OneSixtyToOne

There is a thread about optional excursion prices here

Finally got an email lol Great Lakes sale. Looks like it's just an EBD Offer

Think of Kitchen Table like an optional excursion. Local cuisine is prepared with ingredients bought by the chef that day while in port. It's only offered on certain itineraries at certain ports. The Viking web site has a video and a list of some of the itineraries where it is offered. If you look at the day by day of the cruise, you will see at what port it is offered. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/video/all/the-kitchen-table/play.html

I never get any promotions either. I’ve signed up and have a current booking. Everything is always in my wife’s name even though I’m the one who signed up and makes all the bookings. Maybe their research shows it’s more effective with women?

PBS produced a great documentary on the Panama Canal as part of their American Experience series. Here is the homepage: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/panama/

The only difference, besides location, seems to be they restock the refrigerator daily.

I recently made a post about the fantastic Sydney Bridge Climb but left out an interesting detail. For safety reasons you have to wear bone-conducting headphones to listen to the tour guide. Originally developed for military special forces use, sound is conducted through the jawbone into your middle ear, leaving your ears open to hear your surroundings. They also have the advantage of being 100% waterproof. It’s a very strange experience when you first put them on. I mentioned this because I was just reading a list of holiday tech gadgets and found them listed! They have come way down in price. So if you hate wearing ear buds or want to listen to your music and still be able to carry on a conversation, you might want to consider them.

Microsoft has started blocking macros again by default: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployoffice/security/internet-macros-blocked

A standard veranda cannot make reservations ahead of boarding, only DV and above. Making reservations after you board should not be an issue. No reservations are required for the World Cafe and many people prefer it to the restaurant.

We booked a tour through Viator. They have several available. We were staying at a downtown Melbourne hotel near their pickup spot. The tour included stops for lunch and dinner and we returned some 12 hours later.

We took an excursion of the Great Ocean Road when we were in Melbourne on independent travel. The problem is it is an all day trip and might not fit into your schedule. While there, we also took a helicopter tour over the coast and the 12 Apostles. That is one of the all time highlights of my travels.

I always do research about local attractions and when I read about the navy yard it was near the top of what we wanted to see on our cruise. I just wish I had more time to visit the other ships. We will be in London next spring for 10 days and we are considering taking the train to Portsmouth for a day excursion. So much history, so little time.

We did the Bridge Climb many years ago. It’s a fantastic experience and I highly recommended it. One of the highlights of our Australian trip.

Received this in today’s mail, but it’s still 2023 & 2024

Lufthansa has reversed course on a confusing policy announcement that Apple AirTags would be considered dangerous when placed in checked baggage. Here is the story.

SSBP is a little over $19 per day per person. Sometimes you can find it included during certain promotions.

FYI You put the comment into the quoted section

On most of our various pre-extensions the luggage was placed on our bus. Before it was loaded and you boarded the bus you had to verify it was your bag. During any walking portion of the tour the bus was locked and carry ons were left on the bus. After boarding the bus you don’t see your luggage again until it appears in your hotel/stateroom. I said “most” above because when we took the Switzerland pre-extension on a Viking river cruise, it included a train ride on the Glacier Express. For that extension they do no put the luggage on the train. Instead they transport it by truck to the ship where it shows up in your stateroom. We also have taken the Oxford extension from Paris to London via train. On that extension the luggage was checked onto the train and then placed on the tour bus in London. Depending on available logistics your luggage may arrive by various means but after you hand it over to Viking it ends up in your stateroom.

I take it you’re not from the US 😉

I own a Slingbox so I can watch my home TV provider and DVR from anywhere in the world. Comes in handy when traveling.

Hate to break the news to you but if any live sports are available on TV it’s probably going to be showing the World Cup in Nov. and Dec. I had the good fortune of being on a Viking River Cruise during the World Cup. It was a tremendous experience with each town setting up large outdoor viewing areas in the square.

New port facilities, new fees. Makes sense.

Just to add, each bus has their own tour guide. So even if it’s the same walking tour, you will be in your own small group. The guides do a good job in staggering their starts or taking slightly different paths.

I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy Portsmouth. It was one of our favorite stops. We took the included tour and near the end, we were dropped off right at the gate to the navy base. There we visited the incredible Mary Rose Museum and toured Nelson’s flagship the HMS Victory. The museum contains the wreck of Henry VIII’s ship propped up on it’s side in a climate controlled room, where they project video of what a day in the life was like on each deck. Also there are incredible artifacts, including the remains of the ship’s dog. You can read more about it here: https://the-past.com/review/whats-on/the-mary-rose-museum-portsmouth/

New Northern Lights itinerary and sale https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/in-search-of-the-northern-lights/pricing.html