Viking China (Part 2)

I have seen some references to ballroom dancing. Do anyone know if there are ballroom venues, if visitors are welcome, and if there's any time available to squeeze a dance in? My husband and I took it up as a hobby several years ago and think it would be a great experience. We thought maybe in place of the opera?

The Shanghai to ChongQing run has been rerouted because they can't go above the dam due to strong head waters from the recent flooding. They wiil visit the school and another pagoda and return to Wuhan. They lose both the optional programs but gain an additional day in Xian because of the lost day on the river.

Jin is now the cruise director on the Emerald for those who had him as a TE. Our friend touring now relayed that their TE is taking them to try some street food. It was the best food we ate while we were there. Our friend would return to China in a heart beat even while the difficulties they've encountered.

The Shanghai to ChongQing run has been rerouted because they can't go above the dam due to strong head waters from the recent flooding. They wiil visit the school and another pagoda and return to Wuhan. They lose both the optional programs but gain an additional day in Xian because of the lost day on the river.

 

Not being able to see the lesser and greater gorges would ruin the trip for me.

I have seen some references to ballroom dancing. Do anyone know if there are ballroom venues, if visitors are welcome, and if there's any time available to squeeze a dance in? My husband and I took it up as a hobby several years ago and think it would be a great experience. We thought maybe in place of the opera?

Yes, but the ballroom dancing we were referring to was not happening in ballrooms but in the street, just like we would see groups of people (mostly seniors) doing tai chi or involved in other group activities such as playing cards. I wasn't fast enough to get any pictures of the ballroom dancing going on under the overpass (we drove by so quickly) but I did get this photo in Wuhan.

For information

We are on the Emerald now and are returning to Wuhan at the moment from the three Gorges Dam unable to go through locks and continue cruise. Tomorrow evening we fly to Xian for an extra day. Cancelled is cruising through theThree Gorges, the Lesser Three Gorges excursion, Shibaoza Pagoda visit and the Chongqing Zoo visit for the panda's. Some cruisers also missed Shanghai at the beginning of the cruise due to bad weather at Beijing which prevented their onward flight to Shanghai.

Sadly the extreme weather conditions have conspired to ruin the cruise.

The Shanghai to ChongQing run has been rerouted because they can't go above the dam due to strong head waters from the recent flooding. They wiil visit the school and another pagoda and return to Wuhan. They lose both the optional programs but gain an additional day in Xian because of the lost day on the river.

 

Jin is now the cruise director on the Emerald for those who had him as a TE. Our friend touring now relayed that their TE is taking them to try some street food. It was the best food we ate while we were there. Our friend would return to China in a heart beat even while the difficulties they've encountered.

First, and most important, my deepest sympathies to the Chinese and any others who have lost friends and loved ones in the flooding, and also to those who livelihoods are being affected....

For those on the Viking China trip now.. I am sorry too that the flooding is adversely affecting your trip.. I do hope you can make the most of the alternative itinerary...

As for Jin... great news for him -- I assume this is a promotion. He was our tour escort and he was phenomenal. Among his many extraordinary qualities is that he is incredibly funny; everyone in our group thought he could make a living as a standup comic in the U.S. .. We wanted to get him an agent. His personality is well-suited to be a cruise director, and I hope folks enjoy him.

For information

We are on the Emerald now and are returning to Wuhan at the moment from the three Gorges Dam unable to go through locks and continue cruise. Tomorrow evening we fly to Xian for an extra day. Cancelled is cruising through theThree Gorges, the Lesser Three Gorges excursion, Shibaoza Pagoda visit and the Chongqing Zoo visit for the panda's. Some cruisers also missed Shanghai at the beginning of the cruise due to bad weather at Beijing which prevented their onward flight to Shanghai.

 

Sadly the extreme weather conditions have conspired to ruin the cruise.

Sorry to hear this. Hope at least the rest of the trip is better.

This is my first posting. Although my husband and I have traveled all over the world, this is our first trip to China and our first cruise. We will leave for Shanghai on April 10 2013 for the April 11 beginning of the Imperial Jewels of China. Would someone please explain how to download pictures from our camera if we can not use the usb port on the computers provided on the ship? Even a jump drive uses a usb port. Thank you for any suggestions.

This is my first posting. Although my husband and I have traveled all over the world, this is our first trip to China and our first cruise. We will leave for Shanghai on April 10 2013 for the April 11 beginning of the Imperial Jewels of China. Would someone please explain how to download pictures from our camera if we can not use the usb port on the computers provided on the ship? Even a jump drive uses a usb port. Thank you for any suggestions.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You are going to have a fantastic trip.

If you have no access to the USB port, then there is no way I know to transfer pictures from your camera unless you have your own laptop/netbook with you.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

You are going to have a fantastic trip.

 

If you have no access to the USB port, then there is no way I know to transfer pictures from your camera unless you have your own laptop/netbook with you.

How safe/secure is it to take my laptop? I know most of the hotels will have wifi, but what about the ship?

How safe/secure is it to take my laptop? I know most of the hotels will have wifi, but what about the ship?

I think the ship has wifi now, but I am not certain.

Your laptop would be safe on the ship. Ours was.

The Cruise Director position in China is rotated among the various TEs for 6 month durations unlike the other cruises where it is a permanent position. The TEs live in Beijing so they are away from home and family while serving as the CD.

The Emerald has WiFi...I have been receiving 2 to 3 e-mails a day from our friend keeping me appraised of what is going on. So if you're persistent it's doable. The crew is on line for hours without too many issues except in the locks and a couple of spots in the gorges. I take my laptop download the photos and show them to crew members we meet while on the cruise.

My friend is having an amazing time in spite of what they have encountered...spent an hour yesterday just chatting one-on-one with one of the crew members in the dining room about their hopes and dreams for the future. In spite of how busy they are, most of crew are more than willing to go beyond just doing their job and actually connect if you, if you show a genuine interest in them. We have found this to be true in every one of our cruises. My friend is glad to be off the river because the conditions are terrifying in her view.

I was under the impression that Chinese families still live in multi-generational family unit, but in reality middle class China lives pretty much the way Westerners do...gone are the days of 4 generation households if you have the financial resources. I know a Chinese couple in southern China that teach Chinese to primary school students...they live in a 3 bedroom home with only their young son.

A couple in NE China where he is an executive for BMW and she is an accountant...their daughter is grown so they have the house to themselves. She has an amazing sense of humor...first time I spoke to her she told me...BMW... Business, Money, and Women...the measure of a true man!! I was shocked that someone would say that to a stranger until she replied: "It is a joke 哈哈. :)(Hāhā in pinyin). Chinese is pretty cool...they have both 哈哈and 呵呵(Hēhē in pinyin). I told her anyone that has a dual income must be pretty well off in China; her reply...Almost Ok:). I was impressed that coming from two different cultures we could be that open through humor.

In turn she had the misconception that Americans push their children out the front door when they turn 18 to make their way in life. I had to reply...if only it were that easy.:)

Our friend doing the Shanghai to Beijing tour just reported in...they were flown from Wuhan to ChongQing yesterday to continue their journey. Still reporting that China is incredible. They are doing and seeing things because of the flooding that would never happen otherwise...a ruined trip or amazing adventure depending on your personality.

Received a message from our friend who works on the Emerald that she is currently on a train back to ChongQing. Reading between the lines...the passengers currently on the Emerald are probably not going from Wuhan to ChongQing, but only from Wuhan to the 3 Gorges Dam and back to Wuhan. She is leaving Viking in a couple of weeks anyway so it appears her time on board has come to an end a little early.

Also a friend that lives in Hubei province is telling me that it has been raining heavily in the area for several days...Wuhan is located in Hubei province. The concern is the amount of rain falling higher in the mountains, not in Hubei. She said they are having severe flooding to the north in China...translation issues made it difficult to understand what she considers "north."

I have sent messages to some of the crew members to see if I can glean additional information and will update if I find out anything. Also I have a friend whose English is excellent that I'm hoping to chat with to find more about what is going on.

Received a message from our friend who works on the Emerald....

Thanks for the updates

Hello All,

For those of you who have already been on the tour, did you need to take plug adapters/power converters with you? Although I was in China several weeks ago, we used them constantly - but we were staying at budget hotels. What is the situation on the Emerald and in the high-end hotels we will be staying at on the Viking trip?

Thanks for your help,

Lori

Hello All,

 

For those of you who have already been on the tour, did you need to take plug adapters/power converters with you? Although I was in China several weeks ago, we used them constantly - but we were staying at budget hotels. What is the situation on the Emerald and in the high-end hotels we will be staying at on the Viking trip?

 

I never travel out of the country without my converter and plug adapters because even if a place is supposed to have them available, they might not.

On the ship, I was able to borrow a converter which had the right type plugs built in. However, they had a limited number to lend.

In the hotels I used my equipment. In one of the hotels I borrowed their equipment, but it was easier to use mine than to figure out what all the buttons and switches meant on theirs.

Photos to show the amount of water being released below the dam...the city of Jingzhou(Viking school city) has mobilized some 30,000 people to sand bag areas where the levies may fail. Remember this is below the dam that was designed to prevent major flooding.

Some 700 ships are sitting idle both above and below the dam.

For anyone familiar with the walk to/from the buses in ChongQing...the water appears to be about halfway up the bulkhead...there are no pontoons floating where the Emerald docks in the photo I saw. The water level in ChongQing is sitting just below 190 meters, well above its normal level of 170 meters. Water has reached the city center of ChongQing.

My friend is now an hour away from ChongQing...no longer a Viking employee. Unfortunately she was only checking in so we would know she was safe.

Current plans for the Emerald are to sail between Wuhan and the Three Gorges Dam until August 7. There are a lot of ships sitting waiting for those locks so it will take some time for the gridlock to clear once the locks are reopened. Of course this is unofficial information coming from my sources in management on the Emerald...not from Viking itself. The Emerald is currently docked in Wuhan with passengers on board.

Current plans for the Emerald are to sail between Wuhan and the Three Gorges Dam until August 7. There are a lot of ships sitting waiting for those locks so it will take some time for the gridlock to clear once the locks are reopened. Of course this is unofficial information coming from my sources in management on the Emerald...not from Viking itself. The Emerald is currently docked in Wuhan with passengers on board.

I never travel out of the country without my converter and plug adapters because even if a place is supposed to have them available, they might not.

 

On the ship, I was able to borrow a converter which had the right type plugs built in. However, they had a limited number to lend.

 

In the hotels I used my equipment. In one of the hotels I borrowed their equipment, but it was easier to use mine than to figure out what all the buttons and switches meant on theirs.

Thank you for the info - I always carry them too, normally, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to - they weigh a lot and are a bit bulky - but oh well! Better to have something and not need it...:cool:

Yes, FB is blocked in China - but you CAN access it and any other site you want, you just have to go about it a roundabout way. You get your own personal VPN connection - as long as you have access to wireless, you can use it. It's about $7 for 30 days access, which works fine for our China trip. Let me know if you would like the website to get this.

Would you list the website for the VPN connection? Sounds much easier to use this than to deal with the other. ruthlynn

Current plans for the Emerald are to sail between Wuhan and the Three Gorges Dam until August 7. There are a lot of ships sitting waiting for those locks so it will take some time for the gridlock to clear once the locks are reopened. Of course this is unofficial information coming from my sources in management on the Emerald...not from Viking itself. The Emerald is currently docked in Wuhan with passengers on board.

Kohola: thanks for all the info and the pictures....

Hello All,

 

For those of you who have already been on the tour, did you need to take plug adapters/power converters with you? Although I was in China several weeks ago, we used them constantly - but we were staying at budget hotels. What is the situation on the Emerald and in the high-end hotels we will be staying at on the Viking trip?

 

Thanks for your help,

Lori

All of the Viking hotels had built in electrical adapters. The Emerald did not; fortunately, I had a China set with me. (Our electronics are dual voltage, so no converters needed. Most camera battery chargers, cell phone chargers, laptops, etc. are dual voltage; check yours if you have any doubts.)

I agree with Caribill -- I always take the necessary adapters when I travel abroad.

Thanks Kohola for the update and pictures. I am glad the passengers are getting an extra day in Xian (wish we could have had an extra night there to see the city walls) and experiencing some street food! Glad your friend is still enjoying the trip.