Viking China (Part 2)

 

Hoping Air Canada is better. Anyone know about their planes?

What does seat guru dot com have to say. They will tell you detailed stuff such as how wide the seat is and the distance from seat back to seat back. All you need to know is what kind of plane you are flying and on what airline

You have out of Vancouver less Asia fight options should a problem happen with Air Canada labor or weather or delayed fights in general hence I recommend LAX or SFO.

Last year Air Canada had major issues with union's and contract's thy tend to have a fair amount of these issues regularly plus personel slow downs which can effect flights.

Air Canada tends to be very basic service on board equal to flying on a US carrier domestically although Canadian. My experience with Air Canada has been planes are sort of run down. Have not been on the new 777 so can be no help on that. Last flights on Air Canada were Seattle Toronto Toronto - Dublin round trip 2009. Seating was reasonably spacious but not stupendous. Food was terrible out bond so ordered Kosher on the return Kosher comes from a outside originator source was very good compared to what Air Canada served. Video / movies were not that good. They got me to my destination and return with out issues so had no complaints.

I was in China 2010 flew round trip on Korean Airlines via LAX and connected in Seoul, Korea outstanding comfort and good space seating wise most attentive service and good food options would fly with them again in a heart beat.

Friend's just came back from China flew on Air China SFO non stop had okay flights no complaints other then a longish delay leaving Beijing 's airport of an hour 20 minutes but about 40 minutes were made up inflight so not so agonizing. Space was good food not so good and entrainment was more limited then other airlines non Chinese.

Smooth flying, sailing / cruising & touring,

HSB5956

We have booked the - 12-day Imperial China (Shanghai to Beijing) for next April, 2013.... This will be our "pre-cruise" for our Diamond Princess transpacific from Beijing to Vancouver. We had originally had an 8-day land tour with Princess to the Terra Cotta Warriors, Great Wall & Panda Bears..but discovered this 12 day river/land cruise would coordinate with the ocean cruise. What a great idea for us!! We picked up 4 extra days and the price was hardly any different. We were very pleased to see that the dates would coordinate together!!! We also wanted to cruise on Viking and have read some great things on these threads. We had previously taken a European River Cruise on Uniworld and enjoyed it alot.

 

We are really looking forward to sailing this new ship where every room has a balcony.... Can't wait to experience China this way.

 

Cheers,

Carol

Hi Carol. Forgive me for butting in to your thread, but we're on Star Princess from Valparaiso to San Francisco (the second segment of a Rio/SFO cruise) in March, and there seems to be significant interest in the Viking pre-cruise for the May 3/13 sailing of Diamond Princess, upon whose board you and I are already posting. Some of us on the Star have already set up a discussion group of about 14 or 15 couples that will meet to discuss the China tour. We have both folks who have done it and those who are contemplating it.

Thought you'd be interested to know that one of the CC folks posted your comment above on the March 3 Star board (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1311864&page=97). We might be seeing several Star travellers on the Diamond next spring!

Cheers -- M&M

We are booked on Air Canada (LAX to Vancouver to Beijing). I know there are non-stops from LA for similar prices to what Viking is paying, but Air Canada is configured 2-3-2, and we are in one of the 2's, so I thought even stopping might be better than the 3-4-3 on most of the other carriers.

 

We flew KLM (3-4-3) on our last cruise, and it was miserable. The food was good, and the AV system was great in coach, but the TV screen was almost touching my nose, because the passenger in front of me had his seat all the way back. When I asked him to move it forward a bit, he said, "NO!" He finally did, after I kept kicking his seat, and telling him it was because it was too close, and I couldn't help it. Not only did it make it more comfortable, it was also a bit of fun--sorry, but it really was....

 

Hoping Air Canada is better. Anyone know about their planes?

Check out http://www.aircanada.com/en/about/fleet/index.html that will give more information depending on what type of plane it is. Air Canada is generally not too bad. I used to complain about the airline, until I went on some American airlines, such as AA, United, US Airways, terrible! Now, Air Canada doesn't seem bad at all. They have your own inflight entertainment, so you can choose whatever you want to watch. The food is usually not that great. The best airlines, are Asian, eg Singapore Air, there is no comparison with the service, comfort, food...

Hi Carol. Forgive me for butting in to your thread, but we're on Star Princess from Valparaiso to San Francisco (the second segment of a Rio/SFO cruise) in March, and there seems to be significant interest in the Viking pre-cruise for the May 3/13 sailing of Diamond Princess, upon whose board you and I are already posting. Some of us on the Star have already set up a discussion group of about 14 or 15 couples that will meet to discuss the China tour. We have both folks who have done it and those who are contemplating it.

 

Thought you'd be interested to know that one of the CC folks posted your comment above on the March 3 Star board (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1311864&page=97). We might be seeing several Star travellers on the Diamond next spring!

 

Cheers -- M&M

Hi M&M -- no problem at all in sharing this great idea of the river cruise first -- then the ocean trek across to Vancouver. And --- a big thank you again to you for discovering this could be done in the first place. I'm happy my comment was of interest and used by others..

I love cruise critic and like the idea of receiving and sharing great ideas.

How great -- you may know a lot of people on next years Viking cruise!!! Is there a roll-call started for the Viking segment?

Looking forward to meeting you!

Cheers,

Carol

I had asked on this board about some of the custom air options. I was in the process of trying to figure it out with my TA last week. I started to look at the dates of our return--the Monday before Thanksgiving. It occurred to me that we could do the 4-day Hong Kong extension and only miss another 2 days of work (since we both have Thanksgiving and the Friday after that off)

So--I had my TA add the extension! Now we need to talk again and see what our options are for November 2 (Chicago to Shanghai) and November 23 (Hong Kong to Chicago)

Exciting...but I am spending way too much time on Orbitz and Expedia trying to see what all the options are!

By the way, when we first thought we would be flying home after the China Cultural Delights from Beijing, I gave a few ideas to our TA. She said that Viking would not mix and match airlines. (i.e. could not take American there and United back) That did not surprise me.

But what did surprise me was that if we did American nonstop roundtrip there would be no other cost involved. To fly United nonstop roundtrip would be an additional $140 per person. Makes no sense to me.:confused:

Hi M&M -- no problem at all in sharing this great idea of the river cruise first -- then the ocean trek across to Vancouver. And --- a big thank you again to you for discovering this could be done in the first place. I'm happy my comment was of interest and used by others..

 

I love cruise critic and like the idea of receiving and sharing great ideas.

How great -- you may know a lot of people on next years Viking cruise!!! Is there a roll-call started for the Viking segment?

 

Looking forward to meeting you!

 

Cheers,

Carol

Oh my... I almost said, "Your wish is my command." Midge has been encouraging me to set up a thread for the Viking segment for several days now, and I've finally done it. You can find it at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1560313

Cheers -- Michael

But what did surprise me was that if we did American nonstop roundtrip there would be no other cost involved. To fly United nonstop roundtrip would be an additional $140 per person. Makes no sense to me.:confused:

Not that surprising. Could be any of these reasons:

a) Viking has reserved space available on American but not on United.

b) Lowest cost seats sold out on United

c) United just charges more

What does seat guru dot com have to say. They will tell you detailed stuff such as how wide the seat is and the distance from seat back to seat back. All you need to know is what kind of plane you are flying and on what airline

You are the most helpful person!! Thanks for this info. I'm going to take a look and that should solidify our decision. We are taking a trip to London/Paris in a few weeks. Our son is working there for 3 months and has a 2-bedroom apt, so free room was hard to pass up. We booked the upgrade to Econ Premium because it was relatively inexpensive on Virgin Atl. Wish the China flight was the same.

This edit is to say thanks to ALL of you who responded. We have been checking on some non-stops out of LA, but it is such a loooooong flight!!!!

We have been checking on some non-stops out of LA, but it is such a loooooong flight!!!!

And it's even longer if you don't go non-stop. :)

Seriously, as I've posted before, the travel to and from is really long and tiring. Why add to it with an additional flight (which not only adds time but has the potential for delay)?

You are the most helpful person!!

Just taking my turn at being the helper rather than the helped.

And DITTO, DITTO, DITTO to Turtles comments on non-stops!

Does anybody know why Viking wants you to get a multiple entry visa that is valid for 12 months from date of application? I'm on the Imperial Jewels of China tour starting Apr 5. Looking at the itinerary, it looks like we enter China in Beijing, stay in China the entire trip and then leave in Shanghai. So I'm confused why I need a multiple entry visa, since we won't be exiting and re-entering China at any time.:confused:

Does anybody know why Viking wants you to get a multiple entry visa that is valid for 12 months from date of application? I'm on the Imperial Jewels of China tour starting Apr 5. Looking at the itinerary, it looks like we enter China in Beijing, stay in China the entire trip and then leave in Shanghai. So I'm confused why I need a multiple entry visa, since we won't be exiting and re-entering China at any time.:confused:

Viking never told us we needed a multiple entry visa when we did the tour two years ago. I know of no reason a single entry would not suffice for this trip.

In our case, we did get a multiple entry visa good for a year because we had taken a Princess cruise that required a Chinese visa several months before the Viking trip. For US citizens, the cost of a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa are the same.

Does anybody know why Viking wants you to get a multiple entry visa that is valid for 12 months from date of application? I'm on the Imperial Jewels of China tour starting Apr 5. Looking at the itinerary, it looks like we enter China in Beijing, stay in China the entire trip and then leave in Shanghai. So I'm confused why I need a multiple entry visa, since we won't be exiting and re-entering China at any time.:confused:

Last year, I don't recall Viking saying we needed a multiple entry visa. At any rate, for U.S. citizens, if I recall correctly, the (hefty) cost of the visa is the same regardless of whether it's for single or multiple entries, so no reason not to get a multiple entry visa. I see, however, that you are in Canada.

If Viking really is saying you should have a multiple entry visa for Imperial Jewels, I would call Viking and ask them directly why. It may have to do with some "just in case things," in which instance, it would be up to you to decide whether the lower cost of getting a single entry visa is worth assuming whatever potential risk they have outlined for you. (I think that even with a multiple entry visa, you'd still be paying less than US citizens do.) But again, I think the first thing to verify is whether this is really what Viking is saying.

Have a great trip!

We booked our flights.

Going from Chicago to Shanghai (Nov. 2) we are on a mid-morning non-stop on American Airlines.

Now this is where you are all going to say I am crazy!!! :

We booked a flight (Nov. 23) out of Hong Kong via American Airlines (operated by Japan airlines) that goes to Tokyo. Then, 3 hours later we take a flight via American Airlines from Tokyo to Chicago.

Besides being crazy, :oI did this for two reasons.

1. Somehow, getting off an airline on the return flight and walking around the airport appealed to me.

2. This combination of flights all had the 2-5-2 seating arrangement, so my husband and I could be by ourselves on a side.

I could have gotten nonstop home for the same price, but I decided I would prefer this. I might shoot myself later!!

We booked our flights.

 

Going from Chicago to Shanghai (Nov. 2) we are on a mid-morning non-stop on American Airlines.

 

Now this is where you are all going to say I am crazy!!! :

 

We booked a flight (Nov. 23) out of Hong Kong via American Airlines (operated by Japan airlines) that goes to Tokyo. Then, 3 hours later we take a flight via American Airlines from Tokyo to Chicago.

 

Besides being crazy, :oI did this for two reasons.

 

1. Somehow, getting off an airline on the return flight and walking around the airport appealed to me.

2. This combination of flights all had the 2-5-2 seating arrangement, so my husband and I could be by ourselves on a side.

 

I could have gotten nonstop home for the same price, but I decided I would prefer this. I might shoot myself later!!

Yes, you know that I (and probably Peregrina) think you are crazy. :)

But at least it's only on the return....:)

Have a great trip!

Yes, you know that I (and probably Peregrina) think you are crazy. :)

 

But at least it's only on the return....:)

 

Have a great trip!

I knew you would think I am crazy...probably with good reason.

I definitely did not want to mess with the flight GOING there. I want both my luggage and the two of us to get there with the least amount of stress.

I guess I am less worried about the return trip. Again....I'll probably think of both you and Peregrina when i am hanging out in the Tokyo airport waiting for my return connection!!

Last year, I don't recall Viking saying we needed a multiple entry visa. At any rate, for U.S. citizens, if I recall correctly, the (hefty) cost of the visa is the same regardless of whether it's for single or multiple entries, so no reason not to get a multiple entry visa. I see, however, that you are in Canada.

 

If Viking really is saying you should have a multiple entry visa for Imperial Jewels, I would call Viking and ask them directly why. It may have to do with some "just in case things," in which instance, it would be up to you to decide whether the lower cost of getting a single entry visa is worth assuming whatever potential risk they have outlined for you. (I think that even with a multiple entry visa, you'd still be paying less than US citizens do.) But again, I think the first thing to verify is whether this is really what Viking is saying.

 

Have a great trip!

Just called Viking today, they said single entry visa is good enough for this itinerary, didn't know why they sent the form for multiple entry visa. Advised TA of this. For Canadians, the multiple entry visa is double the price of the single entry visa. Thanks for all your help! :)

Yes, you know that I (and probably Peregrina) think you are crazy. :)

 

But at least it's only on the return....:)

 

Have a great trip!

Only half crazy. Ya gotta do what's right for you. Think of us in Tokyo!

Does anybody know why Viking wants you to get a multiple entry visa that is valid for 12 months from date of application? I'm on the Imperial Jewels of China tour starting Apr 5. Looking at the itinerary, it looks like we enter China in Beijing, stay in China the entire trip and then leave in Shanghai. So I'm confused why I need a multiple entry visa, since we won't be exiting and re-entering China at any time.:confused:

We went through this whole ... I'll say it ... stupid Visa thing with Viking last year and we went to Tibet as well. You only need more than a single entry visa if you were planning to leave china ( Hong Kong for example) and return. There are multiple agents in Canada who will act as a go between between the Embassy and the applicant for a reasonable fee. The important fact to note is that the Visa is only good for entry so many days after it is granted so you do not want to apply too early or too late.

We started our tour in Beijing had a stopover in Tibet and ended in Shanghai and we only needed a single entry visa. It is the USA Viking office that seems to be providing the misinformation.

Just called Viking today, they said single entry visa is good enough for this itinerary, didn't know why they sent the form for multiple entry visa. Advised TA of this. For Canadians, the multiple entry visa is double the price of the single entry visa. Thanks for all your help! :)

Dear luvvacations,

We’re happy to hear that you were able to get some clarification on your China Visa question. Please accept our apologies for the confusion. If you have any other questions, we’re always happy to help and you can reach us directly at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com.

We think you’re going to love China and are very much looking forward to welcoming you aboard Viking Emerald in April.

Best,

Viking River Cruises

We went through this whole ... I'll say it ... stupid Visa thing with Viking last year and we went to Tibet as well. You only need more than a single entry visa if you were planning to leave china ( Hong Kong for example) and return. There are multiple agents in Canada who will act as a go between between the Embassy and the applicant for a reasonable fee. The important fact to note is that the Visa is only good for entry so many days after it is granted so you do not want to apply too early or too late.

 

We started our tour in Beijing had a stopover in Tibet and ended in Shanghai and we only needed a single entry visa. It is the USA Viking office that seems to be providing the misinformation.

Dear NivCruise,

We’re sorry to hear that your process for obtaining Visas for your Viking China trip wasn’t exactly a smooth one. We don’t want our guests to ever feel like we are providing misinformation and if there is a way that we can improve, we would of course want to do so. Please email us directly at TellUs@vikingrivercruises.com so that we can hear more of your feedback and learn from it.

Overall we hope you had a wonderful time in China. We would love to have you be our guest again.

Kind regards,

Viking River Cruises

1. We were planning on taking for my wife and myself, one large suitcase each. For the inter-china flights we were going to take a small carry-on piece of luggage. Now I am worried that this will be too large and not allowed. We could take a backpack instead but wanted more room to carry home souvenirs. Do we need to take the backpacks or can we use the carry-on luggage pieces?

2. We are going on the June 1st, 2012, tour from Shanghai. We are going on the non-stop United flight from Chicago at around 10:20AM, on May 31st. Looking for any other couples to share a limo from the airport to the hotel. Anyone interested?

1. We were planning on taking for my wife and myself, one large suitcase each. For the inter-china flights we were going to take a small carry-on piece of luggage. Now I am worried that this will be too large and not allowed. We could take a backpack instead but wanted more room to carry home souvenirs. Do we need to take the backpacks or can we use the carry-on luggage pieces?

 

2. We are going on the June 1st, 2012, tour from Shanghai. We are going on the non-stop United flight from Chicago at around 10:20AM, on May 31st. Looking for any other couples to share a limo from the airport to the hotel. Anyone interested?

The carryon size restrictions are the same as with US Airlines. When we went, they did not weigh the carryons.

I assume you did not book your air reservations with Viking. Otherwise they would provide the transportation from airport to hotel since you are arriving on day 1. You may want to check the cost of having Viking provide the xfer.

1. We were planning on taking for my wife and myself, one large suitcase each. For the inter-china flights we were going to take a small carry-on piece of luggage. Now I am worried that this will be too large and not allowed. We could take a backpack instead but wanted more room to carry home souvenirs. Do we need to take the backpacks or can we use the carry-on luggage pieces?

 

As on caribill's trip -- no one was policing our carry on bags on our intra-China flights last May (we were not on the Hong Kong extension, where we were told the rules were enforced). That said, our Viking escort made it plain that if the airport security officials were in a bad mood, they COULD enforce the rules (one carry on per person limited to 11 pounds).

I would not stress over it, just be aware of the possibilities.

Have a great trip!