Italy-Adriatic-Greece March 2022

[longterm]

Today was the 3rd day for us in Venice. We originally scheduled an optional excursion for a tour of the Doge's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica.

 

When we got the last batch of excursion tickets 2 days ago, I noticed we were missing a ticket for the 13th (today). I went to Guest Services to inquire, and it's a really good thing I did...

 

We were told that our excursion had been canceled because St. Mark's Basilica is closed to tours on Sunday mornings, and that we had been notified with a letter to our stateroom. 

We got the letter later that day, but still too late to do much with it.

I was not a happy camper; I was told we could take any of 3 remaining tours (the free tour + 2 others); the 4th, a tour of Doge's Palace, was full.

Of the 3 remaining tours, we had already taken 2 of them, so that left the freebie, which was a tour of St. Mark's Square. Wow. Not much to see there, and we'd already seen it on a tour that morning.

I told the Viking person that the only tour we would be satisfied with, having now lost our chance to go inside St. Mark's, was the tour of the Doge's Palace. He wouldn't budge; he put us on a waiting list behind 4 other people.

I was not pleased, and told him so, politely but firmly. I asked to speak to his superior, and he told me he'd have the excursion director call me. She called while we were out of the room, so I called back. 

She told me that we weren't the only people with the same situation, and said they'd worked out a solution: they organized a private tour for the 12 of us to the Doge's Palace, and we'd be taken there and back by private water taxis, not the large water buses we used for the other excursions. 

It was wonderful; we were whisked there, 6 in each water taxi, got an excellent private tour of the Doge's Palace, and a half hour to spend in St. Mark's Square, where a few of us bought souvenirs or coffee.

Yet again, Viking did the right thing; someone set up this tour without considering that St. Mark's was closed on Sunday mornings--oops--I would guess that it was someone in Venice, but I don't know--but Viking came up with a great solution. Water taxis are 70 euros for a one-way trip for ONE person, and I don't know what they paid for parties of 6 (probably at least 200-300 euros each way), but our excursion was just perfect. I give Viking huge points for taking care of its guests.

We didn't get to see the interior of St. Mark's, but it's an excuse to return soon.

Edited March 13, 2022 by longterm

[curmudgeon98]

On 3/11/2022 at 2:29 AM, longterm said:

Here's a map of the Venice area this morning; from what I can see, the Norwegian ship "Norwegian Prima" is the only other cruise ship in port, so that's a good thing. My understanding is that, to go to Murano, they'll bus us to the city, then we'll get on a boat for Murano, then Burano after that. I have an original watercolor at home of a bridge in Murano, painted by a talented woman from Indiana; it'll be great to see if I can spot the actual bridge (doubtful); a bit cloudy today, chilly here in Italy; in fact, we saw snow on the ground in Bari, which is far south of here.

 

Just as an aside; Norwegian Prima is not in service yet.  She is presumably fitting out at the Fincanteri shipyard and due to take passengers starting in August of this year.  I don't think any of the other lines are using the port until April, at which point MSC, Silverseas, Oceania, and Azamara start doing some stops.

[longterm]

20 hours ago, curmudgeon98 said:

Just as an aside; Norwegian Prima is not in service yet.  She is presumably fitting out at the Fincanteri shipyard and due to take passengers starting in August of this year.  I don't think any of the other lines are using the port until April, at which point MSC, Silverseas, Oceania, and Azamara start doing some stops.

The Prima is the ship that is under construction in the shipbuilding area; you'll see it as you drive into Venice.

We were told that only Viking is sailing into Venice these days, with others going to Trieste and Ravenna.

[longterm]

Yesterday we left Italy, and arrived in Split, Croatia this morning; what a beautiful city.

It was wonderful to be able to wander the Old Town on our own; we found a table at Storija and had a truly incredible lunch, after taking a paid excursion through Diocletian's Palace and the art museum of famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, whose work is amazing and well worth seeing.

Docked in the harbor, we were able to stroll through town, buy yet more olive oil, browse a few shops, and then take the 15 minute walk back to the ship. 

[longterm]

A couple of shots from Venice...

[miami mama]

Longterm, would love descriptions of any and all excursions you are on or even ones that people can't stop talking about. We will be doing the Venice to Athens part next year as well as the postextension in Athens.

You sound like you are having an amazing time. May things continue to go well. 

[Maite88]

On 3/13/2022 at 6:40 AM, longterm said:

We went into Venice all 3 days

How did you get shore excursions booked for the full day in Venice, (middle day)? There is no shore excursions available to book on MVJ.  Did you do it on board?

[longterm]

6 hours ago, Maite88 said:

How did you get shore excursions booked for the full day in Venice, (middle day)? There is no shore excursions available to book on MVJ.  Did you do it on board?

They sent a sheet of paper in our stateroom with 4 choices for the middle day; they didn't do it until 1-2 days before.

[longterm]

13 hours ago, miami mama said:

Longterm, would love descriptions of any and all excursions you are on or even ones that people can't stop talking about. We will be doing the Venice to Athens part next year as well as the postextension in Athens.

You sound like you are having an amazing time. May things continue to go well. 

Thanks! 

So far, here's how I'd rate the excursions we have taken:

 

1. Naples - Pompeii - can't miss it if you haven't seen Pompeii. If you have mobility issues the stone streets are a little dicey, but it was one of the high points of our trip;

2. Sicily - villages, including 2 where "The Godfather" and "Godfather Part III" were filmed; I loved it. We really got a taste of Sicilian villages;

3. Bari - Castellana Caves - another "can't miss;" really beautiful and interesting.
4. Crotone - free walking tour; meh. Was not even guided at all. Best part was walking through the farmer's market on our own where we bought olives and strawberries.

5. Sibenik - free walking tour--we wish we'd done Krka Waterfalls instead, town was half shut down, not much to see except lingerie shops (really? What's THAT about?)
6. Venice - Murano & Burano--we loved it; Hidden Streets of Venice (or whatever it was called)--very cool, avoided the crowds, was really neat; Doge's Palace tour - very interesting, well worth it.

7. Split - Diocletian's Palace and Mestrovic museum - very cool, esp. the museum. where we saw his wonderful sculptures. Big thumbs up; the city is beautiful, and we had a great lunch on the waterfront. Then, at a little cafe where we had coffee, I asked about buying one of their espresso cups, and the manager, who happened to be sitting right next to me, gave me one. Great moment!

Today, Dubrovnik and a late departure. We plan to stay in town, at least through lunch, and perhaps return for dinner as well.

 

[longterm]

Two medical emergencies that we know of so far: someone did a face plant in St. Mark's Square in Venice, and had to be boated to the hospital for 5 stitches in his forehead. We haven't heard anything further...

 

Last night at dinner, there was a "Code Alpha" at the infinity pool; code alpha is a medical emergency. No details so far, but we knew from the fact that it was a shipwide alert that it must have been very serious.

[longterm]

Diocletian's Palace, one of my favorite sculptures by Ivan Mestrovic (on the agony of war), view of the Adriatic Sea from his upstairs windows, another sculpture called "Contemplation."

[Mrs Miggins]

Really enjoying this thread.  However I do realise that touring at this time of the year is really not the same as in the lovely weather we have enjoyed in May, June and September.  For example in Sibenik we walked up to the lovely little Monastery Garden of St Lawrence, which incidentally has recently been featured in the UK Gardener - Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens.  A small reconstructed garden with a splendid cafe.  Sitting in the sunshine was bliss.  Information on the Sibenik tourist website.   I found out about it on the Ports of Call board on cruise critic.  

We have also done several New Year cruises in the Mediterranean but the whole ambience is different at that time of year.  We did sit outside in good weather in Valencia and enjoyed the Christmas markets in Monaco etc but it is a really different experience if the weather does not co-operate.

 

[longterm]

The wall around Dubrovnik Old Town. Notice the stairs; no railings most of the time, wall on one side was about 3 feet high, which didn't comfort me in the slightest. But I made it!

 

You can see in the photos how the wall climbs in spots; the views were worth the effort, even with my sweaty palms.

[Cienfuegos]

Great thread, sounds like your tour is going very well.

 

In Split, there's an excellent farmer's market several days each week between Diocletian's Palace, and the train station / ferry terminal. Wide range of vegetables and fruit, as well as crafts and olive oil.  There are also several open terraces where you can sit, have a beer, and watch sailboats bobbing at anchor.  We enjoyed a stop at the Procuratura terrace.

 

Good, compact city for walking, but the hills come quickly.

[miami mama]

Great pictures. Just looking at the stairs I want to climb got me a little nervous.

[longterm]

Leaving Kotor

[SailorPaulH]

3 hours ago, longterm said:

Leaving Kotor

Longterm - nice job with the photos and updates: I'm enjoying them, and we're thinking this could be a cruise we go on ourselves in the future. Two questions: you did your own Rome pre-cruise extension, right? How about Athens - are you doing extension (Viking or self?). Thanks.  

[RalphZ]

No sorry (spiacente), we're going Venice to Athens.

 

Was told by a Viking Customer Service rep that

they were purposedly not booking at full capacity

but how much less than 900 that means, I don't know.

[longterm]

9 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

Longterm - nice job with the photos and updates: I'm enjoying them, and we're thinking this could be a cruise we go on ourselves in the future. Two questions: you did your own Rome pre-cruise extension, right? How about Athens - are you doing extension (Viking or self?). Thanks.  

Yes, we booked our own accommodations in Rome. I can highly recommend the Argentina Residenza Hotel; it is two minutes from the Pantheon, directly across the street from where Julius Caesar was assassinated. Staff was wonderful, room was very nice

 

We are staying in Athens on the Viking post extension; we booked two tours  with a private guide, plus we have the three tour excursions provided by Viking; our guide is going to surprise us on the last day with some things that are not common tourist destinations, and we are very excited about that. We are gliding into Corfu Greece as we speak, should be docking in the next 20 minutes. Absolutely beautiful.

[longterm]

4 hours ago, RalphZ said:

No sorry (spiacente), we're going Venice to Athens.

 

Was told by a Viking Customer Service rep that

they were purposedly not booking at full capacity

but how much less than 900 that means, I don't know.

There are 500 on board now, according to guest services.

[pdmlynek]

On 2/22/2022 at 7:49 PM, longterm said:

Just got this a minute ago about Venice, where we'll be for 2-1/2 days:

 

"Dear Viking Guest,

...

As you may be aware, the Italian government announced that cruise ships would no longer be allowed to travel through the city's canals. ...

 

Sincerely,

Viking"

Hahahaha!  Is Viking trolling you? 

 

How could anyone think that a huge ship like Viking Sky, with a 30 meter beam and 7 meter draught be able to ply canals that are 1 to 5 meters wide and a meter deep?  Have they ever been to Venice or seen pictures of canals of Venice?

 

I hope that they were just trying to be funny.

 

[pdmlynek]

On 3/6/2022 at 12:53 PM, claranda said:

I really can’t believe what I’m reading here! Is no one complaining about this appalling situation? We’re forced to pay for tests that should satisfy the cruise line - certainly it satisfies other lines - and they still insist on a PCR and lock you up for five, six, god knows how many hours! We can board at 11 in Venice, but what’s the point? Better to have a leisurely lunch on shore and board in the afternoon!

 

Well, things happen when you travel.  There will always be mechanical problems, weather delays, strikes, mudslides, missed plane connections, vanished reservations.  That's just nature of travel.  Count for things to go wrong.

 

This is especially true for when traveling during Covid.  The law, rules, and regulations are often unclear, and conflicting.  The legislators pass some laws, the Ministry of Health says one thing, the border patrol says something else, the local police somethings else, the airlines something else.  Each follows different rules.  Their websites about the rules are often out of date. "Yeah, I know that on our website it states that you need an antigen test, but now the rules are that you need a PCR test" or like happened to me all the time.

 

Overcoming unreasonable regulations is just the part of the excitement of travel.  Don't stress about it.

 

[pdmlynek]

On 3/13/2022 at 12:22 PM, longterm said:

We were told that our excursion had been canceled because St. Mark's Basilica is closed to tours on Sunday mornings, and that we had been notified with a letter to our stateroom. 

We got the letter later that day, but still too late to do much with it.

I was not a happy camper;

 

That's just nature of Italy.  They'll tell you one thing, but it will be totally wrong.  While normally when I travel I have Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, in Italy, I also have Plans D, E and F.  

 

Just wait until you get to Greece.  You'll need the rest of the alphabet.  

 

Keep at it!  I enjoy your posts very much.  This is extremely valuable to us.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

2 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

Hahahaha!  Is Viking trolling you? 

 

How could anyone think that a huge ship like Viking Sky, with a 30 meter beam and 7 meter draught be able to ply canals that are 1 to 5 meters wide and a meter deep?  Have they ever been to Venice or seen pictures of canals of Venice?

 

I hope that they were just trying to be funny.

 

Cruise Ships including those bigger than Viking did indeed travel along the Guidecca Canal past St Marks Square to the Cruise Port.  Of course they didnt enter the Grand Canal !  Photos available online.

[longterm]

3 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

 

Well, things happen when you travel.  There will always be mechanical problems, weather delays, strikes, mudslides, missed plane connections, vanished reservations.  That's just nature of travel.  Count for things to go wrong.

 

This is especially true for when traveling during Covid.  The law, rules, and regulations are often unclear, and conflicting.  The legislators pass some laws, the Ministry of Health says one thing, the border patrol says something else, the local police somethings else, the airlines something else.  Each follows different rules.  Their websites about the rules are often out of date. "Yeah, I know that on our website it states that you need an antigen test, but now the rules are that you need a PCR test" or like happened to me all the time.

 

Overcoming unreasonable regulations is just the part of the excitement of travel.  Don't stress about it.

 

 

3 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

 

That's just nature of Italy.  They'll tell you one thing, but it will be totally wrong.  While normally when I travel I have Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, in Italy, I also have Plans D, E and F.  

 

Just wait until you get to Greece.  You'll need the rest of the alphabet.  

 

Keep at it!  I enjoy your posts very much.  This is extremely valuable to us.

 

According to the local guides, St. Mark's has never allowed tours on Sunday mornings, just on Sunday afternoons. I place the blame squarely on the local tour company, whose name didn't exactly inspire confidence (I'll not post it here).

 

What I will say again though is that not only did Viking resolve the situation, but they did it with incredible style, squiring the dozen of us affected by this in private water taxis, whose fees for a single rider is 70 euros--and there were 6 of us in each taxi. So, I figure they spent about 300 euros each way, amounting to 1200 euros just to get us back and forth, plus the cost of the guide and the bus to get us from Fusima.