CurlerRob

My memory of past posts is that several pax have asked the question and been denied, as it becomes a tricky question for the cruise lines to deal with. I’d suggest reaching out to tellus@vikingcruises.com for an authoritative answer. 🥌🍺

Whatever you decide, you can always keep track of your consumption, then do the math after the fact. That will give you the financial picture - you’ll have to apply any ‘soft’ considerations as they suit you. That’ll give you a reference point for another cruise should you decide to take one. 🥌🍺

I may be misunderstanding you, but it sounds like your credits from your TA and the Viking promo were always non-refundable, so when your shorex was cancelled, they landed in the same state The credits for onboard booking have always been refundable for us, but that was not specified at the time - we discovered that later when an unspent portion was refunded. One strategy to avoid being stuck with non-refundable credits is to not pay grats up front - use any credits for them at cruise end. 🥌🍺

Neither now - Toronto area, so Lake Ontario, although no boat. I started my work career in Windsor in 1978 where I learned to sail. Kept my boat in Kingsville on Lake Erie and raced all over Erie and St. Clair. My two Mac races were on a C&C 35 out of Bayview. My memory is fuzzy, but I think 1979 - 81 range. I look forward to clarifying that with you both on the Bergen - NYC next summer! 🍺🥌

and ... you're not on Lake Superior during the trip 😈. You can, however, visit the Mariner's Church referenced in the song during your Detroit stop! I don't think you are at any more risk for heavy weather during that trip than you would be on any body of deep water anywhere else. Even if it does kick up, you are a lot closer to lee shore protection than at sea. FWIW, many year ago during a July Mackinac race, we ran into a 50-knot westerly blow for the length of Lake Huron. It was a very long 18 hours in a 35 foot sailboat and 25 foot seas. 🍺🥌

On a different cruise line a few years ago, we had a tour that visited both. It was a long day but we were glad to have seen both sites. You may want to research options for a private tour that would do the same, subject to your time in port. If I had to choose based on hindsight, I'd opt for the mosque. The craftsmanship involved in the construction is extraordinary, as it seems to be with most major mosques. The fortress was interesting, but we found it not significantly different than many similar sites. Either will be educational and interesting - enjoy! 🍺🥌

In addition to @deec's sound advice, having also lived and sailed the Great Lakes widely, I'd suggest September. In the early spring, the lakes will still be very cold and influence both the shore temperature and certainly the sea days. I have sailed Ontario in May when heavy float coats were needed offshore while people onshore were in shorts. I would also caution that it would be wise to moderate any expectation of "fall colours". Once into Lake Huron and northern Lake Michigan, you will find a lot of evergreen coverage and far less deciduous with colour. Spectacular scenery, but perhaps not full of colour. All that said, the trip would be wonderful and a great opportunity to experience some of the world's largest "inland seas"! 🍺🥌

Not the best weather for our passage through Town Cut, but still impressive. I was happy I was not driving ... 🍺🥌

Thanks for the excellent photos! I'm convinced that you've set a world record - 3 days with at least some blue sky in Bergen! Enjoy the rest of your voyage. 🍺🥌

This should help - a bit dated, but will be indicative. 🍺🥌

I find this statement both inaccurate and truly puzzling. In our experiences - a relaxing day or two at sea to reach the island. A very scenic approach to either / both Hamilton and St. George's. Docked at either location puts the island at your fingertips by public transit, ferry or taxi. A relaxing sail back or away to the next port. And yes, we have visited multiple times by both air and sea. Either way is delightful. 🍺🥌

I wish that were the case. We play the 'marker cruise' game to ensure 6 months PIF, but have never managed a 4 month PIF. We also book well in advance. Having met @millybess, I chalk it up to her charm! 🍺🥌

You don't mention what the negative issues were, so it's hard to offer targeted thoughts. Here are a few negatives I've read in the past: You can only go ashore as part of a sanctioned excursion. Tender required. The heat is debilitating. You will have to run the gauntlet of t-shirt hawkers at the end of your tour (unless you sidestep them). All are true - none of them matter at all. The tour is short. The opportunity to see these prehistoric critters up close and learn about them from the wardens is a lifetime experience. And there's always the chance that you too will get to see an idiot pax try to attempt a selfie with a dragon and nearly become lunch. Staying on board would be unthinkable to me. 🍺🥌

Thank you for the post - wonderful photos and you were so fortunate to have such extraordinary weather! We were lucky enough to visit Longyearbyen, Ny Alesund and the polar ice pack in 2015 (before that level of approach to the ice was limited to PC6 hulls). Our weather was nowhere near as good - still would not have missed it. 🍺🥌

Commissions are not public information from Viking and nearly everyone on these boards would be only speculating - if your TA is willing to tell you what they get, that's likely the best source of information. If you found the list re PV doors, you likely were in a thread that discussed the pros/cons as pax saw them. Pax differ, depending on their preferences, some find one setup easier to open/close, others find the view from the cabin different and prefer one over the other. I've read nothing about different noise levels of the two configurations and have not experienced that in our cabins. I'd suggest you search for "slider vs door" for details. Vela will be a bit larger than Star, and the speculation is that the cabins will be a bit longer (inboard to outboard) but likely not wider (fore/aft). There will be more cabins, but not a large number. I personally would not worry about age of the two ships - Vela is scheduled to do her initial cruise in January 25. She should have all the kinks worked out by November 25. 🍺🥌

Excellent pictures of the town. If you ever go back, consider the HoHo - it will take you to the scenic viewpoint on Mt. Aksla. You will love the Flamsbana! 🍺🥌

They will substitute items, but speak to the restaurant at least a day ahead. That said, the vast majority of menus include meat or seafood in 3 of the 4 (non-gratinita) menu items, so substituting for them will have a significant impact on the overall meal. 🍺🥌

Thanks for posting this - brought back some memories, as I've watched Ricardo a lot and it's very similar to a technique that my mother bequeathed to me many years ago - also for a 4.5 - 5.5 lb roast. - Use any rub or marinade of your choice in advance. Mine is a 50/50 mix of Worcestershire and Soya, followed by a generous dusting of garlic powder. - Preheat to 350F, place the roast in the oven and roast for 1 hour. - Turn off oven, for at least 1 hour but up to 3 hours. NO opening of the door! - Roast for 45 minutes at 325F prior to desired serving time. Rest for 20 minutes. The method works (as I suspect yours does) for roasts in the 5lb range. They both make sense if you consider the temps and times versus a continuous cook. Roasts that are too small or large suffer unfortunate consequences! I look forward to trying Myster's approach! 🍺🥌

Too bad Vela is white already - white would also have been a fit from Beluga whales (or Ahab's nemesis). Could always flip them ... 🍺🥌

I understand from reading the thread that you were focused on the specific Viking fees, but I did not see any direct mention that once you deviate (days early/ days post) you are also exposed to the possibility of additional charges for travel on different days than Viking's normal "day of" (in addition to potential preferred routing and seat class charges). In other words, "included" may only be the starting point. Apologies if this is old news. It's always worth comparing the DIY approach to Viking Air - in this case, the first entry in the Viking column is zero (for included). 🍺🥌

The airport is quite small - baggage offload is always subject to the ground crew, but should be quick. Taxis are easy. And the town and its people are delightful! 🍺🥌 https://stjohnsairport.com/at-the-airport/

Interesting info on the clothing tags - thank you. The LF prohibition on AirTags is based on the lithium batteries inside them ("Lithium based, or Alkaline batteries"). It's ludicrous - the batteries are tiny and are not a hazard, but the memory of problems encountered with cell phones bursting into flames some years ago lives on. 🍺🥌

Weather and seas are unpredictable at best - we've had little success in relying on seasonal trends. We have had delightful, smooth crossings and others completely opposite - both spring and fall. Fall TAs, especially in the North Atlantic should be a bit warmer, but are always at some additional level of risk as it's hurricane season. The last two years have caused a number of disruptions. Choose the direction and timing that works best for you and go with the weather flow - you can't change it anyway! 🍺🥌

"And up through the ground came a-bubblin' crude". 🍺🥌

It only exists on the expedition ships, Octantis and Polaris. A somewhat concealed small lounge to interact with lecturers, senior staff, etc. 🍺🥌