Frenchberet

8 hours ago, Dauntless said:

 

 

I'm with you on this.  I would consider it a shame if they changed Chef's Table.  It's not what I normally do but then neither is going to Europe an everyday occurance for me.  While Manfredi's is a nice Italian restaurant, those types of restaurants are readily available in most cities.  I'll go if it's included but I wouldn't say the cruise would be lacking if I didn't get in.

We are not "foodies" by any means but loved our experiences at the Chef's Table.  In July 2018 we did Into the Midnight Sun and enjoyed two dinners - Asian and Indian.  For our upcoming February 2019 cruise, In Search of the Northern Lights, we are signed up for the Scandinavian menu.  Can't wait!  I was honestly not thrilled with Manfredi's.  

We will be booking our dinner reservations in a few days.  I can see the various menus in My Viking Journey.  Is there a way to find out which menu will be available on a specific day?  For example, Day 3 - Mexican, Day 7 - Asian... thanks!

Hi, we are considering this company for cruises to Antarctica and the Galápagos Islands.  Anyone sailed with them?  Interested to hear comments about your experience.  Thanks!

On 11/18/2018 at 8:24 AM, hallasm said:

I have not been at this tour - also the answer very much can depend on which cruise line - however it might very well be this tour or alternatively this provided by North Adventure  in Alta

Also the tour could be made specific for the cruise line by GLØD Explorer.

In general the 'tepee-style tents' used for those tours are quite luxury. So no much “roughing it” involved.

You could try to contact the tour operators and see if they can provide more details on your specific cruise line tour.

post@glodexplorer.no or booking@northadventure.no

 

 

Thank you for the links.  I’d bet it’s the second one.  Sounds like an adventure!

Hi, we are considering an excursion in Alta called “A Night With The Huskies” that involves an overnight in a tipi-cabin.  Has anyone done a similar excursion?  Just wondering how much “roughing it” is involved.  I spoke with the cruise line but it is the first year for this “northern lights” itinerary and they couldn’t provide much info.  Thanks!

5 hours ago, jimgri said:

My wife and I have done a very similar cruise on P&O, both in March 2016 and February/March of this year. It was *very* cold this year (about -27°C at times!) so layers are the order of the day. We did our own thing most of the time and didn't book the Northern Lights excursions as I took the view that if the atmospheric conditions were favourable, we would see them from the ship. Fortunately, I was right as you can see from the pics I took here on Flickr. The lights in the photos are brighter and more intense than we actually saw with the naked eye. These photos were taken with a very wide angle lens on a tripod for between 20-30 seconds and were processed using Adobe Lightroom. I would certainly recommend investing in a tripod if you want to take photos of the lights.

Great photos!

Hi MSTraveler, your photos of the Keuknoff Gardens are beautiful! Are you on your trip now? Hope you have a great time!

We were on the Viking Sea in July 2018 and dined at the Chef's Table twice. We had the Asian Panorama and La Route Des Indes. Both dinners were excellent!

Thanks for taking time to post. Try to get to the spa and do afternoon tea one day. Try all the restaurants and enjoy the evening shows. We waited until the end of our cruise and wished we would have done these things sooner. Beautiful ships. I’ll be following along on your trip! Have fun!

We had an interesting experience on our recent cruise. A couple joined us at our table. The woman said "good morning", took out her teeth and placed them next to her plate. Sort of ruined breakfast for me.

Finding tables at meal times seems to bring out the worst inpeople. We just returned from a cruise inJuly. I was truly surprised that people ploppeddown at our table without speaking to us or even acknowledging that we werethere. I expected them to say hello and askif the seats were taken. Not so. Apparently, politeness and civility go outthe window when folks are hungry.

One couple was particularly rude. We nicknamed the lady the “princess”. On several occasions I observed her orderingthe staff around and insisting that they reserve a table for her and herhusband. One poor waiter awkwardly satdown at the table to “save it” and the head waiter chastised him for doing so. Just unacceptable.

We took the flybussen, it was quick, easy and inexpensive. We arrived the night before then just walked from the hotel to the dock. We each travel with one 20 inch roller and a carryon. If you have lots of luggage, take a taxi.

Hi Peregrina, terrific photo of Beagle Bay! That's amazing!

Thanks to everyone who responded. We'll keep looking for some "pre-geezer" activities!

Hi, we just returned from our first Viking ocean cruise "Into the Midnight Sun", and loved it. We enjoyed several of the optional excursions like deep sea fishing, king crab safari, and hiking with huskies.

We are looking at itineraries for our next cruise and although we like city walks and museums, we'd really like to do some more active excursions. Just wondering if you've done any Viking cruises that offered opportunities to be a bit more adventurous.

Thanks for all the great info on this itinerary, it’s all been very helpful!

A question on your disembarkment - did the ship dock in Greenwich or London Tilbury? Our itinerary says Greenwich but Cruise Mapper shows London Tilbury. Trying to get transportation into London set up. Thanks!

FYI, we’ve seen many people wearing jeans in the Restaurant for dinner on the Viking Sea. Some nights it’s been 25% of the diners. We’ve had some very busy days but always had time to change into nicer clothing.

We would like to get transportation from our ship in Greenwich to a hotel in London near Victoria Station. What is the most cost effective way to do this? We don’t want to take the subway/Tube. The taxi service the ship is offering is expensive ($300-$400 per person). Can we do it cheaper? Thanks!

Hi minka34, following along on your trip, Have fun!

Hi teena4, go to a good shoe store where they can fit you properly and have a variety of styles and makes of walking shoes. I did that last fall and bought a pair of New Balance shoes (model 1300) that are very comfortable. I ended up buying a half size larger based on their help. You really meed to try them on. Good luck!

Hi Russ, thanks for responding. We are signed up for the King Crab Safari too. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Any problems with sea sickness on the smaller fishing boat or RIB?

Hi Russ, thanks for taking the time to do this trip report. The info has been very helpful to us as we will be on the same cruise in a few weeks.

Just wondering if you took any of the optional Viking excursions and what you thought about them. Anything you would do differently if you had the chance?

Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. thank you!

Looking forward to your report! Hope you have a great time. We are sailing on this cruise In July.

Thanks to everyone who responded. Iceland and Alaska are on our list too! Thanks!

Hi, we are planning to do Into the Midnight Sun this summer and wonder if there might be a chance to see some whales. The itinerary includes Bergen, Geiranger, Molde, Tromso, Honningsvag, Lofoten, then cruising the Norwegian Sea to Scotland and England.

We are very excited and looking forward to our first ocean cruise! Appreciate any insight from those who have traveled this route. thanks!