The Other Tom

I was replying to the "no caste" comment, which is mostly before you board. But I agree that once on board, you have access to all areas of the ship, unlike the major cruise lines. And no one knows what category you are. And no special treatment when you leave for an excursion, or disembark.

I agree with everything you posted except this one. Higher category staterooms have privileges, like first shot at excursions and specialty restaurants. On our recent Viking cruise, we were unable to book one excursion that we wanted, and NO specialty restaurants. And yes, we checked while on board and asked to be put on a wait list.

I've seen way too many posts where one Viking agent says something that's not true. I don't know why Viking can't get their act together.

That looks like a pic taken with a telephoto lens, which compresses distance and makes it look like it dominates the skyline.

You can take your own luggage (we do) unless it won't fit in the x-ray machine. The machines at some ports are smaller (narrower) than the ones at the airport. In that case, you have to leave your bags with a porter who will take them to a larger (wider) machine, and it will (hopefully) be delivered to your room. Like you, NCL "lost" my large bag once, but it was found in a crew only area.

I think it's the policy of all cruise lines. You have to cancel and re-book to get the lower rate.

Book your own air and arrive several days early in Rome. That way you will have plenty of time to explore and be able to see more things. If you like history, you don't want to spend "just a day" in Rome. Likewise, you could extend your stay but the point is allow several days in Rome.

Does the device connect to your phone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth? If it's by Bluetooth, then you don't need Wi-Fi.

I'm pretty sure no Norwegian ship has self-service laundry. There is a pay per item laundry where you put your clothes in a bag and leave the bag on your bed. Your room steward will pick them up and return your clean clothes. Sometimes there is a $20 or $25 fill a bag special where everything in the bag is cleaned for one set price.

Yeah, you have to have a clear sky and be able to see stars before you can see the N. Lights. Viking is the only line I know of that does a N. Light cruise. Of course you could always do a land tour but it's really best to be north of the artic circle with good weather. That's sometimes a rare combination.

The ship's movement doesn't create winds strong enough to close the balcony doors. I've been on ships that sailed through strong (like 75mph) winds. ALL outside doors were closed. It doesn't matter what room you have under those conditions...you're not going to use any balcony.

why would you have limited use of the balcony?

Hope that was iced coffee😁

you can pay by echeck and buy insurance separately. There are lots of policies available, so read the terms carefully. I use insuremytrip.com Edit: There is an insurance forum here on cruisecritic. You might get more/better answers there.

thanks for the report. Hope you guys dodge the bug.

You have no way of knowing if my head gets cold or not.

I challenge you to shave your head and see....

Some of us are follicle challenged and we need insulation to keep the top of our head warm. Others have medical reasons.

Yep. That's what I use. Keeps the rain off my glasses and face as well.

Viking issued us some non-refundable OBC, which went straight to paying "tips". If we had pre-paid, we would have lost the OBC.

I'm really enjoying your pictures. Thanks for posting.

We wanted a taxi when we disembarked so we asked one of the Viking reps in the terminal for advice. He pulled out his cell phone and was about to call one when another rep came up and pointed out one in the parking lot. There is also a small kiosk on one of the posts to call a taxi if no one is around.

Not everyone did that.

You've missed the point. Yes, we know weather can affect any cruise, and especially North Sea weather. BUT, when a cruise is shortened by two days, I expect a refund for those two days that were missed. After all, the cruise line has my money and I didn't get any value for that money. The cruise line put the money in the bank and counted it as profit. Some may say they used the money to pay for the two extra days the previous cruise got. I say why should I pay for someone else's cruise.

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for taking us along.