travel09

Thank you all, we are fine with sea days,crossing the Indian Ocean etc, and no problems ,we are not for the riotious cruising style.! Prinsendam was our all time favourite, on several cruises of a very good length.One should not be influenced by negitive reviews of course..! Reassured greatly by you all.!

Returning to cruising after a large break,HAL passengers of the past,many very enjoyable cruises, until we discovered Viking...Looking now at a Noordam cruise through the Pacific, reading slightly negative reviews of recent times..Understanding that there are always people who find fault, but just interested in an update from very recent times.Do they still offer interesting things on board,[a number of sea days] Cooking classes etc,and in general are things fine.?

Appreciate any recent information.Thank you.

Love travelling along and enjoying the countries,and memories of them from afar. Italy is beautiful, and has beautiful people, the extent of their Covid epedemic was simply terrible for a small nation, with a good health system, everyone suffered, drastically,so caution is their right and should be understandable,and sorry, many countries are greatly wary of Cruise ships, as an avid cruiser we hope that will soon change. Viking does it so well,and stands out as doing so,unfortunaley Covid does not go away,and is still taking lives right around the world. Enjoy every day, no matter where you are.!

So good to see Captain Olaf, the Captain on our last cruise Sydney to UK,via Sth Africa..Viking Sun. A fine man in every respect,managing crew and passengers in such a personable way,remembering our names and Country of origin, and coming back to update previous conversations.. Very happy ship in so many ways... Your Blog is a very nice link to dreams past and present, as a fellow blogger, I understand it is a mission ,but a pleasure. My books [ press a link and it becomes one] are now a delightful link to all cruises past ,like sailing all over again, and recalling details forgotten.. Sail on,and we appreciate everything you write and photograph. I would not dream of asking you to change a thing.!🤔

Such a joy to see your travels,to remember so much of our beautiful world,and feel that it is possible ,that some time ,we will get to travel again,with Viking, who are simply the best.! Heart warming. !

Is this really happening in our world of today, the most terrible thing I have ever heard,  like a" related to genocide event", in the supposedly civilized world...! Shame on every one involved,this will go down in history as blind selfishness ,and the deaths of innocent people, who are unwittingly caught in this terrible web.. ! Like it or not we are all in this together, imagine if Medical People said, we are in danger...sorry we are going home, have some courage and stand up and be counted..!

If anyone can survive this unprecedented crisis, Viking can... They are streets ahead of the competition, and we are all poised, dreams in place, to be there again ASAP..I'm sure..The knockers are always raising their ugly heads, lets ignore and be grateful. I think it takes courage to cancel ,but really anyone poised to cruise, should be wondering if it was a wise decision to go ,I would have imagined...Lets look ahead to much better things...!

You can rest assured that Viking,in their organised and efficient manner ,will do the very right thing for everyone,passengers, crew, and their cruise line..I have complete faith in their decisions,disappointing for some, or not. Making quick and good decisions, already evident,gives confidence to all who are so looking forward to sailing with them in the future.

You have to have a shuttle, cannot walk in the Port area, so the buses have a drop off point near the Park, in the city, running frequently,Dublin is easy on foot, and miles to discover, several Parks, so much history,and perhaps a ships tour in the morning and enjoy Dublin in the afternoon..Ireland is a heart warming place,  you will not be disappointed when ever you choose..!

May I add that having sailed on a lengthy voyage on Oceania, Insignia, enjoyed their destinations imensley,  their spaces , food and excellent crew,a few years later we graduated to Viking on an equally lengthy journey..

Viking is simply a cut above the rest, beautiful new ships,with spaces which need to be experienced to appreciate. Look at the meaning of Hygge, its so true.!

A whole different feeling aboard a Viking ocean ship, no doubt,and very hard to go back to anyone else, except on price.! We have loved every cruise over time ,being HAL advocates for a very long time, tried Azamara, and Princess, .would never discredit any cruise line...but we cannot wait to be back on Viking Ocean,they do it impeccably , we love, their policy of no casinos, no kids ,no art auctions, no photographers, they have simply removed everything that was remotely annoying...They are a no nonsense, efficient line, which we love...

However there are always some whom it may not suit, I could not find fault,but it is a case of different strokes for different folks, so remembering how fortunate we are to be able to travel,[you will never please everyone],  honestly its fabulous.!

Remember you need to leave the ship promptly, they are welcoming aboard another cruise, in a very short time, and need to "Clear The Decks",so to speak,you can always find a place to wait, railway stations are interesting places.! I think 9am would be the very latest you could disembark.

Like most cruises, different people wear and do different things, don't over think it, simply be comfortable.Viking is a relaxed,beautiful way to cruise, I doubt if you can find better. The things they have removed, they have done so for a reason, careful study makes them unique, in lots of ways. The included excursions we found, were good and many were not just a bus and a walk,in town . Many choices..[ Sydney to Greenwich March 19],which included South Africa, so an in -depth lengthy time of knowing how Viking operates.If you look at Hygge, and its meaning, this is Viking, beautiful spaces, food and staff...Generous with wine and beer at meal times..also many special occasions around the Pool, with wonderful food and drinks included.

Lots of cruising over many years,with many lines,and we have loved every one, but Viking it seems to us, is just a step up from all the rest.So much is included. Enjoy..

I am following,with great interest, this journey. We were on Viking Sun earlier this year, Sydney to Greenwich, and loved every minute .One of the most special things were the the Crew, from the Captain to the Cleaners ,simply wonderful people, and we wondered how they could all be chosen so well...! A great feeling of "Family" resulted from all of this, and saying goodbye was simply sad.! However, I am unsure that the complete world journey was so easy for all the crew,and when asked ,the odd person was not sure they would like to do it all again.Perhaps this is part of the reason for change,but So Many changes, in the smiling faces, would spoil things, greatly, for me anyway.!

Traveled for many months on Viking Sun, ate almost every single day in World Cafe, for all meals, quite particular about most things ,but NEVER any hint of anything unpleasant . Should this be unsuitable, there are many easy options.Being grateful for what is in each day, on the Planet may help.!

On 5/28/2019 at 11:35 AM, Pushka said:

Yes - I think at 5pm it was announced we were passing some villages. 

In excess of 8000 posts...Glory be, rest easy and simply enjoy your cruise, the pages of anxiety were all to no avail in the end...!

Have many traveled too far, perhaps too often, and expect too much.?? Remember some Ports, especially in New Zealand are now overwhelmed by very large ships ,several at once, the laid back feeling of many Ports, all around the world is no longer. We ,and I include myself... are inundating small places ,in large numbers.. Take a walk perhaps, as we did a lot in Northern Europe, feel the places you visit,and most of all, carefully do your homework, on where you are going ,and what to expect.That takes time and effort.. Asia is different,and perhaps not quite what you may expect,is that not what travel is all about..?. Cruise lines cannot be all things to all people, everyone expects or likes different things.Enjoy the moment,there is so much about cruising to simply love...its different from where you live, but that should be what you come to enjoy..How fortunate we are, to see the world in such a wonderful way. Be grateful you can do this...! 

3 hours ago, Hockeyump said:

Why were the included ones not available?  Every passenger has a right to an included tour.

The included Tours are always available,they do not offer Game Parks ,which are more expensive . There is always an included excursion,in each Port, which is a very good part of a Viking Cruise.

I am disappointed to hear that they do have a limit on numbers for the more extensive and better excursions, as it showed them Sold Out, many months ago, that would mean they are quite happy for their passengers to make their own arrangements and take private tours, which is not the choice of everyone, especially in Africa, .  We will see what unfolds.

Very pleased to say I have a Game Park, not what we wanted ,but it will be fine, I shall persevere with careful checking, and there well may be more, I believe. [From Viking Australia] we should add to our wish list, as it is checked by Viking, and they make more space available accordingly, sounds good , very hopeful this is correct, and all will be well for everyone.. . Very different system from any previous cruises, a little hard to come to grips with, like a free for all, on a given day...but in the end we will all think positively, hope for the best outcome ..!

Rather disappointed that today, Shore Excursions Day for those boarding in Sydney,[ well us mere mortals], and not one Game Park to be had, I had hoped that as time passed some may become available,but simply nothing at all...Africa ,think of the Game Parks, but no, not for us sadly... so I guess we just go ahead and book private excursions ,where possible, I will try the Roll call ,and hope there may be others who could or would share a special journey, like to the Elephant Park. Feeling this is not quite what we hoped for, right now.!

I can recommend a beautiful place to stay, near the Port of Rome, right on the Med, at Santa Marinella. This is a small Family run Hotel,Villa Delle Palme, it is one of the most special experiences we have had in all our travels. The staff are amazing, friendly and kind. Very good restaurant,on site, sea side.You can walk for miles, so interesting and lovely.  walking distance from the train, and just one stop from the Port at Citivecchia, or easy to reach by car. You can visit Rome easily, should you wish, but so peaceful. We stayed 6 days, and would return in a minute. Reasonably priced, on of life's hidden treasures..

It is certain that we require a proper face to face meeting,many forms etc,to get our Visa to enter South Africa, have just had that verified. It is of course our responsibility to obtain and make sure on this . I understand .I am posting to warn any potential New Zealand Passport holders, that this is the case. We were advised otherwise by Viking,via our Travel Agent, because of course each country is different. Our agent is now assisting in obtaining all the required documents. The Visa cannot be applied for until 90 days before departure.

Before final payment I inquired via our Travel Agent, if a Visa was required for South Africa, the answer from Viking Ocean was NO, now just to be very sure ,I have asked again, and it seems that this is not the case for New Zealand citizens, a visa IS required, on advice from the South African Consulate . This requires much information and a trip to actually present ourselves to them in person,in Wellington, and considerable expense . In case anyone else is in a similar position, be aware you are paying a lot of money for your cruise to be denied entry to the place you probably most want to see.! We are Sydney to Greenwich March 2019. 

Like everything else on Prinsendam, tendering works like clockwork, a smooth process, not long waiting.An outstanding crew ,that smile in the face of adversity, as in people who are so dangerously impaired and tenders are a threat to their well being.!..All is taken care of ,Prinsendam is a wonderful experience in so many ways.[6 weeks earlier this year and previous sailing], and could have gone on forever...! A sad day when it is no longer part of the fleet,a real experience of the traditions of being at sea,and Prinsendam always has surprises, of places and sights not included, detours to wonderful places, just the best experience ever. It is ,in my opinion for the real Explorer .! This is all led from the Bridge, a "Happy Ship "simply the best.!Enjoy..

We went as far as the Polar Ice,on Prinsendam,in 2014,after amazing sights along the way,in the Fjords of Spitsbergen, a tender was lowered and the crew gathered ice, for drinks later on...The weather was perfect, calm all the way and not a lot of fog, though I know this can be a problem .It is a fascinating part of the world ,and you will never regret the journey...!

I have been assured, by those on last years journey, that invariably it all evens out ,and we will be unlikely to miss excursions. Already many shore excursions, like the Safari excursions show Booked Out, but when I contacted Viking they say they will become available nearer the time.. Until your date for booking excursions, one will never know, and by then we are committed, but I have been assured ,by those who have gone before and found it was okay. I would be bitterly disappointed to think otherwise..56 days is a lengthy cruise ,with Africa the focus, so lets hope for the best...and some efficient and fair juggling, on the part of Viking Ocean..