TayanaLorna

I knew there was a previous WC that went around Africa.

I wish...never saw fresh littleneck clams either. They always have crab legs and peel and eat shrimp though.

You can only "request" your Guest Invoice through MVJ and it will be emailed to you. However if you use a TA, the request option disappears from your MVJ account. In that case you must call Viking direct or have your TA send it to you. I like our TA but I miss the option of requesting my Guest Invoice through MVJ. I know from past experience that Viking changes stuff - like docking vs anchoring, the hotel for your pre or post, times in port etc - and they never email you the change.

Great! Hopefully will remind those who signed up and don't remember when and where it was to take place.

@JollyJacqTar thank you so much for your description and candid evaluation of your ability. We signed up for the Falcony and Waterfalls one. Although slow, I manage walking up stairs better then down them. I can do this one!

We always go to Guest Services to find out about tastings as soon as we board. They are never posted in the Daily.

I was disappointed that there was no Equator Crossing party. I don't know if it was due to crossing that "sea" mark was accomplished on a river. I recall that day was scenic cruising on the Amazon. I was taking a sick day in our stateroom but probably would have asked why or inquired if not.

Really? We were told to leave our bags on the bus, take note of our bus number and board the same bus to go to the port (or else tell them we would find our own way). I think you were on a cruise or 2 before ours. I guess the bottom line is that folks need to pay attention to what Viking tells them when they get there.

In 2021 we arrived at 6 am on independent flight but with Viking transfer. They took us to Harpa where we were checked into the ship and actually received our room key cards. A nice breakfast was available and afterwards we had the choice of (1) just hanging out at the hall until transfer to ship at 11 am, (2) wandering on our own and returning by 11 to accompany our bags on the bus to the ship or (3) wandering on our own leaving our bags with Viking to transfer and finding our own way to the ship. We checked in, had breakfast, took photos of Harpa and then walked around a little marina next to Harpa. It was freezing cold and windy (yes July) so we returned to Harpa and found some benches inside for a nap. Enjoy! We loved that cruise.

I booked it directly on their website. Rainforest Cruises books several different Amazon riverboat lines including Iberostar but I found them to be more expensive then direct for Iberostar. Iberostar has hotels all over the world and a membership program. When I joined I got a 5% discount and also an early booking discount - but I booked 10 months in advance.

Glad you enjoyed my photo journal. I reread it today and saw my typos. I am usually much more diligent in proof reading. Ah well. My DH says the Tapajos Forest hike was easy as it was pretty flat. It's probably the humidity that taxes a person most. I loved the Maica Lake piranha fishing one and I am a birder. Saw quite a few birds and heard even more then I could spot. We brought rain jackets and rain pants but never wore them due to the humidity. We also had rain ponchos which we used and were more practical. They were easy on and off, had a hood and protected our cross body bags or backpacks too. They dried quickly and folded up small for the next excursion. We found that when it rained, we also got gusty wind sometimes raining sideways so umbrellas were useless. We had lightweight Columbia or Prana pants that were quick drying and long-sleeved lightweight Columbia SPF rated shirts. Both for sun and insect protection. However the insects were not a problem during the day.

We found Elizabet (now her own Iconic Buenos Aires) through Tours by Locals and have used other TBL guides with excellent results.

We will be on Deck 3 for the first time next month. I think i might enjoy passing through the Atrium to/from the elevators on the way to our room or just walking up the Atrium stairs. Thanks for pointing that out.

In the Southern Atlantic Ocean we saw the crew put an orange netting over the main pool when the ship's movement caused waves that splashed over the greenery hedge and the decks.

I sailed the Iberostar Grand Amazon in March 2023. I booked directly on the Iberostar website and it was easy. Signed up their frequent stay club (they have hotels around the world) and got a discount. I found it was way cheaper then booking through Rainforest Cruises or any Amazon river cruises travel agent on line. We had 50 passengers on our sailing. Two from England, 2 from South Africa, 2 from the US, 4 from Puerto Rico, 2 from Germany, 6 from China and the rest Brazilian. It was a fun crowd. Jefferson was the guide for English speakers and he was awesome.

Near forward elevators is our favorite location. Up to the Explorers Lounge and down to the Spa. We find the forward elevators less used. When returning from excursions we just walk forward and avoid the crowds at the aft elevators.

Been on the Star, Sea and Sky and no food service at all in that area. On the Jupiter there was an omlette station in the AM and a noodle station for dinner. The Orion and Jupiter were the first VO ships with some slight slight changes. Most likely not noticable unless you've sailed the earlier ones. I hear that all ships since Jupiter have some sort of food station back there.

Will see what Clay says but it doesn't look like it to me.

Last February our room steward provided me with a nice memory foam pillow. Their regular pillows smoosh down like down pillows (but I don't believe they are down) and they don't return to full size unless fluffed. We have a list that we ask our steward to bring the first day and things we would like provided daily. They are always so helpful.

Definitely ask. First question would be how familiar are you with Viking? Viking regulates how much OBC a TA can offer. It is based on length of cruise not dollars spent. $150 pp for 7 night cruise, $300 pp for 14 nights and $500 pp for 15+ nights. We have an excellent TA.

You will fit in just fine. No one will see your car or home. When we meet others we tend to talk about traveling rather then jobs or careers. We took our first Viking cruise at 66 and 67 and were mid age range. My husband had to buy a pair of long pants (not jeans) and a collared shirt so we could go to the Restaurant, Manfred's and Chefs Table for dinner as we live in t-shirts and shorts where we live. Folks in the Explorer Suites and those in the Veranda cabins are treated the same by staff. There are no special places on board for higher priced cabins or loyalty perks.

Apparently this new pay plan was just rolled out on Saturn recently. Hopefully it will improve service for for those of us who use it minimally. 1.5 gb per day is more then enough for us when travelling.

I vaguely recall reading that folks on the first Expedition repositioning cruises were disappointed in lack of usage of the "toys". It's a great and more economical way to enjoy the new ships but I don't think there is much in the way of research and such. On the Santiago to Ushuaia cruises the ship spends several "sea" days in quiet bays and backwaters where they can deploy the kayaks, RIB's etc.

We really haven't heard from many Saturn folks using the paid service or using the limited one. Saturn has been sailing on port intensive cruises so maybe no many are spending a lot of time streaming. It would be interesting to hear how it goes on sailings with many sea days. We are going to be on Saturn in February-March with 15 days in ports. We don't stream when traveling. About all we do besides WhatsApp messages, check the weather or email is put up a photo or 2 on FB or send to friends. Will report on the basic usage.

No mosquitoes or bugs to speak of on same cruise February 2020. There were some annoying flies along Petrohue Falls out of the Puerto Montt stop. They landed on you but didn't bite.