Gate 1 - China - Yangtze River Cruise - Q & A

[CupKayke]

We are considering booking the Gate 1 China 14-day trip which includes a 4-day Yangtze River cruise. I am having to sort through several different threads to ask questions and find information about them... so thought I would start a Q & A thread here... in case anyone is interested??

 

We are looking at booking before Dec 13th this year for next fall (Sept or Oct) so we will save a few hundred dollars. However, I signed-up for Gate 1's weekly deals and I've seen some great deals. Does anyone know if they will let you change your date or your trip type (like move from a 14-day to 17-day), after you've already paid your deposit?

 

Also, anyone ever had problems communicating with Gate 1? I haven't called them but I work during the day so no time and no rush yet. I did send an email with 6 (or 7?) questions on Monday. No response yet and it's Thursday night. Not a good first impression. :confused:

 

Feel free to add any tidbits of info you want on this thread. I love that Cruise Critic made an area dedicated to river cruising - by location! If we do this Yangtze River cruise, it will be our first River Cruise... but surely not last!

Edited October 4, 2013 by CupKayke

[Junebug624]

Thanks for starting this thread. I too am anxious to hear details about travelers' recent trips. So many other posts are from 2-3 years ago. Things change. Would it be a mistake to not take the excursions from the boat, but to just enjoy the amenities and lectures/classes and rest up a bit for the next 7 days?

 

Anyone going on the Oct 26 trip 14 days in China with 4 day river cruise? We leave from Indianapolis, then non-stop to Shanghai. Incredible price through travelzoo.com which I have used before for Ireland trips.

[CupKayke]

Thanks for starting this thread. I too am anxious to hear details about travelers' recent trips. So many other posts are from 2-3 years ago. Things change. Would it be a mistake to not take the excursions from the boat, but to just enjoy the amenities and lectures/classes and rest up a bit for the next 7 days?

 

Anyone going on the Oct 26 trip 14 days in China with 4 day river cruise? We leave from Indianapolis, then non-stop to Shanghai. Incredible price through travelzoo.com which I have used before for Ireland trips.

 

You must not be the only one - this thread has had 98 views in less than 24 hours! Awesome!

 

We are also looking at the 14-day trip - in October 2014 - so I would LOVE for you to return and put a review on this forum!

[CupKayke]

Here are questions I asked on another thread… with answers I’ve been given…thanks to Joan/Cabinluvn who just returned this week!!

My Question #1 - I apologize if this offends anyone but... my husband is a smoker. Did anyone notice if smoking areas were available throughout the hotels, during the day trips, or on the cruise? What about smoking on your cruise balcony?? I do not want to start a smoking thread, we just want to be informed before booking.

Answer: Chinese are big smokers. Most rooms in the hotels are smoking rooms. You can ask when you check in, but our rooms all smelled of smoke. Smoking was allowed on the ship on the outside areas of the ship. Not sure about the cabin balconies, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was allowed. Not in the main areas of the ship. The ship was very nice, all the cabins had balconies.

My Question #2 - Did anyone walk to a 7/11 or a grocery store or something of the sort during their free time and perhaps purchase a 12-pack of bottled water?? We both tend to drink a lot of water every evening and one bottle a day would not cut it with our habits.

Answer:

Gate 1 supplies you with all the water you will ever want. They have bottles when you get on the bus and it is available throughout the day. We each took a bottle when we got off the bus for the night. You are supplied with two bottles in the hotel room each day. They encourage you to drink plenty of water. Downside is you have to pee more often and the availability of western toilets(versus "squatty potties" is slim). Our guide rated the bathrooms as either happy rooms or not so happy room. Happy rooms meant they were sort of clean and had western toilets. Most had no toilet paper, soap or towels. Keep a supply of kleenex and Wet Ones in your pack. I got a Krista Cup that allowed me to pee standing up like a man. I never could quite master the squatting thing and the floors around the squatting toilet was usually disgusting.We never went to a convenience store for anything, but our tour manager took us to a Walmart(one of the group had their luggage go the wrong way and Gate 1 gave her money to replace necessities, so we all went to Walmart...a whole nother story!) and we bought a bottle of wine, a bottle opener and snacks and enjoyed them on the balcony of the ship. You can bring in wine and beer, but it has to be consumed in your cabin.

Other wonderful notes from her:

We just returned last night from a 16 day China, Tibet and 3 day Yangtze River cruise. It was our first tour with Gate 1 and I can do nothing but sing their praises. It was fabulous. We found the trip to be one of a lifetime, but it is a grueling trip. There were long days, lots of walking and lots of steps. Crowds everywhere, traffic is horrific. Sing praises for the bus drivers. You will find the river cruise a great respite. For us the trip to China and Tibet was on the bucket list for us and Gate 1 did not disappoint. They made the trip wonderful and it was amazing.

[june1]

Thank-you for all the information. I will be going to China with Gate1 in March.

 

We took the 19 day Eastern Europe with Gate1 in April and were very pleased. Hotels were great and in locations near the sights. Sound of Music riverboat was nice and clean but needed updating. Great guide, Erika. Gate 1 is a very good value. Many, many fellow travelers were repeat customers.

[Junebug624]

Here are some questions for recent participants for Gate 1 China Trips with cruise of Yangtze River on Victoria Cruise line: We arrive in Shanghai from Indy on Oct 27 for 14 day tour...

As above the trip was said to be "gueling" so I'm wondering if we should not take every excursion, but build in a little down time. Is the Hutong Tour one we could miss?

 

I think I do not completely understand the excursions while on the cruise. Is it one fee, $80 for 3 tours, one each day? First, Three Gorge Dam. Second, Lesser 3 gorges and Daning River. Third, Fengdu (I heard with LOTS of steps--I'm not good with steps). If we choose not to do, are there activities on the boat to enjoy? Classes, lectures, massage, etc? Again, needing some down time?

 

Other boat questions: Is it true that we would need to charge electronics at a main desk rather than in the room?

 

What would be the charge to have some laundry done onboard? Another alternative? Really trying to take as little as possible. Wish the sportcoat wasn't needed for hubby.

 

General questions: Are tips on the boat, to drivers and guides in Chinese currency? I'm guessing yes.

 

Do the busses have a bathroom? Only 1 checked bag, I read, but I'm not sure we'll even have luggage on the bus as we fly between cities.

 

After a full day of touring, if dinner is not included or not in an excursion, could we just eat at the hotel?

 

Do the hotels provide soap, washcloths?

 

Will we likely be in a place where we can pick up American packaged snacks so we don't have to take so many granola bars, etc?

 

About purchases. I believe we can bring back $800 worth of goods without fee. Do we need to keep receipts together, but can pack the items in checked baggage? We usually don't buy souvenirs really, but just might this time.

 

Thanks so much!!!

[cabinluvn]

Ok, here is my review of our 16 day China, Tibet and 3 day Yangtze River cruise:<br />

<br />

Tour Manager:<br />

Our flight from Los Angeles was 4 hours late, but our tour manager, Scottie, was there to meet us in Shanghai. There were about 4 couples on our plane for Gate 1. He loaded us into the bus and gave us water and info about our hotel, next day activities, etc. Scottie was so fabulous and made the whole trip something very special. He has been with Gate 1 for 9 years and is such a wonderful representative for the company. He gave us history lessons, culture insights and personal experiences from his family and his childhood. He did not pussyfoot around controversial subjects like Mao, poverty, freedom of speech, etc. The only cautionary thing he said was about Tibet. He said that if we chose to make a political statement while we were there, we would be without a tour guide as he would disappear. He was serious. There was military everywhere. We were not allowed to take their pictures or point our cameras in their direction at all.<br />

Hotels:<br />

All the hotels were wonderful except in Beijing. The carpets were dirty and stained and the amenities were subpar, with no hair conditioner at all. All hotels had hairdryers, except the ship, where you could get one at the desk. All had toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower caps, shampoo, conditioner, soap, conditioner, combs. Most had slippers supplied, some had robes. Safes were in every hotel room. We were supplied with two bottles of water free from Gate 1 each day in the room. All rooms are oversized twin beds. Chinese like their mattresses hard and they all felt like there was a thin mattress pad over a wooden board. Except Tibet, where it felt like there was a marble slab underneath. Pillows are soft, however, and there was always down comforters.<br />

Food:<br />

Be prepared to eat Chinese food 3 times a day. Gate 1 fed us a lot of food! I thought I would gain weight, but all the walking and stair climbing walked it all off. Breakfast was included in the hotel and you could get eggs done as you like them each morning. It is buffet. The rest of the breakfast was Chinese fare of sausages, unidentifiable meat, noodles, soup, dumplings, etc. Lunch and dinner was served on a large lazy susan and they brought bowls and platters of different dishes....usually around 10 different dishes, along with rice. The plates you have in front of you we would call small saucers, so you can only eat one thing at a time. Everyone helps themselves from the same dish as it spins around. Take care to move your drink, or it will get knocked over by a spoon or dish hanging over the edge. Water, coke or sprite(no diet pop anywhere in China), or beer are included, along with hot tea. If you take the beer, it is a very small drink glass size, not a whole bottle or normal glass. Dessert was alway watermelon. A couple times during the tour, beer and wine was free flowing. It will be a long time before I am hungry for Chinese. The only time we had something unusual was Tibet, where we were served a lot of yak meat and once, sheep lung. Didn't care for either, but one had to try it, since the opportunity would not present itself again! Also tried yak butter tea...not so good, but had to try it!<br />

Sightseeing:<br />

It was a very busy, sometimes grueling, tour. The coach buses were comfy and Scottie had a daily rotation of seating so everyone had the chance to be in the front seats to watch the crazy, wild traffic and get their heart rate up thinking we would get in an accident. The bus drivers deserve a medal! Don't even think about not tipping them...they deserve every penny! Some days we felt like we were in the bus a lot, but the traffic slowed getting from one place to another down. When we would ask Scottie how long before we get there, the answer was always "40 minutes" even if it was 1 1/2 hours! Take comfortable shoes. I tried not to wear the same shoes two days in a row, to give my feet some different pressure points. On our way to Suzhou(pronounced Sue-joe) a police officer boarded our bus at a toll gate and took a picture of the people on the bus from the front of the bus! Scottie just shrugged his shoulders and laughed.<br />

There was always an ample supply of water on the bus. It was handed out every time we got on the bus and before we left for the night. <br />

If you have questions about specific cities, let me know<br />

Bathrooms:<br />

All western toilets in the hotels. Airports, maybe one or two, depending on how large the airport. We figured we went through security 10 times on this trip with all the intra China flights. Scottie rated the bathrooms as "happy" or "not so happy" according the the availably of western toilets and cleanliness. Let me just say that most were squattie potties and disgusting. Look for roll of toilet paper on the wall as you enter the bathroom. Most did not have it, nor did they have ways to wash your hands. Keep a supply of kleenex packs and antiseptic hand wipes with you. I got a device called a Christa Cup that allowed me to pee standing up and it was a god send! I am not so good about squatting...enough said! The bathrooms at the attractions were so bad, you could smell where they were. Gauge your water intake on the bus accordingly. I tried to wait for the restaurants, where they were a little better. Also, look up Pepto protocol on the web to make sure you don't get traveler's diarrhea. It worked for us!<br />

River cruise:<br />

This was a wonderful respite after Tibet. The cabins were nice, not luxury, all had balconies. No hairdryer...get one at the desk if you need one. More choices of western food at the meals...again, they over feed you. We took all the tours offered with the cruise. They said you could not get off the boat without a tour. Don't know if that was true or not. Not much to see within walking distance. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but there was a videographer with our tour group and a CD was available for 150 yuan(about $20). Be sure you get it. Not only will all the views of the boat and gorges be available, but you and your group will be featured prominently during the trip to the Ghost City. They also give you the evening shows on the CD. Make sure you go to the shows. They were very well done!<br />

Shopping:<br />

We started in Shanghai and ended in Beijing. We thought there would be opportunity for shopping in Beijing, since we were restricted with the weight in our suitcases to 44# on the intra China flights. We had NO opportunity in Beijing, so I was glad I bought what I wanted in the rest of the places. I really liked the trip to the silk rug shop and the lacquer shop. How would you have an opportunity to shop for those things without the tour taking you there? We were give time to shop the stalls in the cities and got lacquered chopsticks, fans, good luck buddha items. Did most of my shopping in Tibet, where I got cashmere shawls with armholes for $6 apiece. Of course, got the "Rolex" watches, which are a hoot!<br />

Overall impression:<br />

I cannot say enough good things about Gate 1! They took such good care of us and made super sure that our tour was one of a lifetime. We got free 70 minute massages after the cruise to take the rest of the stress of Tibet out of us and were each presented with a tin of Chinese tea in Beijing. We never had to worry about our luggage, passports, going through the airports was a breeze. The only bad thing(not so bad in the scheme of things) that happened was that on the flight to Tibet, somehow my suitcase got drenched with water that reeked of fish. It was soaked through to the inside. Luckily, I pack our clothes in packing bags that you squeeze the air out of, so there was just a few items that needed to be sent to the dry cleaner in the hotel I had to toss the suitcase. It smelled so bad it had to be taken from the room as soon as it was emptied. They only sell midsized suitcases in China, so I had to make do with a much smaller suitcase that I had. It all worked out.<br />

One last note. If anyone reads this that hasn't booked their trip yet, really consider the one that includes Tibet. It made what was already the trip of a lifetime into one that was over the top amazing. I mean, how many people get to go to Tibet. Yes, it was difficult with the altitude and all the walking and stair climbing(the monastery where the Dali Llama lived was many, many steps to the top, but so worth it), but the people and the sights were unbelievable. <br />

Feel free to ask any questions<br />

Joan<br />

<br />

<br />

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[cabinluvn]

Ok, first of all...no where does your husband need a sport coat. Every where is casual, jeans included. Not even the ship! I overpacked and ended up wearing the same 3 pairs of pants, just changed shirts. Most hotels have laundry service and a clothesline over the tub(not the ship). I washed out underwear a couple of times when we had a 3 night stay so there was time for things to dry.

For customs, you only need to list things as souvenirs and list them in a group(chopsticks, fans, etc). Expensive things like silk rugs, lacquer boxes fall into local craft category and are exempt from the limit. We listed our silk rug and lacquer box and they never blinked going through customs. Keep your receipts.

We did all the tour packages except the Tang Dynasty Dinner in Shanghai. Venturing out away from the hotel on your own could be dicey! The tour package for the ship includes all three tours. We had one person in our group that had super bad knees. There is not really any opportunity to bypass the steps at any of the attraction. At the ghost city, she stayed behind and shopped the stalls. She did however, climb the steps at the Great Wall as that was on her bucket list. It was not any easy stair climb even for the fit! there isn't really anything to do on the ship if you stay behind and they said you couldn't leave the ship on your own. It isn't like a regular cruise ship where good is available around the clock. Just 3 meals a day, nothing else is offered.

Bring your own snacks with you....they don't really snack on things like chips, etc. Stuff in packages at the airport were unidentifiable.

No bathroom on the bus and no access to your carry on. We packed a backpack with what we would need for the day. Once you leave your hotel, you don't get back until just before dinner. Just enough time to drop off your backpack, go potty and wash up. Then time to get back on the bus for dinner.

Feel free to ask any more questions

Joan

 

 

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[cabinluvn]

Oh, check your converters...China had weird prongs. Cellphones can be charged in the portion of the outlets that have just the regular plugs. Apparently cell phone chargers can go either way.

We got $1000 in yuen and payed for everything except the silk rug and lacquer box with yuen. We traveled with my sister and her husband and they used their credit card a lot and came home to a compromised card. You can tip with dollars, but then they have to go to the bank and convert it. Street sellers want yuen and don't speak a lot of English to convert to dollars. They use a calculator to barter with them punching in numbers and then handing it to you for you to punch in another number. We found they they will come down to 50% of their asking price. Sometimes if you hold our your lowest price and they are still not agreeing, if you start to walk away, they grab the money out of your hand so fast, it makes your head spin! Done deal then!

 

 

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[CupKayke]

Joan ~ thank you so much for sharing your wonderful information!!!!! Amazing!! I have a year to wait and after reading all of that, I'm wish we could leave in April instead of October!!

 

Just a couple of questions:

 

How many people did you have in your Gate 1 tour group?

 

I am shocked you made it through a 14-day trip with 1,000 Yuan! Did that include tips and money you may have spent at the airport on a soda, etc?? (I sure wish the airports at least had Diet Soda)

 

And my last question is for anyone.... we have decided on October 2014 and I was going to use Gate 1 directly but I'm wondering if anyone had better luck with a travel agent or a site like Vacations - 2 - Go?? I emailed Gate 1 on Monday and still no response so I think I might use a travel agent ~ which I NEVER do! Suggestions or thoughts??

Edited October 6, 2013 by CupKayke

[CupKayke]

I have another question. I read a travel blog about a couple that did Gate 1's 14-day and he said every time they switched hotels they had to "settle-up" their bill with the hotel??!! What does that mean?? We also plan to take Yuan and use our credit cards only for a large purchase or for an emergency. Will we be required to give our credit card info at each hotel?

[cabinluvn]

We too $1000 worth of yuan, not 1000 yuan...a big difference! You only have to settle with the hotel the night before if you have incurred any charges, like putting food or alcohol on your tab, or like me, had laundry to pay for. They tell you to then keep your receipt in case they challenge it in the morning.

We went through a travel agency. If you do, be aware that Gate 1 will not give you any support directly. They will make you contact your travel agent for any problems or questions. We researched the trip pretty thoroughly so did not need Gate 1 for anything. You can still get your trip info on their website once you register.

I have seen negative comments about Gate 1 in reviews, but cannot imagine what these people would have to complain about that would be Gate 1's fault. I think some people just have to find something to complain about. No tour company is perfect. We saw all the high end tours right along with us At the attractions, so I figure that are just paying more for the same thing!

 

 

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[cabinluvn]

Oh, there were 31 people in our group. Seven left us after Tibet and went directly to Beijing, missing the cruise. Some didn't have the time off to extend the trip and some said the cruise was not available at the time of booking. They missed a great 3 days!

 

 

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[Junebug624]

Thank you so much for all this help! I will reread all this again but I bought jacket was needed for the captains dinner per Victoria cruise line,I believe. WEre you on a Victoria boat? I would hate for him to b the only one without. Ours is a 4 day cruise. Again thank you. More questions to come.

[CupKayke]

Thank you for the info Joan! Excellent. I still think $1,000 USD for a 14-day trip is simply amazing. We were in Europe for 19 days last year on a cruise ship where everything was prepaid and our bill OFF the ship was 3X that amount.

 

I'm still debating on booking with Gate1 directly or not.... no hurry but I need to book by Dec 13th to get a good discount. Decisions. Decisions. :confused:

[Junebug624]

I booked directly with Gate 1 using a Travelzoo discount and it has been fine. I have found that they are more than willing to answer questions, but more quickly by phone than to the general info email. Once you book with them, be sure to ask for your sales person's email and that will be your contact person. If they don't know the answer, they find out and get back to you!

[CupKayke]

I booked directly with Gate 1 using a Travelzoo discount and it has been fine. I have found that they are more than willing to answer questions, but more quickly by phone than to the general info email. Once you book with them, be sure to ask for your sales person's email and that will be your contact person. If they don't know the answer, they find out and get back to you!

 

O! That makes me feel MUCH better!! THANK YOU!!! I will book directly now.

[cabinluvn]

I did not see anyone in a sport coat the entire cruise...except the captain and his direct crew...not even on captain's night. We were on the Victoria Selena. I am sure they are all the same. I saw very few women, if any at all, in other than pants. The ship is not like an ocean cruise ship. It is very, very informal. There is a small work out room with maybe a bike and a treadmill and a massage room that looked like it was only a chair massage. There was a bar but no snacks were available. No food other than the 3 meals. A reception room, a bar and showroom combo and a dining room was all there was besides the cabins. There was a small jewelry store and a few lectures about pearls, embroidery and snuff bottle painting. It was mostly about the river and the gorges. Most people on the ship were travelers living out of suitcases with no room for dressy clothes. You wouldn't wear them anywhere else on your tour

 

 

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[CupKayke]

For those who have not booked with Gate 1 or are curious... I called Gate 1 tonight to ask a couple of questions. Their customer service was fantastic! A fabulous rep answered all of my questions quickly and I was very happy with the service. I asked her to email me her info and after talking to hubby tonight, we are going to book directly with Gate 1.

 

I asked her if we book the 10-day affordable China and we want to switch to the 14-day or 15-day China, can we do so?? She said as long as our flights had not been booked, yes... and they don't book our flights until we make our final payment. So, we are going to book our second choice 10-day affordable trip (which is less expensive) and watch their weekly deals and the website for our first choice to hopefully be put on sale. The switch fee is $50 per person.

 

I also asked if we could fly-in a day early and simply pay extra for another night in the same hotel that is on the itinerary. She said for the 10-day... no. The reason they can sell the 10-day China trip so inexpensively sounds like they prebook blocks of flights. With the 14 or 15 day, we can do this.

 

I also asked about a smoking hotel room in China and she said we can request this but it is not guaranteed. Since the Chinese smoke a lot and after reading all the hotel reviews on Trip Advisor, I am not concerned with this and we plan to go ahead and make the request and hope for the best.

 

Hope this information helps someone else. Our plan is to watch the weekly deals until we see the 15-day go on sale for dates we are interested in and then switch over. Even with a $50 fee pp, we would still probably save close to $1000.... at least, based on the sales I have seen them have on China so far. We'll see! I'm very excited that this is happening. If all goes well with China, we may consider Gate 1 for Australia in 2015. We are loyal cruisers so I've very surprised we are considering these land/escorted tours but hubby did one with Grand Circle Travel in 2005 or 2006 and he loved it. :)

Edited October 10, 2013 by CupKayke

[cabinluvn]

Be aware that you will have the added cost of the visa for China. You can get it from GenVisa, if I remember correctly, for around $350 for the two of you. Also add in the cost of the vaccinations recommended by the CDC. The pill for typhoid was around $50(there is no vaccine shot available). You will also need a shot for Hep A and a prescription for an antibiotic for traveler's diarrhea. Google "pepto protocol" for a great way to ward off this problem without the need for antibiotics. We took the antibiotics along just in case, but the peptobismol kept us from having any problems. We bought the generic at Walmart. There were people on our tour who had the problem and didn't have anything for it. One missed all of Tibet, the other suffered through and just did't eat anything for 4 days. My sister brought raw ginger along for nausea and upset stomach and passed that out to people who were having problems. China is not someplace I would want to be with the problem. Can't imagine being stuck on the bus with no where to go or having to use a "squatty potty" for the problem. You can't eat any fresh vegetable or fruit that doesn't have a peel. We ate only bananas and the watermelon served for desert at each meal. They will serve you fresh vegetables and the tour guide said that if it is served at the restaurants they take you to, it is washed with purified water. We didn't trust that and never ate any. Neither did most of the other people. I don't know if the people that had problems ate it or not. One couple was vegetarian and may have. He was the one that missed all of Tibet.

 

 

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[CupKayke]

Hey Cabinluvn/Joan... interesting info. My degree is in Finance and I'm a proud cheapskate about things it's okay to be a cheapskate with... so I had already researched various other costs associated with this trip. This trip will be our least expensive trip we've ever taken out of the country... but I just can't justify spending an additional $2000+ for 4/5 more days in China so Gate 1 will have to have another sale on their 14 day or 15 day China with Yangtze River cruise before we move from the 10-day trip. I feel good about them doing this since I've only been getting their weekly deals for a couple of weeks now and they've already put some of the March 2014 14-day dates on sale for cheaper than the 10-day. A little bit of due diligence and I will "save" us over two grand... not too shabby.

 

Also, I checked with Gen Visa a couple of months ago I think...the first week we started looking at China...and it was over $400 for the 2 of us to get visas.

 

I also read another thread here on Cruise Critic where a couple spent over $1,000 on shots so I think costs can vary there. I spoke with our family physician last week and he told me because we live in a small town, we have to go to the local health dept and whatever we need will have to be ordered so who knows what we will end-up paying but probably a bit more than those who live in a non-rural area.

 

I suppose we'll have to consider the antibiotics/Pepto info when the trip gets closer. I think that's just a chance we'll have to take to travel to China but it sure doesn't sound like fun. From reading blogs of others who have taken Gate 1 trips to China and from your review, it sounds like a lot of Chinese food but I read on a couple of Travelpod blogs where travelers were able to go to a local McDonald's and Starbucks and etc and get more "American-like" snacks or foods during their off time ~ mainly in the evenings. Sounds silly but after 5 days of Chinese food, a cheeseburger and fries from the local Hilton might just hit the spot. :o:D

[cabinluvn]

I don't know about any of the other China Gate 1 tours, but we did not have time to seek out a McDonalds or any other restaurant that served American or western food. We only had two evenings on our own and we were so exhausted that even Chinese food in the hotel sounded better than trying to navigate the language and traffic to try and get to different food. Our guide was willing to write down info to give taxi drivers, but the crowds and traffic in the big cities was daunting and fighting them both was more effort than it was worth. The need for a shower and solitude was way more important.

Our health insurance paid for the doctor's visit. The antibiotics for traveler's diarrhea was $10 at Walmart. I think the typhoid pill was $55. Haven't gotten a bill for the Hep A shot for my husband(I got mine two years ago when I went to a medical mission trip to Peru), but am thinking it might be covered by insurance.

I know GenVisa was something like $380...slightly less than $400. That was a stressor to get that off in time to get it back to get the copies to Gate 1 30 days before the trip. Don't wait until you get the travel docs...request a copy of the itinerary at least 3 months before you go. It takes 4-5 weeks for the visa to be processed and get back to you. Just filling out the forms took awhile as it has to be typed in caps and there can be no typos or they can reject it.

Do keep a watch on the travel sales, but be aware that if you wait too long, the airfare part of it can be gone. They only have a certain amount of airline seats available for any given trip. That is why some trips offer land only deals...the airline seats are full.

We are just now getting back to normal from the jet lag. We both got a bad cold in Beijing and it knocked our socks off on the trip home. No fun flying 13 hours with bad colds. You have to walk through a "temperature detector" at the airport in Beijing to detect illness and we were just relieved to not set off any alarms. They are still looking to stop SARS.

 

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[The Old Fogies]

Someone said that they have taken that cruise before and the banks of the river were VERY steep and it was hard to get down to the boats. One of our group would have trouble if this is so.

 

Does anyone have any info on this????

 

And you're all making me nervous with the Pepto, antibiotics, no veggies, etc.!!! We're going to be there for 20 days!!! :eek:

 

Oh - what airlines were you on??? We are taking interior flights not connected to an international flight. One airline says that we are only allowed 1 suitcast weighing 44 lbs. and 1 carryon of 11 lbs. Did anyone encounter that??? Do they really weigh your carryon for the 11 lbs.???

 

Thanks!

[cabinluvn]

In most ports the steps down to the gangplanks were steep and numerous. On arrival and disembarking, there are locals who you can pay to take your luggage down or up the steps to the boat or bus. The gangplanks are long, tied together docks that are quite uneven. If you are worried, the locals charge very little to carry your luggage. However, there is no other way to get to the boat besides walking the steps. Just take your time, people will wait for you. I never saw any accommodations for disabled, although there were two people in our group who hired wheel chairs and pushers for the forbidden city and Tiananmen Square There were still places they could not get to in the Forbidden City

Don't worry about the food. If you follow the rule of not eating anything raw unless it is something you can peel and don't drink the water, you will be OK. If you are unsure, ask your guide if it is safe to eat. There were times I asked him, but decided against it anyway. We were glad we did the pepto protocol..it kept us from big problems and we didn't need the antibiotics. There were people in our group who did have problems and missed a day. My husband had a problem in Tibet, in spite of the pepto, but it didn't last long.

We flew United there and back. Yes, the limit for intra China flights is 44 pounds, but our guide said it was an average for the group that was traveling together and so if some were over and some were under, it worked out OK. I took along a luggage scale and was always under the limits. No one in our group was charged for extra weight. You are allowed one carry on and one personal item. It is first come first serve for boarding and you will find that there is no place for your overhead luggage that is anywhere near your seat, unless you are very lucky. People put it wherever they can. You are always served a meal during the flight..you guessed it..chinese food. Pretty bad, but the rice is eatable. Always a roll, no butter, kim chee in a packet, rice and some sort of meat, usually unidentifiable. And a biscuit or cookie or something.

 

 

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[The Old Fogies]

Thanks so much for your reply!!!!

 

One of our group is in a wheel chair and unable to use his legs. That's what we were worried about on the Yangtze tour. The tour company says "No Problem" but others who have been there say it is a problem!!!

 

The problem with the luggage is that we are taking a 25 day cruise from the States to Japan and then flying to China. Can't imagine being away for that long with only 44 lbs.!!! :(