OneSixtyToOne

I’ve been on two Viking River trips to Paris and both times there were multiple drop off points and a common pick up point. The pickup location was next to the statue of Winston Churchill across the street from the Grand Palais. This seems to be a common spot for tour bus pick up as there is parking for them.

We are taking the same cruise in the reverse direction next April. Do you mind sharing which optional excursions you chose?

One of our favorite London Walks was the Changing of the Guard. Instead of standing with the throng of people outside the Buckingham Palace, we were taken via a side gate into St. James Park to witness the band and guard leaving their barracks, moved across to park to see the relieved regiment returning to their barracks. Then it was on to the Horse Guard where the guide led us into the small inner courtyard for an intimate viewing of the changing of the Horse Guard. We were about 15 feet away, up front, with only a few dozen people. It was amazing. I captured the entire ceremony on video.

Nice to hear from you again. Glad you are well. Bridget and I are fine. We had 3 major trips canceled in 2020 (Japan, London, Paris) and we just booked our first cruise since. We’ll be on the Mediterranean Odyssey in April (Venice to Barcelona). You’ll recall that the 2019 trip changed ports and our Barcelona tours were cancelled. I promised her we would return someday and have the full Gaudi experience.

As a resident of San Diego I highly recommend spending at least 2 days in Balboa Park. In addition to the zoo, it’s home to a dozen museums and numerous gardens. It’s the largest urban cultural park in the country. The facades on the buildings were used in the movie Citizen Kane to represent Kane’s fictional palatial estate of Xanadu. It’s worth a walk along The Prado, the park’s main walkway, just to experience the architecture. Another hidden gem in the park is the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, one of the largest model train displays in the world. It’s 32,000 sq. ft. of world class models in a variety of scales many of which were constructed from the actual blueprints of local San Diego buildings. The Tehachapi Loop exhibit is two stories high and models almost turn by turn the train line from Mojave to Bakersfield. Quite a sight.

London is one of my favorite cities. I highly recommend London Walks. No need to pre book. Just show up with cash at the meeting spot (usually a tube or train station). All the tours I’ve taken with them have been first rate. Last time in London we did the day trip to Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge. It was fabulous. BTW be wary of any “free” tour in major cities. There is a scam run by an Eastern European gang where you end up paying. Some “friendly” unlicensed tour guide will take a picture of everyone for “memories” but it’s really to get a count for the boss. Then they gets a mysterious phone call saying they’re in trouble with their boss, it’s been a mistake, can you please give them money for the tour. Sometimes “free” can be expensive.

Totally agree. One side note, during our first river cruise we kept seeing signs in the towns about white asparagus and asked what the hubbub was about. We were told it was a local favorite and has a short season when available. On our next cruise I saw the signs again and asked the chef about it. The next night he announced a special appetizer, white asparagus. Amazing service.

When we docked in Amsterdam, the tram line ran literally across the street. No need for a bus. Our stay in Porto was very short (5 hours?) we took the included tour which stopped at two locations and parked by the river where we had about 2 hours to shop, eat, etc.

You might want to consider Honfleur. I posted about it in this thread.

I have a tip for those who dislike coffee pods.For extra counter space have the coffee machine removed. The staff will be more than happy to oblige.

The only “beach” that you can really snorkel in is La Jolla cove. There is a marine park off the coast.The visibility elsewhere is pretty poor. You are going to need a wet suit. The west coast has a northern current. This is nothing like Florida. The average summer water temperature is 68. Today it was 74, one of the highest I’ve ever seen it.

Uber to the SD Zoo. I highly recommend spending the entire day in Balboa Park. In addition to the zoo, it’s home to a dozen museums and numerous gardens. It’s the largest urban cultural park in the country. The facades on the buildings were used in the movie Citizen Kane to represent Kane’s fictional palatial estate of Xanadu. It’s worth a walk along The Prado, the park’s main walkway, just to experience the architecture.

Last time there we stayed at the Edgewater Hotel. Built on a pier it is right next to the cruise ship port, the ferry to Victoria, and close to the Aquarium. Plenty of attractions in Seattle. If you’re a history buff the underground city tour is really interesting. The aquarium is first rate as is the art museum, and Pike’s Place Market is a must see. We spent several days there without the need of a car. The monorail from the World’s Fair stops in a mall downtown and takes you to the Space Needle and the fair site which has a SCI-Fi and music museum.

We were on the Jupiter in the spring of 2019 (its 2nd voyage?) One of the guest lecturers on board was a physicist who did a presentation on Issac Newton. I asked him if he would do a lecture in the planetarium and he looked into it. The next day he arranged a presentation and handed out tickets. The planetarium actually has the ability to project stars, constellations, and planets. It was a very interesting demonstration. IMO It’s an asset that wasn’t used correctly. Just showing iMax movies was not reaching its full potential.

I’ve been on Viking River cruises where long time customers were given a free upgrade to a suite. Most likely they couldn’t sell the Explorers’ Suite so they upgraded someone to make room for another paying customer. That could be what’s going on here. They are shuffling rooms to ensure a full compliment of passenger and are waiting to confirm cabin changes. Their objective is to have 100% capacity. An empty cabin lowers their ROI.

We also took this trip in August and had a wonderful time. The hotel in Zurich offered a free pass for the tram, which stops right in front of the hotel and takes you right downtown. The included tour of Zurich was first rate. The pre-extension in Geneva and Zermatt included a first class trip on the Glacier Express train across Switzerland. I highly recommend the extension if available.

Another option is to visit Honfleur which is right across the river from Le Havre. It’s a 1000 year old medieval town with a charming harbor that Monet painted. There are many quaint shops, an art museum, art galleries, dining, and the oldest still standing wooden church in France. It was founded by the Vikings and was the main port before it silted up and Le Havre was built. It’s also where the first settlers to Canada embarked. It’s worth a visit. https://www.voyagetips.com/en/things-to-do-in-honfleur/

Viking allows you to bring wine and spirits onboard and will serve it with no corking charge. If you see a bottle you like when on an excursion be sure to buy it. This was a big plus when river cruising in wine country.

Wow. Looks like I made the right decision. Thanks for the posting.

Have you tried a river cruise? I actually prefer it to ocean cruising. You have much more time in port and the attractions are closer to where you dock. The scenery is wonderful. The ship is more intimate and you get to know many of the passengers. Plus there are no dinner reservations because everyone eats dinner together at the same time. It’s a much different experience than ocean cruising.

Thanks for the reply. We finalized our booking for the MEDITERRANEAN ODYSSEY in April, 2023. I enjoyed looking at the ship's wake from the infinity pool area on our last trip so I thought I'd give it a try. I also thought the view leaving port would be great.

We’re considering trying an aft cabin on our next trip (4123 Viking Sky). Anyone have any experience with the x100 series DV1s above the fantail? Noise? View?