CDNPolar

I am certain that Viking are not going to leave you stranded. If they move the flight before SAS cancel there will be cost. If the flight is ticketed, there will be a cost even for Viking to move it. I am certain that they have contingency plan for you. This is the landscape of flying today. SAS aside, the number of airlines cancelling flights and the airline is not on strike is ground breaking. We disembarked Homelands the day after SAS went on strike and not all flights were cancelled and those that were, Viking got them to where they needed to go.

I feel you pain, but you don't get ticketed immediately when you use Viking Air. You are ticketed when somewhere under 60-75 days from the actual flights. I would not immediately blame Viking or Viking Air. Obviously your original routing changed or cancelled and the re-routing happened. If you were originally flying BA then something happened to your return flights with BA that caused the change. I don't believe that someone is sitting at Viking Air wanting to mess with you so they change the flights - this would be initiated by the airline and Viking move to reroute you so you have flights. We often book way out, but in that booking way out, there can be many flight changes before the actual flight. Sometimes, yes, it is frustrating because we carefully chose our routes and in some cases even the aircraft type that we were flying and we end up with a totally different itinerary from what we originally booked. First things first - if you used a TA go through them, but be on the phone with the TA when they call Viking Air Plus. Find out what happened. Before that search the flights YOU want again yourself. When you are on with Viking Air Plus and the TA, outline the flights you want and have them change them. Before the flights are ticketed, you can many any changes you want.

Correct, with some of the "special" shows running 15+ minutes longer. The longer shows will be one or two only on a 14 day cruise. Our dancing under the stars on the pool deck 7 went probably 30 minutes longer....

The above comments re battery life are good advice. I have found that turning off the WiFi when leaving the ship helps, and also some folks will go into camera mode and leave it on as you are walking around. This eats through battery too as the screen and camera remain ON while you are walking around. With the iPhone, because you have the little camera icon at the bottom of the screen that you can access without keying your password, the camera is always readily available.

Some did make comments, but that never ends well. You end up looking like the "Karen" for making teh comment and sometimes looking worse than the offender. You never know how someone will respond, so we just very obviously stood up and moved.

The one thing I will say is that I never saw anyone on this cruise enter the World Cafe without being "forced" to wash their hands. The Greeter stood conspicuously with his/her back against the sanitizer station and asked everyone to wash their hands. This does not mean that they were not immediately coughing into their hands and then using the tongs at the buffet. We did see some people go and wash their hands again after getting their food before eating. Covid or not, there is still Norovirus that runs rampant on a cruise ship.

We were on Homelands, and no we did not catch Covid. Luckily.

Viking has water at disembarkation that is included in your fare. There is no extra charge for the water. Sometimes the bus has water too, but not always. Always get the water on the ship before you tap off the ship. Regarding the USB chargers, I have seen new busses with this but generally no. You will have to count on your charge and a battery backup.

I don't have the same extent of medical concerns as you do, but I had some "stuff" happen to me about a year ago now, that made getting insurance questionable. Here is what I found and hope that it is helpful... A lot of what the insurance company is looking at is not the condition but the stability of the condition. How long has the condition been stable. How long since an addition - or subtraction - of medication. Increase or decrease in medication as well. I did not think my medical condition was that significant, but Manulife turned me down flat out. I filled out an extensive questionnaire with Manulife feeling very exposed by the detail that I had to provide and weeks later I got a letter in the mail saying I was not insurable. I managed my Mother's medical insurance (as a Canadian) going to Florida as a snowbird for years and many of her friends used the same company and got insurance so I knew that I could get insurance somewhere. I finally found that CAA has the best options for me. First, you can do it on the phone with CAA and get an answer immediately. The guy that I talked to was very frank but reasonable. At the time that I called because my "event" was within 6 months it would mean higher rates. My trip was not for months yet, so he suggested calling back and doing the questions again after 6 months and my rates would fall. I contacted 4-5 insurance firms and for me CAA was the best option. Hope this helps.

We were on Viking Homelands in the Baltic Sea on Canada Day and that night was a special dancing under the stars evening on the pool deck with the pool roof open. The Cruise Director wished us a Happy Canada Day and there was a special drink that was red and white. It was nice that we were recognized as there was an even larger celebration and recognition for the 4th of July.

We have often left the guided excursion. As others say, just ensure that you tell the guide that you are leaving and ensure that you know the back onboard time and don't miss it.

I hope that this does not violate the new Covid discussion policy. In fact this is not about Covid, but pure manners and decency for your fellow traveller. We just came off a 14 day ocean cruise, and I admit that we are likely more hyper vigilant when we hear someone cough because of the past couple of years, but please, please, please, if you are going to cough, cover your mouth. I cannot tell you how many times we moved away from someone in the theatre or in the World Cafe because they were coughing and not even attempting to cover their mouth. They would be in the buffet line or serving themselves and coughing without covering their mouth. They were sitting at a table and coughing and not covering their mouth. They were walking anywhere on the ship and coughing and not covering their mouth. They were on a bus and coughing and not covering their mouth. Have we not learned anything over the last couple of years? Did we not grow up hearing our parents tell us to cover our mouths when we cough of sneeze? This was not a single isolated person or incident - this was all over the place. What has become of us? Forget Covid, I don't want your Flu or your Cold either. Please cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze.

On our most recent cruise, the shows were (if there were two shows) 6:30pm and 9:15pm. If there was only one show it was always at 9:15pm. The Star Theatre will open the doors at 8:45pm and some nights if you want a good seat, you should be there between 8:45pm and 9:00pm. We always have dinner (reservation at specialty or walk in at The Restaurant) at 6:30pm and this gets us out by 8:30pm. We just came off a 14 day cruise, and we ate all 5 menus at the Chef's Table and always sat at 6:30pm. Some nights we were out as early as 8pm but most of the time it was closer to 8:30pm. Hope this helps.

We are in the process of booking our first experience on Hurtigruten and it is an Antarctica cruise. Does anyone recommend the optional liquor package? Does anyone have pictures of the beverage menu and prices if we opt not to take the liquor package? Thank you.