Goosebear Mum

Interesting as we tried this, and our previously used hootoo device, last year on Aurora, but all were blocked. (edit, blocked by ship, previously all worked okay, pre covid on Aurora)

So, out of interest, in your opinion, what do you think will/can/could potentially be done for all the current ships?

Hi We’ve never had an issue in B deck balcony cabins, mostly starboard (mid-fwd, mid, mid-aft, aft) Cannot remember ever using it outside the cabin (I rarely take my phone/tablet out of the cabin, and husband never does) so cannot comment for elsewhere!

I would hope Viking is now more risk adverse and would be very safe, maybe safer than companies that have not had an ‘incident’ yet… More safety processes followed, ships checked, etc. I was on a boat (my parents) which exploded when I was 15, it's made me H&S aware, but not put me off, but I only ever book a balcony cabin, I’d have nightmares in an inside/seaview cabin. There were a couple of serious incidents in storms this Winter, injuring many passengers, with other cruise lines crossing the ‘Biscay’, again questions were raised about ‘should they have sailed?’. Cruising will always be a ‘risk’, but companies have a responsibility to reduce that risk as much as possible. I am sure Viking will react to this, if not already ‘behind the scenes, before the report was publicised’. This was serious, It was horrifying. I feel for those passengers who were onboard, and the relatives ‘watching’. I remember the event clearly, though I was not onboard. But, please don’t let it put you off. I don’t believe the crew were incompetent, I have only ever read passengers praising the actual ‘crew’. I also will be interested to keep an ear open for any legal proceedings against captain, Viking, ship builder, etc. Out of interest, where is that Captain now?

We love watching the pilot / boat leaving too. It’s a rather poignant moment, especially when having just embarked or about to do a sea crossing - “now alone on the sea, till the next port, and the cruise has really begun” 🙂 I’m really glad to hear you all made it on time, despite the flight delays. Now relax and enjoy your cruise. Thanks for posting. I enjoy following along with these ‘live’ threads 🙂

Thanks. I find it interesting so many on a Viking WC have ‘done’ Africa already, but not Europe (or maybe they are happy to ‘do’ Europe again!) I see quite a few posts on the WC forum asking which WC go via Africa and not Europe, as so few do.

Good, as I once had to politely comment on Aurora, that someone was always blocking the corridor, outside their mini suite. It was acted upon. This was pre covid, and I’ve only seen it on a regular basis on that one cruise.

I’m amazed so many people don't wish to continue, and see South Africa, etc. I can understand a minority, but nearly a third?!

Thanks for your blog, I enjoyed it…. and welcome back to a very wet East Yorks!

When we were on her in 2016/17 to the Caribbean, the air con in our cabin (B191 - I keep records on OneNote!) was very poor to unusable, when it was really hot outside. I was new to cruising, so didn’t think of ‘asking to have it fixed’ as I just assumed all cabin air con was poor… Now I wish I had! I have to say even on all our subsequent 5 cruises on her, the only one where I felt the air con was good, was last year to the Baltic, cabin B245. Not sure whether it would have been as good though at Caribbean temperatures! edit, not sure how hot the lifts were, as we don’t use them

This is a thread a year old, I imagine the OP meant March 2023! 🙂 Enjoy HCM though

Those starters on that latest menu have not one meat/fish option, unless choosing soup. Unacceptable imho to assume everyone will accept veggie food 😞

Gravlax is an ‘English’ shortened name of Gravad Lax. https://sweden.se/culture/food/gravlax Gravad lax, or dill-cured salmon, […] Nowadays dill-cured salmon is a popular delicacy in the English-speaking world too, and English has simply adopted the short version of its name, gravlax

I’ve held off commenting about food, but the menus are now way too heavily skewed to vegetarians now, for those of us who eat meat/fish 😞 5 of 7 starters in that dinner menu are vegetarian/vegan, and one of the only two meat starters is a salad! I personally think they’ve gone too far. We found it so bad last June when we were on Aurora, we ended up in the buffet each night (which was far better). At least the ‘mains’ are decent on there, but offering Guinea fowl and chicken on the same menu? Basically the same! (I do prefer guinea fowl though)

Purple are great, so easy to see on the vines, and pick! They don’t remain purple after cooking though, even steamed. 😂

There is a lot about. I’ve not been on a cruise, but have been ill now for 2 weeks, 1 wk of very high heart rate and not keeping anything in me, and now into the 3rd week of the big D... Strange gastro illness. Still awaiting a result from Dr. (Should be back, so being chased by Dr). More tests later this week. I want to know what it was! I wash my hands all the time, but we were out and about the weekend beforehand, so could have picked it up anywhere. Hubby is fine… We both always use the sinks in the buffet before (and after).

Along with the person on the hillside waving flags 🙂 It’s our favourite port for sailaway 🙂 We take small flags now to wave back 🙂

Aurora is our favourite by far. Better laid out, no horrible balcony sewage aroma (couldn’t use our balcony for hours at a time if the sewage aroma started)… the seating in the buffet is far better laid out, resulting in always being able to find a table for 2, whereas we found the predominantly larger tables in Arcadia were full of non UK passengers hogging the tables to read/have a view/have a long drawn out drink over hours… and would never share a table for 6, even though only 1 or 2 persons were present… maybe we were unlucky on our Fjord cruise on Arcadia, but we came to dread breakfast and lunch time on Arcadia, whereas on Aurora it’s always been ‘enjoyable’. Vowed never to sail on Arcadia again. Husband has since turned down certain itineraries he’d have loved, because it was on Arcadia.

Hi. FYI, Key West is now very very anti cruise ship, they’ve banned all bar the smallest cruise ships, and many cruise companies have stopped going there, even ones with smaller ships than Aurora. I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘weather’ was an excuse for Aurora to not dock. Disappointing for you, I really hope ‘it does get better’, but it really is horrible here in the UK, weather wise!

Hi. Thanks for your blog. I’m interested in which excursion you were unable to book, even in a ‘PV’ cabin?

I wonder how many she ‘lost’?! No idea why people do use the balcony, as the line in the shower is always so efficient in cruises we've been on!

I live on the coast of the North Sea, and have done ‘a few’ cruises up from the English Channel to Scandinavia. We’ve had mill ponds and storms. July / August there is more chance of calmer weather but not guaranteed by any chance, summer storms do occur.

It will be too early to know. I know one other cruise line, who have told their passengers that the final decision point will be India, as to whether they go via Africa or not. It’s still a long way away, 3 months. Tensions may have escalated, remained the same or (hopefully) reduced…

You are most welcome. I download all my kindle books ‘via my iPad’, as I find it the easiest for searching. Connecting the kindle to the ship wifi is problematic I understand (I’ve not tried it) but you could try and the tether the kindle to the the iPad’s internet, the kindle may be happier… order on iPad, then it should appear in her kindle automatically (once on wifi) Being on wifi on the kindle does not have to be at the same time as ordering on the iPad, it can be anytime)

Hi Selbourne. Glad to hear the bizarre meal combination was enjoyable! 🙂 re’ the kindle, if you’ve not sorted it by Friday, let me know. I have a long weekend, and will take screenshots of how to access the kindle unlimited library from our kindles (we have Oasis, but I’m sure it’ll be the same with other editions) I normally ’order’ on my iPad and then the kindle receives it, but I’ll look at doing it direct from the kindle. in the meantime, the kindle unlimited library link (for you laptop/tabket/phone/whatever you’re using to post to CC!) is here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Unlimited-Books/b?ie=UTF8&node=4764713031. You’ll need to be logged on as your wife’s kindle account (my husband and I share ours, so we both have the books) There are other ways to search for kindle unlimited books, but this is one direct method (screenshot attached) Before Friday, I’m at work, and don’t have the energy/brain power, to look at our kindles, sorry! GBM