SoBaycruiser

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

When you say regular shoes, if you're referring to the average sneaker, etc. I wouldn't plan on your feet staying warm. I'd consider taking along something rated a bit higher for cold weather, preferably waterproof - also thermal / heat socks. Same for having good gloves. The key to the clothing is, as you may have already read elsewhere - to dress in layers. You are correct about evening excursions. Some of the private ones can wind up going for 4-5 hours or more. Ship excursions for the NL tend to be shorter. Our (ship) excursion had a lodge that you could go in to get warm - had hot tea, chocolate, pastries, etc. I think I spent more time in there than searching for the NL 😃

At the moment, Viking is saying ONLY ship’s excursions due to Covid protocol.  I’m hoping in a year that will have changed.  I’d like to find someone who will “chase the lights” looking for clear skies.  As I type this Tromso has a K5 Aurora event happening but they are 97% cloudy.  

Rita

6 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Welcome to the Explorers Lounge, Rita. Having cruised the R-ships, I suspect you will be amazed at the Viking washrooms. Even in DV and V they are palatial compared to the R-ships.😀

 

Which cruise did you book?

 

Well, breakfast is over, so time for an IPA. Jim, are you heading up to Explorers, or are you settled in the Living Room?😁🍺 

We booked the March 1 Northern Lights trip... a year from today!  We think the Explorers lounge will be a fantastic place to be in a cold weather itinerary.

re The washrooms: it would be hard not to be bigger than the Rships! 😉

Rita

First time in the Explorers Lounge.  Glad to see the warm and friendly atmosphere. We just booked our first Viking cruise in 2022 largely because of this lounge (and the itinerary). We have been cruising almost exclusively on R-ships (Azamara and Princess) because we like smaller ships and we LOVE the forward looking lounges.  I just don’t understand all these larger ships putting their lounges in the bowels of the ships!  We look forward to someday meeting you in the lounge in person.

Rita

2 minutes ago, johneb2 said:

Ron, I packed my ski pants and ski jacket.  It kept me warm & dry.  I would suggest waterproof shoes that have good traction instead of boots, a warm hat, and winter gloves.  Remember it will be cold with possible snow and ice.  You may want to consider layers for clothing.  I did not have any problem with airline luggage or cabin storage. Just be mindful of the weight limitations of the baggage.  Even with my photo equipment, I was still able to easily comply with those weights.   JohnEB

Hi, that was me, Rita, that asked.  
 

We went on a NE Greeenland expedition cruise with another line 3 years ago and so we have a bought a lot of cold weather clothing for that trip... merino wool base layer, fleece mid layer and waterproof outer layer.  However, the cruise provided the heavy warm jacket and Muck boots.  My large suitcase broke open in transit on that trip because I was packed to the gills.  That’s why I asked about the boots in particular. I am assuming the Northern Lights excursions require being outdoor in the cold for hours.  Were your feet warm enough in regular shoes?

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Hi Ron,

 

Glad that the pictures posted by John and I have so encouraged you! It is truly an amazing itinerary, one that I've been thinking about so much lately. I might well be tempted to do it again at some point. I agree that 2022 should be looking much better for traveling. We also have a cruise booked for that month and also one in May. Best wishes to everyone there....

We are also booked on a March 2022 Northern Lights trip.  Is there anything you wish you knew (other than how the trip ended) that you could share with us?  How did have room to pack warm boots and a heavy jacket?  I guess the jacket could be carried on the plane but boots take up a lot of room and can be heavy.

The reason I asked the original question is that a few years ago we took an Alaskan cruise in early June on Seabourn. It had some very active excursions like kayaking at the base of a glacier.  The only place that one could eat in the evening in jeans was at the grill outside by the pool ...which had insufficient heaters.  We came in late one evening from an excursion and didn’t feel like dressing for dinner.  Apparently many others felt the same.  There were no unoccupied tables.  Luckily a couple took pity on us and offered to share their table with us.  We had no heater and it was 48 F.  I vowed then I would never presume what the dress code would be when booking a trip.

Thank you everyone.  This sounds perfect!  I have no problem with the MDR dress code.  It’s just nice to know that things are more relaxed in the World Cafe ...especially on the more “outdoorsy” itineraries.

The Viking website says the dress code for all dining venues is “elegant casual”.  Does this mean that one has to “dress” for the World Cafe?  We are hoping to go on one of the Northern Lights cruises.  If we come in from a day out in snow and cold and don’t want to “dine”, are we relegated to room service?  On many cruise lines, one can come in from an all day excursion and eat in the buffet without changing.  I certainly don’t expect to do this regularly, but it’s nice to know that it is an option.

On 2/6/2021 at 1:27 PM, OnTheJourney said:

 

I've found that iphones often don't even work in cold weather. Since I was using that to try and get aurora pictures, I kept it in my coat pocket as often as possible. 

On our expeditionary trip to NE Greenland  (with another cruise line), we would spend hours out on zodiacs in the cold.  We found the batteries in our newer IPhones lasted much longer than our bigger cameras.  I felt it was because the iPhone was easy to slip inside my jacket when not photographing (similar to your attempts) while the larger camera was exposed to the cold more.  So I plan to have both available.  

I’m afraid this closes our chapter with Princess cruises.  We took many a trip on her R ships. We had one planned in April of this year that was cancelled.  It’s too bad as we will have to give up some credits but the only cruise we ever didn’t enjoy was on a larger ship and I think it was only 2200 passengers.  Each to there own. I know others love the big ships.  Adios cruisers!

We have loved the R-ships and the only one left is the Pacific Princess.  If you are going anywhere scenic (not just every day in port), then I suggest the Pacific Princess because of its forward facing lounge.  Unfortunately Princess has followed the recent trend to put all the lounges in the bowels of the ship.  The Pacific Princess has a large forward facing lounge on deck ten.  It’s great for Alaska, Norwegian fjords or anywhere that the scenery is beautiful.  ...that and I love the intimacy of a smaller ship.

On 1/7/2021 at 7:21 AM, suzyed said:

We had one cancelled a month or so ago.  Still shows as "upcoming cruise" and still says "manage" but of course I can't manage it.  The thing is, it's still listed wit FCD applied. 

We had this situation and wanted to rebook with the FCC as our deposit.  Unfortunately the FCC had expired during the time since we booked the canceled cruise.  I had to request an extension of the FCC and an extension on the deposit date.  It took about 6 weeks before the FCC were returned to my account and myTA could apply them to the room I had been holding for a future cruise.

My cruise for April 2021 was canceled.   I had used a FCC that had an expiration date of Dec 2019.  Princess did not automatically renew it.  When I tried to transfer it as my deposit on an October cruise, they said it had to be approved.  (They did hold my deposit date open while I waited for approval).  It took at least 6 weeks to get approval and it was extended 2 more years. Only then could my TA use it for my deposit.  I know the staff are busy but one would think they could authorize the booking agent to extend it.

On 7/12/2020 at 8:19 PM, Cruisegroover said:

I have been wondering about the polar code as well. I have booked on the 4 Jan 2022 cruise but thinking of changing it to 19 Dec 2021. If the new requirements take effect 1 Jan 2022 and if Sapphire have an Ice Class certificate valid until 31st Dec. 2021 then technically they cruise further than they could on 4 Jan cruise.  It's seems to be very hard to find the correct information but I will keep trying.

 

I had originally booked at cruise for Jan 2021 but have cancelled due to an indefinite travel ban the Australian Government has placed on us. Fingers crossed end of next year we can travel.

I think I’d stick with the January trip.  When we went in January 2008, we had a wonderful time. Six weeks before, the MV Explorer hit ice and sunk.  All the passengers were rescued.  We had no problem getting into areas of beauty.  We got down to 65S on that trip.  I’m not saying Princess would do anything unsafe.  Just that you might have to see things from afar if there is a lot of ice.  Then again with global warming it might be totally different now.

3 hours ago, Alaskanb said:

We have been on the Island (Alaska) pre-changes and the Coral (Panama Canal) two years ago. We hope to be on the Island in October 2021 to the Med. We found the Coral to be the perfect ship for us as we primarily cruise for itinerary. I will miss the International Cafe on the Island. 

The only issue we had on the Island was the Horizon Court became very crowded on scenic sailing days when it was very cold or wet. Take rain and cold weather gear just in case, also waterproof shoes. 

Also recollect there are some "secret" outdoor viewing areas far aft on some of the decks. 

Thank you. That was very helpful. That was my concern on a northern lights cruise.  It will be very cold and we love cruising up the fjords. I wonder if we will we be fighting for a spot with a view after days at sea ?  

2 hours ago, skynight said:

Check out these areas:

Conservatory above the indoor pool. This area is in high demand.

Should be seats near the windows in Crooner's Bar area, deck 7, mid ship.

Library deck 8, mid ship. Limited seating.

All around the Lotus indoor pool.

Probably limited seats at La Patisserie, deck 5, mid ship. 

Window seats at the Wheelhouse Bar. This area may be used for CD activities such as trivia.

Thanks! I’ll check those out.

4 hours ago, Waynetor said:

Horizon Court is open all day.  It is not nice to just sit there taking up a table during prime meal times but fine other times.  The ship has an indoor and outdoor pool, both of which have lounge chairs facing the sea. 

 

 

Thank you for the info.  Of course we wouldn’t take up a seat during main dining times. I was thinking of the off hours.  I didn’t know that it had an indoor pool.  That would be helpful in the cold weather.

Hi!

We are considering a cruise on the Island Princess next fall.  We love small ships and most of our 17 cruises have been on R ships or smaller.  So the Island Princess seems really big to us.  It seems like the more recent reviews are negative about the rearrangement of venue locations aboard ship such as the location of the gym.  The cruise we are considering is a cold weather trip (Northern Europe) with quite a few days at sea.

1) Does the ship have any area where one can sit and enjoy the view from inside the ship?

2) since the Horizon Court appears to face forward with a view, is it open all day if one just wants to sit there and read a book?

3) cabins are described as small but how do they compare with the Pacific Princess... in which we do okay.

Any other pros and cons of the ship?

Since the Pacific Princess itineraries have been canceled through the end of November and resume in Tahiti in December it makes sense for them to use her to transport crew to the Philippines and hopefully find a place to wait out the pandemic.

On 3/15/2020 at 6:21 PM, byanks7 said:

For a cruise in the $10,000 range, a 125% cruise credit works out to be $12,500 to use on a future cruise. If one rebooks a similarly priced cruise, what do you do with the $2,500.00 in onboard credit? 

By now many have rebooked their cruises and found out that they don’t get %125 of the total they paid.  They subtract out all the port fees and taxes as well as prepaid items and refund that part to you.  The remaining amount (basically the cost of the room before taxes) then is multiplied by 1.25 and that is the credit you get.  That is then applied to your next booking including the taxes and port fees for the new cruise.  So you don’t end up with quite as much OBC as you first thought.  I’m not complaining, just explaining.

Meanwhile what is everyone doing about their flights?  Our 4/4 trip was canceled and I have requested a specific cruise date.  But we need 2 adjoining rooms on that date  and if we don’t get that we will have to cancel going.  I don’t want to be stuck with $5000 credit in airline vouchers with no place to use them. (There are 7 of us that were flying cross country during Spring break so flights were expensive.)

Disney has made a short term offer to cruisers in the next few months starting today:

https://disneycruiselineblog.com/2020/03/disney-cruise-line-institutes-temporary-policy-changes-allowing-guests-to-cancel-sailings-for-full-refund-due-along-with-nes-screenings-at-embarkation-to-coronavirus-threat-covid-19/

8 hours ago, blue_water said:

I would suggest Cane Garden Bay, that is where most of your fellow cruise mates will go for a beach, but it is a large bay with several restaurants and lounge/umbrella rentals. We like Myett’s for its location but you have choices. A resident there reports decent snorkeling further out on the west end along the rocks.

 

If snorkeling is a priority Brewers Bay is probably a better choice, there is one beach bar and lounges and natural shade.

 

Both beaches are serviced by taxi...

 Thank you.

7 hours ago, blue_water said:

Probably differing opinions and I hope others will share their recommendations. I think it is safe enough, especially sitting in the center of a bench, but not the most comfortable or enjoyable ride. So I would suggest a van taxi for your larger group just for more comfort and less worry about the two year old...The info center can help with that, and driver should return for you at an agreed upon time if you want that...

Thank you.  Do you mean there is an information center when one gets off the ship? 

Are these open air safari taxis really safe for a 2 year old going over the windy roads?  We are a group of 7 and wondered if we should be considering a more conventional taxi?

Thanks