Cienfuegos

Yes. I though it was suggested up thread that the principal purpose of this IPO is to fund the exit of two early institutional share holders. Not necessarily to provide much in the way of investment in plant and people, etc. Viking Corporation is on the hook for a lot of investment in ships. Both delivered and promised for the future. Note, I have not read the IPO documents, and have no interest in buying shares in the company.

Yes. I though it was suggested up thread that the principal purpose of this IPO is to fund the exit of two early institutional share holders. Not necessarily to provide much in the way of investment in plant and people, etc. Viking Corporation is on the hook for a lot of investment in ships. Both delivered and promised for the future. Note, I have not read the IPO documents, and have no interest in buying shares in the company.

Glad you enjoyed it. Watching a launch from under 10 miles away is a very impressive experience. In some cases the ground will rumble / shake. You can see the shape of the rocket tube, feel the air wave.

Vero Beach (exit 147 or so) has several hotels right at the I-95 / FL 60 interchange. The usual names are represented, and prices are competitive. If you head eastward, there are a few ocean-front hotels for folks who are into that sort of thing.

Moving to a more "mass market demographic" isn't a plus in my view. If VOC decides that a small casino, a few formal nights, kids, extra fee restaurants etc are in their future, I would say Viking is in my past...

Good advice. There are often several YouTube feeds from various local sources like SpaceX, SpaceFlightNow, Florida Today etc.

"middle of the night" launches usually draw smaller crowds than 7 pm - 10 pm launches in my experience. Spaceflightnow has a good launch calendar. But, launches do get scrubbed or pushed to the back end of the launch window regularly

It shouldn't be hard for Viking to stock their ships with a decent selection of wines and spirits. Many countries produce fine wines, and spirits from known makers are widely available.

My wife still talks about the wonderful brown bread at the breakfast bar in the Explorer's lounge. Warm, fragrant, thin crust. Have not seen it elsewhere on the ship.

Auto rental companies will often do the same. They place a substantial hold / pending charge on the credit or debit card until the vehicle is returned and inspected.

The Oslo main train station is a delight. Thru trains to places like Bergen depart from the farther platforms, trains to / from Oslo airport arrive on the nearer platform. Lots of activity. The train trip passes suburban train lay-up yards outside Oslo and Bergen. The Flam train departs across the platform from the Oslo / Bergen trains.

I haven't read the filing, but I was interested to see the proceeds of the Initial Public Offering will be used to buy out two early investors. A Canadian pension fund and TPG Investment management.

Good thread. I wouldn't be surprised if Viking's furlough of so many employees introduced a bit of cynicism to the legendary hospitality so many employees displayed in the past. A $20 US bill is often a sign of respect, and expectation. After they've done something above and beyond...

my wife and I used Allianz Global Travel on our last planned trip. We had to cancel due to medical issues. Very pleased with the prompt and full settlement, in cash. After our earlier unpleasant experience with TripMate, we had our ducks (medical statements, etc) nicely lined up for the Allianz claims process.

Memo to self: Look for the "buggy wagon" sign and phone Thanks for the great narrative. I'm looking forward to the rest of your experience Added: the wheelchair guy may be a budding capitalist. They certainly have an appreciative market for their services

Thanks, Pushka. I figured there had to be some kind of disclosure law for Viking to block cabins in one market while selling them in other markets.

Blocking out the unsold cabins is definitely a flashing warning signal. I wonder if consumer protection laws in Australia require transparency in sales? So, selling a cabin on a cruise you are likely to cancel would be a violation.

Are you guys drinking a lot?

Good thread, learning a lot

I wonder what the deployment route will be, and whether that will produce another itinerary. Maybe southern and western Africa?

That's actually a good summary of so many things today. It's unfortunate that cruising, which was once a way to step away from "take it or leave it" hospitality, has chosen to join it.

One of the Port of Miami cruise webcams has been surveying the set up for the festival. Looks like a very big operation

My wife and I have visited Ybor City several times. And had lunch at Columbia (one of the inventors of the Cuban sandwich). And the cigar museum. It's a lively place in the day and into the evening. The TECO streetcar is free, and runs every 15-20 minutes through the area and into downtown. If you see something you like get off, visit, or walk a ways to get on a subsequent streetcar. I haven't been on the streets in the later evening, but it looks like a younger persons' gathering place. Many bars. For better or worse.

The original poster seems to be suggesting Viking misjudged or low balled the demand for particular wines if they "were out by day three". That's a significant hospitality failure, and different from a decision not to carry any California etc Cabernet sauvignon wines

On a heavy cruise arrival / departure day, the taxi drivers line up early for good rides. "Giving up" their place on line for a mile long trip isn't going to go over well. They would much rather collect $$$ for a trip up to Jupiter, Port St Lucie, etc