Mich3554

Interesting. On the cruise we were just on, both DH and I both ordered sodas in the Explorer’s Lounge during lunch, but not eating. We were not charged for any of them.

I suspect a wheelchair any wider than 22” will make passage down corridors for others more difficult coming in the opposite direction. It’s probably more about not having bottlenecks here.

They send you all the info in your MVJ booking in a consolidated email as a PDF about 2 weeks before you leave. However, I ALWAYS go directly to the airline site via the booking locator number they provide. That is where you’ll get the most up to date info on your flight.

On Viking, you’d not know a laundry room was there without seeing the sign for it. It’s very quiet.

Above menu currently on the Venus right now.

They will supposedly call your phone on any sightings, they cue you about signing up for this on the TV after watching the safety video.. We finally are due to leave Alta today for Tromso. We spent an extra day here, due to a pretty severe storm going on. Unfortunately, seeing lights so far has been a bust for us. That being said, I have found that there is more than sufficient drawer and closet space on the Venus. We have a PV, but over half our drawers are empty. I’m using 3, DH 2. Plentry of hanging space for bulky coats.

Our experience on the Neptune last year was that Viking air was rescheduling everyone who was booked before 11 until after 1. Despite us getting into NYC with plenty of time, they would not release the ship for while. As I remember it, they finally allowed the first group off the ship at 9:15ish, we were in the second group that they released at 9:30, then stood in a very long line to get through customs. We flew out of LGA, got there in time to check in, eat lunch and get on our 3 pm flight with about an hour to spare. The big hold up was NYC officials would not release the ship. This happened in FL when we got on, and in LA too.

We went over to the Asian side of Istanbul to buy our rugs. We also brought my Turkish friend who did the haggling for us. The place was definitely off the tourist route, it was the dealer my friend also used for herself. Watching her haggling was an experience. We had 2 rugs we were interested in, she negotiated for one and we decided to buy both but she had concluded negotiating for one. We told her tgat we wanted both, so she had to start all over again. The deal was sealed with tea.

It poured on us last year on the Neptune. Moorea and Bora Bora were done in downpours and we got drenched on the included excursion and the ATV trip.

At last on the world cruise, the menus seemed to be regional. The 2 classes I did then were Indonesian and Thai cooking. We were near those places. Up the coast of Norway for Northern Lights, we have Norwegian cooking, so this seems to hold out.

This is DH’s favorite meal.

Northern Lights cruise has Norwegian cooking. There are 4 sea days, class offered 2 of them.

Just got on the Venus and the cooking classes were available under the excursions (they have changed the menu…..not for the better IMO. No need to go to guest services, I just reserved a spot on the TV.

We have 2 sea days when we leave Bergen. I’ll have to check out the TV to see when they show up.

I have yet to pay anything other than 6 months in advance on any cruise. Our first cruise, we took a trans Atlantic and booked it 3 months before sailing. We booked another on board, and since then have not paid any more than 6 months ahead.

I have found it faster to book these excursions on the TV instead of haunting guest services for when they drop. You can find them listed in EXCURSIONS on sea days. Never really noticed the restaurant lines, but we get on the Venus the day after tomorrow so will take note. It might be that we do not go anywhere near any restaurants when they open. Our sweet spot seems to be in the 7-7:30 range.

I called Viking with another question about the cruise about a week before we left. They told me we had been assigned a cabin then.

Yes, we docked there twice on the Neptune this past May/June.. There was construction going on though and we did not dock in the same location each time. I do know that one time there was one much larger cruise ship docked next to us.

I got a phone call yesterday letting me know that the WC dropped. Routing is the same as the past couple of years, I had hoped it would be different. We have a cabin tentatively booked. No decision yet.

We did a private excursion on an ATV. In Isafjordur when we went. The first time we did Viking’s excursion, and the guide was excellent. He took us to the top of the mountain, where there was supposed to be a spectacular view (or there was when he went up 2 hours earlier). In May, we hit rain, slept and snow on the way to the top, and it was totally socked in with fog. The private excursion, he took us waaay off the beaten track. Our 4 hour excursion was twice the time and half the cost, same guide. We had utterly spectacular weather.

We leave for Bergen tomorrow for this cruise. Hopefully we will be able to get out to the highway tomorrow morning to go to the airport. I have yet to be seasick, even on the trip out to the Great Barrier Reef last year when over half the ship was seasick. (I realized I just jinxed myself here!).

Berths are clearly marked at Galataport. Once you get to the port, there are signs directing you to Viking. It’s a huge facility, but very, very well marked.

Yes, I know. We had this app on the World Cruise, and I was talking to the chef about it. He was the one that told me it had a potato base. There is likely olive oil in it, and there is definitely garlic (which is why I wanted the recipe). IMO it was much better than other aiolis I have had, I wanted to take a bath in that stuff, it was so good. Now I’m kicking myself I didn’t get the recipe at the time!

Actually the garlic aioli (not sure if you can call it an aioli) is not oil based, but potato based. On the world cruise, I talked to the chef about it and he told me to come back and he’d give me the recipe. I forgot. But I do know it was posato based, not an oil emulsion. Soooo good.

Lobster risotto and the strip steak in Manfredi’s. Almond croissants in the Living Room. There was a scallop appetizer on the WC we had that I could have eaten the whole meal of it was so good. World Cafe makes a very good fried chicken, I normally don’t eat chicken fried, but I was all over this. They also do a good Mac and cheese.