OneSixtyToOne

First, to enter La Segrada you will need a timed ticket in order to beat the line. Tickets sell out well in advance and can only be purchased from the church so you need to check availability ASAP. Tour busses are no longer allowed to drive by so you will not see it on the Viking included tour. The included tour is a bus ride around the city with a couple of stops. If I was you I would consider Barcelona Day Tours. They’re a great family run tour company and the guides are excellent. They provide a door-to-door highlights tour that is much better than what Viking provides and they will arrange an optional ticket to enter La Segrada. The tour also includes a visit to Gaudi’s Park Guell (IMO another Gaudi must see). Their tour ends at La Sagrada, but if you buy the ticket to enter through them, they reimburse the cost of the taxi back to the ship. You’ll have as much time as you like to visit the interior. They arrange your ticket time so it coincides with the end of the tour. Here is the live post of our Barcelona visit from last year with many details and pictures. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2927474-almost-live-viking-sky-mediterranean-odyssey-april-2023/?do=findComment&comment=65286239

They only sell them on river cruises and the last I heard they were planning to phase them out (if they haven’t already). Ocean and Expedition ships off discounts and onboard credits for booking a new cruise while onboard.

Coffee, juices, lattes, etc. are all included.

Great Lakes sailings are found in their Expedition ships brochures.

Also, I failed to mention that most nights there is a gathering in The Hide, where crew members tell interesting tales of their previous journeys. Many have had a variety of jobs cruising the world for most of their lives and recount fascinating stories.

On expedition ships, the theater is used for science/nature based presentations. It has a state of the art million dollar 3D projection system, which is used on many nights for 3D nature films. It’s the best 3D system I’ve ever used. The only show on our Chilean Fjord trip was one night the entertainment director did a one man show. Expedition cruising is in many ways unlike ocean or river cruising. It was a memorable trip and would not hesitate to do another. To get a flavor of what to expect, here is my live post from last October

Just got the email offer. This is not six month prior PIF. Here is the fine print, expires 3/31/2024. Offer FV324: Offer only valid for guests with one or more future bookings made prior to March 1, 2024. Up to $1,000 per couple savings valid on any new 2024–2026 booking; excludes World Cruise itineraries. Save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) for itineraries 15 days or longer, or save $500 per couple ($250 per person) for itineraries 14 days or less. Valid with Past Guest Discount: Past Guests who have sailed with Viking in the past 12 months save $400 per couple ($200 per person) on listed cruise prices; all other Past Guests save $200 per couple ($100 per person). A limited-time $25 per person deposit is due at time of booking for select 2024–2026 itineraries; remaining deposit is due with final payment (excludes World Cruise itineraries); call for details. 2024–2026: Book and deposit by March 31, 2024. 2024: Pay in full by April 30, 2024 or at 120 days prior to departure (whichever comes first). For itineraries 35 days and longer, call for payment details. 2025: Pay in full by July 31, 2024. 2026: Pay in full by January 15, 2025. Offer is not combinable with other offers and cannot be booked online. Offer may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer expires March 31, 2024.

We had two “dudes” show up in bathrobes for afternoon tea. Their significant others were already seated, dressed to the nines. Their attempt at derision I suppose.

We took the Viking Tuscany extension last year. It was one of our favorite places to stay. We had the room in the villa that opened onto the courtyard. Here is the writeup, starting at post 66: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2906353-almost-live-viking-sky-journey-to-antiquities-jan-2023/?do=findComment&comment=64733283

Are you near an atomic test site? 😜

When in London a few years ago, we took the London Walks day tour to Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge. The guide was fantastic as was the experience. The tour included taking the train to Salisbury for a walking tour of the town and cathedral, including a visit to see the Magna Carta. This was followed by a bus ride to Stonehenge that also passed Sting’s home. Very informative tour guide that presented so much historical information that I never knew. If you find yourself in the London area, I highly recommend this tour or any given by London Walks (We have taken several). https://www.walks.com/our-walks/salisbury-stonehenge-tour-from-london/

It may be possible but you’ll be pressed for time. Stonehenge is over an hour away so travel time alone to and from will be close to 2.5 hours. It really depends on when the tour returns and when the ship departs.

If you ever encounter guest lecturer Peter LaSorsa, make sure to attend all of his lectures. His talks on the ancient world are as interesting as Russell Lee's. http://cruiseshipenrichment.net/speaker.asp?ID=56714273&DisplayStatus=1

Kent, I’m OT but curious to know who the lecturers are on your current cruise?

Regardless of SSBP or not, it’s our experience that the waitstaff keeps your glass full. You have to tell them you’re done. If this doesn’t happen, it’s typically because the staff may be new. If you make a point of talking to the wine steward for a recommendation, they will take good care of you.

Last summer we were in London and took the clipper to Greenwich for sightseeing and saw this spectacular sight:

If you plan on a few days in London, we always stay at the Rembrandt in South Kensington. It’s literally across the street from the V&A museum and in the heart of the museum district, only a block from the tube station. Very convenient for doing tourist activities. Piccadilly line goes right to the Airport.

Boots and pants are provided and required for the Zodiacs. You are given them on the 2nd day. No jackets (unless you’re going to Antartica) The wind chill is exceptionally cold when on the zodiacs and SOB. A warm jacket, wool cap, gloves, and neck covering is a must. We also wore wool leggings. Here is my live posting of this cruise from October.

Nile River Promo PL24 SPECIAL OFFER Ask for offer PL24 • Expires February 29, 2024 2024 & 2025 NILE RIVER VOYAGES Explore Egypt in Viking comfort The Great Pyramids of Giza. Queen Nefertari’s lavishly decorated tomb. Old Cairo’s bustling Khan el-Khalili outdoor marketplace. You can discover Egypt’s many remarkable treasures when you join us on board one of our small, elegant ships, specifically built to navigate the legendary Nile River. Reserve your preferred stateroom today with a deposit of $25 to enjoy special fares, a Double Past Guest Discount and 2-for-1 roundtrip international airfare on your 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids journey. LEARN MORE Pharaohs & Pyramids 12 Days | Cairo to Cairo 2-for-1 Roundtrip International Airfare $25 Deposit & Special Fares Double Past Guest Discount: Save up to $800 ASK FOR OFFER: PL24 On Select 2024 & 2025 Departures VIEW ITINERARY PRICE & BUILD

We took an almost identical itinerary in 2019, the only difference was Copenhagen instead of Bergen (we transited the Kiel Canal. That was very special!) Our #1 priority was visiting The Alhambra. Tickets for this optional excursion are very limited because tour groups are limited to one bus per day and because of security, your name is required to be on the ticket and it must match your passport which can be checked at random. Because of this, even if there are cancellations on board, those seats cannot be resold. It sold out within 20 minutes of opening. If interested, book that first as soon as MVJ opens and checkout and pay immediately for only that excursion, then book your other choices, doing optional ones first and included last. Optionals tend to sell out first and included excursions can have additional times added if they become full. Our next favorite stop was Portsmouth. If you take the early included tour, you can ask to be dropped right at the entrance to the port attractions. Be sure to visit the Mary Rose museum. It’s one of the most fascinating museums we have ever visited. It was built to house the sunken remains of Henry VIII’s flagship which was sunk in battle before his eyes by the French in Portsmouth. You’ll also have time to visit Nelson’s flagship Victory, and see where he died. That too is a fascinating visit. Third on our list was Cartagena, Spain. The Cartagena Foundations Walking Tour was one of our favorite experiences of any Viking tour, not only because of all the ancient sites you visit, but because of the tour guide. As a young student he was on the team that first discovered a lost Roman Imperial theatre and is today the director of the archeological site and museum. The tour also takes you to see a still underground Roman houses and street. You also visit the best preserved Carthaginian ruins in the world. This was the site of the 2nd largest city in Carthage. Unless you have never been to Paris, don’t bother. It’s all day on the bus with only a few hours in Paris. Your time is much better spent taking the tour of Honfleur. It’s a charming Medieval town and port with the oldest wooden church still standing in France. After the walking tour you have lots of time to visit hundred of old shops, restaurants, and the regional art gallery featuring paintings of Normandy. We’ve been there twice and would go a third time. Bruges is one of our favorite cities. Take the included tour then spend your free time exploring it. We took the included tour of Porto and were disappointed in it. Not enough time to do anything. If doing it again, we would opt for the optional tram tour or do Porto on our own. Falmouth was probably our least favorite port. Took a disappointing included tour. We had one of the worst tour guides I have ever had: “Along the left there are trails and a beautiful coastline but you can’t see it from here” was an actual quote. Do anything except the included tour. In Amsterdam we did the walking tour that included a visit to the Van Gough museum. This is one of my favorite art museums in the world. IMO a must see. The walking tour was also great. Probably the best way to experience the city. In Barcelona the optional Gaudí’s Houses of Modernism tour was amazing. We arrived at the Casa Vincens before opening, had coffee and snacks on the terrace and were the first ones inside, allowing for some amazing unobstructed pictures. After that you visit his other masterpiece Casa Batlló. Both are must sees. If spending additional time in Barcelona, we highly recommend Barcelona Day Tours. They are family run and the tour guides are amazing. They have a great tour of the city with a stop a Park Güell and the exterior of La Sagrada. They can also arrange for timed tickets to view the interior. All of the tickets to view the insde are sold only through the church but they will act as your agent and arrange it. Tickets sell out fast so you really need to plan way ahead. You can find a review of last year’s stop in Barcelona here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2927474-almost-live-viking-sky-mediterranean-odyssey-april-2023/?do=findComment&comment=65262761 Some highlights:

We docked there in 2019 and had no issues.

Are you trying to sync your photos to iCloud? Viking might be blocking that ip address. Try turning sync off until you are in port.

We did the Chilean Fjords Expedition cruise last October. The expedition ships are very casual, much more than Viking Ocean. BTW best food I’ve ever had on any Viking ship. For sea sickness, I took Bonine on some of the rough days. While we were there in the Austral Spring and you will be there in Autumn, the weather may be similar. My live posting gave the daily weather reports. You can find it here:

FYI Viking has Pacific Coast cruises scheduled for 2025. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/pacific-coast-explorer/index.html

It probably has a lot to do with visa requirements. A lot of countries have different requirements if arriving by cruise ship vs air or land. Some make accommodations in their requirements for day trippers only spending a few hours (eg. Turkey). If the ports in question are all in the EU, your chances are better than elsewhere.