frickwg

My wife and I tried it once on our first Viking cruise.  Low resolution, fuzzy, not worth the effort.  Too bad as it was a good idea!

On 1/8/2024 at 12:05 PM, WhereInTheWorldIsKarla said:

If you are lucky in the future and a movie is playing or a tour is offered to Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, take it.  Inside it is like a gigantic "Zorro" TV set. They often show old B&W pre-talky films with the huge organ rising from the center of the stage playing "Hooray for Hollywood!"

 

 

 

Oceania has released a new list and schedule of shore excursions for this cruise. 

Perhaps not as many and as varied as before the port change, but it includes shore excursions for the days in the new-changed-rescheduled ports.

It has been about a month since the ports and shoerxs changed.  No changes by Oceania since then!

My wife and I are booked on the 12/19/23 to 12/29/23 cruise to the UAE.

As booked the itinerary was:

·        Dec 19 Dubai, UAE, Embark                                                                           # of Shorex

·        Dec 20 Dubai, UAE                                                                                                10

·        Dec 21 Khasab, Oman                                                                                           3          

·        Dec 22 Fujairah, UAE                                                                                             3          

·        Dec 23 Muscat, Oman                                                                                            8          

·        Dec 24 Cruising the Gulf of Oman & Persian Gulf                                                     At Sea

·        Dec 25 Bahrain, Bahrain 8:00 AM 6:00 PM                                                               5

·        Dec 26 Doha, Qatar9:00 PM 8:00 AM 7:00 PM                                                         4

·        Dec 27 Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates7:00 AM 7:00 PM 8:00 AM 6:00 PM           8

·        Dec 28 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate8:00 AM 6:00 PM 7:00 AM 11:59 PM              5

·        Dec 29 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate8:00 AM 6:00 PM,                                          Disembark

First of all, war, weather, political situations are all beyond the control of Oceania or any other cruise line.

The new schedule is:

·        Dec 19 Dubai, UAE, Embark                                                                  # of Shorex

·        Dec 20 Dubai, UAE                                                                                      17

·        Dec 21 Dubai, UAE                                                                                      0  ZERO

·        Dec 22 Doha, Qatar                                                                                     0  ZERO

·        Dec 23 Doha, Qatar                                                                                     0  ZERO

·        Dec 24 Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates 8:00 AM                                       8

·        Dec 25 Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emir                                                          0  ZERO

·        Dec 26 Cruising The Gulf Of Oman & Persian Gulf                                         At Sea

·        Dec 27 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate12:00 PM 8:00 AM                              0  ZERO

·        Dec 28 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate 8:00 AM                                            12

·        Dec 29 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate,                                                      Disembark

But, when such things happen well before the sailing, the cruise lines can and must adjust their schedules (and shore excursions1) as best they can.  

But, if the changes are extensive, Oceania should offer cancelation refund, and/or future credit.

I want my money back or future credit!  I have cruised with Oceania before, like the brand/ships and would be glad to travel at a later time/place.  This is not what I paid for!

To quote Rudyard Kipling , “When at Raffles, why not visit Singapore?”
 

I always do, magnificent!

I am looking at booking another Windstar cruise on one of the stretched, old Seabourn Ships.  I was in the old cabins several times when they were Seaborn and once in an old cabin after they were stretched (not much change).

How are the new cabins in the stretched section?  They seem to be about the same size.  Bathroom (tub/shower or shower), size, décor, fitting, quiet......

I have stayed at the Athens Marriot.  A good hotel but the rooftop bar and night time view of the acropolis makes it special. Recommended for that

One thing to remember!

Seeing Northern Lights is like gambling or two roulette wheels: The Lights and then the Weather.  Even if you will a million bucks on one wheel you can lose it all on the second.  Both must hit to see anything.  We had a great time on a similar Viking cruise, but saw nothing!

For a real ship's position from AIS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_identification_system)

try

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:7378997/mmsi:258024000/imo:9845922/vessel:VIKING_SATURN 

AIS is required for ships over a certain tonnages/Country of Registry.

Hmmm.  Why don’t they give the real name of the port?

Is “Western shore of the lagoon in Venice” like Oakland being the Eastern shore of San Francisco Bay?

Or is that Sacramento??  San Jose???

How can you pre-book spa treatments on Windstar?

In my list of "go to" places in entire the world Antarctica was first!  Incredible, fantastic and better. 

But you must  take a cruise that includes South Georgia.   Everything like Antarctica , but smaller!  And of course go on Lindblad!

On 2/15/2022 at 5:34 AM, deec said:

Mich3554.  We  leave next week for Santiago.  Can you suggest some things to do in the city?  Where did you eat?  Did you have a local guide for the city?  Hoping to do a wine tour!  Also keeping fingers crossed that we won't be quarantined in our room for an entire day waiting for Covid results. I have done so little planning because we were never sure that we would go!  Our awesome trip will start soon!  Hope it is as wonderful as yours...plan to drink loads of lemonade from the lemons that may dot our journey!!!

I recommend the wine tour.  Great fun!!

A Serious Complaint about Viking Ocean

I have been on 3 Viking Ocean cruises.

My assessment:

·        The Ship:  Superb!  Right size, has everything you need or want and none of the things you don't want or that annoy you (Casino, Photographer, Gold-by-the Inch, Art Auctions, etc.)

·        The Cabins.  Excellent, spacious, good balconies, crisp Scandinavian decor.

·        Public spaces.  Well placed, well equipped, and sized with a variety of places to park on a day at sea or at the ends of a day in port, again crisp Scandinavian decor.

·        Food:  Very Good.  Two specially restaurants (though I not a fan of Chef's Table) and great main venues.   Lots of menu choices with good to excellent wines and drinks.

·        Service:  Very Good.  Knowledgeable, attentive, understanding, and helpful.

·        Lectures and destination information.  Superb.  Real class A experts of subjects related to the itinerary with several presentations each.

So, what's my problem?

Itineraries!  It not the ones they have, it the ones they don't have.  Viking Ocean seems to run in grooves in the ocean.  Nice groves (Northern Europe, UK, Med, some Asia) but grooves non-the-less.  Even their world cruises follow the same grooves!

What about: Africa, other Asia routes, Emirates, Indian Ocean Islands, South Africa trans-oceanic (Cape Town to Buenos Aires with St. Helena).  Off the routine remote islands? 

I want to take more Viking Ocean cruises, but I want to try new places.  They have lots of ships and are getting more!  Experiment!  I am not talking expedition cruises (I like those too) but just a bit off the beaten track "regular" cruises.

Just got back from this cruise and I could not see an advantage to either side.

I just got back from a superb Viking cruise in the Caribbean. The cruise was excellent and the health protection standards for COVID 19 were superb.  Viking’s COVID 19 practices are the gold standard for cruise lines.

Interestingly, I had a chance to spend a few minutes looking at the very nice model of the Viking Star on deck 2, near the cruise consultant’s desk.  On that model on deck 9 aft was what appeared to be a small pool and “recreation area.”  Passengers cannot access deck 9 aft and it is not shown on the deck plans.

Builder’s models are not always 100% accurate in the details of the final product and things may have changed since ship was planned/built.  I was unable to find a picture from a high angle of the stern of the ship to see that deck. Lots of deck plans, lots of three-quarter view pictures from sea level or slightly above, but nothing that would show me whether what was shown on the model actually exists.

How curious.  

Any guesses, Facts?

I won't comment on your choice of pre by Viking in Oslo.

BUT, the train trip (Oslo-Bergen) is worth the price of admission.  Some schedules would allow a stop to take the Flam line to Flam and return to continue by regular train.

Spectacular !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does any know if there is a free ship's  (or pay) shuttle from the cruise dock to town  (~4 km).  Would not mind walking, but probably not in March!!!

I was unimpressed with the planetarium.  Shows were just OK and image resolution poor.

They Listened to us!

I just went on Lindblad’s website and they have changed the maps from "uncluttered, modern, sexy, state of the art, wonderful graphic expression" ones back to “normal” and useful cruise itinerary maps.

But, since you must reserve well in advance, before the cruise, I want to choose broadly what I want to "pay" for!

Is there a way to know what the menu/region/cuisine will be on which days in the Chef’s Table in advance on a certain day/days for my cruise this December??

You might look at the reviews on the website...

While I see pre-cruise, shore-ex, on the myviking, no mention of post cruise to airport.  Is it offered???