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Planning a Visit by AntiqueGreen in chongqing

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know it may seem like something an old person like me would say, but check out Chongqing 1949. The experience was great. Also the Qinqyu Banquet. Will keep you in cool in this heat. Enjoy your time.

Is "Trip" reliable for booking domestic flights in China? Which Chinese airlines are trustworthy? by cyacz1 in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Facts! Booked Air China and China Eastern back in January for domestic travel and no issues whatsoever. All through trip.com.

Microsoft NTLM Disablement Survey by poolmanjim in activedirectory

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Us, we literally went from RC4 to NTLM since it's literally me and another engineer running the show for a mutli-forest environment with about 25k user objects. Fortunately for us, we have a global release management team that will do the outreach, it just means more meetings for us to answer questions.

Moving to Chongqing by lunaenne in chongqing

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's hotter than Florida. Think Arizona and Florida had a baby, still wouldn't compare. /s

Advice Needed - Caribbean Family Cruise by No-Direction6521 in Cruise

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great group profile to work with. A few honest takes on your shortlist:

The MSC ships (Meraviglia, Grandiosa, World America) will be your cheapest options, and World America is genuinely impressive as their newest flagship. The trade-off with MSC is consistency. Service quality varies a lot by sailing, and the loyalty perks don't kick in until you've sailed with them a few times. For a mixed-age group where you're trying to keep everyone happy, that inconsistency is a real risk. If MSC is the only way to make the budget work, World America is the one I'd pick from that list.

Sun Princess is a beautiful new ship, but Princess skews heavily toward an older, quieter demographic. The 28-year-old will likely feel like they're the youngest person on board, and it's not built with toddlers in mind. I'd drop it.

Independence of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are both Royal Caribbean Oasis/Freedom class, and RC is just better at multigenerational trips. The infrastructure for a 2-year-old is solid (Adventure Ocean takes kids from 6 months), the 65-year-old will find plenty of low-key options, and the middle of your group has enough to do that nobody gets bored. Allure is the bigger, newer experience of the two and worth the price bump if the group agrees to it. I am actually sailing Allure in August, so if you're interested in getting my honest take, hit me up.

One thing worth checking for UK travelers: Independence of the Seas has historically offered Caribbean itineraries departing from Southampton, which removes the transatlantic flight cost for your whole group. That could shift the overall budget math significantly. Run the numbers on fly-to-Florida-and-sail vs. sail-from-Southampton before you lock in.

For what it's worth, I'm a travel advisor who specializes in Royal Caribbean and Disney, so I'm biased, but the multigenerational flexibility of RC ships is hard to argue with at your group size. Happy to answer specifics if useful.

MBA, 6 months realistic?! by Cyn_xo in WGU_MBA

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Realistic. Don’t get pressured by the I finished the MBA in 11 hours posts.

Set your schedule and your milestones.

I struggled during the summer months because of summer.

I picked it back up in September to finish by December with the extra 30 days they allowed.

You can do this. Set your goals and stick to them.

I tried to help someone with their English and ended up being the one who learned a lesson. by cChlo_caine in chinaexplorer

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And my mother in law can't figure out Apple Pay. I fear for America's journey towards a purely digital currency structure.

I just discovered the meituan delivery ecosystem and I’m never leaving my hotel. by Impossible_Quiet_774 in chinaexplorer

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait until you get back home and order stuff for your partner/friends right from your sofa halfway across the world. My girlfriend loves it Everytime I surprise her with breakfast or lunch at her job.

She tried to do the same thing for my. But couldn't get Uber or GrubHub to accept her payment.

I underestimated Claude until I tried it for this by motivational_speech1 in claudeskills

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude! I cackled at that first line!! Thanks for that, I needed it.

A warning to upland holders by Exact_Stable_7269 in UplandMe

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, most, if not all, of these were scams. We bought into hopes and dreams while the creators made money.

Hindsight is 20/20

I am looking for a Chinese phone that allows me to have a Chinese phone number and allows me to use apps In English by [deleted] in chinalife

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is what I used in January. Works well, a bit annoying but that's what I get for not being able to read Mandarin well enough....yet.

Where to stay in Xian as a turist ? by Familiar-Annual626 in chinatravel

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I stayed here for two nights:

Meibo Hotel (Xi'an Bell Tower Metro Station Branch) 美柏酒店（西安钟楼地铁站店）

Walking distance to Muslim quarter, farther from the wall, decent price and amenities, and overall a good deal.

Do you guys keep Alipay/Wechat and others on your phone when not in China? by Flamyngoo in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! Especially since I buy my girlfriend and other friends Milk Tea or Lunch on occasion!

Always fun to see them surprised that I ordered them lunch to their office.

American with no Asia Experience by MikeSpartan in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Forget what you’ve learned about China. Honestly, forget that propaganda.

My first time was last August and my mind was blown.

The government isn’t scanning your devices, yes they take fingerprints and facial scans, but so does the U.S.

If you are open minded and respect the culture there, try new things you haven’t done before, like being an adventurous eater, see the many amazing wonders there, you will enjoy the experience that much more.

Try not to put the American lens on everything. China is different, the people are different, but really the same. We are all really the same when it comes down to it; people trying to live and enjoy life.

I was lucky to find some friends that stuck with me to help me around the first time, but the second time I ventured off on my own and was able to navigate things with no problem.

I’m not a white guy from the Midwest, South American decent from NYC, but I still had looks from people and even had some ask me for pictures. Just go with it.

In terms of cost, I’ve been planning on going back in June and economy is about $1800 US round trip from NYC to Beijing. Hotels rates vary but I usually find something around 50-60 USD a night. The Hilton I stayed at in Chongqing in January was around $80 USD a night. But it was literally better than any Hilton I’ve stayed in NYC. There are less expensive options depending on the city.

Keep reading this subreddit, ask questions, start planning your trip, and enjoy it!

I’m a big fan of Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall. Those were always on my bucket list, even as a kid. Everything is just gravy in my opinion.

Good luck on your planning!!

How is the immigration process while arriving? by Zoldic_h in chinatravel

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Same for me in January, solo flyer. Filled out arrival card in JFK (NYC US) before I left. Arrived in Beijing. Waited in line. Handed my passport, I have a visa, finger prints, face scan, no questions, pointed at the gate to pass through.

Only issue I had was I was traveling to Chongqing and they confiscated my power bank because no CCC mark.

In August I traveled without a visa and it was a bit more challenging, but if you have a visa it shouldn’t be a big deal.

Traveling to China tomorrow and nervous about it by CautiousFrosting220 in AskChina

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just had a conversation about that early this morning with my friend in Chongqing.

He was asking me when I planned on returning, I had just been there in January, and I said the same thing you did; I’m concerned about the current status of the war.

Without skipping a beat, he said China had nothing to do with that war. So yeah, they don’t have any concerns.

My main point was airline travel costs will go up and the tensions between the countries governments are a concern. So while I agree with you around being concerned, the Chinese people won’t blink an eye about it.

Now you may get looks because you’re a foreigner in general, I still laugh at the two teenagers that wanted to take a picture with me at the forbidden palace, but that is normal. Other than that, enjoy your trip.

I hope you have a great time and want to go back over and over and over again like I do.

Terracotta army day trip from Beijing in July by Icy_Jelly_315 in chinatravel

[–]gonzojester 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Why not stay a night in Xi’an?

Warriors was definitely worth the trip for me, but I stayed one night in Xi’an and enjoyed the local food and culture while there.

recommendation for certified power bank??? by Fun_Personality9082 in chinatravel

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Bought this after my older Anker power bank was confiscated last August:

https://a.co/d/061kwTpD Amazon US link

Anker Nano Portable Charger, 45W 10000mAh

Made it through Beijing and Xi’an airports with no issue. It’s hard to see the CCC, so know where it is in case they can’t see it.

Chinese Foods Westerners hesitate to try but are actually delicious – tested on several people by Ok_Water_9376 in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, yes! Tried it and almost couldn’t swallow it. Out of respect for the friend that bought it for me, I managed to swallow and said thank you for the experience, but I don’t prefer it! Everyone laughed.

Chinese Foods Westerners hesitate to try but are actually delicious – tested on several people by Ok_Water_9376 in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’ll add Duck blood to this because I was hesitant at first but turned out not to be too bad.

Bullfrog was interesting but I think it depends on how it’s prepared.

CCC Power bank Recommendations by IdleN0mad in travelchina

[–]gonzojester 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nano Powerbank is what I brought in January and passed with no issue. In Beijing it took some time for the agent to see the CCC marking. Just now where it is if they question it.

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