CharTrav

I must have forgotten to hit "submit reply" but let me post again . (or try again) to ask folks here not to forget the passengers affected by the incident last week. Even tho my mind is intrigued by the discussion regarding shiphandling, ship construction, ship safety, and engineering etc issues, my heart is drawn more towards the passengers affected by this unfortunate incident. Please don't forget them. Thanks for letting me share this.

Was a pretty major incident. https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/one-person-died-on-an-antarctic-cruise-due-to-a-giant-wave-in-southern-argentina.phtml

Thanks - I posted a link about how to enable macros. I hate it when Microsoft decides to "help".

Oy! I assure you the macros in that excel sheet are safe. Go into the advanced Trust settings area of Office and set it so macros can run. (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/enable-or-disable-macros-in-office-files-12b036fd-d140-4e74-b45e-16fed1a7e5c6). Sometimes these trust settings are switched back to the default "no" mode after a major office update. Hope this helps.

Just posted an update. Minor changes to Viking Ocean in 2024 -- added a TA for Mars in March (Atlantic Crossing & the Mediterranean) and a sailing of Komodo & Australian Coast for Orion in November. For Viking Expeditions, Octantis schedule extended into early September 2024; Polaris remains unchanged. Didn't check for changes on the .uk or .au sites. I If you already have the spreadsheet, simply download a fresh copy using the link on the ReadMe tab or download using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/smx4xeq1yhq8ymi/Viking Ocean Cruises (2022 to 2024).xlsm?dl=0.

Wow! OK. Guess I'll just wait and see what changes between now and our cruise this January eh? In any case I was assured by a person on Viking live chat that Viking will take care of whatever reqmts related to PCR testing are in force for Australia. I was actually more concerned with the IPC given that the govt site left me confused.

The negative PCR test reqmt was reinstated last month. But it may go away again between now and this January. Viking maintains and updates all the entry requirements, which are posted in the pre-travel reqmts section of MVJ. It's a PDF document that covers every country Viking visits. And thanks for the other advice esp about fruit and NZ! Reminds me of a colleague who gave me similar advice regarding bringing even an apple provided on the airplane with me. Warnings about cute little beagles in the international baggage claim area who are trained to detect fruit and sit down next to you wagging their tail looking at you with adoring eyes should you be carrying fruit with you. My colleague received that treatment. 🍏

To those who have done the world cruise or the Australia/New Zealand cruise, how does this incoming passenger card thing work if you're not flying into and starting your cruise from Australia but from Auckland and then doing a week long post extension in Australia? Do we have to download a copy and fill it out here at home before we leave or is it like I've experienced when flying? I.e., the flight crew provides the cards for us to fill out before landing so that we have them ready for the customs/immigration folks to review when we arrive? In the case of Viking -- will Viking have us pick up a blank IPC card for us to complete before we arrive at our first port stop in Australia? I'm thoroughly confused. Thanks in advance.

To each his own. I still have a fondness for the cheddar cheese my uncle used to sell from his store in Vermont aged over 2 yrs called "Rat Trap Cheese" so I'm not hopeless. Love camembert, brie, gouda, etc. But something about that orange stuff just didn't do it for me. I tried. honest!!!,

sorry -- that cheese does nothing for me.

who knows! It may have something to do with some issues with the Chilean govt or something else. I never understood why Viking's plans to expand into Galapagos Islands by leasing (and re-liverying) the SantaCruz II fell through. But it did. What we got out of it was a very nice voucher that we used (are using cuz we haven't booked our excursions yet..) to do Australia/New Zealand this January with extensions before and after.

Followed through on my proposal to concentrate the schedules posted at the main VO site along with the AU and UK sites. Have posted result to DropBox. Included the three cruises from Cairns only being offered to the AU market: Cairns to Bangkok, Cairns to Singapore, and Cairns to Bali. As I explain in much greater detail in the LogNotes, when comparing itinerary counts using the main search page (how I initially determine if major changes are being made to the schedule before digging down into the actual number of sailings) between the three sites (by year & by month), noticed the UK site (https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/search-cruises/index.html) handles the case where a cruise is totally sold out for a given year or month differently (and you've filtered the site to show a specific year or month). Basically it doesn't show it at all (sigh...) If you don't apply any filter or display all three years, everything is shown. You can then dig down into the details for a cruise to discover which sailings are sold out. In contrast, the main (.com) and AU sites display everything -- doesn't matter if every sailing of a cruise during a given month or year is sold out. It's similar to what I've seen when I view the Viking schedule using a mobile browser -- you can toggle between viewing all sailings for a given cruise including those that are sold out and just the ones that are available. The differences between the three sites -- except for how the UK site operates -- are minimal. Honolulu to Bangkok is not displayed in the AU site search page but can be found if search for it directly. Ditto for Atlantic Ocean Passage on the UK site. The former makes sense (one can't book it directly through the site -- you need to call); the latter makes no sense at all (not sold out; can book directly thru the site). In any case, when I check the UK site, I won't be able to use the main search page as easily. Groan! So .. as always .. download a fresh copy using the link on the ReadMe tab or download using this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/smx4xeq1yhq8ymi/Viking Ocean Cruises (2022 to 2024).xlsm?dl=0 Enjoy! I'm a captive of my idle curiosity!😎

That's just what I need. As I said she's a Viking TA - she works for Viking. Which is why I said this is amusing. Thanks!

you folks may find this amusing but for those of you who’ve done or will be doing Antarctica - I have a question from my Viking TA. When are you asked to provide the sizes for your boots, jackets, and pants? How close to sailing? And yes - I'm amazed this info isn't provided to her. Thanks!

First of all it’s still only 10pm for me right now. 😁 And yes - I’m treating the whole set of Orion cruises this Fall as one-offs. For now. When Viking has a bigger fleet and can dedicate another ship to service the Pacific these for now sampler cruises may become a regular thing. Time will tell. Or they may simply run two ships along the same but slightly shifted schedule that Orion typically does. In any case I don’t see it as wasted effort to serve as the ‘concentrator‘ for the schedules from the three (or should it be 4? Is there a site for Germany too?) sites so long as I clearly identify those cruises unique to a particular country site. That is, use a suffix like (UK) or (AU) in name of a cruise to indicate that it's unique to that site.

FYI. Am looking at the .com.au site -- there are actually two more departing from Cairns! Cairns to Bali and Cairns to Singapore!

Ok -- the sheet updated with the 2 new Orion cruises has been uploaded. Two new cruises with the totally unimaginative albeit fully descriptive names of Honolulu to Cairns and Honolulu to Bangkok have been added for Orion this Fall. Honolulu to Bangkok arrives in time to link up with Bangkok, Bali & Beyond. By the way -- @Cleopatra99 -- the site I use does NOT include the Cairns to Bangkok cruise! When I read your post last night it was in the wee hours of the morning (don't ask why I'm idiotic enough to stay up that late!) and I assumed you were telling me about the two I'd already added. Thus my response. I realize now the link you gave is for Australia (a .au URL). Does that mean this cruise is targeted at customers in Australia & NZ only? It certainly makes sense to include this segment; I was wondering about that myself. Makes me wonder if I shouldn't expand the spreadsheet to include cruises listed on all three sites (appropriately labeled): .com, .au, and .uk (Is that all of them?). I did that for the UK passengers only Welcome Back cruises last year. What is the collective opinion? Should I? Yeah .. probably should .. I'll start doing that for my next update. A little embarrassed I hadn't done this before. The process for downloading this updated sheet is the same as always. If you already have a copy, just use the link provided on the ReadMe tab to get a fresh copy. If you don't -- if you're new to this -- use this link (no DropBox account required): https://www.dropbox.com/s/smx4xeq1yhq8ymi/Viking Ocean Cruises (2022 to 2024).xlsm?dl=0

Yes I have and have updated my spreadsheet. Was going to upload yesterday but forgot. Will do later today. Actually - I thought I'd posted about my plans to do so on Friday but apparently the evil genie that swallows up my posts sometimes must have been active!!!! Oops!! Checked - no genie. Posted that note to the Explorer Lounge thread. Palm hitting forehead.

@CurlerRob We'll be doing Australia/New Zealand this January with Viking's Best of Australia post extension. I've also been having fun watching series produced in Australia, as well as, New Zealand streamed on Acorn. The New Zealand accent is a hoot. Am looking forward to seeing what makes Australia special. 😁

and btw -- Viking added two cruises for Orion from Oahu (Honolulu). One (13 days) to Cairns and another that goes all the way to Bangkok, arriving on the embarkation day for Bangkok, Bali, and Beyond. The names given these two new cruises are really unimaginative: Honolulu to Cairns and Honolulu to Bangkok. Exciting in a marketing sense? Not! 😄 Will post the updated schedule tomorrow (have something else I need to get done today). Check out my thread dedicated to this topic: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2651194-viking-ocean-combined-cruise-schedule/

So .. it looks like I'll be updating my spreadsheet and posting it later today!

Learned through @Clay Clayton about cancellations affecting Orion next September & October caused by visa issues in Japan & Vietnam, as well as, covid policies in Hong Kong: Japan now requires a local tour agency sponsor you for a visa along with a in-person interview; Hong Kong still requires isolation upon arrival; and Vietnam isn't issuing multi-entry visas even tho it's required for ocean arrivals. This resulted in the cancellation of 8 of Orion's cruises this Fall: Far East & Alaska; Far Eastern Horizons; North Pacific Passage; Australia, Asia & Alaska; Grand Pacific Explorer; Southeast Asia Horizons; Southeast Asia; and Southeast Asia & Hong Kong. Added a new -- just for 2022 -- cruise from Vancouver to Oahu called Alaska, Hawaii & Pacific Passage departing 20 Sep arriving mid-Oct. What hasn't been added .. yet .. is a cruise from Oahu to Bangkok (meet up with the 3 cruises departing from Bangkok late November). I was going to hold off posting this update until after the gap between Oahu and Bangkok is addressed (the folks who were affected by these cancellations already know so why should I add to their misery?). But .. on a whim .. checked for other changes and discovered that Orion's schedule has now been extended into November 2024; basically all the cruises involved in traveling from Vancouver to Sydney. So decided that posting this update would be good idea. Btw -- checked for other changes and found none (including Expeditions). For those who already have a copy of the spreadsheet .. use the link provided on the ReadMe tab to download a fresh copy. Please don't worry when you see that the file name has changed to include "& Expedition". Given that this spreadsheet covers both Ocean and Expeditions, decided it made sense to change it. The link to it is still the same. I've checked it out multiple times and it works. If you don't already have a copy of the spreadsheet -- use this link to download it (no DropBox account required): https://www.dropbox.com/s/smx4xeq1yhq8ymi/Viking Ocean Cruises (2022 to 2024).xlsm?dl=0

in answer to your first concern -- Yes -- Premium Economy is a class that is ONLY offered on international legs of your flight. IMHO -- flying in economy on the domestic leg is not that bad (I see you're in Salt Lake City). You're still free to upgrade yourself to Economy Plus (or whatever is the analog to this United class if your flight is not on United) after Viking Air books your flight. So I see that as a non-issue. In answer to your second concern.. others who have been done Antarctica with Viking may correct me .. please do .. but my interpretation of what I read on the Viking site is that the flight from BA to Ushuaia is included. If it were otherwise I'm quite sure it would say so.

If you're having insurmountable issues with the spreadsheet, I'm perfectly happy to help you using Zoom. Just contact me directly using my personal contact info provided in the ReadMe tab.

VE Expedition schedule must have been updated yesterday because I did check it two days ago and didn't see any changes. Two new (and I think just for 2022) cruises added for Polaris to start her travels to Antarctica: Atlantic Islands & Antarctica and Islands of the Atlantic, both starting from Amsterdam and heading to Ushuaia. Fully expecting Polaris' sailing of South America & Antarctic Discovery on 17 Oct 22, presently shown as SOLD OUT, will be cancelled because it conflicts with these two new cruises. Added another sailing of Antarctic Explorer by Polaris in October. Also added new cruise Longitudinal World Cruise III in 2023 for Octantis. Again, if you already have a copy of this spreadsheet, just use the link provided in the ReadMe tab to download a fresh copy. If not, use this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/smx4xeq1yhq8ymi/Viking Ocean Cruises (2022 to 2024).xlsm?dl=0 to download the latest copy.