miami mama

There have been some included tours that I have enjoyed and there have been some that I use for the transportation (if there are no shuttle buses being provided) and end up going off on our own. Of course we notify the guide of what we are doing so no one is waiting for us if we don't meet up with the group again. We have found public transportation options in most European cities to be reliable and safe and there are always taxis if time is a concern. Because we often wonder off, this occurs primarily on city tours not if we are being transported out to the wilderness somewhere. To keep life interesting we do like to mix things up. If we choose to do a paid Viking tour we usually try to match it up with an included one (if it is more than driving around a city). If we do something on our own, we try to do most everything far from the ship in the morning and then work our way back closer to the ship by the afternoon. We do also book excursions with outside vendors (making sure their reviews include information from satisfied cruisers who were returned to their ships on time). It's a nice option to have an included tour but it does not limit what we want to consider (at least at this point in our lives).

When we did the Norway in a Nutshell on our own, it was one ticket that we purchased. When one part of it finished, you were easily directed to where you needed to go next. We did not do the Flamsbama train with Viking as that train is usually very full. We decided to extend our trip in Bergen and do it all starting and ending there before flying back home. I think we got to see the most scenic parts of both possibilities (part of Bergen to Oslo and then the train to Flam, ferry and bus). It was a very full day but absolutely beautiful.

DrKoob, I have really enjoyed your pictures. Thank you so much for sharing. The possible answer to the question on the tree in Cortone might be cork oak tree (or some other kind of oak).

I did call my Viking agent and they confirmed what Mitina wrote above. We made all of our arrangements based on everyone being transported from the old terminal by bus to wherever the ship was docked. Our agent indicated the port currently showing for our cruise next year is Venezia. A few years ago that would have meant the Venezia Cruise Terminal on the island. Even now the agent indicates the listed terminal is about 10 miles from the airport (about the distrance from Marco Polo to the island) . We all know Viking can't dock there. I guess I will need to wait to see where exactly we are instructed to embark. If the ship is located a significant distrance from where my agent informs me it is to be, I am hoping Viking will make the appropraite arrangements for everyone expecting Venezia.

When we boarded one of our cruises in Greenwich, we took a taxi to the staging site. (There was not really a terminal there and it was necessary to have a tender deliver us to the ship.) Our large luggage was collected onshore and delivered to our room. We kept possession of our carryons as we were tendered to the ship. On another cruise, we walked to our room on the ship with all of our luggage. Guess it just depends. However, if you need help, they will certainly provide it for you.

We have now been on three Viking ocean cruises and two of the times we arranged our transportation to the ship since we were doing our own pre-extensions. We did use Viking Air for the Canadian expedition cruise so we ended up having a private car service from the airport through New York City. Have to say that was very nice. When we arranged transportation to the ship the other two times in Europe, no problem. The ship was close to the city we were staying at. However, we will be staying in Venice a few nights, and I'm a little concerned with how we are going to get to Chioggia if that is the port we will be using. (And since several different ports have been used in Venice over the past several months, it sounds like we need to think of several contingency plans.) It almost seems cheaper to catch the bus/train back to the airport and use Viking transfer to facilitate the move to the ship, whereever it is. Have you run across anyone that joined the ship in Venice after spending time there, and if so, what did they arrange to get to the ship?

Thank you both, Shmabbies and Debbieandnorm. We are in our early 70's and do want to do part of the wall. When DrKoob said he did the equivalent of 37 flights of stairs, I knew we would be taking a shortened version. Also interesting to know that Croatia is changing over to the Euro. We still have Croatian currency from 3/2020 when we were originally going to be taking the Mediterrean Odyssey cruise. Had wanted to finally get rid of it but may be out of luck. Will look into this. Thanks Shmabbies.

DrKoob if one did not want to walk the whole wall, are there several places (entrances/exits) that one can use to shorten the walk or pick it back up if doing something else in the city center?

Your picture of the restaurant sign was helpful. I found a sign picture like the one above among those for a tripadvisor restaurant listed in Athens as 5F.

If you haven't gotten some kind of mattress topper yet, please do so. This is not an uncommon request. If you already have one and it is not enough, ask for a a second one or speak to the manager to see if there is another solution. We have found people on the ship to be most accomodating and will go the extra two miles to make sure you are well rested and feed.

I found the beds on Octantis to be much more comfortable than the ones I have had on the ocean ships. On Ocean I always have to ask for extra padding. On the cruise for next year, I will be putting in a request ahead of time so that I don't have to suffer through the first night. DrKoob, the service you received in the restaurant certainly sounds like a one-off. Hope things have gotten better.

Barcelona is one city where there are so many things to do and see that I would definitely want to book on my own. However, if security issues are of concern (as they are just beginning to be for us) doing a pre-extension with a group might be a good fit. Keep checking if this is the case. If it is not, you can certainly find lodging, transportation and food for less than the cost of the pre-extension.

Thanks for the info. Nothing at CVS for this area but Walgreens was scheduling.

Glad to see this question posted. Ends up the information from tellus was wrong. The professional ones are in the restaurant but the ones in the staterooms are not and continue to take the original pods. You can get extra pods from housekeeping but they are not very strong.

My husband and I have traveled extensively but only have been on 6 cruises. On our first 5 cruises (prior to the pandemic), we became ill, once from Noro and the other 4 cruises with horrible colds and/or the flu. Our last cruise was on Octantis during April when daily testing was occurring. Not only did we not become ill, it did not appear there were any cases of Covid. People didn't even appear to have the sniffles, and that included the staff. The few minutes per day that was required to complete testing was well worth it. I will say we also were among the few people on board that wore masks while walking around the ship. It was such a pleasure to come home healthy and happy. I am sorry to hear of the current spread of covid on Viking ships since the change in policy. I have two cruises planned for the first part of next year but am seriously reconsidering them.