OneSixtyToOne

FYI You put the comment into the quoted section

On most of our various pre-extensions the luggage was placed on our bus. Before it was loaded and you boarded the bus you had to verify it was your bag. During any walking portion of the tour the bus was locked and carry ons were left on the bus. After boarding the bus you don’t see your luggage again until it appears in your hotel/stateroom. I said “most” above because when we took the Switzerland pre-extension on a Viking river cruise, it included a train ride on the Glacier Express. For that extension they do no put the luggage on the train. Instead they transport it by truck to the ship where it shows up in your stateroom. We also have taken the Oxford extension from Paris to London via train. On that extension the luggage was checked onto the train and then placed on the tour bus in London. Depending on available logistics your luggage may arrive by various means but after you hand it over to Viking it ends up in your stateroom.

I take it you’re not from the US 😉

I own a Slingbox so I can watch my home TV provider and DVR from anywhere in the world. Comes in handy when traveling.

Hate to break the news to you but if any live sports are available on TV it’s probably going to be showing the World Cup in Nov. and Dec. I had the good fortune of being on a Viking River Cruise during the World Cup. It was a tremendous experience with each town setting up large outdoor viewing areas in the square.

New port facilities, new fees. Makes sense.

Just to add, each bus has their own tour guide. So even if it’s the same walking tour, you will be in your own small group. The guides do a good job in staggering their starts or taking slightly different paths.

I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy Portsmouth. It was one of our favorite stops. We took the included tour and near the end, we were dropped off right at the gate to the navy base. There we visited the incredible Mary Rose Museum and toured Nelson’s flagship the HMS Victory. The museum contains the wreck of Henry VIII’s ship propped up on it’s side in a climate controlled room, where they project video of what a day in the life was like on each deck. Also there are incredible artifacts, including the remains of the ship’s dog. You can read more about it here: https://the-past.com/review/whats-on/the-mary-rose-museum-portsmouth/

New Northern Lights itinerary and sale https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/in-search-of-the-northern-lights/pricing.html

I have also done far more river cruising than ocean cruising and prefer it to ocean cruising. River ports are typically right in the middle of the city while ocean ports tend to be farther away from attractions you want to visit, necessitating longer travel times to get to where you really want to go. They are just a different experience. That being said I think Viking is a great match for what you are looking for. They started out a a river cruise line so their emphasis has always been on the destinations and education more than social activities on the ship. No casinos, no photographers, no auctions, no children, etc. Their on board historians and speakers present interesting and entertaining presentations relative to your itinerary. To give you a flavor of what to expect, one of the speakers on our trip to France gave a fabulous presentation on the Mona Lisa. During the pandemic Viking had him present his lecture on Viking.TV. You can watch it here: https://viking.tv/tv/this-week-on-viking-tv/wednesdays/exploring-the-mona-lisa-with-writer-and-lecturer-russell-lee The dining venues have standard times when breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available. There is no single dinner setting as on river cruises. Tables for two are always available. You won't be forced to sit at a large table of strangers. As noted above, the World Cafe is open seating and the other main dining venues require reservations. The Pool Grill is open for lunch. Mamsens is a favorite for breakfast, and also serves other items during the day. One big perk is 24 hour room service is included at no extra charge. The afternoon high tea in the Wintergarden is one of our absolute favorite experiences on board. Optional excursions run the gamut in pricing from under $100 to several hundred. One thing to look for is Viking often has "privileged access" to some venues. This can mean off hour tours, difficult to obtain tours, a special experience not offered to the general public, or places off the beaten track that might be off your radar. I've never had an issue with dealing with Viking so I can't address problem resolution. Their service has always been excellent and the crew goes out of their way to assist you any way they can. Next spring we will be on the Mediterranean Odyssey from Venice to Barcelona. We expect to have a fabulous time. You also might want to follow this thread where people post the latest discount codes and offers:

There is a board game version of this called Balderdash or Fictionary.

There is a discussion of yellow fever vaccines in this thread:

My worst fear is being forced fed okra at a karaoke bar. 😉

There is an old saying that some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

I am also curious about this. We are looking at this cruise or the Chilean Fjords & Patagonia Explorer expedition cruise. Also, has anyone taken the Patagonia extension?

On “My Viking Journey > Onboard Experience > Preferences > Dietary Restrictions” you can indicate your food preference. There are choices for Vegetarian and Raw Vegetarian among other options. This notifies the staff and they can assist you when dining.

We did a Copenhagen post cruise extension with Viking in 2019 and were put up in a corner hotel room overlooking Tivoli Gardens. It has the oldest operating roller coaster in the world and the operator stands in the middle of the cars slowing it down with a handbrake. That was an experience 😱

Rain also makes for great photography. Besides water being reflective, overcast skies give even lightning and eliminate shadows.

If you have already booked air with Viking, My Viking Journey will indicate when your airline reservations are available. Personally, I have a trip scheduled for April and MVJ says Dec 31.

Care to elaborate?

Just to follow up on the "ships in the Venetian lagoon" topic, last week's episode of NOVA on PBS was about flooding in Venice. One part demonstrated how ship traffic is destroying the shoreline of the lagoon. Please watch it if you can.

Lack of all of that is the big reason I travel with Viking.

Has anyone been to Chile recently? We are thinking about booking the fjord expedition cruise next year. Any insight would be appreciated.

😂 Our tour guide in Denmark gave us many reasons why they hate the Swedes. It’s a running joke in Scandinavia. There is a movie called “The Bridge” about a body found right on the border of Sweden and Denmark that focuses on two detectives from each country forced to join forces to solve the case. The movie was remade in the US to be Mexico and Texas but it loses the original intent.

New Fall 2022 169 page brochure arrived in the mail today. Offer code WOV22 (World of Viking 2022?) Doesn’t work online. May have to call to use.