Twitchly

4 hours ago, SJD117 said:

The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

I think I’d rather skip the dunk and go straight to the aquavit part. 

12 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

I’ll only comment on food 👍; “entertainment” 👎; lectures 👍.

This sums up our experience beautifully.

1 hour ago, mwike said:

 

 

The dress code is an interesting topic to me and one small item that is likely indicative of numerous policies Viking is contemplating for their future as they expand.  

 

Viking cruises are not an adventure and Dockers are more appropriate for dinner than jeans -  both of these comments seem a little dated to me.  Maybe a valid sentiment of the typical Viking client.  However, I think the under 60 crowd enjoy a bit of adventure in their vacation and likely have a pair of jeans they feel far more presentable than Dockers.  

 

It'll be interesting to see if the younger (relatively speaking) crowd embraces this mindset in a way that allows for expansion or if Viking decides to change their focus a little.  

 

 

 

Good points. I have often thought this myself. We’re a little younger than the average age we see on Viking cruises, and we definitely skew more informal. I don’t associate jeans or shorts with being too “Carnival” or “Walmart.” (Both terms smell just a teensy bit snobbish to me, frankly.) 

But I know that many — most — of the people we cruise with have a more extensive cruising background than we do and are used to a certain formality that comes with cruising, which they enjoy. We respect that. Maybe when we’re both retired we’ll see dressing up as more of an enjoyable event. In the meantime, it’s not like Viking is requiring tuxes and evening gowns. 

As you say, it will be interesting to see what changes the next generation of cruising will bring.

On 7/10/2023 at 5:56 AM, CDNPolar said:

We are on a cruise in a different part of the world to experience different cuisine not eat the same as we do at home.  Steak, pasta, and seafood prepared for a North American palate is not what we are after.

I can relate to this. One thing I appreciate about land tours is the opportunity to eat local food. Would love to see Viking offer more of this, though I understand the complications it would present. 

In Britain last fall, many (most) places took Apple Pay. We could just tap our phone or watch. We carried a backup card just in case. And our health insurance cards, which have a number to call when overseas. No driver’s license. 

Trying to imagine how much someone would have to pay me to get into one of those things …

4 hours ago, cruz_happy said:

We are getting ready to embark on our first Viking cruise.  (It's a river cruise and never been on one although we are experienced cruisers.). Can people wear what I call "dress" t-shirts (ok, sort of an oxymoron; these are nicer ones that have college name or other nice things, e.g., Hawaii, nothing offensive at all) during the day ONLY on the ship?  Can you wear these on shore excursions on Danube river cruise (excluding if going to a cathedral)?  I know I saw a guide before but I cannot seem to find it now. TYIA.

On Ocean ships, daytime clothing can be casual. T-shirts, shorts, fine. It’s just in the evening at three of the four restaurants that things get a bit more formal — collared shirts for men, etc. 

No idea about River ships, but I’ve heard they’re a bit more casual than Ocean. 

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Cakes and cookies all day long in the Living Room Bar, Deck 1 in the Atrium.  

*Now* I find this out.

5 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Heard a wonderful violinist this evening—a destination performance by Tor Jaran Apold in “Norwegian Songbook—The Unforgettable Music of My Childhood.” Several Edvard Grieg numbers.

He’s marvelous! Love the destination performances.

2 hours ago, May B said:

Actually, near the end of our first Viking Ocean last week, Mr B and I compared our Crystal experiences with our Viking Jupiter. We ended in a disagreement! Mr B gives the edge to Viking, while I give it to OC. We have two new Crystal booked, followed by a Viking Saturn in Dec. 2024. By then, we’ll REALLY be able to compare.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on the two cruise lines? And his? 

1 hour ago, Myrtle Ave. Mayhem said:

 

What a fabulous photo!! Thanks for sharing it. I love vintage cruise shots. Another world. 

11 hours ago, DGHOC said:

As ever, your positivity shines through!

My thoughts exactly. 

17 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

Regarding onboard culture, we really didn't find all that much of a difference.

Good to know. Your review was helpful; thanks.

I’d be interested in hearing about dress as well. In particular, do O or Seabourn have formal evenings? That might be a dealbreaker for us unless they’re easily avoidable.

Looking forward to hearing comparisons from those who have cruised Viking plus Seabourn or Oceania. The onboard culture is something I’m particularly interested in hearing about. We fit very well into Viking’s culture; curious how the others compare.

1 hour ago, wine-wine-wine said:

DW has visited Egypt twice, I have only been once. Very intense, very amazing. Needed a vacation afterwards. 

This is exactly how we felt about our recent land tour to Israel/Palestine/Jordan. Like trying to drink from a fire hose. 

8 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

A tote bag isn't practical for me, and I've never missed having one.

We use them for groceries. (Maybe that’s one reason Viking doesn’t offer them. I’m guessing Kroger’s isn’t quite the association they’re looking for.)

On 6/27/2023 at 1:43 PM, Clay Clayton said:

So for us it was a no brainer-$1000 in onboard credits or $420 from our pocket for gratuities.  

Wow. Neither of our travel agents offered anything close to those numbers. 

10 hours ago, Hobson1754 said:

Totally agree with you & less to think about e.g. ‘does this top go with these trousers’!!😏

Another way to handle that is to bring black pants. (Or another neutral.) No need to wonder about pairing. 
 

We have taken cool-weather cruises so far. For the second cruise, we decided to just bring carry-ons because of all the luggage problems the airlines were having. So I left the jeans at home and just brought black knit pants. They went with everything and were wearable in all the restaurants. And they didn’t show dirt, a major plus for a mess like me! 

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

I see our Travel Agent simply as a booking agent who gives us a reward (in our case the maximum onboard credit that Viking allows).

That was the main (only) benefit of our TA experience. Does anyone know if you can get a credit when dealing directly with a Viking?

14 hours ago, Frenchberet said:

Orion and Jupiter.  We attended a couple of the presentations on Orion and thought they were worthwhile.  We were doing the New Zealand and Australia cruise and wished the films would have been more site-specific.

That reminds me of another activity offered on one of our cruises: nighttime star-gazing on the top deck with an astronomer. He was one of the visiting lecturers. 

7 hours ago, purpleally said:

If you don’t know what benefit, you have the wrong TA

I’m sure that’s true. We’ve tried two TAs and had two misses so far. I’m starting to feel like Charlie Brown and the football. At some point you have to know when to say “enough.” Fortunately booking a cruise vacation isn’t exactly complicated. 

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

 

So I should bring my tote from a competing cruise line? 😂

That might be one way to convince Viking to start providing them!

4 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

The duvet is really very pleasant and comfortable.  However, I have asked for those toppers, because I find the beds too hard, but have never gotten one.  

That’s a bummer. We found the beds too hard, too, but didn’t know about the toppers at the time. I was looking forward to getting one next time we sail. 

On our cruise last fall, there were trivia games and “name that tune” games in the Explorer Lounge. Not heavily attended. 
 

On another cruise I attended a class on different ways to tie a scarf. Scintillating stuff.
 

Viking onboard life is pretty quiet overall. We like that about it. 

2 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

A top sheet isn’t standard?

The beds have duvets, no top sheets. (I think this is more typical in Europe, though it’s also what we do in our house.) The duvet cover gets washed with the sheets. 
 

I should add this was on our cooler-weather cruises. Haven’t been on a warm-weather Viking cruise, so I don’t know if they differ. 
 

As mentioned above, if you want a top sheet, just ask. Ditto for a mattress topper if you find the bed too hard.