uktog

Thank you. We are safely onboard despite traffic chaos en route. Staff all very engaged and enthusiastic and about to enjoy our first glass of package wine. Zero problems getting an extra chefs table slot with a perfect menu and time for us. DH allergies correctly were on the system Small group life jacket explanation in the theatre with a glass of bubbles in hand. Very civilised 😀😀

Yes two bookings onboard I have the paperwork issued on booking that outlines the one free move terms

I’m not cancelling I just will review booking Muzak plus the daily hop on hop off guest regime. I’ve had it on MSC yacht club. It’s not for me

Glad it’s worked for you. Shows they can get it right! Maybe we should have persisted. We just wanted to lift and shift which we believed we were eligible to do. Our agent tried we tried all communication remains unanswered today. We past the deadline for making the transaction so we’ve lost two deposits and our free nights. Leaves a horrid taste in our mouths. Our door remains open if they ever wake up 😀

I did one of those hop on hop off cruises on MSC. It was awful guests arriving and departing every day so disruptive. I thought Explora was to be high end, they are certainly charging high end, this change is a disaster. I’ve vouchers to use if I ever get them their back office customer service absolutely sucks and I feel like I’m seen as a cash cow. So as soon as I can unless things change I’m moooving 🐄 out

Muzak is a cheap deal breaker- but I’m stuck with vouchers because they messed me around so much and continue to do so

In December 2000 we made our first ever visit to New York and spent a lovely morning up the Twin Towers. Our hearts were broken so soon after and in 2014 we came to see the Museum and memorial. Today we paused again and then enjoyed the future of the One World Observatory. We had pre booked tickets so no lines - as we arrived they offered us a rebooking for another day due to poor visibility due to weather. As we didn’t have another day we went ahead anyway. Not perfect but pretty good visibility we thought. Surprised they were offering date swaps. Spotted our location for tomorrow 😀 and loved the info IPads they really worked so often gadgets don’t. In the afternoon we did something we’ve always wanted- a tour of the UN. It’s something you have to prebook and there’s a few security and ID checks but a senior ticket is just an unbelievable $18. The tour lasts an hour, the docents are outstanding and you get to go right into The Security Council The Economic Council snd the General Council We learned a lot, a thought provoking day and we’d thoroughly recommend the UN tour in particular. As we’ve hit +20k steps and we are supposed to be taking it easy look out for two people suffering in the morning who will struggle to get out of the sofas in the evening

So we made it to New York despite the challenges in UK airspace. I feel so sorry for those who are now struggling to get flights in time. We are always tired after a long flight (even though this time we had the fab new BA plane layout and great food) so we had set up our go to cruise transfer company Welcome Pickups rather than find a cab. As usual they were on time lovely car. We too were on time for the driver, the Immigration at JFK was one of the best US entries we’ve experienced. This trip having been to New York a few times and stayed around Times Square we decided to stay in the new Hotel Indigo on Trinity Street right opposite Trinity Church. So far it’s very good nice (smallish) room and a lovely view. We ventured out having made reservations in advance to eat at Trinity Street. I’m a Dunfermlime girl obsessed by anything Andrew Carnegie - after all he funded so much of all me and my peers education regardless of our backgrounds. Trinity Street is housed in the massive vault of the Safe Deposit company connected to Carnegies bank and you eat by this massive vault door - the food was pretty good and not unreasonable price. Now we head to see if we can sleep!

We have been so lucky on this one. We took off just before the problem started. I feel so sorry for anyone from the UK travelling tomorrow and needing a domestic connection. It’s not looking good

Indeed welcome to the cancellation of the cancellation club to the newcomers 😢

After a night at our local airport hotel we are off! Two boomerang retirees (we stop, we are persuaded back to help, we stop, we are back - get the picture) who travel a lot. Over 80 cruises but this is just our second on Viking. Having been loyal to one line in recent years (Azamara) for various reasons we are also using others - mainly itinerary. Our first Viking In Search of Northern lights was a success although we did not get a real Viking experience (remember booking to use the spa pool, spitting in the tubes before a morning coffee, having to stay in your room for 6 hours after a pierside test etc). So very much looking forward to this full experience. We have our flights through Viking (couldn’t beat the price independently) but have done our own hotels and transfers. So we are sitting in the BA lounge at Heathrow about to board. First picture from our first flight down to London from Scotland. There are two air corridors into Heathrow- one goes right over Windsor Castle but if you’re lucky you get the city run. To appreciate it, sit on the right hand side as you face the nose (D-F on many planes). Isn’t it a cracking view. If you look closely it’s a Bank Holiday so Tower Bridge is up 😀

Yes but it’s a much much reduced number of books compared to the other three ships. All four ships also have travel related books in the Den by future sales

Love it! Ive got vouchers I will need to use. I’m not letting them go to waste after all the pain I’ve had (never mind the insults from their Facebook groupies who refuse to apologise for the lies they spread!!)

We saw it last year and really enjoyed it. Nice walk to the end of the pier in St Maarten to some permanent staging. you can see the ship in some of the photos Lovely somewhat strong rum punches. It was early December so the bands were in the Christmas mood.

Bizzarely that still shows as bookable on their website. I am trying to sort out Aug/Sept 2024 and just cannot work it out!

They have a Restaurant Desk manned all day next to Guest Services and Shore Excursions on the ground floor. The staff there are very helpful

I read that although getting Greenland 😀 Saturn has cancelled L’Anse again today. I don’t think they’ve made it to that Canadian port all season. It’s replaced with a sea day (so 3.5 sea days in a row). By now other lines would have made a tweak to the itinerary to avoid this tender port. Why doesn’t Viking?

Mine is there for my cruise and I’ve not made final payment

I could not get a photo because I was driving but tourists in Edinburgh will be seeing some unusual things. Today at the bus stop on George IV bridge there was a clown and a fairy waiting to board. Ok we are used to that just now. There was also a pink elephant further up the queue. What was bizarre was the clown and the fairy both had goats on leads with them. I bet that bus was fun!

For goodness sake I was about to tell my TA what to book to use my vouchers now in the plural having had a May and a July cruise cancelled. Whilst it’s maybe for some nice that with what looks like a year’s warning you get a 30% voucher remember 30% is all that’s currently on offer for those dumped off with a week’s warning. Onboard may be lovely but they need to get their shoreside act in order!

Maybe some stability in pricing rather than offer after offer would help as this in addition to the website debacle might convince people to book at the point where air prices are sensible. For us heading to Europe if I’m not on rewards it’s about -6 months long haul is -9 but always watching for the timing of the BA winter sale. Trouble is at those times Azamara cruise prices were crazier

Also some of the very early questions and answers responses on the subject were written in such a way that people might expect there to be a connection between the two schemes

Yes, I gave up on that one (and that was before the cancellation saga!!) Thank you to the reasonable behaviour on this board and realisation that things are good and things are not good. The Facebook page is out of control!!

And work out ahead when you need your passport for other holidays. We built in a four month no foreign holiday period just in case for DHs passport renewal.

There is no loyalty scheme - no tier system - an no one talks about what level they are at or how many cruises they have done which is really refreshing. Their officers are not as visible, which you might like or not like, but it has the advantage no one is chasing to get the attention of anyone if you know what I mean. They have one event for everyone who has sailed before but when we were on our first cruise the cruise director said in her announcement - actually everyone come along this evening we are a friendly bunch! Go to the Viking Board as there is a repeat guest benefit - £200 for everyone - but if you find someone who has been with them before there is a referral scheme which gets newbies to benefit . Its all covered on that board