austinetc

There is a live thread for Venice to Istanbul with comments of the ports. Check it out. Yes, I'm promoting my own thread!

Word of warning. I booked three nights in specialty restaurants on MyVkingJourney. When I appeared for the first reservation (two nights ago), the ship's system had no record of it. Showing them my email confirmation got us a seat. I subsequently checked my other bookings and again the ship had no record. But they made them for us. The point, keep your confirmation handy.

Wednesday, 4/27. There were two other cruise ships here, but we got the dock space. The others had to anchor out. Ha.

The town (population 2,000) was wall-to-wall tour groups, with an equal number of tour guides. So what were the odds that the tour guide for my group would be the same person who guided me eight weeks ago? But that’s what happened! Fortunately, it wasn’t the same script. He was again a lot of fun. 

Had a fine lunch in town. Looked into a few stores, but only bought a few “locally made” magnets. The town has many stores with foreign made products, but the guides all ask that we buy local things.

Swam in the Infiniti pool, watching the shuttle boats carry passengers to their ships. Poor things.

Sailing out of the long, serpentine passage was exciting. For once there was a crowd watching the ship move. Three rights and three lefts. Great views. Some adequate photos. (I didn’t take many of the city, since I’d been there just eight weeks ago.) 

We had dinner at Manfredi’s. Our reservation was “lost” in the Viking computer system (not uncommon), but we were seated after showing them my confirmation email. Everything was superb. Mussels, Calamari, mushroom risotto, lasagna, ribeye steak. Just to be safe, I checked on my other reservations. Not in their system, but once I showed them my email confirmation, there was no trouble rebooking.

Failed miserably at trivia again.

4 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Maybe view it as $6 more than what you were going to get for "free." Whatever the value of the included wine is plus $6 gets you "premium." Does that make you feel better?

No. For comparison, the whiskey list includes various kinds of whiskey at various prices, in keeping with the real world cost of each. 15 year old Ballentine ($14) is generally accepted to be better whiskey than Jim Beam ($6), and the price reflects this. Similarly, I expected a range of wine qualities (based on their price). Their $6 wines sell by the bottle at $25. They sell $40 bottles, but won't open it to give me a $10 glass. 

2 hours ago, Azulann said:

Have you seem the wine menu at the Restaurant, viking Bar , Explorer lounge or Manfredi? I remember some the white wines were $9-15 a glass.  I remember they ran out of a nice French white wine at the Aquavit bar during our TA sailing. But they had it at the Viking Bar. Talk to the  sommelier  when you dine tonight.

Let me know what you find. 

 

 

I checked. All the bars on board work off the same wine list. $6 wine by the glass. Everything else is by the bottle. 

We signed up for the Silver Spirits Drinks Package, which reads in part “premium wine by the glass”. We’re on board the Viking Sky in the Med. ALL wine by the glass is $6. In my universe there is no “premium “ wine that costs $6 per glass. I’ve had great wine for $6, but it was never called “premium”. I’m about to make a polite stink. Seeking others’ views. 

Monday, 4/25. Ship pulled into Split on a beautiful day. The dock was minutes away from the old city on foot.

Our excursion began with a rapid hour in the Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian, the longest occupied Roman construction. It’s been built up over the centuries into a mish-mash of apartments, churches, shops, etc. It’s a fascinating area, but not a very beautiful one. Roman under gothic, under Renaissance, etc. Full of history. Even though we were there early, the place was crowded.

(Split is the site of many Game of Thrones scenes. A ridiculous number of stores dedicated to the show.)

Our next stop was to an olive oil factory, where we got a lecture on the difference kinds of oil. We learned that most “virgin” olive oil is mostly lamp oil-grade, with a touch of actual virgin oil. There is no such thing as cheap 100% virgin olive oil. We had a tasting sample to illustrate the difference. It was an excellent education.  We then spent 45 minutes in their store, filled with not only olive oil but also creams, soaps, jellies, salts, etc. Yoriko purchased a variety.

Returning to the town I found a great wine shop and bought two bottles of local wine, which is not available in the USA. I look forward to drinking it back home.

We boarded Viking Sky on Saturday. Right up until we got off the bus we were continuously given instructions that in the end did not match what the actual boarding process was. So I suggest you be prepared for everything, but surprised by nothing. No one wanted to see our vaccination card (Verifly worked) or credit card (registered online). We were asked four health questions, which were written out on the counter. A single "no" answered all four. From bus to ship was maybe five minutes, mostly walking. Once on board, there were crewmembers at every corner guiding us through the process. For us it was a quick video about life preservers, then directions to our cabin. Easy.

Sunday, 4/24. Visited San Marino, my 52nd country. I would never have made it but for the ship not getting to Venice. All in all, we’d rather have had another day there, but lemons, lemonade.

During our ride the tour guide talked about the area’s history, but I wasn’t able to follow it much for all the distractions. The road was not very smooth and had a high number of circles and stop lights. It was disappointing that we never stopped for photo opportunities on our approach to the mountain-top country’s towers and walls. The view from above was fantastic, but the real visual thrills were of the top, not from it.

Many, many souvenirs shops which we made use of. Imitation weapons are a big thing. As the morning progressed it became extremely crowded, being Sunday. We were happy to have arrived early.

Rain fell as we returned to the ship. The fifty yard walk from the security tent to the ship was wet. As we came aboard I noticed a bin full of umbrellas. Putting them in the security tent would have been helpful. A little failure on Viking’s part.

Tea time was great, with a wide assortment of teas. Tiny cakes and sandwiches. Violinist and cellist played. Nice and restful. Almost everyone was properly dressed. No bathrobes. Later, in The Living Room, the pianist played, among other things, the tune one hears when put on telephone hold with Viking. I think it was a poor choice. 

We visited the spa pool again. I think we may have begun a tradition. I was able to use the snow room, but Yoriko stepped in and immediately stepped back out. 

For dinner I had an entree as an appetizer (lobster and scallops over noodles). For an entree I had beef wellington. All excellent. Shared a table with a couple of very interesting retired college professors. 

The ship got underway! Finally, we’re doing what cruises are supposed to do.  It was a good day.

Photos at http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

Saturday, 4/23. My little printer paid dividends last night when I printed a photo of the bartender. In return for a 50 cent picture, he gave me a free glass of wine.

Sunshine greeted us the morning! It would have been a nice day in Venice, followed by a late bus drive to the ship. Sadly, no. Viking has its program and won’t be distracted. We boarded the boat at 9:30AM. But they exceeded my expectations by providing a water-borne commentary of Venice Harbor. Very interesting. Entertaining pieces of history. Got some great photos of other boats.

After that, the transfer turned painful.  We landed at the airport (which has an incredible boat terminal), had a 25 minute potty stop delay, a 20 minute walk to the buses, then a 2.5 hour drive to the ship. None of it was exciting. But getting onto the ship afterwards was easy.

After our spit in the tube, we had the run of the ship, masks on. Tomorrow masks are optional. 

We went into the spa pool. Surprisingly, Yoriko had not done it on our prior Viking cruise. She loved it!

The pail of cold water was refreshing for her. 

Dinner was excellent. I had filet mignon. I questioned the sommelier’s wine recommendation (primotivo) and I was correct. Had an alternative (South African Cab) that worked much better.

Chocolate ice cream and port was a nice desert. Now I’m in the night club, typing and drinking (slowly).

http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

Friday, 4/22. Many Photos today. http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

Typically fantastic breakfast. Better than most. Massive number of pastries. Somehow the bacon was better than usual.

We were tested on time. The nurse did a brain swab. Pushed it in further than it’s ever been pushed. Painful. But negative! That’s all that matters. The Viking "Hosts" did nothing useful. Was unable to answer the simple question "Were Viking excursions for Sunday cancelled?" I don't blame them. I blame Viking for telling them in advance. It's sort of an important question. Someone who had a glass factory excursion booked for Sunday needed to know if she should book one today instead.

Rain. Rain and wind. After walking to the boat dock, we bailed and returned to the hotel. We signed up for an afternoon glass factory group tour. I slept the sleep of the dead. We considered going to Breakfast #2, since it was open until 11.

By the time the tour began the rain had stopped, as did most of the wind. The tour was fine, though as expected we spent much more time in the showroom than in the factory.  I could have watched them make glass all day. The way they throw around molten glass was very impressive. Interestingly, the Russian partial gas embargo is projected to have a very large impact on glass making. 120% increases in gas prices. (Gas is used to fire the burners.) Everything was beautiful and priced that way. We bought a wine stopper. A fine tour. Fun boat ride too. We were dropped off at San Marcos piers to continue our walk around Venice.

I could truly walk the alleys of Venice and eat nothing, enter nothing, buy nothing and have a great time. Though I was mostly walking somewhere specific (Google Maps is my friend), I tried to keep off the main paths. The canals were as advertised. I learned that to get from one location to another required that one pay attention to where the bridges were.

Quick observations:

No bikes! Nothing with wheels. Heaven.

Looking up was frequently rewarded with an interesting view. Statues are a common thing.

More smokers than expected.

No beggars.

No stray cats.

All dogs are well mannered and well groomed.

Yoriko had Sardines, Venetian style, I had spaghetti at Baci & Pasta. We had outstanding pastries at Bar Pasticceria Ballarin. We had excellent pizza at a hole in the wall place.

Visited the Liberia Acqua Alta Book Store. Indescribable. Must be seen to be believed. Climb  a staircase on books, among other things.

Tried some night photography with good results.

My last post was pretty harsh.  Apologies for being a sourpuss.

I should have certainly added that everyone we met in Venice was a delight! Everyone spoke English. Asking advice was easy. (Though, again, we had to ask advice about which boat was the Marriott boat. To be fair, most boats have no signage at all.) 

Coincidentally, today I posted my first really critical comment about Viking (and Marriott). I am hopeful that this was a one-off. But it'll be a strange event if I EVER book an extension with Viking.

It's dangerous to swear off something after one event. I recall hating calimari in 1975 and not trying it again for a couple decades. Turns our the rubber ban-like serving I disliked came from a bad cook. On the other hand, if you find a cruise line you like, why screw with it?

I have had nothing but good things to say about Viking until today.

First: JW Marriott Venice charges 25 Euro per day for internet unless you're a member of their club. Days Inn provides free wifi! I was once in a camping area in the Yukon Territory that had free wifi. This is beyond unsat. I'm using my iPhone as a Hotspot.

For my money, this Viking precruise extension is a total bust. Marriott precharged my card 300 Euro, just in case I leave without paying for something. There is NO written information in the room. The TV has some information, but not much. No menus listed. I've been in better equiped Best Westerns.  No corkscrew. No USB pports. No prices for the minifridge. NO maps of their "wonderful" resort. They don't mention whether the water bottle is complementary. One other thing I noticed; their pools close at 8PM. This is a resort?

The briefers spoke too quickly. The lobby we were in, for reasons beyond understanding, had background music playing. We had to individually checkin. Viking did nothing at all to speed our checkin. 45 minutes after landing on the island we went to the dock to catch a boat to Venice. They were just then taking our luggage from the dock!

I realize it's just me and perhaps Viking's extensions are excellent elsewhere, or that others see good in what I see bad.  But Viking is going to hear about this from me.

VIking and Marriott aside, we had a good first evening in Venice. However, it was insanely crowded. We hope to get there early tomorrow, though that's complicated by an Antigen test at 8:10 AM. 

26 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

I look forward to your blog as we will cross paths in Istanbul as we board to head in the reverse direction May 7.  The LAX to Frankfurt flight on Lufthansa appears to the the toughest part of the journey 

Lufthansa has a large selection of movies. (I never tire of Casablanca.) But I did a layover at Frankfurt just last month. The hardest part was the walk, not the flight. Lufthansa's terminal is one looong wing. Had to walk from gate 11 to 67. There were some people movers, but several were under repair.

I plan to make daily posts, Internet willing. I have maintained a blog for all my adventures since my retirement in November, 2015. Some were with my wife, some not. Her adventurous spirit has limits.

As with many of you, this cruise was long in coming.  Originally booked to be a Russian River Cruise in April, 2020. Then it became this cruise, set for April, 2021. After another year of Covid, here it is at last. We did the Douro River cruise last August (for the second time), so we’re accustomed to spitting.

That we won’t have to wear a mask on this cruise is sort of a good news/bad news situation. I intend to wear one in certain circumstances, such as in elevators. My wife, being native to Japan, is more comfortable with masks, so she will probably wear one all the time.

We booked the two-day pre-cruise extension so we will arrive in Venice on the 21st. This is fortunate, since the Sky isn’t docking in Venice, or even across the bay in Fusina. The harbor is closed temporarily for a “pending Environment Study”, whatever that is.  We will have all day Friday to visit Venice, then on Saturday we’ll be transported 90 miles (three hours?) south to Ravenna. New excursion options await. (Viking has compensated everyone with some on board credit and a partial discount for a future cruise.)

Anyway, we have done our two boosters, VERIFLY, Antigen test, EU locator documentation, and Lufthansa paperwork. We have our boarding passes. The flights are relatively painless; Lufthansa still has a mask policy, which is actually our preference. The consequences of testing positive, with or without symptoms, is too significant.

Since I was 14 (no joke, I remember the moment), my retirement plans were to travel. The pandemic threw a huge wrench into those dreams. But this will be my third (our second) post pandemic adventure. We’re back on track!

http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

There are tons of web sites that provide tipping suggestions.  LonelyPlanet, TravelChannel, etc. 

The shipboard Program Director would be the Viking person I'd ask. I would not even glance at Viking's FAQ for such localized recommendaitons.

I read today that a huge Art Exhibit begins on Saturday in Venice. First since 2019. That might explain the closure of the harbor for an "Environmental Study". Freighters seem to be unaffected.

Our adventure begins tomorrow, after two postponements dating back to 2020. Last year Venice closed it's port, forcing Viking to change the port of embarkation from Venice to Fusina, THEN last Friday Viking had to change it to Rasenna, 90 miles south. This morning CVS cancelled today's antigen test, making us find new reservations. There are rumors that no one will even check the tests. Our one precruise day in Venice is forecast to have a 90% chance of rain. Too tired to laugh, too old to cry. But hey, it's an adventure.

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain.

18 minutes ago, Calgal said:

Today was our first day to make Dining reservations for a sailing leaving June 16th on Viking Venus. We are a family of seven and were told there is nothing available. After 45 minutes talking to the Agent, she found us ONE reservation for 6 persons. All the other days nothing!

My daughter also checked and she found something for 8:30 pm! Really ?

Please let me know your experiences, thank you.

You're immediately introducing an strange situation by trying to reserve an odd number. Viking's reservation system most likely assumes pairs. Computers are stubborn that way.

It won't help you now, but I suspect that once you're on board, the human staff will work something out.

By the way, reservations for specialty restaurants on our cruise this week only opened up on MyViking Journey 20 days ago, despite the expected 60 days. We ended up able to make one extra reservation. Things might work out for you. 

Note: The pen is not listed. That's good, 'cause I usually take the pen.

What's a magazine bag?

We're on the Viking that was supposed to enter Vencie harbor this weekend. We received an email last Friday rerouting us to Ravenna, due to the Venice harbor being temporarily closed due to "Pending environmental Studies". There has no hint how long the studies would take. "Environmental studies" may be a euphemism for "we don't want Covid-laced Americans in Venice", but that would just be speculation. Marine Traffic in Venice Harbor right now looks open for freighters.

Our particular excursion in Venice on Sunday was definitely canceled. I suspect they all were. A source now on the Sky says Viking has scheduled excursions in the local area (Ravenna, Bologna, and San Marino).

16 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Free wifi has absolutely NO value if you can’t use it most hours of the day.

I have never seen Viking wifi service so poor, and I’m tired of Viking giving the stock reply “ We are aware of the problem and we’re working on it.”

Sure doesn’t seem like they’re working very hard!! 😡

Where is the ship? I've never had problems, but I've never been in the middle of the ocean on VIking.

29 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

And because we did the pre extension with Viking, the negative Covid test was only required 72 hours prior to check in with Viking at the hotel and was also good for the ship at check in even though it was beyond the 72 hour time frame.  So its all up to a persons comfort zone, language skills, sense of adventure and mobility.

The Covid testing thing was the primary reason for booking the extension with Viking. Normally we'd just do our own thing. Another reason was that, unlike other Viking extensions, this one appears to be competitively priced. $1,600 for two nights at a resort that charges $1,000 a night. No excursions are included, but transfers are, plus the mysterious Host. I just don't know what the host can do for us. But since we're getting Host services for essentially nothing, I won't be disappointed if it's in fact nothing.

13 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

My only criticism was that Viking did not indicate in advance that there would be any optional excursions that we could have paid for.  We didn't find out until we got to the hotel.  I am a big planner and already had our free time scheduled.  I would never visit a city and have no clue of what to do until I got there.

Though I didn't write it, this is exactly my problem! I know people who enjoy NOT planning, but I'm not one of them. I want a host that can do things I don't know how to do. I already know how to check into a hotel and carry my bags. The situation is unusual because it's Venice, but the hotel is on a separate island. We want to be on the first water taxi to Venice. I am having trouble understanding how helpful a Host can be at the hotel.