Frenchberet

We traveled to Antarctica in 2023. We received the email requesting the medical assessment form from Viking 13 weeks in advance of departure. We submitted the forms the following week.

This thread isn’t about bridge tours anymore but I wanted to comment on the survey ratings. I look at “anything less than a perfect score is a fail” a bit differently. I think that Viking (and car dealers) are trying to convey their desire to do everything they can to ensure you have a great experience. I think it’s their hope that you will give them an opportunity to correct whatever you’re unhappy with before you submit negative comments to management. Speak up before you put pen to paper.

I think it’s a shame that Viking staff members are put in the position of having to monitor the behavior of adults. The dress code is posted at the entrance to the restaurants. Just follow the simple rules. Put on a pair of pants and leave the ball caps in your cabin.

The compression bags I use for packing don’t require a vacuum. You roll them to squish the air out then zip. Check Amazon for “Roll Up Travel Compression Bags, Hand Roll Space Saver bags”.

I love compression bags for jackets and other bulky items. Dress in layers. Make a packing list and stick to it. Check out some “expert” packing videos. I like Rick Steves and the Vivienne Files. As mentioned, consider checking a bag.

We visited a carpet shop on our included excursion in Kusadasi last month. It was interesting, part of their culture. We enjoyed the presentation and the coffee. No hard sell, we didn’t buy a rug. Another shop was scheduled for our included excursion in Istanbul but we all told the guide we had just done it the prior day. No problem, she let us have additional time at the Spice Market. Fyi, Viking did a great job on our 2 day extension in Istanbul. They kept us busy all day at the Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, underground Cistern (very cool), and a lunch cruise in the Bosphorus, before taking us to the hotel. Very pleased.

We sailed to Antarctica on Viking Octantis February 2023. There were numerous activities offered off the ship - sub, kayaking, special ops boats, and RIBs. We signed up for the activities we wanted and received a daily schedule. The schedule was very well organized and we never felt rushed or bored just hanging around. On landing days there were multiple trips via RIB to and from the ship. We were able to do everything we wanted to do. It was a wonderful trip on a beautiful expedition ship, and we highly recommend it.

Download the Viking app now. Once onboard you can easily make dinner reservations for the Chef’s Table or Manfredi’s. No need to visit Guest Services.

“Randos” 😊

Thanks! I'll try it!

Hi, we’re thinking about booking a last minute cruise “Amazon & Caribbean Adventure” in Nov 24. The Viking promo is Spring Sale ($25 down & reduced air). Before we book just wondering if there’s a “better” promo we can take advantage of. Thanks in advance!

On day 1 we signed up for the included “Highlights of St Mark’s Square”. Our plan was to do the tour, explore Venice on our own, then take the last boat back to the ship. We found out that there really wasn’t a “shuttle boat service” and that we had to return to the ship at an assigned time with our group. That left us with only 45 minutes of free time. So, we decided to ditch the included tour. We stood in line and purchased tickets to St Mark’s Basilica. We toured the inside, including the museum that houses the bronze horses brought to Venice from Constantinople. Very nice. Day 2 was transfer day and we did the optional tour to Murano and Burano. Day 3 we did an optional “Secrets of Doge’s Palace with Early Access”. We had a small group of 8-10 people and a guided tour inside the rooms, hidden passages, and cells within the palace. It was very interesting. After the tour we had an hour of free time before returning to the ship. Overall, not a lot of time in Venice.

Yes, but does it need to be an either/or situation? Can a man come to dinner wearing pants, leave his ball cap in the room, and not stink?

We recently did legs 2, 3 & 4 of this itinerary (Rome-Istanbul). This cruise definitely had a more “relaxed” passenger demographic than our other Viking cruises. The dress code was posted at the entrance to the restaurant, Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s but there were a number of people who just ignored it. We observed several adult men wearing jeans and baseball caps in the restaurant and at Manfredi’s. This puts the staff in an awkward position. If I was working there, I’d point to the sign and tell them to change their pants and take their darn hats off. I’d probably get fired.

Never heard of the duck thing, had to look it up. No sightings in our recent cruise on Saturn but there was a woman who kept taking photos with her stuffed Pikachu doll…

Are you referring to the itinerary for “Into the Northwest Passage”? It is a new itinerary for 2025 and looks great. We did Antarctica on Viking Octantis in 2023 and are looking forward to another adventure on this beautiful expedition ship!

We had “birds” on Saturn when we disembarked in Istanbul two weeks ago. Maybe Sky’s birds migrated south for the winter?

Ask to speak with the sommelier/wine steward/restaurant manager.

Chocolate cake on Octantis 😋

Sorry, I didn’t keep a copy. I think there were two included walking tours and two optional tours to choose from on transfer day. No problem booking, just stop at Guest Services. We chose an optional tour to Murano/Burano, very good. On our other days in Venice we did an included walking tour, “Highlights of St Mark’s Square”, and an optional tour to the Doge’s Palace. We booked these during the regular excursion booking process prior to boarding. The issue with Venice is that you are docked 90 minutes from St. Mark’s Square. You’re spending 3 hours in transit (by boat) each day which limits the time you can actually spend sightseeing. Just something to keep in mind.

We just returned from this cruise. The full itinerary was Barcelona to Istanbul. We sailed Rome to Istanbul (legs 2, 3 & 4). Venice and Athens were change-over days where passengers got on and off for a new leg. Viking offered several included and optional excursions for passengers continuing on. We received a handout in our cabin a couple of days before the change-over with all the info. Great cruise, enjoy!

I wouldn’t spend any more time waiting for the person to call you back. Just call Viking at 1-800-304-9616 and ask your questions. Have your booking number ready.

Figure 5 pm back on board for a 6 pm departure.

I don’t recall that option but I suppose you could just walk along. We shared a dog and passed him back and forth. They told us it’s a reward for the dogs to be selected for this assignment 😊

I’d give the Husky Trek a ‘moderate+’ rating. You wear a belt and the dog is attached to you as you hike (not jog) through the tundra. The huskies are energetic and strong and at times can be hard to control. They are wonderful, friendly animals and we loved seeing where they were housed and playing with them.