Live from the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22

[yipes999]

The cruise sounds wonderful.  How is billing dealt with.  Normally you settle up at the end of a cruise.  Being that you are on board for so long - do you settle up monthly or pay up at the end.  We are thinking of doing one.  I know Viking give you a lot of onboard credit when you book , but once this is used up you will quickly total up a sizeable bill for spa treatments and excursions.  Just wondered how you manage it.

 

 

 

 

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, yipes999 said:

The cruise sounds wonderful.  How is billing dealt with.  Normally you settle up at the end of a cruise.  Being that you are on board for so long - do you settle up monthly or pay up at the end.  We are thinking of doing one.  I know Viking give you a lot of onboard credit when you book , but once this is used up you will quickly total up a sizeable bill for spa treatments and excursions.  Just wondered how you manage it.

 

On World Cruises they also include a significant OBC for those expenses. Any additional optional shore-ex are often paid before the cruise. The only expenses on board are often the spa and shops, as almost everything else is included.

 

Viking did mention any balance would be settled monthly, but we never had any monies owing. At the end of the cruise, Viking sent us a cheque for the balance.

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 46/152 - Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguins and a world's first!
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-46152-punta-arenas.html

[Twitchly]

37 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 46/152 - Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguins and a world's first!
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-46152-punta-arenas.html

So cool to see those penguins!

[Rabbit27]

7 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 46/152 - Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguins and a world's first!
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-46152-punta-arenas.html

Loved your video I just love the penguin and the champagne of course!

❤️

[janetcbl]

10 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 46/152 - Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguins and a world's first!
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-46152-punta-arenas.html

Your photos are awesome! 

[UWDawg]

Last night we left the dock at Punta Arenas, Chile, about an hour and a half earlier than planned because bunkering (refueling) was not allowed at the dock… so we headed out of port some distance to refuel… wow, what a surprise it must have been for those returning from late excursions to arrive at the dock and the ship not be there!  [I’m sure they notified the tour guides in route so there were no surprises, but I can imagine the surprise and anxiety I would have felt to arrive to an empty dock… I’ll likely have nightmares about that in the future. Those passengers had to tender to the ship, which was quite a distance.]  The planned 5 hour refueling had to be stopped earlier than planned due to the winds picking up, so we are making an additional technical stop at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to fill up the tank. Ushuaia has the distinction of being the southernmost city in the world. We were informed this morning of the additional technical port stop and that due to some high winds approaching hurricane force at sea to the west of us, we will be traveling a more protected Drake passage route to Ushuaia.  After that stop we will continue sailing around Cape Horn.

IMG_4150.heic

Edited February 8, 2022 by UWDawg

[millybess]

32 minutes ago, UWDawg said:

Last night we left the dock at Punta Arenas, Chile, about an hour and a half earlier than planned because bunkering (refueling) was not allowed at the dock… so we headed out of port some distance to refuel… wow, what a surprise it must have been for those returning from late excursions to arrive at the dock and the ship not be there!  [I’m sure they notified the tour guides in route so there were no surprises, but I can imagine the surprise and anxiety I would have felt to arrive to an empty dock… I’ll likely have nightmares about that in the future. Those passengers had to tender to the ship, which was quite a distance.]  The planned 5 hour refueling had to be stopped earlier than planned due to the winds picking up, so we are making an additional technical stop at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to fill up the tank. Ushuaia has the distinction of being the southernmost city in the world. We were informed this morning of the additional technical port stop and that due to some high winds approaching hurricane force at sea to the west of us, we will be traveling a more protected Drake passage route to Ushuaia.  After that stop we will continue sailing around Cape Horn.

IMG_4150.heic 504.19 kB · 5 downloads

Nice to hear from you UWDawg. It sounds like you’re having a great voyage!  Thanks for the graphic. Enjoy!!

[carolyn22]

I have been following your blog quietly, always enjoying your sense of humor as you tell us about your day to day adventures.  Today you outdid yourself with the pictures!  They were amazing. Your day with the penguins reminded me of one of my favorite gif’s that I just have to share:

 

 

[Fred321]

Thanks again for taking the time to do this. I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the trip. However, it is a shame that you can't get out and explore on your own. Especially the case with Punta Arenas. You were very lucky to be able to walk off the ship at the town dock rather than the commercial port a few miles out of town which require bus rides into the center of town. A shame that you couldn't make use of that good fortune by just strolling around this very interesting city. Believe it or not you were around a 5 minute walk from a white table cloth restaurant where we have twice been able to enjoy the best lamb dinners we have ever had served by a very experienced wait staff. Who knew that such a thing even existed at the end of the world? Would trade looking at a penguin for another one of those meals any day.

[deec]

Those that went to the penguin colony....what did you wear on your feet?

[GKTV32162]

2 hours ago, UWDawg said:

Last night we left the dock at Punta Arenas, Chile, about an hour and a half earlier than planned because bunkering (refueling) was not allowed at the dock… so we headed out of port some distance to refuel… wow, what a surprise it must have been for those returning from late excursions to arrive at the dock and the ship not be there!  [I’m sure they notified the tour guides in route so there were no surprises, but I can imagine the surprise and anxiety I would have felt to arrive to an empty dock… I’ll likely have nightmares about that in the future. Those passengers had to tender to the ship, which was quite a distance.]  The planned 5 hour refueling had to be stopped earlier than planned due to the winds picking up, so we are making an additional technical stop at Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to fill up the tank. Ushuaia has the distinction of being the southernmost city in the world. We were informed this morning of the additional technical port stop and that due to some high winds approaching hurricane force at sea to the west of us, we will be traveling a more protected Drake passage route to Ushuaia.  After that stop we will continue sailing around Cape Horn.

IMG_4150.heic 504.19 kB · 28 downloads

I think you mean "Beagle Channel", not "Drake Passage".  The Drake Passage is further south, and much rougher than anything we've been through or will go through.

[GKTV32162]

Just now, deec said:

Those that went to the penguin colony....what did you wear on your feet?

Sneakers

[RPapaMarshall]

On 1/1/2022 at 7:38 AM, DJVKN said:

@GKTV32162 Garry, thank you for your blog post. Very enlightening. Thanks for the picture of a DV closet and how you utilized it. I have seen many pictures of the cabin but either the closet doors are always closed or empty. It's nice to see one in use. We were originally in a DV cabin but after cruising in a PV to Iceland, we changed cabins.  (We were on the same sailing as you to Iceland but never ran into you) Look forward to meeting you and Arlona in LA. 

Diana and Myron

Don't know if you caught a comment later in this roll call, but the later Viking ships have a set of drawers in the closet. They've raised the bar on half of the closet to accommodate and so have done away with the overhead shelf on that half - but we think that's a good trade-off.

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 47/152 - Sea Day - A fjordin' we will go...

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-47152-sea-day-fjordin.html

[Mich3554]

On 2/7/2022 at 6:37 PM, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 46/152 - Punta Arenas, Chile - Penguins and a world's first!
 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-46152-punta-arenas.html

We did this excursion as well, only we did the speedboat option.  I could have spent more time on the island.  We lucked out and saw a skua try to attack a seagull nest.  Mama and her cohorts chased the skua away, after beating it up.  Skua flew about 20’ away yo get reinforcements.  I would have liked to see what happened next, but the rest of our group was so far ahead that we needed to leave.  It was one of the best excursions we did.  

[Mich3554]

10 hours ago, deec said:

Those that went to the penguin colony....what did you wear on your feet?

When we went, I wore my Merrill light hiking shoes.  There was a path you could walk on and it wasn't difficult to avoid stepping in poop.

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 48/152 - Sea Day - Rounding Cape Horn - we're now qualified to wear a gold earing and eat with a foot on the table

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-48152-sea-day-rounding.html

[Rabbit27]

11 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 48/152 - Sea Day - Rounding Cape Horn - we're now qualified to wear a gold earing and eat with a foot on the table

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-48152-sea-day-rounding.html

Ahh love your blog ❤️ I check every night which makes my day 😊
26 years ago my husband Asked me to marry him after being in Antarctica, he asked me in Ushuaia 🥂 can not wait to go back for a special anniversary.

we went on a Russian icebreaker With Aurora Expedition a Sydney company as we live in Australia.

We are booked on Viking Homelands cruise this June very nervous about the hole getting there and back ,but we are going to give it our best shot😔

 

[GKTV32162]

15 minutes ago, Rabbit27 said:

Ahh love your blog ❤️ I check every night which makes my day 😊
26 years ago my husband Asked me to marry him after being in Antarctica, he asked me in Ushuaia 🥂 can not wait to go back for a special anniversary.

we went on a Russian icebreaker With Aurora Expedition a Sydney company as we live in Australia.

We are booked on Viking Homelands cruise this June very nervous about the hole getting there and back ,but we are going to give it our best shot😔

 

We will miss you on Homelands. We are continuing on right after this cruise to Homelands, and terminate 5/25. We will get it warmed up for you.

[TayanaLorna]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:14 PM, RPapaMarshall said:

Don't know if you caught a comment later in this roll call, but the later Viking ships have a set of drawers in the closet. They've raised the bar on half of the closet to accommodate and so have done away with the overhead shelf on that half - but we think that's a good trade-off.

Had this in the Jupiter and loved them!  The shelf on top of the drawers is very usable for short people and the bar is useful for hanging shirts and jackets.

[JM0115]

Some thoughts about the world cruise thus far. Today is day 49. Even though we have had so many sea days (33 including today), it has been amazing so far. We especially loved the Chilean fjords and the glaciers - amazing views rivaling those of Norway. As others have noted, life on a world cruise or long cruise is so different from a normal cruise. We have gotten to know many of the other guests fairly well and have also gotten to know the crew well and have learned about their lives a bit. We found out that our room steward's mother passed away last Saturday and everyone on our hall is heartbroken for him. He is such a great person and we are sad for him. After 49 days we have gotten to know our room stewards quite well and really appreciate how hard they work! We have had lots of special food days and nights and have heard that another Tomahawk steak night is coming! Yesterday was a cold day around Cape Horn so the special soup lunch was much appreciated. The captain is doing a great job keeping us out of bad weather. Johann, our GM, showed us windy.com which is a great resource to see how the conditions will be as we sail. There is absolutely no issue getting things from the bar (or restaurants) to take to your room. We heard that they had some Chilean beer on board which we had not know about. We went to the pool bar to see if we could take a couple of cans to our room to enjoy later and the barman said "take 6"!  (We took four :)). We are on our way to Uruguay and although there are many sea days left, every day is very enjoyable!

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 48/152 - Sea Day - Rounding Cape Horn - we're now qualified to wear a gold earing and eat with a foot on the table

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-48152-sea-day-rounding.html

What about Day 47?

[TayanaLorna]

Just now, TayanaLorna said:

What about Day 47?

Sorry found it.  Didnt want to miss a single episode.

[TayanaLorna]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:25 PM, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 47/152 - Sea Day - A fjordin' we will go...

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/02/world-cruise-day-47152-sea-day-fjordin.html

Great chapter!  So glad you were able to go through all the fjords and the north Beagle Channel known as Glacier Alley.  The Viking itinerary Chilean Fjords & Round Cape Horn takes this route between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia.  We passed through at dawn through sunrise and it was still spectacular given the low light.  We positioned ourselves on the Acquavit Terrace so we could go side to side.