Live from the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 12/152 - sea day

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/01/world-cruise-day-12152-sea-she-is-angry.html

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Yep....my bad. Not sure why I was thinking it was all US. 

Vancouver has been assimilated ... resistance was futile! 😈🍻🥌

[Twitchly]

2 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 12/152 - sea day

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/01/world-cruise-day-12152-sea-she-is-angry.html

Wow. 19 more people on board with Covid. (Plus 2 more possibles.) That’s a bunch. 
 

We had waves and swells like that on the Atlantic, after we passed Gibraltar going west. Heard a bunch of dishes in one of the kitchens go smashing to the floor when we tipped to one side — then heard still more dishes crash when we tipped to the other! Fun times. 

[Redwarrior68]

WC 2 going through the Tasman Sea had waves 20-25 feet that were above the windows in the Chef's Table.  Highest waves experienced on either of the first two WCs.

 

On a different note, if you have physically seen the Captain in the last 10 days,  raise your hand.  Also, believe the Assistant Cruise Director is in quarantine.

[larry1365]

Regent today cancelled their world cruise. Will leave SFO and go to the Caribbean and Amazon for segments adding up to 120 days. Not aware that Viking has announced a final WC itinerary. 

[GKTV32162]

8 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Wow. 19 more people on board with Covid. (Plus 2 more possibles.) That’s a bunch. 
 

We had waves and swells like that on the Atlantic, after we passed Gibraltar going west. Heard a bunch of dishes in one of the kitchens go smashing to the floor when we tipped to one side — then heard still more dishes crash when we tipped to the other! Fun times. 

It is NOT 19 MORE cases, it is two more for a TOTAL of 19 plus two in protective quarantine until it is determined if they have it.

.

And yes, the waves were certainly interesting.

[GKTV32162]

5 hours ago, larry1365 said:

Regent today cancelled their world cruise. Will leave SFO and go to the Caribbean and Amazon for segments adding up to 120 days. Not aware that Viking has announced a final WC itinerary. 

I am currently on the Viking World Cruise and yes, they have their itinerary, but of course, like any itinerary, it is subject to change bases on conditions.

[TayanaLorna]

14 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Rather than litigate here on Cruise Critic, I would suggest you read the appropriate US Code of Federal Regulations.  All available online and will tell you every possible thing you could want to know about regulatory minutiae.  

Agreed, getting bored with this.  Start another thread.  Want to hear cruise details and events.

[TayanaLorna]

On 1/3/2022 at 10:55 PM, dreamercruise said:

Two people tested positive on Day 9-10?  I thought the Covid cases should have been screened out in the first 3 days? Where and how did the persons get the Covid?

People got off the ship in Panama?  Took longer to build enough of the virus to test positive?

[SantaFe1]

10 hours ago, Redwarrior68 said:

n a different note, if you have physically seen the Captain in the last 10 days,  raise your hand.  Also, believe the Assistant Cruise Director is in quarantine.

Aaron told me on day 4 we would probably not see the Captain on this segment to L.A.  I did see assistant CD briefly last night.

[OnTheJourney]

10 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Heard a bunch of dishes in one of the kitchens go smashing to the floor when we tipped to one side — then heard still more dishes crash when we tipped to the other! Fun times. 

How well I know about this!!!  I'll never forget the sound of hundreds if not thousands of dishes, plates, cups, etc. crashing to the floor while the Sky was floundering off the coast of Norway back on 3/23/19, along with the sight of people literally sliding from one side of the Explorer lounge to the other on those chairs near the windows - back and forth. Eventually the grand piano even came unhinged from the floor. All the (upper floor lounge) glass display cases (with those ship models) fell over and were smashed too. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

13 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 12/152 - sea day

Sorry to hear you encountered some rough seas. Be glad that your oil tanks were (apparently) full. Our misfortune on the Sky (pics below from 3/23/19) was that the level was not adequate. Thus, as a result of the severe pitching and rolling, the low level sensors were activated and initiated auto-shutdown of all the engines. Then, we were at the mercy of the bomb cyclone and were nearly driven against the rocky lee shore. Two of the pics show at least one of the helicopters that were used to evacuate over 400 passengers - a very long and tedious process. Your report of the high waves and pics of the difference in horizon brings all this back to me, though it's never very far from my mind. I recall it like it was yesterday. Wishing you more pleasant sailing from this point forward! 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[GKTV32162]

7 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Sorry to hear you encountered some rough seas. Be glad that your oil tanks were (apparently) full. Our misfortune on the Sky (pics below from 3/23/19) was that the level was not adequate. Thus, as a result of the severe pitching and rolling, the low level sensors were activated and initiated auto-shutdown of all the engines. Then, we were at the mercy of the bomb cyclone and were nearly driven against the rocky lee shore. Two of the pics show at least one of the helicopters that were used to evacuate over 400 passengers - a very long and tedious process. Your report of the high waves and pics of the difference in horizon brings all this back to me, though it's never very far from my mind. I recall it like it was yesterday. Wishing you more pleasant sailing from this point forward! 

 

 

Wow! I can tell you yesterday was nothing like you encountered. Amazing photos. Glad you came out OK.

[OnTheJourney]

10 minutes ago, GKTV32162 said:

Glad you came out OK.

So are we!  A few more  (sorry, I probably shouldn't be doing this...)  The amazing thing was that, with all the damage done inside the ship, they got her ready to go back out like a week after it happened. Must have brought on an army of crew working 24/7. Best part was that, as things started to really get bad at lunch on Saturday 3/23, the ship's guitar player was doing "My Heart will go on".....lol....I was thinking...dude...pick a different song, ya know? 

 

One of my favorite shots is from the helicopter cams overlooking the ship. We had very little with us since there was no time to go back to the room once the mayday sounded. I had my wallet and camera - that's about it. Not even a coat. It was FREEZING in the helicopter. OK...enough. Sorry again, but your report brings it all back (last pic below)

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Mitina]

12 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Again, off topic.  More World Cruise details please.

[Heidi13]

17 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Not trying to litigate anything, but some of this doesn't seem entirely copacetic. Celebrity also has a cruise that starts in Oahu and ends in Vancouver. How is that not in violation? 

 

Provided it ends in Vancouver, BC it isn't a violation, but if it ends in Vancouver, WA then it is a violation.

 

Remember, Vancouver BC is Canada, not the USA, so the voyage is not between 2 US ports.☺️

 

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 1/3/2022 at 7:31 PM, UWDawg said:

Yes, the Puntarenas Panorama excursion was the included excursion at Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica.  While https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/ didn't have a favorable review of the Panorama excursion... apparently due to the transport to and from... 
https://roseandtedsexcellentadventure.com/ and others on FaceBook seemed to have enjoyed this included excursion.

Yes, people's evaluation of excursions can be quite different.  In Iceland in August I took a paid photography excursion that someone on a cruise before mine didn't like because the man didn't tell participants much about photography.  But the locations were wonderful, and the instructor/guide DID make it clear he was available for questions, so that was fine for me.   And someone didn't think much of one paid excursion in another port because there was one very smelly (due to sulfur) location.  And with Viking, there are always some people who come from river cruises and don't like or are at least surprised by the "largeness" of excursions  on ocean cruises -- so many people taking excursions, different times/meeting locations, coaches, time getting somewhere, etc.  And Viking does try to offer included tours that are suitable for very mobile as well as less mobile people, and sometimes that means a panoramic tour with few stops. 

 

If possible, I look for comments from multiple sources (Cruise Critic, Facebook, blogs, etc.) before deciding on anything.  And if I take an excursion that's listed as "panoramic" I know to choose my bus seat wisely, put my camera on a fast shutter setting, and be prepared for whatever I might see.  You certainly managed to capture some wonderful shots!  I saw the lighthouse and hand when I was in Punta Arenas some years ago, but not the other things.  And if that church is near the lighthouse, it has been repainted since I visited - so pretty now!

 

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

15 minutes ago, Mitina said:

More World Cruise details please.

I'm sure there will be plenty to come. I was simply responding to the recent blogpost about the high waves and sea conditions. As such, I don't consider that it was totally 'off topic' to do so. 

[Heidi13]

14 hours ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 12/152 - sea day

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/01/world-cruise-day-12152-sea-she-is-angry.html

 

Although you are sailing the Pacific Ocean, what you experienced last night is very common, while passing through the Gulf of Tehuantepec. This is where Central America narrows and experiences strong off-shore winds.

 

At 35 kts winds, a sea state of 10 - 15' waves is actually on the low side, which is most likely due to the lack of fetch. In Force 8 winds, wave heights of 20' + are not uncommon in the open ocean.

 

Many years ago when sailing the Acapulo/San Juan trans-Canal shuttle, we transitted this area every 2 weeks. Never failed to get a little blow and once hit a severe storm that did significant damage to our Foc'sle, even at reduced speed..

[SantaFe1]

8 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Gulf of Tehuantepec.

Thank you for this.  I don’t think Spanish is one of Captain Lars’ languages and I couldn’t understand him yesterday when he must have said this three times.  But Kudos to him.  He speaks more foreign languages than I do!!

Edited January 5, 2022 by SantaFe1

[Heidi13]

14 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Thank you for this.  I don’t think Spanish is one of Captain Lars’ languages and I couldn’t understand him yesterday when he must have said this three times.  But Kudos to him.  He speaks more foreign languages than I do!!

 

Here is a somewhat interesting article about the Gulf of T from a mariner's perspective.

 

https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/crossing-the-harrowed-gulf-of-tehuantepec

 

[OnTheJourney]

Andy...really cool info, as always. Thanks!!  "Ready to shoot the t-peckers"  LOL...great stuff. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[SantaFe1]

57 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Thank you for this.  I don’t think Spanish is one of Captain Lars’ languages and I couldn’t understand him yesterday when he must have said this three times.  But Kudos to him.  He speaks more foreign languages than I do!!

Self education is everything on sea days days.  The name is not Spanish but Nahuatl, from the Aztec.  

[Heidi13]

As a survivor of the ill-fated 2019/20 World Cruise that was severely impacted by a social media post stating we had COVID, after seeing photos of pax going ashore in Komodo Island. This social media post was picked up by local media and caused us to miss 2 ports in Indonesia, one of which we bypassed and Samarang, where we anchored off for a full day, until they eventually let us in for stores.

 

Once we finally received permission to dock, armed guards prevented anyone leaving the ship, a guest entertainer was not permitted to board and worst of all, we witnessed crew members in tears on the upper decks waving to their kids at the port gates, only a short distance away. All because of an inconsiderate social media post, from a past pax.

 

At the next port of Bali, we were originally approved to dock, but on arrival were forced to anchor, with again nobody permitted ashore. Viking flew senior execs out from Basle to negotiate with the local authorities. While we lost 1 day ashore, they finally let us dock on day 2 and 3, but it was only achieved at the last minute.

 

A single, inconsiderate social media post cost us 3 days ashore in Indonesia, and as rumours spread, we were not permitted into any ports after Bali.

 

May I suggest that the current Viking Star pax and also those boarding in L/A consider the impact we experienced from a social media post relating to COVID onboard, and cease posting daily updates on infections. I suggest this include CC, the other unmentionable faces and personal blogs.

 

While we are all interested, I for one have no desire to know the daily status of COVID onboard, if it increases the potential of Viking completing the current itinerary.

 

[Twitchly]

On the other hand, others pondering whether to proceed with their cruises or cancel might find it helpful to know how prevalent Covid is onboard. I know we did. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any other obvious place to get that information (Viking understandably isn’t broadcasting it), so people turn to places like this.