Homeland Trip Direction and Cabin #

[kchand]

l will be traveling to Australia & New Zealand in January 2020. Need to book Homeland for 2021 to get discounts while onboard.

Which is better,  Bergen to Stockholm or Stockholm to Bergen.

Which rooms better,  port or starboard.

Thank You

[geffric]

I dk if I am qualified to answer  but we traveled Stockholm to Bergan and it was perfect! 

I want to do Homelands again and will definitely do this way again. I will go into Stockholm early to visit many places I missed, ending in Bergan was magical to me..of course I booked a future cruise that starts in Bergan so that may influence my decision. 

 

Our room was odd side and worked out fine.

[tsakishuman]

We did Homelands last year and did Bergen to Stockholm so the return flight would be non-stop to LAX. That is generally our criteria for where we end up so we can have a shorter journey home without dealing with multiple stops. We were in 6048 but to be honest, we spent so little time in the cabin while in port it didn't seem to make much difference. 

[Dauntless]

33 minutes ago, kchand said:

l will be traveling to Australia & New Zealand in January 2020. Need to book Homeland for 2021 to get discounts while onboard.

Which is better,  Bergen to Stockholm or Stockholm to Bergen.

Which rooms better,  port or starboard.

Thank You

 

We did Stockholm to Bergen and I think you get more shore time in that direction but the rep. can verify.  We were in a V cabin as I can't justify the up charge fir the coffee maker(that quiet a few have removed), the cashmere blanket and the binoculars.  Our cabin was 3010.  That's the port side  and in this direction you have better views as you approach the ports and great views in Stockholm and Aalborg.  I would say extra time on both ends.  You really can easily get around on your own in these two ports and do most of what Viking offers for less money.  We did our own air and hotels and were able to save enough over Viking's price to pay for all the extras.  You can even did NIAN round trip from Bergen--we did.  Avoid old town Tallinn in the morning.  Very crowded with cruise passengers but very enjoyable in the afternoon.  SP go off the ship for tours and save.  We used Alla.  My first cruise but had always wanted to go to Norway, so it being the climax made sense for me  

[molymoo]

We did Stockholm to Bergen and we were on deck 7 port side.  Loved the room ( a surprise last minute upgrade to PJS!) and enjoyed great dock views in Stockholm, Alborg, and Copenhagen.  Norway was an amazing climax at the end of the trip ... I recall a fellow passenger comment that he was glad we started in Stockholm as after Norway, the rest of the scenery would have been a little disappointing.  Don’t miss the sail in/out of Stockholm either ... it is lovely as well!

[knoxclone]

We did Homelands this past summer - Stockholm to Norway.   Spent 2 days ahead in Stockholm  - super easy city w great connections from airport to main train station. We did the hop on hop off buses/boats (there was a deal that if you saved your tickets, after three cities, the fourth city was free) We used them in Stockholm, Stavanger, Bergen and then the freebie in Oslo. In all four places,  they were located right at the pier/ train station.  We knew that we would have a minimum 2-3 stops for flights, so that was not a concern for us - and the reason we tacked on the days at both ends. 

 

The sail away from Stockholm was wonderful, but  agree with Molymoo -  to me, the real scenic highlights of the cruise were in Norway - We spent a little extra time in Bergen and then took the train to Oslo for 2 additional days. 

 

One thing to note  in the warmer months - many of the hotels ( including several international major chains) do not have air conditioning, and/or windows that open, so if climate control is important, make sure you ask.  

[RetroRod]

We did the Homelands Cruise this year, Stockholm to Bergen. In hindsight, I wish we would have started in Bergen and ended in Stockholm. We arrived in Stockholm the afternoon of Day 1. That pretty much eliminated any touring that day. Since the ship departed port at 2:30 PM (all aboard @ 1:30) on Day 2 that pretty much restricted us to a Viking bus tour and a short private walking tour of the Old Town. We didn’t get to see many of the sights in this great European city. When I realized the little time we would actually have in Stockholm it was too late to change the air, without significant penalties. It was all my fault since I booked our air travel. Additionally, my TA was little help and I now have a new TA. Flying out of the small Bergen airport on an early morning weekday departure was stressful. People that did Viking Air were directed to the “Priority” line, as were most of the other non Viking folks. The check-in desk was understaffed and slow As was security checks. I believe, based on what I have read, that the Stockholm airport would be a better experience since it is larger, with more flight options, than Bergen. Overall, the cruise was great and St. Petersburg was a highlight. We used TJ Tours. We were on deck 5 Aft since we like to have a deck above and below us not near any public areas. I learned some things to look for when cruise planning and look forward to our next visit to Stockholm. 

[Respbj]

We did Bergen to Stockholm, we flew into Bergen early and really enjoy 3 days and we booked the same hotel ,Radisson, as Viking uses but cheaper, last stop on the airport bus, walk to the boat was easy, central location. We had a full day in Stockholm and Viking arranged our taxi to the airport as we were flying to Brussels, our plane was at the smaller airport and our plane was the only one leaving, so easy.

[SM77]

We did Stockholm to Bergen.  St. Petersburg was the main reason for the cruise so I wanted to do that early on rather than at the end of the cruise. And as it turns out, Norway was spectacular and relaxing, a nicer way to end the cruise.