sharkster77

Although I will add, since I no longer have "stereo" hearing, it is tough to pull a voice out of a crowd of voices---I do a lot of smiling and nodding, hoping I'm not agreeing with anything horrid..........

That is EXACTLY what I do!!!

I have 100% hearing in one ear and 0% in the other---I always mention to the person on my deaf side that if they speak to me and I don't respond, I'm not ignoring them, but didn't hear what they said. Folks are very understanding when I explain this to them.

Fair enough, but if you haven't river cruised before, I will add that embarkation day is no where near as crazy as it is on an ocean liner, it's all rather low-key. For example, they just ask your name, no showing passports or complicated check in. Same with disembarkation. No announcements, people just show up at the appointed time for their airport shuttle, cab to train station, etc.

Wouldn't it just be easier to ask the cabin attendant (or whatever they're called) for extra hangers if more are needed?

It's really more a function of what you are plugging into the outlet, not the voltage of the outlet itself. My point is that in most cases a converter is not necessary. Just need the correct adapter.

Phone chargers laptop chargers, almost all chargers are dual voltage. Even wife's travel CPAP is dual voltage. She also has a dual voltage curling iron she picked up at Target for ~$10. Can't think of anything one might bring on a cruise or trip that would require a voltage converter---just an adapter for the plug. This is probably why hotels provide hair dryers---a hair dryer that would require a voltage converter would probably burn out if one was not used, which then becomes a fire hazard.

The bottom line is travel insurance----too many folks got burned when Vantage went under recently---one should never be vulnerable to losing thousands of dollars in this way. I feel safe depositing early with Viking because of travel insurance---I'd otherwise be a fool.

The flip side to paying early is that if you have to cancel before 120 days from sailing, you are only out $100 per person. My travel agent tells me this is a smaller penalty than other cruise lines (this is her words, not mine---don't shoot the messenger if this is not the case).

Are talking about hamster wheels (in-cage) or hamster balls, which allow them to roam the house?

Ah, OK. On Tulips and Windmills, we sail AMS to AMS. Doing a post-extension in The Hague. We do Antwerp, Bruges, and Ghent in Belgium.

Viking did tell me the ship left Ghent (not Antwerp) at 10PM. Did not see a extensions from Viking that did Bruges and Ghent. Saw Amsterdam pre and post, and The Hague. EDIT: Bruges and Ghent are extensions on "Holland and Belgium", a different itinerary than "Tulips and Windmills". @Mitina, you must be on Holland and Belgium? A major difference between the two is that H & B does Keukenhof at the beginning, while T & W does it at the end.

Thanks @Host Jazzbeau, I have time to sort this out, but your info is very helpful. As I said, I could not go to Ghent and not see the altarpiece! As far as I can tell, Viking does not have excursions into Ghent, included or additional. Something I plan to pester someone about!

We sail on the 5th, when you are ending---we may cross each other on the gangplank! I sent a question to Viking about this, and they didn't really answer my question, except to say the ship is docked in Ghent until 10PM--be back on board by 8PM. Never said how easy it would be to visit Ghent on our own.

(A duplication of a post on the "Ports" page that has not gotten much traffic) We are booked on Tulips and Windmills with Viking next April. On one day, there is an included morning excursion to Bruges (an option is to take a full-day tour of Bruges). I think the ship is docked in Ghent at that time. Here's my question: is the ship docked close enough to central Ghent to walk into town? We appear to have the afternoon free, I would hate to be that close to the Ghent Altarpiece and not check it out.

There are no Wardrobe Police on Viking river cruises. Nobody will bar you from the dining room---it's all very chill and low key. About half the time I wasn't able to change up before dinner after touring all day, and my low-cut hikers and cargo pants were not a problem in the dining room. I saw jeans, mostly chino-type pants on the men, slacks on the women, a very few who dressed to the nines and definitely stood out---it's all good. For reference, we sailed Amsterdam to Basel in October, 4 years ago---so shorts were not an issue. But I've heard others say that in warmer weather, those in shorts were allowed to eat dinner.

Yes, those who ask folks to move, referring to "our table", should be made to walk the plank--after all they could probably walk to shore!!

I have a Canon DSLR with an assortment of lenses that I use for car trips where we are in control of the schedule and itinerary. But for tours and river cruises, I have a Canon point-and-shoot that takes almost as good a picture as my DSLR, but fits in my pocket. It has 20.3 megapixels and a 40x optical zoom, that will go out to 160x albeit digitally beyond the 40x. Oh, and it shoots 1080p HD video. This way I don't have to worry about keeping track of my bag of camera and lenses while traveling overseas, and always have my excellent little camera either in my coat pocket or hanging off a beltloop via a carabiner attached to a nylon case. I just love that little camera for both the convenience and quality of image.

I will linger at the back to get the shot I want once folks start to move on but NEVER take selfies. I find them to be an obnoxious thing, mostly because selfie takers are often oblivious to what's around them, stepping in front of those who have waited for their 'turn' to take a photo. Selfie sticks are and invention of Satan, TBH.

WOW, when we sailed with Viking 4 years ago, we had a full ship, and had NONE of the drama @bundtkate recounted! We expected to sit with other people and always found a table that had 2 empty seats and people that welcomed us to sit with them. Nobody "camped out" in order to get certain tables. Then again, we didn't care where we sat.

Maybe other Viking veterans might remember, but there may have been tables for 2 on the Aquavit terrace? Dinner is also served there.

If Hadrian's Wall did its job, yes, I suppose!

One of your bullets is easy to answer---there is no better side for cabins---during any scenic daytime sailing (middle Rhine, Wachau valley, for example) the best place to be is either outside on the top deck, or in the lounge, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and access to both sides of the ship. You are really in your cabin only for changing up or sleeping.

Providence RI has a large Italo-American population and gravy = sauce is used consistently there. Maybe it all depends on what part of Italy ancestors emigrated from?

We don't cruise until next April, have our flights and seats all set (purchased from Viking, $799 air offer) and our flights appeared in MVJ over a month ago.