molymoo

I so hope it will be an enjoyable visit! I have to believe it will be … they are very proud of their special little museum so can’t imagine they wouldn’t pull out all of the stops to do a great job!

You are so right! We have seen some truly abhorrent behavior toward the crew. Fortunately most passengers behave well and are respectful of the crew and their fellow passengers.

A, I'm so excited to being able to "tag along" on your journey! This was my favorite itinerary ... so much so we did it twice! Loved every port and would do it all again in a heartbeat! Guess I truly am an anglophile!

Thanks for the info. I'm sure we will be fine as the first significant change in excursions would likely be day 12 of the cruise ... that's when we get to Iceland.

I am trying to decide the best way to handle an excursion issue for our upcoming Iconic Iceland, Greenland and Canada cruise (June 22). We have booked our excursions and many of them were quite pricey. In fact, it is the most we have ever spent on excursions on more than 20 Viking cruises. There has been a pretty significant change in my physical status since the booking of these excursions and I will absolutely need to reassess the choices made and cancel ones selected and either go with the included or opt to simply stay on board at some stops. I could cancel and/or change now and a refund will go to our credit card, or I could wait until onboard. Waiting until onboard would give me an opportunity to, perhaps meet with someone in charge of shore excursions who could answer specific questions which might make the process more informed. Has anyone had any experience “adjusting” their excursions onboard. Are they generally open to meeting with passengers about specific questions. I am imagining they would be perfectly fine meeting with me but I have never needed to meet with any crew members before so not sure as to protocols. Our first full day is a sea day and the first stop is Nova Scotia and it seems as though that excursion would be okay so I would have the requisite 48 hours to make changes without monetary loss. Any wisdom on this issue?

Sorry A, having trouble finding email ... probably need a site tutorial as I have not posted much recently. We will be leaving from NYC on June 22 and heading for Reykjavik. Would be fun to meet your sister should it be possible. Thanks for the information and the pics! E

We are still 78 days out from our Iconic Iceland, Greenland and Canada cruise in June. We have booked our excursions but recent health issues have me wondering whether we might need to make some changes before we sail. We have booked two in particular that I question moving forward and wonder if those who have done these can give me some more details than offered in the descriptions. One is in Akureyri … the Whale Watching Safari. It is listed as “demanding” but wonder what might make it so. The other is the Fjallsárlón Ice Lagoon by Zodiac in Djúpivogur. The question here is riding on the Zodiac … have been having some arthritis issues in both shoulders and wonder if the zodiac might be difficult to manage. Am working diligently with doctors to address the issues and better manage the situation but want to be ready to make changes if necessary.

A lot depends on the cruise. We have been on 10 VO cruises and three were in PJS's (upgrades courtesy of Viking) and generally use their laundry service for everything except "personal" items. We have often had difficulty getting washers/dryers ... especially on sea days. Generally folks are polite and patient but there are always a few that will "dump" your stuff if you aren't back immediately. On one cruise we witnessed a "gentleman" go on a tirade about how the washers/dryers were to be used. He insisted that if you are using washer #1 then Dryer #1 was "yours" and no one had any business using it. A woman who had washed her load in washer #4 placed her load in dryer #1 which according to him was "his". When his wash was done he opened dryer #1, dumped her wet clothes on the floor and stated that "that should teach her to follow the rules". Takes all kinds!

Although it was a few years ago we were able to get tickets for "Sagrada" and Casa Batillo with "open arrival times". They cost a bit more but we didn't have to plan our time around entry times. Also ... the best churros and chocolate are in Madrid!

Guess I missed an opportunity! Sent 12 tags and even paid for shipping ... just asked her to pay it forward sometime!

We got a lovely duffle on our first cruise with Viking in 2011. It was quite nice but has moved on ... how many bags do you need??? Finally divested ourselves of 12 red luggage tags (someone wanted them!) but still have six more. I also have eight to ten felt zipper bags and an assortment of ipad cases. We just bring our Baggu bags with on trips as they are required for any shoppping in Chicago these days. Actually glad Viking has ceased sending such things.

Interesting ... Have been a 4:00 AM person for more than 45 years. Was my wake up, get up time while working and commuting so it is pretty much in my DNA now. Have done more than 10 VO cruises and never had any issues getting coffee from the WC in the wee hours. Would happily use the in room coffee maker but it's a bit complex for my tastes ... my daughter is in charge of the later cups.

Gratuities are optional ... you are perfectly free to ask that the charge be removed from your bill if you do not wish to participate in the practice. There are just as many complaints from those where gratuities are "included" in the price of the cruise ... you're never going to make everyone happy.

Glad to hear from another proponent of inclusion! I taught children with multiple disabilities for more than 40 years so that’s where I am coming from. Although the US and Canada have come a long way … even we still have a long way to go !

I really wasn’t implying that THIS thread was “shaming” anyone. It is however a frequent topic that appears here in the CC site and some comments are just plain cruel. We have always been sympathetic of those who struggle and have often opted to “hang” back with them. The upshot has been the fact that we have had the opportunity to get to know some absolutely lovely people and enjoyed the excursion on a different level. Sometimes it’s nice to stop, take a breath and really take in the location. You’re not going to “see everything” on a single excursion so why not give yourself the opportunity to enjoy and experience what you can?