Viking China (Part 2)

[travelfirst]

Does your friend get to the airport in Beijing before the rest of you?

That is where we flew into also.

Viking should be there to pick her up when she arrives to take her to the hotel.

You could remind Viking she will be arriving alone and to make sure they are there.

 

I know I would have worried if I had to go there alone also but after being there I know I would have been fine. She just has to watch for the Viking rep.

[Turtles06]

One of our group is coming from Michigan and we requested flights that would have us all meet in San Francisco and of course she is flying from Chicago to Beijing by herself. She is upset and frightened. (We did pay for custom air) I am the one who put this together and now I am feeling like I made a mistake.....

 

Please tell your friend not to worry. I suspect she will be spending less time in the air traveling this way; it's a long enough trip without adding a flight from Michigan to California. I assume since you are using Viking air, that Viking will be handling all of your transfers to the hotel. Just to give your friend some piece of mind, find out from Viking where in the airport the rep will be.

 

Viking runs a great operation in China. Relax, and have a wonderful trip!

[rahrah50]

My friend is a new widow and she is a little nervous about the trip. I talked with her today and explained the signs at the airport would be also be in English and to look for the Viking rep. She lands a half hour before we do so if all else fails she can just wait in the baggage area for us. She was feeling better after we talked. It has just been a tough few days worrying about our travel documents and Chinese visas. One of the reasons I pushed for Viking was this thread. Almost every person has posted such wonderful reviews and comments about this trip. Thanks to all the posters who posted such helpful hints and wonderful information!!! I can hardly wait to go to Black Sesame Kitchen, which I would not have known about, except from this thread. A trip to China has been on my bucket list for years and we have a great group of people going so it is all going to work out.........

[travelfirst]

That's good she is not there long before you arrive. She will probably still be waiting for her luggage.

[juliesaddiction]

When you collect your baggage you walk down a carpet with barriers on each side and there are many people that have signs with names ect. The Viking reps were towards the end, but you couldnt miss them and once you went to them you are totally taken care of from that point on. I never worried once. I did however travel with my mom. The Viking reps are on the look out for you believe me. Especially if you put the Viking red leather luggage tag on your luggage. It is a local guide that will meet the group and get you on the bus to the hotel, you will meet your tour escort that will be with you the entire trip at the hotel. I cant say enough about the tour escort we had "Terry" could not have been more perfect and definately made our trip all the more special. Since you are arriving within a half hour of each other you will most likely be in the same group leaving from the airport. And there may be others on her flight that are doing the same tour....we had about 4 other couples on our flight.

[juliesaddiction]

Also you will find that most of the signs are in both English and Chinese in most places you will be.

[Peregrina651]

rahrah, if you used custom air then you chose your flights months ago and should have been ticketed as chosen. If they have made changes to what you chose, then contact them immediately. If you worked through a travel agent, then the travel agent will have to make the call. Otherwise, e-mail the "tellus" address that Viking has posted in this thread, give a brief explanation of and ask them to call you ASAP. Sorry I don't have the complete address to post. Use this not the customer service number posted on the Viking website.

[jwas1]

Thank you so much for the great review! We are interested in doing this trip next year. Hope you don't mind a few questions!

 

Did Viking arrange your air? If so, were you able to choose a carrier? We're flying out of Norfolk and would like to use Delta to get credit towards our FF miles. Did they allow you to fly in a day ahead to avoid airline related mishaps that could delay your trip?

 

Were there plenty of choices related to food? I have a seafood allergy and have some problems in Asia when travelling independently convincing the restaurants that taking the fish out of fish broth doesn't solve the problem.:p I don't want to draw attention to myself, so I always travel with peanut butter crackers in case I can't eat what's served. It would be nice to know that Viking would help in this regard.

 

In general, how much did you tip the bus drivers and local guides on a daily basis? Was there a safe in the stateroom on the ship?

 

Would you recommend an area on the ship for cabin? Does it make much of a difference?

 

Again, thanks for your review!

 

We just returned from Viking Imperial Jewels of China cruise. We flew out of Norfolk on Delta. Book the early flight out of Norfolk through Detroit. If you miss your connection, there is a second flight the same day. We made our own air arrangements. Viking met us at the airport in Shanghai. Viking's logistics are first class. There are plenty of food choices both on the boat and at shore dinners that do not contain seafood. Your Viking guide who is with you the entire trip can describe what is in the non-boat meals. Your receive a booklet from Viking before you leave the U.S. which gives guidelines for tipping. Best to tip in local yuan currency. ATMs are all over China and we had no problems with our Suntrust card. There is a safe in your room. Best to choose a stateroom forward to avoid engine noise in the stern. Go in the Fall. Summer is very hot and humid (worse than Tidewater VA). Ship's airconditioning cools, but does not dehumidify.

[rhskls]

Regarding visas, do any of you who have already gotten your visa have a preference for going through the company Viking recommends or going direct to the Chinese consulate in the U.S.? Is either one quicker?

[Tom2]

Regarding visas, do any of you who have already gotten your visa have a preference for going through the company Viking recommends or going direct to the Chinese consulate in the U.S.? Is either one quicker?

 

I went through the company that Viking recommended (Generations Visa Services) for both my Egyptian Visa and my China Visa and both times I had my passport back within 2 weeks. My thinking was that GenVisa had control of my passport at all times so it couldn’t get lost, unless you hand carry your passport to the Chinese Consulate you risk the chance of it being misplaced.

Tom

[Turtles06]

Regarding visas, do any of you who have already gotten your visa have a preference for going through the company Viking recommends or going direct to the Chinese consulate in the U.S.? Is either one quicker?

 

Serious question here -- if you are in Arkansas, what Chinese consulate would you go to? (And you'd have to go twice, once to submit your documents/application, the other to pick up your visa.)

 

We used Generations Visa, the company Viking recommended. This was a couple of years ago;they were reliable and quick. Also terrific to deal with over the phone when I had some questions about completing the application (and they didn't even know I was going to use them to get our visas).

[juliesaddiction]

Genenrations Visa did ours and it took about 3 weeks. Viking recommends you do it 3 months in advance so it was plenty of time. Going to the consulate does require 2 trips and takes about a week or so, we had friends in Canada that did that.

[Osnab]

My friend is a new widow and she is a little nervous about the trip. I talked with her today and explained the signs at the airport would be also be in English and to look for the Viking rep. She lands a half hour before we do so if all else fails she can just wait in the baggage area for us. She was feeling better after we talked. It has just been a tough few days worrying about our travel documents and Chinese visas. One of the reasons I pushed for Viking was this thread. Almost every person has posted such wonderful reviews and comments about this trip. Thanks to all the posters who posted such helpful hints and wonderful information!!! I can hardly wait to go to Black Sesame Kitchen, which I would not have known about, except from this thread. A trip to China has been on my bucket list for years and we have a great group of people going so it is all going to work out.........

 

Looking at 116 pages of threads, I am sure this is in there somewhere, but I just had to post it in case it's not.

 

The Viking reps wear red and I don't recall seeing any other groups wearing red. There will be huge red and white signs that say VIKING on them. Plus, they know to be on the lookout for anyone they are supposed to pick up. So please tell your friend it will be ok. You'll love Viking and the way they treat you!

Felicia

Edited September 23, 2013 by Osnab

[rhskls]

I believe for Arkansas we would go to Houston for the Chinese consulate there. But from looking at the responses, it is probably better to use Generations Visa. Thanks for the info.

[rahrah50]

Thanks to everyone for the information for the airport in Beijing. It appears the early flight out of Chicago to San Francisco is no longer flying and Viking changed it to Chicago to Beijing. It really is a good flight plan and all is well.

 

Regarding Chinese visas - Ten of us sent our applications in within a week of each other. Mine came back in less than 4 weeks. Some took 8 weeks and many phone calls. All were sent thru the Viking recommended agency.

[Peregrina651]

Genenrations Visa did ours and it took about 3 weeks. Viking recommends you do it 3 months in advance so it was plenty of time. Going to the consulate does require 2 trips and takes about a week or so, we had friends in Canada that did that.

 

Just a reminder that you don't want to apply more than three months before your departure date since the permission to enter the country expires 90 days after the date of issue. You must enter within 90 days. Once you have entered the country the visa is good for the duration of your stay with Viking and any additional days you might be doing. (There is an actually time limit on how long you may stay in country on your visa but it is measured in months and I don't have the details; suffice it to say that it will more than cover your Viking vacation).

 

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Hi rahrah50 (and everyone else!),

 

Hard to believe the big departure day is less than a week away. Hoping we all have a great trip but I am especially hoping that your friend from Michigan has a great time. She is very brave to be taking this on but she will be just fine. It will be a transformative (in the best possible way) experience for her!

 

If we don't meet up before, we'll see you and your group at BSK!

 

And, like so many others have already mentioned, this site has been so helpful. Thanks to all who have posted here and shared their experiences. I am very grateful to everyone.

 

Best regards,

Mrs. Tiggywinkle

[rahrah50]

See you in Beijing Mrs Tiggywinkle!!!!

 

I am packed and ready to go. Our group is all widowed except my oldest son and his girlfriend. It is so wonderful to be able to continue to travel even though we no longer have a spouse. We are all so thankful for this group of adventurous people. :)

[Turtles06]

@Mrs. Tiggywinkle and rahrah50:

 

Have a FANTASTIC time! (and come back and tell us about it)

[margatecruiser]

I gave a deposit on the 15th of Sept. Then they notified me to pay in full Sept. 30th. This is more than a year out. Are they crazy .

[juliesaddiction]

OUrs was paid well over a year in advance as well. We have one in May of 2015 that we have to pay for by DEc 31 this year. I guess thats the only way to take advantage of the 2 for 1 prices.

[Turtles06]

I gave a deposit on the 15th of Sept. Then they notified me to pay in full Sept. 30th. This is more than a year out. Are they crazy .

 

That's their policy, and it's a terrible one, and not customary for the industry. It's one of the real downers of this otherwise fantastic experience with Viking in China, and they really should stop doing this. I believe you can opt not to pay in full now, but then you run the risk of a price increase. Call them and ask, though, as I'm not positive that's even an option.

 

The only "good news" about paying in full so far in advance is that interest rates are in the toilet. :rolleyes:

 

PS: The "two for one" prices are always offered. It's Viking's marketing gimmick, and it doesn't change. Can't say the price won't go up, though.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Turtles06

[Mark_T]

That's their policy, and it's a terrible one, and not customary for the industry. It's one of the real downers of this otherwise fantastic experience with Viking in China, and they really should stop doing this

 

The odd thing is, they don't do this in all regions, just North America it seems.

 

Elsewhere they use normal industry standards.

 

We booked through the UK and we will not pay our balance until about three months before departure, but the prices were guaranteed when we paid our deposit.

Edited September 25, 2013 by Mark_T

[Turtles06]

The odd thing is, they don't do this in all regions, just North America it seems.

 

Elsewhere they use normal industry standards.

 

We booked through the UK and we will not pay our balance until about three months before departure, but the prices were guaranteed when we paid our deposit.

 

That's an interesting bit of info that I don't recall anyone posting before; thanks for pointing this out. Shame on them.

[MrsTiggywinkle]

We booked and paid in full 17 months in advance. Definitely limits our ability to take more trips in the future. But I have to admit that I appreciate the price guarantee. We looked into other tours with much smaller companies and were told that the final price, payable closer to the day of departure, would be determined by what the dollar was doing. The price could go way, way up but one thing was for sure, it wasn't going to be less.

 

Gotta get back to packing...we leave in just a few days.