Trade Routes - Bergen to Barcelona: Itinerary excursion help: Monet's Garden and other tours for the mobility challenged

[nikitty]

On 7/18/2024 at 7:18 AM, Pegct said:

One possible option is consider the possibility of renting a mobile scooter or light weight wheelchair for the trip for walking excursions. Also Viking sometimes offers a modified tour for less able/slow passengers. Don’t know if ocean cruises have them but river cruises do. Contact Viking and check if they can provide further info on availability of rentals or tours.

I will check with them but I might have to look into some sort of rental option at the cruise terminal.  This is in Bergen though so it might not be possible from a smaller terminal.  We are in a regular DV cabin so I'm also concerned about where we would keep a scooter as well (and concerned about her trying to navigate on cobblestone for some ports.) 

Definitely something to consider as we continue to do cruises!   
 

[OneSixtyToOne]

18 minutes ago, nikitty said:

Just curious - you mentioned the Gaudi's House of Modernism tour. Is that the Jewels of Modernism tour?

No they are different. The Houses of Modernism tour goes inside two of his iconic houses Casa Vicens and Casa Batlló. Maybe it’s not offered on your sailing. Casa Vicens is a privileged access tour and you arrive before opening for coffee and snack on the terrace, then Viking is the first group to enter. No crowds and great for pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20 by OneSixtyToOne

[nikitty]

On 7/17/2024 at 3:56 PM, lovetosew said:

My late husband and I did many of these places and tours when we did our Viking River cruises.  All are worthwhile but with good knees and feet.  I am doing it again in September on the Viking Sky and am looking forward to the trip as a solo, but this time with common sense.  My choices will be a last look at Stonehenge, a flight over the fjords, watching some flamenco dancing and a Cornish village. Will I see the spirit of Poldark? Very slow and easy.  I am also packing my easy cane and an ace bandage or two. Have fun. You are so fortunate to have your Mom to travel with, Monets village was pretty but like a lot of must sees, once is usually enough.  I would not rule out a private tour if it eliminates some of the extra hassle.

 

I am very sorry for your loss. 

Your upcoming cruise sounds wonderful with a flight over the fjords and flamenco dancing + Poldark.  What itinerary is this one?  I saw the Poldark one as an option in Falmouth on our cruise but it is sold out and I haven't seen the show.  I will ask my mom if she's interested in that tour as she has seen the show and the only thing I think I recall about the show is one of the characters is "handsome."  Still not enough for me to watch just yet.  

I did look into a private tour of Monet's Garden but the cost is a little too much to do it just the two of us so trying to see if others want to do this with us - if not, we will decide if it's worth it, but so far, we are opting for Honfleur since we did see Monet's Garden last year.

Have a wonderful time on your upcoming trip!  💗

 

Edited July 20 by nikitty

[msualum]

33 minutes ago, nikitty said:

I love that your tour director did this for your hubby!  It sounds like a river cruise would be a great option for us.  I don't know if you saw my message from yesterday but one of the reasons we have avoided river cruises is 1) concerns about water levels  2) unsure about getting off the ship when there are other boats that you have to walk through.   

Did you (or your hubby) find it difficult getting off the ship when you had other boats to walk through?  I definitely would love to consider this in the future.  Just curious, do you always do river cruises or ocean cruises too? If so, do you have a preference?

 

The rivers were very high when we went, April and May.

 

It’s not difficult to get off the ship.  The riverboats dock right next to each other, so you just have to walk through one to get through the other.  We’ve never had any problems getting off.

 

we do both river and ocean and don’t really have a preference, although our cruise in April/May was one of the best ever.  We had 184 passengers, the food was amazing, the staff was outstanding, the ports were varied, some being in villages of,only 3000 people.  The other thing that we appreciated was that the ship restocked locally, so in one small port they bought many loaves of bread and other bakery goods from the local market, which must really help their economy.  They also had regional menus in each country.
 

the tour was called Capitals of Eastern Europe, and was 17 days.  We went from Bucharest to Vienna.  We traveled through six countries.  But we do have an ocean cruise booked for October, empires of the Mediterranean.  It’s the itinerary that we go,for and haven’t been disappointed yet.  

 

I hope you both have a smooth and safe trip and enjoy every minute.

maureen

[OneSixtyToOne]

42 minutes ago, nikitty said:

From the London tour, it sounded like we would have a few hours in town and we would be dropped off at Covent Garden.  That doesn't sound like your experience as you mentioned you only had time for a bathroom break?  If that's the case, we have to cancel it as my mom really wanted to visit Covent garden to do some shopping and then have lunch at a restaurant there

Yes, your tour is slightly different. By the description you end up at Covent Garden for shopping. We took this as part of the Oxford extension. It sounds identical except we were headed to Oxford for the night so no stop at Covent Garden. One great thing I learned from this trip was the location of a free public bathroom and cafeteria right across the street from Westminster Abbey. We’ve been to London a few times since and always utilize it. 😆 

Edited July 20 by OneSixtyToOne

[nikitty]

 

Ok I just figured out how to quote everyone in one post without spamming replies so apologies for my non-techi replies.

I am replying to a few below.

  

On 7/18/2024 at 10:47 PM, May B said:

I vote for a private tour to Giverny. Maybe look on viator or tours by locals?

 

Getting around the gardens is not that simple, but perhaps interview a few tour guides and hopefully one will seem appropriately aware. We actually rented a car in Honfleur and did it ourselves. It’s a wonder we actually had a great day, tons of time in gardens and the farmhouse, despite a challenge at the car rental place and trying to navigate the road signs as well as the stick shift. Our ship was overnighting, so we didn’t worry (too much) about getting back.

 

Some travel experiences are uniquely wonderful. 

 

 

You are lucky to be able to rent a car and do it on your own.  My driving skills in a foreign country (combined with a stick shift) would be a very dangerous proposition for myself, my mom, and anyone that was within range of our vehicle so I think we will have to pass on this option.  If my husband accompanied us, I would definitely consider it though!

We are now booked for a tour of Honfleur though so that is the next best bet to doing it on your own - it sounds like you had a wonderful tour!  Also, having an overnight stay really does take the stress off. Was this cruise with Viking?  I would love to consider this for a future time as our worry when booking a private excursion is getting back to the ship in time. We have had some close calls in the past.  Luckily a few of them were booked through the ship so they could not leave without us. 😂

 

On 7/18/2024 at 3:48 PM, rmalbers said:

Maybe do a private excursion to Monet's garden.  The mini bus dropped us right there at the gate and you might get there sooner than the crowds/buses, etc.  I guess though it will depend on the time of the year.  I think the issue is there is not enough room around there to get a bus/s real close.  Having said that it, like a lot of places in Europe, is not real accessible for the differently able.

 

I agree, with the cobblestone, the long lines, and the steep hills, it's very challenging.  

I will look into Viator and private tours. I did do some preliminary digging and the cost was around 2k.  Usually I have good luck with splitting tours with other passengers on roll calls but that is usually Princess/Celebrity. I haven't had any luck in our current thread as I assume there is a lot less people on the ship and interest in these tours. 

 

On 7/18/2024 at 3:53 PM, knoxclone said:

In Bruges, all coaches must offload passengers outside the city center ( believe was about a 15 minute walk to the city center - we were on viking river gentle walkers group so YMMV.  

Your comment is yet another vote for us doing a river cruise next time. The gentle walkers group sounds perfect!
 

 

 

Ok, I think I am caught up now for the original replies.
My apologies again for the delay in following up. Usually I get emails when people respond but for some reason, all of them went into my junk folder so I figured no one had answered me.  😂

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

35 minutes ago, nikitty said:

Wow!  This would be almost too demanding for me I'm afraid. I also wouldn't have packed the right footwear.  I hope they included this type of information in the tour description. 😁

I have not considered an expedition cruise because it sounds like most of the tours are quite strenuous.  Even for me. 😂
 

Here is the writeup of that cruise.

 

[nikitty]

 

Your Barcelona tour looks amazing!  I don't think this is offered but what wonderful photos!

Sorry I am getting confused with all the comments. Did you take this excursion on a river or an ocean cruise?
 

32 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Yes, your tour is slightly different. By the description you end up at Covent Garden for shopping. We took this as part of the Oxford extension. It sounds identical except we were headed to Oxford for the night so no stop at Covent Garden. One great thing I learned from this trip was the location of a free public bathroom and cafeteria right across the street from Westminster Abbey. We’ve been to London a few times since and always utilize it. 😆 

I think I will contact Viking and ask because if there is only a short stint, it is definitely not worth it. I'm hoping for about 4 hours of free time to get in lunch and some shopping.  If we do go there, I will be asking you where this bathroom is. 🤣
 

  

13 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Here is the writeup of that cruise.

 

 

Wow!  This is an incredible thread!  I am following it to read later but I LOVE birds and this expedition cruise sounds like something right up my alley.  Just from skimming the first page, this looks like an amazing cruise!

It's definitely too demanding for my mom so I would want to bring my hubby. The only issue is he hates cruises and says he doesn't want to ever get trapped on a boat.  Maybe I need to find a friend who loves birds as much as I do who would be able to handle close quarters for a long cruise with me. 😂

I am looking forward to reading more of your adventures!  

[nikitty]

39 minutes ago, msualum said:

The rivers were very high when we went, April and May.

 

It’s not difficult to get off the ship.  The riverboats dock right next to each other, so you just have to walk through one to get through the other.  We’ve never had any problems getting off.

 

we do both river and ocean and don’t really have a preference, although our cruise in April/May was one of the best ever.  We had 184 passengers, the food was amazing, the staff was outstanding, the ports were varied, some being in villages of,only 3000 people.  The other thing that we appreciated was that the ship restocked locally, so in one small port they bought many loaves of bread and other bakery goods from the local market, which must really help their economy.  They also had regional menus in each country.
 

the tour was called Capitals of Eastern Europe, and was 17 days.  We went from Bucharest to Vienna.  We traveled through six countries.  But we do have an ocean cruise booked for October, empires of the Mediterranean.  It’s the itinerary that we go,for and haven’t been disappointed yet.  

 

I hope you both have a smooth and safe trip and enjoy every minute.

maureen

 

This DOES sound amazing!  I am going to look into this one and bookmark it for future cruising options.

I also appreciate you confirming "walking the plank" is not a thing.  That will put an end to my mom's worries once and for all. 😂

Thank you again!

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, nikitty said:

I showed my mom your post and she has now changed her mind and we are going to do Honfleur.  I will google the dockyard in Portsmouth.  She prefers art/culture/shopping so not sure if this would be of interest to her.  

 

She'll love Honfluer, so many quaint little shops to explore and the Eugène Boudin Museum is worth a visit.

https://about-france.com/towns/honfleur.htm

[May B]

You are doing GREAT! No apologies needed.

 

I love that you’re going to the Palau de Musica in Barcelona. It’s outstanding, absolutely. If it’s a warm day, be sure to be prepared to strip down to a very lightweight outfit. They don’t air condition that place the way we’re used to in Florida!

 

When we rented the car to go to Giverny, we were on Crystal, an ocean cruise, and the itinerary was totally outstanding. Our last night onboard was Honfleur, and then we (six of us … arranged on our roll call thread) took a private transfer to Paris.

 

We were supposed to be getting an automatic rental, but it didn’t go smoothly. It was just a little office in a garage, and he said the car would be there soon. We were not happy about sitting around waiting, so finally we asked what else he had. We both can drive a stick, but not with recent experience. It was an adventure, right down to the place where I misunderstood a road sign and we turned too soon! But in the end, we had plenty of time in the gardens, the farmhouse, and at the water lilies. I wish I could duplicate that experience for you and your mom! The price you found, though, is ridiculous. 
 

Best of luck to you and your mom. I hope the Covent Gardens works out. 
 

I do think you can do a river cruise with your mom and it might truly be almost perfect. If you’re going through other Viking ships to get off yours, it’ll be no problem, just straight through and off. If it’s not a sister ship, you might be asked to go up a flight, over, down a flight, but I think they’d give your mom permission to do it an easier way. 

[May B]

11 minutes ago, nikitty said:

 

This DOES sound amazing!  I am going to look into this one and bookmark it for future cruising options.

I also appreciate you confirming "walking the plank" is not a thing.  That will put an end to my mom's worries once and for all. 😂

Thank you again!

 

That was funny! However, the way off or back onto a river ship can be somewhat steep and require paying close attention, even without going through another one.

[May B]

16 minutes ago, nikitty said:

 

Your Barcelona tour looks amazing!  I don't think this is offered but what wonderful photos!

Sorry I am getting confused with all the comments. Did you take this excursion on a river or an ocean cruise?
 

I think I will contact Viking and ask because if there is only a short stint, it is definitely not worth it. I'm hoping for about 4 hours of free time to get in lunch and some shopping.  If we do go there, I will be asking you where this bathroom is. 🤣
 

  

 

Wow!  This is an incredible thread!  I am following it to read later but I LOVE birds and this expedition cruise sounds like something right up my alley.  Just from skimming the first page, this looks like an amazing cruise!

It's definitely too demanding for my mom so I would want to bring my hubby. The only issue is he hates cruises and says he doesn't want to ever get trapped on a boat.  Maybe I need to find a friend who loves birds as much as I do who would be able to handle close quarters for a long cruise with me. 😂

I am looking forward to reading more of your adventures!  

My advice for an expedition trip is just bite the bullet and pay the single supplement. Look at it as paying the same as if your husband were going, but he doesn’t have to suffer! 

 

I doubt they’d ever give you four hours of free time. The best to hope for is a tour where you can stay in town at the end and take the Viking shuttle back to the ship. If that won’t work, pay for an Uber. In either case, do be sure to tell your guide that you’re not going back with them.

[OneSixtyToOne]

23 minutes ago, nikitty said:

Wow!  This is an incredible thread!  I am following it to read later but I LOVE birds and this expedition cruise sounds like something right up my alley.  Just from skimming the first page, this looks like an amazing cruise!

The Chilean Fjords expedition cruise is a leg of the repositioning between the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica. It occurs twice a year for two ships so only 4 sailings a year. If you book it at the right time, it's usually heavily discounted with free air, stateroom upgrade, and if you are lucky, free SSP. 

 

Antarctica seemed a little too extreme for us and this cruise was the sweet spot. Patagonia is beautiful and we had some amazing wildlife encounters as well as watching glaciers calving. Trip of a lifetime. 

 

Oh, it's on sale now...

https://www.viking.com/reservations/start?voyageType=expedition&cruiseId=Q2hpbGVhbiBGam9yZHMgJiBTY2VuaWMgU2hvcmVz&sc=vxp&country=US&originCountry=US&office=US&currency=USD&voyageName=Q2hpbGVhbiBGam9yZHMgJiBTY2VuaWMgU2hvcmVz&promoCode=CSA24&cid=EML|AJO|999|Email+-+240711_vxp_csa24&utm_source=email&utm_medium=AJO&utm_content=Email+-+240711_vxp_csa24&correlationId=d5ba48eb-f9e9-45bb-869b-6461b12bfd94-0

[lovetosew]

You and your Mom are going to have a great time. By the way, in Honfleur there is a small winery where one can stop for refreshments and if either of you two likes to sew there is a wonderful fabric shop on their main street where I bought two pieces of fabric to bring home to make up. Hope that it is still there. 

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, nikitty said:

Was this a Viking tour? It seems like that type of description would cause some irate customers as that should be plainly stated.  I do think Monet's Garden should be considered "demanding" if there is a long walk to the gardens and not much time to actually go through it.  Then it becomes a race which we found strenuous.   

 

Yes, it was a Viking tour and was rated as moderate. Your guess is correct, there were a number of complaints to the shorex team by pax who struggled with the stairs. Enjoy your trip! 🍺🥌

[Cienfuegos]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Yes, it was a Viking tour and was rated as moderate. Your guess is correct, there were a number of complaints to the shorex team by pax who struggled with the stairs. Enjoy your trip! 🍺🥌

The concept of describing tours as "Moderate" etc is a good one, but it would be far more useful to say something like MODERATE, this tour includes several sets of stone stairs, about 15 minutes of walking on 18th century cobblestone streets, etc.

 

But, they wouldn't sell as many tours...

[rmalbers]

15 hours ago, nikitty said:

 

This DOES sound amazing!  I am going to look into this one and bookmark it for future cruising options.

I also appreciate you confirming "walking the plank" is not a thing.  That will put an end to my mom's worries once and for all. 😂

Thank you again!

 

I don't think you can rule it out.  I think it depends on the construction of the river boat/s you are tied up to, not all are built the same. Be sure and get more info on it from VR.

[CurlerRob]

12 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

The concept of describing tours as "Moderate" etc is a good one, but it would be far more useful to say something like MODERATE, this tour includes several sets of stone stairs, about 15 minutes of walking on 18th century cobblestone streets, etc.

 

But, they wouldn't sell as many tours...

 

You have likely seen this, but for others, below is the full set of descriptors that Viking publishes for their shorex. They do provide some expanded information, but in my view they are not overly useful to pax with mobility concerns. The port talks tend to be much more precise, but it's generally too late to cancel at that point.

 

As you suggest, more precision regarding specific tours would save a lot of angst, both for those who are not able to handle them as well as other pax who can be impacted as well. 🍺🥌

 

Activity Levels

Walking tours are often over uneven ground or cobblestones and may include stairs and inclines. We have graded all our tours by activity level below, but feel free to ask your Program Director should you have any questions.

Easy
Walking portions are generally over easy surfaces, but may be uneven in parts and contain some step-ups and slight inclines. Total time walking or standing is normally not longer than 1.5 hours. Guests may need to board and disembark transport, including coaches, trains and boats.

Moderate
Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs, inclines and uneven ground. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours. Guests may need to board and disembark transport, including coaches, trains and boats.

Demanding
Physically challenging activities, including extensive walking, hiking, riding, water sports and excursions at high altitudes. Activities by foot may contain difficult and unpaved surfaces and/or multiple stairs and steep inclines. Total time walking or standing may exceed 3 hours. Guests may need to board and disembark transport, including coaches, trains and boats.

Wheelchair (available on Ocean cruises only)
Activities are suitable for wheelchair users. Guests in wheelchairs must be aided by an able-bodied companion; Viking staff is unable to assist with pushing wheelchairs or bringing them on or off the ship.

[May B]

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

I don't think you can rule it out.  I think it depends on the construction of the river boat/s you are tied up to, not all are built the same. Be sure and get more info on it from VR.

Good luck with that.

 

Perhaps “narrow gangway” is a synonym for “plank”. I will tell you there will always be crew there to assist guests. Or perhaps I should say, I would be shocked if there aren’t crew there to assist guests. 

Edited July 21 by May B

[Mich3554]

17 hours ago, lovetosew said:

You and your Mom are going to have a great time. By the way, in Honfleur there is a small winery where one can stop for refreshments and if either of you two likes to sew there is a wonderful fabric shop on their main street where I bought two pieces of fabric to bring home to make up. Hope that it is still there. 

We went to Honfleur the last time we were docked in France.  It was market day, so got a chance to wander through that too.  On the way back to the ship, I stopped at a flower booth and picked up a big bunch of flowers to bring back.  I think our findings from that excursion were a couple of nice prints we found in an artist’s studio (which still need to be framed!).  I’d have loved to spend more time here.

[tarhoosier]

Not my cruise experience in Honfleur but Samuel de Champlain departed there for his journey to found New France. Canadians and those who love them might devote a short time to that history there. An online search will reveal all.

[OneSixtyToOne]

20 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

Not my cruise experience in Honfleur but Samuel de Champlain departed there for his journey to found New France. Canadians and those who love them might devote a short time to that history there. An online search will reveal all.

My wife is descended from the Filles du Roi, Daughters of King. They were unmarried women sent to New France to marry the fur trappers. They left from Honfleur and there is a plaque commemorating it. 
 

My wife has done her genealogy and just about everyone with French Canadian ancestry is related to her.

[msualum]

2 hours ago, May B said:

Good luck with that.

 

Perhaps “narrow gangway” is a synonym for “plank”. I will tell you there will always be crew there to assist guests. Or perhaps I should say, I would be shocked if there aren’t crew there to assist guests. 

I’m confused about not all river boats having the same construction.  We’ve always been docked next to Viking ships.  And as said, there are crew members there helping everyone get off.  We’ve never encountered any problems.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 minute ago, msualum said:

I’m confused about not all river boats having the same construction.  We’ve always been docked next to Viking ships.  And as said, there are crew members there helping everyone get off.  We’ve never encountered any problems.

They are talking about rafting. You may have to dock next to another company’s ship and walk through it. We’ve been on 3 river cruises, including the Grand European, and this happened exactly once. It was no big deal. We did get a look at some of the gaudy interior of a German riverboat. German Imperial decor is not exactly our style.

 

Viking has a well established presence on European rivers and tend to get preferential docking locations. Rafting has never been a concern of ours.