-fired terra cotta warriors so cheap at end of the walk of imperial statues. It worked out to about 50 cents per warrior. They were the hit of the gifts we brought back!

People thought they were expensive! Took out of boxes and wrapped in newspaper and carried in backpack. About 50 pounds! One airport screamer called over supervisor and they had a good laugh. We also carried a silk rug on plane. Our guide "Iowa" said not to worry about luggage overages as long as we supported the Chinese economy!

I guess we will have to monitor this thread!

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Obvious ones have been mentioned.

 

I also have no desire to do a cruise to Australia or New Zealand--not because I don't want to visit but because I'd rather do a land tour and see more of each country.

Most everything to see is coastal! 95 % of people live around the coast. New Zealand Cruise was one of our best!