exploretheworldkb77

2 hours ago, pontac said:

Day 6 – Wednesday 3 July 2024

 

Today most people took the full day excursion to Salamanca, leaving at 09:00. We’d been there on our previous Douro cruise with Viking and didn’t fancy the long coach ride.

Instead we were one of a small group to visit the sleep old village of Freixa de Espada à Cinta. The name means sword on the belt of an ash and according to the legend we were told a king tied his sword belt around an ash tree under which he slept and had a dream about his coming success in war. When he woke he declared the village be known as Freixa de Espada à Cinta. There’s a 550+ year old ash tree with a huge metal belt and sword next to a church and the ruins of a castle.

We entered a small museum in an old house equipped to show how people lived in old times, then we went to a modern small museum of silk. This was the place where they made silk in the pre-industrial way.

 

They had everything, including some silk worms eating leaves.

 

Then a 10-minute drive to Quinta do Sagueiro. This is a vineyard and farm. The energetic owners have rooms they rent via various sites. We sat at large round tables on their patio under umbrellas with jugs of cold freshly made lemonade, pastries, sandwiches, olives and slices of ripe juicy oranges. The owner, Margarida, had baked an apple cake for us and cut wedges which she put on our plates. Her husband then poured wine for us. They grow grapes of the region which go to the local co-operative. The red wine was delicious and I had a second glass. And I regret not trying his Port.

 

Margarida came around with almonds from their trees which she’d caramelised, and then she sang fado. It was an idyllic spot, a feast of food and welcoming generous hosts. I wanted to buy a bottle of the red wine (a blend of Tourigas Nacional & Franca and Tinto Roriz), but neither of us had Euros on us and they didn’t take plastic. But they insisted I take the bottle, and later give €10 to the Scenic guide who’d pass it on next time Scenic returned to them.

 

Food and drink kept being pressed on us but we had to return to the boat for lunch.

 

At 14:20 we moved to let Viking Hemming moor and we rafted on the outside.

 

After the Salamanca contingent returned we set off at 18:30 back down river to Pocinho which we arrived around 20:00 and rafted to another boat, our cabin facing theirs.

 

Overnight Location: Pocinho

https://what3words.com/hilarious.proofread.surroundings

Thank you for sharing your wonderful pictures and the story behind the tree!

13 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

There's a time limit for which to transfer direct V booking to a TA. When I last booked direct, with intent to transfer to TA, I remember it being 60 days.  Someone please correct me, if different. 

 

Cruise lines can and do change policies without notice.  Suggest you call in to find out.

This is accurate information.

If you are booking more than a year in advance with Viking, you can negotiate the final payment to one year in advance. If you have an existing sailing with Viking that you haven't traveled on yet and then decide to book a second cruise, the second cruise final payment date can be extended to six months prior to departure. It's still due a lot earlier than Avalon but those are some loop holes you can consider.

4 hours ago, Daisi said:

@Tedferg, the one major difference between Viking and Avalon is that if you are booking your cruise more than 6 months ahead, you will have to pay Viking sooner. I’m not sure exactly how long they allow from initial booking to final payment, but I know it’s early. Avalon is the standard 90 days before sailing to pay. Something to consider. I say 6 months, because even if you do have to pay shortly after booking, you would be paying Avalon 3 months later. If you’re planning your trip for next year, you might want to check with Viking before booking when final payment is due. I see another post here today with someone getting surprised that they have to pay so early.

If you are booking more than a year in advance with Viking, you can negotiate the final payment to one year in advance. If you have an existing sailing with Viking that you haven't traveled on yet and then decide to book a second cruise, the second cruise final payment date can be extended to six months prior to departure. It's still due a lot earlier than Avalon but those are some loop holes you can consider.

11 hours ago, edgee said:

I have not sailed Avalon but read that they now offer an alternative buffet dinner for those who do not want to do a sit down multi course dinner in the dining room. Has anyone experienced this option? Trying to confirm if it is true.

I've had their buffet dinner a few times and believe it is a good option for a quick dinner if you want to get off the ship in the evening to explore. It is the same food as in the dining room but smaller portions.

On 7/14/2024 at 9:32 AM, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

@cbr663 Thank you for the detailed response.  What you have relayed to me falls in line with what my expectations were and is consistent with the Ocean cruises I have taken where excursions were booked with the cruise line.  Thankfully I have a stock of Euro coin to start me with and I will easily be able to get more as I go by buying a coffee here a beer there in cash.  

55 cruises?! That is impressive! Do you have a favorite cruise line?

On 7/11/2024 at 4:49 PM, SantaFe1 said:

In my opinion, Viking makes a lot more money on European cruises and sells out the ships.  Not so much with the N. America cruises, so they reposition the ship.  Oddly, the next cruise I was planning to book was the West Indies cruise in March of 2026 over my birthday.  I guess that’s out?

March 2026 is available on their website. Looks promising for your birthday celebration!

On 7/11/2024 at 4:28 PM, Azulann said:

Got a email today from Viking .Due to  changes globally, The Viking Sea cruise I had booked for $25.00 with payment May 2025 is now cancelled.

Oh well, back to the  drawing board and now I can think about different Viking cruise for 2025. 

I've never experienced Viking canceling a cruise before. It is good to hear that they give you a lot of notice!

On 6/30/2022 at 11:00 AM, Clay Clayton said:

I’d like to suggest that we start a thread where those who receive emailed promos from Viking post them.  
 

IFrom what I can determine, Viking doesn’t always include everyone on their mailing list with all promo emails. We lucked out and got the one for our upcoming (🤞if it’s not canceled) Hong Kong to Bangkok cruise but we really want to go on this cruise next summer but prefer to book with a promo code. 

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/iceland-norway-arctic-explorer/index.html

That's an excellent idea! I am not sure how Viking determines who receives those emails. You would think it is everyone who signs up for their promo/email newsletters hmmmm

23 hours ago, Globecruiser22 said:

We just disembarked after a great cruise from Bergen to Stockholm (June 28-July 12).  After cruising extensively on Seabourn, Silversea and Regent, we decided to try Viking and we are very happy we did.  Great itinerary, great food, great crew and a great casual, non-pretentious ambiance.  We love going to lectures, and we particularly enjoyed the highly informative, educational and entertaining lectures from a theatrical producer from NY, Steven Rivellino. He truly stood out as a highlight of this trip. Outstanding presentations, accompanied by beautiful graphics and videoclips, and a wonderful, charismatic personality.  The other lecturer and the resident historian were less engaging and there was a lot of overlap in their subject matter. We heard quite a bot about the history of the Vikings ands the cities we visited.  It was somewhat redundant especially since there was also a port talk every day ion every port of call. Viking Venus singers and the evening shows were top-notch, and so were the shows given by the cruise directors and the assistant cruise director, both excellent singers. We were also very impressed by Viking's efficiency in handling the embarkation process, the transfers from the airport to ship and the tours.  Very well organized, no crowding at the gangway, and there was always a Viking representative available and visible at every port of a call.  Overall, a great experience.  In many ways, Viking surpasses the quality of many other, more expensive cruise lines we have been on. My wife and I will definitely return to Viking in the near future.

Thank you for sharing your experience on the Viking Homelands cruise! 

On 6/5/2024 at 11:23 PM, CielBleu said:

We have cruised on Avalon, so I can tell you that their middle and upper level French balcony panoramic cabins are 200 square feet. I can't remember right now what the square footage of the rooms on the lower level is.

Their smallest cabins are 172 sq ft so still much larger than the Viking smallest cabins.