Planning to cruise

We have done 2 VO cruises this year on different ships. On both the bottled water was available by the gangway throughout the day.

I tell the steward not to bring any ice and remove the bucket!

When we first went on QM2 in 2007 you could have an audio guide to the memorabilia and art. I enjoyed it. Referring to an earlier post, my uncle was always proud that he had sailed on Queen Mary even if it was as a wartime army private.

I think all the cruise ships now go to Kai Tak terminal at HK. Some way out. I have been there on QM2 and QE. No doubt its where QA would be also. The Singapore terminal that Cunard uses is out of town but very close to a rapid transit station where we and many others accessed the excellent and easy transport system to start independent exploration.

The carafe of water is there but we often take the offered bottle water when returning from a tour as we head to the room. Certainly no need to buy any. I concur that the Living Room is the go to place for hot drinks. Also available in the Explorers Bar.

DJ as we Brits say for gala nights. DH always wears a jacket on other nights. We have crossed some 8 or more times at all times of the year. On our first, in May, I was sorry that I had not taken something warmer for outside. I also pack a woolly hat and gloves. As has been said, its the wind. If, like us, the pax like to get outside at some point in the day its useful to have a waterproof for wet times - there are sheltered parts on the promenade deck.

....summer and winter.

It is in summer, or at keast was when I was last on Hurtigruten pre covid. I have done the whole coastal journey in both summer and

We are fairly active 70+ year olds. We have done a number of river cruises, many (and now only) with Viking. I think you will find they are a good choice. We (I!) too are planners and I do much research before going anywhere. We did the Viking Rhine Getaway AMS to Basel last year. We were happy to just eat on the ship. No complaints. We prefer to use time in ports to see the places rather than spend precious time in restaurants. Lunch is often skipped when docked, when wandering ashore ‘coffee and cake’ or a light snack suffices. This is our experience of each port, what we did. You interests may differ. We are not interested in cheese making, wine tasting, war etc etc. but prefer to see the places, their art, architecture, history … We did not do any bicycle tours, are not that active. May I suggest that if you are a group of 8 you may not need to do the same thing throughout if interests differ? Having been to Amsterdam several times our pre extension was to the Hague. No complaints, only praise for our Viking provided transfer and hotel. Other than the transfer tour on the final day we skipped the included tours there preferring to do our own thing by visiting art galleries, a walk around and taking the tram to Delft. The ship spent the first day of the cruise in AMS. We spent it in the Rijksmuseum, having pre booked tickets and getting there by tram. If it is your first visit, either do what interests you after researching or take one of the ships tours to suit. I went to Anne Franks House many years ago when it was less commercialised. Judging by the crowds outside now it looked to be chronically busy - I would agree with the view that unless you have a specific interest it may not be worth it. We did the canal cruise as it was part of our transfer but I felt you didn't see much, the canals are low down giving limited views. Kinderdjik a morning. The choice is to do a tour or stay on board, it is not near anywhere. We did the included walking tour. It is an interesting sight, worth seeing. After entering with the guide, thus not having to pay admission, it was not long before we went off on our own and saw more, returning later with the group. The guide was too slow and uninteresting. Cologne we did our own thing all day walking the city after researching what we wanted to see and working out a route. Koblenz we did the included walking tour. It was Sunday morning, much was closed. Rudesheim an evening call. Had a quick walk around, found it very busy and touristy and returned to the ship. As with other places on the Rhine, we had been decades ago when things were quieter. The restaurants seem geared to the tourist market. Speyer the ship is docked about a 15 min walk through parkland to the town. We did our own walking tour of Speyer and its cathedral. We had been to Heidelberg. It is an interesting place and of course you get to see more of Germany en route with the tour but whether a tour with lunch at the university is worth it, I’m not sure? Strasbourg started off with the included tour which starts by touring the outskirts of the city before stopping in the centre to do the guided walk that finished by lunch time. There, we soon broke away from the guide to do more on our own and returned to the ship later in the afternoon by shuttle bus. When we are in Strasbourg again next year on a different Viking river itinerary we hope to see more of the European diplomatic area under our own steam, using trams. Being from the UK that will of more interest to us than to Americans. Breisach we did the Black Forest Tour. A scenic drive through countryside and a visit to a wood working / cuckoo clock making centre. Thought this one worthwhile. Basel no sooner had we docked (outside Basel) than we were transferred to the airport. Disappointing. We saw nothing and were sorry that we had not arranged to stay for longer. As we begin the next VRC there next year we have already booked a hotel in the city for a couple of nights to see the city on our own.

We had an A1 Club room on QV deck 8 last year. I dont remember any noise issues. A1is more midships, mostly under the Winter Garden.

Yes, why? I dont have a sweet tooth and a pet hate is icing sugar thrown over desserts. Cunard is a serial offender. I usually forget to mention it before it is too late.

As I am not keen on jam I only ever put cream on scones (as in scones not scowns). I once read something that made sense. Cream first then jam as you never put marmalade on toast with the butter on top.

When I was aboard I witnessed a deck steward asking pax to move their chairs and loungers for him to get a towel bin through.

I was on a cruise a few years ago. In a queue I heard people behind me speaking in a language that was not English. I tuned in. It was Welsh. I turned and jokingly said in Welsh, Be careful, I can understand you!

Right. I wont bore with the reasons but the sign Croeso i Gymru (Welcome to Wales) is grammatically correct. Cymru is pronounced Come ree.

Right. I wont bore with the details but the phrase Croeso i Gymru (Welcome to Wales) is grammatically correct. Cymru is pronounced Come ree.

Maybe Holyhead is a port in which to do a tour. Public transport is not great. It is on a main rail line but frequency is limited. I might be nervous of a longer train trip because of possible delays or cancellations. It would be a pity to stay on the ship and miss visiting Wales, a different part of the UK. It has a different culture a d its own language. You will notice road signs are in both English and Welsh. You should really get out of the town which is an industrial ferry port. Further afield are castles, villages, beautiful coastline. Just go somewhere.

Perfectly pronounceable if, as I do, you can speak Welsh! The name place was invented as a tourist ruse many decades ago. It is a sentence of individual words that describe a place. It begins the church of St Mary by the white pool ..... Holyhead is in Wales. Whilst in the UK it is not England, nor Scotland or Ireland. It is a different place with its own language. Holyhead is in an area where Welsh is the first language of many although these days everyone will also speak English.

No room service on Viking River boats. 24 hour room service on Viking Ocean. The river boats have a 24 hour serve yourself hot drinks and biscuits station.

Hear hear. Well said. We have also just returned from this one. We didnt get to many lectures, there always seemed to be something else to do. Not least being out on deck with the fabulous scenery. Thankfully, 2 more booked!

The hair dryer in Britannia Club and thus probably Britannia is pretty awful. Very underpowered. I regretted the last minute decision not to take my own better small travel dryer. Unlike those on the other Cunard ships the QA dryer is not fixed in a drawer. QA storage space in the lower grade rooms is more limited. From posts I understand that Grills have better dryers.

We had hoped to visit Miniatur Wunderland on our QV visit to Hamburg last year. Even trying to book entry tickets online some months before we found it fully booked. You have to get in some time in adavance especially if like us you are there in school holidays. After using the water bus to the new Elbe Philharmonie Hall we walked the waterside area passing Miniatur Wunderland but no chance of dropping in. The Philharmonie is well worth visiting to see the building and for views from the surrounding balcony terraces.

The water bus is excellent. I cant remember the name of QV dock on the river but it was next to a water bus stop. Many passengers including us bought tickets at the machine on the bus quay. The vessels run a regular service up and down the river. Check on line.

Greetings from Viking Venus on the Viking Homelands cruise doing the return run from Stockholm to Bergen.

Im on Venus now. Have been told by staff who should know that she goes to Australia in December.