Just back from Diamond/Grand Asia

[ukbecky]

I've just realised it would be less expensive to 'stock up' with unopened beer during happy hour.

 

That's exactly what my husband did :D And buckets were available at the bars.

 

Sorry one more question;

Who was the cruise director?

 

Can you tell I'm getting excited! [emoji12]

 

 

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Cruise director is Lee Childers

[Bill B]

That's exactly what my husband did :D

 

Tell him great minds think alike.

[riclop]

It was a great trip. Ask anything and I will help if I can:)

 

Tell us a little something.

[CarlaBlit]

That's exactly what my husband did :D And buckets were available at the bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cruise director is Lee Childers

 

 

Is heaps

 

 

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[helenb]

The last I read, Izumi was $20 for 90 minutes... and I'd decided that was a little too much for a 'hot bath'. It seems they've reduced the price by $5 and added 30 minutes (I guess they weren't getting enough 'takers'). Perhaps I'll reconsider.

 

It's not the price that would turn me away, but the *requirement* that you be naked! I'm just not comfortable being naked around strangers.

 

To those who took the cruise, what was the mix of passenger nationalities? Which ones did you see most represented?

[windsor26]

It was a great trip. Ask anything and I will help if I can:)

 

What was Duke the cruise director like We have him n ext week on the Emerald

[ukbecky]

It's not the price that would turn me away, but the *requirement* that you be naked! I'm just not comfortable being naked around strangers.

 

To those who took the cruise, what was the mix of passenger nationalities? Which ones did you see most represented?

 

There are different times to experience Izumi where you don't have to be naked. I remember reading it in the Patter.

 

Lots of Canadians and Australians & New Zealand on board, also Japanese and Chinese. Some Russians, Mexicans and Indians also.

 

From all over, really.

[ukbecky]

What was Duke the cruise director like We have him n ext week on the Emerald

 

I don't have an opinion on our cruise director. I never saw him, but I didn't go to the shows so it probably wasn't his fault that I didn't see him:)

[windsor26]

I don't have an opinion on our cruise director. I never saw him, but I didn't go to the shows so it probably wasn't his fault that I didn't see him:)

 

Thank you

[easyboy]

We had to get the China visa before leaving home. The Vietnam visa was handled on the ship - we didn't have to do anything and they charged our on board account about $30 pp for the visa. Nothing was done in the other ports(nothing that involved us or money anyway).

 

We are both US citizens

So we really have to get China visa here next year. Thanks.

[Cruiserkenn]

LOL - some of it was SCARY

I have been to Asia before a looong time ago and I love the food, especially from the street vendors. My husband is not quite so brave.

 

The first time I bought dumplings and handed him one, he asked me what was in it. I told him, it was food(I don't read Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc. any better than he does) and just eat it! And he did. And by the end, he was buying and eating all sorts of random things :D

 

But not the (live or fried)scorpions on a stick that we saw in Beijing:eek:

 

We had zero stomach problems - but drank only bottled water we brought from the ship.

 

What an adventure you had! I know the scorpions are an unforgettable memory, even if that was not the intent. Gads!

[Pushka]

We just received an email from Cunard that states if you are doing a ship tour in Shanghai then the visa will be organised by Cunard. If you are doing a private tour with a licensed Travel Agent then they should organize the visa. But you have to stay with the group. If you are doing a completely DIY tour then you need to get the Visa in advance. Cunard is owned by Carnival who also owns Princess.

[ukbecky]

We just received an email from Cunard that states if you are doing a ship tour in Shanghai then the visa will be organised by Cunard. If you are doing a private tour with a licensed Travel Agent then they should organize the visa. But you have to stay with the group. If you are doing a completely DIY tour then you need to get the Visa in advance. Cunard is owned by Carnival who also owns Princess.

 

I know China has a new 72-hour visa that is different.

 

Our cruise had an overnight in Hong Kong, stop in Shanghai and ended in Beijing so a multiple entry regular China visa was required for our cruise.

[Bill B]

I believe the 72 hour transit visa is only for those entering by air at limited major city airports. That being said, things change constantly in China (often with no notice) and laws, rules and regulations are all open to interpretation. This results in cruise lines being in 'hyper CYA' mode with respect to visas; and occasionally, they will require pax to obtain visas, that by the time the ship enters China, have become unnecessary. If the cruise line says you require a visa, you don't have much choice - they will deny you boarding without one.

[Pushka]

I believe the 72 hour transit visa is only for those entering by air at limited major city airports. That being said, things change constantly in China (often with no notice) and laws, rules and regulations are all open to interpretation. This results in cruise lines being in 'hyper CYA' mode with respect to visas; and occasionally, they will require pax to obtain visas, that by the time the ship enters China, have become unnecessary. If the cruise line says you require a visa, you don't have much choice - they will deny you boarding without one.

 

 

This was for the WC where people are arriving into Shanghai on the ship.

 

 

This is a system generated email, please do not reply. | To view online, please click here

 

Cunard

Service Announcement

 

 

UPDATED VISA INFORMATION FOR YOUR QUEEN MARY 2

 

Dear XXX

We hope you are looking forward to your upcoming Queen Mary 2 World Voyage. We have an important update for you in regards to Chinese visa requirements.

 

Since our email to you last month, Chinese visa requirements have changed. The below information is applicable for Australian and New Zealand passport holders. If you are travelling on another passport, please contact the Chinese embassy or a visa service for more information.

 

If your itinerary includes a visit to China, and you are taking part in an organised tour offered by Cunard or a travel agency that is legally registered in China, you do not need to apply for a Chinese visa prior to travel. If you have booked an independent tour please ensure your travel agency applies on your behalf.

 

This only applies for the duration of the tour and you must remain with your tour group at all times.

 

If you would like to go ashore independently in Shanghai a Chinese visa is required. Guests without a Chinese visa or without an organised tour booking will not be allowed to leave the ship.

 

If you are embarking or disembarking the cruise in Shanghai, you may be entitled to make use of the 144 hour Chinese visa exemption, but only if the following conditions are met:

 

Your stay in China is within Shanghai city, Jiangsu province or Zhejiang province, not exceeding 144 hours and you have documentation confirming that you are leaving China.

You have arrived via Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai Hongqiao, Nanjing Lukou or Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airports and you are able to hand over a copy of your onward travel arrangements.

You arrive or disembark via Shanghai Wusongkou or Shanghai Port International cruise terminals and you're able to provide your onward travel arrangements to the ship’s staff at least 48 hours prior to disembarkation. It is our intention to use these cruise terminals.

If you are not staying in one of the above mentioned areas or arriving in to one of these airports you will need to apply for a Chinese visa.

 

If you are joining or leaving your cruise in Hong Kong, a Chinese visa is not required, unless you are participating in an overland tour which enters China. In this case you must apply for a tourist visa prior to travelling. You must bring a copy of the photograph/personal details page of your passport.

 

We recommend contacting a relevant visa service or Chinese embassy should you have any queries or to check if you are eligible for the above visas. Visas are subject to change without notice.

 

Thank you for your attention to this update. We look forward to welcoming you onboard Queen Mary 2 very soon.

 

Kind Regards,

Cunard

 

 

 

 

This email was sent by Carnival plc trading as Cunard 15 Mount St, North Sydney NSW 2060 Australia.

To ensure you continue to receive updates, please add no-reply@cunard.au-mail.em.sdlproducts.com to your address book

Edited November 18, 2016 by Pushka

[hel0013]

I believe this is what Cunard's email is about. This came into effect October 1, 2016.

 

 

Shanghai to Adopt 15-Day Visa Exemption Policy for Foreign Tourist Groups Entering China by Cruise from Shanghai

 

09-30-2016

 

In an effort to accelerate implementation of the national strategy of innovation driven development, recently, sanctioned by the State Council, a 15-day visa exemption policy for foreign tour groups entering the country by cruise from Shanghai (hereinafter referred to as “the policy”) is to take effect on October 1st, 2016. Foreign tour groups (consisting of no less than 2 members), when organized and received by travel agencies legally registered in Mainland China, shall be exempted from the requirement of Chinese visas when entering the country as a whole from cruise ports in Shanghai and entitled to not more than 15 days (calculated from the next day upon arrival) of stay in China. The domestic areas which said foreign tour groups are allowed to visit include Beijing Municipality and cruise port cities and administrative regions of surrounding cities within Shanghai Municipality, Liaoning Province, Hebei Province, Tianjin Municipality, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hainan Province.

 

The adoption of the policy is yet another major facilitative state measure aimed to back the construction of Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Hub and will inevitably hasten the development of Shanghai’s cruise industry. In recent years, Shanghai’s cruise economy has boomed. Statistics show that the passenger traffic through cruise ports in Shanghai reached 1,624,000 in 2015, up by 35.5% than previous year, among which, however, only 4.3%, or 69,000, is that of foreign passengers, tying up with 2014. A crucial factor contributing to the low percentage of foreign passenger traffic through cruise ports is the low “cost performance ratio” caused by the nuisance of having to apply for Chinese visas in advance and short shore time for sightseeing, and as a result it somewhat undermined the willingness of foreign passengers to visit China by cruise. After the policy officially takes effect, when organized and received by travel agencies registered in Mainland China and approved by the immigration inspection authority in Shanghai, a foreign tour group whose members hold valid international travel documents can enter the country visa-free from Shanghai Port International Passenger Terminal and Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal as a whole, stay in China for up to 15 days and travel with the same cruise ship to the next domestic port of call till said ship exits the country. In addition, within 15 days following its entry from Shanghai, a cruise ship can proceed to call at ports in other Chinese coastal cities and provinces, and passengers can go ashore and explore the city where the port of call is located, which will stimulate cruise companies to create more cruise routes and offer foreign tour groups more sightseeing options, attract more foreign passengers to tour in Shanghai and other locations and further boost the development of Shanghai’s cruise economy. The adoption of the policy will also be conducive to the development of new in-depth tour products by domestic travel agencies, enhancing the appeal of quality tour resources such as Shanghai Disneyland, and revving up local service industries such as catering, hotel, transportation, retailing, etc.

 

Shanghai General Station of Immigration Inspection and its subordinate Pujiang Immigration Inspection Station will be the primary responsible authority for the implementation of this facilitative policy. To ensure its smooth implementation, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has formulated concrete work schemes, updated its exit an entry inspection system and selected highly competent immigration officers who are fluent in foreign languages and boast strong communicative skills for the task of conducting inspection. Presently, relevant immigration inspection stations have completed training its frontline officers in terms of relevant regulations in the policy and methods of identifying false travel documents of various countries, updated the contents of billboards and electronic displays at the sites of duty at the convenience of passengers. In the meantime, Shanghai immigration inspection authority has made sufficient preparations for the landing of the policy by familiarizing cruise companies and agencies and travel agencies with comprehensive interpretation of the policy. Currently, various preparatory efforts prior to the launch of the policy have been wrapped up. Shanghai immigration inspection authority will avail of the opportunity afforded by the adoption of the policy to continually improve its service and administrative capabilities, strive to create a more convenient port clearance environment and make its due contributions to the socio-economic development of Shanghai.

[Cruiserkenn]

Ukbecky - concerning the folkloric shows:

Did they provide narration in English, an Asian language, or both?

 

I have loved folkloric shows in Russia, Alaska, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

 

Thanks!

[ukbecky]

Ukbecky - concerning the folkloric shows:

Did they provide narration in English' date=' an Asian language, or both?

 

I have loved folkloric shows in Russia, Alaska, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

 

Thanks![/quote']

 

The shows were in English when narration was required

[hel0013]

I was pleased Remembrance Day or depending where you're from Veterans Day or Armistice Day was commemorated on the ship on November 11th to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

 

 

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[Cruiserkenn]

The shows were in English when narration was required

 

Thanks so much for all of the great information. Sounds wonderful!

Edited November 20, 2016 by Cruisin'Rabbit

[Cruiserkenn]

I was pleased Remembrance Day or depending where you're from Veterans Day or Armistice Day was commemorated on the ship on November 11th to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

 

 

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Thanks for sharing. I only recently learned that November 11th is called Remembrance Day, in Australia. This is a most appropriate name. Very respectful. The Sydney Oprea House is lit up with laser lights depicting poppies. I just read that it is sometimes called Poppy Day. I also read that it is called Remrmbrance Day in Commonwealth Countries.

Edited November 20, 2016 by Cruisin'Rabbit

[Cruiserkenn]

Thanks for sharing. I only recently learned that November 11th is called Remembrance Day' date=' in Australia. This is a most appropriate name. Very respectful. The Sydney Oprea House is lit up with laser lights depicting poppies. I just read that it is sometimes called Poppy Day. I also read that it is called Remrmbrance Day in Commonwealth Countries.[/quote']

 

Sorry for the typing error, in the previous posting.

[Cruiserkenn]

Thanks for sharing. I only recently learned that November 11th is called Remembrance Day' date=' in Australia. This is a most appropriate name. Very respectful. The Sydney Oprea House is lit up with laser lights depicting poppies. I just read that it is sometimes called Poppy Day. I also read that it is called Remrmbrance Day in Commonwealth Countries.[/quote']

 

Sorry for the typing error, above.

[CarlaBlit]

Did they have any theme dress up nights?

 

 

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[ukbecky]

Did they have any theme dress up nights?

 

 

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There wasn't anything organized that I noticed or saw mentioned in the Patter.

 

We were on over Halloween and some people dressed up, including the crew, which was really fun!