UWDawg

Email received this morning showing some significant changes to the 2024/25 Viking World Cruise itinerary.  Previously, the published Viking WC itinerary was essentially unchanged for 2021/22, 22/23, 23/24, 24/25 and 25/26.  Geopolitical events resulted in significant changes to the itineraries while in-route for 2021/22 and 2023/24 and only the 2022/23 WC stayed pretty true to the original itinerary.

For 2021/22 Covid resulted in ports in Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, SE Asia, and India being closed, so we instead headed around South America and had lots of extra ports in the Mediterranean. 

For 2023/23, tensions in the Middle East made transiting the Red Sea too risky, so instead most of India was skipped and we sailed around Africa and never went to ports in the Middle East or Mediterranean.

We were on the Viking World Journeys cruises from LA to London in 2022 and in 2024.  Although the original itineraries were identical, the number of ports we repeated on these cruises totaled 3, and 2 of those were LA and London.  [The third was Porto, which wasn't on the original itinerary for either of the cruises.] And even "London" was different because in 2022 we ported in Tilbury and in 2024 we ported in Greenwich. 

A quick look at the revised 2024/25 WC itinerary and here are the changes I noticed:

* the major obvious change is that the Red Sea ports and those in the Mediterranean have all been scratched and instead they will be heading around Africa.

* Ho Chi Minh City removed from the itinerary

* India removed from the itinerary

* Myanmar removed from the itinerary [of course none of the WC's over the past few years made it to Myanmar either].

* The transition from New Zealand to Australia no longer includes the scenic cruise through Milford and Doubtful Sounds, or the ports of Hobart Tasmania, Philips Island, Melbourne, or Eden, but instead transits directly from Wellington, NZ to Sidney, AU.

* While transiting around Africa and hitting most of the ports that the 2023/24 WC visited in Africa, many additional ports were added.

As previously posted, starting with with the 2024/25 season, you can extend the WC beyond London.  This extension essentially adds on the British Islands and the Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada cruises, ending in New York.

Since Viking has many cruises in the Med, the new WC itinerary offers new adventures not currently available with other Viking cruise itineraries.  We really enjoyed the unexpected diversion around Africa.  Because we had already been to the Mediterranean on the original itinerary, if given the option of the original itinerary, or one which went around Africa instead of through the Med, we would have opted to see Africa.

On 5/9/2024 at 7:31 AM, cruising denise said:

We're both working on removing those pounds that somehow glommed themselves onto our bodies during our nearly 4 months onboard...sadly that involves little to no wine...or cookies....Oh well, it took a while to put them on, we anticipate it will be a while to take them off again!!!  But well worth it!

After a couple days home, I finally mustered up the courage to step on the scale yesterday... something I hadn't done since leaving for our WC more than 4 months ago.  I figured I probably put on a "couple" pounds.

I was WRONG.

The scale tells me that I actually lost about five pounds during the voyage.  I certainly can NOT attribute weight loss to the time I spent taking advantage of the Viking gym's exercise equipment (zero minutes in the gym) or laps around deck 2 (probably less than 10 miles over the 4 months).  I could possibly contribute the change to limiting the number of cookies during the entire journey to probably less than 10... or limiting alcohol intake to "mostly" the Chef's Table pairings and various wine and liquor tastings... instead opting for ice water and ginger ale while at the Star Theater... or skipping most breakfasts... or opting for the stairs most of the time rather than the elevator, but it is probably more likely that the battery in my digital scale needs to be replaced.  

9 minutes ago, rockingarmadillo said:

We are considering going on this itinerary in 2026.   How hard is it to book your desired excursions when you are in the DV category?

This is our second world cruise with Viking, both in DV's.  I've been pretty lucky and was able to get most all of our first choices.  When we were blocked out, slots usually came available sometime during the voyage.  Once aboard you can put yourself on a wait list and most always a spot became available.  It helps to have done your homework in advance and jump right on making reservations when the window opens.  You can look back at prior posts and find comments on strategies to take.

3 minutes ago, TravelerTeacherRetired said:

As a seasoned Sky cruiser I am sure you have the answer I need regarding electronics. Do I need a special plug for iPhone or iPhone charging ? 

No.  Bring your standard converter.  The Viking ships are equipped with both std US 110 V plugs and the European plugs.

If you plan on going on any over-land journeys, you may need a US-to European converter.  

I suggest you bring a back up power bank for your iPhone, just in case.  You don't want to be in the situation where you can't take photos at the end of a long excursion.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Null Island buoy, but we were here. 

26 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

Capt told us that Neptune will be going as well. 

We on the Viking Sky should send out a tender to attach a Viking flag to the Null Island buoy and leave a message in a bottle for the next passing ship [the Viking Neptune] to collect.

I'm told that at Coffee Chat this morning that the Captain announced a change in the navigational route for the Viking Sky.  We are changing course so that we cross the Prime Meridian at the same time we cross the Equator.  Apparently, there is a buoy in the middle of the ocean to mark that spot.  @Penspack tells me that buoy marks the location of "Null Island."

7 hours ago, ural guy said:

Hi-  Enjoying reading this report.  Just wondering, how many passport pages does a cruise like this use up?

I just checked my passport and counted 17 unique new stamps associated with this world cruise, with just under 4 weeks to go.  It looks like they try to fit as many as 4 stamps on a page... where ever they find an open spot. A country may enter both an entry stamp and an exit stamp in the passport and when they do, they try to put the exit/ departure stamp next to the entry stamp. Here are the stamps I identified:

Komodo Indonesia entry

Java Indonesia exit

Vietnam entry

Vietnam exit

Samui entry

Samui exit

Phuket entry

Phuket exit

Richards Bay entry

Sri Lanka entry

Sri Lanka exit

India entry (2 stamps)

India exit

Mauritius exit

Mauritius entry

Cape Town exit

21 minutes ago, deec said:

Reduced passengers on a ship it great ( our covid experiences)  so nice to eat at Manfredi's or Chef table any time we wanted and to always have a window seat in the main dining room!

 

Clay, did Viking put drawers in the closets of V/DV rooms for the WC? 

We have a set of drawers in our DV closet aboard the Sky.

About a 4 hour delay in docking at Cape Town. Longer excursions were cancelled and Table Mountain excursion is going to the Histoy Museum instead. I’ll miss seeing the penguins. 

15 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Our optional excursion today from was a game drive to Bonamanzi Game Preserve. This park doesn’t have lions so our eyes were peeled for the other four of the “Big Five”-elephant, rhinos, buffalo, and leopard.  Given it was a daytime drive we knew the chance of seeing a leopard were pretty slim. Unfortunately our vehicle was driven by a very knowledgeable guide who wasn’t familiar with the park and his vehicle had issues. I was really hoping to see giraffe and we also knew there were nyala, impala, warthogs, wildebeast and zebra in the preserve. Nobody saw elephants or rhinos but everybody including us saw all of the those. But our group didn’t see any giraffes or buffalo unlike everybody else.  Lunch was tasty but was Very disappointed🤬 when everyone else was sharing their giraffe and buffalo photos. All due to a bad driver.  

 

But on the way back to the ship in the big tour bus, we saw giraffe! #daysaved  Africa exceeds anything you’ve ever heard.

 

 

We didn't manage to see any giraffes during the included Huhluwe-iMfolozi Park excursion.  Probably because all of the elephants were blocking the view.  

The included Huhluwe-iMfolozi Park excursion FAR EXCEEDED expectations.  I highly recommend it.

On 3/12/2024 at 6:25 PM, Kountess said:

Has anyone scanned the excursion descriptions for the remaining ports?  Future world cruisers are curious!

I finally got around to cleaning up my scan of the 2nd leg of the African deviation itinerary.  Please see attached file, which I augmented with some recent additions of Leisurely Pace versions of some included excursions 
 

AFRICA & EUROPE 2 

**Walvis Bay, NAMIBIA - April 11th

NAWAL02 - Moon Landscape & Sighting of the Welwitschia Plant [D, 4 hr]
NAWAL03 - Dunes Meet Atlantic Ocean  [D, 7 hr]
NAWAL04 - Scenic Flight Over the Namib Desert*  [E, 4 hr]
M2NAWALO5 - Walvis Bay Lagoon Cruise  [M, 4 hr]
NAWAL07- Swakopmund Explorer [M, 3 hr, Included]
NAWAL13 - Kayak & Cruise at Pelican Point  [D, 4½ hr]
NAWAL14 - Nature, History & Artisan Tastings [M, 4½ hr]

**Dakar, SENEGAL- April 19th

SNDAK01 - The City of Dakar  [E, 4 hr, Included]
SNDAK02 - Gorée Island On Foot  [D, 4 hr]
SNDAK03 - Joal-Fadiouth  [M, 8 hr]
SNDAK04 - Lake Retba by 4×4 [M, 5 hr]
SNDAK05 - Bandia Reserve Safari
 [M, 5 hr]
SNDAK06 - Village Visit with Folklore Performance * [E, 4 hr]
SNDAK07 - Highlights of Dakar
  [D, 8 hr]

**Santa Cruz de Tenerife, SPAIN - April 22nd

ESSCTO1 - Impressions of Tenerife [M, 4½ hr, Included]
ESSCT02 - Teide National Park [M, 4½ hr]
ESSCTO3 - Santa Cruz Highlights On Foot [D, 3½ hr]
ESSCT04 - Tenerife & Masca Off-Road Excursion  [M, 8 hr]
ESSCTO5 - Panoramic Northern Tenerife  [E, 4½ hr]
ESSCT06 - Whale Watching & Swim  [M, 5 hr]
ESSCTO8 - Pyramids & Esperanza Forest  [M, 4½ hr]

**Agadir, MOROCCO - April 23rd

MAAGA05 - Marrakesh Overland * [M, 3 Days]
o    Panoramic drive through Agadir and along foothills of Atlas Mountains to Marrakesh.
o    Day of guided tours of Marrakesh
o    Drive to Casablanca with panoramic tour of Casablanca
o    2 nights in Marakesh

** Agadir, MOROCCO - April 24th

MAAGA01 - Postcards From Agadir [M, 4 hr, Included]
MAAGA01E - Leisurely Pace Postcards From Agadir [M, 4 hr, Included]
MAAGA02 - From the Atlas Mountains to the Shore [M, 5 hr]
MAAGA03 - The Moroccan Hammam*  [E, 3 hr]
MAAGA04 - A Taste of Morocco  [E, 4 hr]

** Casablanca, MOROCCO - April 25th

MACAS01 - Casablanca: City of White  [M, 3 hr, Included]
MACAS03 - Religious Coexistence in Morocco: An Inside View [M, 5½ hr]
MACAS04 - El Jadida Portugese Fortress Town  [D, 6 hr]
MACAS06 - Imperial City of Rabat & Panoramic Casablanca [M, 7½ hr]
MACAS07 - Casablanca & Its Grand Mosque [M, 3½ hr]
MACAS08- Moroccan Cooking Class* [E, 6 hr]
MACAS09 - Casablanca Walking Tour & Rick's Café [M, 3 hr]
MACAS10 - Hassan Il Mosque & Moroccan Calligraphy [M, 4 hr]

** Tangier, MOROCCO - April 26th

MATNG01 - Snapshots of Tangier  [M, 3 hr, Included]
MATNG01E - Leisurely Pace Snapshots of Tangier  [M, 3 hr, Included]
MATNG02 - Best of Tangier
 [M, 5½ hr]
MATNG03- Artistic Asilah [M, 5 hr]
MATNG04- Tetouan Highlights
  [M, 5½ hr]
MATNG05 - Panoramic Tangier & Tetouan [M, 7½ hr]
MATNG07 - Historic American Legislation  [M, 4 hr]
MATNG08 - Moroccan Cooking Experience [M, 4 hr]

** Lisbon, PORTUGAL- April 27th & April 28th

Due to the itinerary change and an extra overnight, we will be publishing the tours first week of April. Please note, that your original bookings will be honored on either of the dates.

**Lisbon, Portugal - April 27th & April 28th
City Walk & Funicular Ride [D, 4 ½ hr]
Queluz Palace, Sintra & Seaside Vistas [M, 5 hr]
Holy Fatima [M, 7 ½ hr]
Lisbon Tram Ride [E, 4 hr]
Lisbon City Drive [E, 4 hr, Included]
Medieval Óbidos [M, 4 ½ hr]
The UNESCO Sites of Lisbon [M, 3 hr]
A Culinary Tour by Tuk-Tuk [E, 3 hr]
A Musical Evening of Fado & Tapas [E, 2 ¾ hr]
 

** Leixes (Porto), PORTUGAL - April 29th

PTOP001 - Porto by Foot [E, 3½ hr, Included]
PTOP001E - Leisurely Pace Porto by Foot [E, 3½ hr, Included]
PTOP002 - Braga & Guimarães Exploration
 [M, 4½ hr]
PTOPO03 - The Best of Porto: Fado, Vistas & More
 [E, 5 hr]
PTOP006 - The Art of Filigree*
 [E, 4 hr]
PTOP007 - Quinta da Aveleda Winery
 [M, 3½ hr]
PTOP008 - Historic Coimbra & Aveiro
 [M, 6½ hr]
PTOP009- A Tram Ride into the Past *
 [E, 3½ hr]

** A Coruña, SPAIN - April 30th

ESLACO1 - A Coruña & the Old Town [E, 3 hr, Included]
ESLAC05 - Hercules Bike Tour *
 [D, 2 hr]
ESLAC06- A Coruña Estuary
 [M, 5 hr]
ESLACO7 - A Day in Santiago de Compostela 
 [M, 7 hr]
ESLACO8 - Santiago de Compostela & Cathedral Rooftop *
[M, 7½ hr]
ESLAC09 - Panoramic Costa da Morte & Cape Finisterre 
[E, 7½ hr]
ESLAC12 - A Coruña by Foot
 [M, 2½ hr]
ESLAC14 - Panoramic A Coruña & Betanzos 
 [M, 4½ hr]

** Cherbourg, FRANCE - May 2nd

FRCHG02 - Gardens of Normandy
 [M, 4½ hr]
FRCHG03 - Cap de la Hague
 [M, 4¼ hr]
FRCHG06 - Mont Saint-Michel
 [D, 10 hr]
FRCHG08 - Bayeux Cathedral & Tapestry
 [M, 6½ hr]
FRCHG09 - Norman Spirits & More
 [M, 4¼ hr]
FRCH611 - Cherbourg on Foot [M, 3 hr, Included]
FRCH611E - Leisurely Pace Cherbourg on Foot [M, 3 hr, Included]
FRCHG12 - Sainte-Mère-Église & Utah Beach [M, 4 hr, Included]
FRCHG14 - Tales of Cap de Carteret Lighthouse*
 [M, 4 hr]

Please note, your pre-voyage shore excursions bookings for listed ports below, will remain as your original bookings.

Honfleur, FRANCE - May 2nd
Dover (Canterbury), ENGLAND - May 4th
Greenwich (London), ENGLAND - May 5th

However, the following additional excursions have been added:
Leisurely Pace Explore the Medieval Town of Honfleur [E, 3 hr, Included]
Leisurely Pace Historic Canterbury [M, 3½ hr, Included]
Leisurely Pace Royal Greenwich by Foot [M, 1½ hr, Included]

Africa and Europe 2 - Description Summary.docx Lisbon Excursions Summary.docx

While we were in Saigon/ HCMC, my favorite excursion was a 3rd party Back of the Bike Tours excursion (www.BACKOFTHEBIKETOURS.com).

This was a foody excursion.  They picked us up at the hotel at 6:00 pm.  We hopped on the back of their scooters and then were escorted through the frantic city traffic to 5 different food stops.  IT WAS A BLAST! ... And the food was fantastic.  We finished up around 10:30... back to the hotel maybe 10:50 or so.  

I definitely recommend it.  There were three of us from the Viking Sky and we joined up with another dozen or so folks at the first food stop.  Our drivers were Chau, Thao and Phung; three delightful young women.  My driver, Chau, spoke English very well and was very communicative.

At no point did I feel unsafe in the hectic scooter traffic... it just flows.

If you're in town and have the evening free, DO IT!

Would someone on the Neptune please post a photo of the booking form?

NEVER MIND... Booking forms were just delivered to the staterooms on the Sky.

For what it's worth, I scanned the excursion descriptions for the revised ports for the Viking Sky WC (Port Louis, Mauritius to Cape Town, South Africa) and included the summaries in a Word file.

Here is a link to my entry on the Viking Sky WC forum:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2979887-live-from-the-viking-sky-ft-lauderdale-to-london-december-20-2023-may-6-2024/?do=findComment&comment=67025407

For what it's worth, I scanned the excursion descriptions for the revised ports for the Viking Sky WC (Port Louis, Mauritius to Cape Town, South Africa) and included the summaries in a Word file.

** Port Louis, MAURITIUS - March 30

MUPLU01 - Port Louis & National Botanical Garden [M, 3 hr, Included]
MUPLU03 - Tea Route [M, 7 hr]
MUPLU04 - Scenic South Tour [M, 7½ hr]
MUPLU05 - Sailaway Catamaran Cruise [M, 7¼ hr]
MUPLU06 - Ile des Deux Cocos [E, 7 hr]
MUPLU07 - The Reef by Submarine [M, 3½ hr]
MUPLU09 - Mauritius from Above [E, 1½ hr]
MUPLU10 - Ile aux Cerfs [E, 7 hr]
MUPLU11- Ile aux Aigrettes [M, 4½ hr]
MUPLU12 - Coral Reef Certified Dive [D, 4 hr]

** Le Port, REUNION - March 31

REPDG01 - Vanilla Plantation & Cirque de Salazie [E, 4½ hr, Included]
REPDG02 - Saint-Leu & Turtle Observatory [M, 4½ hr]
REPDG03 - Creole Culture of Réunion [M, 4½ hr]
REPDG04 - Piton de la Fournaise Volcano [M, 8½ hr]
REPDG05 - Wild Southern Shores [E, 9 hr]
REPDG06 - Helicopter Tour [E, 1 hr]

** Richard's Bay, South Africa - April 4

ZARCB01 - DumaZulu Traditional Village [M, 5 hr, Included]
ZARCB02 - St. Lucia Boat Cruise [M, 5 hr]
ZARCB03 - Huhluwe-iMfolozi Park [M, 5¾ hr, Included]
ZARCB04 - Zulu Nyala Day Safari [M, 6¾ hr]
ZARCB05 - Cape Vidal [D, 8 hr]
ZARCB06 - Bird-Watching in the St Lucia Wetlands [D, 5½ hr]
ZARCB07 - Bonamanzi Game Reserve [M, 6½ hr]
ZARCB08 - KwaZulu Natal Overland [M, 3 Days]
      o    2 nights at a private game reserve
      o    3 game drives
      o    flight to Ggeberha
ZARCB09 - Botswana & Victoria Falls Overland [M, 5 Days]
      o    1 night in Johannesburg; 2 nights in Chobe National Park; 1 night in Victoria Falls
      o    4 guided tours: 3 Game Drives; Victoria Falls Walking Tour
     o    Flight from Richard's Bay to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Kasane and Victoria Falls to Cape Town

** Ggeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa - April 6th

ZAPLE01 - Snapshots of Ggeberha [E, 3½ hr, Included]
ZAPLE03 - Scenic Addo Elephant Park [M, 5 hr, Included]
ZAPLE04 - Sundays River Mouth Ferry Cruise [E, 4½ hr]
ZAPLE06 - Townships of Port Elizabeth [M, 4 hr]
ZAPLE08 - Pumba Private Game Reserve [M, 7½ hr]
ZAPLE13 - Kariega Private Game Reserve [D, 8 hr]
ZAPLE14 - Amakhala Private Game Reserve [D, 8 hr]
ZAPLE15 - Sibuya Private Game Reserve [D, 8½ hr]
ZAPLE16 - Schotia Private Game Reserve [D, 5½ hr]
ZAPLE17 - Kwantu Private Game Reserve [D, 8½ hr]
ZAPLE18 - Nyosi Game Drive & Wine Tasting [M, 4½ hr]
ZAPLE19 - Bellevue Forest Reserve [D, 4½ hr]
ZAPLE20 - Addo Elephant Park Panorama [E, 5 hr, Included]
ZAPLE21 - Eastern Cape Overland [M, 3 Days]
      o    2 nights in the Sibuya Game Reserve
      o    4 game drives
      o    Flight from Ggeberha to Cape Town

** Cape Town, South Africa - April 8

ZACPTO1 - Introduction to Cape Town [M, 3½ hr, included]
ZACPT02 - Table Mountain [M, 3 hr, included]
ZACPTO3 - Chapman's Peak & Ou Kaapse Weg Scenic Drive [E, 3 hr]
ZACPT04 - Panoramic Stellenbosch & Wine Tasting [M, 4½ hr, included]
ZACPT05 - Cape Peninsula & Cape Point [M, 8½ hr]
ZACPT08 - Cape Malay Spices & Cuisine [M, 4 hr]
ZACPT11 - Sunset Ocean Cruise [M, 3 hr]
ZACPT12 - Table Mountain & Signal Hill Sundowners [M, 4½ hr]
ZACPT13 - Aquila Private Game Reserve [D, 9½ hr]
ZACPT14 - Kirstenbosch & Constantia Winelands [M, 4 hr]
ZACPT15 - Robben Island [M, 5 ¼ hr]
 

Africa Excursions List 2024-03-02.docx

33 minutes ago, Hanoj said:

Any options being given guests with the altered itinerary?
 

They told us they are still working on the list of excursions (included and optional), but they plan on providing a full complement of excursions.  They noted that everyone would have the opportunity for an INCLUDED safari at one of the South African ports.

Revised itinerary for the Viking Sky:

March 18
Phuket (Patong Beach), Thailand
March 19 & 20
Scenic Sailing: Bay of Bengal
March 21 & 22
Colombo, Sri Lanka
March 23
Sail the Laccadive Sea
March 24
Cochin, India
March 25 - 29
Sail the Arabian Sea/indian Ocean
March 30
Port Louis, Mauritlus
March 31
Le Port, La Réunion, France
April 1 - 3
Sail the Indian Ocean
April 4
Richards Bay, South Africa
April 5 at sea
April 6
Ggeberha (Port Elizabeth), South Africa
April 7
Sail the Indian Ocean
April 8 & 9
Cape Town, South Africa
April 10
Sail the South Atlantic Ocean
April 11
Walvis Bay, Namibia
April 12 - 18
Sail the South Atlantic Ocean
April 19
Dakar, Senegal
April 20 & 21
Sail the North Atlantic Ocean
April 22
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
April 23 & 24
Agadir, Morocco
April 25
Casablanca, Morocco
April 26
Tangier, Morocco
April 27 & 28
Lisbon, Portugal
April 29
Leixões (Porto), Portugal
April 30
A Coruña, Spain
May 1
Sail the Celtic Sea
May 2
Cherbourg, France
May 3
Paris (Honfleur), France
May 4
Dover (Canterbury), England
May 5
London (Greenwich), England
May 6
London (Greenwich), England

1 hour ago, PeabodyMa said:

Take advantage of the afternoon arrival in Hong Kong and go ashore. Enjoy! There’s lots to do. An extra overnight gives the opportunity for a delicious Hong Kong dinner. 

We will be porting in Ho Chi Minh City, not Hong Kong.  Still, I'm sure the same applies, despite being about an hour outside of the city and having to shuttle into the city.

Just announced... We won't be able to port in Eden... winds are too high.  We were approaching, but then I noticed we turned around.  10 minutes later the announcement was made by the captain.  So we will now have a sea day and head towards Sydney.

Happy Valentine's Day ❤️

1 hour ago, kcpvwill said:

Has there been an announcement about re-routing round Africa or not?  

No

34 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Hello, any plans to show super bowl in cinema or theater?

Live broadcast of the Super Bowl at 10:30 a.m. "Monday," if the satellite feed is functional; followed by a re-broadcast at 7:45 pm.  Both in the Star Theater or you should be able to catch it on the interactive TV in each stateroom.🏈 

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Wow! Great pictures-can I post on my Instagram giving due credit?

 

I can’t get my dolphin video to upload but will keep trying!

Feel free.  Share the joy.

We were close enough that I could zoom in and read Viking Neptune and see people walking deck 2 

And a few wildlife photos...
A seal:

A flock of birds taking off from the water to avoid being run over by the Viking Sky:

and a penguin "flying" just beneath the surface of the water: