Advise for Tianjin Port Embarkation and Baoshan Port Disembarkation

We will be embarking from Tianjin and disembarking from Baoshan Port this November. Anyone with experience on those? Here are the specific questions:

1) How do you transfer from Tianjin City Hotel to Cruise Port? Easy to get taxi from hotel to take you? We got a quote for $200 USD private transfer (for 2 people) and that seems rather high.

2) Is embarkation fairly quick at Tianjin Port? We will be sailing on Quantum of the Seas but understand that most passengers will be Chinese.

3) How long does it take for Immigration/Customs after ship docks at Baoshan?

4) Is it easy to get taxi from Baoshan port to PVG? Our ship docks at 6am and our flight is at 12noon. Is that enough time? How's traffic in Shanghai on a weekday morning?

Thanks in advance for your help.

We will be embarking from Tianjin and disembarking from Baoshan Port this November. Anyone with experience on those? Here are the specific questions:

 

1) How do you transfer from Tianjin City Hotel to Cruise Port? Easy to get taxi from hotel to take you? We got a quote for $200 USD private transfer (for 2 people) and that seems rather high.

 

I can only write about our limited experience in Tianjin's Port. It is far out in nowhere land. A very modern and large building. Our ship only had ~ 200 passengers so I have no experience boarding a large ship. For us it was just a stop between 2 cruises and we did not board or disembark, but we spent a few hours in the terminal building.

While we were sitting there trying to get e-mails (turned out that gmail is blocked), a female taxi driver came in and offered a ride to and back from Tianjin: $ 100 for both of us and a third passenger. So yes, $ 200 one way is too expensive. Try the well documented Chinese art of bargaining! Offer $ 100. I understand that the driver needs to return to Tianjn and may not catch another passenger for the ride.

By the way, taxi drivers are not allowed in the terminal, she was chased out by the authorities. They have to wait outside the building.

Your second question about the speed of the embarkation. Our ship had no problems, but I read about HAL that their ship had a disastrously long process and the ship left a few hours late because of it.

Have you travelled in China before? Be prepared for pushy passengers. Lining up is theoretical and usually not practiced unless somebody stands there and enforces it. I would recommend patience, stamina, a snack and drink to sustain yourself and some elbows sticking out when people try to sneak by you.

Sorry, no experience with Baoshan. Our ship docked downtown. Shanghai is a great city!

$200 is totally crazy. Just get a taxi from your hotel. Will probably cost you 10% of this.