Viking World Cruise

As much as I like Viking, I can't imagine doing this. Spending two weeks on a cruise learning about each destination is pretty overwhelming. But going to over a hundred places in 150 days!

And the cruise is sold out! Who is going? And why?

As much as I like Viking, I can't imagine doing this. Spending two weeks on a cruise learning about each destination is pretty overwhelming. But going to over a hundred places in 150 days!

 

And the cruise is sold out! Who is going? And why?

Dey have da time, da money, and da desire. What more does one require?[emoji3]

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You should go check out the roll call - title is Viking Sun 12/15/17. There are some real characters that might be fun to travel with, especially if you like martinis! (Inside joke) Like you , I couldn’t imagine being away from home that long. Re-entry would be a killer!

Hi. We are on the WC from LA. 120 days but if you look at the cost of air alone for 10, 12-day trips spread out over say 5 years (2 trips per year) then the cost is much more reasonable for a single, all inclusive, tour. Also, who knows the future in terms of being well enough to travel. We feel great now and going now.

As much as I like Viking, I can't imagine doing this. Spending two weeks on a cruise learning about each destination is pretty overwhelming. But going to over a hundred places in 150 days!

And the cruise is sold out! Who is going? And why?

Srguppy, sorry to go off topic for a moment but I see that you are on the December 28 roll call. I hope that you will stop by and introduce yourself and that you will register for the Meet & Mingle (use the link at the top of the page). Meet & Mingle is by advanced registration only (it must be done at least a week before we sail); no announcement in the cruise dailies. An invitation will be delivered to your cabin on the first day or two of the cruise.

I envy them!! I met deec on the Barcelona the Baltics and Beyond cruise (3 weeks) and she told me they were going on the world cruise. It sounds like such a huge adventure and so much planning...but hey! You can't take it with you. And if you have the money and the ports are ones that you would like to see..great!! My problem would be having to share one bathroom.....:D

I am going:

I am so VERY excited and thankful to be able to do the World Cruise. It will be amazing. We have been to some of ports previously but there is always more to see and experience. We are 67 and in excellent health but have some friends who are experiencing major health challenges and some who have unexpectedly died..go while we can. We have done some of the challenging itineraries including Machu Pichu/ Lake Titicaca, the Galapagos, Ankor Wat, and my favorite,an African Safari. Clamoring in /out pangas and dinghies, making our way up steep muddy river banks, touring in 90 degree heat, immunizations and anti malaria medications may each become more problematic as we age.

The planning has been a year long process ranging from filing extensions for income taxes before we have any end of the year information, to simple things like how much sunscreen will we use in 4 months. Viking had made much of it easier: they offered an easy way to apply for the multiple visas and provided a dedicated and patient staff ( and phone number) for World Cruise customer service representatives to answers a myriad of questions from 900 passengers!

I will miss our grandchildren....I will worry about my 90 year old mother ( I do have siblings thankfully)..I wonder about having only 270 square feet of personal living space for two of us, how many yoga classes and how many steps will I have to accomplish daily so my clothes still fit...But my wanderlust wins...

and to quote Mark Twain:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

I am going:

 

I am so VERY excited and thankful to be able to do the World Cruise. It will be amazing. We have been to some of ports previously but there is always more to see and experience. We are 67 and in excellent health but have some friends who are experiencing major health challenges and some who have unexpectedly died..go while we can. We have done some of the challenging itineraries including Machu Pichu/ Lake Titicaca, the Galapagos, Ankor Wat, and my favorite,an African Safari. Clamoring in /out pangas and dinghies, making our way up steep muddy river banks, touring in 90 degree heat, immunizations and anti malaria medications may each become more problematic as we age.

 

The planning has been a year long process ranging from filing extensions for income taxes before we have any end of the year information, to simple things like how much sunscreen will we use in 4 months. Viking had made much of it easier: they offered an easy way to apply for the multiple visas and provided a dedicated and patient staff ( and phone number) for World Cruise customer service representatives to answers a myriad of questions from 900 passengers!

 

I will miss our grandchildren....I will worry about my 90 year old mother ( I do have siblings thankfully)..I wonder about having only 270 square feet of personal living space for two of us, how many yoga classes and how many steps will I have to accomplish daily so my clothes still fit...But my wanderlust wins...

 

and to quote Mark Twain:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

Very well said DEEC. Our situation too including two 90+ year old Mothers. We lost our dear dog in May which sealed the deal for us as we would never have been gone 4+ months and left her. So, with so many things lining up and with Viking's over the top help and inclusiveness, the age old question of If not now, when? came up and we said NOW!! Looking forward to meeting you onboard soon!:cool:

Anne and I did a 49 day FLL-SFO cruise a few years ago on Princess. She didn't want to spend that long on a cruise, but as we approached SFO she didn't want it to end! We agreed then we would do a WC someday, and that day is Jan 6, 2019. Like others have said, you need to be able to walk, talk and see to travel, and any one of these legs on the stool can fall off without warning. We're going because we want to.

DEEC,makes perfect sense to me. Never know what next year will bring.

Or as a British poster said on a Crystal thread" never know when you will fall off the perch"...

What a great adventure you will have. Look forward to the posts form the WCruisers

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Very well said DEEC. Our situation too including two 90+ year old Mothers. We lost our dear dog in May which sealed the deal for us as we would never have been gone 4+ months and left her. So, with so many things lining up and with Viking's over the top help and inclusiveness, the age old question of If not now, when? came up and we said NOW!! Looking forward to meeting you onboard soon!:cool:

Nice replies Deec and Jim. Lookforwrd to making friends with you two and so many others on this world cruise. Viking has been so very helpful in planning this expereience, as have all the pariticpant on our Cruise Critic thread.

Very well said DEEC. Our situation too including two 90+ year old Mothers. We lost our dear dog in May which sealed the deal for us as we would never have been gone 4+ months and left her. So, with so many things lining up and with Viking's over the top help and inclusiveness, the age old question of If not now, when? came up and we said NOW!! Looking forward to meeting you onboard soon!:cool:

8 Days and counting but who’s counting?

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We were tempted. We did the 50 day Viking Empire in 2016. At that time we felt it was one week too long, mainly because we did not know what to eat anymore. Having said this, we are booked for 70 days in 2019 to explore the South Pacific and Asia. Meanwhile we are doing the MIA to LAX leg of this journey. Like everyone says, you can't take it with you and do it while you are able to. Anything can happen at anytime. It might as well be while we are doing something we enjoy!

As much as I like Viking, I can't imagine doing this. Spending two weeks on a cruise learning about each destination is pretty overwhelming. But going to over a hundred places in 150 days!

And the cruise is sold out! Who is going? And why?

OK. My wife and I are not huge cruise fans, having traveled independently for nearly 40 years. I hate the regimented structure and having to deal with the whims of other travelers. We prefer to spend 10 minutes or 3 hours according to how we feel and to consult only each other on where to eat. We have a longstanding relationship with Accor Hotels so are treated like royalty in Sofitels around the world.

That said, we took a river cruise to Bordeaux and enjoyed it, then wound up on the Viking Star 50 day cruise Istanbul-Stockholm and had a pretty good time. We spent much of the free time on our own, save for included(or paid) excursions that seemed particularly interesting. We didn't go to places like Paris or Berlin as we frequent those cities and the two plus hour trip each way from the port didn't make a lot of sense. As for river cruise, we would go again but certainly not to the places where we often go like Vienna, Budapest, Prague as the ship isn't nearly as nice as our hotel and you have paid for food so are either wasting money or not eating in the wonderful restaurants that we love.

OK, World Cruise: Why? They pitched it to us and we thought it seemed interesting but daunting. Looking it over, we thought that Panama and Suez Canals were a great draw, as is Petra and Australia/New Zealand, which we have not yet visited despite living in Asia for two years. Cuba was also quite interesting. I do like the fact that a cruise can take you to places that would be hard to reach(Tahiti,Fiji) and where you'd have to spend more time than necessary just due to airfare, though in truth we use points/miles for nearly all of our airfares.

Then we found out that booking through a travel agent would get us about $15,000 in cash(not OBC) rebates, plus a voucher and return passenger discount from VIking. Finally, booking early got us $4000 in excursion and onboard credit, $1500 each in store and spa credits, free gratuities, Silver beverage packing, free laundry and dry cleaning, free visas and also medical. We knew the price would increase and the perks would decrease in future years, as indeed it has, so it was now or never and we chose now!

We will stay off the ship in a few places, like LA and Saigon where we have busy agendas and possibly Sydney so we can walk to the Opera House and meet a friend who is a chef at our hotel so Every month we will get a day of no ship.

I did go on the Roll Call but it appeared that, as friendly and accomplished as they seemed, I wasn't quite ready to bond. However, I'm sure everyone will get along well and that we will find things about which to chat.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!;p

The nice thing about the VikIng Ocean ships is that there are plenty of places , other than your cabin, to be alone. This unrepentant introvert appreciated that! And nobody’s forcing you to have their version of “fun, fun, fun”!

(Glad to see you reappear, Wagnerite)

The nice thing about the VikIng Ocean ships is that there are plenty of places , other than your cabin, to be alone. This unrepentant introvert appreciated that! And nobody’s forcing you to have their version of “fun, fun, fun”!

(Glad to see you reappear, Wagnerite)

We are particularly happy to see that they will be screening “The Met Live in HD!!” That’s one thing we would miss along with actually visiting the opera house.

OK. My wife and I are not huge cruise fans, having traveled independently for nearly 40 years. I hate the regimented structure and having to deal with the whims of other travelers. We prefer to spend 10 minutes or 3 hours according to how we feel and to consult only each other on where to eat. We have a longstanding relationship with Accor Hotels so are treated like royalty in Sofitels around the world.

 

That said, we took a river cruise to Bordeaux and enjoyed it, then wound up on the Viking Star 50 day cruise Istanbul-Stockholm and had a pretty good time. We spent much of the free time on our own, save for included(or paid) excursions that seemed particularly interesting. We didn't go to places like Paris or Berlin as we frequent those cities and the two plus hour trip each way from the port didn't make a lot of sense. As for river cruise, we would go again but certainly not to the places where we often go like Vienna, Budapest, Prague as the ship isn't nearly as nice as our hotel and you have paid for food so are either wasting money or not eating in the wonderful restaurants that we love.

 

OK, World Cruise: Why? They pitched it to us and we thought it seemed interesting but daunting. Looking it over, we thought that Panama and Suez Canals were a great draw, as is Petra and Australia/New Zealand, which we have not yet visited despite living in Asia for two years. Cuba was also quite interesting. I do like the fact that a cruise can take you to places that would be hard to reach(Tahiti,Fiji) and where you'd have to spend more time than necessary just due to airfare, though in truth we use points/miles for nearly all of our airfares.

 

Then we found out that booking through a travel agent would get us about $15,000 in cash(not OBC) rebates, plus a voucher and return passenger discount from VIking. Finally, booking early got us $4000 in excursion and onboard credit, $1500 each in store and spa credits, free gratuities, Silver beverage packing, free laundry and dry cleaning, free visas and also medical. We knew the price would increase and the perks would decrease in future years, as indeed it has, so it was now or never and we chose now!

 

We will stay off the ship in a few places, like LA and Saigon where we have busy agendas and possibly Sydney so we can walk to the Opera House and meet a friend who is a chef at our hotel so Every month we will get a day of no ship.

 

I did go on the Roll Call but it appeared that, as friendly and accomplished as they seemed, I wasn't quite ready to bond. However, I'm sure everyone will get along well and that we will find things about which to chat.

 

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!;p

I hope that you and everyone else doing this trip has fabulous time. You are all right, do it while you can and when you can afford it (!) Health is a major issue so if you are fit...go for it.

You all have the right attitude and who knows how long we have left to do these trips.

Envious

Geosez..are you a geocacher?

Geosez..are you a geocacher?

Have done some in the past . Not the source of my moniker though. Gee, never thought about geocaching at the various ports - or even on the ship? Maybe you should check that out!

Have done some in the past . Not the source of my moniker though. Gee, never thought about geocaching at the various ports - or even on the ship? Maybe you should check that out!

On the Viking Empire trip, we found caches in 20 countries including the Vatican. Geocaching brought us to hidden gems we would not have found otherwise. For the Cuba Panama part of this trip, only one country, Nicaragus, has no caches so we created an event. We noticed other geocachers on other ships had done this. The time frame is vey tight because of the tours. We hope it will work out.

Geosez..are you a geocacher?

Have done some in the past but that’s not the source of my moniker. Have looked for caches in Europe. Wonder if there might be some on board. Never thought about that!

Have done some in the past but that’s not the source of my moniker. Have looked for caches in Europe. Wonder if there might be some on board. Never thought about that!

None on the ship. It would be rather difficult because the coords would be forever changing.

On the Viking Empire trip, we found caches in 20 countries including the Vatican. Geocaching brought us to hidden gems we would not have found otherwise. For the Cuba Panama part of this trip, only one country, Nicaragus, has no caches so we created an event. We noticed other geocachers on other ships had done this. The time frame is vey tight because of the tours. We hope it will work out.

Georose,

A friend pointed me to your post. We are on the Viking Star next month. The one questionable port for caching is Algiers. Closest cache is about 3 miles from the port in a sketchy area and an expensive visa needed if not on a ship's excursion. I'm intrigued about setting up an event. Any problem with approval?

Georose,

 

A friend pointed me to your post. We are on the Viking Star next month. The one questionable port for caching is Algiers. Closest cache is about 3 miles from the port in a sketchy area and an expensive visa needed if not on a ship's excursion. I'm intrigued about setting up an event. Any problem with approval?

No problem. We chose a square close to the port area. It has to be away from the ships. At first they said we could not have an event with the name of the ship. When Bob pointed out there was a Norwegian event and another with a ship name, and that the reviewer himself had approved one of them, why could we not have a Viking event. It was immediately approved.

No problem. We chose a square close to the port area. It has to be away from the ships. At first they said we could not have an event with the name of the ship. When Bob pointed out there was a Norwegian event and another with a ship name, and that the reviewer himself had approved one of them, why could we not have a Viking event. It was immediately approved.

My problem may be getting off the ship without a visa :(