Live from Viking Sky April 20 - May 7 Venice to Istanbul

[austinetc]

I plan to make daily posts, Internet willing. I have maintained a blog for all my adventures since my retirement in November, 2015. Some were with my wife, some not. Her adventurous spirit has limits.

 

As with many of you, this cruise was long in coming.  Originally booked to be a Russian River Cruise in April, 2020. Then it became this cruise, set for April, 2021. After another year of Covid, here it is at last. We did the Douro River cruise last August (for the second time), so we’re accustomed to spitting.

 

That we won’t have to wear a mask on this cruise is sort of a good news/bad news situation. I intend to wear one in certain circumstances, such as in elevators. My wife, being native to Japan, is more comfortable with masks, so she will probably wear one all the time.

 

We booked the two-day pre-cruise extension so we will arrive in Venice on the 21st. This is fortunate, since the Sky isn’t docking in Venice, or even across the bay in Fusina. The harbor is closed temporarily for a “pending Environment Study”, whatever that is.  We will have all day Friday to visit Venice, then on Saturday we’ll be transported 90 miles (three hours?) south to Ravenna. New excursion options await. (Viking has compensated everyone with some on board credit and a partial discount for a future cruise.)

 

Anyway, we have done our two boosters, VERIFLY, Antigen test, EU locator documentation, and Lufthansa paperwork. We have our boarding passes. The flights are relatively painless; Lufthansa still has a mask policy, which is actually our preference. The consequences of testing positive, with or without symptoms, is too significant.

 

Since I was 14 (no joke, I remember the moment), my retirement plans were to travel. The pandemic threw a huge wrench into those dreams. But this will be my third (our second) post pandemic adventure. We’re back on track!

 

http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

[Azulann]

Love reading live reports . Let your journey begin. 
cheers!

[PasadenaDave]

I look forward to your blog as we will cross paths in Istanbul as we board to head in the reverse direction May 7.  The LAX to Frankfurt flight on Lufthansa appears to the the toughest part of the journey 

[austinetc]

26 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

I look forward to your blog as we will cross paths in Istanbul as we board to head in the reverse direction May 7.  The LAX to Frankfurt flight on Lufthansa appears to the the toughest part of the journey 

Lufthansa has a large selection of movies. (I never tire of Casablanca.) But I did a layover at Frankfurt just last month. The hardest part was the walk, not the flight. Lufthansa's terminal is one looong wing. Had to walk from gate 11 to 67. There were some people movers, but several were under repair.

[longterm]

2 hours ago, austinetc said:

I plan to make daily posts, Internet willing. I have maintained a blog for all my adventures since my retirement in November, 2015. Some were with my wife, some not. Her adventurous spirit has limits.

 

As with many of you, this cruise was long in coming.  Originally booked to be a Russian River Cruise in April, 2020. Then it became this cruise, set for April, 2021. After another year of Covid, here it is at last. We did the Douro River cruise last August (for the second time), so we’re accustomed to spitting.

 

That we won’t have to wear a mask on this cruise is sort of a good news/bad news situation. I intend to wear one in certain circumstances, such as in elevators. My wife, being native to Japan, is more comfortable with masks, so she will probably wear one all the time.

 

We booked the two-day pre-cruise extension so we will arrive in Venice on the 21st. This is fortunate, since the Sky isn’t docking in Venice, or even across the bay in Fusina. The harbor is closed temporarily for a “pending Environment Study”, whatever that is.  We will have all day Friday to visit Venice, then on Saturday we’ll be transported 90 miles (three hours?) south to Ravenna. New excursion options await. (Viking has compensated everyone with some on board credit and a partial discount for a future cruise.)

 

Anyway, we have done our two boosters, VERIFLY, Antigen test, EU locator documentation, and Lufthansa paperwork. We have our boarding passes. The flights are relatively painless; Lufthansa still has a mask policy, which is actually our preference. The consequences of testing positive, with or without symptoms, is too significant.

 

Since I was 14 (no joke, I remember the moment), my retirement plans were to travel. The pandemic threw a huge wrench into those dreams. But this will be my third (our second) post pandemic adventure. We’re back on track!

 

http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

We were there in March on the Rome->Athens cruise; we had a great time and can't wait for our next cruise. 

Are there any limitations now in Italy for cruise passengers? When we were there, cruisers weren't allowed to explore Italian cities without a tour guide; we did arrive in Rome 5 days early and were out and about there without constraints, but wish it had been allowed in Venice. 

[hbtraveler]

Looking forward to your reports as we will be on the same cruise departing Venice on 18 June.

[LighthouseLover]

2 hours ago, longterm said:

We were there in March on the Rome->Athens cruise; we had a great time and can't wait for our next cruise. 

Are there any limitations now in Italy for cruise passengers? When we were there, cruisers weren't allowed to explore Italian cities without a tour guide; we did arrive in Rome 5 days early and were out and about there without constraints, but wish it had been allowed in Venice. 

We were in Venice last week on the Sea and there were no limitations. They actually encouraged people who had 2 tours booked (afternoon and evening) to stay in Venice between times. We were allowed independent exploration in all of the Italy ports.

[longterm]

1 hour ago, LighthouseLover said:

We were in Venice last week on the Sea and there were no limitations. They actually encouraged people who had 2 tours booked (afternoon and evening) to stay in Venice between times. We were allowed independent exploration in all of the Italy ports.

That's really great to hear! We really wish we could've done that, but we had a nice time in spite of the limitations. I'm just glad that we went to Rome ahead of the cruise and were able to do as we wished for 5 days.

[austinetc]

I have had nothing but good things to say about Viking until today.

 

First: JW Marriott Venice charges 25 Euro per day for internet unless you're a member of their club. Days Inn provides free wifi! I was once in a camping area in the Yukon Territory that had free wifi. This is beyond unsat. I'm using my iPhone as a Hotspot.

 

For my money, this Viking precruise extension is a total bust. Marriott precharged my card 300 Euro, just in case I leave without paying for something. There is NO written information in the room. The TV has some information, but not much. No menus listed. I've been in better equiped Best Westerns.  No corkscrew. No USB pports. No prices for the minifridge. NO maps of their "wonderful" resort. They don't mention whether the water bottle is complementary. One other thing I noticed; their pools close at 8PM. This is a resort?

 

The briefers spoke too quickly. The lobby we were in, for reasons beyond understanding, had background music playing. We had to individually checkin. Viking did nothing at all to speed our checkin. 45 minutes after landing on the island we went to the dock to catch a boat to Venice. They were just then taking our luggage from the dock!

 

I realize it's just me and perhaps Viking's extensions are excellent elsewhere, or that others see good in what I see bad.  But Viking is going to hear about this from me.

 

VIking and Marriott aside, we had a good first evening in Venice. However, it was insanely crowded. We hope to get there early tomorrow, though that's complicated by an Antigen test at 8:10 AM. 

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, austinetc said:

I have had nothing but good things to say about Viking until today.

 

First: JW Marriott Venice charges 25 Euro per day for internet unless you're a member of their club. Days Inn provides free wifi! I was once in a camping area in the Yukon Territory that had free wifi. This is beyond unsat. I'm using my iPhone as a Hotspot.

 

For my money, this Viking precruise extension is a total bust. Marriott precharged my card 300 Euro, just in case I leave without paying for something. There is NO written information in the room. The TV has some information, but not much. No menus listed. I've been in better equiped Best Westerns.  No corkscrew. No USB pports. No prices for the minifridge. NO maps of their "wonderful" resort. They don't mention whether the water bottle is complementary. One other thing I noticed; their pools close at 8PM. This is a resort?

 

The briefers spoke too quickly. The lobby we were in, for reasons beyond understanding, had background music playing. We had to individually checkin. Viking did nothing at all to speed our checkin. 45 minutes after landing on the island we went to the dock to catch a boat to Venice. They were just then taking our luggage from the dock!

 

I realize it's just me and perhaps Viking's extensions are excellent elsewhere, or that others see good in what I see bad.  But Viking is going to hear about this from me.

 

VIking and Marriott aside, we had a good first evening in Venice. However, it was insanely crowded. We hope to get there early tomorrow, though that's complicated by an Antigen test at 8:10 AM. 

 

Totally agree, this doesn't sound like the quality hotel that Viking promotes on the pre/post extensions.

 

With respect to Marriotts - I have seen this at many of their hotels. When I booked the Marriott at Montreal Airport in December, it is the same process for wifi. For free wifi you must book directly with the hotel, and be a member of their loyalty program. Fortunately, my account from my working days was still valid.

 

Hopefully, things will improve upon boarding.

[austinetc]

My last post was pretty harsh.  Apologies for being a sourpuss.

 

I should have certainly added that everyone we met in Venice was a delight! Everyone spoke English. Asking advice was easy. (Though, again, we had to ask advice about which boat was the Marriott boat. To be fair, most boats have no signage at all.) 

 

[20Cruise20]

Austinetc,

 

Last month I experienced the same frustration with the Venice pre-extension and detailed all of the challenges to Viking. Regardless, it was wonderful to be in Venice. Enjoy your time there. Looking forward to following your journey. 

[Blue willow]

Thank you for sharing your experience, the good and the bad. 

All organizations benefit from constructive criticism from their customers. 

We are staying on our own, booked independently, out in Mestre. 

No complaints.

Fun days today and yesterday, though a bit clobbered by jet lag.

Goodnight. Sleep well, all. 

 

[Peregrina651]

16 hours ago, austinetc said:

My last post was pretty harsh.  Apologies for being a sourpuss.

 

I should have certainly added that everyone we met in Venice was a delight! Everyone spoke English. Asking advice was easy. (Though, again, we had to ask advice about which boat was the Marriott boat. To be fair, most boats have no signage at all.) 

 

 

Don't hold back. We aren't looking for skittles and beer; we are happy to read about the problems so that we can be ready for them. Forewarned makes things so much easier to deal with.

[austinetc]

Friday, 4/22. Many Photos today. http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

 

Typically fantastic breakfast. Better than most. Massive number of pastries. Somehow the bacon was better than usual.

 

We were tested on time. The nurse did a brain swab. Pushed it in further than it’s ever been pushed. Painful. But negative! That’s all that matters. The Viking "Hosts" did nothing useful. Was unable to answer the simple question "Were Viking excursions for Sunday cancelled?" I don't blame them. I blame Viking for telling them in advance. It's sort of an important question. Someone who had a glass factory excursion booked for Sunday needed to know if she should book one today instead.

 

Rain. Rain and wind. After walking to the boat dock, we bailed and returned to the hotel. We signed up for an afternoon glass factory group tour. I slept the sleep of the dead. We considered going to Breakfast #2, since it was open until 11.

 

By the time the tour began the rain had stopped, as did most of the wind. The tour was fine, though as expected we spent much more time in the showroom than in the factory.  I could have watched them make glass all day. The way they throw around molten glass was very impressive. Interestingly, the Russian partial gas embargo is projected to have a very large impact on glass making. 120% increases in gas prices. (Gas is used to fire the burners.) Everything was beautiful and priced that way. We bought a wine stopper. A fine tour. Fun boat ride too. We were dropped off at San Marcos piers to continue our walk around Venice.

 

I could truly walk the alleys of Venice and eat nothing, enter nothing, buy nothing and have a great time. Though I was mostly walking somewhere specific (Google Maps is my friend), I tried to keep off the main paths. The canals were as advertised. I learned that to get from one location to another required that one pay attention to where the bridges were.

 

Quick observations:

No bikes! Nothing with wheels. Heaven.

Looking up was frequently rewarded with an interesting view. Statues are a common thing.

More smokers than expected.

No beggars.

No stray cats.

All dogs are well mannered and well groomed.

 

Yoriko had Sardines, Venetian style, I had spaghetti at Baci & Pasta. We had outstanding pastries at Bar Pasticceria Ballarin. We had excellent pizza at a hole in the wall place.

 

Visited the Liberia Acqua Alta Book Store. Indescribable. Must be seen to be believed. Climb  a staircase on books, among other things.

 

Tried some night photography with good results.

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by austinetc

[austinetc]

Saturday, 4/23. My little printer paid dividends last night when I printed a photo of the bartender. In return for a 50 cent picture, he gave me a free glass of wine.

 

Sunshine greeted us the morning! It would have been a nice day in Venice, followed by a late bus drive to the ship. Sadly, no. Viking has its program and won’t be distracted. We boarded the boat at 9:30AM. But they exceeded my expectations by providing a water-borne commentary of Venice Harbor. Very interesting. Entertaining pieces of history. Got some great photos of other boats.

 

After that, the transfer turned painful.  We landed at the airport (which has an incredible boat terminal), had a 25 minute potty stop delay, a 20 minute walk to the buses, then a 2.5 hour drive to the ship. None of it was exciting. But getting onto the ship afterwards was easy.

 

After our spit in the tube, we had the run of the ship, masks on. Tomorrow masks are optional. 

 

We went into the spa pool. Surprisingly, Yoriko had not done it on our prior Viking cruise. She loved it!

The pail of cold water was refreshing for her. 

 

Dinner was excellent. I had filet mignon. I questioned the sommelier’s wine recommendation (primotivo) and I was correct. Had an alternative (South African Cab) that worked much better.

 

Chocolate ice cream and port was a nice desert. Now I’m in the night club, typing and drinking (slowly).

 

http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by austinetc

[austinetc]

Sunday, 4/24. Visited San Marino, my 52nd country. I would never have made it but for the ship not getting to Venice. All in all, we’d rather have had another day there, but lemons, lemonade.

 

During our ride the tour guide talked about the area’s history, but I wasn’t able to follow it much for all the distractions. The road was not very smooth and had a high number of circles and stop lights. It was disappointing that we never stopped for photo opportunities on our approach to the mountain-top country’s towers and walls. The view from above was fantastic, but the real visual thrills were of the top, not from it.

 

Many, many souvenirs shops which we made use of. Imitation weapons are a big thing. As the morning progressed it became extremely crowded, being Sunday. We were happy to have arrived early.

 

Rain fell as we returned to the ship. The fifty yard walk from the security tent to the ship was wet. As we came aboard I noticed a bin full of umbrellas. Putting them in the security tent would have been helpful. A little failure on Viking’s part.

 

Tea time was great, with a wide assortment of teas. Tiny cakes and sandwiches. Violinist and cellist played. Nice and restful. Almost everyone was properly dressed. No bathrobes. Later, in The Living Room, the pianist played, among other things, the tune one hears when put on telephone hold with Viking. I think it was a poor choice. 

 

We visited the spa pool again. I think we may have begun a tradition. I was able to use the snow room, but Yoriko stepped in and immediately stepped back out. 

 

For dinner I had an entree as an appetizer (lobster and scallops over noodles). For an entree I had beef wellington. All excellent. Shared a table with a couple of very interesting retired college professors. 

 

The ship got underway! Finally, we’re doing what cruises are supposed to do.  It was a good day.

 

Photos at http://dlajourney.net/Wordpress/

[MarkTapley]

7 hours ago, austinetc said:

Later, in The Living Room, the pianist played, among other things, the tune one hears when put on telephone hold with Viking.

Doug,

 

Enjoying reading your posts here.  Not sure what Viking has for “hold music,” as our TA has to endure it.  LOL  However, Viking commissioned a piece for their 20th anniversary called “The Traveler,” by Debbie Wiseman.  That may have been what was played during tea time.  They did a feature on its composition for Viking TV.

[kcpvwill]

I love ‘The Traveler’ music on the ads in the UK, always reminds me of our 14 cruises with Viking and counting.  Looking forward to our B2B in June on Venus. 

[jimbri]

Enjoy your cruise!

[austinetc]

Monday, 4/25. Ship pulled into Split on a beautiful day. The dock was minutes away from the old city on foot.

 

Our excursion began with a rapid hour in the Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian, the longest occupied Roman construction. It’s been built up over the centuries into a mish-mash of apartments, churches, shops, etc. It’s a fascinating area, but not a very beautiful one. Roman under gothic, under Renaissance, etc. Full of history. Even though we were there early, the place was crowded.

 

(Split is the site of many Game of Thrones scenes. A ridiculous number of stores dedicated to the show.)

 

Our next stop was to an olive oil factory, where we got a lecture on the difference kinds of oil. We learned that most “virgin” olive oil is mostly lamp oil-grade, with a touch of actual virgin oil. There is no such thing as cheap 100% virgin olive oil. We had a tasting sample to illustrate the difference. It was an excellent education.  We then spent 45 minutes in their store, filled with not only olive oil but also creams, soaps, jellies, salts, etc. Yoriko purchased a variety.

 

Returning to the town I found a great wine shop and bought two bottles of local wine, which is not available in the USA. I look forward to drinking it back home.

[norahs-lot]

Thrilled to be following your journey...   We have this itinerary booked on Viking Jupiter for April 2024 and will be first time on Viking for us 😎 but so long to wait! Thank you for taking the time to post.

[austinetc]

Wednesday, 4/27. There were two other cruise ships here, but we got the dock space. The others had to anchor out. Ha.

 

The town (population 2,000) was wall-to-wall tour groups, with an equal number of tour guides. So what were the odds that the tour guide for my group would be the same person who guided me eight weeks ago? But that’s what happened! Fortunately, it wasn’t the same script. He was again a lot of fun. 

 

Had a fine lunch in town. Looked into a few stores, but only bought a few “locally made” magnets. The town has many stores with foreign made products, but the guides all ask that we buy local things.

 

Swam in the Infiniti pool, watching the shuttle boats carry passengers to their ships. Poor things.

 

Sailing out of the long, serpentine passage was exciting. For once there was a crowd watching the ship move. Three rights and three lefts. Great views. Some adequate photos. (I didn’t take many of the city, since I’d been there just eight weeks ago.) 

 

We had dinner at Manfredi’s. Our reservation was “lost” in the Viking computer system (not uncommon), but we were seated after showing them my confirmation email. Everything was superb. Mussels, Calamari, mushroom risotto, lasagna, ribeye steak. Just to be safe, I checked on my other reservations. Not in their system, but once I showed them my email confirmation, there was no trouble rebooking.

 

Failed miserably at trivia again.

[PeabodyMa]

3 hours ago, austinetc said:

Wednesday, 4/27. There were two other cruise ships here, but we got the dock space.

Edited April 29, 2022 by PeabodyMa

[austinetc]

1 hour ago, PeabodyMa said:

 

Oops. We were in Montenegro.