Little Monty

Of course I missed the point about ‘no smoking’ in the advertising. I assume there is something in the fine print to clarify no smoking in cabins, public areas etc .. except the designated smoking area.

In any case, we have never been negatively effected and we are not concerned that some passengers do smoke on Deck 8 in the designated area.

The issue certainly wouldn’t stop us booking future cruises (we have 2 booked).

1 hour ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

I was thinking about finally booking my first VO cruise after reading this list of “What Viking Isn’t” in their new brochure.  It definitely lists that they are Non Smoking. 

 

But then I read this in Cocopico’s post above.  I am confused, VO says they are non smoking yet it appears they are expanding smoking areas?  Is there really smoking allowed on all VO ships?

 

“A few things I didn’t see on your list:

-expanded smoking area, with extended shelter and more furniture (not sure I was happy with this change)”

 

Thank you in advance. 

I have seen the small designated smoking areas on Star, Orion and Sky - all in the same location on Deck 8 (outside). 

I haven’t been on Jupiter and that area may be larger .. but I am on Sky now and in the past 12 days I have walked past the smoking area a few times and I have seen zero people smoking.

I’m sure the area on Sky gets used, but it has no impact on me and I suspect it will have none on you, regardless of which ship you are on.

A lovely day in Isafjordur today .. blue sky and very light breeze. What we have been hoping for all week.

We did the included excursion this morning and it was ok .. 58 people on a bus is too many for my liking and this dimmed my enthusiasm.

The excursion itself is nevertheless worthwhile and we had a great guide. He was a young guy (Jake) who has degrees in Geology and Environment Management who is doing his Masters here.

He was really good.

The town is lovely - especially in the bright sunshine - and there is a real sense of shared community. 

It it is of course a small town in a remote location so don’t expect high street shopping. There is a very nice bakery behind the Hotel Isafjordur if you want to try a local speciality.

From the ship, a 15 min walk to the bakery.

Reykjavik tomorrow.

The seas improved during the night and we arrived as planned into Akureyri. However the forecast high must have an error as it was 2 degrees Celsius this morning and has hardly changed.

The locals keep saying it is unusual for June.

We did the optional Excursion to Godafoss Falls, which included a visit to the botanical gardens and a drive around town.

It was a worthwhile excursion into the countryside with a very good guide - with the falls being the highlight. It was raining lightly when we arrived at the falls but by the time we walked to the actual viewing area (10 min each way) sleet was falling.

I am cold to my bones when it falls below 10 Celsius - so I was freezing at that point.

However in some ways the cold temperature and sleet actually enhanced the experience and I enjoyed being there at the falls at that moment, but perhaps not as much as I enjoyed the warmth of the gift shop afterwards.

The botanical gardens are nice and we spent maybe 20 minutes walking through with the guide directing us. 

We came back on board afterwards for lunch then walked to town, had a look around the shops, and visited a very popular church (20 min walk each way to the main part of town).

Akureyri is larger / more populated than Seydisfjordur and hence more to look at and do.

The on-board experience for the entire cruise has been excellent in our opinion, and we are loving every moment.

Even in the unusually cold weather ⛄️ 

Tomorrow Isafjordur.

A couple more FYI’s..

US friends - don’t forget Amex cards are not as widely accepted in Europe / Scandinavia as in other locations. There were a number of shops today displaying the ‘no Amex’ sign. Please bring a second option (MasterCard and Visa - no problems. Same for pre-paid debit cards as best as I could tell)

The heated bathroom is like a ski drying room, very warm. My DW has several items she doesn’t want to put through a clothes dryer so we don’t send them to the ships’ laundry service. Early this morning I put two pairs of slacks through the wash in the laundry on Level 6 and she then hung them on hangars behind the bathroom door with door shut. It’s late afternoon now and they are almost dry. 

We have just left Seydisfjordur and are already rocking and rolling - but the high temperature tomorrow is forecast to be around 13 degrees Celsius which is much more pleasant.

It’s too late to edit my earlier post .. but what I should have said was .. it is important to get a broad cross section of views by reading multiple posts and threads.

I was obviously just reporting my experience - and Peregrina651 is correct, there are no guarantees. 

Just now, Peregrina651 said:

So, I'm gonna disagree, just a bit, with Little Monty  just because of some other things I have read here of late.

 

 

 

That’s ok 🙂

I read some of those other reports so I used the old ‘from my experience’ disclaimer in my post.

I hope those other problems get sorted.

2 hours ago, bobolz said:

 

 

thanks so much for sharing all the info on the ports. Although it will be quite cool , looking forward to our cruise! 

 

Enjoy the rest of your trip! 

 

Liz

 

 

Thank you - I hope you have a great time.

Just now, zonahiker said:

Hello - I have a question too on the tenders. How does the priority of getting on a tender if you are not booked into a Viking excursion? We have arranged a couple of private tours and would love to be off the ship as soon as able. Will this be a problem or are they able to get all off who want fairly quickly (weather permitting). 

Thank you!

 

Talk to Guest Services when you get on board. We have used tenders twice in the past week and both times those booked on private excursions had to wait for space to open (eg ‘wait in the Atrium area until you are called’). 

I don’t know know how long they had to wait (they may have boarded the first tender ?) but I suggest you are proactive and prepared.

Just now, jbeeg said:

Anyone have an opinion of Flam excursions? Of course the train is the big thing, just wondering how that compares with possibly a fjord trip or... Lots of expensive things to do. Should have booked a train ticket on our own, but let too much time go by. We are taking the train from Bergen to Oslo, so that might be enough train!?

 

Glad the ship and passengers didn't encounter problems in the stormy seas!

See my post number 24 in this thread.

If you are doing ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ from Oslo to Bergen then yes, I suggest you cover some other options.

2 hours ago, Marianna49 said:

Would you be so kind as to list the ports that are tendered. I can't figure it out from Viking paperwork. Thank you.

On the original invoice for this cruise it showed only one tender port. However we actually have three - so the invoice is not always correct .. well it is probably correct at the time of issue but things do change. 

The three (so far) have been Flam, Geiranger and our present location. 

It is an inconvenience rather than a major drama, but it would be nice to know in advance.

It is minus 2 Celsius at the moment but no sign of snow.

.. and we found a lovely gift shop just a short walk from the ship. Borgarholl Arts and Crafts - many items are handmade by the owner.

Because of our early arrival we are docked in Seydisfjordur and many people have been out for a walk this afternoon .. it’s 2 degrees Celsius and raining lightly.

At 7am tomorrow we have to leave the dock and anchor in the bay. Tenders will then be used for the excursions (or for those who are doing their own thing). 

 I suspect a good number who disembarked today will stay on board tomorrow- as snow is on the forecast ⛄️ 

16 minutes ago, helvic said:

We are looking at our first Viking Cruise, but it has 4 tender ports.

This is something that we have not done for many years, also not on a newer ship.

My other half is a bit nervous about this how easy is it on the Viking ships.

Thank you 😊

 

 

 I can only give you our experience.. easy as pie. We have had two tenders in 7 days with another tomorrow. Obviously you are at the mercy of the seas if it is rough and or windy and have to take into account the frailty of some of your fellow passengers.

That said, the staff in Sky are well drilled and as organised as they can be and the process for us has been quite literally as easy as pie.

The staff assist as you step from the ship onto the tender and back as you return - and even those less confident on their feet seem to be coping fine. Don’t stress, based on our experience you will be fine 😀

We had a rough night, but nothing compared to the Tasman Sea in January. The Captain has obviously made good time and we seem to be 

3 or 4 hours from calmer waters (judging from our Ship Tracker on the TV).

Yesterday was interesting and enjoyable despite the weather. We did the 4 hour Vagar Island excursion which took us from port to a large island to the west, then retraced our route back to port and into the capital. The landscapes are remarkable - not dissimilar to the very north of the Isle of Skye.

The capital Tórshavn is very small and only requires a short visit.

Our US friends did the included excursion and the ‘Vistas, Vikings and Island Villages’ and were disappointed these were basically replicas of each other - so I suggest you avoid this combination.

We were happy with our choice of Vagar Island as it took us to several points of interest. We did get off the bus 4 times and two of those times we walked 1/ to a waterfall then up the hill to a meeting point and 2/ through a small village. About 10 - 15 minutes of walking each time.

Some just stayed on the bus instead of walking.

After we returned from the excursion we had lunch and caught the 2pm shuttle into town for a walk in the rain and returned around 4.30pm. LM

Just catching up .. I’ve been busy 🙂

Chefs Table was great and we have booked again later in the week. There were a number of spare tables so if you didn’t get the bookings you wanted before you board, keep checking.

16 hours ago, bobolz said:

LM

 

thanks for posting updates. Getting very excited for our trip that immediately follows yours. So it sounds like there is no eating outside for this upcoming cruise. How about the pool deck and the retractable cover? Is anyone using the pool deck, or is it inside activities only? I’m trying to decide if I should bring turtlenecks even though we are bringing a down jacket that we can roll up and pack easily. I’m assuming he temps inside dining rooms are comfortable? I’m trying to limit bringing too many bulky items since we are DV room, which looks like it has limited storage.

 

thanks for your feedback.

 

Liz 

Hey Liz .. correct, very little if any eating outside. They set up an extra service point in the pool area to compensate. The pool has been covered all week and it is a popular area where people relax ... and eat and drink 🍷

I find the temperature inside a little cool at times, but I am a wimp and wear a sleeveless pullover most of the time even when others are in short sleeves. 

Today on Faroe Islands it was cold and windy this morning and cold and raining from midday onwards. Nevertheless the landscape is quite remarkable and you just have to get out and see it.

I am running late so will be back tomorrow with my thoughts on our excursion and some other comments.

The Captain has just advised us we are heading into bad weather. Instead of a sea day tomorrow and arrival into Iceland on Tuesday we will now arrive late tomorrow (he is going to step on the gas tonight). 

Afternoon all. We are enjoying a sea day ahead if our visit to Faroe Islands tomorrow (Sunday). It’s cool and there is a little rain about, but conditions are quite good with just a gentle rocking side to side.

A couple of FYI’s ..

Our Captain is Tony Fast. We have been told by a staff member he was 2nd in command during the emergency situation in March. We have also been told the Captain during that situation is on leave but returns to work next month - on another ship - to relieve another Captain who is taking leave. Again, just what we have been told.

Because it is cold and wet everyone had lunch inside today. It got a little crowded but was manageable. The staff work very hard to keep things moving ( clearing and resetting tables, for example).

As it is a sea day I assume wi fi usage is high, nevertheless I have been reading the news, sending emails, reading Cruise Critic etc without any problems.

We went to a show last night performed by Asst Cruise Director Brian Rodriguez. It was excellent. This guy has a great voice and is very entertaining. If you get the chance I encourage you to go to one of his shows.

We like a cup of tea to start the day. We are not coffee drinkers so we haven’t tried the coffee machine in the cabin, and it is too far to go and get tea from Explorers Lounge or Cafe. So what we do each morning is ring Room Service and ask them to bring a large pot of hot water, 2 English Breakfast tea bags, a small cup of milk and two cups. The water arrives hot and we think it it a great option. I always give a small tip to show our appreciation.

Life on board is very comfortable and whilst nothing is ever perfect, we couldn’t be more happy with our cruise experience so far.

It is our first time ever in The Chef’s Table tonight, I’ll let you know my thoughts tomorrow 🍷

Cheers, LM

6 minutes ago, Pushka said:

G’day Pushka .. your wi fi must be better than ours. I can see a couple of photos but not the videos.

Regardless, I’m glad you are enjoying.

Cheers from Norway, we are now heading for the Faroe Islands and then Iceland. 🍷 LM

6 minutes ago, molymoo said:

 

We love Bergen and have been a couple of times.  Our preference is to take off on our own ... agree that Floyen is a nicer trip than Ulriken but we have enjoyed both ... we purchase tickets for Floyen before our trip to save time standing in line. 

 

We love the fish market!  It is amazing and they have stalls that cook the fish as it comes in ... we have had a delicious lunch there more than once!  There is also a nice sausage stand that sells a lot of local specialties served "hot dog" style with local mustards and trimmings.  This is just up the street from the McDonalds ... just look for the line! 

 

There is a wonderful "small plates" restaurant that we hope to visit this summer when we return to Bergen via Into the Midnight Sun.  It has somewhat modernized versions of traditional Norwegian cuisine and it is delicious!  I married a Norwegian and have had many, many "opportunities" to "enjoy" Norwegian cuisine (fish balls, lutefisk, plukkfisk, gravlox, etc) but none can compare with what we truly enjoyed at Bare Vestland!!

Thanks molymoo, I should have asked you for recommendations myself ! 

Today in Geirangerfjord we had low cloud and a little light rain but it was still glorious. We did the included excursion and then had lunch in town.  

The included excursion was fine as it hit the spots we wanted.

Remembering of course we come from a warm climate and the sight of snow capped mountains above beautiful fjords is a treat we don’t get very often.

If you live in the Rockies or other locations with similar outlooks you might want to do something different.

Unfortunately the excursion was cut 30 min short as there was a small landslip on one of the high roads which closed that road this morning.

It was cold but quite ok with appropriate layered clothing .. although I did wear two pairs of socks and two beanies just in case 😀

Tried to upload a photo on DW’s phone but wi fi couldn’t handle, so maybe wi fi not so good right now. It might post later once we have mobile phone coverage. Gotta go 👋

Re the Captain’s welcome .. we boarded on Monday and the welcome was at 9.25pm on Tuesday. Too late for us 💤 

10 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

As on all sailings, it varies but because the ship is so far north of the equator, expect it to be slow or even nonexistent when the ship is not in direct line of site of the satellite, which orbits at the equator--like when in the fjords.

Thanks Peregrina651 .. correct. 2 hours ago we had none, now it is pretty good. Generally it has been ok for emails and reading the news etc.

22 hours ago, cruiser02 said:

 

Silly questions:   Is the mini-bar restocked daily ?  

Yes.

We were here when the mini bar guy came through. We asked him to replace the empty bottle of Chardonnay with something else.

He said no problems and left us a nice looking French drop - which we will try tonight.

In Ålesund today. It’s cold and windy with rain periods.

We did the included walking tour this morning. Walking tours are of course dependent on decent weather and a good guide. We got lucky, only a few spots of rain and the guide was quite good.

The guide provided the right mix of history, culture and more light hearted information.

The town is a joy to look at and easy to walk around. The art nouveau style is wonderful and most of the buildings are in pristine condition.

The walk is mainly on flat ground although there is a steep-ish climb to a lookout point and then steep-ish decent on the other side and a couple of people struggled with that climb and decent.

As an aside, it was our first time with the Quietvox system and it worked very well .. but the earpiece is a bit difficult to keep in place (I’m pretty sure you can BYO earpiece if you have one as the jack is ‘standard’ for the want of a better word). In case I have confused anyone .. the Quietvox system has the guide talking into a microphone around his neck and through the magic of Bluetooth or something similar you can hear him through your earpiece even if you are 50m or more away. Your earpiece is attached to a small gadget which you hang around your neck.

All very simple, perhaps not so well explained 🤪

Above the park in the town centre there is a climb to a further lookout (not part of the tour) .. 412 steps up and 412 steps down. The path looks narrow and there are people going up and down at the same time but only one hand rail.

We might go up later.

We had time to do a second excursion this afternoon but to be honest nothing else on offer was of interest.

Not long after we arrived back on ship it started raining heavily. Hopefully that will clear shortly and we can go for another walk.

Each day at lunch time they have a special offering in the pool area .. kababs on Tue, various wraps yesterday, pasta made to order today. I had a pasta dish and it was delicious .. followed by the excellent gelato 🍧 

As I look out over the balcony there is a little blue sky and a hint of sunshine. Time for a walk. 

16 minutes ago, Lotusgirl22 said:

 

Thank you, LM.  For future reference, you can see how many and who (with their CC name) are registered for the meet and greet.  Enjoy your cruise! 😊

Thank you .. please tell me more.

Where do I look ?