Little Monty
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Posts posted by Little Monty
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12 minutes ago, duquephart said:
While certainly an "OK" wine, St Michelle Reisling is neither California nor particularly special. Certainly not worth $40/day.
Mate .. I don't know who you are and I have no interest in knowing.
I was trying to be helpful. The OP asked if the SS Wines are better than the included and in my opinion, yes they are.
It seems to me your only role in this Forum is to disagree with everyone about everything. I suggest you block me so you don't have to read any more of my posts, rest assured I will be blocking you.
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1 hour ago, FoggyEthan said:
Just wondering if I'm missing something. Is this just a thing where they want to create a "perception" of a higher tier or wine, but really it's all the same quality?
We've been on 4 Viking cruises and have had the SS Package all 4 times. We experiment with a few different wines till we find what we like - and we always try a couple of the included wines for comparison.
We aren't experts but we know what we like and on all 4 cruises we found the SS Package wines to be more appealing to us. Of course taste is individual so just because we like something doesn't mean you will.
But to answer your primary question, yes we feel wines available through the SS Package are 'better' when compared to the included.
Of course we were last on board 2 years ago so things may have changed.
FYI - two of our favourites from our last cruise were the St Michelle Reisling (Columbia Valley, California) and the Overstone Piñon Noir (Hawkes Bay, NZ).
I'm not sure what sort of price range they would be in, but they were very nice 🍷
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8 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:
Thanks LM, your insight is always welcomed. If you can join us in Sydney or Brisbane in '23, the first cold one is on me.
🍺 .. sounds good
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12 minutes ago, Roger88 said:
I have been going all over the internet looking for some valid news out there but unfortunaly all I have found were some unverfied forecasts and people searching for good deals. I believe that soon we will have more reliable information regarding cruising
Howdy Roger
Obviously you need something more meaningful than my opinion.
No dramas .. a news report (including a quote from the Australian Minister for Health) is linked below .. so obviously any 'formal' decision beyond 17 Sept has not yet been made.
I saw the interview, the reporting is accurate.
However expect a further 'formal' decision before end of August .. and expect 17 Sept will be extended.
Trust me 😁. There will be no international cruising in Australia this year. It is highly unlikely there will be international cruising in early next year.
You owe me one of these 🍺.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the prolonging of the legislation governing Australia's coronavirus travel ban until at least September 17.
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It's a bit late to edit .. but I should have added Australia has had zero deaths from COVID for some months .. which is another reason for hesitancy.
Some are asking why get a vaccine if there is no / low risk ?
LM
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12 hours ago, Heidi13 said:
G'day Andy and CC members.
onlyslightlymad is very likely correct.
The situation is Australia has been and is constrained by 2 main factors.
1/ vaccine 'hesitancy' (mainly people who have doubts about our primary vaccine [Astra Zenica - manufactured in Australia]) and who are therefore waiting for Pfizer (some limited supply but coming from overseas) or Moderna (available later in the year, again from overseas). Along with those who are hesitant, there are of course a number anti-vaxers.
2/ Dis-organised roll-out, and mixed messages from politicians and so-called health experts who only serve to confuse the public about the risk, the benefits and the availability of each of the vaccine options.
The total number of vaccine shots given in Australia totals around 8 million for a total population of about 25 million (including children). Remembering, you have to get 2 shots of Astra Zenica to make the vaccine fully effective.
Not a good situation.
Until the great majority of the adult population are fully vaccinated it is unlikely large scale tourism will recommence.
I'll allow you to do the math - at the current rate we will be well into 2022 until we reach that point.
There is a growing sense of frustration at how poorly we are doing, and a growing sense of frustration at border closures between states when there are local outbreaks.
So I would suggest anyone with bookings for Australia for late 2021 and early 2022 have a Plan B in mind.
Please give me a reminder in 2 or 3 months and I will be happy to update you again.
Cheers, LM
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6 hours ago, JerryInIL said:
Is this in the Plaka District?
No .. it is a short drive or a 30 minute walk from the hotel. It's a nice walk .. through gardens and parkland. There are several routes you could take, with lots to look at along the way.
From our experience it is better to stay outside of the Plaka District - it does get very busy (or at least it did pre-COVID).
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... we also received a recommendation for 'Oroscopo' (just around the corner from Pita Pan) but ran out of time and didn't get to eat there.
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13 minutes ago, greydog said:
PLEASE L-Monty - would appreciate those good dining leads near Hilton.
Both are a short walk from the Hilton.
The first is 'Pita Pan' (Google maps shows the street as Iofontos). They have indoor and outdoor dining. We loved the food, and recent Tripadvisor reviews suggest the standards are still very good. It is probably best described as casual dining.
The other is across the park in front of Pita Pan - named 'Vassilenas'. We enjoyed this one as well and again recent reviews are good. The food / service / decor is more refined than Pita Pan, and this is reflected in the prices.
Enjoy.
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58 minutes ago, Arizona340 said:
We are doing a pre in Athens before the Empires of the Mediterranean. If you have done a cruise from Athens what hotel did Viking book you into?
We did Empires of the Med in 2019 .. stayed at Hilton for post cruise. We did the 4 day Classic Greece - it was fantastic.
The roof top bar at the Hilton has great views, but is a little bit pricey. We joined the Hilton loyalty club while we were there (Hilton Honors) and they gave us a free drink at the bar for joining.
There are a couple of really good places to eat near the Hilton. I'll look up my cruise notes and will post info later if I can find the names.
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1 minute ago, DaveSJ711 said:
Don't worry, I won't!
Seriously, I do love Australia and New Zealand. I've been to the former twice and the latter three times, all land-based trips. You mentioned skiing Tongariro -- back in 1998, I did the Tongariro Crossing over a couple of days. Great fun.
Well done on all the visits .. some photos below to bring back memories (if the photos don't post I'll try again in a minute).
It is real vinegar.
Cheers, LM
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4 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said:
Covid may not kill you in Oz, but lots of other things will do the job -- venomous snakes, deadly spiders, box jellyfish, melanoma -- the list goes on and on. No wonder the linked article calls Australia the "home of deadly."
My experience with the country has been relatively benign, thought I still remember the crocodile warnings on the beaches north of Cairns. But don't get me started on Vegemite!
That's gold 😀, a great story.
However, vegemite is fantastic .. but don't take my word for it
Oh .. and look at the brand of typewriter Tom uses. 😁
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29 minutes ago, CharTrav said:
@Little Monty Thanks much for your detailed response.
It's actually quite a study in human behaviour. We Aussies have a reputation for being irreverent and somewhat (for the want of a better term) happy-go-lucky. Yet when the medical people said wear a mask, the great majority wore a mast. When the medical people said stay home and don't mingle in groups, we stayed home ... etc.
Largely on the basis of good medical advice combined with large levels of compliance our lives have been much less affected than elsewhere. Except for a short period in March - April last year, I have continued to play golf every week. My wife goes to the gym several times a week. We go out for lunch or dinner a couple of times a week .. and so on - with social distancing, hand hygiene, contact tracing app usage etc all in place.
The vaccine program here is ramping up and I just hope many of those who have been or are hesitant about getting the jab, do so.
Aside, I and many of my friends and colleagues are fascinated by US politics and we do follow US achievements and disappointments with interest. I wish the current administration well in what lies ahead.
I skied Tongariro many years ago. It is a lovely location, the scenery across most of New Zealand is wonderful. And I look forward to you and your husband joining us for a visit in 2022 / 2023.
If you need to seek a second opinion on anything local (excursions, travel times, purchase prices, local customs etc), please feel free to ask.
Regards and best wishes, LM
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28 minutes ago, CharTrav said:
And - somebody here on CCForum who lives in Australia shared the news (direct quote) about the closure continuing through mid-March. I just can't remember now the CCForum thread name.
Firstly CharTrav - thank you for all your excellent work keeping us all informed about changes and keeping your spreadsheet up to date.
It wasn't me that posted the quote you mentioned but from what we read and are told it is an accurate reflection of the situation. The vaccine roll out here has been slow - Pfizer has been used for the elderly and health workers etc .. but we are 'ineligible' for Pfizer (there is not sufficient supply and we aren't old enough) and received out first Astra Zenica shot today with a second shot in 3 months. AZ is manufactured in Australia, Pfizer comes in from overseas.
There has been some adverse publicity around AZ which has made many hesitant - and it seems many are waiting for increased supplies of Pfizer or the first batch of Moderna to become available later in the year. Which means significant numbers won't be fully vaccinated by the end of this year - and the Federal government has indicated they won't be opening borders to tourism until we reach this point.
Interestingly, several of our states have had elections over recent months and Premiers (equiv to your State Governors) who have held the hardest lines on lockdowns / border closures etc have been rewarded with very large voter support.
The message from voters being ... you keep us safe and we will support you.
I live in Queensland - population of about 5 million. We have had 7 deaths from COVID since the beginning of the pandemic. We currently have 12 people in hospital with COVID across the State (all Australian citizens who have arrived from overseas).
The numbers are obviously miniscule. Which leads to another problem - some people are saying we have no COVID in the community and our international borders are closed to tourism, so why get a vaccine ?
So for those of you who are hoping to visit Australia by the end of 2021. I suggest the chances are next to zero.
For those hoping to visit in the first few months of next year, possible but unlikely.
The general view of many health and other so-called experts - probably mid 2022 before large scale tourism begins.
We have already postponed our South America cruise twice and we can't wait to travel and to be on-board Viking again, but we are safe and our national economy is much, much better that anyone expected 12 months ago - so we do generally support the overall approach which our political leaders have taken.
We just wish the vaccine program had started earlier and the uptake was a little higher.
Cheers, LM
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4 hours ago, arlowood said:
Does anyone have any experience of these cabins and whether they are are prone to noise "pollution" from the pool area or Explorers' Lounge
We have been in 8019 3 times. The only noise we ever heard was some over zealous pax playing on the games deck above us (in the middle of the day). The games equipment is put away at 6pm so it is not an issue at night. That end of deck 8 gives easy access to the open area above the pool. We've done 3 warm weather cruises where the pool roof was open most of the time and had no issues with pool party noise etc.
From your post I gather you are at the 8000 / 8001 end of the hallway. I have read other posts from people who have stayed that end - all praise for the convenience of entry into the Lounge on deck 8 and no mention of noise.
The entertainment in the Lounge is usually low key - one person with a musical instrument etc so I would be surprised if you had any issues.
Just to confirm this, we have also been in 7002 (adjacent to the Lounge) and had zero issues with entertainment or other noise.
Relax, deck 8 is a great location - you will be fine.
Enjoy the trip, LM
PS .. in rough weather you will feel it more on deck 8 - so head down to the Living Room on deck 1 for a cup of tea or something stronger.
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8 hours ago, rnrcruzin said:
We are scheduled to take a cruise out of Auckland on 27 December ending O/A 10 January in Sydney. Both countries have done very well in steaming the pandemic. Do you think your countries will open to international travel, with restrictions, by the end of the year?
Agree with onlyslightlymad. The Australian government has indicted they want the great majority of people vaccinated, then they might open the border to business travel, international students etc in that order. Mass tourism after that, but only after determining it is safe to do so taking into account the possible need for a 3rd Pfizer shot, whether vaccinated people can still become infected and / or transmit the virus etc.
The original target was the great majority of adults in Australia vaccinated by end October, then end December, now with issues around Astra Zenica and blood clots - who knows.
We are booked to go to South America next January (Viking Jupiter) but know that trip is highly unlikely to proceed. As a second option we are thinking about something in the Med mid next year, but even that might be ambitious.
We have basically zero virus in the community and close to zero deaths - and this has been the case for some time. So we are very safe inside our bubble.
The vaccine program has been slow to get going, but things are improving.
Fingers crossed.
But in answer to your question - it is highly unlikely at this stage.
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9 minutes ago, Twitchly said:
Oh, excellent! Maybe we can swap for New Zealand sav blanc.'Overstone' sav blanc from the Hawkes Bay Region of NZ was very popular last time we were on board.
In Australia, Margaret River and Adelaide Hills are both well regarded sav blanc producing areas so keep an eye out for those options as well.
Enjoy.
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22 hours ago, Gayletwomey said:
So if you have the SS they won’t put alcohol in your fridge if you are DV? Or do you have to order it from room service?
The SS package and the in-room mini bar are separate issues. Depending on your cabin category you will have specific mini bar benefits - as discussed in prior posts.
The SS package is described in the Viking website as;
Viking offers a Silver Spirits beverage package, which covers any drinks (excluding champagne) up to $15.00, including premium wines by the glass, cocktails, all house pouring wines, beers, liquors, well drinks, mixers/long drinks and soft drinks throughout the day for a flat fee per guest.
Note that wine is 'by the glass'. So no, you can't ask for your DV mini bar (or any other mini bar) to be topped up with a bottle because you have the SS package.
But yes, anyone can order wines by the glass from room service - and if you have the SS package there would be no additional charge for doing this.
Of course prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the service you receive once on board. I recall one occasion where I asked for 2 glasses of wine in the Explorers Lounge. The bar man asked where I was sitting and I told him no, I'm taking these back to the room. He grabbed a bottle which was about one third full and handed it to me. He said something like 'you might spill the wine from the glasses, this will be more convenient'.
I took the bottle back to the cabin.
Of course 'rules' might be different post pandemic.
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1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:
Just in case someone else reads this-no alcohol in the fridge in V or DV. V drawers do not get replenished (unless you do it yourself which is what we did). DV gets refilled Dailey with soft drinks.
Thank you .. yes, I should have mentioned that. 👍
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5 hours ago, duquephart said:
The wine was replaced? I thought it was a one shot deal.
Sorry I don't understand your question ? From the Viking website ...
Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks (replenished once daily);
So yes, everything which is consumed one day is replaced the next day.
Or do you mean substituted ?
As in "I don't like the choice of wine in the mini bar please bring me another variety". Again, no problems. As outlined above and by others, ask and you shall receive. No reasonable request is denied.
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Just to clarify - Don't expect to use the SS package to stock up your mini bar ... if what you want is something that you wouldn't be entitled to if you 'only' had the mini bar but not the SS package.
I'm not sure that makes more sense, but hopefully you get the point.
LM
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Photos of mini bar, cabin 7002 - Viking Orion, 2019.
On arrival there was a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne (which we don't drink). I left a note on the desk asking for that to be replaced with a sav blanc or something similar. 2 hours later we returned, Aussie sav blanc in mini bar as requested.
If the bottle was opened but not finished (yes I know, how likely is that) the steward added an extra bottle when he did his daily check. Obviously if the bottler was finished it was replaced.
We don't drink spirits so the Barcardi etc remained untouched throughout.
Given 7002's proximity to Explorers Lounge if I needed something special (glass of red wine, aperol spritz etc) I just went into the lounge.
For those who are tea drinkers, initially I went into the lounge each morning and made 2 cups of tea and took them back to the cabin. After spilling most of what was in the cups for the first couple of days I started ordering room service.
A pot of tea, some milk, 2 cups and 2 tea bags. Delivered hot to our door on request by room service.
It was the perfect start to our day.
Lastly ... remember the SS package and the in-cabin mini bar are two different situations with their own rules. Don't expect to use the SS package to stock up your mini bar.
LM
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.. I didn't mean to suggest anyone should pay for SS package and then drink included wines etc. My point was not to over think it all, just go with what you are comfortable with and don't look back.
Cheers again, LM
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.. I found my Aust - New Zealand review (2019).
In that review I did actually say the included wines were generally better. Of course tastes vary so .. as some famous people say in this forum .. your mileage may be different. 😀
Australia / New Zealand
in Viking Ocean
Posted
Just a quick update on the situation in Australia ...
Some background.
In 2021 there has been 1 death from Coronavirus in Australia (in April). Prior to that the previous death was last December. Politicians are completely paranoid about being responsible for any decision which leads to further deaths (ie they are being very cautious). A significant number of our citizens are completely happy to live in a bubble if that means they are safe from COVID19.
Right now there are fewer than 10 people in ICU's in hospitals across Australia (mostly people who have come back from overseas whilst infected).
International travel is restricted and we have to receive approval from the Government to travel overseas (and people from overseas have to receive approval to travel to / enter Australia).
However even if we get approval (rare for regular Joe's like me) there are almost nil international flights to book. Those that are available are priced sky high and are out of reach to most.
I'm aware many of you reading this will be astounded that we are effectively 'locked in' to our own country (or locked out if you are stuck overseas).
Today the Prime Minister outlined the Government's 4-phase plan for opening up to international travel on what used to be 'normal' arrangements. I won't go into any great detail (some of it is political 'spin') but it is largely linked to vaccination rates. The actual benchmarks have yet to be determined by medical and scientific experts but it will be something along the lines of ...
We are in phase 1 now.
(these are just my guesses as examples)
once say 70% of people aged over 70 and 50% of people over 50 are fully vaccinated we will go to phase 2
once 70% of the whole population are vaccinated and deaths from COVID are lower than would normally be experienced from influenza we go to phase 3
etc
Right now, approx 30% of the adult population have received the first jab and approx 8% are fully vaccinated - remembering that our Government delayed the start of the program to undertake further evaluations (ie undertaking further trials, watching what was happening overseas).
Last week more than 1 million vaccinations were given (across the whole country) and we have a total number of 8 million given to date. If we continue at 1 million a week we will be at 33 million by the end of the year. Assuming we have 18 million people over the age of 16 we would need 36 million jabs to cover the whole adult population (2 jabs each).
We are in phase 1 now. The 'experts' I'm watching on TV right now think we might get to phase 2 by the end of the year / early next year.
Wide spread international travel (ie you guys coming here, me going on my South American cruise) only comes on-line in phase 3.
The same experts on TV are saying .. phase 3 is unlikely until mid next year at best.
So that is a long way of saying - based on what we have been told today the Australian border won't open to widespread international travel till mid 2022 - and it may (stress may) be necessary for all overseas visitors to be fully vaccinated.
Don't get me wrong .. I fully support most of the decisions which the Aussie government has made. The elderly were and are the group most at risk when there is widespread community transmission of COVID. One of the most distressing situations we have encountered in Australia was a large number of deaths in Victorian Aged Care facilities (nursing homes) last year.
It has been estimated the decisions made by the Government (such as closing the border to China very early in the Pandemic) has avoided up to 30,000 deaths and for this we are all eternally grateful.
That doesn't mean we all agree with every decision made, but it is what it is.
As mentioned, this information has just been provided by the Prime Minister today and some of the details may change or be refined as time goes by.
And of course, it is just my take on the situation.
Hopefully of some value to you.
Cheers, LM