KBs mum

We've booked a few, but only as transport, instead of local taxis or buses. We discount them unless they are the only practica/financial option. Don't worry about places on them, nine times out of ten independent will be as easy and cheaper

Viking is now no different from most other small ship premium /luxury lines. They aren't the line they were pre covid. Are they a decent choice, yes, probably, for the right itinerary and price. But not if you want a holiday with excellent customer service from booking to getting home, and good food with no 'muzak' on board. Time in port has been shortened, making independent excursions more difficult. The latest catalogue we got stated that itineraries are subject to change. We accept that occasionally a port may need to be cancelled, but being unable to confirm a planned itinerary makes booking guesswork at best. Having gone from Viking as first choice to looking at other options, there is no obvious reason to book with them instead of any other. Caveat emptor. .

Fair enough, I can only report on the usual situation I encounter as a wheelchair user, on the Viking cruises I have been on.

Yikes, I have never used a shared washer, and have no intention of doing so on holiday (UK flats and houses usually have a washer/dryer in the kitchen or a utility room) Big items such as trousers go to the hotel/ship laundry, small items are hand washed and dried on the towel rails. Less than 5 minutes a day and no dryer wars drama

Don't rely on a Viking crew person being available to help you on the steps/ramp. If they are there and not busy they often will, but they are not assigned for the purpose. There is often nobody between the security check desk in the ship and wherever the buses are. Plan to be independent, but don't be afraid to ask for help. (the italics are accidental, not emphasis. I dropped my phone and haven't yet worked out how to go back to normal type🙄)

I take my wheelchair on board, no problem. I just need to fill in the 'fit to travel' form. It's the same sort of form that most transport companies have. The call centre staff are clueless since it was outsourced, have a look on the Viking website instead, and use the tellus@viking.com email

Be prepared for a bit of standing around when boarding, one of those folding things on wheels ( frame in UK, I think called a rollator in US) with a built in seat might be worth thinking about, or one of those 'seat on a folding tripod stick' things

We weren't being sarcastic about the question being asked, we were enjoying the humour involved in the usual resulting debates. Many regard robes as similar in status to nightwear rather than garments to be worn in public, I and many others wouldn't wear one outside the cabin or spa, others don't think there is anything wrong with being seen in one elsewhere. Usually the first two pages of the discussion are sensible then it gets heated, eventually ending in jokes and silliness

Can any collared shirt you might be wearing be clearly seen by other diners?

Only if also wearing jeans at the time

Robe debate starting up? 🍿😁

A controversial topic, after a lengthy and heated debate on these forums, a cover up was deemed better than the robe, which produced scorn. That said, there will be a few people who wander through the lounges in robes

I would go for a manual chair or something like a travelscoot. You will be able to get both onto the ship by yourself. Travelscoots are designed for airline and cruise ship travel. Whatever you do, don't check it. Get it labelled as 'return to aircraft door' baggage handling systems are notorious for damaging mobility gear.

There are restrictions about what electric wheelchairs are allowed onboard, you need to check with Viking direct, you will also need to fill in a fitness to travel form. Remember the ship's ramp is actually a staircase, and you need to check if you can get onto the tenders if visiting somewhere they will be used. The ship itself is pretty good for a wheelchair user, but ask the restaurant people if you need to get a wheelchair to the table. They will reserve one easy to get to. You will need to check any hotels are accessible and have suitable rooms. Don't leave this to Viking. Ask them to book an accessible room if you need one, also an emailed inquiry to the hotel is best, and check Streetview and their websites. If you are travelling by the train to Bergen you need to check their access and policies, again, do this direct with the train company. Also check the airline policy regarding the batteries. For any transport provider get agreement to carry powered wheelchairs and similar in writing in advance. I've done the stays and route you describe with a lightweight folding manual chair, it was no problem other than the cobbles in Bergen. I'm happy to try to answer any specific queries

It's not that UK law says tips must be included, it's that by law a price must include all non optional items, so automatic charging gratuities to the registered card thing is illegal here. The UK has a mostly non tipping culture, we tip but it is not automatic or an unwritten rule of set %, instead being a thanks for outstanding service, so if the equivalent amount wasn't built in Viking wouldn't get it. As several cruise lines apparently discovered during UK covid itineraries 😊

Either way, same general principles apply, regarding checking official sources for guidance relating to the specific circumstances. We also check for possible reroute situations if they are a known possibility. Quantas Heathrow-Perth direct is occasionally replaced by a service via Dubai, so I check the situation regarding medications there, and in Singapore, (in case of cancellation change of airlines) so as to have the right bits of paper.

Not true, a transit document was issued to those transferring, before the plane landed, this was exchanged for a temporary entry transit permit (or something called similar) at passport control. We've been through without an ETA. We made no assumptions. At the time US state department/government website, and airport and airline made no mention of an ETA being needed, just a valid passport and boarding card for the next flight. As the flight that made it worth the hassle of LAX as a refuel stop was discontinued, it's academic now. I mentioned what we did as an example, not guidance. Your reply shows that checking regulations for any transits is a good idea, we check before every international trip. As allready said, everyone should check official sources for the latest for their circumstances.

It's worth having a look at the redulations for any country you might be in transit it, in case your next flight is delayed/cancelled and you end up in a hotel landside. You don't normally need to do anything extra, but if you know what might be required you won't be blindsided. Particularly applies to prescription narcotics if travelling via the one of the Gulf states and Singapore. Example, we had a very tight connection to make in and out of LAX, we got USA ETAs (the same type of things now needed for Europe) in case we missed it and had to fly out a day or two later. Would have been possible to sort it out and get the Visas on arrival without, but it seemed worth a few £ and minutes to avoid the potential ques and hassle

For medications see replies from Heidi13 and FlyerTalker, same procedure (minus the visa service) to find out what is required. Check, don't assume that over the counter in one country is over the counter in another. Also it's the active ingredients that should be checked, not the trade name. Quantities may also be a factor. When in doubt, original packaging, copy of prescription, letter from doctor and most importantly, declare them at customs. They might be confiscated but you won't be arrested.

The deck 5 ES are OK as long as you don't mind the movement of the ship or anchor chain noises. We quite like them, but would hate the deck 3 theatre noise. Not sure what noise from the theatre gets through to deck 4

My intention with this is to discuss, not argue. I accept your expertise regarding matters nautical, mine is land based, and could be likened to some aspects of a permanently moored cruise ship. I greatly appreciate comments from experts in their field when there is some (albeit small in this case) overlap with mine, and learning from any discussion

Yes, I understand that the risk assessment formula/procedure (for want of a better way of putting it) will be very complex and beyond most of the passengers, the hugely simplified version I mentioned, if possible, would merely be a rough guide for pax information, and to aid hotel staff to give a quick sensible answer that would be be the same no matter which of them were asked. We found such a system useful as a means of managing customer expectations, being on the website, and giving staff something to answer inquiries with that wasn't actually wrong, even if very vague. The script was usually something like 'we will probably have to close if wind speed is x, or gusting above y.' Actual decision was made by trained staff following the written procedure, which included a lengthy perusal of the met office forecast, and records for the preceeding month. Experience and local knowledge came into play. Not easy to explain quickly, particularly as previous weather was a factor

I don't have a problem with areas being closed for safety reasons, my point was that there is no reasonable way for pax to know in advance when it may be expected to happen. Hence it can seem random. After CalMac and North Sea ferries with furniture bolted to the deck, and being on Viking for a rough Tasman crossing, it didn't occur to us that the terrace would be closed all the time even when sea calm and no wind. As I said, haven't got a problem with it, but advance notice in the itinerary info and signage on board would have avoided the minor confusion and saved the crew from lots of people asking about access (from what we happened to overhear it was an even more popular question than the whereabouts of the toilets😏) I used to work for an organisation where bad weather had major safety implications, every site in the country worked to a set procedure, with local risk assessments. There was a greatly simplified version for public info. I was surprised there wasn't something similar fleet wide, that pax could be told, such as outdoor areas closed if wave height or wind speed forecasted to be above x.

Guinness blue is a decent adult 0% drink. Not the same as the genuine item, but not bad. Becks blue is the best 0% lager alternative

Where we're from cider is more alcoholic than the bitters. Lager is the low alcohol option