Shanghai

Large ocean-going cruise ships use Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, about 90 minutes north of central Shanghai where the Huangpu meets the Yangtze. Smaller ships use the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal, a short walk from the Bund. The difference is roughly three hours of round-trip transfer time — confirm with your cruise line which one you're assigned, because it dictates whether you plan a relaxed day or a tightly timed one.

Often no, but the rules are specific and change, so verify before you sail. China offers a 240-hour (10-day) visa-free transit for eligible nationalities passing through certain ports including Shanghai, and separately a visa-free arrangement for foreign tour groups arriving by cruise ship and departing with the same ship. The cruise-group exemption is the one most ship passengers use. Your cruise line files the paperwork — but confirm your nationality qualifies and that your itinerary fits the conditions well before departure.

Very much so. The Shanghai Metro is extensive, inexpensive, air-conditioned, and signed in English, with announcements in English too. Buy a single-journey ticket from the machines or tap a transit card; many stations also accept mobile payment. Once you're downtown it beats taxis for the Bund, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road and People's Square. The only thing it won't fix is the long haul from Wusongkou.

Walk the Bund for the colonial-era riverfront and the Pudong skyline across the water, then cross to Pudong for Shanghai Tower's observation deck. Yu Garden and the surrounding old-town bazaar give you classical gardens and crowded lanes; Nanjing Road is the shopping artery; the former French Concession is the quiet counterweight — leafy streets, cafes, low-rise lanes. Trying to do all of it from Wusongkou in one port day is ambitious; pick two or three and travel light.

The currency is the Chinese yuan, also called renminbi (CNY / RMB). China runs heavily on mobile payment, and Alipay and WeChat Pay now let many foreign visitors link an overseas card. International credit cards are accepted at large hotels, department stores and tourist sites but not everywhere — carry some cash as a backup, and keep small notes for taxis and street vendors. ATMs at major bank branches accept foreign cards.

Build in far more buffer than the map suggests, especially from Wusongkou. Shanghai traffic is unpredictable and the terminal is genuinely far out — a transfer that took 75 minutes in the morning can take well over two hours in afternoon congestion. If you're on an independent plan, aim to start back at least three to three and a half hours before all-aboard. The ship will not wait, and a taxi driver who doesn't speak English plus a traffic jam is a bad combination on a deadline.