Viking China

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Little Toot,

Did anyone you know buy a rug at the silk rug factory? Are the prices and quality good? Thanks again for all your help.

Cynthia

[land lover]

L.T. a most interesting writeup on the flooding, a great response to my question.....did you encounter much fog? Is there a haze that hangs over the Yangtze? Is the smog bad in Bejjing?

 

It's unfortunate about complaints from your fellow passenagers, on vacations one has to flow with the punches. In my twenties I would have been one of those complaining but after years of travel I have found it is those unexpected adventures and surprises that can make your trip stand out from all others.... You being a retired teacher know all about flexibility and certainly surprises, students always amaze:)

 

I am glad you had confidence in Viking......So how was that cruise in Russia? You should write a review on both of your cruises for the boards.

 

L:) ri

[land lover]

Wouldn't the shipping costs be high on a rug purchase? Does anyone know?:)

[Ocala]

Hello All! I've been off the board for awhile. We flew from Shanghai/Yichang on China Eastern with the two remaining legs on Air China. While Air China has a "mileage program" with United, there was no way to claim those miles for several reasons. Viking kept our tickets and our boarding passes were handed out to us with random made-up names. I was "Lucy" on one trip and my wife said I don't at all look like a Lucy - she didn't look like a Richard either. Viking did say they would try to work something out re mileage credit in the future. We did check with United after returning home and they said "sorry but no". On our trip up the Yangtze (September 06) it was pretty gray - the crew said it was "that time of the year" but, believe me, it was smog. Same everywhere - sun trying to cut through the smog - it made for nice orange sunsets, however! I'd say more than a dozen people on our trip bought silk rugs. It was big money (thousands of dollars for the bigger ones) so I'm sure they cut some slack on shipping, but that's my guess. LT, Loni? Any idea on that? I wouldn't bring a sports coat. Buy a nice dressy silk shirt instead. The crew commented how much they liked our Chinese silk outfits for the Captain's dinner. For those preparing for their China trip, be prepared for an overwhelmingly wonderful experience you won't soon forget:) ! Cheers //Ocala//

[land lover]

Thanks Ocala...good info once again.:) Lori

[Little Toot2]

I'd say more than a dozen people on our trip bought silk rugs. It was big money (thousands of dollars for the bigger ones) so I'm sure they cut some slack on shipping, but that's my guess.......Cheers //Ocala//

 

Most of the people on our trip, who purchased silk rugs, bought smaller ones which they could use as a wall hanging, think picture size rather than a large tapestry. As I'm a country style girl, I have no experience with pricing oriental rugs and I couldn't tell you if they were reasonably priced for the quality, but I learned that the quality was very good.

 

On our Russian cruise, we met another couple who had also sailed with Viking to China the year previous. In Xian, they purchased a large 'terra cotta' warrior that was done in green jade..... think over life sized. The gentleman telling this story was a business man and he managed to negotiate down to under half the listed price. After the dealing was closed, this gentleman tried to throw free shipping into the mix. When the shop owner refused, the American walked out of the shop and the shop owner chased after him. The seller agreeded to add in the shipping and the purchase was made. A couple of months later, this businessman is back in the US and gets a call from a port container firm in SFO. His warrior has arrived, they tell him. How would he like for them to send it to him on the east coast? The business man was perplexed as he believed that the transport was already arranged, oh but no! The shop owner had covered the shipping fee across the Atlantic in a container ship, but the businessman had to incur the additional expense across the US. :o

Hopefully this story, if true, will give you some indication of the amount of profit built into the large tag items. It should also give you some idea of what 'shipping costs' may involve if you try to negotiate them in your purchase price.

LT

[luv2bcruzng]

Hello Everybody,

I have been one of the silent readers up until now. My husband and I leave this Friday to Shanghai and then catch the Cultural Delights tour on March 27. I have found all your questions and answers very informative. When we return on April 11, I will be glad to answer any questions you may have.

 

Reba

[irv54]

Hi Little Toot

 

Thanks for your quick reply. Also your other commets have been very helpful.

 

The Cultural tour includes a 9-night Yangtze River Cruise on the Viking Century Sun 3 nights Beijing, 1 night Xian, 2 nights Shanghai. The Hong Kong 4 day add on is at the beginning of the trip. It is fully escourted by Viking with most meals covered.

 

It sounds like Viking is a great company to deal with.

 

We have not yet committed but are pretty sure we are going to go. We think that this will probably be our only chance to go to China so we probably add on the trip.

 

I am still looking to see if there are others going on the 7/30 trip. Cruise Critic does not list the Viking Sun as a choice for the Are you sailing with me section.

[irv54]

Hi Little Toot,

 

What subject did you teach and when did you retire? I am considering retiring either this year or next year, Any suggestions?

 

Thanks

[land lover]

The quite one...............Have a wonderful time, we'll enjoy your first hand account when you come back.....would like some suggestions on unique items to purchased....Bon Voyage

[land lover]

L.T. Great story...and then there was duty:)

[Little Toot2]

The shop owner had covered the shipping fee across the Atlantic in a container ship, but the businessman had to incur the additional expense across the US. :o

LT

 

Oops, my error..... the above sentence should read, "The shop owner had covered the shipping fee across the Pacific in a container ship..." Proofread kids, proofread!

 

Reba, welcome aboard! Although my advise concerns a question you posted on another thread, if you weren't successful in getting your hotel name written in Chinese characters, go to the hotel website and print a picture of the facility to take with you. A good Chinese taxi driver should be familiar with all of the 5 star hotels in Shanghai!

 

I also thought of another travel tip that I should share with you before you leave. Some of the street vendors are very aggressive at the popular tourist sites. If you're not interested, DO NOT make eye contact with them! If they still approach you, hold out your hand, straight arm, in the distance between you and shake your head no...... Don't stop and don't make eye contact, keep walking. I'm rather short at 5'4" and really didn't have much trouble when I was walking with my husband, but the vendors got much more aggressive with me when I was by myself. When I was walking along the Great Wall while my husband ran, I discovered that I was able to back pesty vendors away simply by pointing my digital camera at them as if I intended to take their picture. I believe that they were afraid that I might report them and didn't want their picture taken as 'proof '. Too bad that I didn't figure that out until almost the end of the trip!

 

Irv54, if your board name indicates your age, then retirement is certainly looming in your future. My husband and I were able to retire at 55 under Illinois' 2 Plus 2 retirement package. Since you live in Pennsylvania, I doubt if there's enough similarity to warrant a response. The best advise I might offer is to do it while you still have your health. We've been able to take some amazing trips these past four years at times when other people's children are in the classroom. We're headed up to Newfoundland in May to watch the bergs and whales return to those waters. Next we're considering going to Machu Picchu where my husband wants to hike the Inca trail. Certainly we have to limit the number of our trips on a retired teacher's income, but we also have the time to search for bargins and build our own itineraries. It's a great life....... retire as soon as you're able!

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Reba,

Have a wonderful time. Are you sailing on the Viking Century Sun? If so, it will be interesting to hear about the new ship.

 

Thanks to everyone for the info about the silk rugs. I am hoping to buy a small one that I could carry home. We have hardwood floors so we have several oriental area rugs. Some inexpensive machine made and a couple "real ones." I thought it would be nice to buy one in China to add to the mix. I will certainly not accept the first price thanks to your input. I hate to bargain, but I love to save money. I'm a retired teacher too. I retired at 56 and love being free. If you can do it, do it. I retired from NJ and getting health insurance for life for both myself and my husband made it possible.

Cynthia

[San Diego Ronni]

LT: I so appreciate all the info you are sharing on this board! I am 5'2", DH is 6'1", so I think I'll stick as close to him as possible when vendors are lurking! Did you go to the knock-off market in Shanghai? I'm anxious to know about the purses! Living in San Diego, Mexico is closeby so we're able to get some bargains there, but I wonder how prices/quality compare.

 

Also, your advice to irv54 is absolutely dead-on! DH retired September '02 from San Diego Community Colleges; I followed closely in January '03 at age 52, after 30 1/2 years w/San Diego Superior Court. I got tired of him asking me not to make so much noise in the morning because he was trying to sleep while I was getting ready for work! We consider ourselves so fortunate to have nice pensions, with all that's going on in the news lately regarding pensions! I am so with you on traveling while we're able. I can't tell you the number of cruises we've been on where folks didn't even get off the ship because they were unable.

 

In case you're wondering, I changed my screen name, so am the same Ronni who has posted previously.

 

Thanks again for all your valuable info! I look forward to more...

 

By the way, anyone out there yet going on China's Cultural Delights leaving September 30???

[luv2bcruzng]

We will be cruising on the Viking Century Sun in just a few days now.

 

Please give me more info on the knock-off market in Shanghai - sounds like it could be lots of fun. We scheduled two extra days in Shanghai at the beginning of the trip before we hook up with Viking River Cruise tour.

 

Thanks again for all the info.

[Ocala]

Those Rolex knockoffs did look pretty good. Customs does frown on counterfit items if they see it. Some, I hear, even work months later! :rolleyes: Other knockoffs you may not be aware of are the not-real silk shirts and other items marketed as real. My experience with Taxi & hotels in Shanghai is go to the front desk and obtain a card with the photo of the hotel and name in Chinese. The reverse side has all the popular locations in English & Chinese. Put an "x" in the box of where you want to go and you're off! For return, just show the taxi driver the picture/name of your hotel and you're back! Very, very easy! Re street vendors, while returning to our bus after visiting the Forbidden City, we were all waiting for the street light to change - picture this, a big group of tourists on one side of the road and a big group of Chinese on the other - the light turned green and the mob of Chinese proceeded to try to sell us their stuff in the middle of the busy street! :eek: Such fun! Enjoy your adventure! //Ocala//

[land lover]

Ocala and L.T........Keep the tips and stories coming.

 

Reba, don't forget to take good notes all we teachers( actually I am not one by profession but, since I am now a stay at home Mom, still 3 teens at home, you can count me in) expect a detailed account:)

 

L:) ri

[irv54]

Thanks to all for your advice. I think I will work one more year, I am still enjoying the teaching profession eventhough most of my fellow educators are not or can not wait to retire, I will have taught for 35 years this coming October and will not face any retirement penalities.

 

Back to the cruise.

 

Your thoughts and responses have been helpful.

 

Question - We are thinking the Hong Kong extention. Has anyone had this experience and do you think it is worthwhile?

 

I read a review that said the average age was between 65-70. Is this correct?

 

Any suggestions about cabin location and deck?

 

Thanks - we are beginning to become excited about this trip and hope to book shortly (we found a great travel agent on line several years ago and she has given us great advice and found us some amazing Chirstmas deals) and we will do the Greeek Isles next and than ........

 

Irv

[Little Toot2]

Irv, as we sailed on Viking's Century Star, I'm afraid that I do not have much advise to offer. I can tell you, however, that back in ' 04 the cabins on the Star were priced according to deck level with deck 4 being higher priced than the same room on deck 3 and deck 2 being the most economical. We thought that we had booked a great room on deck 3, right next to the computer room. Our thought was that individuals using the internet would be good neighbors and that location would give us a heads up as to when the computers were available so that we wouldn't have to keep constantly checking computer availability when we wanted to go online. We were correct that little noise was generated from the room next door, however that location put us directly above the small elevator which brought food up to the restaurant level directly below us from the galley two decks below. Every morning we were awakened by the sounds of the elevator as it brought our breakfast up to the dining area.......:(

 

With regards to passenger age, while we had a few folks over 70, they were definately in the minority. I would guess that most of the folks on our cruise were between the ages of 50 - 65 and I would think that you would probably find an even younger age mix by going in July. The trip itself has enough challenges with regards to length of flights, diet, navigating uneven terrain, etc. that most senior citizens recognize their limitations and do not elect to travel to China. Also, China had experienced some outbreaks of SARS in ' 03 which probably prevented some older folks from going just as bird flu may in ' 06.

[Little Toot2]

During our visit in '04, Viking put us up in the Shanghai Westin, which is located between the Bund and the old market place. This is a truly luxurgious hotel with its artwork, neon lighted glass staircases, and open atrium areas. Our room was delightful including the 'heavenly bed", rainforest shower, and huge bath. A narrow window overlooked a construction site below.... providing us with a look at how this sixty story structure must have been built using bamboo scaffolding a few years previous....... simply amazing!

 

Viking bused us to the old Shanghai market area for lunch our first day in the city where we were fed our first authentic Chinese meal, introduced one dish at a time with rice as the last course..... Better practice up on using chopsticks before you leave the states! After lunch, we were given some free time to explore the shops. Naturally I saw the 'designer' purses and the 'rolex' watches, but as I didn't make any purchases I really can't offer any information on pricing. Viking offers many such shopping opportunities along the way (way too many, according to my husband) so never leave the ship for a 'field trip' without cash and a credit card! My husband and I decided not to take the bus back to the hotel for a nap, rather we stayed to explore the Yuyuan Gardens which are located just off the market area. What a wonderful sanctuary in the heart of the old city! As a gardener, I really enjoyed my time there.... Another thing that caught our eye was the number of small apartments that are located along the walls at the edge of the gardens. One could actually look in and see cooking fires on the stoves, wash handing from the lines, etc. What an amazing view of the gardens these residents had!

 

Although Viking took us to the Shanghai Museum, we didn't have nearly enough time to explore all of it. If spending a couple of extra days in Shanghai on either end of your trip, you may want to spend some of your extra time here, especially if you're museum people. The gift shop had a nice selection of books, jewelry, teapots, etc. so be sure to allow a few minutes to shop before getting back on the bus.

 

Our last night in Shanghai, we walked through the hotel lobby and took the elevator to the top of the crown in the attached tower. Here we discovered a bar/lounge area with live music. The prices on the drinks and appetizers were reasonable by our Chicago standards and the view from the windows is amazing. We stood at the windows and watched the sunset.... followed by a light show as the city came to life, filling the horizon with twinkling lights almost as far as the eye could see. Even if your tour group does not stay at the Westin, it would be worth the price of a cab ride over to see the city at night from the top of the crown.

 

Reba, this is my third attempt to post this reply for I wanted you to have more information on Shanghai before you flew out today....... I'm sorry, but the white screen curse failed my previous two attempts. Safe journey and I'll look forward to hearing about your trip when you return!

 

LT

[land lover]

LT....another great post...curses to the white screen.

 

Any more tidbits.....Lt or Ocala?

[BevieJune]

Just curious. Is this the same ship that used to belong to The Royal Viking Cruise Line that was sold many, many years ago? If so, I took a cruise on the Viking Sky. It was beautiful then, and so was the service and food.

Bevie

[Little Toot2]

Lori, I had occasion to stop at a Target store with one of my adult daughters since my last post. While there, I discovered the most darling 'Ping' style ducks in their lawn and garden area...... about 12-15 inches long and perhaps 10 inches high, in bright Chinese style colors (red, yellow, green, blue). They also had lanterns and garden statuary that would work very well in a Chinese garden. All very reasonably priced!

LT

[land lover]

PING LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bet those producks were made in CHINA.:D

 

Beviejune, most of us will be sailing on a new ship the Century Sun. Glad to here you had an enjoyable trip.

L:) ri

[Ocala]

Beviejune - The Viking Sky is a new ship launched in 2005. It is the largest river cruiser now operating on the Yangtze and both the Sky and Star were constructed in China according to the Viking site. Perhaps they "recycled" the name. Nice digs on board! ;) Cheers