Viking China (Part 2)

[Peregrina651]

My wife and I did the “Viking Emerald- China's Cultural Delights” trip in Mar – Apr of this year. If anyone is interested here is a link to a video slideshow I put together of that trip:

I will occasionally check the message board and try to answer any questions anyone might have. The information we learned from these boards was extremely helpful to us during this trip.

Tom

 

WOW!!! I'm only 7 minutes into it but I had to stop and tell everyone that Tom's video slide show is a MUST SEE.

 

Thank you, Tom for a chance to revisit the best vacation I have ever taken.

[mickym]

My wife and I did the “Viking Emerald- China's Cultural Delights” trip in Mar – Apr of this year. If anyone is interested here is a link to a video slideshow I put together of that trip:

I will occasionally check the message board and try to answer any questions anyone might have. The information we learned from these boards was extremely helpful to us during this trip.

Tom

I thoroughly enjoyed your slideshow. Really got me in the mood to go! I saw that most people were wearing coats. What were the temps like when you were there? We will be there in early to middle Sept., trying to decide how to pack.

[Peregrina651]

I thoroughly enjoyed your slideshow. Really got me in the mood to go! I saw that most people were wearing coats. What were the temps like when you were there? We will be there in early to middle Sept., trying to decide how to pack.

 

Layers! Climate in China, being on the same latitudes, is akin to weather in the US and equally as unpredictable. As in the US, September is the start of the transition from the hot and humid summer months to cooler weather and over the course of two weeks and as you move about the country, you will find a mixed bag of weather.

[mickym]

Layers! Climate in China, being on the same latitudes, is akin to weather in the US and equally as unpredictable. As in the US, September is the start of the transition from the hot and humid summer months to cooler weather and over the course of two weeks and as you move about the country, you will find a mixed bag of weather.

That's pretty much what I figured. There goes my plan for packing light to save room for bringing things back home. Much harder when you have to pack for all kinds of weather.

[Tom2]

Mickym

We were there Mar – Apr and wore light jackets in the morning and shirt sleeves in the afternoon except the day we went to the Great Wall where it was down in the upper 40’s F. When my wife and I travel we post a daily blog on our web site for family and friends, here is a link to the China tab, a day by day travelogue is down the right side. I always stress that these are our thoughts and observations at the time so sometimes any relationship between fact and what we write may be purely coincidental, although we do strive to be as factual as possible. Hope this provides some useful information in your trip planning: http://www.tomjed.com/index.php/china

Tom

[Peregrina651]

That's pretty much what I figured. There goes my plan for packing light to save room for bringing things back home. Much harder when you have to pack for all kinds of weather.

 

No, you can still pack light. I would simply add a light jacket and a very light raincoat (or some sort of very light waterproof layer) to whatever else you were planning on. They can be worn alone or together depending on the day.

[mickym]

Tom2,

I have read through day 13 of your blog and I am absolutely loving it. I am so impressed. You did a wonderful job and I can't wait to read the rest. I will stock up on masks and tell our travel companions to do the same. I hope at some point they can figure out a way to solve their pollution problems. I have to admit I am jealous of all your travels! I would love to do the Israel, Egypt, and Jordon trip but would not be comfortable with the Egypt portion of it right now. Sometime, when I have the time, I will read that blog as well.

Thank you so much for sharing!!

 

mickym aka Vickie

[MrsTiggywinkle]

I have read with interest several posts about the bad air pollution throughout China and how some folks have mentioned wearing masks for protection. My doctor has already recommended bringing masks and inhalers along on the trip. My question is this: does anyone know if one N97 mask per person will last us the entire 12 day trip or will we need to have several to wear and throw away?

Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can give!

[Peregrina651]

I have read with interest several posts about the bad air pollution throughout China and how some folks have mentioned wearing masks for protection. My doctor has already recommended bringing masks and inhalers along on the trip. My question is this: does anyone know if one N97 mask per person will last us the entire 12 day trip or will we need to have several to wear and throw away?

Many thanks in advance for any help and guidance you can give!

 

Air quality is the pits in China (and even worse if you aren't already a city-dweller). If anyone has asthma or uses an inhaler for any other reason then you absolutely do not want to leave home without your inhaler and any other breathing meds AND you want to make sure that those meds are with you--and not in your cabin--while on the tours.

 

About the mask? I don't know anything about them but my gut says that you should bring at least two, just in case.

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Thinking about trying for reservations for Black Sesame Kitchen for their wine and dine 10 course dinner on Wednesday, Oct 2 and I have a few questions for BSK and Viking China cruise veterans...

 

1) The evening in question will be the first actual day of the tour (Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City)...is it a faux pas to skip out on what would be the first group dinner?

 

2) My husband does not drink any alcohol...will there be bottled water for him to drink at BSK?

 

3) I think the BSK website (which I cannot seem to reach tonight) says the price per person is 300 rmb which I think is about $50 ...does this include a tip or is that extra...plus I read conflicting reports about tipping in China...some reports say it is not expected, others say it is.

 

Help!!! Thanks!

[Kohola]

A little Chinese cultural background:

This year the 7th eve of the 7th lunar month falls on August 13...the Seventh Eve or Qixi Festival is Chinese Valentine’s Day. Also known as double seven day.

A touching fairy tale of Niu Lang, the Cow herder, and Zhi Nu, the Weaver Girl. In the fairy tale the Cow herder was a young farmer who had once rescued a holy cow, and the Weaver Girl was one of the granddaughters of Wang Mu Niangniang, Queen Mother of Heaven. One day, all the weaver girls in heaven descended on earth for a visit. While they were bathing in a river, the holy cow persuaded the Cow herder to take away the clothes of the seventh weaver girl. In the process of searching for her clothes, the Weaver Girl fell in love with the Cow herder and they became husband and wife. The Cow herder worked in the fields while the Weaver Girl weaved at home, and they led a happy life. When Queen Mother of Heaven learned of this, she was enraged and forced the Weaver Girl to go back to heaven. The Cow herder ran after them. Just as he was about to catch up with them, Queen Mother of Heaven, removed her silver hairpin and drew a line with it behind her. Immediately, a huge river appeared between the Cow herder and the Weaver Girl. This river, which is created with a silver hairpin, is called Yin He “the Silver River”; known in the west as the Milky Way. As a result the Cow herder and the Weaver Girl were ruthlessly separated. Eventually, their love moved the magpies; on the seventh eve of the seventh moon each year, all the magpies would flock together to form a bridge over the Silver River so that the couple were able to meet each other on the bridge.

On the basis of this fairy tale, people name two very bright stars opposite each other across the Milky Way the Cow herder (Altair) and the Weaver Girl (Vega). The two less bright stars flanking the Vega are regarded as the children of the Cow herder and the Weaver Girl.

One of the Chinese customs on Seventh Eve is to release lotus lanterns on water. As darkness falls, surfaces of rivers, lakes, and ponds are dotted with the lanterns that young men and women have released. The lanterns move slowly on the water, carrying with them the longings of young men and women for a perfect marriage. Under these circumstances, the sparkling stars in the sky, the lotus lanterns in the water, and the lovers in the moonlight or in the light of the lanterns together form the most beautiful and romantic scene on Earth! The Emerald should be around Wuhan now so I would be curious to know if there are lotus lanterns released this evening local time.

[molymoo]

Thinking about trying for reservations for Black Sesame Kitchen for their wine and dine 10 course dinner on Wednesday, Oct 2 and I have a few questions for BSK and Viking China cruise veterans...

 

1) The evening in question will be the first actual day of the tour (Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City)...is it a faux pas to skip out on what would be the first group dinner?

 

2) My husband does not drink any alcohol...will there be bottled water for him to drink at BSK?

 

3) I think the BSK website (which I cannot seem to reach tonight) says the price per person is 300 rmb which I think is about $50 ...does this include a tip or is that extra...plus I read conflicting reports about tipping in China...some reports say it is not expected, others say it is.

 

Help!!! Thanks!

 

We recently returned from our trip and had a wonderful dinner at BSK. As we were on the Shanghai to Beijing itinerary we missed the optional Peking Duck dinner and our absence was not an issue in any way. I really think that you needn't worry about your absence ... it might be the first group dinner but trust me you will have ample opportunities to break bread with your group before you finish your trip. We had 24 in our group and it was not at all unusual for someone to miss a meal or excursion. Just let your tour escort know that you will not be with them for dinner so they don't wait for you. There is a lot of "head counting" and in our experience they will not leave until all are accounted for.

 

There is plenty of wine offered during the dinner but bottled water was provided as well.

 

The cost is simpy 300 RMB and I think they only accept cash. There are no checks or written bills, you just give the money to either Michelle or Coco and that is that, They didn't even count it when we paid! We opted to add an additional amount (100 RMB) as a gratuity but I think your understanding is correct; it is not expected. I think they probably do receive tips frequently as many of their guests are Americans and it is such an exceptional experience.

 

Have a great dinner!:)

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Thanks molymoo for the very helpful advice on BSK...I have sent off an e-mail request for a reservation and now the wait for a response begins; I know it may take awhile. Keeping my fingers crossed!:)

[ruthlynn]

Just now read an article about the smog in China....so go to your drugstore and buy a package of masks...like they wear in surgery...paper ones....they don't take up much room...I used about 3 for our entire trip...even in Shanghai where we stayed at the beautiful hotel....their potpourri was cloying in the hallways....these masks are not expensive and will help...they are blue on one side and white on the other. Have a great trip....enjoy enjoy enjoy BSK...most fabulous meal!!! We were there last October.

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Thanks, Ruthlynn..."N95 Approved" masks plus albuterol and flovent inhalers are already in hand...had back-to-back bouts of bronchitis this spring so I'm not taking any chances! :)

[dsulli]

We are on the Imperial Jewels, Beijing to Shanghai, 9-11-13. So far no activity on the roll call. We have our Visa's in hand and trying to prepare for the 14 hour flight from Detroit (start in Orlando) to Beijing. The information on this thread has been so helpful. We considered going to the BSK but my wife needs gluten free so we will stay close to the tour guides for advice. Will take a trip to drugstore this week for masks!

 

Dennis

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Hooray! BSK just confirmed our reservations for the wine 'n' dine on Wednesday Oct 2nd.

 

Now can any of the veterans tell me how "dressy" it is? We won't be in jeans (I know that wouldn't be right) but we won't be in couture either ('cuz we don't have any!)...someone mentioned sitting next to someone who worked for Chanel when they ate at BSK, which makes me a bit nervous...being from the Pacific NW, a brand new fleece jacket is about as dressy as we get in the winter. A new pair of Teva sandals gets us all excited in the summer...HELP!!!

Edited August 14, 2013 by MrsTiggywinkle
clarification

[molymoo]

Hooray! BSK just confirmed our reservations for the wine 'n' dine on Wednesday Oct 2nd.

 

Now can any of the veterans tell me how "dressy" it is? We won't be in jeans (I know that wouldn't be right) but we won't be in couture either ('cuz we don't have any!)...someone mentioned sitting next to someone who worked for Chanel when they ate at BSK, which makes me a bit nervous...being from the Pacific NW, a brand new fleece jacket is about as dressy as we get in the winter. A new pair of Teva sandals gets us all excited in the summer...HELP!!!

 

Relax! We're from the midwest but are similar in taste and style. Whatever you wear will be fine! You never know who you will be seated with but no one was all that dressed up ... we wore our "smart casual" selected for the captain's dinners on the ship and we were fine. My outfit consisted of a pair of white denim trousers (not jeans) and a knit print top (Macy's clearence / $14.99!), my daughter wore black slacks, a black knit top with an artsy looking necklace. Nothing fancy and we were perfectly comfortable. If they seat you in the front (where you can watch the cooking) you will be seated on stools (comfortable enough) at a large raised table.

 

Our dinner companions were four German businessmen, a couple from Sweden, another couple from Oregon, a gentleman from New Zealand, and two young ladies from Korea ... it was a veritable United Nations! Lots of fun. Michelle described the experience as being like having a nice dinner at a friends home with friends. That about summed it up!

 

Have a great time!

[Peregrina651]

Hooray! BSK just confirmed our reservations for the wine 'n' dine on Wednesday Oct 2nd.

 

Now can any of the veterans tell me how "dressy" it is? We won't be in jeans (I know that wouldn't be right) but we won't be in couture either ('cuz we don't have any!)...someone mentioned sitting next to someone who worked for Chanel when they ate at BSK, which makes me a bit nervous...being from the Pacific NW, a brand new fleece jacket is about as dressy as we get in the winter. A new pair of Teva sandals gets us all excited in the summer...HELP!!!

 

Didn't someone post pictures from BSK a few pages back? Look on p. 107 to start but there are also other pictures. It looked pretty casual to me from what I saw in the pictures.

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Now on to the next set of questions...about tipping...

 

Here is what I understand so far...

 

1) Our tour escort who is with us for the entire trip is tipped at the very end in either $US of RMB...cash. This looks to be about $250 minimum for both of us.

 

2) local city guides and coach drivers are tipped in RMB.

 

3) onboard staff...here is where I get confused. I know that we can put the entire amount of the tip on our tab and pay for it with a credit card. However, a few cruisers on this site have mentioned giving half in cash to their dining room waitstaff and cabin attendant and putting the other half (RMB cash, I guess) in a box designated for this purpose. So, how many people will comprise the waitstaff? Will there only be one cabin attendant. Say there were three members of the waitstaff and one cabin attendant...you would split 50% of the total tip for the onboard staff among 4 people? Might they be getting short changed that way? Don't wish to offend anyone or short change anyone...this kind of stuff keeps me awake at night!!!

 

New subject: yes, there are great photos of the route to BSK on post # 2136 on p.107.

 

Also, thanks to the poster (molymoo?) who reassured me about the BSK dress "code", of which there seems to be none. Michelle of BSK sent me an email with the same reassurance!

 

As for the rest of it, well here is what we have in hand so far:

Visas

all necessary meds, properly labeled with Rx numbers

confirmed BSK reservations

N95 approved masks and my inhalers

 

We're getting there! And thanks to all for the help already rendered...sorry to be such a worrier!

[Turtles06]

Now on to the next set of questions...about tipping...

 

Here is what I understand so far...

 

* * *

3) onboard staff...here is where I get confused. I know that we can put the entire amount of the tip on our tab and pay for it with a credit card. However, a few cruisers on this site have mentioned giving half in cash to their dining room waitstaff and cabin attendant and putting the other half (RMB cash, I guess) in a box designated for this purpose. So, how many people will comprise the waitstaff? Will there only be one cabin attendant. Say there were three members of the waitstaff and one cabin attendant...you would split 50% of the total tip for the onboard staff among 4 people? Might they be getting short changed that way? Don't wish to offend anyone or short change anyone...this kind of stuff keeps me awake at night!!!

 

 

Here's what we did: we gave the recommended tip (in full) for the onboard staff, and gave separate (additional) tips (in cash, inside thank you cards we always bring for this purpose) to our cabin attendants and the two servers in the dining room at whose tables we sat. These folks work really, really hard, and they earn bupkes. Personally, I would not think of reducing the "joint" staff tip, but rather think of giving some more to those folks with whom you personally interacted daily who helped make your trip so great. And no one will be offended or shortchanged.

 

Have a great trip; glad you got into BSK. It's fantastic. (And the dress is totally casual.)

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Totally get it now, thanks Turtles06!

Edited August 14, 2013 by MrsTiggywinkle
correction

[Turtles06]

Totally get it now, thanks Turtles06!

 

You're welcome. I just noticed your countdown clock. I think we will all be interested in hearing your experience of Golden Week when you return!

[MrsTiggywinkle]

Well, Turtles06, I would be untruthful if I didn't say I was EXTREMELY worried about the crowds. The pity of it is that we booked this trip way back in May 2012 and could have picked any departure date. I didn't do my homework and went with the direction (Beijing to Shanghai) I thought would be best and the time of year that is usually kindest to travelers in terms of climate. Viking said nothing about it either when we booked. Boy did I goof! When I saw the pictures of Tianamen Square and the Great Wall during last year's Golden Week, I cried. I thought about pulling the plug but felt we had too much money invested (Visas and upgraded seats on Delta). We rarely travel and this is supposed to be "the trip of a lifetime". My husband is blissfully ignorant and not all that enthusiastic about the trip to begin with. I'm afraid of what his reaction will be when I finally do tell him. Hoping the dinner at BSK will make us feel better about the whole thing. Maybe Viking can pull a very large rabbit out of their hat. That would be wonderful. But I am keeping my expectations for the sightseeing in Beijing low, low, low for now...maybe we will be pleasantly surprised. I am trying to make the best of it.

 

And I have called Viking to ask about how they handle this holiday week and the rep I talked to didn't seem to think it was a problem. I recommended that she Google the images from last year. Her response was that the itinerary would not be changed. <sigh>

 

You would have to be more than slightly crazy not to expect crowds in China but these look to be well behaved throngs. Literally, wall to wall bodies. Very intimidating. I worry about one or both of us getting separated from the guide.

[caribill]

You would have to be more than slightly crazy not to expect crowds in China but these look to be well behaved throngs. Literally, wall to wall bodies. Very intimidating. I worry about one or both of us getting separated from the guide.

 

We were in Shanghai (not with Viking) during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Yes, there were crowds, but it was not unpleasant. Do not worry about the crowds. Enjoy the celebration.

 

The name badge from Viking you will be wearing will have on it the cell phone number of your tour guide, so if you do get seperated, ask someone to please call the number for you. Again, do not worry.