Viking River Cruises and the Shanghai Carpet Factory

I read an interesting article recently about the way that Viking River cruises charge their gratuities during their Chinese river cruises on the Yangtze.

Apparently any gratuities left to crew on-board are being charged to travellers accounts as “Shanghai Carpet Factory”, this has certainly left some passengers feeling a little confused.

Apparently a booklet given to passengers states that any tips will be charged this way.  The reason that this happens Viking  have said is due to local Chinese laws and a Chinese partner company must be used to complete the transaction.

I guess it isn’t really Viking’s fault that the Chinese laws work this way although it seems a bit strange and random that the company is called “Shanghai Carpet Factory”.

This kind of thing reminds me of transactions at home that can appear on your bank statement as something different.  I remember a friend telling me once that when he would have lap dances at a local gentlemen’s club the transactions would appear as “Italian Restaurant”.

Viking have two luxurious cruises of China on its itinerary.

The 18-day cruise exploring ‘China’s Cultural Delights’ takes in 16 separate guided tours, with 11 of the days involving a cruise down the Yangtze. 

Beijing, Xian, Shangahi and the Three Gorges are all visited, as well as the birthplace of porcelain and ancient Buddhist mountains.

The ‘Imperial Jewels of China’ tour lasts 13 days with 11 guided tours, and offers guests the chance to explore such famous landmarks as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China.

Guests will also be able to walk through the historic Tiananmen Square, as well as come face to face with the Terra Cota Warriors at the acropolis in Xian