Ultimate World Cruise 245 days and all the parts. Ongoing review, questions, opinion

[janetcbl]

2 hours ago, Aldeya said:

Is this in real time webcam? The image I'm seeing is the same with the same time stamp ....

 

It seems to work only during the daylight hours...then it is a great webcam.

[TayanaLorna]

12 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

It seems to work only during the daylight hours...then it is a great webcam.

At night you might see the string of lights on the bow but otherwise blackness.  Night is dark.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

It seems to work only during the daylight hours...then it is a great webcam.

 

Yes - most web cams will show black at night unless they are in port.  I have seen it at night in port and you will see lights (like the lights of London last night for example)

The cam is "roughly" live and updates every 10-30 minutes of so with a 360 degree pan.  Pretty neat though!  Remember that currently they are 8 hours ahead of Pacific Coast time.

[Jim Avery]

Heading out to Canterbury this morning. I promise to get back to the keyboard this afternoon to catch up.  Lots of travel items to discuss and we also have our CC Meet and Mingle.  So many things, so littler time...🍸

[Clay Clayton]

18 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Heading out to Canterbury this morning. I promise to get back to the keyboard this afternoon to catch up.  Lots of travel items to discuss and we also have our CC Meet and Mingle.  So many things, so littler time...🍸

Kee only 244 to go!  Oh wait, you’re a segmented now.  Poor thing! 😂

[helenandfrank]

hello to all on board, and to all who are watching from afar.

We haven't posted on CC for over 12 months, but we do still read posts from time to time and we heard the latest Viking WC is underway - so we couldn't resist a quick hello.

We have now completed 4 Viking ocean cruises (all great) and have South America (BA - Santiago) booked with Viking for late next year. We will obviously be very interested in reports on that section of the cruise.

Best wishes for a safe journey.

 

[Jim Avery]

Well here we are onboard and docked in Dover.  Nice run in to the Canterbury Cathedral which is, like so many famous ole piles partially covered with scaffolding.  Still well worth it.  Pastry at the oldest bakery might of helped as well.  But let's not forget getting here.  With a 3pm car pickup we had an easy slow day getting ready to travel.  The only down side is we were already up and had several hours at the airport and then a 10 hour PHX direct to LHR on British Airways.  The BA 747 is a very good plane to fly long haul.  The Biz Class Pods are some drunk designers dream.  Narrow and not very long they produce the interesting effect of needing to crawl over an adjacent strangers legs when getting out of a window seat.  Anyway we safely arrived at T3 LHR almost an hour early due to a very favorable 120 mph tailwind!  We had booked a car and driver rather than wait for the bus and all so he was there and we were off.  The only driver in London unaware of the big protests in Central London.  He was also unaware of Cutty Sark.  Big problem when the address is Cutty Sark Gardens...  The result was it took over 2 hours to get to checkin.  Three minutes later we were on our way to our waterfront home.  Checkin is always a breeze.  The Thames Express boats take us from the dock to the ship in about 2 minutes.  By now we are seriously whacked by Eastbound jet lag.  Worst case I have had in years.  The frustrating car ride didn't help either.  I told Lois it feels like my body and my mind went to different locations. Much better today.  Sailaway down the /Thames was spectacular aided fore and aft with tractor tugs and we made it out into the North Sea unscathed.  Weather is beautiful and we have a sea day between Dover and Dublin. Hope someone jumps in here with pictures .🍸

[jimbri]

Enjoy your adventure!  Looking forward to your review.

[Liz Masterson]

I’m surprised you had so much trouble with the car. With all the GPS map apps that include traffic work around you’d think that should have gone smoother. Ah well... first world problems. All is well now. 😊

[TayanaLorna]

Lovely view of Dover from the Panomax camera.  Can see the white cliffs well.

[CCWineLover]

You are all making the news back home in the USA.

CNN Features today with an update.

World's Longest Cruise Sets Sail from London

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-longest-cruise-guinness/index.html

 

But the reporter does not say all that much, but does manage to report on the Viking Sky's misadventures last March.

[Jim Avery]

Here we are on our first sea day.  In the English Channel about to round Lands End into the Irish Sea en route to Dublin. Yesterday we had the CC meet & mingle and Viking did a great job.  We had a good turnout with several old pals from the Inaugural WC to hug and catch up with.  Viking put out Lemon Drop Martinis, Cosmopolitans, Champagne, beer and wine so it was really easy to put your party on.🍸  They also provided heavy snacks, small burger sliders, crab cakes and sushi rolls.  At least they looked like sushi rolls, didn't try them.  Did have a few of the Lemon Drops.  Kasimir even put some in a wine glass for me towards the end.  What a guy.  Today we took it easy and then hit the gym.  As we were familiar with the machines there was no learning time and it felt like we were right at home.  Except we missed the regular faces from the last time, Ware, Becky, and of course Wagnerite.  Wagnerite cracked up the room one day proclaiming himself "the fittest of the un fit".  I am sure we will get used to the groups that regularly use the gym.  Now out in a lounger on the pool deck watching calm sea conditions.  The food has been very good so far and I have my eye on a Cuban sandwich for lunch.  The only minor gripe so far is that the incessant piped in music is back on the pool deck.  I do not understand the need on ships (or buildings for that matter) to fill every space with music I did not chose or do not particularly like.  What ever happened to the sounds of a ship at sea?  Well, have to rest a bit before lunch.  Read a few pages.  This doing nothing surely takes a lot of time....😎

[Tom.in.nc]

Greenwich and Thames Barrier

[Tom.in.nc]

Dover and Canterbury 

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by Tom.in.nc

[Tom.in.nc]

... Canterbury 

[Jim Avery]

Great pictures Tom! Good job.😎

[deec]

Thank You !!!!

[TayanaLorna]

21 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

You are all making the news back home in the USA.

CNN Features today with an update.

World's Longest Cruise Sets Sail from London

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/world-longest-cruise-guinness/index.html

 

But the reporter does not say all that much, but does manage to report on the Viking Sky's misadventures last March.

The article says the ship has ten fine dining venues.  I can only come up with ten if I include the Wintergarden tea service, snacks at the Viking bar, the Aquavit Terrace as separate from World Cafe and the Kitchen Table.

[TayanaLorna]

Wow on the photos.

[Hanoj]

1 minute ago, TayanaLorna said:

The article says the ship has ten fine dining venues.  I can only come up with ten if I include the Wintergarden tea service, snacks at the Viking bar, the Aquavit Terrace as separate from World Cafe and the Kitchen Table.

 

The article was typical. Fact checking is anachronistic. Define ten. Define fine dining. Define venue. Perhaps room service is a "fine dining venue."

[Jim Avery]

34 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

The article says the ship has ten fine dining venues.  I can only come up with ten if I include the Wintergarden tea service, snacks at the Viking bar, the Aquavit Terrace as separate from World Cafe and the Kitchen Table.

Haha, don't forget room service as Hanoj says.  Then they put on a grill in the evening.  Aft if weather is nice, sometimes on the pool deck.  How ever they count it, if you go hungry it is your own fault..🍸

[Jim Avery]

Got our 

magnetic maps last night. The same maps from the Inaugural WC was our very favorite souvenir from that trip

[Tom.in.nc]

Baking scones with famed Irish chef Catherine Fulvio.

(See NetFlix show: Lords and Ladles)

 

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by Tom.in.nc

[Jim Avery]

Scones look yummy Tom.  I decided to buy food someone else had prepared.  Temple Bar Pub was a starter then Irish Stew at the Brazen Head.  Supposedly founded in the 1100s.  Great places to dodge the intermittent drizzle.  Had the requisite Irish Coffee and Guiness.  I wonder if there really are 1,000 pubs as proclaimed.  The drizzle/sun is typical.  More than one Dubliner mentioned having 4 seasons each day...Back aboard the cozy Viking Sun.  Starting to anticipate Liverpool and the Magical Mystery Tour....😎

[Heidi13]

16 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Scones look yummy Tom.  I decided to buy food someone else had prepared.  Temple Bar Pub was a starter then Irish Stew at the Brazen Head.  Supposedly founded in the 1100s.  Great places to dodge the intermittent drizzle.  Had the requisite Irish Coffee and Guiness.  I wonder if there really are 1,000 pubs as proclaimed.  The drizzle/sun is typical.  More than one Dubliner mentioned having 4 seasons each day...Back aboard the cozy Viking Sun.  Starting to anticipate Liverpool and the Magical Mystery Tour....😎

If I had 2 guesses for watering holes you would visit in Dublin, The Temple Bar would definitely have been one of them. Haven't tried the Brazen Head before, so on the list for the next visit.