tobique33040

We are on this cruise in February so super excited that you are posting! Really wonderfully written and interesting. Sounds like a great trip so far and cannot  wait to hear more as the cruise goes on. Thanks so very much for doing this.

19 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We were on Homelands, and no we did not catch Covid.  Luckily.

So happy you were spared the Covid-19.  
Yes, manners seem to be lacking. Same as y’all, we were brought up with manners which survive to this day. And taught our children the same. Plus Catholic school kept them in line😉. Let’s hope we all have safe travels, but we must be proactive because as we’ve noted, many were not brought up with manners or have misplaced them. 🤷‍♀️
Glad a lot of us are on the same page figuratively. 

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

I hope that this does not violate the new Covid discussion policy.  In fact this is not about Covid, but pure manners and decency for your fellow traveller.

 

We just came off a 14 day ocean cruise, and I admit that we are likely more hyper vigilant when we hear someone cough because of the past couple of years, but please, please, please, if you are going to cough, cover your mouth.

 

I cannot tell you how many times we moved away from someone in the theatre or in the World Cafe because they were coughing and not even attempting to cover their mouth.  They would be in the buffet line or serving themselves and coughing without covering their mouth.  They were sitting at a table and coughing and not covering their mouth.  They were walking anywhere on the ship and coughing and not covering their mouth.  They were on a bus and coughing and not covering their mouth.

 

Have we not learned anything over the last couple of years?

 

Did we not grow up hearing our parents tell us to cover our mouths when we cough of sneeze?

 

This was not a single isolated person or incident - this was all over the place.

 

What has become of us?

 

Forget Covid, I don't want your Flu or your Cold either. 

 

Please cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze. 

I totally agree! Why would you cough without covering your mouth? I’ve seen it too much and agree it’s so selfish. Germs can spray very far away😱. So we are about to do Into the Midnight Sun. Planning to mask when possible and keep to ourselves. What cruise were y’all on, and did you catch Covid-19. Hopefully no. 

I agree. Clay, you are the Best! I love your comments. Yup, my offers stopped too and I called and asked them to put me back on emails. They said sure, but didn’t 🤷‍♀️

2 hours ago, cruisinchrissy said:

Don’t know who you are flying with but BA have a habit of making you put your hand luggage in the hold on a full flight ( even if it fits their size requirements) . You might just as well take a normal suitcase and a carryon. 

Sounds like a plan. I am flying American which is essentially BA so I may just do that. Thanks! And thanks to all for suggestions. 

We are on Into the midnight sun cruise July 15. Hearing horror stories about Heathrow. I’m pretty much planning to ditch my usual mid sized suitcase that I check, and take a carryon. Unfortunately, my walking sticks won’t fit in. My daughter has decided on a hiking excursion in almost every port, so I’m wondering if Viking has walking sticks onboard which they loan? 

Yes,Let me Travel, I’m wondering more about efficacy in preventing any infection so I don’t test positive and have to cancel a trip. I do think the vaccines are effective, certainly against serious illness, hospitalization and the unthinkable. I guess these vaccines are really a miracle if used. One problem, of course, is too many people refusing to be vaccinated which leads to continued new strains. And as far as chemicals, our bodies are so filled with chemicals as a result of industrial pollution, that these life saving vaccines are the least of our worries. Just curious what others are doing with multiple trips. I think peak efficiency is four months out, then a gradual deterioration, but only against actual infection, which would mainly lead to asymptomatic or mild infection. 

My first trip is mid May so I’m getting my 4 th shot early May. Considering the rapid waning of immunity for infection though not serious illness, I’m wondering what people with multiple trips are thinking. I’m going again in early Fall? 

Sorry to hear your predicament. Did you have insurance? Because most cruise lines won’t give you a full refund, only a credit, without insurance. So I’m surprised that they are doing that. Even since the pandemic began, from my experience, the cancellation requirements have been much easier, but still mainly give credits, not refunds. So I’m guessing you had insurance with them. I have been signed up for cruises and tours since the pandemic began, which have been canceled by the companies, and in those cases refunds were quickly given. Tauck and Viking btw. I have heard that other companies have dragged their feet returning money when it was the company not the traveler who canceled. So I’d say Tauck and Viking are excellent. So if you have insurance, I see why you are upset. Otherwise, I’m not surprised they are making you wait. Not that it’s right of them, but they are probably having a tough time like many tour companies. Just a thought. Good luck and let us know how it goes. 

Just now, tobique33040 said:

 

This is so true. I have some Patagonia pants I wear a lot to travel. They are so much more comfortable than jeans. I guess our generation just got used to wearing jeans constantly for casual wear and is stuck with that habit. But as others have said, a pair of Dockers etc are acceptable at dinner in the three restaurants and are also more comfortable during the day. So bring your jeans if you are attached to them, and if you don’t want to take them off it’s your prerogative. Just go to the lovely World Cafe instead. 

On 8/11/2021 at 7:14 AM, CanuckCurlers said:

If you are so attached to your jeans, by all means bring them.

 

There are lots of better performing options, including for active excursions, that are not jeans or dress pants. 

Look at Cabela or REI-great options that are way more functional than jeans. Some could double for pants for dinner.

Jeans aren’t great—-cotton holds water and makes you feel sweaty in hot weather and take forever to dry. They stay damp in cool weather too which is miserable. They weigh twice as much and are bulky for packing.

 

They are not , to me, the best choice for travel. But bring what you feel you need. 

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, BQEC said:

You are most welcome. Once the pandemic is up, more folks will be forthcoming --- as you probably know, asking couples, families, if you can take their photo is an excellent ice breaker.

😻hopefully. That will make it more fun. 

Thanks much. I’ve done a couple solo tours and am booked alone for next summer on Viking “in search of midnight sun”. I’m ok being on my own. But hopefully, like you, I’ll meet more people when things get better re the pandemic. 

I was alone on July 17 cruise. People were pleasant but only once asked me to join a group. Honestly, I was as happy to stay on my own so I would stay Covid free if anyone happened to have it. Our cruise was fortunately trouble free. Missed last port but only because of weather. 

Oops. Just reread and see you are a teacher so the Gail I know is retired. But if you’re on the cruise, maybe we can eat together. I lived in Haverford for 20 years, then Newtown Square for 16 before moving down here. To Georgia. 

19 hours ago, gailellen12 said:

This single supplement might be a blessing for me. I had to cancel my Aug 3 cruise due to my passport renewal not returned to me in time. I sent it expedited in May. Now all I need is it to come back soon so I can use my cruise credit to book the no single supplement a sept cruise. I would actually have cruise credits to spare as my Aug cruise would have cost me more $  Now all I would need to figure out is how to apply for my personal days at the start of school and successfully jump all the necessary hurdles 🤔

I just booked onto September 10 as a solo. I think I might know you. It’s Sally from the wine store. Maybe I’ll see you on the cruise if you can get on September 10. 

7 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We were told that the flashing is when it is uploading info. Didn’t ever seem to be a rhyme or reason to when or how long it flashed. I was told that if it turns red that indicates a low battery. Oh, and it it starts blinking like a disco floor and plays “oops I did it again” by Brittany Spears-it means you’ve tested positive and to go immediately to throw yourself overboard 😂

We have taken three Viking River cruises and they’ve been great. You obviously didn’t do your research because as another poster said, ocean and river cruises have almost nothing in common. For someone who has taken 50 plus cruises and could be considered an experienced traveler, I’m surprised you booked a river cruise based on ads alone. My opinion is it’s not Viking, it’s river cruises which aren’t for you. The fact that you waited five years to post makes me suspect you’re currently disappointed with Viking for another reason and want to vent. Otherwise why complain now?

We are doing Swiss alps to Paris and have been reading all your comments. Thanks so much for the wonderful insight. We are meant to leave March 17 so we shall see if the cruise is cancelled. Hope not.

Hi Notamermaid,

Thank you for your note. I do hope you can do the 2018 river levels as many people benefit from your firsthand experience and information. Yes, it will be cold in March, but if there are fewer crowds that will make the travel easier I expect. I am looking forward to researching during the coming months and will check out the thread you suggested. Thanks again for so kindly sharing your knowledge with all of us. Thomas the Cat says hello :)

We did the cruise 3 years ago and loved it. St. Petersburg is amazing and the tours were well done. We actually loved the stops between St. Petersburg and Moscow as we were able to see the "real"Russia, if you will. The two big cities are justly famous and wonderful to visit, but when we travel, we also like to see more than the big cities so this tour was good for us. The food was very good for our cruise, but we haven't done an ocean cruise so can't compare to that. Overall, we found the trip fascinating. Viking has a better tour there because one of the owners lived there and has some ties.

Notamermaid,

Your information is amazing! We are scheduled for Basel to Trier on March 17 next year. Will you be doing water level reports then. Thank you.

We took the cruise beginning 9/4. Obviously weather varies from year to year and we were expecting colder weather. But we had warm, sunny weather with practically no rain. It was perfect. That being said, if you check out the average temperatures for late summer, and bring a warm jacket just in case, you should be fine. We absolutely loved the cruise! St. Petersburg is amazing.

We had the same experience with low water levels. Some people hated the bus. I loved the ride through the countryside to see how people live there. I found it interesting. 😀

We took the St Petersburg to Moscow on Rurik and loved it! Peterhof is magnificent, but we were there in early September and the fountains were on. I think they might be off now. If you like a walk through beautiful gardens and a look at the Baltic sea then go. Well worth it. Traffic in Moscow is rotten, but all tour companies experience it. I noticed the Vantage bus took three hrs to get to town center. I'm sure it is better to stay in a hotel, but you pay for it with the increased cost of that companies tours. If that is your preference, I would pay extra and you'll be in a Red Square area while in Moscow. St. Petersburg traffic is bad too, but IMO the boat is in a better location there. What a great trip. Keep us updated please!