Travel Pat

If we are now permitted to move about freely on own while in port per last night’s email from Viking, how will that impact Viking’s contact tracing via the tracking device we are required to wear if the general population that we will be permitted to come in contact with is not part of that tracking system?  

Thank you all for your replies and sharing your thoughts ... I feel like we made a great choice! 

Can anyone recommend a specific DV6 cabin on deck 3 aft?  I know these are over the Restaurant, but in my searches I have seen that most feel these are overall relatively quiet cabins.  There are several available on the March 28, 2021 Empires of the Mediterranean and I was wondering if anyone would recommend a specific cabin that they were happy with.

Thanks!  

Edge

• Length of Cruise: 10 night
• Cruise Sail Date: 10/11/19
• Date email offer received: I never got an email - I just saw the option to bid in my cruise planner
• Captain’s Club Tier :  Select
• Booked through Celebrity Direct OR via TA: Direct through Celebrity
• Current Cabin: Booked an Inside Guarantee, was then assigned to a Deluxe Inside about a week later
• Bid?  Yes/No: Yes

If YES -  Bidding Details:

• Cabin Category: Ocean View
• Bid Offer: Weak - the lowest possible amount - $105pp
• Notification Date: 9/13/19
• ACCEPTED

I also bid on Veranda and Infinite Veranda categories - lowest bids allowed as well ($210pp)

These dark green inside cabins on Deck 11 are fantastic. They’re very quiet and almost no foot traffic at all - we’ve had 1534 on 3 cruises on S class ships. I’d choose any of them if they are available! 

Really enjoyed your review!  Thank you for posting - I'm looking at this trip for Spring 2020.

20 minutes ago, barb in ga said:

Thank you so much for the wonderful report and pictures. We are booked for the May 17, 2020 cruise, so I'm really starting to 

do some serious planning. We booked this in December of 2018.

We'll be flying from Atlanta, Georgia on a direct flight, and will spend 3 nights in Amsterdam along with 2 other couples.

So far, my main focus is to decide on a hotel in Amsterdam, so I'm making a list of the key places there that we want to see.

 

We plan to use one of the guides in St. Petersburg, and may see what it will cost for the six of us to have a private tour. DH sometimes has knee issues and can't always walk at a brisk pace.

 

Thanks again for the info; if you post again, let us know  more details.

 

Barb in GA

Just wanted to pop in here and recommend that you take a look at The Toren Hotel in Amsterdam  We stayed there this past spring and it was lovely - centrally located right near the Anne Frank house. 

We used Eating Europe, too ..... very happy with them!  I've used them in other cities as well.

Travel Pat, this is totally off the subject but where does Viking say you’ll dock in Copenhagen for disembarking? We will embark in Copenhagen on the 26th, originally our mailed documents showed docking at Langelinie Quay however we’ve since received an email saying

 

***Thank you for booking your cruise with us. This message is to advise you of an error in the Cruise Documents booklet we recently sent to you.

 

The port listed for your embarkation in Copenhagen is incorrect. The correct location is:

 

Port Address:

Oceankaj, terminal 1

(Ocean pier, cruise terminal 1)

Nordhavn 2150

 

 

 

When I look at Copenhagen docking this is what i find

 

ArrivalTimeDepartureTimeQuay nameQuayArrival

25 Sep - 18080027 Sep - 181800LangelinieC190Cruise call

 

 

Just curious as we arrive and will take a taxi from the airport. Thanks in advance for your help.

I hope you had a wonderful cruise on the Viking Sky.

 

 

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I’ll have to take a look at the cruise documents. I’ll let you know.

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Thank you for the info everyone!

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We’ll be departing from Copenhagen on April 26 after sailing the Viking Sky. I’m making our air arrangements to fly back to the US on my own as it was much cheaper than using Viking Air. The only flight options I am seeing without very long layovers leave Copenhagen really early in the morning ... either 6:25 or 7:10 am. Are we able to disembark and make a flight that early? Will I be able to purchase a transfer to the airport through Viking? Thanks for any info you can share!

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Hi Pat......could I ask you if you paid the whole amount in advance? I booked a tour with them for this May in Naples and they said amount due so I paid it. I would like to book a Rome and Livorno tour with them as well, but so not comfortable sending all that money ahead of time when so many things can go wrong. I am 79 and traveling with my daughter. Thanks.....Patti

Hi Patti - I believe I paid 1/2 when I booked, and the other 1/2 was due about 2 weeks before the tour. I think the invoice they send via email gives the payment options or you can just send them an email and inquire. They were very responsive to my emails. I’ll also be traveling to the same ports you’ve listed in May ... we’re on the May 27 Epic. Which ship will you and your daughter be on?

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We used the semi-private option and it was a great value. About 8 of us in nice new, clean mini vans with excellent, friendly and extremely knowledgeable drivers/guides. We used them for 3 tours this past September: Florence and 2 ports in France. They were fantastic and very responsive with questions, directions, etc. I will be returning to the Mediterranean this summer with my mom and daughter and enjoyed their tours so much will be using them again... very highly recommend them!

Thank you!!

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Hi - This will be our first time on NCL. Just booked 3 of us in a Spa Mini-Suite on the May 27 Epic from Barcelona. One of the perks we chose was the UBP for the first 2 people in the cabin. I was reading the fine print about the beverage package and it states that all guests 21 and over in the room must purchase the package. Will this apply to us and will the 3rd person be required to purchase the package for cash if the other 2 have it as a perk on the reservation?

I highly recommend Cleve's Tours and Adventures (y) We just used him for a full day tour while in port in Roatan and he was outstanding. I just did a full review on Tripadvisor...there are lots of other top score reviews there for him as well that you can check out.

:)I just booked 3-31-18, equinox, 1C balcony, classic bev pckg, paid gratuities, $150.00 obc, 3 pax - $2596.43 total.

:):)

I’m looking to book this cruise as well. Would you mind sharing if you booked this through Celebrity or a travel agent? Thanks!

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I'm glad you have been so fortunate, but I think it is very wise to be ultra aware of pickpockets in Italy. They are widespread and very clever, and you should always be aware of your surroundings. Your suggestions of how not to stand out are very wise, but unfortunately the minute we open our mouths we stand out as tourists, unless, of course, you are fluent in Italian.

 

 

 

I had my I-phone stolen in Naples in May on the metro. I had it in a zipped bag which was strapped across my front and which I had my hand on all the time - or so I thought. Unfortunately it was stolen as we stepped off the train and I guess my attention was momentarily distracted as we left the carriage.

 

 

 

Despite this experience, and being fully aware of the dangers of theft in Italy, in September I had my handbag and all its contents stolen on a bus in Mestre, the pretty little town near Venice, which was not crowded or full of tourists. It's a long story but thankfully I was lucky enough to get my handbag and phone back, mainly due to the fast action of my son, and Apple's 'find my phone' app. All I lost was some euros and my confidence.

 

 

 

From then onwards I locked my handbag with a padlock with a 4 digit code and kept it firmly in my grasp.

 

 

 

We thought we had taken all precautions, but as far as Italian thieves are concerned they have it down to a fine art - though they are probably more likely to be of Eastern European descent (Romanian, etc).

 

 

 

So DO be aware. However much you try to blend in with the locals, Americans in particular, tend to dress differently from Italians, and of course the language is a dead give-away. Ladies, if you have a handbag try to lock the zip in some way, as that will be a deterrent. I, for one, would avoid the metro like the plague in Naples, and I am now very uneasy in public places, especially public transport. A case of once bitten twice shy, or should I say twice bitten!

Ellie - I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you. It can really change your vacation experience:(. I was just in the Mediterranean in September and I was very on edge with the rampant pickpocketing, especially in Rome and Barcelona. I carried a cross body purse with locking zippers and still wasn’t comfortable. I think the best approach as you suggested is to not take any public transportation if at all possible, as that seems to be where the highest percentage of theft occurs. We heard several stories from people on our cruise that had been victims of this, and all the incidents occurred on public transportation. Be very aware everyone.

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Just adding my 2cents...I am also aboard and this has been one fabulous cruise! The crew is absolutely outstanding and the cruise director and assistant are so so so much fun! I'm crying about having this come to an end tomorrow :( All of you who are sailing soon will not be disappointed!! Kudos to seadog for documenting this fantastic week!!

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Great news!! Heading over now! Thanks very much :)

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Hi Seadog- We're sailing on Reflection this afternoon,too. We haven't received any notification about the delayed boarding today (similar to the email that we were sent a few days ago telling us not to arrive before noon.) We're still sitting in our room at the JW Marriott so I'm in no hurray to rush over there to stand in lines or shuttle to Bayside ....looks like rain right now :(. Any word on when we are scheduled to sail....I know it can't be the original 4pm?? I'd rather wait here and head over later...just don't want to be too late. Any info would be helpful!! Thanks so much!

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Thank you all for sharing the info. I'll find out next week how it will work out for us. The particular cruise that I am looking at is priced really, really well for an inside cabin, so we may try that instead and forgo the choice of perks that come with oceanview and higher cabins. The difference right now would be $699 pp inside vs $1649pp veranda. This is for the 8 night western Mediterranean Silouette in September 2017. With such a port intensive itinerary, I think I'm going to save the $950pp and put it towards excursions. Seems like I'll still get a very small OBC and reduced deposit for booking onboard.

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Thank you all for the info!

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We'll be on the Nov 5 Reflection and will be looking to book another cruise while we are onboard. Looking at Europe in 2017 on either Celebrity or RC. Can someone tell me what kind of perks are currently being given for booking onboard? Also are the perks generally better for the Celebrity cruise vs the RC since we are on Celebrity? Thanks for any info you can share!

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We're looking at the Silhouette 8 night that starts in Barcelona, cruising to Spain, France and Italy, ending in Rome. I liked this because we will be able to add a few days on to both Barcelona and Rome to see them both in more depth. Has anyone done this itinerary? How did you like it?

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