Viking China (Part 2)

[Peregrina651]

I have received so many emails from other cruisers and I have gotten some great advice. Think I will start a very early roll call.

 

Laraine -- post a link here when you finally start the roll call--and, even better, include a link to it in your signature file--see and be seen!

[pacheco18]

Laraine -- post a link here when you finally start the roll call--and, even better, include a link to it in your signature file--see and be seen!

 

 

Here is the link to my roll call

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1940587

 

No way I can put a link in my signature

I have too many cruises and too many roll calls

[Kohola]

It sounds like the May Day holiday has some impact' date=' but nothing like the disastrous impact that the National Day holiday has. So while it will be a factor, it won't be the dispositive factor as to which cruise date to choose. Thank you both, your information has been very helpful.[/quote']

 

I had misunderstood my Chinese friends originally...May Day was a seven day holiday until two years ago when it was shortened to three. The Chinese travel to important sites from all reaches of China when there is enough time to make it practical to do so which is why the Spring Festival and National Day are so crowded.

The Chinese language doesn't use tenses the way English does; they say I go to the store "yesterday, today or tomorrow" depending on the timing without changing the verb to past, present or future. They speak in English much the same way so sometimes there is a misunderstanding as to when an event actually occurred.

We're off on a river cruise across Europe...the ultra-cheap airfare was too much to pass up. In addition, we have already received a room upgrade worth $1,600 before we leave home.

[Peregrina651]

We're off on a river cruise across Europe...the ultra-cheap airfare was too much to pass up. In addition, we have already received a room upgrade worth $1,600 before we leave home.

 

How do you manage to be in the right place at the right time so often?? ;)

 

Have a great trip!

[pacheco18]

Pre cruise Beijing question

 

Can those of you who spent several days in Beijing before joining up with Viking give me an idea of what you did so as not to replicate where Viking takes you.

 

I already have contacted a fabulous guide. Now I want to work on itinerary.

[travelfirst]

When I went on the Imperial Jewels in 2010 Viking took us to a hotel in Bejing for three days and from there they took us to: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Peking Opera, the Great Wall and the Sacred Way.

 

They also took us to tour the narrow alleys in a rickshaw and then to a silk carpet workshop.

 

Then we flew to Xian where we stayed in a hotel overnight. They took us to the Tang Dynasty dinner and Ballet. I thought it was an amazing show. I think we had to pay for the dinner if I remember correctly...

[pacheco18]

When I went on the Imperial Jewels in 2010 Viking took us to a hotel in Bejing for three days and from there they took us to: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Peking Opera, the Great Wall and the Sacred Way.

 

They also took us to tour the narrow alleys in a rickshaw and then to a silk carpet workshop.

 

Then we flew to Xian where we stayed in a hotel overnight. They took us to the Tang Dynasty dinner and Ballet. I thought it was an amazing show. I think we had to pay for the dinner if I remember correctly...

 

Yes

I have the Viking itinerary

That is all published

 

I am seeking to find out where travelers visited that was NOT on the Viking itinerary for Beijing.

[Turtles06]

Pre cruise Beijing question

 

Can those of you who spent several days in Beijing before joining up with Viking give me an idea of what you did so as not to replicate where Viking takes you.

 

I already have contacted a fabulous guide. Now I want to work on itinerary.

 

The search engine here on CC is excellent, and I highly recommend it. Here is a link to the information that I posted regarding the three days we spent in Beijing prior to our Viking tour, in which we tried as much as possible to see things we would not see with Viking; hope it's helpful.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=29264391&postcount=4680

[pacheco18]

Lol. Have u tried searching this thread?

You get way too many hits if u put in Beijing or anything related

 

Thanks for the link

Just what I needed

[CTGirl]

Pre cruise Beijing question

 

Can those of you who spent several days in Beijing before joining up with Viking give me an idea of what you did so as not to replicate where Viking takes you.

 

I already have contacted a fabulous guide. Now I want to work on itinerary.

We went to the zoo and the Lama Temple. I actually liked the Lama Temple better than the Forbidden City.

[caribill]

I am seeking to find out where travelers visited that was NOT on the Viking itinerary for Beijing.

 

I already have contacted a fabulous guide. Now I want to work on itinerary.

 

Since you have a fabulous guide, let him/her know what you will be seeing with Viking and have the guide suggest what else you should see. I bet you get the best outcome that way.

Edited November 11, 2013 by caribill

[pacheco18]

I did tell her. But I also want to hear what others have done.

[pacheco18]

Here's another question for which a search of this thread is useless. I did try. LOL

 

For anyone who stayed in Beijing pre-cruise, what hotel did you choose? Did you opt to stay in the same hotel Viking used -- obviously you get that information fairly late in the game.

I can stay at Marriotts for free and I would be interested if anyone thinks any of the Marriotts is particularly well located. We like to be "in the middle" of things.

 

I will also check the Ports of Call boards asking the question slightly differently

[travelfirst]

Here's another question for which a search of this thread is useless. I did try. LOL

 

For anyone who stayed in Beijing pre-cruise, what hotel did you choose? Did you opt to stay in the same hotel Viking used -- obviously you get that information fairly late in the game.

I can stay at Marriotts for free and I would be interested if anyone thinks any of the Marriotts is particularly well located. We like to be "in the middle" of things.

 

I will also check the Ports of Call boards asking the question slightly differently

 

Viking put us in the Westin Financial Street Hotel in Bejing for 3 nights before the cruise.

[pacheco18]

Im not really interested in which hotels Viking uses -- they are published.

 

I would like to know which hotels folks chose who went BEFORE the Viking trip started. DId they opt for the same hotel at their own expense?

Did they choose a better located or better priced hotel? Has anyone used any of the Marriotts? Maybe that's clearer

[Turtles06]

Here's another question for which a search of this thread is useless. I did try. LOL

 

For anyone who stayed in Beijing pre-cruise, what hotel did you choose? Did you opt to stay in the same hotel Viking used -- obviously you get that information fairly late in the game.

I can stay at Marriotts for free and I would be interested if anyone thinks any of the Marriotts is particularly well located. We like to be "in the middle" of things.

 

I will also check the Ports of Call boards asking the question slightly differently

 

See my Beijing info linked above for the non-Viking hotel we used pre-Viking and why.

[pacheco18]

See my Beijing info linked above for the non-Viking hotel we used pre-Viking and why.

 

I did read that -- and I agree == location is critical

 

I am hoping some other veterans of Viking China have recommendations or have stayed at any of the Marriotts. Seems like you are one of the very few who flew in several days early as I plan to do.

[pacheco18]

For anyone interested

 

December issue of Travel & Leisure has an article entitled "Insider's Guide to China" featuring Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

[Peregrina651]

I just finished reading a fascinating article about China in the November 18, 2013 edition of TIME magazine called, "China Makes Everything. Why Can't It Create Anything?" by Michael Shuman. One of the best articles I have read in the magazine in a while.

 

(I wanted to include a link to it on TIME.com but I'm still a low tech reader and my magazine is delivered weekly by my postman. I tried to find the article but it might not be on the website yet because the edition isn't on the newsstand yet. )

 

In any case, visit your local newsstand or wait for it to appear on the website because this article is well worth the 15 minutes that it will take you to read it. Schuman has managed in just a few pages to hone in on exactly what is holding China back and has identified 5 challenges that must be addressed from loss of cheap labor to technological issues to lack of management personnel. IMHO, read this article before you go. While it isn't a travel article, it will shed light on your understanding of the country.

[Chloe's mom]

For those of you who have done the Imperial Jewels tour, and started in Shanghai, can you tell me if your day in Shanghai (Day 2) included the Yuyuan Garden? On the Viking website the Garden is listed in the excusion for the tour that originates in Beijing, but not for the one that starts in Shanghai, and I was wondering whether this is an oversight or whether, because of the way they've planned the day in Shanghai, it's not possible to do the Garden. Thanks.

[caribill]

For those of you who have done the Imperial Jewels tour' date=' and started in Shanghai, can you tell me if your day in Shanghai (Day 2) included the Yuyuan Garden? On the Viking website the Garden is listed in the excusion for the tour that originates in Beijing, but not for the one that starts in Shanghai, and I was wondering whether this is an oversight or whether, because of the way they've planned the day in Shanghai, it's not possible to do the Garden. Thanks.[/quote']

 

When we did this two years ago, the Yuyuan Garden was the first thing we did after breakfast that day.

 

It may be included in what they are calling "Old Shanghai"

 

Just in case it may have changed, I would contact Viking to be sure.

[Chloe's mom]

Caribill, I did call Viking. The person I spoke to didn't seem very knowledgable about the itinerary. The best she could say was that if the Garden wasn't listed on the itinerary on the website, I should assume that it wouldn't be included in the tour.

 

That's why I'm asking on this thread. It just seems so strange to me that the Yuyuan Garden would be on the Beijing-Shanghai tour but not on the Shanghai-Beijing tour, even though both tours essentially have one excursion day in Shanghai.

[Carol From California]

Which cruise are you doing? We are on the Imperial Jewels starting in Beijing April 14, 2013.

 

Got excited for a moment because when I first read your post I thought we were on the same cruise. Our cruise is April 16, 2013, Shanghai to Beijing. Thought I'd post that here in case anyone is reading this long thread and not the roll calls. Looking for fellow cruisers.

[SharonN]

Got excited for a moment because when I first read your post I thought we were on the same cruise. Our cruise is April 16, 2013, Shanghai to Beijing. Thought I'd post that here in case anyone is reading this long thread and not the roll calls. Looking for fellow cruisers.

 

I think we're on the same cruise. We get to Shanghai on Apr 16th ( I assume you meant 2014) . We got our hotel assignments a couple of weeks ago. Westin Bund Center in Shanghai.

Edited November 15, 2013 by SharonN

[caribill]

It just seems so strange to me that the Yuyuan Garden would be on the Beijing-Shanghai tour but not on the Shanghai-Beijing tour' date=' even though both tours essentially have one excursion day in Shanghai.[/quote']

 

These were the details on our first day when we did the trip:

 

This morning, tour Old Shanghai and travel along the elegant Bund, stopping to admire some of its historic buildings and city views. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration. Then tour the Shanghai Museum. Dine in a local restaurant before seeing the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe show from the best seats in the house.

Tour through old Shanghai

Visit Yuyuan Gardens

Drive along the Bund

Lunch

Tour of silk carpet workshop

Shanghai Museum

Dinner

Shanghai Acrobats show