Cubs Fan

thank you!

Following this thread. We just booked a cruise for June and we are looking for a hotel in Rotterdam, we have Marriott Points and are considering that location. We are taking the train from Schipol to Rotterdam. Any and all advice is welcome.

I live in the suburbs of Chicago and most of the things you’d like to do in Chicago are very easy to do on your own. The Art Institute is right on Michigan Ave and on Thursdays it is open until 8:00 pm. If you become a member you can get in an hour before everyone else…that may be less money than what you’d pay for a shore excursion. You can also take an Architectural Boat Tour on your own…you board just off of Michigan Avenue. The Goodman Theatre is in the Loop on Dearborn Street, 2 blocks west of Michigan Avenue. During July “ Tommy” the musical is playing there and they have matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Chicago Theatre is on State Street, 1 block west of Michigan Ave and I am not sure what their shows are, Wrigley Field is a must see and you can take an Uber, cab or jumper on the Red Line train to get there. Depending on when you are here, check Stub Hub for tickets or you might get lucky at the Box Office or on the website. There are lots of good bars and restaurants in the Wrigleyville area. Chicagoans are very friendly and will point you in the right direction. Have a great trip and wander around Chicago. The concierge at your hotel should be able to answer more questions. Have a great time!

We are sailing July 7th on the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sojourn for 22 days. I was also curious about those extra days in Athens and Venice and when I called Viking their agents indicated there is nothing that day. I will ask about those days when we board the ship Getting very excited to start this adventure!

We had a positive experience when we booked on board last year for our cruise that leaves in 32 days. My travel agent received our booking within 2 days and sent me an email. There are a lot of perks to booking on board the ship and we are waiting to do so.

PS…you will also receive a certificate indicating you crossed the Arctic Corcle….it is suitable for framing and we did!

We did the Blue Nose Ceremony on our Into The Midnight Sun cruise last June. It was fun! It was on a sea day and there are 3 parts to the ceremony. Viking accommodates all need levels for participation in this ceremony so if you chose to not take a dip in the Iced Spa or you don’t want to drink the “ ceremonial “ beverage, it’s your choice. It was packed as so many people either took the plunge or watched.

I loved everything in the Orkney’s. There are wonderful jewelry designers with shops there. The Highland Park whiskeys are available at the duty free shop in Heathrow and in The states too. It was a wonderful day there.

They did a very good job of managing my gluten intolerance both on the ship and on any excursions that included meals.

We did this fabulous cruise last June. This was one of the best trips we ever did. We had to be tendered in several ports and I don’t recall any shuttles. I did the included tour on Orkney Islands and then shopped. There are terrific jewelry artists and shops close to port. We missed Shetland Islands due to weather There is also a whisky made on the Orkney Islands. There is so much history. I would do this trip again…so much to see and so little time in each port.

Thank you!

How far is the port dock from the city itself? We are doing a pre-extension and we may have time on our own in Istanbul. Thanks for all of the advice!

Last June was our 1st Viking Ocean Cruise and we had difficulties getting reservations that were not 8:30 pm, etc. At that time there were no shared table due to some continuing Covid protocols and we were only 2 people. We noticed that there were lots of larger tables available when we dined in the Specialty Restaurants. This year I was concerned about the same issue for our July 7th cruise so I chose the Shared Table option and I think there was only 1 time I couldn’t get. Once you get on board, you should be able to make some arrangements at the “Dining Desk” which is located next to the Customer Service area.

We leave July 4th for the Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn with a 2 day pre-extension in Istanbul. Thank you for your posts as we will visit some of the same places you have recorded. We have never been to Venice and will have 3 days there. Trying to figure out the best way to get from our docking site in Fusina to do a tour on our own in theJewish Ghetto area. If you have any experience with the boats I have been reading about,I would appreciate it. Love your trip!

Today was our day to book excursions for our July 7 Adriatic and Mediterranean Sojourn. I was happy that I was able to book everything we wanted without any hiccups. Next will be the dinner reservations.

Thank you to everyone who has posted on this thread. We are sailing on the Sky for the Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn departing Istanbul July 7th and ending in Rome on July 28th. We have 3 days in Venice and since we have never been to Venice, we were very excited to explore a new city. I was very confused with regard to where we would dock and I spoke with Viking today and currently, the dock will be Fusina. A friend is currently sailing and emailed about her 2 hr round trip from Choggia to St. Mark's. There was a private tour we had hoped to book, but since we are not sure of the docking distance from Fusina and transportation from there, I think I may have to rely on the Viking Excursions. Someone had commented on the distance to Verona and when I looked up the distance from Venice, it seemed a long way to go to view Juliet's balcony. I am certain we will enjoy whatever we do! If anyone did an excursion that was fabulous, I would love to hear about it. Did anyone take the excursion to Gallipoli? thanks for the input!

I called Viking because I couldn't log into MVJ. They told me they are working on some bugs in the system and to try back later.

Mu husband contracted Covid about a month ago. Fortunately, he had just had his 2nd booster and with pills, recovered quickly. Per Viking, he will need copies of his Covid tests and a letter from his Doctor that he has recovered from Covid and is fit to travel. He could be testing "positive" for a while, but this trail of paperwork will keep him from a quarantine situation.

It appears that all of the private tours on Orkney are spoken for. I reached out to 2 taxi services and am awaiting a reply

Thank you...I will see if they are available.

Did you find the Cab when you arrived in Orkney? We were unable to get the one Viking tour we wanted on Orkney and the Tours by Locals folks were already booked. We were wondering if we would find a Cab there. How long did your Cab drive you around? We had hoped to see the Churchill barriers, but it may not be meant to be on this trip. I am a sucker for scarves, so I will be on the lookout for your vendor! Hope you had a great trip.

A travel agent can run interference for you on any number of issues. About 5 years ago my husband required emergency kidney stone surgery while we overnighted in Istanbul. I contacted my travel agent who was going to take care of a possible change in plans regarding disembarking from our cruise and arranging airfare, etc home. I just sat there. Fortunately, my husband was able to rejoin the ship the morning after the surgery. It was quite an experience!