ericosmith

I use a HooToo Trip Mate. It has a built in battery so it can be used for a time without power or it can also charge or power a phone. Can also attached usb storage to it so it can act as shared file storage.

The AA terminal in ORD is just too small for the amount of traffic. The terminal is usually jammed with people and just feels way too crowded most of the time.

Ok, but if the content is already on the tablet why do you need ships wifi at all. Just a little travel router to set up your own network. It doesn't need to be connected to the internet. Of course that assumes there is an hdmi port to connect the firestick to.

It's been a couple of years but when we were on the tables were assigned. You got your table assignment during the check in process. Hopefully someone with more recent experience will chime in.

Thanks kaisatsu for the great information. Interestingly, after a bit more research I've discovered that the departure and arrival times without an overnight are virtually identical for both options. There's just more downtime on the Bergen round trip. As far as scenery goes, if I have things correct, the Bergen round trip eliminates the Oslo to Myrdal on the train while the Oslo to Bergen trip eliminates the Myrdal to Voss rail. While obviously different distances, can you compare the scenery on those two? Much more interested in scenery than in cities so it's the journey that appeals.

Navy Veteran has a great analysis. Personally I love the time cruising the river and although we went from Memphis to New Orleans, I would have liked to have more time cruising during daylight. It will get warmer as you go south or cooler as you go north, if that makes a difference. Consider what you want to see on either end and how much time you want to spend. Memphis and New Orleans both have many interesting things to see and do. Personally I prefer the pre cruise hotel location in Memphis over the one in New Orleans. The New Orleans Hilton is basically a convention hotel which although on the river, is removed from the main sites in the city. In Memphis you're right on the trolley line and easy transportation.

Just to be clear, you put your phone in airplane mode and then turn the wifi back on. That way you can generally do anything including making phone calls if you have wifi calling.

Did you book through a travel agent or directly. If you booked through an agent then the package would be sent to them unless directed otherwise by the agent. As I recall there was really nothing in the packet that provided any guidance beyond what was on the website. Luggage tags should be available at the Hilton.

Thanks! Very helpful info.

I've done Miller's Ale House in the past. They are a chain restaurant but typically have a lot of craft taps. Close to all the airport hotels. https://millersalehouse.com/locations/orlando-airport/

Do I remember hearing somewhere that ships need to be under power to desalinate water?

We are cruising from Bergen next year and are contemplating the options for seeing some of the Nutshell itinerary. As I see it, there are four options: Fly to Oslo and simply take the train from Oslo to Bergen; Fly to Oslo and do the published Nutshell to Bergen; Fly to Bergen and do the roundtrip Nutshell from there; or simply do the Nutshell like cruise shore excursion from Flam. I'm interested in how scenic the rail section between Myrdal is and whether that should be a deciding factor. Also, if doing the Nutshell from Oslo to Bergen, is there a best place to spend the night if one doesn't want to cram it all in one day? Thanks!

It depends on how well you can sleep. As for me, a lie flat seat is wasted because I can't do more than doze anyway. I actually find the recline more comfortable for my cat naps so I'm perfectly comfortable in Premium Economy assuming some additional seat width, pitch, and foot rests.

That's why you use gaffe tape.

We enjoyed the Mail Boat run to the islands. The dock was just one pier over.

There are about a dozen hotels all in the same area close to the airport with several restaurants withing walking distance. We stayed at the Fairfield both the night before and the night after our cruise and their shuttle was prompt in both directions. Also used Cruise Control who picked us up at a scheduled time from the Fairfield and took us to the port.

It's been a few years but our tour was in the morning. It covered both sides of the river and then returned to the ship. We walked to the subway in the afternoon and took it back across.

So one more question...these add on fees have me confused. My cruise leaves from Bergen but I want to fly to Oslo and do the Nutshell on my own to Bergen. So that means I'll want to fly early to a different city and also have a say in what flights I take. Will Viking still book this at the discounted rate and what would the total add on cost for 2 people be. My thanks to all of you for being so patient and helpful with your advice.

Thanks for the info. In my case there is no current brochure price since the cruise isn't in the brochure. with the same embarkation and destination ports show a price $300 higher so I guess that's what I'm at risk. I guess I'll go ahead and pay and then see what happens when flights are available.

Actually you don't even need WhatsApp if you have wifi calling on your phone. As long as the phone is using wifi rather than the cell network for the call, then there is no charge. In my case my phone says "T-Mobile wifi calling" right at the top. I've even made calls from cruise ships without charge that way.

Sorry for yet another air question. This will be our first cruise on Viking. It's not until next July but final payment is due this July. Part of that payment includes airfare which I may or may not want to use. In my case it's $1399 each and I'm assuming another $150 to get what and when I want (and would that let me depart an airport that's not typically a gateway?). Given that airfares aren't typically published until 330 days out, how do I decide whether to keep or cancel Viking air. Does that cost have to be payed as part of the final payment or can I defer it until later? If it is part of the final payment can I get a refund later if I decide to book on my own? Thanks for any words of wisdom!

For those of you just back, how does main dinner seating work? Do they have tables for 2 and are they preassigned or first come first served? That seems to differ from boat to boat. Thanks

Ah, it's the day of the week thing. I wouldn't lose complete hope. We were cruising on the Mississippi on Thanksgiving day and several stops opened just for cruise passengers. Only the tour staff on the boat will know what's really going to happen.

In the app it shows the Shrewsbury-Windle House, the Schofield House and the Lanier Mansion in addition to the stops you mention.

If you download the American Queen Voyages app to your phone, you can view the HOHO routes for the stops for each boat. There's a little audio file that describes what's available at each one.