Heidi13

The Nikon is well above the price point that I will pay for binoculars. If I wanted to get into that price point, I would be buying Swarovski.

A number of years ago Princess automatically converted all end of cruise bills to the pax credit card's currency, charging a significant fee. They got significant complaints, so our last few cruises with them, you were are asked if you want the charges converted to your currency (for your convenience), or billed in US $. The time they converted our bill to CAN$, the exchange rate was no better than our bank, but they charged a broker exchange fee. I always elect US $ and the bank converts it at the daily rate it is posted. My credit card has no Fx fees, but with low dollar amounts the exchange rate is 4 or 5 cent worse than the official exchange rate.

Other than being bulky and a little on the heavy side, they are a great choice.

When considering binoculars and magnification, you must also consider vibration and ship movement. On the Bridge of most ships the binoculars are 7x or 8x, with the first number being the magnification. This is a good compromise between getting close enough and the view being blurred by vibration and movement. On a cruise ship, keeping them steady you can go to 10x, without too many issues from vibration. The 2nd number is the size of the lens, which impacts the light gathering and size. Personally, I have no issues with size, so prefer x50 for use in low light. Another feature I prefer these days is "Permafocus" which prevents having to continually focus the binoculars. The technology works by having a depth of field of a few feet to infinity. Having had to focus binoculars on the Bridge for too many years, this feature is brilliant. With permafocus you may not get as clear an image, but you never fail to get an image while fiddling with a focus ring. You should also review the angle of view, which is often quoted as being so many feet at 1,000 yds. A higher angle of view makes it easier to spot smaller objects. Other factors to consider are the prisms - Bak 4 or Bk 7, with Bak 4 having higher quality images, but generally being more expensive. If you wear glasses, you should also consider the specifications for eye relief. When considering higher power binoculars, you must also be aware of the exit pupil, which is the lens size (2nd number) divided by magnification. A low exit pupil size provides darker images in low light. Therefore, when considering binoculars, you have way more to consider than magnification. Personally, I use 10x50 Permafocus binoculars with a 7.5 angle of view, giving almost 400' at 1,000 yds. I also have 12x50 and have also used them on board ships, but I used binoculars on the bridge for over 35 yrs.

Regardless of the currency you provide to the crew as tips, many will have to exchange it for their home currency. Onboard the ship, the crew has an ongoing currency exchange, and failing that, they can change CAN $ just as easily as US $, Sterling, Euros, etc at a bank.

So true, last I read, premiums have increased tenfold. With today's missile strike, I suspect they may be increasing again.

All Viking cabins are outboard with a balcony, so each cabin has a sliding or hinged door to acess the balcony. Viking does not have any cabins that have a single window on the outboard bulkhead. Personally, having seen many windows break through impact from the seas and also racking of the ship, I would favour multiple smaller windows. The amount of space taken up by the frames is minimal. An example is the Viking Polaris incident, where they lost a number of the larger windows. Ships have sailed for many years with portholes in these locations, with a steel deadlight to secure in rough weather. No issues.

Northern Atlantic cruises are normally on offer from at least HAL and Viking.

North East Metro Vancouver suburbs. I have walked & biked the Pitt River & Fraser River dikes for > 40 yrs. Not too uncommon to see them walking through the fields below the dikes and a few times have had them cross over the dike about 100 yds ahead. Didn't see any in the neighbourhood last year, but used to see them a few times a year, especially on garbage days.

The Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise will probably have well over 90% of the pax from the cruise ship. They know when the ship sails and boarding times, with their future business contingent on getting the pax back aboard in time.

Bear spray, as a potential weapon, is listed on the NCL prohibited list. Haven't had any college training in bears, but we live with them on a regular basis, for over 40 years. Even had one sleeping on the front lawn one morning, when heading out to work. They walk around our neighbourhood a few times a year and I have met them on the local dikes many times over the years. Never found a need for bear spray, as they generally avoid us, unless getting between a mum and her cubs. Note - we only deal with black bears, not the grizzly. If you do proceed with the purchase and have it available, I hope your training included the use of bear spray, and that you have experience using the product.

Any of the cruise lines we have used will be happy to bill you in your own currency, but they charge a significant fee for the service. You would need to compare the fees from the cruise line to those charged by your bank.

Being 1/3 of the way back from the bow, it is unlikely to be the anchors or anchor chain, as that impacts the forward cabins. You probably ahead of the Survival Craft and a couple of decks above them, so that reduces the probability of securing issues with the boats. If the ship was pitching (bow moving up/down) then the most likely cause is routine ship movement with the flared bow slamming into waves and the shock being transmitted throughout the hull, as it is designed.

Clearly you're not a Navigator, as on a Northern crossing, as was posted, it is entirely possible - Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, UK Mainland.

From working on both the older liners and more modern cruise ships, as a Deck Officer.

Alaska is all about the scenery and the experience, including talks from the Park Rangers. If HAL & Princess are not options, then I have to question if Alaska is the right destination for you, at this time.

Sound like you are inbound to the Meddy, so when sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the traffic separation scheme has Eastbound ships on the African side of the channel, which is 6 to 8 miles from the Rock. Based on the distance to Cartagena, you have a good chance of the transit being in daylight. However, many of the times I have sailed these waters it was hazy with limited, if any views of the rock.

I book a car with Addison Lee to pick us up at Tilbury. I usually book it for the latest disembarkation time, as they don't have much of a parking lot to wait if you are late. Fares are very reasonable, but we book a hotel at Tower Hill, to avoid the worst of the London city traffic.

Welcome to cruise critic. You will find lots of opinions on north/south on the Alaska Board. Here is the link. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

That's an excellent question, with key factors possibly being: - breaking up long stretches of sea days. - loading reasonably priced bunkers, as the price can vary significantly by port - where they can pick up stores, replacement crew, guest entertainers, etc. I'm going to assume that Cape Town would be a definite port, so the Mumbai to Cape Town leg requires about 10 - 11 days steaming. I'll suggest at least 1 port is required to break up those sea days. - Seychelles is fairly close to the mid point and is a minimal deviation from the direct route, so my crystal ball thinks Seychelles is an option, if they have space. - Mauritius requires a deviation from the direct route, but would split the remaining days to Cape Town, so it is a possibility. - Madagascar is possible, but I don't follow that area, so not aware of potential security issues. - Durban is also a potential stop, as they could offer tours driving along the coastal route to rejoin in Cape Town After Cape Town: - they could stop in Namibia (Walvis Bay) - then I'll suggest the next potential port is Cape Verde islands, which is about 10 days from Cape Town, or 8 from Namibia. - Next islands would be Gran Canaria/Tenerife More options are then available, possibly - Cassablanca - Gibraltar/Cadiz - Porto/Lisbon - Le Havre/Dover - Greenwich

Personally, I don't wait until after I have booked to learn the process, which is why I spent 2-years researching Viking before booking with them. BTW - this very subject has been discussed numerous times over the years. I'll suggest the regulars on CC already fully understand the process, and the inherent risks.

Personally, when we book a cruise, it involves a number of factors, not just the cost of the base fare. Cabin location and availability are also key considerations. When you look at all Viking Ocean & Expedition cruises, the ratio of price increases to drops is most likely weighted towards price increases. The last cruise we booked, increased $12,000 pp about 9 months after the cruise was published. You clearly understand the contract you agreed to by paying the deposit. So, if you expect a refund when the price drops, are you also willing to pay extra, if the price increases. If you wish to renegotiate the contract terms, surely that has to be available to both parties.

Jim - they may not make the final decision until Mumbai, but the planning for a Cape route has to be completed well before that. Especially when considering the stores, which are shipped about 3 months early, to a port on the itinerary. If they don't decide until Mumbai, they will have numerous containers of stores sitting in various ports. Then they will have to scramble to find local goods for 2 ships, only 3 days apart.

Distance from Mumbai to London via the cape is about 11,150 n/mls. At 18.5 kts, it requires 25 days and 3 hrs steaming, with an additional hour for departure and about an extra 6 hrs for arrival Greenwich. Therefore, total time berth to mooring buoys is 25 days 10 hrs. You also need to factor time differences, with Mumbai being Z+ 5:30 year round. In May, UK is on BST, which is Z+1. so the cloxs move back 4;30 during the transit. Therefore, on a continuous sailing, the ship requires 25 days 5.5 hrs of transit time. Being unable to sail that length of voyage without bunkers and victuals, I'll suggest they will require at least 2 stops for bunkers and stores. With stops requiring additional distance, berthing, etc you will probably require about 28 days for the transit, so they would have 8 additional days to spare.

Rather than using social media to track crew members, I suggest chatting with crew members and getting to know about them and their family, then trading contact details. I still am in contact with crew members from the 2020 WC, which includes crew that never returned to the ships. At least prior to COVID, the Viking crews knew their work schedules 2 - 3 contracts ahead - name of ship, joining/leaving dates and joining/leaving ports. Therefore, if you take the time in getting to know the crew, they may share information on whether they will return to the ships, specifically Viking, and advise which ship they will be on, and the dates. To use this method, a last name and nationality will also help.