mtlycrew1

Thanks for the update on hiking.

Checked the website today. No ability to make reservations. I emailed Luca (now my Point of Contact) for an update.

Ha-pealady, I find it interesting you were able to make a reservation on the Santorini Planet Facebook page but we can't make one on either the Santorini Planet nor the Aegean Travel website. We're one of the remaining 17 people on planet earth who don't do Facebook so we'll just have to wait for the website to be updated.

I asked Luca if Aegean Travel was actually part of Santorini Planet or a totally different company. Will update all when I hear anything new.

My wife and I enjoy hiking and are considering walking back to Fira after our time in Oia. Has anyone done this or is there another CC forum discussing this. We'll be there in early June then again in late June. Just wanted to know if the trail/road is clearly marked.

Thanks in advance

I received a reply from my email to SantoriniPlanet@gmail.com. It was from Gianiuca Chimenti:

No way to do from my website anymore, please visit http://www.aegeantraveller.gr

I went to the website and the the boat transfer link is right there with other sightseeing options. The boat trip to Oia is for 25 euros. I copied the following from the site.

Transfer to oia by speedboat
Daily

25 euros per adult

12.50 euros per child (6-12)

Special rates for groups

Transfer to Oia by Speedboat & return to Fira by bus Departure from the old port of Fira by speedboat to reach in only 12 minutes Ammoudi bay at the bottom of the picturesque and traditional village of Oia.
There the partner agency will do the transfer by bus from the small harbor until the tourist parking of the village.
The pickup point of the bus to reach the capital of Santorini, Fira, will be at same place.
In Oia you will have 1 – 2 – 3 or maximum 4 hours of free time, every hour after the arrival it is available a transfer by bus as well included in the ticket, from Oia to Fira.
In Fira the free time depends from the departure time of the last tender to return back on your cruise ship.

I completed an online request form and was told I would receive reservation instructions by email soon. Pay using Paypal and the site indicates you don't have to have a Pay pal account.

All,

I've been following this string. Great information. I went to the Santorini Planet web site and can't see any link to reserve seats on any boat. I've looked at all their links and can't find anything. What am I missing here?

I'd appreciate any help possible. I resorted to emailing them at santoriniplanet@gmail.com and will see what they say.

Thank you all for the great suggestions. There's so much to CC I was not aware of. The Ports of Call and FAQ sections are incredible. Lots of reading to do.

We're sailing this summer on SS for the first time. Doing three back to back cruises from Rome- Istanbul, Istanbul-Athens and Athens-Venice. I've seen a couple of comments on other threads about lower cost alternatives to SS sponsored excursions but no details. How does one find information about these alternatives in each port city we'll be visiting? I thought of just doing a Google search but thought some might have names of reliable companies. Can anyone be of assistance?

Thanks in advance

Thanks so much for the additional information.

Tom,

Great information. Sounds like Un-Cruise or Nat Geo will be great. We're hooked on small ship cruising. You're right, the rooms are tight but as you said, the only time you're in there is sleep. We too wanted to focus on the wildlife and photography on our Alaska cruise and plan to extend in Denali.

Bill

Hi Erika,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did what you suggested after finding the Alaska section in CC and have gotten some feedback there. I was just trying to think of as many places as possible within CC to make a post that was related to the two cruise lines I was considering.

Thanks again for the monitoring. Much appreciated.

Tom2

Great video. You two have really done some traveling.

When you were planning your Alaska trip did you consider other small cruise lines like Un-Cruise. We've narrowed down our choices between UnCruise and Nat Geo and are looking for more insight.

Thanks in advance

We're planning a cruise to Alaska next year and have narrowed our choices to either Un-Cruise (formally American Safari Cruises) and National Geographic-Lindblad. They seem to have similar itineraries and ships but Nat Geo's prices are double that of Un-Cruise. I'm leaning towards Un-Cruise based on the price.

There are a number of posts on Nat Geo but few if any on Un-Cruise. I thought I post on the Nat Geo forum in hopes of finding someone who might have sailed with Un-Cruise.

Thanks in advance

Finally found a forum discussing Un-Cruise. We are dedicated small ship cruisers and all the big ship amenities are of no interest.

We're planning a cruise to Alaska next year and have narrowed our choices to either Un-Cruise and National Geographic-Lindblad. I'm looking for additional insight from anyone who might have sailed with either cruise line.

They seem to have similar itineraries and ships but Nat Geo's prices are double that of Un-Cruise. I'm leaning towards Un-Cruise based on the price. We're looking at their 14 day Ultimate Bays and Fjords cruise starting Aug 29, 2014.

On the Nat Geo ships you have a professional photographer (a hobby of mine) as well as Naturalists and other professionals. I can only assume a significant portion of the additional cost goes to pay their salary which is fine. I'm just wondering if there are similar folks on the Un-Cruise ships. Based on what I've read it doesn't appear so other than picking up a Park Ranger in some locations.

While I see the value in having the professionals on board I'm not sure it justifies twice the price for basically the same cruise.

Thanks in advance

We're planning a cruise to Alaska next year and have narrowed our choices to either Un-Cruise (formally American Safari Cruises) and National Geographic-Lindblad.

They seem to have similar itineraries and ships but Nat Geo's prices are double that of Un-Cruise. I'm leaning towards Un-Cruise based on the price.

I'm looking for insight from anyone who might have sailed with either cruise line.

Thanks in advance

Sorry, don't check the site that often. Will try to address several questions in one reply.

According to my wife the non Western toilets are not a big issue. Some of the ladies indicated they preferred them as you don't have the sanitation issues of sitting on a seat. Our Tour Escort Larry always warned us when it was not advisable to drink a lot of water in the morning and he did a GREAT job on directing us to the Western toilets. As caribill indicated you won't encounter them that often and if you do just think of it as part of the adventure.

The plugs are labeled 110/120v and 220. I charged my camera batteries with no problem in the 110 outlet but my wife's flatiron wouldn't heat up in the 110v outlet. Not sure why as everything else worked. I researched her model flatiron on the internet from the ship and it indicated it was dual voltage. I then sent an email to the company just to be sure and they replied it was only 110v. Go figure. She was desperate so she plugged it into the 220 outlet using an adapter and it worked fine. It got hot really fast and she kept it on the low setting. I initially had a concern about frying it but we never had a problem. In hindsight that may not have been the smartest thing to do so she is going to buy a true dual voltage one for future travel.

I agree with Peregrina651 about taking advantage of the tours as it's part of the experience. However, in this case we had absolutely no interest in the ceramics, I had been to facilities like this in the past and most of all didn't want to endure the 4 hr round trip bus ride. The bus rides for other tours were 20-30 minutes which is fine. As it turned out our five hours roaming the city was one of the highlights of the trip.

Hope this helps

We just returned from the Mar 27-Apr 13 China Cultural Delights cruise. We don’t cruise a lot so I registered with CC and gained some wonderful insight from all the postings on this thread. I didn’t want to give a detailed day to day experience but thought a general summary of our experience might be beneficial and a means of returning the favor to other future cruisers. I apologize for the length in advance but hopefully a lot of information in one place will be helpful.

1. This was the trip and experience of a lifetime. You’ll see the great, good and not so good. The Chinese and their culture are fascinating. We Americans could learn a lot from them and vice versa. This will be something I’ll remember forever.

2. We started our cruise in Shanghai. There's a lot of debate as to whether Shanghai or Beijing is the better starting point. At the end, most of us would have dreaded starting from Beijing. Some specifics:

a. The Yangtze River is incredibly polluted. If you’ve cruised in Europe you’ll be shocked. The lower Yangtze is nothing more than thousands of smoke belching ships running on a cargo shipping highway. West of the Three Gorges Dam it all changed to beautiful scenery and the water was a nice emerald green.

b. Everyone was suffering from serious jet lag and the three days in Beijing are the by far the most physically demanding. The Great Wall is a strenuous climb. As tired as we were the first couple of days I would have hated to start in Beijing.

c. For most of us the highlights of the trip are in Xian and Beijing so the scenery and experiences gradually got better each day and it was good to end the trip on a high.

3. To say Viking is organized is an incredible understatement. After going through Chinese customs (quick and easy) it was the last time we would have to physically move our luggage. Viking collected our luggage and it was waiting for us at the hotel. Viking pre-checks you in at each hotel and gives you your room key while on the bus from the airport. When flying from city to city, they pick up your luggage from your room, take it to the airport, and put it through security. They take it off the carousel once we land and transport it to the next hotel. It was incredible.

4. On the bus from the Shanghai airport we were given our guide assignments. This person will be your “mother” for the entire trip and they are wonderful. Consider yourself VERY lucky if you get Larry.

5. The excursion to the school was touching. Don’t miss it.

6. Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer everywhere you go and wash your hands frequently.

7. Take some toilet paper with you every time you leave the ship. There’s not a Western sit down toilet everywhere you go and toilet paper is a luxury. Also be prepared for no paper towels at sink and the hand blowers are useless. It was comical to see everyone leaving the toilet shaking their hands or wiping them on their jeans.

8. We went to the both the Tang Dynasty Dinner in Xian and the Peking Opera and were glad we did. It was a beautiful experience.

9. I used Google Translator on my iPhone and it came in very handy. Type it in and show them the Chinese translation.

10. Ignore the Viking instructions about the 44 lb luggage limit and 11 lb carryon limit. It’s not enforced. They stated they can’t change their literature as these limits are China law but it’s never enforced. While on the planes we saw Chinese passengers bringing on carryon luggage so big it would have never been allowed in the States.

11. Leave the converters and adapters at home. The hotels and the ship have plenty of them and most outlets now are “adapters” and accept multiple types of plugs. The bathroom on the ship and every hotel has a 110v plug.

12. The ship and all hotels have umbrellas. We should have left ours home. We were VERY lucky as it only rained one day. My poncho came in very handy as I didn’t have to hold an umbrella and take pictures.

13. The air pollution is staggering. I had expected it but never anticipated it would be as bad as it is. If you have any type of breathing issues be sure to bring your meds. Visine is also a must.

14. Bring every type of over the counter medication you can think of…heartburn, nausea, diarrhea (bring an entire bottle of Imodium), constipation, allergies etc. We had Cipro which I would encourage you to do. On our 4th day on the cruise about 20 guests, including myself, came down with diarrhea. Nothing real serious for anyone. My wife was fine but I spent the day in the room. 36 hrs later most of us were about 75% and getting better.

15. Unlike in Europe, Viking doesn’t own the ship rather they lease it from New Century. The “Officer” level staff and Tour Escorts work for Viking but the food servers, room attendants etc are employed by New Century. From the outside, the ship is not overly exciting but the inside is beautiful and the crew keeps it spotless.

16. The food on the ship is good but not great. We did the Viking Grand European Tour two years ago and the food was significantly better. You’ll eat several meals in Chinese restaurants and again, some were good, but most were ok…just like in the U.S. Real Chinese food is not like what you get at your local place. It’s new dishes, flavors and textures we’re not used. Go with an open mind and try it. The ship wait staff is an entirely different story. They are the hardest working people on the ship and they will do anything to help you. Again, consider yourself lucky if you get Maggie or May as your server. They are sweet hearts.

17. The street food is beautiful. Photograph it but don’t eat it…ever. I read that some posters have but Larry strongly advised against it.

18. A number of the excursions are nothing more than getting you into a sales room (silk, jade or pottery and rugs to buy something. You’ll go on a 10-15 min tour of the factor then spend the next 30-45 min in the showroom. While some liked to shop I thought the tour portion was interesting but the shopping was a huge waste of time and would have preferred to go walking and exploring. We skipped the ceramic tour not wanting to endure a 4 hour round trip bus ride.

19. Pick pockets are everywhere. It won’t take you long to recognize the likely culprits. Leave your wallet and documents in the safe. I put money in my front pocket. I carried a fanny pack and kept it in front of me. If you wear it in the back it’s too easy for them to unzip it and take something.

20. The internet is hit or miss but MUCH better than the European cruise. A number of people complained about no or slow access but it wasn’t a big inconvenience.

21. Our time in Xian was just too short. Viking, if you read this, many of the passengers would have gladly given up one of the other days (especially one of the shopping excursions) to have an extra time in Xian. It’s a fascinating city and we didn’t have much time to go explore.

22. The hotels were a surprise. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in Shanghai. It’s quite a way from the Bund and we would have preferred to stay in the Shangri-La with another group right in the middle of the city. In Xian we stayed at the Hilton and in Beijing the Westin. The last two were new 5 star hotels. You will not be disappointed.

23. The Chinese people are so friendly. When we skipped the ceramic tour a group of us took off to explore the local city. I would strongly encourage you to do this. Be brave and adventurous. My iPhone GPS worked like a charm but you really don’t need it. Chinese stopped to stare at us and wanted their picture taken with us. We learned later that very few Viking guests do this so we were likely the first live Westerners they had ever seen. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the cruise. The Chinese are very proud of their children. We took hard candy from the ship and gave it out which was a huge it. Always “ask” if it’s ok to take their picture. Just point to your camera. They get it. I would suggest getting a short set of phrases like “May I take your picture”. Also on your first or second day learn to say “Please”, “Thank You” and “You’re welcome” in Chinese. (The ship has a basic Chinese class but it’s not till about a week into the cruise.) The Chinese are really surprised and appreciative when you extend these basic courtesies in their language. They are taught English starting in the first grade so don’t be surprised to run across some that speak very good English.

24. Dress on the ship and daily excursions is informal. You did see a couple of sports coats but it was the exception. Jeans were the norm and many wore shorts daily. Don’t try to pack for all 17 days. We used the ship laundry several times and it’s reasonable.

25. You’ll be provided an unlimited supply of bottled drinking water every day. On the ship, they serve water from pitchers but it’s from bottles. We had no concerns about the ice on the ship or in the hotels and were assured it was very safe and we had it every day with our water and drinks. The bus has plenty of bottled water for the excursions. In the local restaurants you are provided bottled water but stay away from the ice.

26. My debit card worked fine everywhere. Just be sure to use the ATM in the hotels or the big international banks like Bank of China. Bank of China ATMs have an English option. The ATMs in smaller local banks won’t work and you may not get your card out of the machine. The money is all RMD. On the ship they can't exchange money but can give your change for larger RMB bills.

27. Money. We read several posts about taking $150 in $1.00 bills for tips. I think $100 is more than enough. On our excursions we gave the local guide $3.00 and the bus driver $2.00.

28. Local venders. You love them or hate them. Some just won’t leave you alone. If you’re going to return to the same place after an excursion NEVER say “later” because they have a great memory and when you get back they will just not leave you alone. We were advised not to make eye contact with them. If you start talking to them saying you’re not interested then they don’t understand a lot of English so they think you’re bartering with them and they persist. Some of you may not agree with what I’m about to say here but so be it. It was fun bartering. It’s amazing how far they will come down in price. It’s a game and always smile. But don’t take it to an extreme. These people are poor beyond your imagination. Sure I could have worked them even more to get the price even lower but I might only save $1-$2 more. We’ll spend $6-$10 on a glass a wine and not give it a second thought. These people are trying to scrape out a meager living and if I give them a couple of dollars more then I was ok.

In closing be prepared for the experience of a lifetime. Be flexible and and you’ll be warmly welcomed by the Chinese. We are hooked on Viking and hope to go back to Europe next year.