soundcruiser

Seumas, yes - all future cruises on the Passage to India (Athens to Mumbai) are showing "sold out" in all categories here in the US, though the cruise itself still appears on the website.  I think the handwriting is on the wall.  I was hesitant to call Viking less than transparent, but truly it appears that is the case.

Seumas20, that is really interesting! I had assumed ( you know what that can lead to !!) the cancellation was proactively dealing with the political situation in the Middle East, as so many other lines have already done.  I will be following your experience with great interest - I sure hope you successfully complete this trip! We had been looking forward to the itinerary for quite some time. Maybe we can catch it in a few years.

I totally agree about the problems with vouchers.  Cash is usually the better option.  In our case, we had not reached the final payment date yet, so we only had our $50 in deposit in the game. We were going to cancel before that date unless an acceptable alternative itinerary was presented, and even then some of the very reasons we booked this itinerary in the first place (Israel, Suez Canal, Egypt) were not going to exist.

So, we have now added the Bali-Bangkok leg to our already booked Bangkok-Hong Kong cruise April 2025! It is our hope that the Passage to India itinerary re-emerges when, hopefully, the Middle East can find peace.

For those of us booked on this cruise, i just received an email from Viking stating that the Saturn has been redeployed to the Mediterranean. For those that paid in full, they are offering a voucher for 110% of monies paid. You may instead request a refund of monies paid.  Deposits will be refunded as well.  A $250 pp shipboard credit will be given to those rebooking on one of Saturn's new voyages:

(1) Empires of the Mediterranean, embarking 12/20/2024, from Athens to Venice.

(2) Mediterranean Odyssey, embarking 1/8/2025, from Venice to Barcelona.

(3) Malta, Morocco, and the Mediterranean, embarking 1/20/2025, round trip Barcelona.

We are certainly disappointed but had been hoping to hear of the plans for Saturn as transit of the Red Sea and docking in Israel seem to be unlikely in the near future. Good job, Viking, to proactively plan some excellent alternatives. 

Hello, friends,

After reading of the hurried decision you all face around yellow fever vaccines, I spoke with my husband, who is a board-certified MD specializing in infectious diseases and who has worked in the University of Washington travel medicine clinic the past 10 years. 

He gave me some statistics that may help you to make a decision. 

Total risk for the two most serious complications of the vaccine is:

1/100,000 for those under 60 years of age

3.5/100,000 for those 60-70

6/100,000 for those over 70

The risk of getting yellow fever is about 50/100,000 if you are in an endemic area ( Senegal looks like the only one you'll visit) for two weeks at peak season, which in Senegal is July-December.  The risk is probably lower if you stay in urban areas.  So, you will be traveling outside the peak season and for just a day or two.  Using lots of mosquito spray with as high a percentage of DEET as you can tolerate will be very protective, as will keeping your skin covered as much as is possible. My husband believes the actual risk of contracting YF will be < 7/100,000 if you use the above mosquito precautions, since you going at a non-peak time.

My husband recommends malaria prophylaxis for those traveling in South Africa, Namibia, and Senegal.  

I hope this reaches you all in time to make an informed decision, and we wish you a wonderful adventure as you continue the world cruise!

Agree with Janet and Twitchly - we loved this excursion! We always enjoy learning about the flora and fauna of an area, and the domesticated fauna at the farm were adorable (sheep) and majestic (horses). The farm is in a beautiful setting, and their mission of outreach to various groups is compelling. As were the pastries  baked by the owner!☺️

I second Twitchly's recommendations - we did both those excursions and they were some of the best we've done anywhere! 

I have also noticed that it is not working, Janet. I hope it is something temporary like solar storms, but if not, I hope it can be repaired soon.  We'll be boarding in Greenwich in a couple of weeks, and I hope it is up and running so our family and friends can "travel" along with us! Not to mention that I just love checking every day to see the ports, etc.!

We are planning to take the Clippers as well when we board in September! Thanks for all the helpful info, Twitchly, Jim, and CC!!

This has been so much fun to read! It's been cold and rainy here in the PNW this weekend and you gave me a nice taste of warmth and sunshine! Thanks for taking the time to share with us!

Thanks so much, Garry, for your wonderful blog, sense of humor, and attention to details both verbal and pictorial! And, also for your honesty about the things that weren't ideal - we all know that "ship happens," and sometimes it's nice to be reminded that a great attitude can conquer annoyances big and small.  I'm so looking forward to our B2B in September, and you have helped whet my appetite!

Shelly

Yes.

Those of us eagerly anticipating boarding one of Viking's three ships under construction can now see their progress at Fincantieri Shipyards in Acona, Italy. Viking Mars, due for her shakedown Chairman's cruise May 22, is currently moored in Ancona. By going to the Panomax site ( viking.panomax.com/mars) you can view Mars' two sister ships, Neptune and Saturn, as they are being built nearby. You can either wait until daylight in Italy for a live view, or go to the clock at the bottom of the screen and hit the back arrow to travel back to yesterday evening. I'm getting so excited for our embarkation on Mars in September!

I have tried this and find that my menu on MVJ doesn't open at all when I click on it! Does anyone have a fix for this problem?

Thanks, Jim! Don't those new boats look sleek and racy, though?!

I'm looking forward to meeting you as well, Twitchly!

This  is one of the reasons we travel with carry-on only - it opens up some interesting transit options at our destination! We are considering shipping a small bag via Luggage Forward directly to the ship - we'll have to do a practice pack later this summer and see how much room we have for a souvenir or two! 

Twitchly, we'll be on that BIE cruise with you in September and are also planning to use the Thames Clipper (now Uber?) to reach the cruise pier in Greenwich.  The Thames Clipper Conditions of Carriage state:

13.1 For safety reasons, and for the comfort of passengers, we are required to restrict the amount and type of luggage, including pushchairs and shopping trolleys that you take with you on our services. Subject to the absolute discretion of Thames Clippers staff and crew and provided there is space available on a vessel, the items do not obstruct access to safety and life saving equipment, gangways, stairs and passageways and are not placed on seats, the following items may be taken on board a vessel:  personal luggage  pushchairs and buggies  prams  bicycles  any other item, provided it is not dangerous or likely to injure anyone and save for those set out in Condition 1.4. 13.2 You may not take:  any item that is more than 2 metres long  hazardous or inflammable substances

So, it looks like you can take luggage with you, as long as it doesn't obstruct as stated above.  We will have our two carry-ons with us.

Eggtuary, you and your wife must have somehow peeked at our MO choices from three years ago in May!

We also stayed at the Hotel Antiche Figure and loved it - we enjoyed their breakfast on the terrace overlooking the canal our first morning in Venice and I can almost feel the sun's warmth as I write this. We hired a gondolier from the dock out in front of the hotel for an evening ride that was magical - no reservation was needed so you might consider that if you have time!

We also chose the same excursions as you two in Split, Naples, and Monte Carlo and felt that they were all excellent as well. We chose some private tours in other ports that we loved, too. We wish you a marvelous time as you celebrate your 25th!! 

Hi, Tas, We are on this sailing as well! Here is a great review/description of excursions that I have found helpful!

 https://jazzbeauxbritishislescruise2018.wordpress.com/

We used Norled to cruise to Pulpit Rock when we did the VH in 2017 - a fine experience at a similar price to Rodne.  The two schedules were different - Norled's worked better for our arrival and departure times.  I peeked at their website and it looks like it goes daily at 12:15, more often on busy days. It's always good to have choices!

2 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Seat allocation depends on category booked and loyalty level, if you're not top tier loyalty even a booked seat doesn't guarantee that's where you'll be sitting.

 

 

  Is this just in the case of using Viking Air, or equally true if you book on your own and pay to select a seat on BA in advance? I know that all airlines sometimes have to move your selected seat due to equipment change or some other factor, but I have thought that if you pay BA to select a seat in advance, that's as guaranteed as you can get, relatively speaking.

Thanks so much for these remarks, Flyer Talker.  I'm spending wayyy more time than is probably good for us researching planes, seats, routes, etc.  In the "before times," and scheduled for next year, we had/will have nonstops from Seattle to LHR on BA, Delta, American, and a one-stop connection thru FRA on Lufthansa, and nonstop returns from LHR, CDG, FRA and AMS to choose from (once we get to that hub somehow). I totally agree that the factors you mentioned make a huge difference in comfort.   I'm also fully aware that the equipment we may book initially may not be what is actually in use when we fly, making all of this an interesting exercise! But one does one's best with the data at hand.  

We used Air Plus on our last Viking cruise, and were able to specify and book our first choice of flights.  And everything went smoothly.  With what seems like some potential for international travel to be a bit "up in the air," (sorry , couldn't resist) next year , I definitely hear you re: cruiseline air shortcomings in the case of irops or simply equipment changes.  But that uncertainty also makes the AirPlus option attractive in the case of a cruise cancellation - no worry about using airline vouchers within a certain period of time.  Decisions, decisions! We'll just have to see what flights Air Plus has in their contract. The quote Viking gave us when we booked our cruise,  for Business out and Prem Econ return,  is right in the ballpark with airline websites, at least for flights  a couple of months earlier than ours will be.  Time will tell what makes the most sense. 

And thanks for the ITA Matrix tip - I love the time bar viewing option!

A question for Flyer Talker, or anyone else who has a good handle on this;

We'll (hopefully!) be flying SEA-LHR next summer for the British Isles cruise, and then home from Barcelona after the Trade Routes cruise which we are doing B2B. Would we be less likely to experience so many flight changes if we book on flights that are currently flying (such as BA48) over those who show as scheduled for next year but are currently cancelled (such as BA52)?  Or am I just trying too hard to read the tea leaves? We are leaning toward Air Plus but may book with the airline directly - we'll see how things look when the time comes.

Thanks for any input! I learn so much from this forum!

And, my apologies to my fellow Washingtonians from across the Sound - I forgot that these days we are not free to roam around walls, bars, or anywhere without a Viking group! I imagine Viking will be working hard to be certain everyone who wants an excursion will be able to take one.

Also, in the "before times,"  Viking would often add buses to popular excursions, and the helpful folks at the Explorer's Desk onboard can help you find an empty spot if there has been a cancellation or addition to the excursions listed in MVJ.  You also might try emailing the equally helpful folks at tellus@ vikingcruises.com now with your plea.  

All that said, just walking around the wall in Dubrovnik, and possibly stopping at Buza Bar, perched outside the wall on a cliff overlooking the sea (!) , would make for a fine day ashore!

I hope you two have a wonderful day in Dubrovnik!