Travelswithmycamera

Thank you all again. I have done several independent tours on my Viking sailings however I have never booked a cruise over a year in advance. I'll have so much fun over the next year!!

Yikes I hope we are an independent sailing group and can arrange our own tours in groups or otherwise. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy the board conversations and information on Azamara Onward Med sailings.

Thank you, something worked as I was able to access the few excursions that are available although it said my booking number was invalid. This site is quite a departure from my previous sailings with Viking. This board is invaluable so far and I've only been booked for 4 days!!!

Good day everyone, I have just booked my first Azamara cruise for August 2025 and paid the deposit. I cannot view any excursions and am assuming it is due to the the cruise being so far into 2025. I have read other posts on cruisers having difficulty accessing excursions and would like to know when I can expect them to be available to book. I have followed suggestions listed here. Also on my reservation document there is a place to enter a "Booking Code" which I cannot locate. I have a reservation number but no other numbers or codes. Also the itinerary currently shows departure from Chioggia however a cruisetimetable site listed the cruise as departing from Marghera. I suppose once again the cruise is too far in the future to confirm a depature port. Thank you for your assistance in answering my queries.

Thanks for the comparison as I've just cancelled a Viking Cruise for 2025 due to full payment in July of 2024. No adjustment for past cruisers, I guess we don't matter to Viking. Have been considering Vista however I am enlightened by your observations on lack of outdoor access. I do love Viking for that and we spend most of our time enjoying being outside or having a pre dinner drink in the Explorers Lounge. We enjoyed the dining room very much on our last Viking cruise except for the drama as the hostess was overridden on her table assignments by several men hoovering over her. I will hold off booking till 2025 and cross my fingers for availability on either line. In the meantime I enjoy reading the reviews and very useful cruise comments. Thank you.

Just cruised from Athens and now heading to Istanbul on Viking Sky. No issues apart from hazy skies in Athens on departure day Aug. 25th. Leaving for Istanbul tonight and no schedule disruptions. Sunny beautiful skies all week.

We used Dubrovnik Eco Tuk Tours. Great guide met us at the port and we had a wonderful tour through the streets and up the mountain to an observation and cable car area. We then had a walking tour through the main town and ended up at the market and restaurant area. There were 4 of us but it may hold 6 passengers. So much more enjoyable than navigating on a large bus with many others.

Thank you for a wonderful review as I am doing the same cruise in August. We have a mix of Viking excursions and private depending on the port. My husband is very deaf and slow moving so bus tours may not be for him. I am however disappointed to hear you were not a fan of WC. On our previous cruise from Venice we loved the WC and only had dinner in Manfredis once. I hope we will have a good experience as I love to sit outside and dine. I am unable to get a Manfredis reservation so we may have a dress up dinner in the restaurant one night. Good to know you enjoyed it.

It has been great to read all the information on Deck 7 cabins as we are in 7014 on the August 25th Sky sailing out of Athens. We previously had a cabin on deck 3 on the Orion out of Venice. We spent so much time on deck 7 that I was delighted to snag this one. So happy to be only a hop,skip and jump from Mamsens!!

Booked on this cruise for Aug/23. A great resource on this forum is from Sleep7 (2022) who provided an excellent and detailed trip report. She included copies of the tours that were offered each day that we cannot see yet. On her itinerary the ship arrives in Istanbul in the am. Several tours were offered that day (page 6 of her report). From my research it looks like traffic is quite troublesome in town and public transport via a tram is the best method if you choose an independent tour. You will enjoy her report as I did as it is full of very useful information for this cruise. We are extending our cruise in Istanbul however not using Viking extension as the hotel is too far out. All the best!!

Can anyone who has been to Ephesus comment on length of time it normally takes to walk through the terrace houses. I plan on taking private transportation to the site and walking down as my husband has mobility issues and I know he would not be agreeable to walk up those stairs. Is there a place he would be able to wait for me. Are the houses near the exit as he could wait in the car. Just trying to figure out best way to accommodate us both otherwise I will just have to be happy with youtube videos. Thank you all for your great reviews, it really helps in planning our days.

Enjoyed cabin 3061 on Orion a few years ago. Never heard any noise the entire cruise. This year we chose 7014 as my husband has some mobility issues and deck 7 is so convenient to everything we enjoy. Would love to hear any comments from cruisers who have have been on this deck. Enjoy!!

Thank you again for so much useful information. I should inquire with you if taxis are readily available at the port for our disembarkation day? I plan on a quick breakfast and off we go to the town.

Thank you so much for such valuable information on Istanbul. Travelling in August as our last cruise stop and planning an extended stay. My husband has some mild mobility issues and it was so helpful to know how much walking is necessary to reach the tram. We are planning a two night say in the main old town area so as to limit his walking but still be able to see a few sights. We will take an early taxi to our hotel on disembarkation day. Thank you again.