siliconegel Posted April 20, 2014 #2801 Share Posted April 20, 2014 We are on the same trip as you. Hope to meet you in Beijing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 21, 2014 #2802 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I hope these questions makes sense! It's almost time to book air for our 2015 trip. If you start a roll call for your cruise date, please post a link here so we can help fellow passengers find their way to the roll call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 21, 2014 #2803 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I just added four more rolls call to the list. Don't wait for me to update the list. If you start a roll call, announce it here (be sure to include a link). Also, put a link to your roll call in your signature file--whatever it takes to make your roll call easier to find. April 26 Jewels April 28 Jewels May 6 Jewels May 18 Jewels May 25 Roof/Tibet June7 -Jewels June 15 Jewels June 17 Jewels July 7 Jewels July 15 Jewels July 17 Jewels July 27 Delights August 14 August 24 Jewels October 3—Roof/Tibet October 15 Jewels 2015 March 18 Delights May 17 Jewels If you haven't posted to your roll call this month, it's time. Active roll calls attract traffic. Roll calls on PAGE ONE are easier to find. Say something. Share something you have found in your research--a link, a picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol From California Posted April 22, 2014 #2804 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Were you still able to visit the visit the Hubei Provincial Museum and hear the music of the ancient bronze bells? No, they eliminated that, but tomorrow we will go see the panda bears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol From California Posted April 22, 2014 #2805 Share Posted April 22, 2014 For those of you on the China trip this season' date=' could you let me know how people are spending the extra free time in Xi'an, since the trip now includes two nights there. Is Viking making any arrangements for the free time, such as transportation to any sights?Thanks.[/quote'] We are on the ship as I write this. We will be in Xian in a couple of days so I will let you know. We are disembarking the day after tomorrow, from there going to see the pandas, and then to the airport for our flight to Xian. It seems like we will not get I much before dinner time. Then the next day we will be visiting the Terra Cotta warriors. The following day we leave for Beijing. I don't think there will be much in the way of free time, but I will let you know in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodie H Posted April 22, 2014 #2806 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I just added four more rolls call to the list. Don't wait for me to update the list. If you start a roll call, announce it here (be sure to include a link). Also, put a link to your roll call in your signature file--whatever it takes to make your roll call easier to find. April 26 Jewels April 28 Jewels May 6 Jewels May 18 Jewels May 25 Roof/Tibet June7 -Jewels June 15 Jewels June 17 Jewels July 7 Jewels July 15 Jewels July 17 Jewels July 27 Delights August 14 August 24 Jewels October 3—Roof/Tibet October 15 Jewels 2015 March 18 Delights May 17 Jewels If you haven't posted to your roll call this month, it's time. Active roll calls attract traffic. Roll calls on PAGE ONE are easier to find. Say something. Share something you have found in your research--a link, a picture. I posted on an April 15, 2015 but don't see it listed. Didn't know if something else had to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted April 22, 2014 #2807 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I posted on an April 15, 2015 but don't see it listed. Didn't know if something else had to be done. Rodie, ...maybe just direct Peregrina to the roll call thread...located at: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2026466 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 22, 2014 #2808 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Rodie,...maybe just direct Peregrina to the roll call thread...located at: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2026466 Steve, thank you for the link! Rodie, I've added the April 15, 2015 roll call to the list and it will be there the next time I post the list. Don't know how I missed it the other night when I went looking for new roll calls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodie H Posted April 22, 2014 #2809 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Steve, thank you for the link! Rodie, I've added the April 15, 2015 roll call to the list and it will be there the next time I post the list. Don't know how I missed it the other night when I went looking for new roll calls. Thanks. This website is great. Getting so much info from you folks. Making a file so that later on I can forward to my traveling buds!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 22, 2014 #2810 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Thanks. This website is great. Getting so much info from you folks. Making a file so that later on I can forward to my traveling buds!! Or they can follow Viking China for themselves. So much more fun than getting it second hand. They can join and get digests or they can just check in here on a regular basis. You don't have to be a member just to read these boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 22, 2014 #2811 Share Posted April 22, 2014 You might be interested in Jak Tar's review of his cruise on the Yangtze Gold Cruises Golden No. 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red II Posted April 23, 2014 #2812 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Hi, You must have thought I had dropped off the face of the earth :-) I think that the last time I posted we were just about to fly from Xi'an to Chongqing to board the boat.... We arrived home from our trip on Sunday, April 20th. Our trip was fantastic...difficult to put into words what a memorable experience it was! In terms of internet on the boat...they rely on wi-fi rather than satellite so the signal is not always strong. I could often use my iPad (sometimes from my deck 2 cabin but if not I could sit in the lounge beside the internet room and get a signal). No problem downloading email to my iPad and one day I was able to send one message from my iPad but otherwise used the ship's machines (there are 8 of them) to access my webmail to get email out. Some people have commented on the intra China flights...in all cases we boarded a bus to be taken to the plane so there are some advantages to boarding the bus near the end as you are often amongst the first people off the but (of course, the corresponding disadvantage is that you are squished in a bit like a sardine :-) I had a rollerboard carry-on bag with me which met the specified size standards and I had no difficulty in storing the bag in the overhead bin. We also never had our carry-on bags weighed (we did not do the HK extension) and each time we flew my carry-on was about 22lbs. Checked baggage transfers were handled by Viking and all went smoothly. No missing or damaged bags in our group. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the boat and I took full advantage of the lectures, etc. which were offered. All too soon our five days on the Yangtze were drawing to a close and it was off to Shanghai. Our plane was delayed a couple of times and we ended up going directly to the hotel in time for supper. The next day was a full day of touring (as others have said Yu Garden, Silk Carpet Factory, Silk Embroidery Gallery, lunch, museum...then back to the Westin for a short rest/change before going to dinner (in the Westin Bund Centre) and then the Shanghai Acrobatic Show (which was fantastic). The following morning we made our own way to the airport (left at 07:30 AM for a 10:15 AM flight) -- took a taxi and paid 180 RMB...very easy! We used the Currency Exchange at the airport to convert our remaining RMD...again very easy. This was our second Viking trip and it won't be our last. If you have any questions about our trip please feel free to ask! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red II Posted April 23, 2014 #2813 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Oh and in terms of smog...it is very variable...even from hour to hour. We brought 6 - 3M N95 masks with us and us them if the counts were very high during our 11 day pre-cruise stay in Beijing (we were there to attend the Men's World Curling Championship) and I carried them with me on excursions until we boarded the boat. By that time we seemed to encounter more fog than smog. You can check the real-time AQI on the internet (look for the 2.5 count). I used a saline nasal spray regularly and had saline eye drops which we never used. I wouldn't count on buying masks in China. We did not see very many Chinese with the 3M N95 type masks and based on what I have read the surgical type masks do not really have an impact against the fine smog particles. Bottom line is that each person will find their own comfort level based on their sensitivity and tolerence to the mask (they get a bit hot after a while). Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcentric Posted April 23, 2014 #2814 Share Posted April 23, 2014 If you start a roll call for your cruise date, please post a link here so we can help fellow passengers find their way to the roll call. Please add: Roof of the World, Sept.12, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 23, 2014 #2815 Share Posted April 23, 2014 . Hope this helps. It sure does! :) The more people talk about their experiences and their reactions to what they saw and did, the more we learn. Each little detail is valuable. Even if no one comments on a particular post, you can be assured that it is being read and used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 23, 2014 #2816 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Please add: Roof of the World, Sept.12, 2014 :o I'm just a list-keeper. I can't add a roll call that doesn't exist to the list. Someone going on the cruise has to start the roll call first and then give me the information (or wait until I find it). If you want to start the roll call, here is where to put it: ROLLCALL/All River Cruise Roll Calls. Click on the link and then click on the button toward the top of the page (not this one, it's just a demo so you know what to look for). In the Subject line put something like "Viking Roof of the World--September 12, 2014" and then write a post to get the ball rolling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwcsr Posted April 24, 2014 #2817 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just started this roll call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted April 24, 2014 #2818 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just started this roll call. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2031299 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted April 24, 2014 #2819 Share Posted April 24, 2014 (edited) Oh and in terms of smog...it is very variable...even from hour to hour. We brought 6 - 3M N95 masks with us and us them if the counts were very high during our 11 day pre-cruise stay in Beijing (we were there to attend the Men's World Curling Championship) and I carried them with me on excursions until we boarded the boat. By that time we seemed to encounter more fog than smog. You can check the real-time AQI on the internet (look for the 2.5 count). I used a saline nasal spray regularly and had saline eye drops which we never used. I wouldn't count on buying masks in China. We did not see very many Chinese with the 3M N95 type masks and based on what I have read the surgical type masks do not really have an impact against the fine smog particles. Bottom line is that each person will find their own comfort level based on their sensitivity and tolerence to the mask (they get a bit hot after a while). Hope this helps. I bought a 10-pack of masks on Amazon...$16.42 plus tax, free shipping since I included it with other stuff on an order of over $35... There are different models of the N95 mask...After a little research, I decided on the "9211+" model...because it has an "exhalation valve"--which makes it easier to breathe through and doesn't trap as much moisture inside...Also, apparently, the elastic straps on this model are better... The things weigh virtually next to nothing and are folded flat each in a separate sealed plastic package... I'm hoping I don't ever have to use them--because they do tend to look a bit goofy...besides, I'd rather have clear air for all sorts of reasons, including, for example, quality photographs and better views... But, I'd rather buy and pack these masks and end up not needing them than needing them and not having them! Edited April 24, 2014 by Bruin Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 24, 2014 #2820 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Just started this roll call. OOPS! I just double checked the date on the Viking website and I don't see a September 14, 2015 check-in date listed for 2015 for the Roof of the World itinerary. I see Sept 11 and 12. Don't start a new roll call. Use the button on the right side of the first post of the roll call to report the error and request a correction. Since you are the one who started the roll call, CC should honor the request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peregrina651 Posted April 24, 2014 #2821 Share Posted April 24, 2014 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2031299 Thanks for saving me the leg-work, caribill. Much appreciated. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted April 24, 2014 #2822 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thanks for saving me the leg-work, caribill. Much appreciated. :) You are welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didicruiser Posted April 24, 2014 #2823 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi all, I am looking at the Visa application and it says that it has to be typed. Who has a typewriter these days! What to do??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted April 24, 2014 #2824 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hi all, I am looking at the Visa application and it says that it has to be typed. Who has a typewriter these days! What to do??? I was able to type in the info right on the computer BEFORE printing it out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didicruiser Posted April 25, 2014 #2825 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I was able to type in the info right on the computer BEFORE printing it out... Thank you! Didn't work on the iPad. I'll fire up the desktop.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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