Heidi13

5 hours ago, RobInMN said:

Except that this is not a statement that is true across the board.

If you look at my response in post #2. Royal Caribbean allows you to bring drones onboard the ship for use in ports, with this note:

"Guests assume full responsibility for understanding all local authority rules related to drone usage and for obtaining any required permissions for drone operations. Different countries may have different rules. Any liability, including environmental damage from drone usage, is the guest’s responsibility. Royal Caribbean assumes no liability for guest drones that may be confiscated by local authorities for violating local laws or for any accident or injury resulting from a guest drone flight."

 

Also, per Royal Caribbean, you can not use them on board the ship, nor can you use them on their private ports.

 

The Royal Caribbean Group has essentially the same policy for Celebrity as well.

In addition to regulatory compliance, you also have potential issues with Flag/Class approvals and risk tolerance. RCCL clearly has a higher risk tolerance for meeting pax expectations.

However, in the event of an incident, either aboard or ashore, their text would be as useful as their Pax Contract, in defending them against lawsuits. Having most other cruise lines banning them outright would also not aid their defence.

When I dealt with similar issues, the company's risk surveyor often had considerable say in what was permitted. Premiums were well above my pay grade, but I have no doubt they would increase based on the higher risk of accepting drones onboard.

5 hours ago, rjp50 said:

I don’t think anyone actually answered the original question which was why are drones not allowed onboard as long as you don’t fly them while on the ship.  If they are afraid of scofflaws breaking this rule they can make the penalties as draconian as necessary to prevent it.  
 

Yes, flying them in other countries requires additional registration efforts but most drone owners understand this.  It doesn’t seem like it is the cruise lines’s responsibility to enforce different country’s regulations any more that it is an airline’s responsibility.

The original question was, "Why are drones not allowed to be brought aboard?" The answer is that they do not comply with Marine Radio Regulations. The OP then accepted that they can't be used onboard, but questioned why they can't be brought onboard to be used ashore.

It is the same requirements for Ham Radios, which also can't be brought aboard to be used off the ship. If they don't comply with Marine Radio Reg, they can't be brought aboard, regardless if they are on or off.

6 hours ago, SilkySal said:

Hubby and I will be boarding the Radiance next week from Vancouver to La, and on through the Panama Canal to Tampa. He refuses to take long sleeve shirts but will have a light weight jacket plus slacks for dinner. I'm thinking I should pack a few long sleeve blouses for a few days until we sail farther south. I intend to wear long jeans, long sleeve shirt, and light jacket on the plane. Still packing plenty of shorts, capris and short sleeve tops to wear when south of LA. Does this sound like a good plan? Hate to drag a winter coat along. Thanks all!

I doubt you will require a winter coat. Vancouver is on the West Coast, where even in January, it rarely snows and temps seldom drop below freezing. Currently, at almost 18:00, the temperature is 22C/72F. For the next week they are forecasting 17 - 23 C.

To put it in perspective, I'm still in shorts and short sleeve golf shirts. Only use a jacket when walking the dog in the rain.

Rain is forecast next week, so I suggest a brolly may be of more use than a winter coat.

On 9/12/2024 at 7:29 AM, thunter1224 said:

Why are Drones not allowed to be brought onboard ? I understand not using them on the ship, But why can't I use it while in ports?

To be used onboard, drones would need to comply with International Maritime Radio Regulations and the Flag State's Regulations, for both the drone and operator certification, as applicable. Since some cruise lines have more than 1 Flag State, different ships in the same fleet could have different requirements.

To use them in other countries, you would need to research the applicable regulations and whether any certification is required. When certification is required, other countries most likely will not accept US certification.

7 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

Wasn’t The Spirit Of London the first “Love Boat”?  

Memory is somewhat hazy, especially as I was still mostly in UK at the time. I believe the Sun Princess (Spirit of London) was the ship used for the Love Boat pilot, then they switched to mostly using Pacific Princess.

The Spirit of London is an interesting story, in that she had a sister ship in the NCL fleet. She was originally ordered by NCL from an Italian yard, which experienced financial difficulties. Construction was halted for some time, so completion was delayed. Prior to launch, she was sold to P&O.

Her sister ship was Southward, similar profile except for the funnel.

Originally operated by P&O Cruises, she was transferred to the wholly owned Princess cruises, when P&O bought them. She joined the Island/Pacific Princess, operating from US ports and Vancouver.

14 hours ago, billrco90278 said:

Where can I expect the Viking Jupiter to be docked in Buenos Aires? Is it walkable to town or are there shuttles?

Thanks!

The pax terminal is at a commercial container port and is known as Benito Quinquela Martín Passenger Terminal. It is less than a mile from the city centre.

While the area has been updated, I still would not be walking in the vicinity of the port area. I expect Viking will provide shuttles.

17 hours ago, sprout76 said:

Thank you for the information.  I was aware, but I also figure that they would really need to want to go out of their way to come on the ship and detain him for a 5pm -10pm stop.  I was hoping if we just stayed on the ship and didn't even attempt to get off that no harm would be done.  At least it will be our last day and won't ruin the trip 😀

The ship transmits a manifest to Canadian border services upon departure from the last US Port. Therefore, the decisions on who to interview are made prior to the ship docking. Once reviewed, the ship receives a list of pax they wish to interview.

In Canada, we consider drunk driving as a serious criminal offense, so yes, he may be listed for interview. It is then at the discretion of the attending officer, who may permit him ashore or ban him from leaving the vessel. Since he has illegally entered Canada, and clearly with this post, you are aware of the requirement, he could be charged and deported. Probably unlikely, but is one of the options available to the attending officer.

1 hour ago, shipgeeks said:

Thank you for mentioning Transvaal Castle!  We sailed on her in 1999, as Premier's IslandBreeze.  Beautiful ship, and the best and loudest ship's horn we've ever heard.  The captain mentioned that one time he set off every car alarm in the Port of Messina with it. 

 

Spirit of London, Premier's StarShip Majestic in 1991, is similarly special to us.

Also have fond memories of the Spirit of London, although when I joined her in 1980 she was already the Fun (Sun) Princess. Joined her a month after our wedding and spent 4 months aboard her. Was meant to rejoin her 4-months later, but left P&O.

2 hours ago, NowVoyager2 said:

My first cruise was in the 1970's - it was an ultra luxury experience and very few ships carried more than 1,000 passengers( like QE2 & FRANCE).

This wasn't my experience when I first went to sea in 1975, as most of the pax vessels of that era had over 1,000 pax. My first < 1,000 pax ship wasn't until I joined MV Island Princess in 1979.

The old P&O liners of the 1970's all had > 1,000 pax - Oriana, Canberra, Uganda, Nevassa, Arcadia, Himalaya, Oronsay.

Even the original Carnival ships, originally from Canadian Pacific and Union Castle were generally over 1,000 pax. The Transvaal Castle was below 1,000, but when purchased by Carnival, the capacity was increased significantly.

The ships of <1,000 pax were generally diesel powered and built in the early.mid 1970's. The 3 Royal Viking ships, Spirit of London, 2 Princess ships, 2 Cunard ships and NCL ships were the ones I knew and experienced. By the 1980's, with the 1984 Royal Princess, the capacity was back above 1,000.

I note, Royal Viking did build another ship with < 1,000 pax in the late 1980's - Royal Viking Sun.

17 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

Has anyone ever visited Glacier Bay without going to Margerie Glacier? We have been many times before and have always gone to Margerie. But today on the Ruby Princess we departed after spending an hour at Johns Hopkins glacier without proceeding onward. NCL Jewel was here in the park with us today and they went to Margerie and then briefly stopped at Johns Hopkins as we were leaving. According to the NPS ranger onboard it was not their call - it was the Captains call to allow Jewel to go to Margerie while we spent the time at Johns Hopkins and there is no restriction set forth by the park service. Johns Hopkins is an impressive glacier and we got closer and spent more time there than in past visits, but still were very surprised we didn’t go on to Margerie glacier. It felt like going to a concert and just seeing the opening act and missing the main artist. It was disappointing - but at least we have been here many times. I did feel sorry for people who are taking this as a one and done Alaska trip who missed it. Very strange!

Within local regulations, the itinerary is entirely at the discretion of the Master, who selects options that s/he believes will be of most interest to the pax.

I haven't cruised Alaska, in September, since I left P&O/Princess, so I haven't visited John's Hopkins since the 1980's. I would consider your recent cruise on Ruby as a rare treat, especially if you cruised past Jaw Point and sailed down the fjord to the glacier.

I recall John Hopkins was spectacular, so I wouldn't agree that it was a disappointment not seeing Margerie, which is seen from most cruises.

17 hours ago, Arubamoose said:

We booked a DV6 - Cabin 3041.  Our friends are next door in Cabin 3039.

Can the Balcony dividers be opened?

We have had them opened on other cruise line ships before by the cabin steward.

Is this possible?

TIA

Balcony dividers serve a dual purpose - windbreakers and privacy.

They are capable of being opened, as the crew open them, when washing down balconies in port. In the event of a balcony fire, similar to the Star Princess, they provide access to the fire and boundary cooling parties, while ones closed can retard the fire spread.

Requesting the divider opened would be considered on an individual basis, depending on the conditions and potentially the discretion of the Master.

On 9/5/2024 at 3:25 PM, 310Loves2Cruise said:

I traveled in 1961 from Tokyo to San Fran on this marvelous ship! Anyone know what has become of her?

I suspect you refer to the P&O ship SS Himalaya, as the HMS Himalaya dates from the 1800's. The HMS Himalaya was a troop ship the British Govt purchased from P&O in the late 1800's.

SS Himalaya was built by P&O in 1947. She was built in Barrow-in-Furness. She was sold by P&O in 1974 and scrapped the following year in Taiwan. I recall her demise, as it was the same year I started working for P&O.

She had an almost older sister ship in SS Orcades, which had a similar hull, with Himalaya getting an improved accommodation.

4 hours ago, unte Emm said:

 

Has anyone experienced the 33 day Grand Hawaii and Polynesia cruise?

My longest trip has been a Transatlantic. And I might be going solo since it is quite a long one for those that are still working.

Have sailed and cruised these waters many times, but never on a cruise as short as 33 days. Do you have any specific questions regarding the ports, route, etc?

18 hours ago, sultan_sfo said:

 

Just reading that ONE para, made me realize the different way and sensitivity with which we approach our cruising as compared to you. We have only done a few Viking River cruises but many WCs on Princess. We fly cattle class.

Yes, we all have different standards and expectations of what we expect from a cruise line.

With respect to the Maitre'D refusing to come to the table, during the 7 years I worked for P&O/Princess, this would NEVER have been an acceptable response. I can't imagine any crew member, especially a senior supervisor responding to a pax, "If you want to talk to me you need to come see me."

You may find that acceptable, personally I do not. In my Princess days, they would be down the gangway with their bags following quickly.

Our son also worked for Princess for 10 years, and the officer/crew expectations specifically stated they cannot say no to a pax. If that ethos was still in force in 2015, it is the classic example of very poor management, when the senior dining room supervisor doesn't follow what they preach.

16 hours ago, panda1960 said:

Thanks so much for replying and also for your thorough review.  At this time I think we will stay booked with Princess being we have another year to decide if we want to cancel or not.  This itinerary is very attractive to us compared to some of the other world cruises.  I guess if we go with low expectations maybe (fingers crossed) we will be pleasantly surprised.  After posting this topic I did find a blog from a couple from Tampa that seemed like they enjoyed their 2023 world cruise on the Island Princess.  Just out of curiosity how was it that your Viking cruise daily cost was identical when it started out double the price?  

 

As with many things these days it is imperative to review more than the basic cost, as with mass market cruise lines and also flights, the total costs can quickly add up. For perspective, we booked similar cabins on both ships, a midships balcony on a lower deck. The Princess cabin was considerably smaller than the Viking Cabin.

The total daily cost has many variables depending on your flight and cruising preferences. For us, we don't fly cattle class any more, only first or business. Viking included Business Class flights in the base fare and also transfers to/from the airport. If you are Americans and cruising to/from US ports, this may not be a huge cost, but for us, flights to L/A and then back from LHR are expensive.

Viking also include the cost of procuring Visas, which saves considerable time and expense. Depending on the itinerary, you could be applying at multiple embassies/consulates for Visas. With Viking, you complete a form, mail your passport to their vendor, who acquire all Visas, and return your passport in 6 - 8 weeks. I note more Visas are becoming electronic, so less requirement to visit embassies. The Viking Visas would have cost us over CAN $1,000.

Another pre-cruise benefit is luggage shipping. Viking ship 1 bag per person from home directly to the vessel. Since World Cruises are longer, we generally take more baggage, so this is a huge benefit, as we had 2 less bags to lug to the ship.

The base fare also included all port fees and taxes.

Viking guarantee each pax a shore-excursion in each port. In most ports, you have no choice, as the free shore-ex is identified as "Included". In a few ports, they provide 2 options, of which you can select 1 of them. The included tour is generally the basic tour in each port - a walking or bus tour, providing an overview of the area. However, in Komodo Island, the 2 hr walk around the island was the included tour and in Safaga, it was a 10 - 11 hr tour to Luxor. Viking also offer additional shore-ex options at additional cost, but provide extensive On-Board Credits. On the 2023 Viking WC, if memory is correct, we had CAN $11,000 OBC. The OBC covered the costs of the optional tours we booked.

Once onboard the vessel, you have minimal, if any additional costs, on the Viking ship. You can incur costs in the shops, spas, cooking classes and some specialty fitness programs. The list of included services on Viking is extensive:

 - internet

 - both specialty restaurants

 - all alcoholic drinks (up to US $15), which include everything except specialty bubbly, whisky, brandy, etc

 - all soft drinks

 - all tea/coffee, including specialty teas/coffee

 - filtered water (clear or sparkling) supplied to cabin twice per day

 - unlimited bottles of water given out at gangway in each port

 - laundry - washers, driers and even soap liquid provided

 - no additional cost items on any menu

 - no gratuities

 - complimentary unlimited access to the Nordic spa

 - ability to bring aboard unlimited alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. They will even serve your own wine brought aboard the vessel in the dining rooms/bars. No corkage fees.

At the end of the Viking cruise we had no bill, whereas with Princess you settled the account at the end of each segment.

The included flights, visa fees, luggage shipping and extensive OBC make up a good portion of the price delta. The onboard costs are entirely dependent on what you enjoy on a mass market cruise line.

Many will enjoy a mass market WC and complete it at less overall cost than a Viking or similar premium/luxury brand, but my wife and I are at the stage in life where we would rather really enjoy 1 cruise than skimp to afford multiple cruises. An example being flights, no way we will suffer cattle class even for 8 hours.

On 9/3/2024 at 1:47 PM, pierces said:

 

Do you mean the Tandy Trash-80? 😮

 

I can see why you didn't follow that lead. 

 

I went down a different road since I was doing IT support and some use-specific application development in my early computer years. Apple just wasn't a thing in offices and larger businesses. They owned the graphics arts world up until Photoshop 4 or so, but the lack of a viable network solution in the early years (AppleTalk didn't "talk" well) pushed businesses to Windows. Naturally I followed.

 

Home hardware? The Commodore 64 was our first "computer" (mostly as a toy bought for the kids), but my first actual computer was a 386-SX 16 PC with a 40MB hard drive and 4MB...count 'em, 4MB of RAM! It came with Windows 3.0 and a super fancy 15" COLOR monitor (that weighed more than my current 42" LED unit). Cutting edge! At least for the time. My current smart watch's CPU runs at 1000x the speed (1.7GHz vs. 16MHz), it has 500,000x the amount of RAM (2GB vs 4MB) and 800x the storage (32GB vs. 40MB). Let's not mention phones...

 

Things have changed a bit since then, but I stuck with Windows and have avoided all things Apple since, including phones and tablets. I don't hate Apple and don't disparage their hardware, it's just that their ecosystem and pricing are just not for me. 

 

Almost time to start planning the next PC! 😉 

 

Dave

Although I didn't work IT, we had similar systems in the early days. I started with a Sinclair ZX81 with 2 K and no storage device. After the Commodore 64, I also had a 386 with 4M Ram and 40MB drive, then upgraded to a 486 DX2 with 16M RAM.

DW uses an ipad, but I have never used any Apple products, as they aren't compatible with anything and pricing is ridiculous. I'm used to the Windows system, so when I have to troubleshoot her ipad, I don't find it user friendly.

3 hours ago, panda1960 said:

I see a lot of negative comments for Princess world cruises.  Are they really that bad?  Has anyone went on one in the last few years and enjoyed it.  DH and I are booked on the Coral Princess out of Fort Lauderdale for 2026.  We like the combination of the price and itinerary.  We've looked at other W.C's but the itineraries didn't suit us or they were out of our budget.  It's hard to look forward to a cruise that gets so many bad comments and reviews.  I'm hoping to hear from some cruisers that actually enjoyed there Princess W.C.  Thanks:)

Thanks to @aungrl for paging me on this one.

For some perspective, I worked for P&O/Princess for 7 years as a Navigator and then our son also worked for them for 10 years. We also cruised extensively with them, so my experience is 1975 - 2015, a total of 40 years. I met my wife of 44 yrs on a P&O ship, so she also has extensive experience with them.

We noted a gradual reduction in quality from the late 90's, but our 2015 WC R/T Sydney aboard Sea Princess was our final cruise with them. The standards dropped below our minimum expectations and customer service post cruise was a joke.

A World Cruise, for many pax  is a once in a lifetime experience for many cruisers, sadly this wasn't the case. In Sydney, the had a welcome World Cruisers screen by the pool, but since only about 25% of the pax were aboard for the entire voyage, it wasn't a World Cruise. In addition to the 4 segments, to fill the ship they added Sydney to Melbourne (2 nights), Sydney to Freemantle and Melbourne to Freemantle. If I remember correctly, the Sydney to Melbourne had about the same number of pax as the World Cruisers.

The first acceptance of it being a World Cruise was on departure Freemantle, where more World Cruisers joined the ship. Yes, the post Sydney to Sydney World Cruise went to Freemantle, so they added a 2nd World Cruise. However, that was the only recognition of it being a World Cruise, as from that point until the day before Sydney, it was multiple segments. At the end of each segment 75% of the pax disembarked, so the cruise line had to focus on the majority. Us World Cruisers were definitely the minority, as we were on a floating bus around the World.

While the dining experience and food is highly subjective, we had some significant issues. On departure Sydney, we had a sharing table of 8. Every one got on well, then about 4 nights into the cruise we noted the table set for 10, which was really tight. Apparently, a couple originally assigned to our table didn't show, so they were replaced. We were not happy, refusing to spend 100 nights cramped at the table. I discussed it with our Asst Hd Waiter, who advised it was the direction of the Maitre'D. I requested the Maitre'D come to our table to discuss, as we were the first table in the dining room. He returned stating the Maitre'D advised if I wan;ed to speak with him, I would have to go to him. My response was, "Hell will freeze over", but I will pass my experience shoreside. The next evening, we agreed to arrive early and finding the table set for 10, removed 2 of the settings and chairs, forcing the Maitre'D to back down,

The quality of the victuals is highly dependent on the Corporate purchasing, but the onboard galley staff can assist in making poorer cuts more palatable. Unfortunately, the Executive Chef was poor, being one of the first off the ship in every port he wasn't IMP. I recall one evening with lamb chops that almost every plate in our vicinity was returned. Chainsaws were required to cut them. Most meals were served, tepid, at best.

Post cruise, we waited in Sydney for a flight home for a couple of days, so we provided detailed feedback, both pros and cons, on the cruise. Shortly after returning home, we received a call from customer service thanking us for our balanced feedback and wanting to discuss the issues we raised. At the conclusion of the call, he mentioned that he could provide US $100 in compensation for our poor experience. My reply was I hadn't considered compensation, but since he brought it up, I consider it insulting. Basically, it went to management and we couldn't agree, which is consistent with the experience of other pax.

If sailing from L/A. I believe you are on Coral Princess, which was saved by public opinion from the Carnivalisation of adding extra cabins, as per Isalnd Princess.

BTW - we sailed both Island & Coral Princess many times and with Diamond/Sapphire were our favourite Princess ships. Diamond/Sapphire are better built (Japan) than Island/Coral (France), but still not bad ships.

Having also completed a Viking World Cruise, I suggest comparing the total cost of a World Cruise, not just the base fare. We completed a 2015 Princess WC and then a 2020 Viking WC. The Viking WC base fare was about double the Princess fare. However, once we returned home the daily cost was identical.

12 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

LA to Sydney is more or less south, so port gets morning sun

Sydney to Cape Town is more or less west sailing, so it doesn't matter which side you're on.

Cape Town to Greece islands then Rome is more or less north, so starboard gets morning sun

Rome to Ft Lauderdale is more or less south, so port gets morning sun

 

When determining which side of a ship has the sun on a World Cruise you have to consider more than the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. The itinerary, whether steaming Rhumb Line or Great Circle courses and the ship's Latitude compared to the sun's declination are also factors.

Segment 1 - L/A to Sydney

Upon departure the vessel is bound for Hawaii, so steaming West. In these situations you compare the ship's Latitude with the sun's declination. Since the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere in January, the port side will have all the sun.

From Hawaii to New Zealand the courses are predominantly SSW'y, so again the port side will have morning sun.

From NZ to Sydney, the courses are NW'ly and with the sun's declination less than the ship's Latitude, the sun will be Stbd side

Segment 2 - Sydney to Cape Town

Mostly W'ly courses and with the sun approaching the Equinox, the stbd side will have sun all day.

Segment 3 - Cape Town to Rome

Atlantic courses are NW then NE, with E'Ly courses in the Meddy. Heading N'bd the Stbd side will get AM sun and in the Meddy the stbd side will get sun most of the day, as the ship is now North of the sun.

Segment 4 - Rome to Ft Lauderdale

On departure Rome it is mostly W'ly courses through the Meddy, so port side gets sun most of the day. Heading down the African Coast to the Canary Islands is mostly S'ly courses, so port side gets AM sun. Heading across the Atlantic it is W'ly courses and with the ship north of the sun, the port side has sun most of the day.

7 hours ago, WanderingBrit said:

Southampton would be better for all the locations listed than Portsmouth, and it's already a major cruise ship port. Mind you, as a Soton lad I'd argue that it's better than Pompey for everything 😉

As an independent voice, although I have spent many weeks in Southampton drydock on both Oriana and Canberra, plus sailed to/from the port, my preference is Portsmouth. The pubs in the vicinity of Southampton/Hamble/New Forest are great (probably been in most of them), but for me, Portsmouth wins with the Naval Dockyard.

1 hour ago, Panel said:

Hello I'm just planning ahead and wondered if the WiFi on the Serenade of the Seas  was good.My son may have to work a couple days so hopefully it's fast enough.Do they offer any group rates?

Thanks

Gary

I believe Serenade has Starlink installed, so should be better than the Geostationary Sats.

It is really tough to provide a definitive answer, as bandwidth varies depending on many variables, some of which include ship's position, number of sats available, number of pax & crew using the system. The type of work required will also be a key factor.

Video calls early morning in the middle of the ocean, probably not that great, but checking emails, etc before everyone is awake, or late at night should be reasonable.

Any vessel with a compliment of over 100 must have a doctor onboard, so this will apply to probably all world cruises. All ships I worked aboard and cruised on also have a fully equipped medical centre, so will have the ability to conduct blood tests.

When unable to perform a test onboard, they will also assist in scheduling appointments ashore.

These costs are added to your shipboard account, unless cruising with a Line that includes medical treatment.

Best to verify with your cruise line before embarkation.

My thoughts for a BIE 2, with local attractions are:

 - Greenwich

 - Portsmouth - Stonehenge/Amesbury, Salisbury, New Forest (great pubs), Winchester, Hamble, North Downs, South Downs, Isle of Wight

 - Channel Islands (tender) - Jersey, Guernsey

 - Penzance (tender) - Cornwall, Devon, Land's End, St Michael's Mount, St Ives, Godrevy Lighthouse, Falmouth and possibly Isles of Sicilly

 - Avonmouth (Bristol) - Bath, Bradford-on-Avon, Canal boating, Cotswolds, Wales

 - Cobh (Cork) - Blarney Castle, Waterford,

 - Galway (tender) -

 - Portstewart/Portrush (tender) - Giant's Causeway, Belfast, Titanic, Royal Portrush Open Championship golf course

 - Barrow-in-Furness (possibly alongside) - Lake District, Steam Train, Lakeland Motor Museum & Bluebird Exhibit, Blackpool

 - Greenock - Loch Lomond, Glasgow, Troon Open Championship golf course, Dunoon, Rothsey

 - Fort William (tender) - Steam train, Glenfinnan Viaduct, Skye, Loch Ness, Commando Monument

 - Thurso (tender) - John O'Groats, Castle Mey

 - Dundee - St Andrews Old Course + many others, Carnoustie Open Championship golf course, Balmoral Castle, Forfar, Perth, Crieff, Strathspey Whisky Trail, Stirling, Falkirk Wheel, Gleneagles Golf Course

 - North Shields (Newcastle) - Northumberland Coast, Yorkshire Moors, Whitby, Thirsk (James Herriot, Scarborough.

 - Greenwich

Probably require 17 or 18 days

14 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

Oh I’m so glad you chimed in.  I have a proposal and many questions for BIE II.  I have wished that the BIE cruise could just be a circumnavigation of the British Isles.  London to London.  So much easier flights.  Bergen is hard to fly from.  Now if you haven’t been to Norway, then BIE I is for you.  But if you’ve been to Norway many times, as we have, then maybe just lop that last part off.  But, although I love York, it is not a port.  Are the ports in NE England?  I would personally love to visit the Channel Islands, the Hebrides, the Faroes, and visit again Skye.  

Closest port to York would be Hull, which also has a lock gate entrance, which I suspect is too small for the Viking ships. Might be able to dock alongside the river (tides ??), otherwise it would be a tender port.

You could also do tours from Newcastle/North Shields. The sailing down the Tyne to Newcastle is pleasant, although I suspect it has changed significantly since my last trip up/down the river in 1977. The cruise port is located at North Shields.

The UK also has Cabotage Laws, similar to Canada & USA, but I haven't kept current with UK Shipping Regs since I moved to Canada. Therefore, I am unaware of the requirements for foreign tonnage carrying pax around UK waters. Similar to the current cruise, it may require embarkation/disembarkation in different countries, which could be London to Dublin, with a return cruise to London.

19 hours ago, formernuke said:

Having completed the British Isles Explorer (BIE) cruise a couple of months ago and thoroughly enjoying it, I was thinking how great it would be to do another BIE but with different ports. I would suspect there are others who would potentially be interested in such an itinerary. Maybe if we get enough support, Viking would consider it in the future? To start the discussion, here's a strawman of possible ports. (Note that I don't know enough about these ports to say if they would be appropriate for a ship of the VO class, or if there is enough infrastructure and interesting attractions to make them good ports of call or not, but  I suspect there are others in this forum who would have some insight.) So here goes (let the sparks fly!)

-London (since you can never have too much of London, and logistics make sense to start)

-Portsmouth - Viking ships have used the port before. It does have a cruise terminal, but it is at a Ro/Ro terminal

-Channel Islands (Guernsey or Jersey?) - tender ports only

-Plymouth - I believe this would also be a tender port, as other than Ro/Ro, I don't believe the port has a berth long enough

-Cardiff, Wales - port entry is via a lock, same as Swansea. I suspect the Viking ships are too big for the lock, based on the last time I used them 45-50 yrs ago. Probably a tender port. You also have Avonmouth (Bristol) across the estuary.

-Waterford or Cork Ireland - Waterford would be a tender port. The port for Cork is Cobh, which has a passenger terminal and cruise berth. Tours normally head up to Waterford.

-Galway Scotland (Ireland) - can't help, never been to that port

-Isle of Man (Douglas) - should be alongside berth (Ro/Ro berth)

-Londonderry Northern Ireland - not sure how close the ships could get to Londonderry, better options would be tendering at Port Stewart or Portrush

-Glasgow (Greenock) - cruise terminal is an old cargo shed.

-Isle of Skye - tender only at Portree

-Hebrides (Stornoway)  - tender only

-Either Faroe Islands or Orkney (Stromness)

-Aberdeen or Newcastle to finish...also have Dundee as an option, all having alongside berths. Dundee has better access to numerous championship golf courses.

 

Comments, please!

 

See comments in red regarding your proposed ports

3 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

We sailed from Vancouver and I didn’t think the inside passage was anything special on the first & last sea day.  Just my personal opinion.

 

 

You only sailed through a tiny portion of the Inside Passage, which runs from Olympia to Skagway. Unfortunately, sailing northbound from Vancouver, even at the Solstice, the most scenic parts are during darkness.

Very few cruise ships now sail the Inside Passage, so for spectacular scenery you need to book a ferry between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert, which does the entire trip in daylight.