Jump to content

Optional Excursion "Ratings"


ropomo
 Share

Recommended Posts

We have booked some optional excursions rated as "Moderate". Is Viking's definition of "Moderate" tempered for the average passenger demographic (e.g. I have yet to get a dish in a restaurant identified as "spicy" that I have thought was remotely spicy while the average customer might think it is). I, an early 60s year old man, for example live in Atlanta and have no problem mowing my hilly 1/2 acre yard in our 95 degree heat without fear of death in a reasonable time. I am assuming I should not be overly concerned with "Moderate". Your experiences appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I glanced back at the ratings for our excursions on Empires of the Mediterranean, and I am sure you will be good to go. We toured a cave complex and a castle that was considered Moderate, and it was more than an average excursion, but not exhausting. The Acropolis was deemed Demanding, and we did fine there. The walk of the old city walls in Dubrovnik was also deemed Demanding, with many, many stairs. My husband completed the walk, but I opted out at the halfway point as my legs were worn out. It was really worth seeing, but they were right to label it Demanding.

 

I think a person as fit as you described should be fine on a Moderate excursion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have booked some optional excursions rated as "Moderate". Is Viking's definition of "Moderate" tempered for the average passenger demographic (e.g. I have yet to get a dish in a restaurant identified as "spicy" that I have thought was remotely spicy while the average customer might think it is). I, an early 60s year old man, for example live in Atlanta and have no problem mowing my hilly 1/2 acre yard in our 95 degree heat without fear of death in a reasonable time. I am assuming I should not be overly concerned with "Moderate". Your experiences appreciated.

 

Well, easy means riding around on a bus. So moderate is the next step up—you need to be able to walk an hour or two. Demanding should entail another step up, like stairs, or physical exertion, like the bike riding tours. But for the life of me, I cannot always understand the ratings. In Australia next year we are going to two parks to see koalas and kangaroos—labeled demanding! Maybe it’s the fact that it is 7 hours. Anyway, we are in our mid to late 60s and have never had any problems even with demanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marksberg castle on the Rhine is listed as Demanding also.

While I agree that the rating helps give notice to those with mobility issues because of stairs and very uneven footing, I would have expected that Moderate would be sufficient for the average Viking guest. I do believe that Viking demographics are taken into consideration, as demanding is itself a relative word ( i.e., demanding compared to what??).

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marksberg castle on the Rhine Demanding...not. In our 70s, no problem.

Issues are...

1) climbing up steps from bus to castle entrance which was not exhausting but would be a problem for unfit folks and

2) more serious, the bad footing around the castle entrance as you walk over worn down rock. Caution warranted, but not demanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You will be fine with 'Moderate'.

If you post which cruise and which excursions you may get more detailed info.

 

But I will say that their description of Moderate is extremely variable.

All of our excursions were labelled Moderate. We had one that was a bus excursion that involved approximately 25 yards of walking to a mall. Another labelled Moderate was 3 solid hours of walking in Morocco involving stairs, uneven terrain and steep hills. Several folks with mobility issues could not complete the tour and had to be taken back to the ship.

On average, the Moderate tours involved some bus travel plus some walking. The amount of walking varied considerably and frequently involved stairs or steep hills.

 

You are wise to ask beforehand. If you use a walker, cane or have difficulty boarding a bus or using stairs---you should ask questions before booking a Moderate tour. They can vary quite a bit.

We had no difficulty and are in our ears 60's. DH was recovering from knee surgery and he was fine with Moderate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...