Moby_Spout

About the British Museum...Sorry your guide was a bit of a dud, DesertCruiser. Are there any tips, etc for visiting there? We're heading to BI in summer. So happy you all are on the water and ready for adventure!

To keep with the packing theme - footwear. Did you guys tend to keep your sandals on for treks after wet landings? Change shoes? Wear socks and sandals (that comfy fashion faux pas)?

We're looking at the Galapagos in 2025 and see there are two main circuits - north loop and south loop. Has anyone done both? Like b-2-b? Just wondering if it would be too much, too duplicative??

Oh, good thought on TA use. Viking is working on resetting. Thanks for the quick replies.

Has anyone found their MVJ locked in the couple of hours before the race time to select excursions? I looked at mine earlier today and could access all. Now, a few hours later (and about 2 before the time), I get a notice that its 'view only' because its being used by another device. We aren't logged in, so wondering if its how Viking controls access?

One alternative that has worked for me if a diffuser isn't available is to put a knee high nylon over the dryer end and leave a little space between both (secure with rubber band). It can't stay on for endless minutes, but enough to get my hair settled.

Thoughtful! I'm taking notes. Hopefully, the cruise isn't an anticlimax after all the excitement and activity to prepare for it! 😄

Thank you! All this info will save me wasting clicks out of the starting gate. Also useful to have the strategies of book/cancel later and retry. Makes sense if others are book/cancel later there will be new openings all the time.

In the race for capturing shore ex, at what point on the website will you see a particular tour is sold out? For example, is 'sold out' displayed on a day's main list (photo) of tours, or once you click on 'learn more' to get into the tour details, hours, etc, or??

It seems like there's an evolving basket of offers depending on bookings for a particular cruise. So a general strategy question: We are considering the 2025 Australia Circumnavigation and have gotten a $1000 'future guest' offer. Our current cruise is in August. Do the on board rebooking opportunities improve and we should wait till we're on this 2024 cruise to book the 2025 cruise?

Something as necessary and universal can be made so complicated, and profitable (but i do appreciate clean restrooms). Thanks for the tip - I'll be sure to have some euros for the deposit.

Excursion reviews seem to be sprinkled all over CC. But it sounds like you are thinking about a central location that could be dynamic - current experience posted on more static tours and new additions getting their review. Maybe if you didn't want to use the existing CC Forums on various locations and be Viking specific - could there be something like the Viking Roll Calls, i.e. Excursion Roll Calls with the Alhambra Roll Call, iconic Berlin Roll Call, etc??

Ok, sounds like dinner is a winner. What comes in 2nd - breakfast or lunch? Which is your favorite, and which place (world, poolside, etc.)?

Oh boy, appeal, variety, availability...no wonder people do back-to-back cruises. Who wants to cook after that! 😃

The food sure is pretty! What are the normal hours for the different restaurants, like Manfredi, World Cafe and Restaurant? Are they mostly overlapping times, or some open late or early?

What a generous group this Viking forum is! So many are willing to take the time to answer with their experience, and each post has provided something useful. Our first Viking cruise should be awesome with a ship-load of folk like you.

One reason we chose Viking was their emphasis on knowledge through Port Talks/Briefings. In general - as I respect each cruise is different, as is passengers' knowledge base - have the talks helped you better prepare for the port experience? When (time of day) are the talks usually held?

Yeah, sorry. That was sort of a 'how long is a piece of string' question. But appreciate the general comment. We've been on different cruise lines and I'm interested in the Viking vibe which seems a bit more laid-back rather than rush the gang-plank.

From experience with cruises in the Northern European part of the world, about how many of the Viking ship's passengers take an excursion (paid, free, own)? And about how many ships tend to be in port, in general. I'm just marveling at what a whopping logistics effort it must take to accommodate the sea of humanity!

All useful input to better understand what might occur, thank you. We've heard varying thoughts on keeping passports with us on-shore or leaving in room/safe. Sounds like we just remain flexible (truly the universal travel advice). A side question - are there no more covid vaccine/negative test paperwork requ's? (EU, Scandinavia, specifically.)

Thanks! Doing the 'fastest finger' online duel with several hundred other passengers is daunting. And we have 20 tours to capture. But the advice given here on CC sure helps. ('Course, then I realize I'll be up against many of the same experienced cruisers! 😱😃)

Peregrina, when you say you 'grabbed two or three...' and then checked out, could you have done all the optional ones you wanted? So, if I use ACH, can I load all 9 paid tours (x2 to include my spouse) that I want and then check out? Or is that amount of time - to find/load/pay more than two or three, a risk to lose some tours to faster check outs? IE, the tours in your cart aren't 'protected'?

Our first European cruise covers Scandinavia and BI - so some EU and some not. When disembarking at the various ports, is there a passport check? If so, what's involved and how congested does that get (generally)?

Question for cruisers who 'gotta go' -- My husband needs to find bathrooms frequently (even if we cut liquids hours before). In general, how available are public restrooms on tours and in port/cities in Britain and Scandinavia? Any advice on finding restrooms? Thanks for sharing your input on output. 😄