Asia choices for July 2006?

[Bruin Steve]

July 12, 2006 will be my wife's and my 25th Anniversary...and we want to do something special to celebrate...

...which is a tough puzzle for someone who will have cruised to the Baltic, Mediterranean, Alaska, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera and Britain/Norwegian Fjords all in the past five years...

 

Sort of leaves Asia among the last places left to go (well, that, Austalia/NZ and the Galapagos...but, for a variety of reasons, sort of focusing in on Asia)...

 

The time available is a killer...Sure, we have more choices if ONLY we could shift the dates a little and cruise in March or October or January...but, alas, we can't - My wife works for the school district and has little flexibility in vacation times...Pretty much we're looking at July 5 through August 20 as our "window"...

 

Sorting through cruise and other opportunities in Asia, it appears we only have two basic choices (and I'm not even that sure of those):

 

1) Princess Cruises appears to run 16-night itineraries through the Summer, generally Beijing to Bangkok or vice versa, to which we could add a Beijing/Xian land package...

 

2) Viking River Cruises (and some similar competitors) appear to run 18-night (and other length) land/river cruise tours that pretty well cover China only...

 

We are not really that interested in tours or cruises that don't specifically cater to American tastes or clientele...We require First Class accomodations, but we would like to keep the costs somewhat within reason (not "cut rate" or "budget", but not so exclusive that it would require six months' income either)...

 

Anyone have any thoughts on these two options or know of any other options we should consider? Remember that time frame is imperative...

 

Thanks...

[shoshona2]

Hi Steve,

 

I suggest you look at weather.com or someplace where you can see what the weather will be in the summer in Asia. It's similar to Miami in the summer -- hot and humid. In August, the monsoons usually hit. Lots of rain!!!! I live in Encino and you know sometimes it gets to be over 100, but we don't get the humidity like Asia or Florida. Can you delay your anniversary cruise for the cooler months? We have been to Asia four times already and have booked the Oceania's Nautica March 16, 2006 sailing Beijing to Hong Kong. I haven't seen their Fall 2006 schedule yet.

 

Sheila

 

P.S. My son-in-law lives in Calabasas and he graduated from UCLA.

[Bruin Steve]

Thanks, Sheila...

We'd love to go in March (as long as it doesn't conflict with Pesach), but we can never do it...My wife is a Psychologist with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the only time she can get away for the length of time this trip would require is during July/August...So we have learned to brave less than ideal weather...I guess the best we can do is go early in July to try and avoid the monsoons...

 

So, where in Calabasas does your son-in-law live?

I had an interesting experience on these boards once when I was discussing the Mediterranean with another poster...and somewhere in the thread it turned out he also went to UCLA and lived in Calabasas...and eventually, we figured out that we lived on the same street about five houses apart!!!

 

It's a small world...

[shoshona2]

Hi Steve,

 

My kids live on Camay Court and go to the UCLA Bruin Woods camp every August.

 

I would go for it then in early July with Princess. Let us know the ports since a lot of us on the board are digging up private tour guides. The Oceania opens up their cruises to the Asian market this November and we have about 50 people on our Yahoo board for the Asian cruises.

 

Sheila

[jstducky]

I've heard that Viking River Cruises and Victoria Cruises (i think they are called) that do river cruises up and down the Yangtze River in China are not the greatest. I just came back from an excellent land tour of China. They have so many options, one included a 5 day river boat tour. Anyhow, we were thinking of possibly going back to China to do that tour, but one of the couples on our tour had already done the river cruise previously about 2.5 years ago and they said they hated it. The accomodations were horrible. It was dirty and the bathrooms were to be avoided at all cost. she said she wouldn't recommend it at all. She felt that it was 1 star accomodations.

 

If you are set on going on a cruise, the I would stick with Princess. If you have the time to take a land tour to Xian, then you should add it on. It is an amazing experience. I have pictures posted from my trip to China, which includes Xi'an, if you want to see them. Just click on the link in my signature.

 

If you are possibly intersted in a land tour rather than a cruise, I can give you a recommendation for an excellent land tour company in China. They specialize in tours for Westerners. They stay only at 5 star hotels. I have never stayed at nicer hotels in my life than on this past tour. The tour group was small, only 28 of us. All but 2 of us were from California. All meals except for 3 meals I believe through our 10 day tour were included. The cost for my 10 day tour was only $1300 and that included roundtrip airfare from LAX.

 

Anyhow enjoy Asia. Its a unique and fascinating part of the world. If you're wife likes to shop then there are no better places to go for bargains than Bangkok and anywhere in China.

[greatam]

 

If you are possibly intersted in a land tour rather than a cruise, I can give you a recommendation for an excellent land tour company in China. They specialize in tours for Westerners. They stay only at 5 star hotels. I have never stayed at nicer hotels in my life than on this past tour. The tour group was small, only 28 of us. All but 2 of us were from California. All meals except for 3 meals I believe through our 10 day tour were included. The cost for my 10 day tour was only $1300 and that included roundtrip airfare from LAX.

 

For $1300 including air, I'm interested.

 

I have booked Asia twice-once cancelled due to SARS and this year, we had to cancel due to Visa and family health problems. I am VERY glad we did not go. Sapphire Princess, March 26, cancelled Vietnam due to ship malfunctions. Only thing we really wanted to see was Vietnam. Have been to Japan, had no desire to see South Korea, and had planned 10 days pre cruise in China, so two more stops in China was not too interesting.

 

We have ONE more chance (or we loose 360,000FF miles). So rebooked for October/November 2005. BUT, we are strictly doing land (no cruise ships). Three days Beijing, 4 days Yangtze river cruise on China Regal cruise lines, fly to Vietnam, 3 days Hanoi and Halong Bay, train to DaNang, 2 days DaNang and Hoi Ann, Nha Trang, 3 days Saigon, up the Mekong to Cambodia (3 days), 4 days Phomh Phenh and Angkor Wat, fly to Bangkok for 3 days, return to Chengdu China for pandas, fly to Llhasa for 3 days, and finally back to Beijing for our trip home. We will be gone a total of 32 days. We are staying in 5* hotels (Beijing Hotel, Furama Resort-Da Nang, Melia-Hanoi, Mandara-Nha Trang), but we are taking the train (a little rough from what I hear) for the scenery in Vietnam (booked a private sleeping car) and we are roughing it with private drivers, private boats, etc. I have booked most of this myself, direct with hotels, airplanes, etc, except the intra-China flights, which were almost impossible. Total cost, not counting air, and allowing $1000 for food not provided with hotels, is $6500.00 for two. Cheaper than the cruise which was only 16 days and we will really get to see something of China and more importantly, Vietnam. I did 2 USO tours in 1970-71 in Vietnam, so would really like to see how the country has changed and where I was so long ago. Nostalgia is affecting me in my old age. LOL!!!

 

My DH says my planning, especially the Vietnam part, looks like Donald Trump meets backpacker. But it includes everything we want to do, some very luxurious and some WAY off the beaten path. If you are interested, email and I will send you all my notes, contacts, and research.

 

Gina

Another UCLA grad-1970

[jstducky]

Hey Gina!

 

Always nice to meet a UCLA grad. I am a UCLA grad of 2001! Best school in the world in my opinion!

 

Anyhow, I was on a 10 day tour of China. 4 nights in Beijing, 2 in Xi'an, and 2 in Shanghai and then travel time. In Beijing we stayed at the New Otani Hotel only a few blocks from Tiananmen Square. In Xi'an we stayed at the Grand Hyatt Xi'an. In Shanghai we stayed at the Raddisson Plaza Xing Guo in the heart of the French Quarter.

 

In Beijing we saw the Great Wall at Badaling, the Ming Tombs, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, a Chinese Acrobat show, Tiananment Square, and the Temple of Heaven.

 

In Xi'an we visited the North Gate of the City wall, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Terra Cotta Warriors of Emperor Qin and a performance of the Tang Dynasty Opera

 

In Shanghai we were given a free day for shopping, saw the Bund, Nanjing Road, went over to the Pudong side and saw the Orietal Pearl TV tower and took a night cruise along the harbor.

 

Of course this is just one of the many tours the company offers. They have tours that also go to Guilin, Wuxi, Yangtze River, Kunming, Hong Kong, etc. You can also purchase add ons to either Thailand or Japan.

 

Like I said, it was $1300 for our 10 day tour including roundtrip air from LAX. Actually included air from LAX to Beijing, Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Shanghai, and Shanghai back to LAX. But price depends on when you go. I went from March 18-27th of this year.

 

The company is called Ritz Tours. I beleive their website is www.ritztours.com. You can check it out and see if you find anything you're interested in. Like I said the company specializes in tours for westerners.

 

Additionally, if you have time, you really should go to Thailand. My family is Thai and I've been there 12 times. Its an amazing land full of culture and history and great shopping.

[harrtchr]

can you tell the name of the tour group you used for your land tour of China?

[jstducky]

Ritz Tours based in Alhambra, California. They have offices in LA and NY. Their website is www.ritztours.com if you want to check it out.

[Jane110]

Steve,

 

Would you consider going to Asia and *not* going on a cruise or is that a non-negotiable aspect? I only ask because Asia is such a fascinating place and it's hard to experience it with only one day in a place. However, if that's really your preference, I wouldn't try to sway you otherwise.

 

I'd go with the Princess schedule. How about a couple of extra days in Bangkok? That's a really fun city. Also, you didn't say what the itinerary is, but I hope Hong Kong is on the list. HK is fun, fun, fun.

 

Yes, I do hope you study the weather and go when it's not monsoon season (July?), but I wouldn't worry about the heat. We go to Australia every other year in January - to get away from NY winter for a few weeks - and people think we're nuts going when it's so hot there. I'm not a big fan of heat, but ya' do what ya' do when you can do it. I was in Bangkok one June and it was 105 degree's. Fortunately everything, including taxi's, are air-conditioned.

 

Jane

[Bruin Steve]

Would you consider going to Asia and *not* going on a cruise or is that a non-negotiable aspect?

It's all negotiable...

I just happen to love cruises...and my wife likes the idea of also stopping in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand...

 

Of course, with only a couple of short stops in Shanghai and Hong Kong, the idea would be to tack on a land portion in China on the Beijing end of the cruise for anywhere from an additional 4 to 10 nights...

 

For example, in this year's Princess Asia Brochure, they show this cruisetour combo:

 

2005/2006 - 6A - Beijing, Xian & Yangtze River Cruise - 25 Days / 24 Nights

8-night Land Tour featuring 3 nights in Beijing, a night in Xing and Wuhan and river cruising on the Yangtze River plus a 16-day Bangkok to Beijing cruise

Itinerary: K517 | Tour: T5C06A | Ship: Pacific Princess

Departure Date: July 9, 2005

1 Upon arrival transfer from airport/hotel to pier to embark on your 16-day cruise

2 Bangkok (Unithai Port) 5:00 PM View

3 At Sea

4 Kuantan 9:30 AM 5:30 PM View

5 Singapore 8:00 AM 6:00 PM View

6 At Sea

7 Phu My (For Ho Chi Minh City) 7:00 AM 5:00 PM View

8 Nha Trang 9:00 AM 4:00 PM View

9 At Sea

10 Hong Kong 12:00 PM 7:00 PM View

11 At Sea

12 At Sea

13 Shanghai 7:00 AM 6:00 PM View

14 At Sea

15 Nagasaki 8:00 AM 5:00 PM View

16 Pusan (Busan) 7:00 AM 12:30 PM View

17 At Sea

18 Xingang (For Beijing) 7:00 AM View

18 Upon disembarkation take an afternoon tour of the Forbidden City of Beijing. The evening is yours to enjoy. Overnight Beijing

19 Fly to Xian, an ancient Chinese capital. See 6,000 life-like Terra Cotta Warriors. Tonight it's dinner and a folkloric show at Tang Palace. Overnight Xian

20 Enjoy a morning tour of the capital. Later fly to Chongqing to embark on your cruise ship for some river cruising. Overnight onboard ship

21 Sail down the Yangtze River. Overnight onboard ship

22 Sail through Qutang, the shortest but most dramatic gorge and continue on through Wu Gorge. Overnight onboard ship

23 Tour the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest construction project. Disembark in Yichang and motorcoach to Wuhan for dinner. Overnight Wuhan

24 Fly to Beijing. Tour the amazing Temple of Heaven. Overnight Beijing

25 Walk The Great Wall. The evening enjoy a Peking Duck dinner. Overnight Beijing

26 After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.

 

This seems to be the best of both worlds, so to speak...

[suzieque]

Hi Steve,

Here's another voice from California; Palo Alto . I have one son who is a UCLA grad, and anther who is getting his PhD. there right now. Fabulous school.

We're doing the Princess 16 nite cruise this July26th. We have booked a private driver & guide for Beijing & Xi'an pre-cruise. For 2 people that is going to run a little under $2300. It includes all the highlights of Beijing and Xi'an, 5 star hotels in Beijing & Xi'an and most (not all) meals.

My daughter (in high school)has the same schedule as your wife, so we too travel in the summer. We will post a review when we get back!

Suzie

[Jane110]

Steve,

 

I've seen your posts on this board and obviously you're an experienced traveler and know how to make the right choices for yourself.

 

On the plus side, the Princess itinerary lets you cover a lot of ground without having to hassle with transporation issues. On the other hand, spending one day in Shanghai and so many at sea, would frustrate me personally. But then, this is the age old arguement between land and cruise vacations. If it were me, I'd go to less places and spend more time in each one - but again, that may not be right for you. The Princess itinerary looks good. If you email me, I can get you the name of a private guide in Beijing. My friends used her a couple of years ago and then I met her here in the states when the Chinese Govt sent her here for a travel conference. She's lovely and her english is very good.

 

For me....and again, I'm not trying to sway you....I'd do something like a Bangkok, Chang-Mei, Hanoi, Hong Kong itinerary. Perhaps even Cambodia. Hanoi is a quick flight from Bangkok - we booked it last minute w/ no problem.

(I've left out Japan because it's soooo expensive, but if you'd like some thoughts about it, I'd be happy to share. I've been there twice)

 

If you go with the Princess itinerary, if time allows perhaps you could spend a few pre-cruise days in Bkk and then a few post cruise days in HK? Plenty of flights from Beijing to HK.

 

Just some thoughts to confuse you! <g>

 

Jane

[mommykim]

Hi there,

I too am looking at Asia on the Pacific Princess for July 2006. Most likely the week that has July 4th in it so hubby uses 1 less vacation day! Looks like a wonderful vacation though I am concerned about the weather. Also, just fyi, I grew up in Calabasas and went to high school there.

[jstducky]

Kim:

 

Good to see you over here on this thread as well!

 

Anyhow, a note about the weather. It will be hot hot hot in Asia in July. I've been to Thailand numerous times times in July and my parents have been to China in July. It's probably the hottest time of the year. The temps will be in the 90s for sure with what feels like 100% humidity. Basically you take a refreshing shower, walk out the door and you're drenched in sweat! You can also expect sudden unexpected downpours of rain. Although the rain won't help cool down the temperature at all, it just makes it more humid!

 

But you live in Calabasas where it can get pretty hot. So the temps are probably around Calabasas temps in the summer, just add the humidity!

 

But its a fun time to go. You'll see a bunch of tourists. Its a great part of the world to travel and totally different from what you've experienced before!

[mommykim]

Well, I have pretty much decided that we are going to sail either the Pacific Princess or Tahitian Princess in July and as we've already done Tahitti it loks like Asia. I just won't telll hubby about the heat and he won't research it himself :D What I do know is that the cruise comes first and where we go second. A cruise ship is one of the few places in the world my husband can truly relax and as the commercial goes that's priceless!

[digby]

"have booked the Oceania's Nautica March 16, 2006 sailing Beijing to Hong Kong"

 

We have too! We just bought our airline tickets this week on UAL, and we were able to upgrade to Business Class both ways.

[Jane110]

"have booked the Oceania's Nautica March 16, 2006 sailing Beijing to Hong Kong"

 

We have too! We just bought our airline tickets this week on UAL, and we were able to upgrade to Business Class both ways.

 

 

I've been on two Oceania cruises and if you haven't been on them, you're in for a nice ride! I have many friends going on that cruise.....you're going to have a blast!

 

Jane

[mommykim]

Hey Steve,

How about joining us on the 6/3-/06 sailing of the Pacific? It's 16 days and you'll already "know" someone onbeard so we can share tours :D You also have someone extra to sing Happy Birthday!

[digby]

I've been on two Oceania cruises and if you haven't been on them, you're in for a nice ride! I have many friends going on that cruise.....you're going to have a blast!

 

Jane

 

 

We were on a 17 day South America/Antarctica cruise on the Insignia last December. It was the best cruise we have ever been on. The ship is beautiful, food and service were top notch! All that and NO formal nights!

[mommykim]

We were on a 17 day South America/Antarctica cruise on the Insignia last December. It was the best cruise we have ever been on. The ship is beautiful, food and service were top notch! All that and NO formal nights!

No formal nights? Do men need to wear a jacket to dinner at all? My husband refuses to go on Seaborne because they are too formal!

[Jane110]

We were on a 17 day South America/Antarctica cruise on the Insignia last December. It was the best cruise we have ever been on. The ship is beautiful, food and service were top notch! All that and NO formal nights!

 

Digby,

 

We were on the inaugural cruise (barcelona to dover) and then this past Feb. South America on 2/2 Buenos Aires to Rio. Both terrific.

 

Yes, I love the no formal nights too! Who needs to schlep all that extra stuff!!

 

Jane

[shoshona2]

Hi Mommykim,

 

No jackets for the men unless they want to wear them. It's just one less article to pack.

 

Sheila

[Sun Lakes Cruiser]

Steve,

I can't find that Princess is actually doing the summer cruises in 2006 ... they have their 2006 schedule posted but I can't find those 16 day cruises they are showing for 2005 .... can you confirm they are really doing them?

 

I don't always have time to monitor the board ... could you e-mail me at pat@servants-heart.net with your answer.

 

Thanks

[Sun Lakes Cruiser]

Steve,

 

Where are you getting confirmation that Princess will still do this itinerary in 2006 ??? Princess has their 2006 shedule on the web but I can't find the 16 day Asia that is shown for 2005 in the 2006 schedule?

 

Please advise.

 

;) Sun Lakes Cruiser