Live from the Viking Star 9/28/19 Venice to Barcelona

[zitsky]

It sure would be nice if we could take pictures again.

[theduffys]

On 10/4/2019 at 11:05 AM, -Lew- said:

 

Were you specifically instructed to bring your passport?  In 2017 there was no such requirement.

 

We leave our passports in our safe and carry only our driver's license and a photocopy of our passport information page.

Us as well

[LeRenardrouge]

2 hours ago, theduffys said:

Us as well

 

Please look back at zitsky’s posting #116 of the Viking Dailies for 10/5 for port of Civitavecchia, the first entry about arrival time and instructions for what you should take ashore.  It seems to me that this is a a specific instruction to take your passport with you.  

 

 

[zitsky]

19 hours ago, zitsky said:

Lunch in Rome at Zagara.  Food was decent not gourmet.  Menu is not what we had.

 

The wine at this restaurant was pretty cheap and not very good.  It was very sour.  I couldn't tell if it was extremely dry or if it was corked.  Hopefully what you pay for is better quality.

[zitsky]

You might want to take motion sickness meds if you take the tour to San Gimignano from Livorno.  My partner has mild nausea.  We brought meclizine but he didn't take it this morning.

[zitsky]

Nausea from the bus motion....

[zitsky]

In San Gimignano, they gave us a hard to read map and sent us back on our own.  Not difficult to find the bus.  We are still waiting for a lot of pax to return.  Maybe they are shopping or got confused in direction. 

[moatenote]

We are taking this same cruise next September and are considering the optional tour to San Gimignano.  Did you like it??

[-Lew-]

16 hours ago, LeRenardrouge said:

Please look back at zitsky’s posting #116 of the Viking Dailies for 10/5 for port of Civitavecchia, the first entry about arrival time and instructions for what you should take ashore.  It seems to me that this is a a specific instruction to take your passport with you.  

 

Thank you for pointing that out.  You might also have noticed that at other ports only a stateroom keycard is suggested...no ID of any kind.  That's a bit too minimalist for me as we should all have some form of ID on our person when in port.

[LeRenardrouge]

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

 

Thank you for pointing that out.  You might also have noticed that at other ports only a stateroom keycard is suggested...no ID of any kind.  That's a bit too minimalist for me as we should all have some form of ID on our person when in port.

 

lew,

 

The same directive to take your passport ashore was posted in the Viking Daily for ports of Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Venice on the Mediterranean Odyssey cruise last October.  There was no such note for Naples but we ended up missing Naples due to severe winds on the night we were supposed to leave Civitavecchia and so we remained docked overnight. 

 

We did see one man immediately before us pulled aside and detained in Venice when he did not have his passport at the terminal re-entry and security.  He was holding up the lines so after they refused his embarkation, I don’t know how he was dealt with. This was a passport check and security check in the terminal and separate from boarding key card scanning and security on actually getting back the ship.

 

So it behooves everyone to read their Viking Daily carefully.  

 

 

 

[LeRenardrouge]

2 hours ago, moatenote said:

We are taking this same cruise next September and are considering the optional tour to San Gimignano.  Did you like it??

 

We did San Gimignano on the post-extension for Med Odyssey last October and we thoroughly enjoyed it but ours was a whole day tour including Siena.  

[zitsky]

Sunday 10/6/19

 

 

[Rawmac]

Consider this scenario.  Two Viking passengers are on a private (non-Viking) excursion, and , for whatever reason, they miss the boat.  Miss it by such a long time that the boat is long gone.  If they have not got their passports, or photocopies of their passports, or some other official photo ID, how do they get to the next port which of course is in another country?  Think StP to Germany (or vice versa),  or Greece to Turkey, or Israel to an Arab country.  Think of helpful immigration officials, or the people you have to buy your tickets from, and their rules and regulations.  How stuck are the late passengers?  Or if they become involved with The Authorities, or traffic accidents, or hospitals, or any situation requiring identification to someone who doesn't speak your language?

 

We always carry a good photocopy, on glossy photo paper, of our passports wherever we go off ship, whether we have to carry our passports or not.  A photo of your passport can be put on your phone, but we prefer the paper version. Even have a spare in the cabin safe.  Weighs nothing, simples.

 

On the Far East cruise last year, Viking photocopied our passports, and these photocopies were stamped by Chinese officials at a person-to-official eye-ball session, which we then used in all other Chinese ports, and in Japan.  Evidently losing the stamped copy could cause terrible difficulties.

[ropomo]

5 minutes ago, Rawmac said:

Consider this scenario.  Two Viking passengers are on a private (non-Viking) excursion, and , for whatever reason, they miss the boat.  Miss it by such a long time that the boat is long gone.  If they have not got their passports, or photocopies of their passports, or some other official photo ID, how do they get to the next port which of course is in another country? 

 

It is SOP on most cruise lines that the Security team will enter the cabin and check safe/cabin for passport and if found it will be left with the port agent if a passenger does not return to the ship in time for sail away.

[zitsky]

San Gimignano and Tuscany

[zitsky]

3 hours ago, moatenote said:

We are taking this same cruise next September and are considering the optional tour to San Gimignano.  Did you like it??

 

I liked it but it was too short.  Maybe 90 min.  Interesting architecture.  

[Frenchberet]

Every time we leave the ship we wear a money belt (under our clothes) containing our passport.  

[zitsky]

5 hours ago, Frenchberet said:

Every time we leave the ship we wear a money belt (under our clothes) containing our passport.  

 

We have a small bag with zippers that hook on to loops, making it hard(er) to open.  They warned us about pick pockets in Naples but we had no problems.

[zitsky]

Monday October 7th

[zitsky]

We were not able to tender into Monaco due to swells/rough water.  We are currently near Villefranche sur Mer.  We are offered a walking tour of Villefranche sur mer via the tenders or included tours of Monaco.  All optional tours in Monaco have been cancelled.

[zitsky]

12 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

I liked it but it was too short.  Maybe 90 min.  Interesting architecture.  

 

Yesterday, in Tuscany, we stopped for lunch at a winery and had red and white wine.  But no wine tasting, per se.

[zitsky]

In Chef's Table, waiting to get off the ship.  Tenders are slow, people backed up onto the stairs. Viking seems pretty organized considering this was not planned. 

[zitsky]

Just tried the Viking Voyager Art Guide.  Interesting, but I would like more information about the pieces.  More of what you would find in a museum tour.

[zitsky]

Royal Caribbean Reliance of the Seas is here with us.

[zitsky]

Having lunch (fish and mussels) and dessert at La Mere Germaine.  Good food. A little pricey.

 

My partner says we have been to Villefranche sur mer before on an another Viking trip to Nice.  I don't remember it.