Lotusgirl22

We went to the Blue Lagoon last June while on a pre-cruise extension in Reykjavik.  I loved it.  After reading up on what to expect, which I encourage you to do, I was worried about my hair and contact lenses.  I just put my hair up and did not get it wet and wore the contact lenses and did not put the silica on my face.  No problems!   You will definitely want to shower afterwards.  You did not indicate what month you are traveling.  In June, it was light very late.  I believe the hours of the Blue Lagoon are extended during certain months, if you want to go later.

I do not know if you could fit it in with your plans, but we took an express Golden Circle Tour with a company called Extreme Iceland.  Rather than leaving early in the morning like most of the tours, we were picked up at our hotel at around 11:45 a.m. and returned at around 6:30 p.m., small group in a van, and nothing seemed overly crowded.  Very enjoyable.

Olden was an unexpected port for us last June when we missed a different port because of weather.  Because we had visited Briksdal glacier quite a few years ago, we chose a ship excursion which visited a National Park visitor center, traveled by bus along a beautiful lake, waterfalls and mountains to Kjenndalen glacier and then went up the Loen sky lift.  It was a gorgeous day - we skipped the coffee and sweet that was included and walked around to enjoy the views and the para-gliders jumping off.  This excursion was quite pricey, but we were happy with it.  It was not crowded.  We could have arranged something when we came ashore.

Hi, bobcatcruiser - thought I would take a shot at responding to your questions, as we took the Iceland/Norway cruise last year in June, and it was our first Viking Ocean cruise.  

Some background - we are in our early 60s and very active.  We have cruised a lot, mostly some years ago, as we have been focusing on active land journeys.  Also, as the cruise ships got bigger and the nickeling and diming commenced, we did not enjoy cruising as much as we once did.  We chose this Viking cruise because we really wanted to go to Iceland and a return to Norway was a bonus, and because the size of the Viking ships and the all inclusive pricing were of interest.

We loved the cruise and the ship.  It was like cruising was 30 years ago (pre-megaships), but updated with wifi, etc.  The itinerary was great for us - we did the Iceland pre-cruise package, so were able to see a lot of the Reyjavik/South Coast area.  We did a combination of optional and included excursions, and our own thing.  We like to hike, and I researched the ports and we were able to get some very good hikes in, on our own.  We would not have been satisfied with only the included excursions because most of them are quite sedentary.   I will add that the weather was very good and we met some very nice and interesting folks on the trip.

As noted by others, the demographic skews older on Viking, so you would be younger than the majority, but for this itinerary most (but not all) passengers were fairly active.  In the old days, we were the "kids" on a lot of cruises, and it was fine.  We did our own thing.  I have always thought that the entertainment on cruise ships is just ok, and that was my view with Viking as to the evening shows.  We did enjoy the live music in the lounge areas.  I thought the food on Viking was very good - definitely better than Royal, Princess, Holland, Celebrity, Windstar.  We did not take advantage of any of the lectures, as we were enjoying the sunny evenings.

So, it depends on what you and your fiancé are interested in.  As someone else suggested, I recommend that you read through this forum.  If you like the action of the large cruise ships,  you may not be satisfied with Viking.  I was really happy with the Iceland/Norway cruise with Viking, but to be honest, I would not choose to travel on the Anthem,  the Grand Princess or with MSC, as the ships have gotten too big for us.

You can purchase tickets for the Mt Floyen funicular in advance online.  We did that last year.  You can then bypass the ticket purchase line. We went up in the afternoon and spent quite some time hiking and then hiked down.  (When purchasing, you can choose to purchase round trip or one way).  Obviously, you do need to make your way to the funicular area.  We were fortunate in that we had beautiful weather, which is not always the case in Bergen.

And a nice write-up in this morning's Chicago Tribune summarizing those plans, with particular focus on the Great Lakes cruises.

The Golden Circle tours include three main sights:  a spectacular waterfall, a National Park and a geyser.  Just Google a few of the tours, and you will get a good idea of what to expect.  

We took this trip last June, and chose the direction, Reykjavik to Bergen, based upon where we wanted to spend extra time.  Both ports present flight limitations.  We had previously been to both Oslo and Bergen, so spent a couple of extra days in Reykjavik before the cruise.  We took the Icelandair direct flight from Chicago.  The flight itself was fine.  We ate a nice dinner at the airport before boarding.  The seating in economy is probably the most uncomfortable I have ever experienced, but it was tolerable, as the flight was about 6 1/2 hours.  The seats have zero padding, so I sat on the folded blanket that was provided.  It helped - if I was to do it again, I would investigate the blow up seat cushions that I have seen others use.  Originally, when given our  return flight arrangements from Bergen, there was only a 45 minute layover in Reykjavik.  I had our TA move us to the later Reykjavik flight, supposedly a 4 hour layover.  This was a good move, as our flight from Bergen to Reykjavik was about one hour late.  We would have missed the earlier flight.  This caused a lot of angst for fellow Viking travelers, as they were concerned about missing various flights, and they did not all have the option of a second flight out of Reykjavik.  I do not know whether they made their flights.  Our flight from Reykjavik to Chicago was much more comfortable than our flight inbound, as we were in business class. 

Yes, it is.

We have used the e-check process twice.  We avoided the concerns about disclosure of private banking information because our travel agent processed the payment from their account.  We simply wrote the agency a check.  I do not know if all TAs would do this - we have worked with them for 30 years.

I do not know if still available post-hurricane, but on two occasions we stored our luggage at a restaurant in Old San Juan called Barrachini (or something like that - check the CC San Juan boards and the web).  No need to eat there, but it looks nice.  We tipped the young man.  Took a taxi there, but were not docked downtown, where Viking docks I believe.  Easy to kill time with a nice walk, lunch, etc, and cabs readily available down the block.

This was unfortunate.  It is a strong reminder to everyone that cruise line sales agents may not be knowledgeable about visas, etc.  Even with a competent and trusted travel agent, it is prudent to double check all arrangements and requirements.  

On our recent cruise aboard the Sky, in addition to the delicious restaurant lobster dinner, their was a wonderful surf and turf buffet out by the pool one evening.  This was in June on the Iceland/Norway cruise.

HBC - thank you for your quick response.

On 7/27/2019 at 9:41 PM, HBCcruiser said:

 

I Agree! We had perfect weather!

HBC - were you satisfied with the activity level of the trip.  Was it too sedentary?  

Thank you for your posts.  Much appreciated.

I am bumping up this thread in response to a question on the road call - asking for feedback on the tours on this cruise.

I agree that, weather permitting, train station to port was walkable with carryon bags.  While it can be done, I would not be keen to drag large suitcases that distance.

14 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

I'm not sure who handles what in terms of actually restocking things, but I do know that when we cruised in December, there was a person we called "the candy man" who came down the halls every day replenishing candy in the fridges.  He may have handled the drinks as well, but I only saw him with the candy, so I don't know. (He told us he did other jobs too.)   I only mention this as it might possibly account for some instances in which a cruiser requests something from their room steward or assistant that does not get fulfilled. 

We happened to be in the cabin at the start of our recent cruise when the "candy man" came by.  We spoke to him about our preference for diet coke and diet sprite, and the non-diet cans were replaced and we had the correct soda for the rest of the cruise (we were in a DV cabin).  Really enjoyed the peanuts and candy - brought them ashore for pick-me-ups.

HBC -  thank you for your ongoing review.  It is very helpful.  I have noticed that the dinner menu often includes an Indian entree.  While I see that you and your Mother have not chosen it, I am wondering whether you have heard any feedback from other passengers on those entrees.  

Also, one of your posts addressed a concern that I have.  Are you satisfied with the pace of the tours or do find them too slow and or sedentary?  Thank you for your input.

2 hours ago, AGG3 said:

Lotusgirl22....Thank You for all the awesome info.  It will certainly help with our embarkation day planning.  Starting to get pretty excited 🤗

Glad to be of help.  It was a wonderful trip.

2 hours ago, AGG3 said:

Lotusgirl22....I hope you had a great trip.  We are doing the same pre-cruise extension in Aug.  How did the embarkation day work?  Did Viking pick up your luggage early in the day and then you transferred to the ship separately?  I am trying to decide if we can do a private tour on embarkation day, but I am not sure about the logistics.  I don’t want to be worrying about our luggage making it to the ship and I don’t want to drag them along on a tour.  Any thoughts?  Thank you.

Embarkation day from the Grand Hotel went very well.  They had staggered times from about 11:45 - 12:30ish (maybe later) to leave on buses.  The times were posted on the Viking table in the lobby and the table was often manned for questions, and I think to help with tours (although we did not talk to them about that).  Pay attention to the messages at the table and ask questions, as the personnel, like many of the locals, were very laid back - but very helpful when you spoke to them.  (The same goes for the Blue Lagoon arrangements.  One woman complained about not knowing about the departure time, but it had been posted at the Viking desk since the previous evening and I also specifically inquired  - it was not on the generic summary itinerary that we were given upon arrival).

We simply brought our luggage downstairs to the lobby at around 11:00, when we settled our bill at the front desk, and then went back up to our room for awhile.  There was a lot of luggage already sitting there.  They just loaded it on the buses that transported guests to the ship - you did not wait for your luggage - it just went on the various buses.  If you choose to do a tour that day, I am sure that you can leave your luggage in the lobby to be transported to the ship without worry.  I would just speak to the Viking reps about the logistics.

We went on a bus that left around 12:15.  The drive to the ship is very short.  We had to wait about 5 minutes at the port because the authorities allow only one bus to pull into the fenced area.  Check-in for boarding was very fast.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel with the Viking pre-cruise extension and were very satisfied.   Check-in upon early arrival, comfortable room, nice buffet breakfast.  We liked the walk to the city center, but the hotel also has a shuttle to the city center (you are on your own for the return).  The Grand Hotel also had a nice happy hour.  In addition, I picked up a coupon book at the hotel which included restaurant discounts, as well as two for one cocktails at a few local establishments.  We enjoyed a couple of beers at an outside table with mostly locals on a beautiful, sunny day.

We had the silver spirit package on our recent cruise on the Viking Sky.  We purchased it on embarkation day.  We were pleased with the package and thought it worthwhile.  We enjoyed the choices at dinner.  We ate at the Chef's Table 3 times, and liked the pairings.  

On to Norway.  We actually arrived at our bonus port, Olden, on the evening of Day 9.  We had a wonderful afternoon of sailing through the fjords before we arrived, including one that was quite tight.  Just beautiful!

Day 10, Olden, Norway.  The shore excursion folks did a stellar job pulling together lots of options for this port.  We had previously visited this port, and visited the Birksdale glacier at that time (about 10 years ago).  This time we took the a.m. included excursion, which was quite good - a scenic drive and visit to a National Park glacier center.  In the afternoon, we took the optional Kjenndal Glacier and Loen Skylift excursion - saw some breathtaking scenery and were very satisfied with this rather pricey tour.

Day 11, Geiranger - a tender port (and very well done).  In the morning, we first hiked up to the fjordcenter along the waterfall (a fairly easy hike).  We then continued and hiked up to Westeras and then the Westerasfjellet overlook (a strenuous hike) and then back down.  We enjoyed a sandwich in town, and then took the afternoon Included panoramic tour.  This was an excellent tour.  We drove up to a glacier lake and two stunning overlook areas.  The sail out of Geiranger is beautiful.  For this sail out, as well as several others, the Captain allowed bow access.  Not to be missed!

Day 12, Alesund - we took the morning included walking tour.  It was very good, but is not an easy stroll.  The guide was very informative.  Immediately after the tour, we walked up the 400 plus steps of Mt. Askia (sp?) and then down the easier way.  After lunch on the ship, we explored the city some more and then returned to enjoy the spa area on the ship.  I needed the hot tub after two days of hiking!

Day 13, Flam - a tender port.  In the morning, we took the optional Scenic Fjord Safari excursion.  A highlight.  It is a RIB boat ride through the fjord.  We did have some rain on the tour, but it did not matter, as we were bundled up in waterproof gear.  Loved this excursion!  In the afternoon,  after enjoying lunch in town at an area where they have some food trucks, we took the Included Panoramic excursion.  Very nicely done - a couple of beautiful viewing areas.

Day 14, Bergen.  We took the morning Included Panoramic excursion.  I thought this excursion was sort of boring, and even took a nap - although it was nice to see something other than the touristy area (we have previously been to Bergen).  In the afternoon, we took the funicular up Mt. Floyen, and hiked down, and explored the area.

I highly recommend this trip on the Viking Sky.

We took the pre-cruise Reykjavik extension.  It was well done - we were transported to the Grand Hotel upon our early arrival, had breakfast at the hotel, and early access to our room  After freshening up we went on an independently booked Express Golden Circle tour with Extreme Iceland.  We were picked up at Noon and returned to the hotel around 6:15 p.m.  The tour, with about 9 people from various hotels, was very good, and did not feel rushed.  We had dinner at the hotel, which was fine.

On Day 2, we went on the a.m. included Blue Lagoon tour.  Much to my surprise, we both loved it.  On the way back to the hotel, we toured the Reykjavik peninsula and the City Center area, which was nice.  That afternoon, we walked to the City Center, a well needed walk, and enjoyed the sights.  At 5:00 p.m., we joined a Free Walking tour of the City Center.  It was worthwhile.  We had a really nice dinner at Le Bistro, in the City Center.

On Day 3, we left for the ship around Noon.  After having lunch at the pool area, and checking out our cabin, which was available early, we took the ship's shuttle to the City Center, and finished up our exploration of Reykjavik's City Center.

On Day 4, we took the optional Panoramic South Coast excursion.  It was very good.  We learned a lot about volcanoes and saw beautiful waterfalls.

On Day 5, Isafjordur, we took the Included excursion in the morning and enjoyed it.  In the afternoon, we took the optional Vigur Island excursion.  It was excellent.  It involves a boat ride to the island, a walk around it, ducking arctic terns who think you want to attack their nests, and pastries and coffee at the end.  I saw a puffin sitting on a rock, so I was happy.

On Day 6, Akureyri, we took the optional  Northern Iceland Natural Treasures excursion.  It was very good.  Such an interesting island and starkly beautiful.

On Day 7, Seydisfjordur, we took the Skalanes Nature Center excursion, probably my favorite.  It involves a drive through 3 rivers to the Center, where you walk up to the base of a cliff and view the birds.  Absolutely beautiful.  After lunch on the ship, we hiked up to the waterfall in town and then explored the town itself (easily done).

Days 8 and 9 were sea days.  As mentioned by others, Faroe Islands stop was cancelled because of high winds.

I will note at this point that our enjoyment of all of these excursions was undoubtedly enhanced by the weather. We expected the worst and were lucky to experience the best.  Also, I thought that the shore excursion staff did a good job.

I will summarize our Norway excursions in a separate post.

This forum was very helpful to me in preparing for the June 8 Iceland/Norway cruise, so I am happy to summarize our experiences on this wonderful cruise.  We are cruise veterans, but this was our first VO cruise.  We chose the cruise because of the itinerary and the good feedback on VO - and we dislike large ships.  The trip was great - probably helped by the good weather.  We chose a mid-ship cabin on deck 4, as I was concerned about rough seas in that area.  The cabin, a DV, was very comfortable and had sufficient space (I used a packing cube as an additional drawer on the shelf of the closet).  We found the bed to be very comfortable and I liked the pillows (I use 3 of them).  The cabin steward was excellent.  We had breakfast in the cabin most mornings - very prompt and good.  We also used room service two or three times - for afternoon refreshments - well done.

We went to Manfredi's twice, Chef's Table 3 times, and had dinner in the Restaurant 4 or 5 times.  We thought the food was very good and the service very good to excellent.  We do eat later than most, so that may explain the lack of crowds in the Restaurant.  We also ate dinner at the pool grill area a few times, and enjoyed it.  Our only meals in the World Café were two breakfasts, which were fine.  We enjoyed Mamsen's waffles twice and a couple of late night snacks as well.  We ate lunch at the pool grill area, and liked it a lot.

We spent time in the Living Room area and Explorer's Lounge and found the service to be excellent and the crew very friendly and helpful everywhere.

Entertainment - most of our entertainment was watching the fabulous views late into the sunny evenings.  We enjoyed the guitarist, piano player and duo.  We saw only one of the production shows, which was good.

The Meet and Mingle was very nice - held the evening we sailed from Reykjavik.

In summary, the cruise was excellent.  The ship is beautiful, the officers and crew are impressive and we met some very nice fellow explorers.

I will comment on ports and excursions in a separate post.