P&O 4 Day overland China Excursion tour – restaurants

Hoping to do a P&O 4 Day overland tour to Shanghai, Terracotta Warriors, Great Wall of China and Beijing excursion. Any tips very welcome.

My wife is a plain food person and is concerned about meals in the restaurants included in the tour - are there any European alternatives offered? I Know when in China you should eat Chinese food but if you don't like it, but are desperate to do this trip can you survive?!!

Thanks, David

I'm not sure what hotels you will be staying in but when I did a land tour of China we usually ate dinner in the hotel. These were usually western hotels serving a western meal. Lunches were often in local restaurants so that was Chinese. Does she just not like Chinese food at all or only certain items? Could she pick out pieces of meat or chicken or fish out of the meal? Maybe she could take granola bars/energy bars or something similar to tide her over (in case she has trouble finding a meal). If you talk to the tour guide he/she might be able to get something she could eat.

Seeing the Great Wall and the terracotta warriors are places not to miss. I hope you are able to do this excursion - how many times will you be in China?

I'm not sure what hotels you will be staying in but when I did a land tour of China we usually ate dinner in the hotel. These were usually western hotels serving a western meal. Lunches were often in local restaurants so that was Chinese. Does she just not like Chinese food at all or only certain items? Could she pick out pieces of meat or chicken or fish out of the meal? Maybe she could take granola bars/energy bars or something similar to tide her over (in case she has trouble finding a meal). If you talk to the tour guide he/she might be able to get something she could eat.

 

Seeing the Great Wall and the terracotta warriors are places not to miss. I hope you are able to do this excursion - how many times will you be in China?

Thanks for your suggestions granola a good idea. Here is a condensed itinerary - 12th arrive Shanghai - see the sights. That evening fly to Xian. Dinner at Sheraton hotel.

13th breakfast at hotel. Visit Terracotta Warriors, lunch at museum restaurant. Evening meal at Tang Palace restaurant.

14th breakfast at hotel. Fly to Beijing. Lunch at local restaurant, visit sights, evening meal at Marriott hotel.

15th Great wall, lunch at local restaurant, Peking Duck dinner at Quanjude restaurant.

16th breakfast at hotel, go to temples, lunch at local restaurant, fly to Hong Kong and return to ship.

We are not going until 2015 (we are eager beavers!) but we are hoping to book this cruise next month. We will probably be back with questions about visas etc!

Sounds like a great itinerary. With all hotel breakfasts and the dinner in a Sheraton and a Marriott your wife should be able to get food she likes. She should be able to eat the duck (or at least try it). So it really looks like only lunches would be an issue. I still think she might be able to find some things she likes. Does she like rice and/or steamed dumplings? They seemed to come with every meal and are filling (if she likes them). We often got soup which she also might like. Take along the granola bars and she should be ok.

I know what you mean about booking early - my last two cruises were booked 16 months in advance (it extends the fun of planning). The visas are the one part that stresses me. I know it cannot be as awful as I envision it to be but the fact you can only apply about 3 months before the cruise means you have to wait and worry! At least most of the ports where you need visas, the ship gets them for you.

Enjoy your planning!

In terms of a China Visa the rules change often. When you are ready for this I would use a Visa Service.

We entered China on a 2012 World Cruise. We used the service and obtained the visas in about two weeks. You can apply for them six months before you enter China.

We will be there again on the 2014 World Cruise. We did have to submit some extra information that was not required in 2012. The turn around time is a little longer this time.

Part of the fun is all of the planning that goes into a cruise. I find that the more you plan the better it is.

Keith

In terms of a China Visa the rules change often. When you are ready for this I would use a Visa Service.

 

We entered China on a 2012 World Cruise. We used the service and obtained the visas in about two weeks. You can apply for them six months before you enter China.

 

We will be there again on the 2014 World Cruise. We did have to submit some extra information that was not required in 2012. The turn around time is a little longer this time.

 

Part of the fun is all of the planning that goes into a cruise. I find that the more you plan the better it is.

 

Keith

Thank you both for your comments. I understand what you mean about the planning, we have been planning this for two years and still over a year to go. Although it now seems closer now that P&O have released the dates and itinerary so we shall get the ball rolling soon.

David

Maybe some research on Chinese food will be part of the planning. Hit your local restaurant, sample the dishes until she finds something she can eat. While it may be different from the offerings actually in China, I'm sure there will be similarities.While I haven't been before, my picky eater daughter survived for 3 weeks, she loved the noodles.

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