The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[SantaFe1]

3 minutes ago, Liz Masterson said:

Drinking a fancy coffee and watching the scenery go by while reading this book about witch trials in Norway that predate Salem! Looking forward to Norway in July!

I loved that book, although it is not a happy read!  Very interesting premise.  

[Clay Clayton]

This popped up on my Instagram feed this morning.  While I hope to never experience it IRL, it’s interesting to see how they work. 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbsYmEnjQsQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Liz Masterson]

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

This popped up on my Instagram feed this morning.  While I hope to never experience it IRL, it’s interesting to see how they work. 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbsYmEnjQsQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That is cool... and I too hope to never see one deployed IRL. 🍻

[photopro2]

Just a reminder for everyone that the Virtual Explorer’s lounge is still here for your enjoyment. The bar staff have been keeping themselves occupied restocking the bar and polishing glasses, so what are you going to have ?Mine’s a Maker’s Old Fashioned, cheers !!

[Let Me Travel!]

Ok…an “Old Fashioned” with a twist…made with Jack Daniel’s Honey….and brown sugar simple syrup…lots of lemon…yum! It’s called a “husband” (because that’s all you need)….

 

Ok…any new policies or timelines on when we receive documents prior to cruising? Our cruise starts in 29 days, I’ve completed my “comfort check-in” (first time I done that) will that replace the travel documents?

 

Does anyone know the percentage capacity on the cruises this summer?

[Let Me Travel!]

I just downloaded this book from AUDIBLE…I’m hoping to listen to it before I leave for France & England on the Kari and Venus….

[Jim Avery]

Bloody Mary please.  Up too late last night (9 or so😱) planning trips.  For years always planning trips.  Actually get to go on some of them.  Glad they keep it so cool here in Explorers as I hear it is miserably hot back home in AZ. 

[photopro2]

Sorry that you won’t make it to the tattoo on your British Isles trip Let Me Travel. I have never seen it first hand but it was shown every year on TV when I was a child and my Dad was a big military band fan so it was compulsory viewing in our house. That was back in the days when we had only one black and white TV and just two channels to chose from. Showing my age now 😊

[photopro2]

22 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

planning trips.

Great to hear that you are at least back planning again. What is in the works? They say it will be hot here at the weekend, maybe as high as a staggering 86f (or about the same as a cold summer night in AZ I guess)

[Peregrina651]

58 minutes ago, Let Me Travel! said:

ny new policies or timelines on when we receive documents prior to cruising?

 

They aren't really travel documents in that you don't need them in order to board the ship. Receiving them isn't as critical as it was back in the days when we had to present vouchers at check in. That said, cruise docs are now e-mail to us or our travel agent about two weeks before we travel. They contain basically what we see on MVJ and include important information such as where the ship is expected to dock for embarkation, the ship's phone number and e-mail.

 

We also get a snail-mailing with Viking luggage tags,  the personalized tags with name and cabin number for deliver to our cabin and a transfer sticker -- none of which is actually required for travel. The airport greeters have blanks should your package not arrive. Still, it is so disappointing when these tradition milestone fail to appear. The snail mail arrives early than the e-mailed doc, maybe 3-6 weeks prior to sailing.

[Liz Masterson]

Around this time tomorrow night I may graduate from this lovely Virtual Explorer’s Lounge to the IRL one on Jupiter!

[Clay Clayton]

13 minutes ago, Liz Masterson said:

Around this time tomorrow night I may graduate from this lovely Virtual Explorer’s Lounge to the IRL one on Jupiter!

Envious!  It’s 113 days for me presuming they don’t cancel the cruise. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Bloody Mary please.  Up too late last night (9 or so😱) planning trips.  For years always planning trips.  Actually get to go on some of them.  Glad they keep it so cool here in Explorers as I hear it is miserably hot back home in AZ. 

 

Splendid idea , Ol" Chap, make that 2 Bloody Marys please barman.

 

For us, we are just glad to escape the rain of the Pacific North Wet.

[Twitchly]

I’ll take a Hendrick’s G&T on the rocks with a twist, please. Given our day today (doctor appt), better make it a double. 

[Let Me Travel!]

‘pacific North wet”…very puny…

 

you know, I’ve decided that I just LOVE to plan trips…I don’t always get to go because of the stupid panDamit (yes…plagiarism)…but I really do like the planning…this one that is coming up is a product of several 125% credits…so it has grown by leaps and bounds…yes, ok…I had to wait over a year to actually TAKE the trip…but still…the planning is so fun!

 

 

[Let Me Travel!]

OK… Just a question… I Seem to like all the “little steps”… we did the “comfort check-in”…does that mean we will not get any other “boarding Documents”?   I really like all the little stuff…we’ve gotten our red tags, forehead stickers and stateroom tags… will there be anything else?  

I think the Bloody Mary is going to my head, but at 29 days out, I WANT MORE!

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

43 minutes ago, Let Me Travel! said:

OK… Just a question… I Seem to like all the “little steps”… we did the “comfort check-in”…does that mean we will not get any other “boarding Documents”?   I really like all the little stuff…we’ve gotten our red tags, forehead stickers and stateroom tags… will there be anything else?  

I think the Bloody Mary is going to my head, but at 29 days out, I WANT MORE!

 

 

Last July, we received via email 2 weeks before sailing digital  versions of the booklet that was previously mailed. I printed out a couple of pages just in case we needed them but didn’t. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[DrKoob]

On 5/29/2022 at 8:27 AM, Clay Clayton said:

This popped up on my Instagram feed this morning.  While I hope to never experience it IRL, it’s interesting to see how they work. 
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbsYmEnjQsQ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

That is very interesting. Saw it in person once. Was told by officer that the inflatables are pretty much for crew and not passengers. Not sure I want to be in one of those during a storm. YIKES!

[Liz Masterson]

[Let Me Travel!]

Are you there right now? I just can hardly wait! Looks like you are enjoying yourself!

[Twitchly]

3 hours ago, Liz Masterson said:

You win!

[Jim Avery]

How about a nice pick me up.....  Hot chocolate with some Malibu coconut rum..  Yum....

[Heidi13]

16 hours ago, DrKoob said:

That is very interesting. Saw it in person once. Was told by officer that the inflatables are pretty much for crew and not passengers. Not sure I want to be in one of those during a storm. YIKES!

 

The film shows the latest Marine Evacuation System from Viking Lifesaving Equipment (LSE), which is a separate company from Viking Ocean. Viking LSE is based in Esbjerg, Denmark. Viking Ocean also uses liferafts from Viking LSE, but they are the smaller 25 or 35 man davit launched rafts.

 

With davit launched rafts, the raft is hooked to a davit and swung over the ship's side. It is inflated and secured alongside. The raft is then loaded by stepping off the ship and into the raft. Once full, it is swung out and lowered to the water.

 

The system shown has a vertical tube with baffles that you jump into the top, descending in a controlled manner into the 150-man liferafts.

 

While SOLAS doesn't differentiate who uses what equipment; generally, pax will use the lifeboats and the remaining crew the liferafts. SOLAS requires at least 37.5% lifeboat capacity on each side for the total compliment, with liferafts increasing that to 125% of the total compliment.

 

The smaller 25/35 man rafts are also extremely uncomfortable even in smooth water. I completed my first survival course in a swimming pool. We had the deep end, and the shallow end was open to the public. Once we were all in the raft, just with kids playing and splashing, the movement was really uncomfortable.

[Liz Masterson]

 

Can’t get up to the IRL Explorers Lounge tonight…

Had a Chef’s Table dinner with wine pairing for each of the 4 courses and it’s our first night at sea. 

I will sleep like the dead. 

[deec]

On 7/5/2022 at 12:59 PM, Twitchly said:

I’ll take a Hendrick’s G&T on the rocks with a twist, please. Given our day today (doctor appt), better make it a double. 

try hendricks's with mulled cucumber instead of "twist'....if you are home look for Fever Tree Tonic Elderflower (no twist or cucumber)  or cucumber for a different tasting cocktail...Hendricks is my gin of choice!!!