SJD117

We’re scheduled for the March 2025 sailing. The first thing I did when I read about the Malta change was to check the day when Easter occurs next year, on the assumption that Malta might close down then as well. Fortunately the holiday is late (April 20) and so won’t overlap with our trip.

Kent, I’d never heard of Explora before reading @Jim Avery’s comment and yours. So I did what any self-respecting senior would do — I consulted my dear friend, Dr. Google. The good Doctor directed me to Europa’s oh-so-luxe website and flowery language. I hope the company’s product is better than the marketing hype! 🤣

The Viking experience could be worse -- a lot worse. (Paywall alert, but it's worth signing up for a trial to read the author's account.) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-icon-of-seas/677838/

Here in Italy, there’s nothing better than finding a family-run trattoria, ordering some fine pasta, and enjoying the local vino by the carafe or half-carafe. “La dolce vita” indeed! And the view doesn’t hurt…

We’re in Sorrento right now, enjoying the view from our hotel terrace overlooking the Gulf of Naples and the big city in the distance. Pompeii was crowded on Wednesday — our second visit to the site — but evocative as always.

Judging from Tim’s post, it appears he’s already decided which cruise line he likes best (as you’ve decided, too). And that’s great! “To each his or her own” as the old saying goes.

No worries — you didn’t step on my toes! And even if you had done so, those toes are pretty tough. I’ve developed a pretty thick skin after 42 years in the legal field. 😀

Attorney here. It’s very possible that lawyers won’t be working on this for “years to come.” They need plaintiffs, after all, and many real or potential cases may already have settled out. And other passengers may just wish to put the Sky debacle behind them, five years after it occurred. (There’s also the issue of potential statutes of limitation, but that’s beyond the scope of this comment.) As to the ascertainment of legal responsibility, courts do this all the time in multi-party litigation. It’s not a problem.

Articles about the NSIA report. https://maritime-executive.com/article/report-contends-viking-sky-was-non-compliant-and-should-not-have-sailed https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-ship-which-lost-power-during-storm-should-have-never-sailed/126440

@Heidi13 Let us know when you've read Section 2.

Section 2.2 of the NSIA report discusses the decision to sail in detail. The following excerpt appears at page 101: "Even though the SRtP regulations don't specifically address a scenario like the one the Viking Sky experienced, the NSIA is of the opinion that departing Tromso with one out of four DGs unavailable represented an unacceptable risk to the crew and passengers on board given the forecast weather conditions the vessel was to experience. As the vessel did not comply with the internationally agreed minimum safety standard as required by SOLAS, it should not have departed Tromso under the prevailing circumstances."

Back in 2019, we sailed on a Viking cruise that was the second segment of a world cruise. This didn’t bother us at all. But apparently the presence of “segmenters” did bother some who were going all the way through. One person even suggested on CC that folks like us might have an “agenda” that would disrupt the rhythm and atmosphere on the ship. Who knew? 😀😀