Peregrina651

No converter needed on the ships; in hotels, maybe. There are both120v outlets in the cabin and 220v outlets. There are also USB outlets. Most cell phones and cameras can be charged using either 120v or 220v (but need an adapter for the 220 outlet). Confirm the device specs before you try to use 220v outlet; it will need a plug adapter. The Viking FAQ has more info. Don't use hairdryers or other high wattage devices in the bathroom plug meant for shavers; it will blow the fuse.

From my notes for upcoming BIE: NORWAY Flam railway excursion availability This excursion is not on our itinerary but there maybe some helpful comments there for those of us who are planning on doing this on our own. 8 Tips for the Bergen to Oslo Train Trip This thread, on the other hand, is amazingly helpful both for those who are taking the Viking post-cruise extension to Oslo and those who will be doing it on their own. Note that you can pay for luggage forwarding when you make your own booking, so that you don't have to deal with luggage if you choose to do the detour to Flam. Disembarkation to Bergen Train station? https://www.flybussen.no/en/airports/bergen-airport-flybussen-bergen/ Things I wished I had packed for Norway Bergen is the rainiest city in the world with rain on at least 2/3 of the days of the year. Come prepared. Bergen-Stave Church and Concert Mt. Floien Hike - Bergen Norway The Scenic Flåm Railway https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2947038-question-for-recent-bie-greenwich-to-bergen-passengers/ My Shorex reviews from our 2021 Iceland Circumnavigation with Viking: Reykjavik: Included tour: "Snapshots of Reykjavik" It is what it is -- an hour and half bus ride around Reykjavik and a chance to see things a bit further out of town that you might not otherwise see (which is why we chose to do the tour in the first place). I thought that it was a good tour, nicely planned and giving a wide overview of the city. No pit stop. Completely accessible. Good value for $$. Optional: Viking Museum & Reykjanes Peninsula: I was looking forward to this one and in the end, I did not like it at all. It was a long bus ride with one 15 minute stop at the Seltun geothermal pools (smelly but interesting and deserving of more time), one 5 minute photo stop at a lake (could have been completely eliminated) and a longer stop for bathrooms and shopping at the Viking Museum. The tour, although the description touted the meeting of the continental plates, did not include a stop at "Bridge Between the Continents" which would have been far more interesting than the lake or the overly long amount of time spent at the Viking Museum. Accessibility: Very accessible. Very little walking. Rollator/walker/ friendly. Hiking boots/poles not needed. Isafjordur. Optional: Vigur Island. Loved it, top to bottom. A simple, short well planned circuit to see the puffins, eider ducks and Arctic terns that nest on the island. Guide/owner excellent -- gracious, knowledgeable and informative. Accessibility: Not very accessible. Steep ramps to reach the ferry to the island and at the island --and can be slippery when wet or damp. On the island, rough, uneven walking surface and narrow paths are not rollator/walker friendly. No steps. Availability very limited: only 22 people per tour. Notes on the ferry boat: seating for 22 people inside and a few more seats outside. Steep steps involved in getting on and off the boat. (Learn more about the island here: https://www.vigurisland.com/about) Akureyri Optional: "Northern's Iceland's Natural Treasures" -- Loved it. Well done and well organized. Exactly what I was looking for -- a smattering of the various natural features of the area - pseudo-craters, waterfalls, geothermal mud pools and lava labyrinths. The tour was exactly as described on paper, though not necessarily seen in the same order. Lunch was good -- filling and healthy -- but wish I had known about the ice cream stand sooner -- don't linger of lunch so you have time for dessert. Accessibility: depends on the stop but most are a short walk from the bus. Rollator/walker accessible (except for the pseudo-craters which have steps). Paved hiking paths at the lava labyrinth are steep in places but you can go as far in as you wish and turn back at any time. Mud pools are fairly flat and you don't have to walk very far to get the ideal of what it is all about. Waterfall has paved path all the way to the falls but it is a bit of a walk to the edge of the falls if that is your goal. Seydisfjordur Optional: Skalanes Nature Center -- another owner-operated venture. Loved it. Olly (sp?) is knowledgeable and informative -- and has a lot to say -- and not just about the birds and flowers. It is obvious that the nature center, which is a working research station for researchers from around the world, is a labor of love. Some of my best photos of the trip come from these few hours. The best part of the tour is the viewing platform that the owner has built at the cliffs to make it easier to see the birds that nest there (puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, etc.). Accessibility: bus ride over mostly gravel roads. Fords three streams which can be very rough and jolting (think disc and other back issues). Once at the center, it is an 800m walk to the viewing platform over rough uneven ground. The platform itself is reached by stairs -- not steep but equivalent to a couple of flights, no hand-rail (yet?). Djupivogur Optional: Fjallsarlon Ice Lagoon by Zodiac -- Magnificent day. Loved it. Even with the 2+ hour bus ride coming and going so glad we were able to do this excursion. I was worried about getting in and out of the zodiac (short legs and out of shape) but I did just fine. The crew is accustomed to helping folks on and off the boats and loading, unloading is a quick and easy process. Wardrobe note: Contractor provides a warm jacket and life vest but does not provide waterproof pants or boots. Bring waterproof pants because you will want them if it is raining when you get there. Jackets come in multiple sizes. It was warm and sunny and I did not really need the down vest I was wearing. Accessibility: Path down to the lagoon is rough and uneven. Rollator/walker use questionable. Heimaey Optional: Wildlife of Heimaey by Boat -- wet weather made this a disappointment -- cold and wet outside -- no views and exhaust fumes inside. With 20/20 hindsight, we should have chosen a land-based activity as the bird-viewing was just a repeat of Vigur Island and Skalanes. However, if you haven't made it to Vigur or Skalanes, come prepared for the worst. Regardless of the day's forecast, wear/bring waterproof gear including waterproof pants so that you can sit outside without being cold and wet. Seating area is tables with benches -- solid metal, holds the cold and wet. Waterproof your camera equipment. Accessibility: Steep wet ramps on to the boat. Steep wet steps up to the outside viewing deck. An expensive boat ride to be stuck inside. We stayed on for a few days after, to see the Reykjavik area and do the Golden Circle.

Starting 8 days prior to your journey, Viking becomes read only. We can access the booking but no changes, no transactions. By Day 1, the information is gone from the MVJ accounts. Viking sends us multiple e-mails --some go directly to us, some directly to our Travel Agents to be forwarded to us and some to both of us. Some TAs forget to forward the e-mails; so give your TA a heads up and let them know that you want all of the e-mails forwarded to you. If there is anything that you want to save from MVJ, do it before you leave home.

The two oldest ships are Star and Sea, neither of which has made it to its 10th anniversary. Sun has already been sold to a company in China and is being leased back to Viking for its new China itineraries.

My first thought was that all of you merchant mariners are just going to have to come out of retirement to give Viking hand. 😉 and ducking for cover.

I LOVED Passage to Eastern Europe. The Prague extension isn't long enough to soak up the city. It is easy enough to take the train from Prague to Budapest if you extebnd on your own. Or arrive a few days prior to the extension, if you opt for that route. As for Bucharest, to this day I regret not having been able to extend our time there. I know. I will just have to go again!

I'm not surprised. You can build lots of small ships or one big ship. Viking is doing the former. Time has shown that there is a niche for smaller, quieter ships -- and Viking seems very eager to fill that demand.

Check out the River Cruising forum. You will find a whole lot more information there than here.https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/115-river-cruising/ BTW, there are river cruise roll calls as well. They are done by year and itinerary rather than for a single sailing and are more focused on the specific itinerary. Viking River roll calls have their own sub-forum. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/851-viking-river-roll-calls/ If you do the extension, considering arriving early to have even more time in Budapest.

In truth, no matter where you are coming from and where you are headed, the airlines used will depend on which airlines Viking currently has contracts with, which may be different from what was used on past flights.

Sorry for the confusion. Post 48 is not my review; I haven't sailed yet. Giving credit where credit is due, it is Maria's review that I posted with her permission.

This is post# 48 on page 2.

Hmm, I think the photo from the Observatory, along with some photos I googled, answers my question. Even though the EYE website claims that on a clear day you can see to Windsor Castle, we aren't going to see anything but the tallest buildings -- if we can even figure out which was is Greenwich. That means I can book my EYE appointment any day I want. 👀

Today's stupid question. On a clear day, can the Viking ships docked at Greenwich be seen from the top of the EYE? If not, Londoners, where is a good high place to go to get pictures of the ship. Thanks everybody.

Dee, I'm really sorry that you missed the river cruise. We did the river cruise in 2010. Viking's China team has been my gold standard ever since; they were a well-oiled machine with never a missed beat. The river vessel carried around 300 pax. I can't remember how many buses we were but the guide-escorts knew how to stagger arrival times at the various venues such that we were not tripping over one another, including at meals. In country, we were spread over multiple scheduled flights. The guide-escorts were great at getting us through security and on to the plane, with almost no waiting in the lounge area. In other words, they had the people moving down to a science. Most importantly, the our escorts knew where the good bathrooms were -- but even then, you need to bring your own supplies -- tp and sanitizer. (For more details, see the RiverCruising thread called Viking China Part 2) I do agree with you however, that managing 900 vs 300 is a concern but I think Viking's China office is up to the task. There are many hotel options in China and Viking will probably use more than one hotel in each city. Viking has been visiting these cities on a regular basis for well over 10 years. Moreover, I would not be surprised to learn that they have opted less than full capacity at the start of the venture -- similar to the Welcome Back Cruises of 2021, which carried less than 500 pax. What makes you say that? Viking has been already spent over 10 years in China taking boatloads of guests to Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an and Tibet. They already know where to take people for meals. Just know in advance that if you don't like Chinese food, then you should not be considering this itinerary. In China, most of the meals were included even for the land-based portion. Breakfast buffets at the various hotels were huge and varied, catering to many different cultures and their breakfasting preferences. Lunches and dinners were in hotels and other venues that catered to large touring groups. Food was local cuisine served family style on lazy-susans. Sometimes it was buffet. These were venues that served the group tours industry and they operated 7 days a week; they have plenty of experience at serving large groups of people in a timely fashion. Viking has been doing business in China since the mid-2000s and is well respected. They work with local staff, all of whom are trained in the hospitality. They know what they are doing and they understand the audience they are working with.

What a bummer that the invoice spoiled the surprise!

We claimed against the insurance in 2007 for a cellphone dropped and subsequently stolen. No problems. Filed claim; received our check. But that was a long time ago and it was a small claim. The insurance company is still way ahead in the relationship -- we've paid them way more than they have paid us.

😞 Not the same sailing. She'll be disembarking in NYC as you board. Here's my email: peregrina651- cc7 @ yahoo.com (remove all 3 spaces but keep the hyphen). Depending on your device, you may or may not see signature files.

E, I wonder if you will be on board with my sister? Email me; it's in my signature. Whale watching the "demanding " can be as simple as getting on and off the boat, but I'm just guessing. The day before we left for Iceland, I received a cortisone injection for a painful and frozen shoulder. It took another 3 days before I could dress myself. We took the zodiac glacier tour. Fortunately, I was fairly mobile before we reached Djupivogur. The bus ride to the glacier is 2+ hours each way with a pit stop. This is definitely not for the wheelchair dependent. The path to the water is au natural -- rocky, uneven, steep, not paved. I can't remember if anyone used aids. I was too busy watching where I was putting my feet. Getting into the zodiac requires that, dressed in the waterproof safety gear they supply (see photo above) you sit on the edge of the raft, height around 30? inches, and swing your feet up and over into the boat. You may then have to walk to your position on the side of the raft. They load from the rear and fill seats front to back. I was concerned about my shoulder but in the end I was able to do all that was required of me. You sit on the edge of the raft; think blow up swimming pool. Minimal hand holds. AND, it was amazing,thrilling and everything I hoped it would be. I've tried to cover the physical challenge and I hope the more folks can add more details. I will try to remember to add photos later.

Old customs die hard. Once upon a time, in days of yore, when some of us were children, one tipped the attendant in the restroom or cloakroom (especially at fancy hotels, theaters and concert halls). I remember toilets in the department stores and airport with coin slots on the stall doors. Users needed a coin to unlock the stall. In some places, the coin was returned at the end of the transaction. One paid for what one used. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Education is not free; it is paid for by the citizens out of the very high taxes paid. Everyone chips in to ensure that all children, future taxpayers, have access to education. Same way it is done in the US.

It is possible that at the time that PRH was sailing, one of those two was an optional excursion not an included and now for 2024 is being offered as an included.

My bad! Hockeyump is absolutely right. Thanks for catching my error. My eyes skipped right over the word included. It is one included per port, no matter how many days there are in that port. I was able to book two tours in port because one of those tours was an optional tour.

You will get an error message if there is not enough time the two tours. I can't remember how much time is needed (half hour? 45 min? an hour?). I had no trouble signing up for two tours in Holyhead but there is 2 hours between the two tours we want to take. Book the morning tour and then try to book the afternoon tour when you board, even going to the point of trying to get a seat as they are loading the buses (especially if the timing is tight and you don't want to pay for a tour that you might not be able to take because the first tour ran late). Just talk with shorex personnel on the dock; with the joy of mobile phones they can handle the transaction right there. You could book the afternoon and then try to get on the morning tour as just described, but you have to make sure that you get the timing absolutely correct on the morning tour,so that you are back in time. In other words, doing it this way is a bit trickier and a bit more prone to failure.

InsureMyTrip.com They are a broker but you can compare prices. Personally, we have been using TravelGuard for years.

Oh my goodness! Does that look delicious!! Thank you!