rmalbers

I wish each excursion would list more aprox. travel times.  It would be nice to know, 4 hour excursion, 30 min bus ride each way, 1 hour tour and 1 hour on your own.  Something like that,  I know sometimes they list the amount of time on your own but I want to know if it a two hour bus ride or 30 min, type of thing, that's the main thing.

8 hours ago, oskidunker said:

Sofas in viking cabins very uncomfortable

Ya, I've had worse but I've also had a lot better.  I prefer the chair and put it near the door/window.

On 4/30/2024 at 7:04 AM, Ski Mom 2 said:

We have signed up for an Iceland cruise in 2025 but are waiting for 2026 itineraries and hope to transfer to a different cruise. 
 

When our son was in college, he and his then girlfriend flew to Iceland and rented a car and drove around Iceland hiking and camping along the way. They had a wonderful time and got some spectacular photographs. My theory is I’m too old and spoiled to back country camp or spend nights in hostels anymore and the thought of being on the cruise ship is right up my alley! I think it will be a different experience than my sons but one we will enjoy nevertheless. 

As you have probably already know, just make sure you have the right shoes and layers and it will be great no matter what you get for weather.  We had 'mixed' weather but it was a great trip.  It really does vary, in line at the airport a couple that did a week in a rental driving around it had clouds and some rain the whole week, they were ready for it and had a ok time but you could tell they were a little disappointed.  The really big thing they will never forget is they saw the northern lights the night before fly out.

I looked it up, it's in the FAQ, in knew it was on their site somewhere: Guests who have a disability, physical or otherwise, must travel with an able-bodied companion who can assist them as the staff is not permitted to lift guests or push wheelchairs. Guests need to provide their own wheelchairs, except in an emergency. Wheelchairs must not exceed 22" in width. For details regarding bringing a wheelchair on board, guests must complete and return the Accessibility Form to Viking no later than 30 days prior to departure. Motorized scooters are not typically suitable for international cruises and cannot be accommodated. Not all river ships have an elevator to all floors, and in some docking locations, it may be necessary to double berth, which means crossing other ships to disembark. Contact a Viking Expert at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) directly with additional questions and to obtain a copy of our Accessibility Form and policy statement.

1 hour ago, Syd58 said:

If their Ocean ships can’t handle scooters, then why do they offer accessible penthouse junior suites? Both Silversea and Seabourn have ships about the same size or smaller than Viking Ocean ships, yet they go out of their way to accommodate passengers with disabilities/handicaps. On these lines, you do not have to pay significantly more to upgrade to a higher level cabin to have accessibility.  Also, it should be pointed out that not every handicapped passenger desires to get off the ship and go on excursions, so this is not always a legitimate reason to not accommodate those passengers with disabilities. With all this said, I do agree with you that VO appears to have made a conscious decision that does not particularly favor those individuals that have accessibility issues. IMO, this is unfortunate.  As people age, accessibility becomes a factor for more and more people. 

I haven't been in one of those cabins but my guess it's because of the increase in size of the bathroom.  I'm not sure their definition of 'accessible' is the same as yours because of their documented policies. 

2 hours ago, Syd58 said:

I corresponded/spoke directly with Viking on this issue multiple times. Scooters are definitely allowed on Viking Ocean cruises; they are just restricted as to size and weight and must be approved.  The issues I have with VO are: 1. passengers with accessibility issues (and want/need an accessible cabin) usually have to book a penthouse junior suite as opposed to a regular veranda cabin, which can run thousands more and 2. in our case, having to book the cabin first before the scooter was approved, potentially losing the administrative fee. 

 

I understand Viking River cruises have little accessibility, which is understandable, but even  luxury liners such as Silversea and Seabourn are accessible-friendly. My feeling is Viking needs to reassess its accessibility policies and availability of veranda suites (below the level of penthouse junior suites) for handicapped passengers.

What I was trying to point out, is that it was a conscious decision on VO's part from the start.  Their ship design just can't handle them, which prompted their policy.  The other point they make where they talk about no scooters is that a lot of the ports where they go are not 'designed' for scooters, etc.  There is also the crew issue, part of which is tendering, again part of it is ship design, but also being a small ship they just don't have the crew required to assist people that can't walk.  I've seen the issues first hand.  There are plenty of choices out there for all cruisers and VO is not for everyone.  Trust me, you don't want to use VO with a scooter.

1 hour ago, Syd58 said:

IMO, VO is not as good for passengers that have accessibility issues.  In the cruises we've considered, you have to move up to a penthouse junior suite to get an accessible cabin. Oceania has accessible veranda cabins.  Also, my spouse uses a scooter and I was unable to get a satisfactory answer regarding the acceptability of a particular scooter prior to placing a deposit with VO.  Oceania appears to be better for passengers with accessibility issues.

That is very true and they admit it in there 'information'.  It's stated that scooters are not allowed (even though I have seen them aboard, but very few.)  The VO ships are just not designed for that.

11 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

You should at least try a river cruise that includes the Middle Rhine. It’s a whole day of vineyards and castles as you cruise by. If you select the right excursions you can avoid the tourist shops. Paris to the Swiss Alps B-A along with the Zermatt pre cruise extension was one of our favorites. Taking the Glacier Express across Switzerland was fantastic.
 

Also, the Chilean fjord expedition cruise is on sale now. If you’re a fan of pristine natural scenery and you’re not up for Antarctica, this is the cruise for you.

 

Thanks for the river tips, I have done around South America and could do that again for sure. If I give up golf for a few weeks I would have more time summer river  cruising!  

1 minute ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

This is one reason I enjoy river cruising. It’s less about the ship and more about the destinations and view. Not a fan of sea days unless they involve scenic cruising like the Chilean fjords.

Yes, I am in that camp also.  I have yet to do the river cruise thing, the river level stuff has always scared me off.  I like the natural scenery and not tourist shops.

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

I agree. Eventually people will get burned out by cruising. Some won't, but every cruise I'm on, you increasingly realize the experiences are quite similar but with different views.

 

 

Ya, eat, sleep, drink.  But one thing, I'm not sure about  what the loyalty rate is on the different ships/lines, but I see/hear people talk about stuff where they really picked the wrong ship/line just to be loyal.  An example I saw just the other day they were complaining about not enough indoor public space on the ship when the weather was bad.  (I think it was Iceland) VO ships are great small ships for that with the retractable roof but they were on a small ship with open upper decks. So in that way, it's best to pick the ship over being loyal to a line.  

I'm not sure I've said it before on this forum but: I wonder if the cruise industry is going to be able to sustain the growth necessary to fill all the existing ships and all the new ships coming online.  To me all the mega ships (and others) in the Caribbean have really kind of ruined that whole region for cruising, I'm sort of thinking the industry will have trouble making money there. The only place I can think of that will see growth is the arctic.  I don't think I'll buy any cruise company stock until I see how all of it shakes out.  Oh, I do think we will see a LOT more private island/resort experiences in the Carribean, though.

As you can tell from these posts, no matter how you do Iceland, the weather you get is going to affect the experience more than anything else.  FWIW: Not sure if you have ever checked out Viking Ocean but they do a nice Iceland cruise and their ships have a retractable, glass roof that can cover the upper deck pool, etc,. area, completely enclosing it, so there is a lot more room on the ship if the weather is cold or rainy or snowy.

I just want to add, if it's not real clear, not all T Mobile plans include international.  Nobody really said they did but some people might not know.  As more and more phones are esim capable international esims are really nice.  If you do not have an international plan and have an esim capable phone, it's really cheap and easy to go that way.

I liked the Saga Museum but it might not be for everyone.  The 'people' in there are so lifelike it is scary, and the history in there covers a lot of the 'major events' from early life there.  The National Museum is great also, as you would expect. You can walk to either from the main downtown area.  Oh, the Maritime Museum was not my thing, it was mostly about the commercial fishing industry history.

I've been interested in that also.  There is a youtube channel that is going to do that trip this season, in their own sailboat.  It might be interesting to watch to get more of a idea of that part of the world, from the water. It's called: Alluring Arctic Sailing. 

7 minutes ago, ddeprez said:

I appreciate you taking the time to share this. If people haven’t traveled to Europe, they may not know this, and we’re all about sharing knowledge here. Thanks!

LOL, ya, it's one of those things you don't want to find out the hard way! 

I noticed the coin comment, depending on where you are at in Europe you may need some 'coin' for a bathroom, just saying.

SPA marketing is just amazing, and I guess I better not say more. 

OP:  I think what you are seeing with those other cruise line prices, in those areas of the world, is that those areas of the world are not VO's main focus.  I think you have the analysis figured out. You can't go wrong with any of those lines.  Seems like you have found some nice pricing with other lines so just go for it.  If they are too pricey go with Celebrity, but not their newest E class ships (if they sail them there). 

I just don't get why this topic comes up in every cruise forum ALL THE TIME.  It's very simple math, unless you ask a bunch of strangers to do the math for you. 

My guess is it's a mistake, but I didn't take it all the way thru.  That itinerary is not for me really even at that price, but if it's for you jump on it. 

It seems like the Constellation trip would be more older sites that the other cruise, it that is what is interesting to you.  I'm thinking you should look at the excursions offered and see which trip look better to you based on that.  It's hard for strangers to tell what your interests are.

22 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

You must have been totally unlucky.

On 16+ cruises I've never seen just Carlsberg.  Viking has always been fully stocked in Norwegian beers (IPA, Amber, Stout) so never had a problem.  And never had them run out, like they do sometimes with the various wines.

Ya, it was unlucky, but I got over it.  It might have been because it was an 'end of season' type of thing from NYC to Iceland at the end of Aug, maybe.  They didn't really run out on the cruise, they didn't have any from even the start of the cruise, day 1.  (And by Carlsberg, I mean that 'family' of beers they produce.)

The beer selection is limited, it's all (or mostly all) Carlsberg products. They were out of a couple of the more expensive beers so I'm not sure about them. Having said that, I got by with no problems, lol.  I finished most nights with the porter they had, which was very good. Oh, they had Brooklyn Lager also, not sure if that's a regular beer they have or not (it was a cruise out of NYC). 

The things that come to mind for me are not the age thing.  It more about pricing, there are so many ships that do that cruise that you really have a lot of options, like you could get into a large suite on some lines for the price of VO.  One advantage to VO is with tendering, it's a lot better on their small ships.  Having said that I'm not sure I would spend VO prices to go to those ports, there are just so many less expensive options and you are on shore for a lot of time.