claranda

Nice to hear from Australians planning to come our way, and even nicer to hear that you’re getting vaccinated at last! We’re hoping Australia will in turn open up in time for us to go there at the end of 2022 on a Regent cruise that gets to Sydney on 29 December. In the meantime, we’ve been venturing out and have just returned from a week in Italy (Bologna, Ferrara, Venice). As others have said, it’s a bit of a hassle with forms and tests, but worth it just for the change of scene….the tougher rules on masks in Italy were a bit of a relief after the current free-for-all in the UK.
 

We’re cruising Seabourn in February and Viking in March (if no more cancellations). I would be a bit worried if the requirement for double vaccination was not still in place, I must say. I can understand the wide variation in views here - it’s human nature. Added to which, Seabourn cruisers are usually of a certain age and older people can be more vulnerable as well as more cautious. 

Hi All

I’m in Venice at the moment, it’s sooooo nice to be out of the UK…. But we’ll also be in Venice in March boarding our first Viking cruise. We’ll probably only stay over the one night beforehand and I’m wondering if anyone knows if Viking picks you up from the city and transfers you to the ship, and, if so, from where - Piazzale Roma? Might affect our choice of overnight hotel. Thanks

If you stay in or near Canterbury, do try to have lunch or dinner at Reads down the road near Faversham. It’s a bit out of the way to stay at if you don’t have a car, but the food is excellent….. . 

www.reads.co.uk

In rural North Yorkshire, double-jabbed, we’ve felt pretty secure and have enjoyed being able to go to local pubs and restaurants, albeit with customers and staff masking up when moving around. Not so when I was down in London last week, very few masks in evidence and the usual crush of people at the Chelsea Flower Show. Call me irresponsible, but I’d booked seats for Mamma Mia, and as I stood in the midst of a maskless crowd, arms waving and belting out ‘Dancing Queeen’, I thought…’if I don’t get it now….’ . I didn’t, but looking forward to my booster!

It seems such an odd decision considering that there are only 2/3 October cruises affected, none in November. Why alienate customers at this late stage in the Med cruising year?

We’ve now swallowed our frustration, accepted it as one more Covid *****-up, and moved our reservation to the same cruise in March 2022. Easier for us than most people, as it was only last month that we moved from March to October! All this shuttlecocking back and forth does play hell with flight and hotel bookings, though, doesn’t it? We will go to Venice anyway, and (after a brief flirtation with some Oceania options) add on nights in a very posh hotel in Bologna and drown our sorrows in Franciacorta and pasta ragu. Hoping those others affected find alternative ways to travel…

3 hours ago, claranda said:

My agent confirms that the 24 October sailing also off for Brits - he only heard from Viking this morning re this. Viking offering £250 off another booking and obc of £250 per person.

Correction, either £250 each off or £250 each on board credit on a later sailing. Or, yes, a full refund of course. But, bbtondo, Viking HAS cancelled the (British) passengers, not the cruise!

My agent confirms that the 24 October sailing also off for Brits - he only heard from Viking this morning re this. Viking offering £250 off another booking and obc of £250 per person.

I’ve asked our agent to check whether this will also be the case for the cruise sailing on 24 October. I suspect it will be and like others trying Viking for the first time, we’ll avoid them in future. Like JohnCoffield, I called Viking earlier this month and was told that  solution to the Montenegro problem would be found if it remained red.

I really think that those on 2 October flight should receive compensation from Viking for this.

A ‘newbie’ enquiry….we’re sailing with Viking for the first time this October. Unlike some other lines, I believe Viking does not offer a referral system, but are there any advantages available once one has sailed with them? Do you get a discount if you book a future cruise on board (can you even do this?)? Do you accumulate points/benefits for cruises taken? Any other ‘perks’?

Reassuring news in from Viking about checking in at the Stazione Marittima (cruise terminal)/before being taken to the ship in Marghera or Fusina, and about transport into Venice from the ship to facilitate sightseeing. We’re staying pre-cruise at a hotel close to Piazzale Roma, so will either be able to walk from there to the cruise terminal or catch the people mover. That’s one stress over!

So it seems as if Viking doesn’t have an actual policy on how many passengers sail and will fully book a cruise if it can? 
We have just made a late booking on the 24 October Med cruise starting in Venice (or somewhere adjacent to Venice, presumably). The earliest seating we could get in any restaurant was 8.00pm and most are for 8.30 and two for 9pm. We prefer a bit earlier but it’s not a game changer, although we’ll try to shift things around when on board. Could only get one booking for the Chef’s Table, though….

Being a fan of bare-it-all European spas, I wonder if it is generally thought okay to dispense with one’s swimming costume when using the ladies sauna/plunge pool and the mixed steam room/ice room, etc?! There is nothing like saunas and steam rooms for destroying swimwear!

I’d much rather use a towel for modesty and to save other people’s possible embarrassment if it is acceptable. And I’d wear swimwear in the pool. Any thoughts?

Oh, and what are the arrangements at the moment for booking and using the spa area?

Very interesting that they are helping us Brits out this way. Does anyone know if they are skipping Kusadasi on the Greece cruise as Turkey is also red for Brits. We didn’t book for it (yet) because of the Turkey problem…

Hi All!

A new question for you. We’re Brits holding back for a while on booking a Oct/Nov first cruise with Viking until we know we’re going to be allowed in, to, eg. Italy (currently five days self-isolating required). Anyway….I’ve been watching a very nice couple on Youtube describing how it is on one of the Viking Malta cruises, and there is this awful MUZAK playing in the background. Tell me, does this foul noise follow you everywhere or is there a muzak free zone where one can sit and read without such pollution? As you can tell, it’s a real hate of mine….dealbreaker possibly…

People have mentioned the Captain’s drinks party. Is this always on a particular night on a seven night cruise? We are contemplating the drinks package upgrade but might postpone if the Captain’ ‘do’ is on, say, the second night out… . And I’ve heard the happy hour is a bit of a scrum, which doesn’t appeal - views from Oceania old-timers? This is our first O cruise.

Re Mura’s comment about Red Ginger food not being sufficiently spicy (and I assume the Indian food they serve is the same in terms of heat?), do they have fresh chillies on board that I could have on the side? No American cruise ship I’ve sailed on has ever had fresh chilli, which goes some way to explaining the blandness (apologies to all those in the States who like hot curry...).

We’re new to Oceania - not sailing until March 22. I asked my TA last month when it would be possible to book Las Reserve and his reply: ‘Oceania have advised that the ability to pre-book La Reserve is available 75 days prior to sailing.’ Who knows if that may change...who knows anything right now...?!

Yeah, but at least we’ll have plenty of gin to compensate! Hope to meet you on a future cruise!

On 10/9/2019 at 6:26 PM, margbem said:

Just got some Fevertree after a call in Malta. Have commented on the poor g&t's and look at what was in our room last night!

Well, I mentioned the name ‘Margaret’, their eyes glazed over, and this was the result! A bit puzzled that ir was the Safety Manager who asked what accompaniments we’d like...

Margbem, just got to your post on the original ‘gin’ discussion. That’s trying their best at this stage, I guess...

Hi Margbem, nice to hear you’re having such a great time! We are really looking forward to boarding on Saturday in Barcelona and enjoying those balmy Med temperatures. Any progress on the craft gin front?!

Making a reservation for Colonnades? Is this new (we’ve never booked before) or is it just for the TK night/chicken? And how difficult is it to get a meal at Earth and Ocean? Will we be ok if we go late (say 8pm)rather than early?

For your information, I went via my booking agent with my gin request to Seabourn. They asked how many bottles I wanted (good start) but said they may have to charge me (not so good). I said I’d bring it myself (you can take one bottle of booze each on board apparently), but I may stick to the Margaritas as (unlike many of our American cousins) I can’t tell one tequila from another!

Thanks all! I’m asking for Silent Pool (not so far known to me) and will let you know if I get it!

I'm on a two week cruise on Odyssey in October and looking forward to everything except their dire gin offerings. Is it worth asking for a bottle of a special gin for the cabin do you think, and if so, can anyone suggest a gutsy new gin that they'd be able to source relatively easily. We'd love a Yorkshire gin, but asking them to get a bottle of Hooting Owl or Rare Bird Rhubarb (mmmm...lovely) may be a bit difficult.