mstadleraz

You can use the CDC recommendations. After reflecting during the world cruise, the only area where we were in a rural setting was a day in the Vietnam delta near Saigon. There were no mosquitos or any other pests that would cause significant issue that I saw or was aware. Otherwise, you are in major cities. As long as you have bottled water, you really do not need the vaccines in hindsight. We got vaccinated for several diseases/viruses. However, i would recommend an updated Tetanus vaccine in the event you cut yourself. P.S. We had tea in several areas ... India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam. The water was boiled so no side effects.

If you are vaccinated in North America or Europe, (Australia & New Zealand as well) those vaccines are accepted worldwide. We provided the information to Viking and they processed through the various countries. We were told several times to take our vaccination cards or a photo of the cards for debarkation at various ports. However, we never had to show any immigration official our vaccination status. We ended up not taking any off the ship as we did not want to lose our "official document".

Viking will assist with locating the tours via third party. However, you will need to do the actual booking.

Yes, there was only one excursion Viking offered that seemed interesting...Elephanta Cave. However, we did a small group tour (6) of the Mumbai area, which was really interesting. This occurred the last day in port. Goa had great tours through Viking but agree with previous post on passenger capabilities. Cochin was our least favorite port in India.

We did an overnight and no one checked bags. Upon arrival in Mumbai, we departed for the airport. We saw the Taj at sunrise which was spectacular. We then went to the hotel for breakfast. After breakfast, we saw Agra Fort. We left for the airport around 1300. We arrived back at the ship around 2300. Enough time to see Mumbai. We were not rushed and had plenty of time at each destination.

Michael has some good points. However, several guides told me they appreciated the dollars we used for tipping. The strength of the dollar sometimes is better than the local currency. One caveat, though, make sure you bring crisp bills. Many times the banks wont take dollars that have creases or have a slight tear. When in major countries like UK, Euro Zone, New Zealand and Australia, their cuurency is better received.

Doing another WC depends on the person/couple. We have other bucket list destinations we want to experience that a typical WC would not cover. As a result, we have not planned one for the next 3 years. However, that does not mean we would not contemplate a WC in the future.

Yes, yes and yes.

We thoroughly enjoyed movie night. You did an outstanding job and would like to learn more about any future endeavors when they occur. Mark and Patty...

We had local food and the meals were good. We wanted what the locals eat - Falafel and Shawarma. I enjoyed the mixed Shawarma which included fries and a drink. The prices ranged from $13 to $16 per meal. Day one had an overlook of Jerusalem which was a great view during lunch.

We just completed 2 days in Haifa. A group of about 30 (2 mini coaches) participated in a Holy Land excursion through Guided Tours Israel. Yonatan was our guide and he was absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend Guided Tours Israel as the guides (both Jewish and Palestinian) were very good at what they do. We were able to get into an area of the Church of the Nativity, others, including Viking, could not get access or would have waited for over an hour. With our guides persistence, we were able to enter the Holy Sepulcher even on the Saturday before the Orthodox Easter. Amazing two days!

From my perspective, we missed a lot of the culture in Saudi Arabia. Since it is Ramadan, most shops were closed until mid-afternoon after prayers. The Saudis also need a little more training in the tourist trade. Jeddah is very spreadout and there were other areas missed which would have been interesting. The old town has made some progress refurbishing and there is still more to occur.

It is a matter of perspective and understanding a country. For us, being new to India, we preferred a tour company. For an overnight and economy for 2 was about $800 through Memphis Tours. This included all transportation, hotel and breakfast. Viking provided a boxed lunch for the trip to Dehli; however, the meal on the airplane was fairly good if you like spicy food.

We did an overnight and no one checked bags. It was nice to get a little shut eye before having a busy day. All flights worked well and timing was perfect. Others stayed 2 nights and had additional activities. It really depends on what you want to get out of the trip.

We visited Mattancherry Palace and the Jewish Synagogue in Kochi. Both were very nice and interesting. India concerned me as we contemplated our journey. However, I was pleasantly surprised. India is amazing, can be depressing in some areas and overwhelming by everything you experience. I can see us returning some day to explore more. It is a fascinating country and by their standards very advanced. We cannot compare ourselves to their society because from their perspective, there is not as much to be desired in North America. Gandhi made that clear in a letter to Roosevelt during WWII. By the way, did you know there are millionaires in the slums? They collect recyclables and find other items of value in the trash. Would never have known that if I had not visited the area. They make the best of what they face.

Viking has not offered any over land excursions. Not knowing if we will return to India, we decided to visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Several different groups left the ship at different ports and times while in India. Our group departed for the excursion upon the arrival in Mumbai. We flew to Delhi, drive to Agra. We awoke early to see sunrise at the Taj Mahal, returned to the hotel for breakfast, then went to visit Agra Fort. This was an overnight returning to the ship at midnight the next day. Memphis tours handled the excursion on our behalf.

They have been very friendly and helpful. In fact my wife and I were in separate seats during our flight to and from Delhi. Both times, people offered to move from an aisle and window seat to a middle seat without being asked.

Photos from Agra and Mumbai. Impressive days...

Well there is good everywhere. Why not focus on the good. I think we have many cesspool areas in the States. I am aware of those areas; however, I, personally, would rather focus on the good areas. As for Chochin, the Synagogue we visited was really interesting. Why not focus on that?

@Floater69 if you do not have anything positive to say. I recommend you do not comment. I rarely criticize another but it seems you only post negative comments. Why not just post positive comments?

The previous photos are a high wire window cleaning act in Kuala Lumpur.

We had a blast! I highly recommend an independent excursion as you experience more of the authentic delta.

Some photos from Vietnam...

Thank you. It really depends on where the Komodos are at the time of the visit. Some were at a distance and others were very close. Since the dragons are able to wander, the views vary