Peregrina651

Normally, if the tour start time is listed on MVJ as 8:30am, you will be on your bus, ready to leave by 8:30 am. The meeting time will figure in the amount of time needed to tender to the dock. The time to get to the bus is not taken from the length of the tour.

Thanks for the link. I've been keeping a list of BIE threads in this forum since I booked the trip way back when. I know these things get lost quickly but I also know that they are full of helpful information from folks who have already done BIE. BIE Cruise Questions - Ports, London extension Random thoughts about our British Isles cruise British Isles Explorer Cruise excursions https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2862566-viking-british-isles-cruise-tips-for-others-going-on-this-cruise/page/6/#comment-64571383 British Isles Explorer Past Cruisers - Questions British Isles Explorer Cruise Favorite British Isles Explorer port souvenirs Live thread: Onboard Neptune now - British Isles Explorer See especially posts #132 and 136 British Isles Explorer 2023 - terrific video diary! "Churchill's Britain": pre-excursion on BIE cruise Advice on British Isles Explorer excursions

I agree with CurlerRob. Contact the folks at TellUs. They will probably call you to answer your questions. if you don't like the answers you get, ask to speak to a supervisor and so on until you find some who knows what they are talking about. If you work with a travel agent, get them involved in finding the right person for you to talk to.

What about just moving the booking? Or will they roll the penalty into the new booking?

First, check with Viking. Ask them what the deadline is for cancelling Viking Air. I think it is 70 days out but safer to get the info from Viking. Then, make the new flights before cancelling the Viking flights.

We did this one with Viking and loved it! After visiting the Necropolises with the guide, once we got to the town, we did the museum on our own and then wandered aimless around the town -- and stopped in one of the bar/cafes for a warm drink. Hope you enjoy your morning in Tarquinia as much as we did.

My money is on Noon, even though there is the whole ship to turn around. (At the same time, you should be warned that there is a reason I am not a gambler.) Check the room when you board, it might be far enough along that you can leave your bags in the room rather than having to drag them to lunch with you.

Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, Viking tries not to have guests hanging around the terminal and will begin boarding once the departing guests have cleared the gangway. Check in and boarding is first-come-first served and not by cabin category. Cabin ready time is a latest time. Check your cabin when you board. Fleet-wide goal is to have all cabins ready by 2pm. There is only one shipwide announcement regarding cabins and that is when all of the cabins are ready. Your cabin stewards will be on the watch for you. They want to introduce themselves and to give you a tour of your cabin, answer your question and find out if you have any request (extra towels, extra/different pillows, special requests for the mini-fridge, etc.)

So much for that guess

Lots of places close on Easter Sunday. Ostia and the Etruscan Necropolises may have on that list.

We went with Viking. Loved the tour and the town.

No thank you. I must be the only one who likes Chef's Table and enjoys eating there even with allergies. Why do I insist on eating at CT even if they have to change the menu/recipes for me? Because my husband does not have the same issues I do and he likes the food in CT. Why should he be denied the pleasure on his vacation because changes have to be made for me? It isn't always about me and what I can eat. If Viking is willing to accommodate me (and they are), why shouldn't we go together and enjoy the meal. For us, CT is more than a food experience, it is a social experience as well. The atmosphere in the dining room is a lot quieter and more peaceful than any of the other venues.

There are lots of sources for historical weather information: The Weather Channel WeatherBug Timeanddate.com are just three sources to consult to get a general idea of what it might be like during your time there. You'll have to research each port on your itinerary.

Thank you. I feel a lot better now. I was so worried that your plan for Rome would end in disappointment. Overheard while waiting to enter the Borghese: ...next to Bernini, Michaelangelo was a beginner.

I'm not happy with the math -- and I am also a member of the 'plan for the worst' school . Two hours into Rome (i.e. 9:30 to 11:30) and then back on the bus by 2:30pm. My calculator says its 3 hours to spend in Rome, not five -- and the 3 hours includes having to get to and from where the bus drops you and picks you up. Take at least 45 minutes off the 3 hours for this. When we did the included tour on a non-turnover day, which had free time at the Vatican, we got off the buses in the parking garage outside the Vatican walls and then walked to the point where we would regroup an hour and a half later for the walk back to the bus (Casa Cattolico?, a gift shop where Viking has arranged for us to use the bathrooms). To get to the Vatican Museum from there, it is a walk along the outside of the perimeter wall -- or better, take a cab there and back. I would not expect to be able to get to the Museum entrance cutting through the Vatican, especially because there is a security check to go through -- and that tends to be a bottleneck, as can be the line and the security check to get into the Museum. Lots of time consuming hurdles before you can even get into the Museum. If Sistine Chapel is on your ticket, then go straight to the chapel spend a few minutes -- the chapel will be wall to wall people all trying to look up at the ceiling -- then check out the rest of the museum. (Our strategy is to pick out a handful of must-see items, plan a path from point to point and then proceed to take in as much as we can along our route.) The Galleria Borghese is a whole lot easier to see in the time allowed. It is a much smaller museum with far fewer people having to be processed for entrance at any point during the day -- plus the Bernini sculptures on display there are mind boggling.

Tromso, save your pennies and do it on your own. The best view of the Arctic Church is from a distance. Interior is plain and simple. Cable car closes if it is windy. Cable car gets fogged in regularly. No refund from the tour if you miss the cable car. Take a cab there and back if the weather is clear. Polar Museum. Great but I found the museum too small for groups. We ended up wandering off on our own.

Arrrrgh, doesn't it drive you crazy😵‍💫 when your device posts before you are ready? Sooo, frustrating!! But, did you know that we have a 20 minute window to edit a post? It is very easy (i use it all the time because I can't type and my proofreading is even worse). Beside the post number is a 3 dot icon . Just click on and it will give you three choices (if you only see 2, then the edit period is closed). Choose EDIT. Make your changes and then click SAVE, below the enter text box. Voila! Fixed! PS, when you board the ship, if you think you will be unhappy so far forward, check with Guest Service and ask about the possibility of changing your cabin.

Tellus@vikingcruises.com if @vikingoceancruises.com bounces

Snipped from the Viking website. I believe 3003 is where I drew the vertical red line right in the middle of the veranda.All of the ships are the same. Sorry it isn't a bigger picture. This picture was found here https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/viking-star.html scroll down.

There are two different configurations for storage in the DV/V cabins. Star, Sea and Sky (last I heard) do not have storage drawers in the closet (my preferred layout) and do have a single hanging bar running the full wide of the closet with a shelf above the hanging bar and floor space below. The rest of the ships have hanging space with shelf above behind one sliding door and three drawers with shirt hanging space above behind the other. The drawers are always at the foot of the bed, else the nightstand is in the way. The hanger supply is unlimited, Just ask your steward.

See, that's the joy of this place. You get a lot of different points of view and then you weigh the pros and cons and maybe figure out what is right for you.

OP is doing Barcelona to Rome. I don't pack my boots, I wear them on the plane. Besides the fact that we take only carry-on luggage (so limited space), we never know what the weather will be like in our driveway. I'm a fan of sheepskin and wool for winter warmth. My boots are faux Uggs, low cut, and they great for all weather except the rain. I bring a cashmere cardigan for warmth without bulk, especially in the suitcase. There are free launderettes on the ship as well a laundry service, and we take advantage of both. Yes, shops are open. You are going to major cities that never roll up the sidewalks. February is not school vacation time in Europe, so not a lot of vacationing families to deal with but still none of sights will be tourist-free. In Marseilles we never got into the city. We took the tour to Aix-en-Provence. Most enjoyable. No interest in Monaco. We took the 100 bus to Nice and back. New Years day. Museums closed. Walked along the water to the Old Town. Lounged in an outdoor cafe sipping hot beverage and soaking up the sun. Delightfully French. Livorno. Got ourselves to Florence and back. Lovely day. Not our first visit to the city so no real agenda. We did buy tickets to the Uffizi in advance and then ran a few errands (limoncello filled chocolates for our daughter).

On board the ship wear what you would wear at home during the winter. Bring an extra layer with you in the evening in case it is cooler than you like.

Welcome! You have gone to MyVikingJourney.com, opened your account, added you cruise and booked you shore excursions, right? Even the included tours should be reserved in advance. You can do this up to 8 days before departing. BTW, everything on MVJ will be deleted by the time you board the ship. Make copies of anything there that you want to save for future reference before you leave home. Winter along the Med is like winter in D.C. but perhaps a smidgen warmer. You need a winter coat and you need to keep your feet warm when you are out and about -- hats and gloves, too. It is not like doing the Caribbean in winter. At the same time, you can get temps into the 60s, so layers are helpful. Rain even snow are possible, just as are bright, sunny days. I wouldn't waste space trying to pack shorts; I believe you have zeros days at sea and it will never be warm enough to tour in them. Yes to bathing suits, nonetheless, especially if you are planning on checking out the spa facilities (free to all guests; changing room and lockers included). Seas, like weather, are unpredictable. Never leave home without seasickness remedies. The ports. Viking runs free shuttle buses in most of the ports.How far they take you depends on the port. Someone started a thread about them. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2984008-mediterranean-ports-with-viking-shuttles/?do=getNewComment This is a start. Others will jump in with more information and to fill the holes I'm sure I left.

Sometimes they have used Brooklyn.