SailorPaulH

The "Full-Day Train to Voss" excursion advertised on our Viking Homelands cruise was identical in description to the excursions we booked for our cancelled 2021 and 2022 "Iceland's Majestic Landscapes' cruise which is why we so happy to see Flam as a substitute port in our VH cruise. "Marvel at Norway’s stunning beauty during a breathtaking full-day “Norway in a Nutshell” experience. You will board the world-famous Flåm Railway at the cruise pier and climb nearly 3,000 feet through 20 tunnels and over numerous bridges. Stop at Kjosfossen waterfall for photos of this pristine natural wonder. You will change trains and continue to Voss, where a motor coach takes you to the Molstertunet open air museum. Here, you will gain rich insight into 18th-century life in these high mountain valleys. Continue to Tvinde waterfall for a photo stop. Enjoy lunch at the famous Stalheim Hotel, with magnificent views of the Naerøyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from the veranda. Return to your ship via the mountain descent known as the Stalheimskleiva. With its steep grade and 13 hairpin turns, this is not a trip for those who fear heights." In summary (advertised): Flam -> Myrdal (Flam rail) ... ascent Myrdal -> Voss (train, Bergen line) -> coach Molstuernet Museum Tvindefossen Stalheim Hotel (lunch)/Naeroyfjord Stalheim -> Flam (coach) In summary (actual) Flam -> Voss (including stop at Tvindefossen). No stop at Stalheim. Molstuernet Museum Fleischer's Hotel (lunch: average buffet and rushed) Voss -> Myrdal (train) Myrdal -> Flam (Flam rail) ... descent. In fading light so less opportunity for photography

Day 15 - 9/24/2022, Bergen (Norway) & Departure Disembarkation was very efficient. During the night, the Venus had departed so the Jupiter was moved to the berth with better access for disembarkation. The motor coach ride was uneventful, and within an hour of arriving at Bergen airport, we had checked in, passed security and customs and had recovered our VAT expenses on gift purchases. Before the trip, we had been pleasantly surprised that United was running direct flights from Bergen to Newark, NJ so this made for a better flight experience than we had had on the way over to Stockholm. However, as food on United flights is typically disgusting, we made sure to score some great, fresh sandwiches at a Norwegian deli/restaurant in the airport prior to take-off. Goodbye Norway - see you again soon! Wrap-up of our experience on our first Viking Ocean Cruise Transfer to ship from airport = B. Unfortunately, on arrival we found at that there was construction being undertaken outside our arrival terminal. As a result, it was necessary to trudge outdoors more than a quarter mile to the next terminal for our coach to the ship. No big deal for a fit person, but some passengers who were elderly or less conditioned were having a struggle with this. I can't believe that Viking couldn't have had a system in place for the less able in the group of about 40 who we had arrived with. It was not a good look, and a couple of us carried bags for the less able to help out a little. Embarkation = A. This was easy, quick and pleasant. Before we knew it we were on the ship, sucking down champagne and getting ready to unwind after a long travel day (and night). Our cabin = A-. As advertised our PS2 (#7006) was spacious, simply elegant and came with plenty of storage space and a sizeable and comfortable bathroom. Situated half-way between the forward elevators and the Explorers Lounge, our room was very quiet and very conveniently located for access to Mamsen's, Wintergarden, Pool Grill, and World Cafe (my favorite dining areas onboard). Access to free laundry services was fine for me and allowed me to pack minimally for this cruise. This would have been a straight A if it were not for the hard and uneven bed (we both like a firm mattress but it needs to be uniform). It's our fault for not thinking to ask for a remedy that they probably would have come up with (based on what I have read here on CC). The staff/crew = A. Outstanding - every one of them. Our cabin attendants (Althin and Carla) were fantastic and looked after us really well. They switched out the hard liquor in our fridge for red wine on our first day. Dining - overall = A- (taste is a subjective thing, and this is our experience ...) World Cafe = A- (this is where we had our best steaks - better than The Restaurant or Manfredi's). Good selecton and high quality. Good coffee from the machine, but generic coffee served in pots at the table is awful. On our next cruise, we will probably take dinner here more often (in place of The Restaurant or Manfredi's) Room Service (breakfast) = A-. A great way to start the day. Good menu, but obviously less choice than World Cafe. Mamsen's = A. This grade is based on their desserts which were the only items I tried here, but they are an A. Pool Grill = B+. Burgers and Hot Dogs are very good. Cheesesteak was average. Wintergarden = A. VOC has perfected this formula. Just go .... often. Viking Bar (early morning) = A. Excellent coffee, good munchies. The Restaurant = B+. Usually good, sometimes excellent. Staff were very good except for a couple of slow nights. DW and I have agreed to reduce The Restaurant time next cruise, possibly eliminate Manfredi's and eat more often at World Cafe for dinner. Manfredi's = B-. We never seemed to have a complete meal where we could say "Wow!" Hit and miss on some pasta dishes, steak average on last day, bland on a previous day. Good desserts and coffee. An average experience for us. On our next cruise, we are willing to try again. Chef's Table - we did not eat at this venue. Entertainment - we didn't take in any concerts or shows, so can't offer our experience in this area. We did like the solo singer/guitarist who we encountered at various venues on the ship. Nordic Spa/Fitness Center = A+. This is a perfect haven. DW said the optional services she tried in the Spa were first-class. Included Excursions Taken Copenhagen by Foot = B+. A nice introductory look at the old town areas of Copenhagen. Lots of photo opportunities. Walking tours are superior to most coach tours, IMO. Aalborg Walking Tour = A. Beautiful town. Fantastic guide. Gothenburg Panorama = C. A cookie-cutter bus tour in search of a purpose. A better plan with more time off the bus at fewer, more interesting sights would be an improvement. Optional Excursions Taken Unlike our original plans for our cancelled July 2022 cruise where we had booked some independent tours, we went exclusively with Viking shore excursions on this trip as we were late in the game booking items. We enjoyed all of these tours, and even the "bait and switch" we had on our Flam tour would have been tolerable if Viking just admitted they misled everyone. Vasa Museum & Stockholm by Boat = A. Very good lunch at Villa Godthem on this tour. Aland Islands by Bike = B+. We enjoyed this tour and rated it less than an A due to the generic, uncomfortable bikes that were used. Here is an idea: can VOC not maintain its own stable of higher quality bikes onboard for use in any port? Malbork Castle & Gdansk = A. An excellent guide. Tour included a plain but pleasing lunch. Scenic Berlin by Motor Coach & Cruise = A-. The train rides to and from Berlin are a bit of a grind, but that's the price of admission to one of Europe's great inland cities when you are doing an ocean cruise. Very good traditional German lunch on this tour. Christiansborg Palace & Tivoli Gardens = A-. This was an educational and fun afternoon, and the guide made it even better. Gunnebo House & Gardens = B+. Interesting excursion into the Swedish countryside. Pulpit Rock Cruise = B+. Very good guide for our pleasant scenic cruise on Lysefjorden, but pricey and probably better to book such an excursion independently. Full-Day Railway Journey to Voss = B-. Not what we hoped for (or paid for), but maybe we can make better of it in 2024. Self-directed Days as rated by DW (We went our own way in Oslo and Bergen and designed our own day-long tours based on our pre-existing research. I think these were our two best days of 'shore excursions'. Hmmm!?) Out & Out Oslo with SailorPaulH = A. Bergen Blitz with SailorPaulH = A. Both of these days were quite economical as the guide worked for food and beer. Disembarkation = A-. Uneventful, and well-organized. Transfer to airport from ship = A-. Straightforward and conventional motor coach delivery to the airport. Once we got through the initial wait at the check in, everything went very smoothly at Bergen airport. A few negatives - but an overwhelmingly positive experience! We are looking forward to our Viking Venus 2024 cruise (Iceland's Majestic Landscapes).

Day 14 - 9/23/2022, Bergen (Norway) - part 2 Lunchtime - and what would turn out to be the single best meal we enjoyed on our entire trip. We both had a fantastic baked halibut lunch at Fjellskal - a seafood restaurant overlooking the harbor. This went down very nicely with a Norwegian Porter. Leaving the restaurant, we saw that the mist had cleared completely on the higher mountain (Ulriken) so on the spur of the moment we bought tickets for the cable car (and the express bus that would take us to the cable car terminal) at the bus stop on Strandgaten (about $44/pp). A fantastic ride to the top with remarkable views in all directions - well worth the time and effort. Based on what we saw and did today, I see no need for Viking's Bergen-centric shore excursions - but next time we are in Bergen we will likely do the Dale of Norway excursion. Returning to the ship, we took in the sights of the UNESCO site at Bryggen (site of a series of Hanseatic Trading buildings overlooking the harbor. This final stop was a convenient spot to pick up some more Dale of Norway gifts to take home with us. Our final dinner on Jupiter was at Manfredi's - we shared a rib-eye, that again was just OK: but everything else we had - half-portions of chicken and veal, and our appetizers and desserts were very good. Overall, it was our best visit to Manfredi's. It was time to turn in and finalize our packing for the VOC disembarkation process.

Day 14 - 9/23/2022, Bergen (Norway) - part 1 Arriving in the early hours of the morning, we could see that Bergen had experienced a light rain, but we were again lucky as the rest of the day would ger progressively sunnier, brighter and pleasant. As we docked, we saw that once again we had caught up with the Viking Venus that had berthed in Bergen the previous morning. As in Oslo, we decided that Bergen was going to be a "do it yourself" day taking advantage of previously amassed research for our cancelled July cruise. After breakfast, we set off as soon as passengers were cleared to leave the ship. As we walked along the harbor area, we could see there was plenty of mist rolling off the mountains after the early morning shower. Nevertheless, we headed for the Floibanen station before the morning rush: we had previously booked our return tickets online for about $15 each. The Floibanen is a funicular railway that connects the downtown Bergen area with Mt. Floyen and the ride takes about 8 minutes. Once we reached the top (about 1,000 feet up) we could make out some of the city through the gradually easing mist along with both the Venus and Jupiter berthed at the cruise terminal. Our plan was to take a short hike through the woods and some trails and return when the view would be clearer. The wooded area on Floyen is quiet and beautiful. By the time we returned to the lookout area, photo opportunities had improved dramatically. We took the train down the mountain for the next part of our self-tour: exploring some of the wooden house lined back streets of the old town including sights such as the Korskirken (Church of the Cross) and Bergen Cathedral. From there we took a route back to the main town center via the lake and Byparken. visiting the National Stage and the shopping street of Torgallmenningen.

DAY 13 - 9/22/22, Flam (Norway) I was up early to witness the twilight sail in to Flam - the small village at the end of the Aurlandsfjorden, and one of the most visited locations in Norway, due to the presence of the Flam Rail Line and the famous 'Norway In a Nutshell' tours that emanate from here. After breakfast, we had time to stroll around the village, before starting out on our Shore Excursion. Our optional excursion chosen for today was "Full-Day Train to Voss." The reason we had booked this excursion was it was advertised as including a visit to the world-famous Stalheim Hotel, an important historical site, overlooking Naeroyfjorden that was of great interest to us. Instead of boarding the train in Flam as advertised, we were bussed to Voss, completely side-stepping Stalheim. Our tour instead concluded with a descent by train to Flam after a lunch in Voss (a below average buffet in the Fleischer's Hotel). Some elements of this tour were very enjoyable (e.g., our visit to the Molstertunet Folk Museum, and the Flamsbana descent), but I was beyond annoyed to miss Stalheim and feel this Excursion was improperly advertised and sloppily put together. Our guide was below average also. I registered a polite complaint about the situation with Customer Services but in all fairness, Viking dropped the ball on this event and did not provide any meaningful resolution or acknowledgement. We were not the only people on the excursion to note that the excursion description was misleading/false. Fortunately, we will be visiting Flam again in 2024, and we will look to book some independent (of Viking) tours to get the best out of this wonderful location. Dinner was excellent in The Restaurant, so things were looking up at that venue! In the fading light, we captured many beautiful views on the sail out from Flam, including passing by the branch off the Aurlandsfjorden leading to the world-renowned Naeroyfjorden.

DAY 12 - 9/21/22, Stavanger (Norway) After a Room Service breakfast, and some early morning walking the Promenade on Deck 2, DW went for a pre-booked massage and I worked out in the Fitness Center. The Spa/Fitness Center is one of my favorite areas on the ship. We were due to dock in Stavanger at Noon, so I was able to take some photos as Captain Larsen spun the ship around and reverse parked next to another cruise ship. After lunch at World Cafe, we set out on an optional excursion, "Pulpit Rock Cruise" along the Lysefjorden on a smaller tour boat. Again forecasts of rain were wrong and we had a sunny day - comfortable despite the wind encountered on the fjord. As can be surmised from the title of the excursion, we were to get the sea level perspective and view of Preikestolen (The Pulpit Rock) - a steep cliff nearly 2,000 feet above the water. The flat top of this rock formation is an attraction to hikers and is one of Norway's most visited natural tourist attractions. From our perspective, the formation looked small giving a real perspective to the distance and height of the cliff face from us. Our Danish guide (a resident in Norway) was very informative throughout the entire tour. If you are able to reserve early enough, you have less costly alternatives to this tour by booking independently of Viking. Dinner at The Restaurant involved some average steaks that we didn't finish, so we decided to move to World Cafe for a little extra food. We have had much better results with steak at the World Cafe than at The Restaurant or Manfredi's on our cruise (that's just our experience).

DAY 11 - 9/20/22, Gothenburg (Sweden) Arriving in Gothenburg (Sweden's second-largest city and an important commercial center for industry, manufacturing and sea trade), yet another rain forecast was swept aside by sunny and warm weather conditions. Gothenburg was a substitute (and apparently rare) port on this itinerary. Our morning excursion was the included "Gothenburg Panorama". This was for the most part a "stay on the bus" tour with a few stops to stretch legs and take some photos, but all in all this was a Shore Excursion in search of a purpose. The guide was knowledgeable and engaging but the tour itself ended up being the weakest of any we took on the cruise. After lunch at the World Cafe, we headed out into the nearby countryside for the optional excursion, "Gunnebo House & Gardens." The house is a mansion built by a Scottish merchant - John Hall - in the 18th century. Delicate art, architecture and historical records are on display in every room. The hostess of the house was steeped in the estate's history and many unusual stories. With some time to walk around in the gardens and the nearby shop and cafe - this was an effective tour. Sail away provided some spectacular views of the port and the city skyline. I think some engineers had to temporarily take down an antenna atop Jupiter, so we could pass under the Alvsborgs Bridge. Today, The Restaurant was very good - I could not decide between the Split Pea soup of the Indin Samosa as a starter, and the waitress asked the age-old question that solved the problem, "Why not both?". Along with the Braised Beef Short Ribs this made for my favorite meal in the Restaurant thus far. Meanwhile, DW enjoyed the Wiener Schnitzel. The Restaurant continues to be good and sometimes excellent, but World Cafe is still my preference.

Yes, I have now found the notice in our final Daily also. I forgot the old adage, "If all else fails, read the instructions." As it is for Norway purchases only, I wonder if the same opportunity is provided for a cruise that starts in Norway but ends in another country? I have a cruise that ends in Iceland in the future, and I plan to shop Dale again.

Thanks - that is very useful to know!

DAY 10 - 9/19/22, Oslo (Norway) - part 2 Now we were on the return leg of our self-excursion. Leaving the Palace grounds, we made our way down Karl Johans gate, taking in sights such as Oslo University, the National Theater, Stortinget (the Norwegian Parliament building), and Oslo Cathedral. Along this route we shopped at the Dale of Norway store and Freia (chocolate) for gifts. Note: the gifts we purchased at the Dale of Norway store (sweaters, hats, headbands) have a significant amount of VAT included in the price. As our final place of exit on this trip was going to be Bergen Airport (Norway), we obtained receipts that allowed us to get a refund on the tax on departure day (very efficient, the credit reflected on my credit card within a few days of departing Norway). Another hop on a tram took us to Aker Brygge (where you can find the Nobel Peace Center) - where we got some cappuccinos - and then we strolled all the way down to Tjuvholmen for gelato at Paradis Gelateria. From here, we took the walk around the harbor ferry stations back to our ship. Even with our use of public transport, we logged 12 miles of walking during the day, so were hungry for dinner which we took at The Restaurant. We will be spending more time in Oslo in 2024 and we will making the Bygdoy Peninsula museums, the Munch museum and the Akerselva area our main focus on that visit (using an Oslo Pass and directing our own activities).

DAY 10 - 9/19/22, Oslo (Norway) - part 1 I was up very early this morning, before 6 am - situating myself on Deck 8 to watch the sail in to Oslo and catch the first rays of sunrise. It turns out the weather forecast was again wrong and we were in for a beautiful sunny day again. While strolling the deck, a crew-member in overalls (engineering/technical!?) approached and asked me if I would like some coffee and snacks from the Viking Bar on Deck 1. I told him I was planning to go down myself so I was OK. Nevertheless, he told me stay put - and I don't know if he radioed the order in or something but about 15 minutes later I had a cappuccino and two chocolate chip cookies delivered to me on Deck 8 while I was taking some photos - that was impressive service! As the sun came up and the Jupiter eased into Oslo harbor, I saw that we had finally caught up with Viking Venus that was berthed for an overnight at Oslo as part of its Viking Homelands cruise. Since leaving Stockholm, we had been one day behind Venus all the way. Unlike the Venus, the Jupiter would have only one day in Oslo as were scheduled to be in Gothenburg the next day (Oslo, and in our case Oslo and Gothenburg were substitute ports included in the itinerary after VOC had discontinued Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Tallinn). After breakfast - DW having got ready for the day later than me - we jumped ship to do our own thing. As we had done plenty of research on Oslo for a previously cancelled cruise, we felt we could do the day more justice on our own. Making our way through the Akershus Fortress grounds, we walked to the Oslo Opera House where we walked the roof and got an even better look at the Viking Venus (we have the same cabin on her for our 2024 cruise). From there we made our way to the Oslo Visitor Center in the Central Train Station to purchase two Ruter passes for the day (unlimited metro, tram and bus usage in Oslo Zone 1 for the day) for just 117 NOK each (about $12 each). We took the metro from Jernbanetorget to Majorstuen (2 stops) and then a tram (2 stops) to arrive at our next place of interest - the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Frogner Park, one of Norway's most visited sights. After a refreshing walk through the park, we hopped on another tram to eventually make our way to our next stop: the Radhuset (Oslo's City Hall, which features intricate architecture, murals, tapestries and other works of art. Just a short walk took us to the venue we had targeted for lunch - Amundsen Bryggeri & Spiseri. About 3 months before the trip, I had started learning Norwegian and was able to order us a great Fish and Chips lunch and a draft Norwegian Porter in Norwegian - to the amusement and encouragement of the wait staff. After lunch, we walked to the Royal Palace just in time for the 1:30 pm Changing of the Guard, and we struck up a friendly conversation with the heavily-armed young female soldier at the entrance to the Palace. Note: if you want to see the Changing of the Guard in Oslo, you have to get the Royal palace by 1:30 pm.

I also found this to be the case - I had a steak at the World Cafe that was excellent.

DAY 9 - 9/18/22, Aalborg (Denmark) - part 2 With a 3 pm sail away from Aalborg and with beautiful weather, we were witness to many nice sights as we exited Limfjord to re-enter Kattegat and turn north to our next destination: Oslo, Norway. Sure enough, rain showers were in the forecast for Oslo. After snacks and tea at Wintergarden (I like the salmon sandwiches), we freshened up and prepared for our second visit to Manfredi's. This time I fared better. I had the very good mushroom soup again and the half portions of Veal Marsala and the pasta dish I ordered were good. DW did not do so well - she ordered the signature Rib-Eye, which we felt was fairly average. We had booked Manfredi's one more time for our last night on the ship, and we decided to see if third time we would get luckier, as we could always try different items on the menu.

DAY 9 - 9/18/22, Aalborg (Denmark) - part 1 Aalborg is Denmark's fourth largest city, located along the narrowest point of Limfjord in northern Denmark. Arriving in the early morning it was already evident that our weather forecast was wrong, and we were in for another warm, sunny day - ideal for our chosen included tour, "Aalborg Walking Tour." Just a note here - as included excursions go, I will venture to say that walking tours tend to be much more interesting than "panoramic" tours which seem to be largely 'stay on the bus' sightseeing drives. The tour started out quietly - it being a Sunday morning with few businesses open early. Aalborg turned out to be a great place to visit: interesting history, beautiful small houses in cobblestoned streets in the old town area and possibly our best guide of the cruise. Our guide - Michal "without the e"- was in fact a teacher and trainer/supervisor of many of the local guides. He was entertaining, witty and displayed great knowledge of Aalborg and its surroundings. After our tour, we had another excellent variety lunch at World Cafe: a venue that was easily becoming my favorite place to dine on Viking Jupiter.

DAY 8 - 9/17/22, Copenhagen (Denmark) - part 2 The optional excursion we had chosen for our afternoon in Copenhagen was, "Christiansborg Palace & Tivoli Gardens". Our guide knew her stuff, giving us a comprehensive tour of the Christiansborg Palace - the seat of the Danish Parliament, with rooms and halls that are also used by the Danish monarchy. The art and architecture in this palace makes it well worth the visit. After the Palace, our coach took us to Tivoli Gardens where we would spend some time left to our own devices. Tivoli is an amusement park and gardens in downtown Copenhagen and it is the oldest operating amusement park in the world. Being a Saturday, the park was very busy with many families with children present. DW released her inner 5-year old and took some of the vintage rides. Warning: the ice-cream is really good here. A very enjoyable afternoon - with beautiful weather in a beautiful city. For dinner in The Restaurant, we both had the halibut which was very good. Our next stop was to be Aalborg - again rain was being predicted, but so far we have dodged precipitation at every port.

I can recommend Salomon Men's Quest 4D 3 Gore-TEX Backpacking Boots (I buy them a half-size bigger) and use them with Merino wool socks. In the pic I am wearing them at the Fagradalsfjall eruption site in Iceland (September 2021). Don't underestimate the value of layers, waterproof jacket and leggings, and trekking poles. Have fun!

DAY 8 - 9/17/22, Copenhagen (Denmark) - part 1 After some very light drizzle in the very early hours, the clouds gave way to yet another sunny day - this time in Copenhagen. For our morning excursion, we took the included "Copenhagen by Foot" which is considered "Demanding" as you will encounter many uneven and cobbled surfaces during this tour. Our guide was quite thorough as she led us through the streets of the harbor area and older part of town. This tour included the following photo opportunity sites: Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid) - an iconic landmark in the harbor Gefion Fountain & St. Alban's Church Amalienborg Slotsplads - location of the winter residences of the Danish Royal Family (across the harbor from here you will see the Royal Danish Opera House) Frederik's Kirke (the "Marble Church") Sankt Pauls Kirke As we made our way back to the ship we walked through Kastellet (a military fortress dating to the 17th century), and we also passed by the less well-known, "The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid." After a nice lunch at World Cafe, we were ready for our afternoon excursion.

"Scenic Berlin by Motor Coach & Cruise"

DAY 7 - 9/16/22, Berlin (Germany) - part 2 We then took a Spree river cruise - taking in more sights such as Berliner Dom and Paergamonmuseum. Meeting up with our motor coach, we were returned to the site of the Brandenburg Gate where we could walk around on the pedestrianized square to the east of the Gate. We took a late lunch at Hopfingerbrau am Brandenburger Tor - a German restaurant a few steps away from the Brandenburg Gate. Of any of the lunches we had on a Viking shore excursion, this was the best - can't go wrong with meat cakes, frankfurters and sausage, potatoes/veggies, Black Forest cake .... and beer. Our motor coach would return us to board our train to return to the coast - an opportunity for a post lunch calorie-induced nap. Checking out our onboard account, we saw that we had been credited for the pre-paid excursion that we had lost in Bornholm - all very efficient. We were also paying attention to the weather forecasts - with rain and showers predicted for our upcoming ports in Denmark and Norway. However, so far, all prior predictions of rain had come to naught, and we had had beautiful weather thus far. Dinner at The Restaurant was Beef Sauerbraten and more Black Forest Cake, and yet another gelato raid at the World Cafe. After just a week, I think I have eaten more desserts and ice cream than I would normally do in a year at home.

DAY 7 - 9/16/22, Berlin (Germany) - part 1 With a shore excursion heading for Berlin at 7:30 am, we took Room Service breakfast, but before that - with World Cafe opening earlier at 5:30 am - I scored some donuts and cookies from the buffet to put in some zip-lock bags for the day's train journeys (a good idea as these unhealthy options were superior to the unhealthy options provided as snacks on the trains!). The ship is docked in Warnemunde - close to Rostock, where Viking has its European river longships built. A short walk to the train station, and we were off on an about two-hour fifteen-minute ride to Berlin Central Station, where we would meet our guide, an affable young high school teacher - he was very knowledgeable about the sights and their histories. Getting on-board our motor coach, the first part of this tour was the typical 'panoramic' fare with us passing by some sights and stopping and getting off at others, for example: Reichstag (the German Parliament building) Brandenburg Gate Tiergarten and Victory Column The site of the remaining largest section of the Berlin Wall - some of the nearby buildings are still pock-marked with bullet holes from WW2. Checkpoint Charlie Gendarnenmarkt - a historic square that is the site of the 17th century Franzosischer Dom, the 19th century Konzerthaus Berlin, and the 18th century Deutscher Dom.

Hi - we just finished our first Viking Ocean cruise. We had a small number of negatives or disappointments on our cruise, but they were swept aside by the huge number of positives and spontaneous opportunities we encountered. And most of the few negatives we had were remedied easily enough if needed. The crew and staff were fantastic on our cruise, and in the end we had a memorable experience. Would we book another VOC cruise? Well we already have another booked for 2024 (it was booked/rescheduled for 2024 before we even took our 2022 cruise), and we may book one for 2023 also (if we end up not going on a bike-packing/hiking vacation in the Faroe Islands). It will be Viking for us going forward on ocean (and river).

We booked this cruise at short notice (in June 2022) as we had to cancel our original planned cruise. The excursions were available immediately to us - as we were within the 87 days prior to departure window for our cabin's priority booking for excursions, so I do not know how long beforehand they were available for viewing. We were able to book the excursions on MVJ we wanted without any issues. We were in a JS2, #7006. Very quiet - half way between the stairs/elevators and the Explorer's Lounge, and also on the same deck as World Cafe, Wintergarden and Mamsen's.

Day 6 - 9/15/22, Bornholm (Denmark) - CANCELLED - Unscheduled Sea Day. We had Room Service breakfast this morning, allowing DW to get ready for a morning massage appointment. Shortly after breakfast, the captain made the announcement that we would be missing Bornholm (where we had been due to dock at Noon) due to high winds. This meant we had an unscheduled sea day to make the most of. We were disappointed that we were going to miss our cycling excursion that we had booked for Bornholm, but we had noticed the wind-driven sea was rougher than what we had experienced thus far so the captain's decision was understandable. As DW got worked on by a massage therapist she had nick-named "Iron Fingers" I worked out at the onboard gym, showered and then hit the Spa for more hot/cold insanity. The closest we got to Bornholm were some telephoto lens shots of the shoreline. We rounded the north and west coasts of the island as we made for the German coast. The captain would later announce that instead of arriving in Warnemunde at 6 AM, he was making haste to arrive at 11 PM this same day, so we would get sleep overnight without the ship rolling in the currently agitated waters of the southern Baltic. Lunch at Pool Grill, tea at Wintergarden, followed by a well-prepared Chateaubriand at The Restaurant made for a nice day. As before, the house red wine was really good, and combined with our "floater" poured from our cabin delivery we were well set for the evening. Again, we took advantage of walking the perimeter on Decks 8 and 9 to get some calorie-burning steps in. We got to bed early as we had a long day coming up in Germany. Our notes on the bed: overly hard and uneven - we both like a firm mattress but this was a bit too much. Sadly, we didn't think to ask for a mattress topper (a suggestion I have now seen on this board a number of times) - that's our fault. We will know better for our next cruise - currently set for July 2024.

DAY 5 - 9/14/22, Gdansk (Poland) - part 2 Leaving Malbork, we re-traced our route back to Gdansk to conclude our day with an extensive walking tour of the old town. First, we had lunch at Hotel Gdansk (traditional Polish pierogis, with cake and beer), before seeing some of the sights along the Dlugi Targ (a main shopping and dining street - mostly pedestrianized), for example: Neptune's Fountain, Museum of Gdansk and the beautiful Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This was a very enjoyable day - and the excellent guide made it even more so. I can definitely recommend this excursion (at $189 pp). We finished the day in The Restaurant (and World Cafe for gelato) - I had more pierogis(!) and a quite good Lamb Curry. Dessert was good (as usual).

DAY 5 - 9/14/22, Gdansk (Poland) - part 1 Today, we docked in Gdansk - Poland's largest seaport. Another day with clear, sunny skies. After an early breakfast in World Cafe, we set off on our all-day optional excursion, "Malbork Castle & Gdansk." Note: this excursion is listed as 'demanding' as there is a lot of walking involved - including inclines, stairways and uneven surfaces. After leaving the industrial area of the seaport via motor coach, we were soon on our way to the Polish countryside on Route 7 and crossing the Vistula River. Turning south on Route 55 would take us to Malbork - a town founded Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. Our reason for being in Malborg was to visit its UNESCO World Heritage Site - Malbork Castle, situated on the Nogat River. From this location, the Teutonic Knights controlled a monopoly on the trade of amber. The castle has a long, varied and complex history and is the world's largest brick castle. We had a phenomenal guide on this tour, and she would accompany us all day. You could tell she had a true passion for the history, art and architecture of some of the jewels of her homeland.