Live from the Viking Neptune World Cruise 2022-23

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, johnhst said:

As a future WCr  on the Neptune (23/24 FFL to London) I have a question about the beds.  I have read somewhere on these forums that the Viking mattresses were like boards and it was recommended that you should bring along a mattress topper of some sort.  Just wondering if anyone on the Neptune is having a problem with the firmness of the mattresses.  Thanks for your time and thanks to everyone for all the great information that you have given. Enjoy the rest of your WC.  

I think the bed is comfortable, and I have enough scar tissue in my hips that it usually causes issues in some hotel beds.  Viking beds do not cause issues.

[mbviking2023]

4 hours ago, johnhst said:

As a future WCr  on the Neptune (23/24 FFL to London) I have a question about the beds.  I have read somewhere on these forums that the Viking mattresses were like boards and it was recommended that you should bring along a mattress topper of some sort.  Just wondering if anyone on the Neptune is having a problem with the firmness of the mattresses.  Thanks for your time and thanks to everyone for all the great information that you have given. Enjoy the rest of your WC.  

 

Our experience was the opposite  Way too soft.  We requested boards to be brought in to put under the mattresses.  One thing we did was to pack our own pillows which we plan on discarding at the end of the cruise.

[Margaretwelker]

I definitely take my own down pillow.  

[mbviking2023]

Our last two blog posts from on board the ship are up!  A return visit to Cartagena, Spain and a visit to a horse farm, and our first visit to Lisbon Portugal where Becky and the ladies find a yarn store!

 

The last three ports we'll have to complete from home....

 

http://twohappysloths.com

[hersheyhughes]

Hope to everyone is enjoying their world tour. I will be in Neptune at the end of July and am wondering how the hair saloon experiences have been, mostly haircuts. I am a thinking of waiting and getting a cut on board. Something a little different.

Wondering if this is a good idea or bad idea.

Thanks banks for any input. Hope this topic has not already been discussed.

Kimmie

[sundaycreek]

On 5/6/2023 at 3:03 PM, hersheyhughes said:

Hope to everyone is enjoying their world tour. I will be in Neptune at the end of July and am wondering how the hair saloon experiences have been, mostly haircuts. I am a thinking of waiting and getting a cut on board. Something a little different.

Wondering if this is a good idea or bad idea.

Thanks banks for any input. Hope this topic has not already been discussed.

Kimmie

I may be the exception but…….I have been on here for 4 months and have not had a haircut yet!  For one reason, I refuse to pay that much for a haircut that I usually get at home for $ 15 and also, 2 days after I get home, I will have my annual “Boat Cut” done which is a very short ‘do for boating season!  Also, I have had 2 pedicures at twice the price of my go-to at home which lasts 5-6 weeks and each of these (much more expensive treatments) were chipped/ruined after about 2 weeks!  Total waste of time and money for me but again, this is only MY experience.

[hersheyhughes]

27 minutes ago, sundaycreek said:

I may be the exception but…….I have been on here for 4 months and have not had a haircut yet!  For one reason, I refuse to pay that much for a haircut that I usually get at home for $ 15 and also, 2 days after I get home, I will have my annual “Boat Cut” done which is a very short ‘do for boating season!  Also, I have had 2 pedicures at twice the price of my go-to at home which lasts 5-6 weeks and each of these (much more expensive treatments) were chipped/ruined after about 2 weeks!  Total waste of time and money for me but again, this is only MY experience.

Thanks for responding.  I hope you have enjoyed your voyage.

I wish I only paid $15 for a cut. I need to re-examine.  I will be sure to get my pedicure pre-cruise.

Love following your adventures. 

Kimmie

[SantaFe1]

46 minutes ago, hersheyhughes said:

Thanks for responding.  I hope you have enjoyed your voyage.

I wish I only paid $15 for a cut. I need to re-examine.  I will be sure to get my pedicure pre-cruise.

Love following your adventures. 

Kimmie

Just for another experience—I had three cut/colors on our 2019 WC.  The price was just a tad lower than what I pay here.  The stylist was excellent!  My mani/pedi every two weeks was the same as I pay here, except they charged $20 for a gel soak off, which is always included in my mani/ pedi price here.  So if you do gel, beware the up charge!  I’ve never used the salon services on a shorter cruise ( 2-3 weeks).

Edited May 7, 2023 by SantaFe1

[cruising denise]

On 5/5/2023 at 5:25 PM, Jim Avery said:

Toppers are available onboard for the asking.  We find the beds very nice.

We wee both uncomfortable with the bed on the Sky last October.  Mentioned it to our cabin steward who got the “egg crate” toppers which made all the difference. We were fine after that

 

[cruising denise]

To all of you who have provided such wonderful info along your journey, thank you so much!  I have loved reading about all the experiences! And though I’m behind on the blogs I will be catching up as I really enjoy them.  

 

One last question if it is easy to answer:  in which countries did you need local currency?  Although it is always helpful for certain small items (bathroom fees come to mind 😊), on our last cruise which included Turkey and several other non Euro using countries, our guides were more than happy to take gratuities in euros or USD. But I know this also can present difficulties .  Any guidance on which local currencies are strongly recommended?  Thanks again for all the great info and perspectives on your voyage.  

[cruising denise]

On 5/4/2023 at 4:03 PM, mbviking2023 said:

 

I'll still be lurking and available for answering questions, but once the trip is done, I won't be posting as much.  We did book two more Viking cruises while on board for 2025, so we'll be posting for those as well!  WOO HOO!

Wow!  Which new cruises did you book?  That is exciting!

[hersheyhughes]

17 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

Just for another experience—I had three cut/colors on our 2019 WC.  The price was just a tad lower than what I pay here.  The stylist was excellent!  My mani/pedi every two weeks was the same as I pay here, except they charged $20 for a gel soak off, which is always included in my mani/ pedi price here.  So if you do gel, beware the up charge!  I’ve never used the salon services on a shorter cruise ( 2-3 weeks).

Thanks for sharing. I think I will give it a whirl. Cannot be much more than my normal stylist. Wish I was on a world cruise and had no choice.

Hope you enjoy the rest of Your voyage.

Kimmie

[BobCatter]

Now that your amazing adventure is coming to an end, I'd be very curious as to a run-down of the good bad ugly of the trip. We're onboard next year (Neptune from Lisbon to Ftl and then WC) and have closely followed the roll call, and this board, and the blogs.

I'm especially interested in ports that were missed and why and what was done instead. I know Myanmar was skipped for obvious reasons, but did you miss any other stops?

 

I know there is lots of information about excursions, and a few people have mentioned things they booked on their own - VERY helpful - but I would like to know for those of you who relied mostly on the Viking offerings, were there any that you highly recommend or any that you would definitely skip? 

DId you over- or under - pack? We tend to be pretty minimalist, but obviously 6 months requires a bit more planning. Anything that you wish had brought or not brought (clothing, shoes, or otherwise)?

Thanks to all of you who have contributed to the boards. It's a lot of information for us to digest. We're closing in on the 200-day mark and the excitement builds every day.  

[mbviking2023]

On 5/7/2023 at 5:57 PM, cruising denise said:

To all of you who have provided such wonderful info along your journey, thank you so much!  I have loved reading about all the experiences! And though I’m behind on the blogs I will be catching up as I really enjoy them.  

 

One last question if it is easy to answer:  in which countries did you need local currency?  Although it is always helpful for certain small items (bathroom fees come to mind 😊), on our last cruise which included Turkey and several other non Euro using countries, our guides were more than happy to take gratuities in euros or USD. But I know this also can present difficulties .  Any guidance on which local currencies are strongly recommended?  Thanks again for all the great info and perspectives on your voyage.  

 

All of them appreciate local currency.  I know this is a big debatable topic, but we bought currency for EVERY country we visited.  They like it and appreciate it.  We used the website: ceifx.com and had zero problem.  And an FYI:  were in Monaco, and some of the guests wanted to go into the oceanographic museum.  The night before they made a big point about getting ZERO local currency for the trip, only using dollars and credit card.  Well, the museum only took EUROS and no credit card.  

 

Local currency adds local flavor, and can give you a little historical context as well.

[mbviking2023]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:01 PM, cruising denise said:

Wow!  Which new cruises did you book?  That is exciting!

 

Nile River cruise and Asian Ocean from Hong Kong to Vancouver.  

[mstadleraz]

17 hours ago, mbviking2023 said:

 

All of them appreciate local currency.  I know this is a big debatable topic, but we bought currency for EVERY country we visited.  They like it and appreciate it.  We used the website: ceifx.com and had zero problem.  And an FYI:  were in Monaco, and some of the guests wanted to go into the oceanographic museum.  The night before they made a big point about getting ZERO local currency for the trip, only using dollars and credit card.  Well, the museum only took EUROS and no credit card.  

 

Local currency adds local flavor, and can give you a little historical context as well.

Michael has some good points. However, several guides told me they appreciated the dollars we used for tipping. The strength of the dollar sometimes is better than the local currency. One caveat, though, make sure you bring crisp bills. Many times the banks wont take dollars that have creases or have a slight tear. When in major countries like UK, Euro Zone, New Zealand and Australia, their cuurency is better received.

[mbviking2023]

Presenting our final three blog posts of the World Cruise - in which the Bakers visit the American Cemetery and beaches of Normandy France, take a vintage steam train ride through East Sussex England, visit a 14th century castle, climb the hill to the Greenwich Observatory and place one foot on either side of the Prime Meridian, and finally get to see Les Mis in Soho on the West End of London! Whew~

 

http://twohappysloths.com

[BobCatter]

mbviking2023

Was the Normandy excursion offered by Viking? Or did you organize that one on your own?

[mbviking2023]

13 hours ago, BobCatter said:

mbviking2023

Was the Normandy excursion offered by Viking? Or did you organize that one on your own?

 

That was a Viking one.  Our guide was good, very knowledgeable about the area and history, but he had a thick french accent.  He kept saying "Gold Beach" and people in the back kept hearing "Garbage".  

[cruising denise]

On 5/10/2023 at 7:36 PM, mbviking2023 said:

 

All of them appreciate local currency.  I know this is a big debatable topic, but we bought currency for EVERY country we visited.  They like it and appreciate it.  We used the website: ceifx.com and had zero problem.  And an FYI:  were in Monaco, and some of the guests wanted to go into the oceanographic museum.  The night before they made a big point about getting ZERO local currency for the trip, only using dollars and credit card.  Well, the museum only took EUROS and no credit card.  

 

Local currency adds local flavor, and can give you a little historical context as well.

Thanks! And thank you so much for all your great travelogue along the way. Really wonderful to read and even more so since we will take so much into account for our trip next year. Did I say next year???  This December!!!  Maybe you and Becky and the sloths could become travel guides in your own right!   Thanks again

[cruising denise]

On 5/11/2023 at 12:57 PM, mstadleraz said:

Michael has some good points. However, several guides told me they appreciated the dollars we used for tipping. The strength of the dollar sometimes is better than the local currency. One caveat, though, make sure you bring crisp bills. Many times the banks wont take dollars that have creases or have a slight tear. When in major countries like UK, Euro Zone, New Zealand and Australia, their cuurency is better received.

Yes we’ve been told the same by guides. However the crisp clean bills part is essential. We learned this lesson while working with a private tour guide in St Petersburg Russia back in 2011. She made it very clear that she and the driver were to be paid in USD….but all crisp clean new bills! 
 

thanks to you, too, for your wonderful blog and posts. I am way behind in catching up but really enjoyed your spectacular photography, and posts here on CC.  

[MoneyGuy]

How’s the library on the Neptune? Do they stock it with books on your destination? 

[mbviking2023]

On 5/13/2023 at 5:50 PM, MoneyGuy said:

How’s the library on the Neptune? Do they stock it with books on your destination? 

Tons of books!

[Mich3554]

On 5/13/2023 at 11:50 PM, MoneyGuy said:

How’s the library on the Neptune? Do they stock it with books on your destination? 

Yes, and everything else.  Right now, DH has about 6 books he’s reading that are stacked in our cabin.  We go some place, he forgets to bring reading material, chooses and starts another and adds it to the stack.

There is also a shelf in the LR of books people brought, read and donated for someone else to enjoy.

[bwknsf]

On 4/5/2023 at 2:15 AM, flowsue said:

We just did an up and back excursion (24 hours) and after doing it would not do it any other way.  We flew out early in the morning, Mumbai to Delhi, drove to Agra, saw the Taj Mahal and Fort Agra, had a delicious buffet lunch and got in a little shopping.  Drove back to Delhi and flew back to Mumbai.  Got back on the ship almost exactly 24 hours after we walked off. It was helpful not having luggage to check or carry.  We understand some in other overnight groups had their luggage delayed.  Hopefully, you will hear from them. Sure we were a little tired for a day, but we had a great day with no issues.

Hi flowsue - We’re very interested in this day trip to Taj Mahal/Agra from Mumbai. It sounds nearly perfect to see the Taj without missing the other ports and WC experience.  Would you please share the tour group you used, cost, and number of other Viking passengers who joined you?  If you’d prefer, please email me at bwknsf@gmail.com.  Thank you!  Brian