SJD117

2 hours ago, KBs mum said:

It's easy, ferries are regular and reliable

That’s how we’re getting there, on Northlink ferries.

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Ooooh, lucky you! I’d love to hear more about this. We missed Shetland due to weather but loved Orkney. I’d love to have more time in both places. 
 

I did rail travel around the Highlands many years ago. Would love to spend more time there, too.

We missed Shetland, too, on a 2019 TA. After that experience, and after reading about others on CC who missed Shetland or Orkney (or both), we decided not to rely on Viking and the cruise gods coming through for us. So we booked our own multi-day trip. This way we’ll have plenty of time on the islands and won’t feel rushed.

4 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Lerwick, Shetland Island.

 

Magnificent day. Docked as planned. No trouble getting into port.  

 

We did the Ancient Shetlands this morning with Jim Young as our guide.  He did a great job.

 

It is an hour plus drive to the Jarlshof in the southern tip of the island including a quick photo stop and a slightly longer bathroom stop.

 

Jarlshof is an important dig, mostly because there has been no reconstruction of buildings here. The site was buried under sand and just needed to be uncovered. Jim started with the oldest dwelling on the site and then moved us forward through history as moved through the property.

 

This tour is a one trick pony. One stop only

 No food. No shopping. If you aren't interested in ancient ruins and ancient civilizations, this tour is not for you.

 

Accessibility: Not for wheelchair access. Poles and walkers doable if you stick to the gravel path.  Steps can be avoided except at the entrance to the property.  

 

This pictures are taken from the ship.

We'll be there on our own next month! Spending three days on Shetland and five on Orkney, plus a couple of weeks touring around the Highlands.

2 hours ago, Messybill said:

Policy is Policy.  It is not about going to the "right" people, just because you happen to know who they are.  It's about them delivering a consistent product, at which they fail miserably in our experience.    It is not up to the guest to point out what the policy is.  

Linda wrote, quote, “It’s my experience & knowledge that it is Viking’s policy.” Give her credit, please, for that experience and knowledge. Those are hers, not yours.

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

Same with ours to Inverewe Gardens.  All bus ride, very cold and foggy in the gardens.  We toured for 30 minutes and had a hot lunch. But three hours on the bus.  And late to the tender.  As soon as our group boarded, the ship left.  I have been to little Ullapool before and wish we had done it again.  

Sorry you had a foggy day! Did you enjoy the gardens themselves? We will be driving through that area next month and plan to stop by the IG.

2 hours ago, fairweathertraveller said:

I suspect they WILL pull this itinerary but am still mystified as to why they are delaying this decision given they’ve already pulled this from 2025 schedule.  At least they’ve give us a number of options NOW for those worried enough about whether, even if this itinerary does proceed, would we want to go?

All of the listed 2025 sailings for this itinerary are currently bookable on Viking’s website.

1 minute ago, caribe traveller said:

We do enjoy the Star Theatre for the entertainment and the lectures.  It is not that the entertainment is there or not; it is that it is the same entertainment every 14 days whereas on a World Cruise or even a 90 day cruise the lecturers have an opportunity to develop series of presentation for an in-depth experience.  Two-week vacationers don’t generally attend the lectures, want the ABBA or Beatles shows, spend hours at dinner with the other 2,4 or 6 people traveling with them.

Your comment reminds me of a Viking cruise we took in 2019 that happened to be the first leg of a world cruise. A person wrote on CC that folks like us had a different “agenda” than people who were going all the way through.

I take issue with this opinion, not only due to the pejorative word “agenda,” but also because it’s difficult if not impossible to generalize among passengers based solely on cruise length. In our case, for example, we love the lectures on board even though we’re often just “two-week vacationers.” 
 

IMO, it’s not helpful to drive an artificial wedge between passengers. We’re all enjoying the wonderful cruise experience that Viking provides. Why not leave it at that?

17 minutes ago, hutch1994 said:

Good golf course attire is at least neat.  I'm talking clothing choices like taking things to the dump.

A present-day dump or a dump behind a 1960 Holiday Inn?   🙃

44 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Haven't you ever heard of lawyers billing more than 24 hours per day??  Have to think it's the same principle.  But then modesty prohibits me bragging on my cruise total....🍸

This lawyer has never billed more than 24 hours per day — not even close. Scout‘s honor.   🤪

2 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I hope my 10,000 shares goes up...🍸

That would explain how you can afford all the WCs!  😀

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.

6 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Jim - have heard a lot of buzz lately about Explora.

Will enjoy hearing from you then on how they compare with the current Viking Ocean. 🙂

 

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!  🤣

36 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

To clarify as to service.  We also find the crew to be one of the best things about Viking.  But most recently, as nice as crew was, they seemed short handed on numerous occasions.  No one would admit that there have been cutbacks to the number of crew onboard. 

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…

5 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

And it was amazing!  Much easier walking, too!

 

 

 

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. 

2 hours ago, mwike said:

I think the OP is trying to decide if he/she does indeed like what he/she is seeing.

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. 

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Oh my...open mouth and insert foot....sorry for going on a bit of a rant about litigation, etc. in today's society!!! Didn't mean to step on anyone's toes 🤭

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.   😀

1 hour ago, DGHOC said:

What a tangled mess chengkp75, how will they possibly ascertain responsibility? The lawyers will  surely be working on this for years to come.

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.

16 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

With the exception of the failure to comply with Safe return to Port Regulations, I don't see a problem with the Master's decision to sail, as the report states multiple times the conditions were well within the ship's design criteria.

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."

5 minutes ago, cruising denise said:

Thanks for the info, Diana.  They started selling the segments on the Sky maybe in October or so, once it was apparent they could not sell it out as a World Cruise.  

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?   😀😀