molymoo

As long as they are NOT JEANS!!!!! 😆

The Silver Spirits Beverage Package IS very reasonable when compared to other cruise lines (some "clock in" at more than $100 per person per day!). That said, if you are okay with the free wine they serve with lunch and dinner (there are also often mimosa "fixins'" available at breakfast) then you probably don't need to bother with the package. The drinks on Viking ships are reasonable as well ... even a glass of "premium" wine won't set you back much if you want one before dinner ... and pittcity is right ... they will happily top off your wine glass as you leave after dinner!

I have a pair of lovely, soft and comfy joggers that I plan to wear with a t-shirt on sea days when comfort is the key. Some might consider them PJ's (although they were much more expensive than any PJ's I've ever had) but I figure that if I am showered, my hair is "coiffed" and I have make-up on ... who cares?

No disrespect intended, but what do you do when you go to a restaurant? How about on a bus for an excursion? Do you ever go to a "traditional" theater? I would suggest that you should do the same in any public place and put your feet up when you are in your stateroom.

Please remember that Viking does not own the insurance company and has little to do with their policies which are spelled out quite clearly if you take the time to read the small print. The fact that Viking canceled the original cruise is irrelevant as you chose the vouchers over a refund. Please don’t blame your disappointment with your choices on “terrible customer service by Viking “.

I honestly think that the behavior of passengers is pretty much as it has always been. We have seen boorish behavior on every Viking cruise we have been on since 2011. There have always been an array of items "reserving" the loungers on sea days, there have always been people who think it is okay to put their feet up on the furniture (with or without shoes), loud groups in the dining venues and lounges, and individuals who seem to think that their "rights" supersede all others. Fortunately, most of it is of little consequence to me other than a minor irritation or even amusement. Perhaps we are just more sensitive to factors that we feel may lessen our enjoyment of the long awaited return to travel. We have waited a long time, endured the dreaded "vouchers" gauntlet, and probably suffered at least one missed, rescheduled, late, oversold, and overcrowded flight, and maybe we've even arrived sans luggage. When we walk onboard that lovely ship we expect things to be as we remember them ... darn near perfect. But alas some jerk has his feet on a table in the Explorers Lounge! 😬 I'm guessing he was probably there before COVID ... it just didn't bother us so much. On our summer BIE cruise I have to admit that we found the ship to be much more lively than we recalled from earlier cruises and it was the first time I recall having to wait in a line to be seated in the Restaurant. Every performance was standing room only and even Torshavn was hopping in the evenings! I honestly don't recall any incidents of misbehavior the entire time!

We saw the same on our June/July BIE cruise ... but many, many passengers arrived without their luggage ... some never got it at all!

Se did the BIE this summer and loved every minute ... it was even a repeat as we did it back in 2018 but felt "brand new" as we mixed things up with our excursions and did a lot on our own (no tour, Viking or otherwise). In Shetland we loved the "Crofting" excursion ... I believe it is now called something like "Rural Shetland". We had a lovely ride into the countryside to a croft and there had a demonstration of sheep shearing, got to pet their shetland ponies, and (best of all!) got to watch their champion border collies in action. The weather was abysmal; wind and rain like I hadn't seen in a long time but no one cared ... loved every minute! In the interest of full disclosure, I love animals, dogs in particular so there was a bias at the start. We did the Festiniog Rail excursion in Wales and it was very nice ... but ... be forewarned that the train is not air conditioned (duh!) and we were there during the heat wave that hit the UK summer. The windows were open so the breeze helped but it was hot. The lunch was lovely and the service was great but again ... no air conditioning and the food, good as it was, was the hale and hearty "comfort food" which was perhaps not the best on a hot day. After lunch there was more than an hour of free time in the town but not as much to see and do as we might have liked. We ended up getting ice cream (looooong lines!) and sitting in a covered breezeway near the train station to try to stay cool. We did the "Belfast Food Trail" in Belfast and had a great time! The guide was great and the group from the ship was lovely ... that really makes a difference on excursions. We got to see a lot of Belfast at the ground level and taste some of the best Belfast has to offer in the way of food! We ended our tour in the oldest pub in Dublin where, after persistent cajoling, the Assistant Cruise Director honored us with a lovely rendition of "Danny Boy". He got a standing ovation from everyone in the pub ... and some outside as well! It was a moment! We went to the winery in Dover and had a lovely tour, wine tasting and lunch. It was very nice but a wee bit pricey. Have a great trip ... we loved it (obviously!)!

This post made me laugh. We have been on eight VO cruises and on EVERY one you can see the "looking out to sea' loungers "reserved" before breakfast with books, sweaters, towels, shoes(!), and even a laptop on one occasion. I always laugh and think it would be great fun to pick up everything and take it to the lost and found. Personally do not see the appeal ... I can lounge and look out to sea from my stateroom and I don't need to get dressed to do so! We have never really sailed on a warmer itinerary cruise so can't speak to the pool loungers but will have occasion to observe in December when we take our Panama Canal cruise.

Kitchen Table is showing up twice on our December Panama Cruise (Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles).

Thank you!

If you don’t mind my jumping into your thread I have a question about the Embera excursion. I understand that they have items for sale and as it apparently supports the village we would certainly consider a purchase. What currency should we plan to use? We have read that dollars are readily accepted in Panama but wonder about the village. Can’t seem to get an answer by researching yet.

FWIW … We completed the comfort check-in for our last cruise (July) and presented our boarding passes at the counter and the agent proceeded to ask for all of the same information and our credit card and took our picture (again). We might have been annoyed but we were the first in line and it didn’t take more than a few minutes.

That's it!

Just a caution … weather can also be a factor and rough seas seem to affect the use of tenders exponentially. Viking is very accommodating but they cannot change the weather.

The COVID requirements are slowly disappearing ... a very good thing, but stay on top of things and protect yourself!

The two stops they "replaced" were apparently frequent "misses" because of weather. Eliminating them from the "get go" lessens the possibility of a "missed port" which is a big disappointment. At least now you will have a better than even chance of being able to stick to the original itinerary.

It has been awhile since we took a river cruise but we have tipped the "director" and driver when they have been involved in our day to day activities on the extension ... especially when they have done a great job. Tip whatever you think appropriate, it will be appreciated. Keep in mind that it is entirely possible that the "director" is with a company contracted by Viking and does not work for them directly and will not be included in the pre-paid gratuities. On some extensions you are more or less on your own and the "director" is simply there to provide information and support if and when it is needed. In that case we generally do not tip unless we have availed ourselves of their services.

From as near as I can gather you will be quarantined and given OTC meds (decongestants, acetaminophen, etc. to keep you comfortable. It is highly unlikely that monoclonal antibody treatment would be available onboad.

In our experience there is always at least one vegetarian option in the restaurant for dinner ... often two. In two weeks (our last cruise) not one veggie entree was repeated.

Please don't let one person's experience (or rather their "perception" of the experience), determine whether or not you want to try Viking ... or any cruise line for that matter. Everything is subjective and your experience might well be a very different matter.

We did the BIE on Venus in early July. We did the Oslo pre-extension and took the train to Bergen. We enjoyed cooler weather early in the cruise but by the time we got to Holyhead it was hot ... and apparently unusually so. We missed the Orkney stop due to high winds but after the cold drenching we got in the Shetlands (although it was still one of my favorite excursions!)we were happy enough to stay on a warm, dry ship. This was our second BIE cruise (we did one in 2018 ... London to Bergen) but we enjoyed it so much we really wanted to do it again. We did our own thing in Edinburgh and enjoyed Dublin on our own as well ... the Little Museum of Dublin was a wonderful hidden gem and we enjoyed an iconic lunch of oysters and Guiness at Matt the Thresher restaurant. We, too were able to enjoy the renowned pistachio buns and based on the accolades I had to try one ... it was tasty for sure but won't replace the (Mamsen's) waffle as first in my heart.

We generally get the SSBP but my daughter is the "wine aficionado" so she is the one checking the wine list. There are many to choose from and some have become our favorites that we frequently re-order. There is a sommelier in each dining room and they will, if you wish, make recommendations based on what food you plan to order.

Please keep in mind that food is a very subjective subject and don't take anyone's critique too much to heart. We love the food and don't find two hours for dinner too much ... you're in the middle of the ocean, what are you in a hurry to do? We enjoy relaxing and having the time to chat with each other and sometimes our "neighbors". For that matter there have been times we have felt rushed in the restaurant ... so take it FWIW.

Actually, there is no priority for suites in booking excursions ... just early stateroom access (12:00 noon for suites, 3:00 PM for other cabins. All cabin categories can embark at 12:00. There is one dining room and one seating for dinner, however breakfast and lunch are scheduled and you may go to eat when it suits you. The last river cruise we were on breakfast was 7:00 - 9:30 and lunch 11:30 - 1:30 most days.