Viking China (Part 2)

[Glassespro]

Maredog, where in LA? We live in Northridge. Our trip is coming up--10/10 out of LA. Our current flights are listed as Air Canada to Vancouver, and on to Beijing. Do you know yours yet? We are still going back and forth regarding changing to non-stop, but the times for most of these flights aren't very good, so still wondering. We live very close to Viking's US Hq in Woodland Hills, so let me know if you need anything from them.

 

What trip are you on? I think you mentioned it a while ago, but I forgot. Anyway, maybe we can get together and compare notes. We also plan to use the LA Consulate for our Visa's. They claim the turn-around time is only about 4-5 days, but I don't want to wait to the last minute.

[bayerisch]

I am going on the Aug. 19 Roof of the World trip. I would greatly appreciate hearing your review of the trip when you return. Have a wonderful time.

 

Thank you! I will post upon my return. I am sure it will be lovely. Although I wasn't planning on packing cool weather clothing, it looks like now I will need to pack some for Tibet! Thanks Viking River Cruises for the update.

 

Will need to start packing this week, really just 4 more days, but there have been some family distractions of the grandkids type. Good by sleepovers and bon voyage celebrations from loved ones are the good kind of distrations. After the final sleepover, there are no more excuses!:D

[Maredog]

Maredog, where in LA? We live in Northridge. Our trip is coming up--10/10 out of LA. Our current flights are listed as Air Canada to Vancouver, and on to Beijing. Do you know yours yet? We are still going back and forth regarding changing to non-stop, but the times for most of these flights aren't very good, so still wondering. We live very close to Viking's US Hq in Woodland Hills, so let me know if you need anything from them.

 

What trip are you on? I think you mentioned it a while ago, but I forgot. Anyway, maybe we can get together and compare notes. We also plan to use the LA Consulate for our Visa's. They claim the turn-around time is only about 4-5 days, but I don't want to wait to the last minute.

 

We leave on 9-29-12 for Shanghai and return on 10-10 from Beijing. You are on the sailing after ours, I think. We are going to the Embassy this week so we may have better info after that. Have you gone online to download the Visa application? You can do it from the LA Chinese Embassy web site. The Visa is only good for the days you are traveling and have restrictions as to the earliest dates you can get them. The Embassy is near downtown. It is cheaper to go direct to the Embassy.

We live in West LA. Email me and maybe we can chat before our trip. Email is mdavis@lunatextiles.com

[caribill]

Have you gone online to download the Visa application? You can do it from the LA Chinese Embassy web site. The Visa is only good for the days you are traveling and have restrictions as to the earliest dates you can get them. The Embassy is near downtown. It is cheaper to go direct to the Embassy.

 

 

When we obtained our visa about three years ago from the Consulate in Houston, we had a choice (for the same price) of a single entry visa, multiple entries within six months, and multiple entries within a year. We picked the last of these options.

 

We did have to provide the dates for the initial trip, but not for additional trips.

[kbert92069]

Anyway we are excited about the trip and are going to the Embassy in LA for the Visa next week.

 

We also are planning to visit the consulate in LA but it's still a little early for us yet so I would love to hear of your first hand experience.

 

Our daughter lives in West LA and we are hoping she'll be able to take our paperwork in on our behalf and pick the visas up later ( she travels back and forth regularly LA to San Diego anyway.) The embassy web site says this is an option but I'd like to hear it firsthand.

[Terpnut]

...

Anyway we are excited about the trip and are going to the Embassy in LA for the Visa next week. We have friends in Shanghai who said it was fast and easy.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Not to nitpick too much, but there is only one Chinese embassy--it's in Washington DC. The other offices around the country are consulates. Visa services should be the same at all of them however.

 

When we obtained our visa about three years ago from the Consulate in Houston, we had a choice (for the same price) of a single entry visa, multiple entries within six months, and multiple entries within a year. We picked the last of these options.

 

We did have to provide the dates for the initial trip, but not for additional trips.

Very smart! The Chinese price all their visas for US citizens the same so why would anyone not check the box for the 12-month, multiple entry visa? You never know if you might return within the year and you have NOTHING to lose! :)

 

We also are planning to visit the consulate in LA but it's still a little early for us yet so I would love to hear of your first hand experience.

 

Our daughter lives in West LA and we are hoping she'll be able to take our paperwork in on our behalf and pick the visas up later ( she travels back and forth regularly LA to San Diego anyway.) The embassy web site says this is an option but I'd like to hear it firsthand.

If it is more convenient for someone other than the applicant(s) to dropoff and/or pickup the paperwork, then you should do it. There is very little advantage for the applicant themselves to do it. With that said, be very careful to follow the directions in filling out the paperwork and to provide the required documentation--the visa office can be very particular in rejecting your application for any number of reasons: missing or incorrect information on the application, photo not right, missing supporting documentation, etc. etc. In my case, I had to redo parts of our applications and provide new photos (requiring another trip).

[Big#10020]

Our travel agent/Sheila will take care of visas. Uses a visa company. Had a terrible time with husband's signature to get visas for Brazil. Very picky on signature. Ended up ta agency paying to walk over the request. Got them Saturday at 2PM and we flew Monday after noon.

[Glassespro]

We also are planning to visit the consulate in LA but it's still a little early for us yet so I would love to hear of your first hand experience.

 

Our daughter lives in West LA and we are hoping she'll be able to take our paperwork in on our behalf and pick the visas up later ( she travels back and forth regularly LA to San Diego anyway.) The embassy web site says this is an option but I'd like to hear it firsthand.

 

I'll post my experiences as soon as we do this, in the next couple of weeks. Hadn't thought about asking for a 1 yr, but that certainly makes sense.

 

I'm getting very excited, as this draws closer!!!

[Donray]

We used the China visa center in Los Angles last month. Filled out the online form in all capitals and left no entry empty I put NA where was not needed. I got the one year multiple entry since it is the same price as the others. Since we live in south Orange County we took the Metrolink train to Union Station and then the subway (either the Red or Purple line) to the Wilshire/Vermont station. Exit the station to Wilshire and walk left half a block to Shatto and left up Shatto about two blocks. The visa office is across the street from consulate office and is at 3rd Floor, 500 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA 90020. The passport office is open 9 am to 2 pm only and is will organized. After passing through the metal detector you take a number. We got their about 10:30 am and had to wait about 45 minutes. They check over the form and give you a receipt for your passport and told when you can pick up your passport with visa. You pay when you pick up your passport. Our passports were ready in two days so we went up and picked them up. It was about a five minute wait in the pick up line.

[Peregrina651]

For those who don't live within driving distance of a consulate, just to say that we used the visa service suggested by Viking and had no trouble getting our visas returned quickly and safely. We did not bother to look at other services feeling that the Viking recommendation was sufficient.

[CTGirl]

For those who don't live within driving distance of a consulate, just to say that we used the visa service suggested by Viking and had no trouble getting our visas returned quickly and safely. We did not bother to look at other services feeling that the Viking recommendation was sufficient.

Thanks for this info. I think we will do the same when it is our turn.

[recyclelady]

For those who don't live within driving distance of a consulate, just to say that we used the visa service suggested by Viking and had no trouble getting our visas returned quickly and safely. We did not bother to look at other services feeling that the Viking recommendation was sufficient.

We will definitely be taking this route, as well. It is bad enough that my husband and I are basically taking Halloween--Thanksgiving off from work....can't push our luck with any more requested days off just to hunt down a visa!:D

[Turtles06]

For those who don't live within driving distance of a consulate, just to say that we used the visa service suggested by Viking and had no trouble getting our visas returned quickly and safely. We did not bother to look at other services feeling that the Viking recommendation was sufficient.

 

We used them too (Generations Visa) and I thought they were great. (This was in 2011.) And when I had a few questions about how to fill out the visa application, timing, etc., they were more than willing to walk me through things on the phone, and that's before they even knew that I'd be a customer.

[Bushy H.]

Our trip is in September and August is holiday in Europe so everything cost more and more crowded, so hubby and I thought better get hot on getting our visa. We booked our cruise with the UK Viking so their suggested company could not do our visa since we are not Brits.

 

Doing our visa online forms etc has been quite the experience. With one residence address and one work address where we get our mail which do we use? Then how long in Germany..left or from the very beginning? Which passport to use and oops my SOFA (residence permit) expires the day we return! Realized this on Tuesday the ONLY day they take walk-ins. Had to run to base to get it renewed all on foot (3 miles round trip) to find not the wrong passport was attached to the SOFA so had to go all the way home to get the right passport, I found it expired this month and takes 28 weeks to receive the new one (insert scream here) requested hubby come home to make the printer work with form printing (too long to explain) then drive me back to find since we return to the US in Nov I don't need the expired passport, so she makes the SOFA and puts it with the tourist passport. <sigh> It is more difficult to get this done in Europe than the states.

 

We live in Stuttgart so had to take the train to Frankfurt, first class (second class proved a nightmare with shortage of seats) on ICE so nearly 100 Euros each round trip. We had to catch the 5:30 am bus to the S bahn station in our village, then from Stuttgart main station catch the ICE train at 7:30 am to arrive in Frankfurt at 9:00 am when the Chinese consulate opened, seemed perfect right! I was unaware of there being two stations called "Frankfurt Main Airport" and one just "Frankfurt Main" in downtown so I got us off at the wrong stop. Luckily the ticket man gave us another ticket to the next station for no added cost. Then we get off and using my Google map fast walked fifteen minutes or more to the consulate....hmmm not seeing it. Go into the lobby of this huge building and the nice German woman gave us written directions to the train stop to the consulate that moved...errr not mentioned on the web page. So out we go with instructions to take the S bahn train but we opt for a Taxi since time is critical, the consulate does not take visa applications after 11:30 am, it is now 9:30 am. We lucked out find a cab near this hotel, the driver doesn't have a clue about the consulate but home base does and it is just over the bridge. We get inside to take number 0084! It is now 10:00 am. There are seven windows but only one is for individuals getting visas. The window clerk was amazing moving the customers along and letting them make copies of pages for some reason. Then the line stalled something was wrong, the woman needed to have her photo taken but she is arguing, they even had a machine for that in the lobby! Finally the line is moving, it is now 11:00 am we are dreading the thought of doing this drill again if we can't get the visa forms in. The line is moving... moving.. and boom with fifteen minutes to spare, our number is called, we only had to make copies of our SOFAS or resident permit for Germany and we are done!!!! They require we come in person to get the visa and sadly come in person to pick it up. <sigh> Well that will be the last step to getting to China and I would do it again and again because we are determined to go. ha I envy everyone the states who gets to just mail it in or use a company, what a great deal! Wooohooo China here we come!!!

[Kohola]

These are photos a friend that lives in ShenYang in NE China sent me of the torrential rain and subsequent loss of life in Beijing on Saturday local time.

 

[caribill]

These are photos a friend that lives in ShenYang in NE China sent me of the torrential rain and subsequent loss of life in Beijing on Saturday local time.

 

 

Pictures did not come through

[Kohola]

Pictures did not come through

 

Oops! I had them in a protected gallery so only I could see them on CC. Thanks for pointing it out. Now here are the photos:

 

 

 

[G&L in WPG]

We are booked for Nov 2013! Could not turn down that deal! Anyone have any flight advice? I have a bad back and I am not looking forward to the flight. Might wait a while to start a roll call.....

[caribill]

We are booked for Nov 2013! Could not turn down that deal! Anyone have any flight advice? I have a bad back and I am not looking forward to the flight. Might wait a while to start a roll call.....

 

It will be a long flight (or flights) no matter how you plan it. To me arrival time is important at the start of the trip, so I would try to arrive in mid-afternoon if possible and not late at night.

 

Departure time at the end is also important and I woukld try for late morning or an afternoon departure so you do not have to get up and leave the hotel before breakfast.

 

Roll calls for a specific Viking China cruise are very few as there are rarely more than one of two different families who are on the same trip and know about Cruise Critic and participate in roll calls. Your best source of information may be this thread.

[swanny727]

These are photos a friend that lives in ShenYang in NE China sent me of the torrential rain and subsequent loss of life in Beijing on Saturday local time.

 

 

WOW amazing photos. How powerful storms can be! Very sorry so many lost their life. Hope your friend is OK. Thanks for sharing.

[Quincy126]

We are flying from Heathrow, UK to Shanghai next year and we will not get to know until a lot nearer the time who we are flying with. I am thinking it will be British Airways but was wondering what airlines people had been allocated recently.

 

Pam

[seanf]

We are flying from Heathrow, UK to Shanghai next year...

Back in 2010 I flew from Manchester to Beijing and Viking booked me on Emirates. The service was fantastic, but the stop in Dubai was quite long. A couple in my group flew direct from Heathrow and I believe they were on BA

 

Sean :)

[CTGirl]

We are flying from Heathrow, UK to Shanghai next year and we will not get to know until a lot nearer the time who we are flying with. I am thinking it will be British Airways but was wondering what airlines people had been allocated recently.

 

Pam

We are flying from JFK to Beijing next April. Viking put us on Air China going and United coming home. We are non-stop from JFK. I don't mind the flight but I don't like the fact that I can't get seats on Air China until much closer to the cruise. It looks like Air China is the only flight to Beijing out of JFK that day so I think I'm stuck with them.

[Quincy126]

Back in 2010 I flew from Manchester to Beijing and Viking booked me on Emirates. The service was fantastic, but the stop in Dubai was quite long. A couple in my group flew direct from Heathrow and I believe they were on BA

 

Sean :)

 

That is something to look into. We will have internal flight to Heathrow from Manchester or Leeds. It was looking like approx 6 hr stop in LHR. Have flown with Emirates and yes they are excellent. Pam

 

 

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[Quincy126]

We are flying from JFK to Beijing next April. Viking put us on Air China going and United coming home. We are non-stop from JFK. I don't mind the flight but I don't like the fact that I can't get seats on Air China until much closer to the cruise. It looks like Air China is the only flight to Beijing out of JFK that day so I think I'm stuck with them.

 

Great that you can get a direct flight but like you I would like to get information re flights before month before we go.

 

Pam

 

 

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