new2cruise

This is such an excellent review.  We're going on this same cruise and I'd like to invite others that have gone on this cruise to please add their own insights on the Viking excursions or other options at each port.

19 minutes ago, amtatom said:

We did this cruise last year. We are not big drinkers, so we didn’t do any wine tours, although I know the area around Napier is generally considered the best wine-producing region in New Zealand.

 

As for other tours, we were disappointed in the three included we took (Sydney, Melbourne, and Dunedin), so much so that we cancelled the rest. Sydney was the worst. Our primary complaint was they were all “panoramic” bus tours which is not our style at all. However, this was partially my fault as they’re listed as such; but it was our first VO cruise after a wonderful river cruise so I thought the included tours would be more similar. But the Viking optional excursions were excellent and more active. I did a write up here on CC back in March 2023 of our excursions.

 

I would also encourage a trip to Hobbiton. I am not a Lord of the Rings fan (although my husband is) and I found it well-organized, beautiful, and charming. Hobbiton is closer to Rotorua than Auckland. However, if you have a week to kill in Auckland and you have other sights to see in Rotorua, it might be worth the extra drive.

Amtatom, thank you for this info.  Could you add a link to your write up?

I'd like to hear specifically about the excursions that Viking offers on this itinerary, both the included and optional ones, and if there are better alternatives.

Thanks!

On 1/2/2024 at 10:49 PM, gr'aunt said:

Last night I found a detailed review (including menus) of Orion. It was written shortly after the first sailing. The writer had a bias, I’m sure- (“comped” trip?)-but I felt she did a fair job.

Hi Gr'aunt, 

Could you direct me to the detailed review that you mention here?

On 1/2/2024 at 10:49 PM, gr'aunt said:

I called Viking today to ask some specific questions and was lucky to reach someone who was attentive, knowledgeable and answered my questions, and then had questions of her own…which resulted in me feeling more confident that we’ve made the right choice for “us”.

And if the questions you asked were not personal, would you mind you sharing the answers you  received?

We're going on the Orion on the reverse route - Sydney to Aukland and look forward to gaining as much advance info on the ship and the cruise as possible.

Thanks!

I guess we could make this specific to Viking excursions.

I recently read a very detailed excursion review for the Australia/New Zealand cruise and I thought it might be a good idea to start an excursion review thread.  This poster gave the following information:

Which cruise they were on

City and Port Location

Shuttle bus info, if applicable

Public transportation info, if available

Name of excursion and whether it was a Viking excursion, another company's excursion, or a DIY excursion

Brief detail of the excursion and how they liked it.

Would a thread like this work?

We're looking at an 11-day Caribbean cruise on the Eclipse.  We prefer a mid-ship cabin with a balcony, and only cabins above and below us.  What are the best cabins with those parameters?  Also what is the benefit of the Concierge class?

Thank you!

We're flying in from US to YVR.  We'll go through customs there, so will we have to go through customs again at the port?  We don't have a GOES card.

We're staying at the Auberge Hotel on W. Hastings.  Thought we'd just walk down to the port - Is this a good idea?    We're not Elite/Platinum or Suite, so it will take us longer, I'm sure

thermal - is that for when 3 ships are in port? Or do we need to add even more time?

Thanks cr8tiv1 - We're departing on June 14 - THREE ships😵‍💫!!!

We'll pack some patience!

I've read that the port in Vancouver is REALLY crowded and busy.  What time should we get there to be able to board by 11 or 11:30?

Just got an email from Princess that says I need to select arrival time and confirm passage contract on medallion. 

When I open the app I see the QR code and it says to proceed to the green lane.  I scroll down a bit to where there is a green check next to Passage Contract, and I click on that. There is a light gray check mark there.  I try to click on it but it won't let me. What to do now?

Where do I select arrival time?

Thanks Rick and Jeannie - that's what I was afraid of.  I use a special hair dryer (for thick, unmanageable hair - don't even ask!), so I need to use the hair dryer that I'm bringing. 

We will be in cabin C 515 (premium balcony) on the Sapphire.  In order to use my own hair dryer in the bathroom, will I need an extension cord?  If so, how long a cord should I bring?

Thank you!

We're looking for a mid-ship cabin on the Silhouette.  We've never been in a cabin with an upper bed.  It's just going to be the two of us in the cabin and my husband is 6'2".  Is this something that he could hit his head on?

2 hours ago, victoriaj said:

Anything you particularly want to know just ask. Have a great Cruise!!!!

Thanks victoriaj!  Glad to hear you had such a great time!  It makes me even more excited for our cruise.

Could you tell me if you went on any excursions in Juneau or Skagway?  How did you like them?

12 minutes ago, BazAl said:

Is anyone willing to link me the Bennett trip that you guys are speaking highly off.  I found a couple of options and I don't want to book/possibly book the wrong one.

This is the one I’m going on.  They offer several other tours too.

https://chilkootcharters.com/bennett-scenic-journey/

So if we all have iphones, what should we set our wifi and cellular settings to?

3 hours ago, oldplayer532 said:

We've booked an independent white pass combo bus/train excursion for 8:30 am. Will see soon enough!

 

 

Oldplayer, Who are  you booked with?  We're going with Chilkoot to Bennett.  Is that the combo you're going on?

Thank you!  If I have friends on another booking, can I locate them?

I won’t be purchasing the ship's WiFi so what features will I still be able to use?  Can I still locate my companions on board with my cell phone?

Last week I enjoyed the live posts from the Sapphire in Alaska, as that's the ship we'll be taking in a few weeks.  I'd love to hear some reports about the ship and excursions this week.  Any takers?

Thank you for your detailed reply!

We will be arriving at Terminal M (Air Canada) at YVR and need to get to the Auberge Vancouver Hotel at 87 West Hastings St. near Canada Place. I have lots of questions as to using Skytrain:

1.  How far is it from Terminal M to the Skytrain station?

2.  How often does it run?

3.  Where is the station that we will get off?

Thank you!