Cyber Kat

We also just got back from the Eastern Seaboard on the Viking Sea. Were you on the Sea or the Sun?  They followed us all the way. 

This was our second Viking Ocean cruise. We have done 2 Viking River cruises and several other cruises with other lines in the past. Viking has become our go to first line. We have 1 other ocean and 1 river booked. We really enjoyed this cruise for so many reasons. 
 

We enjoyed the lectures, especially those given by Bill Miller on Floating Palaces aka ocean liners and their evolution into cruise ships. He was quite entertaining and had lots of interesting anecdotes. 

12 hours ago, dolittle said:

I am not mad or upset by what others wear .The O.P asked for all opinions I gave mine. The thing is we are all judged by what we wear (human nature) it is common in the U.S. for out of shape middle age men( which I am one) to wear muscle shirts ,do rags and other juvenile get ups or no shirt at all (always a classy look) . I am not for banning this type of attire (funny shirts) but belive me we all look better in a golf shirt or nice button down with collar.

Quite frankly, I don’t care if you or anyone else deems to judge me unless you are interviewing me for a job - which isn’t going to happen because I am enjoying retirement!

 I enjoy reading and wearing clever tee shirts - but then I have a sense of humor.  Losing ones sense of fun makes you old, and while I may have lived a lot of years, but I’m not old!
 

Also one of the great things I’ve learned over the years is not to worry about the approval of others - especially people I don’t even know!

14 hours ago, Tom.in.nc said:

OK, here’s a few snapshots from Bermuda and Antigua...

 

That's Eric Clapton’s little house below.

 

 

Love! Love! Love Bermuda!  Gorgeous photos! ❤️❤️❤️

I thought this was a discussion about the Explorers Lounge, how are we now in yet another dress code discussion 🙄

On 10/7/2019 at 8:05 PM, CHEZMARYLOU said:

There is nothing wrong with having a T-shirt for going back and forth to the pool or hot tub. Otherwise, nice shirts are De rigueur for the rest of the time.

In your opinion, perhaps. Don’t look if it bothers you, we always wear tee shirts when we cruise. My favorite one is “If the earth was flat, cats would have pushed everything off of it by now.”  I’m also rather fond of my, “Thinking I’m just an old lady was your first mistake!”  IMO a sense of fun keeps you young!
 

Not to the dining room, but on sea days and in port in the Caribbean, of course. 

On 10/7/2019 at 5:19 AM, fastnloose said:

Yes they DO have hen parties onboard, but personalised and slogan tees are definately NOT allowed.  We were actually witness to the hen party in the embarkation hall being told to remove their sashes.  As GastroGnome says, another reason not to sail with them.  

Wow what a wet blanket cruise line!  Crossing them off my list!

We just got back from doing the Montréal to NYC run, and if you love lobster, this is the itinerary for you!  
 

On the ship I had a very tasty pasta dish with lobster early on - maybe the 2nd or 3rd night.  We had delicious whole lobster on maybe the 5th night.  They were doing the Seafood buffet at the World Cafe. One of these days, I’m going to do that instead of the Restaurant, but we’re not wild about buffet dinners, and lobster is what I really wanted. 
 

I had wonderful lobster rolls in Portland and Boston. Boone’s in Portland does a warm lobster roll and the meat is drenched in melted butter. Yummy. They were also having a special - guy handed us a flyer on the street, but we were going there anyway. Price of the lobster roll included lobster bisque or clam chowder. Difficult choice, but I went all in lobster.  Was THE best lobster bisque I have ever eaten. Very tasty with big chunks of lobster meat. 
 

We are partial to the Black Rose near the Quincy Market in Boston and their lobster roll is fabulous, just a touch of mayo and a very generous portion of lobster. 
 

We did the Boston by Night and Lobster dinner excursion also. This was excellent. The tour was great, just at dusk and we could see the lights coming on, then we stopped at the Union Oyster House for a most excellent lobster dinner. 
 

My husband doesn’t eat lobster so I asked Viking Guest Services if he could get something else. They arranged it with the restaurant and they were most accommodating. 
 

I have to say that the restaurant deserves a medal!  It’s a big noisy place that was packed!  They served our large group clam chowder, lobster and tasty corn, quickly and efficiently.  And the lobster - they had to be 2lbs or close to it - was perfect.  We all declared it so!  
 

We happened on a fun group for table mates and some were lobster newbies. We were giving lessons on how to eat a lobster. They were not split, but so easy to crack and open we had no need for crackers - just lots of napkins! So good.

 I was really amazed that they were able to cook a vast quantity of lobsters so well!

This was one of the more pricey excursions, but it was well worth it!

On our penultimate (I don’t get to use that word often enough 😆) night on board, they had Lobster  Thermidor , but we had reservations for Routes des Indes at the Chef’s Table. I had eaten enough lobster by then not to feel deprived. 😆  It was a good choice, much as I enjoyed the Thermidor, this meal was incredible!  I’m glad I didn’t miss it. 

12 hours ago, zitsky said:

I wish I had found that spot.  We didn't spend much time in the Living Room.

It’s just before the area with the shops.  We usually spend quite a bit of time in this area near the stairs. We like the Living Room bar and usually make friends with one of the bartenders. We start there after lunch on sea days.  If there’s a lecturer we are interested in, we do that, then migrate up to the Explorer’s lounge mid afternoon. You can get tea there and Success Cake from Mamsen’s if you don’t want to do the whole tea thing. 
 

I love the Viking ships - so many great nooks!

1 hour ago, vtcruising said:

Yes, to Prosecco. I too prefer Sauvignon Blancs (NZ) and had the Villa Maria from Marlborough most of the time, as well as an occasional Cloudy Bay.  We have had both white and red Conundrum by the glass on X ships, including Luminae. For dishes that pair better with a Chardonnay, we really liked the Mer Soleil.

 

On the first night I would let the wine steward know what you like - I've found that they try to keep it stocked, if available onboard. We once wanted a special red within a certain price point for an anniversary dinner and they went to Cellar Masters and selected a very nice wine and had it ready for us for our special dinner (asked the day before). Have always had great wine service in Luminae.

Excellent!  Thank you so much - looks like I will definitely find something!

Shuttles were provided in St Kitts only.  In all the other ports, I'm quite sure we were fairly close to the town - within walking distance.

I didn’t see Prosecco by the glass on the Luminae wine list. We have the premium package and I was wondering if it’s available. 
 

Also in Luminae, can you also get wines from the other wine lists. I drink white and my husband drinks red. 
 

I see on the Elevated Wines by the Glass that they mention Conundrum, but I don’t see it listed.  Is it available by the glass. 
 

There seem to be a lot of Chardonnays on the lists, but I prefer Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or a blend. 

9 minutes ago, aml3679 said:

No smoking on the balcony.

That doesn’t mean people won’t do it!

On 9/30/2019 at 9:17 AM, Liz Masterson said:

Post some pictures! 🙂 I take my first Viking Cruise next summer... I always enjoy pictures of the ship.  I'm looking forward to the Explorers Lounge. All those books! All those views! Sounds like a great place to settle in for a sea day.

This is around the corner from the Viking Bar in the Living Room and one of our comfy spots 

7 hours ago, ClevelandKid said:

Greetings!!

the last Viking Ocean cruise we did would often have shuttles to go between a point - like the entertainment district - and the ship. 
 

I can understand why Viking doesn’t want to publicize its shuttles, as it would undercut its shore excursions. Which is why I am asking you good folks if you have been on this trip if you can remember the island and the destination for any shuttles. 
 

thanks

Pat

We did this in the spring of 2018 and most times we were docked within walking distance of a town. We did excursions in each port, so I don’t think there were shuttles.  I don’t have my Dailies handy, but I’ll check later. 
 

There may have been shuttles to Charlotte Amalie in St Thomas, but even though it’s not a town, the Havensight docking area has a mall with shops and restaurants. 
 

I’m not sure what you mean by “entertainment district.”  Have you been to the Caribbean before?  When we went many of the islands were still recovering from the back to back hurricanes of fall 2017, so we either did the included tours or a Viking optional tour. 
 

We did the walking tour in St Croix (subbed for Tortola) and the town was right at the pier. 
 

In St Kitts we did the St Kitts Railway (optional) and the included bus ride up to Fairview Estate.  In Antigua, St Lucia and St Thomas we did the optional catamaran excursions.  All were great, St Lucia was fabulous!  In Antigua, the first part included the included tour to Nelson’s Dockyard and Shirley Heights, then we boarded the catamaran for a sail out to a reef for snorkeling and a BBQ lunch onboard, with a lovely sail back. In St Thomas, we sailed to St John. 
 

In Barbados we did the photography tour and it was fantastic. Small group in a van, not a bus and we went to off the beaten path spots. The photographer was a great guide and he gave tips for all levels from a phone to an expensive rig. It was mostly how to get the best shot. 
 

I’ll dig out the Dailies and let you know later. 

On 10/2/2019 at 11:02 PM, Vineyard View said:

. 

Now back to possible Oceans 2021 to book while on our upcoming trip.  It’s a hard call now days. Yes, itineraries can book up early and we missed one we were ready to confirm a year plus out. But there seems to be more now not selling out with these new 12 month prepayment rules. Roll the dice. 

The 12 month prepayment was the standard back when we were researching our first Viking River cruise in 2013 - before Viking Ocean existed. There was much complaining and gnashing of teeth but they didn’t budge. 

When Viking Ocean came on the scene, they relaxed it a bit  - quietly (you had to ask) - while they got the division off the launching pad. Last September or October, they reverted to the original 12 months out - with, it seems, some over zealous booking agents pushing it out further. Not our experience, but I have read others being asked for 18 months or more. 
 

I think they are realizing that they are trying to close the barn door after all the horses have run free. While they try for 12 months out, it seems they are relenting here and there, so perhaps the pressure has them rethinking their options. 

On 10/14/2019 at 7:48 AM, Jim Avery said:

What an amazing sail in to Hamilton, Bermuda.  We were a bit puzzled when the Captain announced arrival at the Pilot station around 2:30pm and arrival Hamilton was shown as 5:00pm but we would see that it is a long, twisting, narrow channel that did, in fact, get us dockside just about 5:00pm.  It was probably the first time we had been on deck since London and the weather was glorious.  Sunny and warm, the uniform of the day onboard has nearly universally changed to shorts.  A far cry from just a little bit ago when you layered up with everything you owned..... Bermuda is a beautiful place full of pastel colored houses and the water is Caribbean clear.  We easily could see the reefs either side of the channel.  Glad we have a Captain that pays attention.  Went ashore but as it was Sunday evening lots of places were closed.  Still nice to walkabout and get the lay of the land.  We ended up in Hog Penny Pub for some local brew and a bite or two.  Today it is perfect out on the balcony.  We are heading out for the Crystal Caves excursion so will finish later.  😎

You are in my favorite place in the whole world - at least as much of the world as I’ve seen!   We love the Hog Penny Pub!  Their onion rings, Bermuda Fish Chowder and flaming banana fritters are fabulous!  
 

Check out the Lobster Pot, Harry’s on the Waterfront and the Swizzle Inn out by the Caves if you have time!  

 Is Viking doing an excursion to St George?  It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site that seems right up their alley. Take the ferry out to Dockyard. It’s where all the Mega ships have to dock because they can’t get through Two Rock Passage. The National Museum is out there and worth a visit. And if you like fudge, say hello to my friend, Sarah at the pink Bermuda Fudge shop.  For pumpkin everything lovers she has pumpkin fudge!  Tell her Kath from Bermuda Bound sent you!

Enjoy Bermuda everyone!  Wish I was with you!

We booked the Oslo extension with the train to Bergen for our Trade Routes Cruise next September.  We booked the cruise last fall and we booked the extension at the same time - for the same reason others have given, to have Viking handle the luggage and logistics. 
 

We have found that the extension package availability does vary.  We recently booked the Paris to the Swiss Alps river cruise mainly for the Geneva/Zermatt/Glacier Express extension. We had to do a lot of juggling with the dates and we ended up going earlier than we wanted and from Switzerland to Paris instead of starting in Paris. 
 

However, for the Trade Routes cruise we recently decided to add the Madrid extension at the end of the cruise and it was still available. I’m guessing it has to do with available hotel space and transportation options. 
 

I suggest emailing tellus@vikingcruises.com or posting the question on their Facebook page.  That seems to get things kicked up to a higher level and more definitive answers. Good luck!

On 10/8/2019 at 6:26 AM, Clay Clayton said:

Greetings from Viking Orion somewhere in the Yellow Sea between Qingdao and Shanghai!  Glad y’all are having a good cruise and that we are too. 

 

Question for “youse guys” (you’ll be in NY soon). Have you noticed a dip in the food quality?  While still quite good, none of the fish dishes have been nearly as good as they were during our Spring 2018 and 2019 TAs. We are hoping it is perhaps just being from a different supplier here in Asia, but that doesn’t explain the fish being  over cooked.  

 

We just got off the Viking Sea and I thought the opposite.  I enjoyed the food more on this cruise than on our cruise on the Sea last year. The food last year was very good, this year I thought it was excellent!  We did Routes de Indes at the Chef’s Table and it was indescribably delectable!  I lack sufficient vocabulary to describe it. 
 

I have also found the fish to be much better - and I’m a fish eater!  Perhaps it was the difference between the Caribbean and the North Atlantic catches.   The cod I selected from the World Cafe for lunch in Boston was fantastic even though it was stone cold because they opened the pool roof a bit, then sunny turned to cloudy and windy ☹️  And though I’m a NYC pizza snob, I found the pizza on the ship excellent!
 

The only meal I can’t rave about was our second in Manfredi’s and it was kind of a minor nit. I decided to try the veal, and while it was tender and tasty, it needed more sauce and wasn’t visually appealing. The sea bass, I had the first visit was amazing!

My husband did note that the tea scones were smaller 😆. It’s the one thing I preferred on Azamara. I know sacrilege!

Since we have just returned from our latest ocean cruise, I thought I’d weigh in. We did the Eastern Seaboard Explorer - Montréal to NYC. In every Canadian port, they announced, “Local authorities have informed us that you must take your passport and your ships card with you when going ashore.”

Apparently, no one told the security people at the ports.  All they were interested in seeing most times was the ship card. Some wanted photo ID and were quite happy with an expired driver’s license (which is what we usually carry ever since my husband thought he’d lost his on our first river cruise)

We stopped carrying our passports after the second day.  We have been to Canada several times and never needed our American passports there.  Things do change, so we did take them the first day.  

If you find Bill Miller as a lecturer on any of your cruises, do not miss any of his talks. He covers passenger ships from the Floating Palaces of the Titanic age to the present day in a series of lectures. The first one we went to had a decent amount of people present for the talk, but by the last one, the house was packed.  He’s very entertaining, very knowledgeable about his subject and has all sorts of fun inside stories.  

I have to look up the names of our other lecturers. They were also very interesting.  We also had a Q&A with our Captain and the Hotel Manager that was hilarious.  The Hotel Manager, Charles Verwaal, missed his calling.  He should have been a comedian. 
 

We had 3 sea days on our very recent Montréal to NYC cruise, and there were things we had to skip, because there was so much to do.

On 9/21/2019 at 2:43 PM, zitsky said:

Do I have my very own stalker?  I didn't think I was that interesting.  Lol.

 

I am on 9/28 Mediterranean Odyssey.  I will try to post something.  I'm not the best at posting.  I normally post pics on Facebook but will try to post here.  Maybe I should post in the roll call thread or here, I don't know.

 

I should be packing right now but I just finished lunch and have tickets for Downtown Abbey at 4pm.

 

I will be on an international data plan plus will use ship's wifi.  So should have time to post.

Downton Abbey was fabulous!  I must do an itinerary that has the visit to Highclere Castle on it. 

To return to your topic 😁. Yes there are tissues. I also have allergies and must have tissues at all times. I use Claritin because it doesn’t make me drowsy. 

I am following the Viking Sea adventures with interest!  We will be boarding in Montreal on the 26th - really looking forward to it!  We were on the Sea for our West Indies Cruise last year, and we have the same cabin for the Eastern Seaboard,  It will be a homecoming 😄

I think once we get beyond Gaspe and head down to Portland, we are in for some rough seas with all the hurricanes tracking north.  I don't think we'll run into a storm, but I suspect we will be bouncing around.  I don't get sea sick, but I do get black and blue from bouncing off walls 😄

Have a safe journey to Montreal!  Fair winds and following seas!

When we originally looked at the Eastern Seaboard Explorer itinerary, Halifax was listed as one of the ports. When we booked and got our paperwork, it was changed to Portland, ME. No big deal. We have been to both and liked both. 

About 8 months ago, the port stop changed to a sea day. Now I like sea days, but we already have 3 on this cruise, so 4 was a bit too much. We were still a long way off, so I wasn’t too concerned, then Portland returned and all was well. 

I had occasion to write to tellus because they have us boarding in Montreal at an old terminal they were using while building the new one. We are the only cruise ship in port that day and the Montreal port authority site has us at dock T1 at the new terminal. 

Our hotel over looks the port so I hope to be able to see the ship and I will contact them if I don’t, but I thought they might like to let other people know who weren’t as research obsessed as I am. They responded that this was the information in their database. I asked when the last time anyone checked the database, but I didn’t get a response to that 🤣

At the same time, I also asked why we were going to Portland instead of Halifax. The response was, they didn’t know 🤣

Cruising is such an adventure! 🤣

32 minutes ago, agnesd said:

I, too, had the same question.  I went through the My Journey booklet.  There is a page about 3 pages in which has your res. number, stateroom number, name of cruise etc.  I took that page out and put it with my passport.  I think the rest of the booklet isn't necessary. Although I will pack it just in case it is needed.  My boarding time is 2PM.  We will get to Montreal at 11 am.  Will they let us board even though our stateroom is not ready?  Our first Viking so not sure of their procedure.  

Are you on the Eastern Seaboard Explorer, Viking Sea on 9/26?  We are on that sailing and looking forward to it!  

If you are on our sailing, and you do not have Viking transfers, make sure you have the ship contact information with you,  I’m pretty sure that the dock information in the book is incorrect. Viking has us boarding at Terminal 3 / Section 34-35 - which is an old terminal that they were using while they were building the new one.  The new one, which is T1 and T2 has been open for some time.  The rep I spoke with insisted that the information in the book is from their database, but I’m getting the information from the Montreal Port Authority web site and they have us listed at the new terminal T1,  We are the only cruise ship in port on the 26th. 

We should be able to see the ship from our hotel.  If I don’t see it, I’ll contact the ship. If you are on the Viking Sun on the 28th, the port authority website has that ship at T2, new terminal. 

You can board at any time after 11am. The 2pm time is when your room will be ready. Once onboard you can explore the ship, head up to the World Cafe and have some lunch. 

On our last cruise, they ran tours of the ship which were helpful.  There are plenty of places to sit - all quite lovely and comfortable. Before you know it, your room will be ready for you. 

We only needed the book to get into the terminal, but this was in San Juan, I think different ports have different procedures. Basically the port security just want to know if you belong on the ship. 

Enjoy!

4 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

A lot of restroom breaks are ok with me!  Do you promise?  I tend to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.

 

There is also the constant debate about taking or not taking passports.  Seems better to keep them with you.

In all our years of traveling, we have never done anything with our passports but put them in a hotel or cruise ship safe after showing them to the desk or embarkation folks