Into the Midnight Sun—a live voyage blog from Viking Venus 6/14/24

[NancyDrew1953]

5 hours ago, DrKoob said:

Unusual Doings in Lerwick

 

 

Yesterday was a strange day, cruise-wise. We visited the town of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands. Let me describe what happened. About three days ago (when we were in Edinburgh), we received a notification that our 2.5-hour shore excursion to tour the island and stop to see Shetland ponies had been cut to one hour due to a shortage of buses in Lerwick. It became a one-hour panoramic tour on a "luxury motor coach."

 

We were okay with that because, having been to Lerwick before, we knew that it was an easy town to walk around in, and if they were still taking us to the Shetland ponies, we would be happy. We had done a private tour the last time we were here and saw most of the island. Later, we heard from some crew that the reason there were so few buses was that there would be four ships in. That's a lot of ships for tiny Lerwick.

 

Then, early yesterday morning (around 7:30), there was a general announcement that they not only made in the ship's public areas but into staterooms as well. You know that is highly unusual if you are a regular Viking cruiser. It is usually only used for emergency announcements. The cruise director (a very fine fellow) came on and told us that our schedule had changed and that Venus was now docked at the pier but would not be moored there all day. We would only be there until noon. After that, we would move to the center of the harbor and use tenders to return to the ship. Until then, the morning shore excursions would leave from the pier, and there would be a shuttle bus that would go into the town until 11:00 a.m. After that, if you were in town, you would have to wait until 1:00 p.m. to take a tender back to the ship.

 

We thought, "WOW! There must be another ship coming to take our place. They must be really important to be able to kick us off the dock. And sure enough, when we went up for breakfast and could see the other side of the harbor, there was a ship anchored there, tendering passengers into the center of the town. But imagine our surprise when we discovered the other ship was the Viking Sky (thus, the photo above). The problems with coaches, piers, and docks were caused by Viking scheduling two of their ships here on the same day. And yes, there were two other ships in the harbor, both docked, but they were small Ponant ships (a French cruise line) with less than 200 passengers, so they docked at piers that neither Viking ship could fit on.

 

It was just weird. It became even stranger when, later in the day, our ship (Viking Venus) moved off the pier, and Viking Sky didn't move; they just kept on tendering. When we left yesterday afternoon, there was no one on the pier and never had been. It was just strange.

What about our day? It was pretty good. The weather cooperated (not bright and sunny, but no rain), the tour was nice, if short, and our guide was a good one. We were toured through the town and then up into the hills, where we stopped by Carol's Ponies, a Shetland pony ranch where we could get off and take photos of them. Which, of course, I did. I don't like to put people (other than those I know) into my photos, so when we go someplace like this where there are about 25 yards of fence for four busloads of people to stand next to, it can be very tough to take photos of just what I want to take pictures of...like ponies...or stones...or pretty much anything. But I did my best. Here are the results. I think the only person I got in the photos was my lovely bride Kathleen. To see the photos of the ponies (and all the other photos I will mention, please head over to my blog (no ads/no selling) at www.jimbellomoDOTcom.

 

 

After the ponies, we headed back to the ship (remember, the excursion had been shortened to an hour). When back, Kathleen headed up to our stateroom and Steve and Jamie went off to town on the shuttle bus. I walked Kathleen back to our room to get my heavier sweatshirt because the wind was blowing so hard that my windbreaker was not breaking. Then I went back down to the shuttle and took the last one into downtown Lerwick.

As I mentioned, we had been there before, and it is a photogenic town. Lots of color and history to shoot. Plus, one of our favorite British TV shows is Shetland, which is...you'll never guess...shot here in Shetland. In fact we drove by the show setting up shots for next season. And I love to take photos of places we have seen in TV and movies. Remember, we just did a Ted Lasso tour. I probably walked around Lerwick for an hour or so before I got in line for the first tender back on the ship to meet everyone for lunch. In the meantime, Venus had moved around, Sky and the two Ponant ships were right where we had left them, and we were back on board for an early sail-away. We were only staying until 3:00 p.m. because we now need the full  57 hours of sailing time to get to our next port...Honningsvåg, Norway. (Photos on the blog)

 

Lastly, on the way out of port at 3:00 p.m. I shot a few last shots as a farewell (also on the blog). We were thrilled to come back here but doubt it could happen again. In case you missed it, there were two blog posts today. That's because it's a sea day...in the North Sea. More about that tomorrow, but suffice it to say we are having some ROUGH seas. No fun for many people (not us; Kathleen has her SeaBand, and I never get seasick—this is not the case for the majority of the ship—barf bags are everywhere.)

 

 

 

With regard to the two non-Viking ships in the Shetland Islands, I am on one of the Ponant ships.  Although a French ship, all the passengers are American as the ship had been chartered to Tauck for an extended period.  There were only 153 guests aboard. Although I have cruised with Viking (and enjoyed the experience), the experience of a true small ship is incredible (albeit at a higher cost). 

 

[formernuke]

12 minutes ago, rjp50 said:

Thanks.  I wish ships would publish their back on board times rather than their sail away times in their official itineraries.  It makes it very difficult to plan shore activities - especially with that large of a gap between the two times.  BTW, I checked the port of Lerwick web site which lists actual arrival and departure times and according to it, your ship departed even before 3:00.  I'm sure that everyone was on board.

Isn't the on board time pretty reliably 1 hour before published sail time on Viking? (might be exceptions, but I haven't encountered them; maybe other have).

[rjp50]

6 minutes ago, formernuke said:

Isn't the on board time pretty reliably 1 hour before published sail time on Viking? (might be exceptions, but I haven't encountered them; maybe other have).

That could be.  This will be our first time on Viking.  Most ships that we have cruised on have only a half hour from on-board to sail-away.

[DrKoob]

1 hour ago, rjp50 said:

Thanks.  I wish ships would publish their back on board times rather than their sail away times in their official itineraries.  It makes it very difficult to plan shore activities - especially with that large of a gap between the two times.  BTW, I checked the port of Lerwick web site which lists actual arrival and departure times and according to it, your ship departed even before 3:00.  I'm sure that everyone was on board.

Yup, there was no announcements looking for people who were late. 

[DrKoob]

1 hour ago, NancyDrew1953 said:

With regard to the two non-Viking ships in the Shetland Islands, I am on one of the Ponant ships.  Although a French ship, all the passengers are American as the ship had been chartered to Tauck for an extended period.  There were only 153 guests aboard. Although I have cruised with Viking (and enjoyed the experience), the experience of a true small ship is incredible (albeit at a higher cost). 

 

You must me on the one that was moored downtown because I rode on the bus with some people who were docked out by Venus and one couple was from Tasmania and the other from Toulon. 

[NancyDrew1953]

Yes, we were on the Ponant ship docked right in downtown Lerwick in the Shetland Islands yesterday. The day previously we were docked next to a Viking ship (not certain which one) at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.  The other Ponant ship was also in the Orkney Islands, but located away from Kirkwall.

 

Our ship is now headed south.  I will be staying several days in Edinburgh.

 

Edited June 20 by NancyDrew1953
Adding more details

[swong13]

23 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

Completely agree.  We were there last month.  We didn’t have the best weather, but still the walk out to the ring of Brodgar was well worth it to us (but like you, we are archeology buffs).  They are not Stonehenge, but their situation is more dramatic.  And, did you hear about the two men spraying orange paint on the Stonehenge stones today.?  Just awful.  Anyway, a few pics from the Ring:

Which excursions allow one to walk amongst the stones?  I do not want to be seated in a bus as it drives past.  We are doing the British Isles Explorer cruise next year.  Thanks.

[deec]

on the included tour you could walk among the stones.

 

We had Private guide and we were able to see the POW Church, stones and Skara Brae, and time in town.

[SantaFe1]

59 minutes ago, swong13 said:

Which excursions allow one to walk amongst the stones?  I do not want to be seated in a bus as it drives past.  We are doing the British Isles Explorer cruise next year.  Thanks.

We also did this on BIE cruise.  There are two excursions that will get you to the stones, the included tour, where we spent about 45 minutes amidst the stone, and the Orkney’s Stone Age excursion.  I think I would opt for the longer, more intensive Stone Age tour if I had it to do over again.  

[DrKoob]

13 hours ago, NancyDrew1953 said:

Yes, we were on the Ponant ship docked right in downtown Lerwick in the Shetland Islands yesterday. The day previously we were docked next to a Viking ship (not certain which one) at Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands.  The other Ponant ship was also in the Orkney Islands, but located away from Kirkwall.

 

Our ship is now headed south.  I will be staying several days in Edinburgh.

 

Yup, that was us (Viking Venus) in Kirkwall.

[DrKoob]

11 hours ago, swong13 said:

Which excursions allow one to walk amongst the stones?  I do not want to be seated in a bus as it drives past.  We are doing the British Isles Explorer cruise next year.  Thanks.

The included excursion will get you a walk between both sets of stones. Pray for no rain or mud and watch out for the sheep pies.

 

[SJD117]

14 hours ago, swong13 said:

Which excursions allow one to walk amongst the stones?  I do not want to be seated in a bus as it drives past.  We are doing the British Isles Explorer cruise next year.  Thanks.

 

 

3 hours ago, DrKoob said:

The included excursion will get you a walk between both sets of stones. Pray for no rain or mud and watch out for the sheep pies.

 

You can enjoy yourselves and the stones regardless of the weather. (We did.) There’s no need to pray for anything unless you’re already so inclined.

[DrKoob]

The Sea Dominates a Sea Day

Yesterday was a sea day, and the sea took over. Just after we left Lerwick, the weather and the seas changed. The winds picked up (the captain announced 50-60 knot winds yesterday at noon), and the seas were fairly high. The video above is a good example of what we were into. SORRY! With the lousy WiFi I can't upload the video to CC. It is on my blog at www.jimbellomoDOTcom (no ads/no sales) 

 

Today (which is also a sea day) is much calmer. The worst part for me is that on sea days, I like to walk on the Promenade Deck (Deck 2). Due to the extreme seas yesterday, the outside of that deck was closed off. It is back open today, and I truly enjoyed a six-mile walk this morning.

 

You knew it was bad because beautiful leather barf bag holders were placed all around the ship. We had someone lose it just down the hall from our stateroom, and the crew got that carpet cleaned up quickly. It also made for both a very quiet breakfast and lunch for us. The World Cafe (buffet) was practically empty for breakfast, and when we went back for lunch, they kept having dishes fall over and glasses breaking, so we went down and had lunch in the dining room. Pretty empty there as well. The captain was right when he predicted things would get better around midnight. We weren't up then, but when I woke up around that time because it had become too quiet, I looked out the window, and the seas were much calmer. Thankfully, they still are.

 

Random Thoughts

Since I have few photos to show you (other than the video above), I wanted to comment on a few things around the ship.

Let's start with the interior of the ship itself. I think Viking truly has the most beautifully decorated ships at sea. At least they appeal to my taste in design much more than any other line I have ever cruised on—the furnishings, carpets, and floors in every venue work for me.

 

And if I am looking for a place to sit...I also think that after 35-plus cruises, there are more awesome places to sit and look out at the ocean on a Viking ship than on any other ship we have sailed on. Right now, I am sitting in my favorite place on the ship, the upstairs gallery of the Explorer's Lounge. On deck eight forward, long-time cruisers will know it as the Crow's Nest or Sky Lounge on other lines. It has numerous couches and chairs, a fantastic view and tons of books and artifacts. Right now (because it is a sea day), it is a little louder than normal, but most of the time, it is the quietest place on the ship. We sailed on Oceania's Vista last fall, and my biggest complaint was that there was no place below the top two decks where I could sit and look out at the sea unless I were on my verandah.

 

There is no deck on Viking ships with a public area where you can't look out at the sea in every direction. On Deck 7, starting in the Explorer Lounge at the bow and walking aft to the stern, you can see almost every step of the way. And all along that walk, there are a lot of places to sit. Whoever designed these ships did it right. The same is true for Deck 2. You can see outside from The Restaurant aft until you reach the Star Theater in the bow. And there is seating everywhere if you are looking for a quiet place to sit and read...or post on a blog.

I have only taken a few photos around the ship (other than in our stateroom), but I will try to do a few more so I can show you what I mean. Here are some quick shots I took just now to give you an idea. Feel free to look at them on your phone; I took them with mine. And they are over on my blog. 

 

I love the Promenade Deck, but I wish it went one way. This is a tiny complaint, and I will write it up as a suggestion to Viking. When we are at home, I walk a lot—more than 120 miles every month. In good weather, I do that outside. In lousy weather (we have a lot of that in the Seattle area), I walk indoors on the track above our pool at Trilogy (the 55+ community where we live).

On that track, we have a wonderful sign that says, "Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, walk clockwise. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, walk counter-clockwise." Viking needs that on the Promenade Deck. When I go out to walk, I try to wait to see which way the majority of people are going and go with the flow. But since I will walk for more than an hour, eventually, people will start walking in the other direction, and pretty soon, there will be more coming towards me than going away from me. This wouldn't be a problem on the track at Trilogy, but here on the ship, it is a HUGE problem. There are spaces on that deck where you can't pass anyone. One of you (like on a Scottish country road) has to pull over and stop walking. (see the hallway above. It's about as wide as I am.) If I am behind someone in these tight places, it's easy to slow down until I can pass them. But when I am in a tight, metal tunnel at the bow of the ship, and I come around the corner, and there is someone coming full tilt directly at me, it's tough to find a way to get around them or move over. Near collisions are rampant, and I have to believe there are a few that actually happen. All this could be solved with a sign like we have at Trilogy. Then everyone would walk one way, and there would never be a problem in those tight spaces. No surprises—that's the ticket.

The crew on this ship is awesome...and very happy. We have had great crew members over the years who we have loved and sometimes sailed with numerous times and developed relationships with. But I have never seen an overall crew as happy in their work as this one. With the exception of one or two that we have run into, every single one is always smiling. And not just at us. One of my favorite things this week is to see the people in the World Cafe (buffet) interacting with one another. They are constantly smiling and laughing while they do their excellent job.

 

The new Asian station. At least new to us. It was not on Viking Sky.

 

And they are fun to talk to. There is a new station at the back of the buffet that does Asian food. Every time I would come by and look at what they had, the assistant chef who works there would entice me to try it. Finally, I did, and it was awesome, but now, if he sees me walking past, he will call me out and ask why I am not eating from this station today 😁. When I do, he always encourages me to try new things that I am not sure of. When I do, he always checks later to see if I liked it. That's amazing service. That's above and beyond.

 

The attitude of this crew tells me two things. They have a great boss at the top who sets the tone, and he gives his supervisors leeway in hiring and they are hiring the right people. I have yet to meet the Hotel Manager here on Venus, but I know he is the one who lets his managers in the kitchens, the dining rooms and housekeeping set the tone. And those supervisors seem to have the same attitude as their workers.

 

I have seen head servers, managers and the like helping to set up tables, serve food or bus dishes that I have never seen on other ships. Yesterday afternoon, they were doing a salmon lunch set up on the aft deck, and the executive chef of the entire ship was there helping to set up. When one of the assistant cooks suggested a change to the setup, he stood back and said, "You're right. That would be better. Let's change it." And he jumped right in to help her change it. And while they were changing it, he thanked her for the idea. (Then he stopped to talk to us—nice guy.) That's what real management is all about—giving the crew ownership and listening. Whoever is running this part of the ship is doing it right.

 

Tomorrow, we are back in port again, and it's a long excursion, so I am not sure if I will have a report for you. It's the first of three consecutive port days starting with Honningsvåg, Norway.

 

 

[DrKoob]

2 hours ago, SJD117 said:

You can enjoy yourselves and the stones regardless of the weather. (We did.) There’s no need to pray for anything unless you’re already so inclined.

You would pray for good weather if you want the kind of photography I am trying to do. I always pray for good light. Flat light is the worst. Otherwise, this is just a big bunch of rocks. 😁

[msualum]

14 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

The Sea Dominates a Sea Day

Yesterday was a sea day, and the sea took over. Just after we left Lerwick, the weather and the seas changed. The winds picked up (the captain announced 50-60 knot winds yesterday at noon), and the seas were fairly high. The video above is a good example of what we were into. SORRY! With the lousy WiFi I can't upload the video to CC. It is on my blog at www.jimbellomoDOTcom (no ads/no sales) 

 

Today (which is also a sea day) is much calmer. The worst part for me is that on sea days, I like to walk on the Promenade Deck (Deck 2). Due to the extreme seas yesterday, the outside of that deck was closed off. It is back open today, and I truly enjoyed a six-mile walk this morning.

 

You knew it was bad because beautiful leather barf bag holders were placed all around the ship. We had someone lose it just down the hall from our stateroom, and the crew got that carpet cleaned up quickly. It also made for both a very quiet breakfast and lunch for us. The World Cafe (buffet) was practically empty for breakfast, and when we went back for lunch, they kept having dishes fall over and glasses breaking, so we went down and had lunch in the dining room. Pretty empty there as well. The captain was right when he predicted things would get better around midnight. We weren't up then, but when I woke up around that time because it had become too quiet, I looked out the window, and the seas were much calmer. Thankfully, they still are.

 

 

Random Thoughts

Since I have few photos to show you (other than the video above), I wanted to comment on a few things around the ship.

Let's start with the interior of the ship itself. I think Viking truly has the most beautifully decorated ships at sea. At least they appeal to my taste in design much more than any other line I have ever cruised on—the furnishings, carpets, and floors in every venue work for me.

 

And if I am looking for a place to sit...I also think that after 35-plus cruises, there are more awesome places to sit and look out at the ocean on a Viking ship than on any other ship we have sailed on. Right now, I am sitting in my favorite place on the ship, the upstairs gallery of the Explorer's Lounge. On deck eight forward, long-time cruisers will know it as the Crow's Nest or Sky Lounge on other lines. It has numerous couches and chairs, a fantastic view and tons of books and artifacts. Right now (because it is a sea day), it is a little louder than normal, but most of the time, it is the quietest place on the ship. We sailed on Oceania's Vista last fall, and my biggest complaint was that there was no place below the top two decks where I could sit and look out at the sea unless I were on my verandah.

 

There is no deck on Viking ships with a public area where you can't look out at the sea in every direction. On Deck 7, starting in the Explorer Lounge at the bow and walking aft to the stern, you can see almost every step of the way. And all along that walk, there are a lot of places to sit. Whoever designed these ships did it right. The same is true for Deck 2. You can see outside from The Restaurant aft until you reach the Star Theater in the bow. And there is seating everywhere if you are looking for a quiet place to sit and read...or post on a blog.

I have only taken a few photos around the ship (other than in our stateroom), but I will try to do a few more so I can show you what I mean. Here are some quick shots I took just now to give you an idea. Feel free to look at them on your phone; I took them with mine. And they are over on my blog. 

 

 

I love the Promenade Deck, but I wish it went one way. This is a tiny complaint, and I will write it up as a suggestion to Viking. When we are at home, I walk a lot—more than 120 miles every month. In good weather, I do that outside. In lousy weather (we have a lot of that in the Seattle area), I walk indoors on the track above our pool at Trilogy (the 55+ community where we live).

On that track, we have a wonderful sign that says, "Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, walk clockwise. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, walk counter-clockwise." Viking needs that on the Promenade Deck. When I go out to walk, I try to wait to see which way the majority of people are going and go with the flow. But since I will walk for more than an hour, eventually, people will start walking in the other direction, and pretty soon, there will be more coming towards me than going away from me. This wouldn't be a problem on the track at Trilogy, but here on the ship, it is a HUGE problem. There are spaces on that deck where you can't pass anyone. One of you (like on a Scottish country road) has to pull over and stop walking. (see the hallway above. It's about as wide as I am.) If I am behind someone in these tight places, it's easy to slow down until I can pass them. But when I am in a tight, metal tunnel at the bow of the ship, and I come around the corner, and there is someone coming full tilt directly at me, it's tough to find a way to get around them or move over. Near collisions are rampant, and I have to believe there are a few that actually happen. All this could be solved with a sign like we have at Trilogy. Then everyone would walk one way, and there would never be a problem in those tight spaces. No surprises—that's the ticket.

The crew on this ship is awesome...and very happy. We have had great crew members over the years who we have loved and sometimes sailed with numerous times and developed relationships with. But I have never seen an overall crew as happy in their work as this one. With the exception of one or two that we have run into, every single one is always smiling. And not just at us. One of my favorite things this week is to see the people in the World Cafe (buffet) interacting with one another. They are constantly smiling and laughing while they do their excellent job.

 

The new Asian station. At least new to us. It was not on Viking Sky.

 

And they are fun to talk to. There is a new station at the back of the buffet that does Asian food. Every time I would come by and look at what they had, the assistant chef who works there would entice me to try it. Finally, I did, and it was awesome, but now, if he sees me walking past, he will call me out and ask why I am not eating from this station today 😁. When I do, he always encourages me to try new things that I am not sure of. When I do, he always checks later to see if I liked it. That's amazing service. That's above and beyond.

 

The attitude of this crew tells me two things. They have a great boss at the top who sets the tone, and he gives his supervisors leeway in hiring and they are hiring the right people. I have yet to meet the Hotel Manager here on Venus, but I know he is the one who lets his managers in the kitchens, the dining rooms and housekeeping set the tone. And those supervisors seem to have the same attitude as their workers.

 

I have seen head servers, managers and the like helping to set up tables, serve food or bus dishes that I have never seen on other ships. Yesterday afternoon, they were doing a salmon lunch set up on the aft deck, and the executive chef of the entire ship was there helping to set up. When one of the assistant cooks suggested a change to the setup, he stood back and said, "You're right. That would be better. Let's change it." And he jumped right in to help her change it. And while they were changing it, he thanked her for the idea. (Then he stopped to talk to us—nice guy.) That's what real management is all about—giving the crew ownership and listening. Whoever is running this part of the ship is doing it right.

 

Tomorrow, we are back in port again, and it's a long excursion, so I am not sure if I will have a report for you. It's the first of three consecutive port days starting with Honningsvåg, Norway.

 

 

We were on the Panama Canal cruise in March on the Star and there were signs on the Promenade deck on both sides telling us to walk clockwise.  Of course there were many who didn’t follow the suggestion.

 

I also agree that the crew is wonderful.  Always friendly, willing to help, it was a great cruise.

[DrKoob]

Just now, msualum said:

We were on the Panama Canal cruise in March on the Star and there were signs on the Promenade deck on both sides telling us to walk clockwise.  Of course there were many who didn’t follow the suggestion.

Thanks! I will mention that in my suggestion. And I am the kind of person who will remind people that they are going the wrong way. This morning I turned a corner in that tunnel at the bow and found a woman coming towards me at full speed. Two seconds earlier we would have collided at the corner. Let's just say I would have won that match up and it all likelihood she would have wound up in the infirmary. They need big signs at the entrance to the tunnel area saying STOP! ONE WAY! 

 

[janetcbl]

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

The Sea Dominates a Sea Day

Yesterday was a sea day, and the sea took over. Just after we left Lerwick, the weather and the seas changed. The winds picked up (the captain announced 50-60 knot winds yesterday at noon), and the seas were fairly high. The video above is a good example of what we were into. SORRY! With the lousy WiFi I can't upload the video to CC. It is on my blog at www.jimbellomoDOTcom (no ads/no sales) 

 

Today (which is also a sea day) is much calmer. The worst part for me is that on sea days, I like to walk on the Promenade Deck (Deck 2). Due to the extreme seas yesterday, the outside of that deck was closed off. It is back open today, and I truly enjoyed a six-mile walk this morning.

 

You knew it was bad because beautiful leather barf bag holders were placed all around the ship. We had someone lose it just down the hall from our stateroom, and the crew got that carpet cleaned up quickly. It also made for both a very quiet breakfast and lunch for us. The World Cafe (buffet) was practically empty for breakfast, and when we went back for lunch, they kept having dishes fall over and glasses breaking, so we went down and had lunch in the dining room. Pretty empty there as well. The captain was right when he predicted things would get better around midnight. We weren't up then, but when I woke up around that time because it had become too quiet, I looked out the window, and the seas were much calmer. Thankfully, they still are.

 

 

Random Thoughts

Since I have few photos to show you (other than the video above), I wanted to comment on a few things around the ship.

Let's start with the interior of the ship itself. I think Viking truly has the most beautifully decorated ships at sea. At least they appeal to my taste in design much more than any other line I have ever cruised on—the furnishings, carpets, and floors in every venue work for me.

 

And if I am looking for a place to sit...I also think that after 35-plus cruises, there are more awesome places to sit and look out at the ocean on a Viking ship than on any other ship we have sailed on. Right now, I am sitting in my favorite place on the ship, the upstairs gallery of the Explorer's Lounge. On deck eight forward, long-time cruisers will know it as the Crow's Nest or Sky Lounge on other lines. It has numerous couches and chairs, a fantastic view and tons of books and artifacts. Right now (because it is a sea day), it is a little louder than normal, but most of the time, it is the quietest place on the ship. We sailed on Oceania's Vista last fall, and my biggest complaint was that there was no place below the top two decks where I could sit and look out at the sea unless I were on my verandah.

 

There is no deck on Viking ships with a public area where you can't look out at the sea in every direction. On Deck 7, starting in the Explorer Lounge at the bow and walking aft to the stern, you can see almost every step of the way. And all along that walk, there are a lot of places to sit. Whoever designed these ships did it right. The same is true for Deck 2. You can see outside from The Restaurant aft until you reach the Star Theater in the bow. And there is seating everywhere if you are looking for a quiet place to sit and read...or post on a blog.

I have only taken a few photos around the ship (other than in our stateroom), but I will try to do a few more so I can show you what I mean. Here are some quick shots I took just now to give you an idea. Feel free to look at them on your phone; I took them with mine. And they are over on my blog. 

 

 

I love the Promenade Deck, but I wish it went one way. This is a tiny complaint, and I will write it up as a suggestion to Viking. When we are at home, I walk a lot—more than 120 miles every month. In good weather, I do that outside. In lousy weather (we have a lot of that in the Seattle area), I walk indoors on the track above our pool at Trilogy (the 55+ community where we live).

On that track, we have a wonderful sign that says, "Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, walk clockwise. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, walk counter-clockwise." Viking needs that on the Promenade Deck. When I go out to walk, I try to wait to see which way the majority of people are going and go with the flow. But since I will walk for more than an hour, eventually, people will start walking in the other direction, and pretty soon, there will be more coming towards me than going away from me. This wouldn't be a problem on the track at Trilogy, but here on the ship, it is a HUGE problem. There are spaces on that deck where you can't pass anyone. One of you (like on a Scottish country road) has to pull over and stop walking. (see the hallway above. It's about as wide as I am.) If I am behind someone in these tight places, it's easy to slow down until I can pass them. But when I am in a tight, metal tunnel at the bow of the ship, and I come around the corner, and there is someone coming full tilt directly at me, it's tough to find a way to get around them or move over. Near collisions are rampant, and I have to believe there are a few that actually happen. All this could be solved with a sign like we have at Trilogy. Then everyone would walk one way, and there would never be a problem in those tight spaces. No surprises—that's the ticket.

The crew on this ship is awesome...and very happy. We have had great crew members over the years who we have loved and sometimes sailed with numerous times and developed relationships with. But I have never seen an overall crew as happy in their work as this one. With the exception of one or two that we have run into, every single one is always smiling. And not just at us. One of my favorite things this week is to see the people in the World Cafe (buffet) interacting with one another. They are constantly smiling and laughing while they do their excellent job.

 

The new Asian station. At least new to us. It was not on Viking Sky.

 

And they are fun to talk to. There is a new station at the back of the buffet that does Asian food. Every time I would come by and look at what they had, the assistant chef who works there would entice me to try it. Finally, I did, and it was awesome, but now, if he sees me walking past, he will call me out and ask why I am not eating from this station today 😁. When I do, he always encourages me to try new things that I am not sure of. When I do, he always checks later to see if I liked it. That's amazing service. That's above and beyond.

 

The attitude of this crew tells me two things. They have a great boss at the top who sets the tone, and he gives his supervisors leeway in hiring and they are hiring the right people. I have yet to meet the Hotel Manager here on Venus, but I know he is the one who lets his managers in the kitchens, the dining rooms and housekeeping set the tone. And those supervisors seem to have the same attitude as their workers.

 

I have seen head servers, managers and the like helping to set up tables, serve food or bus dishes that I have never seen on other ships. Yesterday afternoon, they were doing a salmon lunch set up on the aft deck, and the executive chef of the entire ship was there helping to set up. When one of the assistant cooks suggested a change to the setup, he stood back and said, "You're right. That would be better. Let's change it." And he jumped right in to help her change it. And while they were changing it, he thanked her for the idea. (Then he stopped to talk to us—nice guy.) That's what real management is all about—giving the crew ownership and listening. Whoever is running this part of the ship is doing it right.

 

Tomorrow, we are back in port again, and it's a long excursion, so I am not sure if I will have a report for you. It's the first of three consecutive port days starting with Honningsvåg, Norway.

 

 

On two Viking ships that I have sailed on recently, signs have been put up to walk counter clockwise on Deck 2 and…..there have always been people who pay no attention and do it “their way”. 

[DrKoob]

Just now, janetcbl said:

On two Viking ships that I have sailed on recently, signs have been put up to walk counter clockwise on Deck 2 and…..there have always been people who pay no attention and do it “their way”. 

Those are exactly the people I will run into. Maybe they only own digital watches and digital clocks and have no idea what clockwise is. 🤣

[Mike07]

23 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

On two Viking ships that I have sailed on recently, signs have been put up to walk counter clockwise on Deck 2 and…..there have always been people who pay no attention and do it “their way”. 

 

 

TBH, there is one blip somewhere I read that they prefer runners to go clockwise... But it's very easy to miss. I haven't seen anything on what direction to walk.

[Hanoj]

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

Thanks! I will mention that in my suggestion. And I am the kind of person who will remind people that they are going the wrong way. This morning I turned a corner in that tunnel at the bow and found a woman coming towards me at full speed. Two seconds earlier we would have collided at the corner. Let's just say I would have won that match up and it all likelihood she would have wound up in the infirmary. They need big signs at the entrance to the tunnel area saying STOP! ONE WAY! 

 

Seems mirrors could be mounted that would mitigate collisions, even when all guests are going in the same direction. Do guests run or jog the promenade? 

[DrKoob]

6 minutes ago, Hanoj said:

Seems mirrors could be mounted that would mitigate collisions, even when all guests are going in the same direction. Do guests run or jog the promenade? 

Haven't seen any runners this week or in my past few cruises. Most runners will head to the gym and use the treadmills. Not much chance of a collision with everyone going the same way. You would have to have a lot of mirrors. There are at least six corners that would need them.

Edited June 21 by DrKoob

[mariners]

On our December trans-Atlantic, people who were jogging or running were asked to use Deck 2 so that the sound of them running was not an issue for passengers who were in cabins below the upper deck. 

 

There are multiple issues regarding walking, jogging, running, strolling, etc. that impact other passengers on a ship.  I have "walked across the ocean" on Crystal (no issues), Regent (issue only when the deck was wet or the insects on some itineraries), Windstar (a wonderful challenge, but other passengers typically cheered walkers/runners rather than took offense), SeaDream (difficult, but not because of other passengers), and Celebrity (terrible set up as one has to dodge other passengers, deck chairs that are moved across the track, etc.).  Viking Ocean was a challenge on our cruise because of the weather conditions that ruled out Deck 2 for most of the cruise, work on the upper decks that meant that one had to walk back and forth rather than complete a circuit so no one way walk/run was possible, one side of the deck that was closed because of weather conditions ... 

 

Rather than hijack this thread further, I'll leave it to DrKoob to continue posting about his cruise.  I hope that the rest of your cruise is excellent!

[millybess]

Thank you DrKoob  We are enjoying your blog and photos very much.  Would it be possible to take a photo of the Management Team that is posted just outside Chef's Table?  Many thanks, if you can.  

[DrKoob]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:47 PM, millybess said:

Thank you DrKoob  We are enjoying your blog and photos very much.  Would it be possible to take a photo of the Management Team that is posted just outside Chef's Table?  Many thanks, if you can.  

I will try and grab those for you today.

[DrKoob]

On 6/21/2024 at 12:21 PM, mariners said:

On our December trans-Atlantic, people who were jogging or running were asked to use Deck 2 so that the sound of them running was not an issue for passengers who were in cabins below the upper deck. 

As you mentioned later in your post, no one was running anyplace on the first sea day. Even deck two was closed to all.