Just a couple of thoughts. I note you were on the Statendam in 2008. So was I on the San Diego to San Diego cruise with stops in Hawaii and the South Pacific. We thought that cruise was great. You will find China has changed much in all those years. Bejing and most of the large cities are completely transformed. You will have a great cruise. About the visas---that is also a sore spot with me. We took a cruise that stopped in Brazil where we were required to have a visa. The cost was high. As you may be aware other foreign natioanls can enter some of these countries without a visa. In the case of Brazil they staretd chargeing US citizens a hign cost after the US started chargeing thier citiizens a high amount. I don't know about the countries you are visiting. I think it is bad political policy and should be changed. Once the government gets that cash coming in, the process almost never stops.