Viking China (Part 2)

[sissabagrama]

When we went, no liquids were allowed in carryons on the intra-China flights. They did not always check for them, but that was the official policy.

 

I do not know what the official policy is currently.

Help! We're in final packing, were suitcase sizes and weights a problem for anyone?

[caribill]

Help! We're in final packing, were suitcase sizes and weights a problem for anyone?

 

Sizes were no problem for the same size suitcases used for plane flights in the USA.

 

Weight should also conform to those limits as at home:

 

a) You do not want to be hit with overweightcharges flying to and from home

b) Although the suitcases on intra-China flights are weighed as a group, if there is an overall weight problem, your guide may have to pay the financial penalty.

Edited April 1, 2013 by caribill

[GoInOnaCruz]

Sizes were no problem for the same size suitcases used for plane flights in the USA.

 

Weight should also conform to those limits as at home:

 

a) You do not want to be hit with overweightcharges flying to and from home

b) Although the suitcases on intra-China flights are weighed as a group, if there is an overall weight problem, your guide may have to pay the financial penalty.

My large case weighed 37 lbs. and don't know about my over the shoudler carry on--I think the checked case is 24". We only had to worry about the carry ons as VRC takes charge of the checked luggage and your guide makes sure all luggage is present and shows up from airport to airport--I don't think our group ever had an overage problem--never saw him draw anyone aside or anything. Only slight problem we personally had was on the smallest plane on our last intra China flight from Xi'an to Chongqing. We were almost last to board--it was total chaos boarding--first one elbowing everyone out of the way first on and we were among the last as my husband always assumes everything will work out positively--wish I were that sanguine--and he couldn't find a place for his 21 inch roll on carry on (we were seated in row 56 of about 58--numbers started at 30 something). Luckily one of the flight attendants took it on herself to find him an empty slot--all planes on the other flights were Airbus this one was a 737--overhead bins were very small in comparison to the Airbuses. We were lucky as we sat next to each other on all flights but most couples were seated apart--probably not a bad thing after such enforced "closeness" on the land tour portion! :) HAVE A GREAT TRIP!!! I am so jealous and wish that this were a month ago!!!! You are in for a treat.

[Kohola]

You don't have a lot of time to get out the spreadsheet and go over all of that with the children.

Made me chuckle. The point previous travelers who come back excited to share their school experience all have in common...they went to China with something that easily engaged the children. Chinese want to share and many will over share just like me. These photos are sent by the people I chat with in China...things most of us with never see.

 

Eastern Orthodox Church on Martyoshka Square in ManZhouLi, Inner Mongolia on the Russian border. Photos from a young lady at college studying to be a teacher. We settled on her English name as Bond, Ms Bond. She only knew people get married there:

ManZhouLi at night...the young lady chats with me during English class because of the time difference. She is ethnic Mongolian with a precious sense of humor:

Photo on Tiananmen Square was taken March 31,2013...no crowds. Son is in 5th grade in a class of 72, she owns a drug store working 16 hours a day 7 days a week. We chat in Chinese, google translate is that good:

High school classroom in ChongQing. Notice their desks double as lockers. Unlike American schools the students are in a class together for all subjects. Class schedule is 8 to noon, then 2 until 6pm. They take 8 subjects:

This is Luosi Noodles from Liuzhou in southern China...these dish runs about $1 or 6RMB. Chinese are complaining about the rapid rise in cost of noodles: This is a photo from breakfast a little while ago.

This photo was taken in the oil fields outside of Xian during lunch yesterday. I was told it isn't spicy because there is very little chili peppers in it:

We first went to China in 2009 with a basic school knowledge of China and the information that Viking provide in their travel documentation which was more than enough to enjoy China. I assume anyone that takes the time to read years of CC reviews is looking for something other than don't drink the water and pack light. You have the opportunity to create life long friendships and make a difference in the life of a young person in China. As well as try some dishes that are delicious and not made for an international clientele.

[rahrah50]

Just a concern on the intra China flights. I use insulin and when you say no liquids on those flights it makes me a bit nervous. I NEVER let my insulin out of my personal posession on flights. It can go in my handbag and I can give them my carryon bag, but is that going to be a problem????

[Peregrina651]

Just a concern on the intra China flights. I use insulin and when you say no liquids on those flights it makes me a bit nervous. I NEVER let my insulin out of my personal posession on flights. It can go in my handbag and I can give them my carryon bag, but is that going to be a problem????

 

IMHO, Cruise Critic is a great place to ask questions and share information BUT there are times when this just isn't the right place to be asking a question because it just doesn't matter what we have to say; we aren't in charge and we don't have sufficient knowledge to give you an answer. If you run into trouble with any advice that we give you on this matter, it isn't going to help you to tell the authorities, "But they told me Cruise Critic..."

 

You have a legitimate problem for which you need a very precise, reliable answer. Go straight to the source. Call Viking and talk to them directly. They will tell you what you have to do, what papers you need to have with you, what precautions you need to take, etc. They can talk with the China office and ask how this should be handled and they can insure that you get all of the information that you need to make your trip safe and worry free.

 

From the website: contact Viking River Cruises, Inc., at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING). Ask to talk to someone about special medical needs. .

[rahrah50]

I have spoken with Viking regarding refrigeration of my insulin and they were very helpful. I will call them about the no liquids on the intra China flights. I would not even have known this could be an issue without the "no liquids info"on cruise critic. Much easier to check it out now!!! There will be two in our group carrying insulin so it definitely needs to be investigated.... Thanks again cruise critic!! You never know how all these tidbits of information help another traveler!

[Peregrina651]

Thanks again cruise critic!! You never know how all these tidbits of information help another traveler!

 

You said it!

[CTGirl]

We had to shop for another suitcase in China and it was just a pain. If you are planning on shopping, then IMHO, come prepared.

 

We did leave home with carry-on luggage only -- one carry-on and one 'personal' item each. We did not check anything on the flights over but once in China, we turned our carry-on bags over to Viking to deal with on the intra-China legs; our 'personal' items (now two each with all the shopping we weren't going to do) came with us. Flying home we checked all our laundry and carried all our shopping on board with us--and then waited 45 minutes in the airport for our checked bags to be delivered. Never again! No more checked luggage!

I am impressed. How did you manage to do just carryon. I am packing now for our April 14th trip and I am using two 24 inchers, one 21 incher, one roller tote and one camera case. I would love to get that down a bit but I just don't see how. We are doing the Hong Kong extension so we will be traveling for almost three weeks including flying time. We plan on doing laundry on the ship but even then we need maybe four or five days of clothing each. I'm hoping to keep my big suitcases really light so that I can add to them as we go.

[rahrah50]

Per Viking River Cruises, liquid medication is allowed on intra China flights.

[Peregrina651]

I am impressed. How did you manage to do just carryon.

 

Because I am bound and determined NOT to check any luggage.

 

The hard one to pack for is DH because his stuff is so much bigger but we do it by depending on local laundry. We take 3 bottoms each and five or six tops, one warm layer (usually by wearing it on to the plane) plus our goretex rain coats. Two pairs of comfortable walking shoes each--wear one, pack one. Our wardrobe needs are minimal.

 

We don't pack a lot of extras like luggage scales, duct tape and some of the other items that I have seen on people's 'must travel with' lists.

 

When in doubt, leave it out. I'm tired of dealing with more luggage than I can handle and I have learned that I can manage quite easily with less. Everything I pack gets used.

 

But, as I said, we did have to buy a suitcase to get home from China because we bought a whole lot more than we had room for. My bad!

[sissabagrama]

Because I am bound and determined NOT to check any luggage.

 

The hard one to pack for is DH because his stuff is so much bigger but we do it by depending on local laundry. We take 3 bottoms each and five or six tops, one warm layer (usually by wearing it on to the plane) plus our goretex rain coats. Two pairs of comfortable walking shoes each--wear one, pack one. Our wardrobe needs are minimal.

 

We don't pack a lot of extras like luggage scales, duct tape and some of the other items that I have seen on people's 'must travel with' lists.

 

When in doubt, leave it out. I'm tired of dealing with more luggage than I can handle and I have learned that I can manage quite easily with less. Everything I pack gets used.

 

But, as I said, we did have to buy a suitcase to get home from China because we bought a whole lot more than we had room for. My bad!

My brother in law is like that - if it doesn't fit in a carry-on, you must not need it. He was also practically born in penny loafers and khakis, so you're never sure how many changes he's made . . . I'm not disclosing what we're taking, but we do have 2 large check-ons, average size, and 2 carry-ons. We are glad VRC does the luggage moving, so the only wait is for checked bags back in Chicago on return, and by then, who cares, have to do customs and immigration anyway. Oh, and one lg case has plenty of room for purchases :)

We're on our way to the airport in a few hours! SOOOOO excited.

Edited April 2, 2013 by sissabagrama
forgot one thing

[rahrah50]

There are several types of roll up totes that can be stashed in a suitcase, packed for the trip home, and then checked with the airlines. No one wants to spend time on a trip looking for a bag to get all your stuff home. I purchased mine from Travelsmith, but there are lots of them out there.

 

I am learning to pack less. It really is so much easier. Laundry costs are not that much and I am happy to pay them if it makes traveling easier. No one will care if you wore that shirt 4 times on your trip...... I have not mastered the no checked bags yet, but I have learned to travel with less stuff. It is a work in progress......

[GoInOnaCruz]

M We are glad VRC does the luggage moving, so the only wait is for checked bags back in Chicago on return, and by then, who cares, have to do customs and immigration anyway. Oh, and one lg case has plenty of room for purchases :)

We're on our way to the airport in a few hours! SOOOOO excited.

I usually only travel with carry ons and wish I could have figured out how to do it with China but with about 4 different climates we needed about 4 layering pieces! We almost froze to death in Tienanmen Square and then were sweating at the pagoda on the Yangtze then back to freezing and on and on! It was great while VRC was in charge of our luggage but then we had the business trip portion of our trip and we had to deal with reality :( But anyway, be ready to relax during the flights--you don't have to worry about a thing once you hit China--VRC takes care of EVERYTHING! Go and have fun and let us know how it was on your return! :D

[CTGirl]

My brother in law is like that - if it doesn't fit in a carry-on, you must not need it. He was also practically born in penny loafers and khakis, so you're never sure how many changes he's made . . . I'm not disclosing what we're taking, but we do have 2 large check-ons, average size, and 2 carry-ons. We are glad VRC does the luggage moving, so the only wait is for checked bags back in Chicago on return, and by then, who cares, have to do customs and immigration anyway. Oh, and one lg case has plenty of room for purchases :)

We're on our way to the airport in a few hours! SOOOOO excited.

Safe travels to you. We are not far behind you. Our trip starts on the 14th.

[sissabagrama]

I usually only travel with carry ons and wish I could have figured out how to do it with China but with about 4 different climates we needed about 4 layering pieces! We almost froze to death in Tienanmen Square and then were sweating at the pagoda on the Yangtze then back to freezing and on and on! It was great while VRC was in charge of our luggage but then we had the business trip portion of our trip and we had to deal with reality :( But anyway, be ready to relax during the flights--you don't have to worry about a thing once you hit China--VRC takes care of EVERYTHING! Go and have fun and let us know how it was on your return! :D

Will Do! I do feel just excited and relaxed and trusting. This forum has so helped preparation. Thanks to you and all.

[JP1320]

Just been notified by Genvisa that the new China immigration laws require that anybody applying for a visa for China, also needs to submit a copy of their Drivers License along with the other necessary paperwork and Passport.

[GoInOnaCruz]

Just been notified by Genvisa that the new China immigration laws require that anybody applying for a visa for China, also needs to submit a copy of their Drivers License along with the other necessary paperwork and Passport.

They must have finally figured out what they wanted in the blank that asked for your personal id card #. I think in Canada they told them their social security # (or equivalent) and I sweated it while my visa went through (used a company that my TA recommended). At least it is clear now. Hope everyone sees your post!

[Peregrina651]

Just been notified by Genvisa that the new China immigration laws require that anybody applying for a visa for China, also needs to submit a copy of their Drivers License along with the other necessary paperwork and Passport.

 

Thanks for the heads up. This is a very helpful bit of information.

 

But what about people who don't have a driver's license--young teens, seniors who have given up driving, those who have never gotten a license?? Someone is going to ask eventually so maybe someone who is already dealing with visas can ask and post the answer here.

[bettybc]

IMHO, Cruise Critic is a great place to ask questions and share information BUT there are times when this just isn't the right place to be asking a question because it just doesn't matter what we have to say; we aren't in charge and we don't have sufficient knowledge to give you an answer. If you run into trouble with any advice that we give you on this matter, it isn't going to help you to tell the authorities, "But they told me Cruise Critic..."

 

You have a legitimate problem for which you need a very precise, reliable answer. Go straight to the source. Call Viking and talk to them directly. They will tell you what you have to do, what papers you need to have with you, what precautions you need to take, etc. They can talk with the China office and ask how this should be handled and they can insure that you get all of the information that you need to make your trip safe and worry free.

 

From the website: contact Viking River Cruises, Inc., at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING). Ask to talk to someone about special medical needs. .

As a Diabetes Nurse Educator, I always recommend that you have in your documentation a letter from your doctor explaining that your insulin must be with you at all times as you have diabetes. Any prescription medication should be in your carry on with proper documentation and in the original packaging, regardless. Hope that's helpful.

[sissabagrama]

OHare flt to Beijing now an hour delayed , plane taken out of service and new one coming. OK with us to have OK plane.

[bettybc]

They must have finally figured out what they wanted in the blank that asked for your personal id card #. I think in Canada they told them their social security # (or equivalent) and I sweated it while my visa went through (used a company that my TA recommended). At least it is clear now. Hope everyone sees your post!

I live in BC, Canada and was able to use my driver's license number in the personal ID section - we didn't' need to use our SIN. :-)

[JP1320]

Thanks for the heads up. This is a very helpful bit of information.

 

But what about people who don't have a driver's license--young teens, seniors who have given up driving, those who have never gotten a license?? Someone is going to ask eventually so maybe someone who is already dealing with visas can ask and post the answer here.

 

I can only assume that if you put your drivers license numbers in the box, as per the instructions from genvisa then to validate that information you need to send a copy as support. If left blank then, again, I assume, all is OK.

 

Genvisa needs to clarify this in their China application instructions.

[Peregrina651]

OHare flt to Beijing now an hour delayed , plane taken out of service and new one coming. OK with us to have OK plane.

 

Two weeks from now, you will barely remember this.

[CTGirl]

Quick question - I could not find this information anywhere in our document package - When do you put the sticky paper luggage tags that you write your stateroom number on your luggage? We also got beautiful red leather like luggage tags that I will put on the checked bags before we leave for the airport.