bison2013

are bathing caps required in the Nordic Spa facilities or in the pool?

Off season travel is our preference. You just need to be a bit flexible re weather (layers) and if truly 'off season'- for some venues/restaurants to be closed. But the scenery is always available for viewing!

For those with food allergies, predictable and identifiable is a good thing... 😉 Choice is also a great offering and we welcome the varied opportunities Viking offers.

I think it depends what you want to see and experience on the Amalfi Coast. In our brief experience (albeit off season), there was relatively inaccessible waterfront, quaint houses and lots of stores- same as Capri. If you have your own vehicle, you need to consider parking. We based just outside Sorrento so were a (relatively) quick drive to the Amalfi Coast and to the ferry terminal in Sorrento- which we took to Naples as the drive through the tunnels even in off season was very slow. We did drive to Ercolano as we found that site more compelling than Pompeii.

Is it an option to take the ferry from Naples/Sorrento to Capri vs carrying on further south? Enough there to fill the day including dramatic scenery without too much travel time. Local bus lets you experience the hair pin turns... Each of the three 'levels'(Marina, Capri, Anacapri) has something picturesque to look on foot. Our next trip to the region, we will see the Amalfi coast from the water and avoid the traffic and switchbacks.

What is useful is how CC and other boards are sources of good information. Most of the information results from 'bad' as well as 'good' personal experiences. So let's be more gracious when someone is sharing their experience or else no one will bother... to the detriment of the value of these boards. I have sympathy for the OP as travel insurance/vouchers/deemed spent language etc is very confusing. I do not believe Viking is unique in this however. Although this future voucher thing seems like a Viking specific gong show. Examples like this validate our personal commitment to decoupling offers- we do not bundle air with accommodation; we pay up for max flexibility to make changes on our terms where possible and never accept 'future use' vouchers as none of us can predict the future.

Like all protection, reliance on a single tool is foolhardy. VPN is another tool in what should be a robust basket of security-personal as well as information For us- VPN: provides a level of control over our environment when all the usual security of info tools we use at home are not available encrypts our activity so we aren't the first/easy target allows our particular global village to function (ie we need to access certain location-specific tools regardless of our physical location) is a reminder that nothing is free- and that we need to be vigilant on using 'free' internet, 'free' transportation and the like. Even the pop-ups of 'free' wifi available and the requirement to manually connect are a reminder to be careful- a minor but important function.

Use of hand sanitizer alone provides a false sense of security for minimizing exposure to noro virus-'wash those hands' remains the best guidance... from CDC: Prevent Norovirus | CDC

Protect yourself with the tools you wish to access- reliance on others to do that 'for you' has never a good strategy- be it infectious disease management, allergen control or similar.

small win for OP- no refund back to CC (which I understood to be the original form of payment) means you retained the modest number of points that did not get clawed back...

There are licensed guides available for hire at the entrance to Herculeneum. Not sure if they can be engaged via the office or if this is just a free for all outside the ticketing office.

have you considered taking a boat cruise vs driving? We were on the Coast in the off season and there was no parking anywhere near Positano... cannot imagine those roads in prime tourist season...

Must see is Giardini di Augusto (Garden of Augustus) in Capri. A nice oasis of calm in the midst of the shopping... with great views from several outlooks. We took the town bus (windy roads!) vs the funicular but would do the funicular for subsequent visits.

Frankly, I never assume any provider will accommodate my allergies (even if they say so- it can be language, culture or just them trying to make sure we eat so we don't post a bad review...) so we prepare accordingly. Which generally means I get to eat with my eyes... and enjoy the experience through others. I use this same approach on board as well. It has served me well for decades of global travel. Luckily, my travel companion can eat everything so will frequently end up with 'double portions'. A good breakfast on the ship and plenty of fluids gets us through any tour with limited anxiety about whether the onshore food will cause issues. That is the benefit of cruising- no shortage of available options for sustenance with easy to ID ingredients where we need that option (grilled steak, rice, etc). It may mean missing out on nouvelle cuisine and other 'chef-ified' items but on balance we are happy with the trade off vs renting a villa and cooking our own food.

For OP: While I suspect this is too late for the planned trip, I offer our experience: We took a dinner cruise (Bateaux Mouches) over 30 years ago and still speak of the experience. Going under many bridges (all greeted with a toast); seeing fellow diners eat shrimp with head, legs etc intact (never knew nor wanted to try) and a finale with a range of the most pungent cheeses imaginable. Travel is all about exposure to the new and different that in time may become the familiar and comfortable. You will not know unless you try.

Ostia was a very pleasant surprise- we barely covered half of it. Same with Herculaneum. Downside of Herculaneum was lack of onsite lunch facilities (vending machines are not an option) so hunger cut our time in half. We like to self guide so that we can go at our own pace and find the items of interest we have identified 'pre-visit'. This is easier with the advent of the many audio guides but the website online/downloadable maps and commentary work for us as well.