CDNPolar

There are many options for storing injectables for travel that are TSA approved. The best options are all available on Amazon. READ THE REVIEWS on all the products. There are some that require the refreezing of an ice pack in the tube and there are even some that are USB charged like little coolers. I personally have a "Breezy Pack" and it has worked well for me. I store my injectables outside the fridge for up to 2 months but don't need that long typically on a trip. The one thing that I am concerned with is that I will never leave my meds in a carryon case and leave that with the luggage going to the cruise ship. You don't know if that luggage is going to be sitting in a hot truck or out in the sunshine beside the ship and for how long. I put my "Breezy Pack" in my shoulder bag and keep that with me until I am on the ship. I can control where and how that bag is exposed to the sun. One thing that I find interesting is that everyone has different ideas and information on how long a certain medication can be kept at room temperature. Many statements on here contradict what my Pharmacist has told me and what is on the Pharmaceutical manufacturer's website. Typically for more common meds like insulin (Tresiba), and Ozempic, they can be out of refrigeration for almost two months. From the Tresiba site: How should Tresiba® FlexTouch® and 10-mL vial be stored? Not in use (unopened) If unopened, Tresiba® should be stored in a refrigerator (36°F to 46°F [2°C to 8°C]) until expiration date. It can also be stored at up to 86°F for 56 days.1 In use (opened) After first use, Tresiba® can be stored at room temperature (up to 86°F [30°C]) or in the refrigerator (36°F to 46°F [2°C to 8°C]) without the needle attached for a maximum of 8 weeks (56 days).1 From the Ozempic site:

Yeah, I don't think that there is a wait list. We have asked before and been told no. When you are on board talk to the Viking sales rep and be honest with what you are trying to do. This is their thing - they should know if anyone does. The other thing is to keep checking back - every day or every few days - on the bookings you are interested in. People drop off at anytime from these bookings.

Sorry that you have found the list to be less than you expected. We have always been pleased with the expanded list of wines.

We don't use ATM's at home except in very unusual circumstances. We use credit cards for everything and if they vendor or restaurant does not accept credit cards, then we don't shop or eat there. It is not a distrust, but we also don't travel with our bank cards. We only travel with credit cards. Even if we wanted to we would not have a bank card to use in the ATM. Using our Credit Card in an ATM would constitute a cash advance where we have a charge to do so plus interest from the date of the transaction. No fear of tech here. Not only do I work with cutting edge tech daily in my job, our home is almost completely "smart" with everything voice controlled or controlled by our phones. Tech is not the issue. I just don't remember the last time I had $20 cash in my wallet. We don't work in cash. We have cash for tips but will leave the ship with 5-10 Euros in our pocket for that purpose and we buy the Euros at home from our bank before leaving. We travel to Europe so often it is not a concern if we return home with Euros.

I appreciate the difference between your way and our way of looking at this. I will also say that we are so rarely in our cabin and only there during the day to nap, shower, change, or sleep, so the DND sign would be on the door anytime we are in the cabin. We use WhatsApp around the ship to connect for Tea at 4pm if the mood strikes us or if we are in the lounge and offering to join up for a pre-dinner drink. I guess that the way we cruise, we do not spend time in the cabin where we would be open to visitors at the door. If we are in the cabin it would not be convenient to answer the door.

I would never let a server take my card from the table. In Canada, the server has brought the machine to the table for years and years. I was in the US late last year and the server started walking with my card and I stopped them and insisted that if they wanted payment I was coming with them. They did not seem to have a problem with that.

You have risk at anytime of the year for a river cruise to experience high or low water levels. I also will say that today, with weather patterns being more unpredictable, it is even more difficult to plan. In this past December/January we were on Amsterdam to Basel and just the week before us shipping was stopped completely around Cologne because water levels were too high and all shipping was stopped. A week or so later and we were lucky we sailed the entire trip. Sometimes you can be moved to another ship on the other side of a bridge, and sometimes you can be bussed and stay in hotels. If the river cannot be navigated then busses and hotels it is. Anyone that is doing a river cruise must be aware that this can happen and this will also be outlined in your cruise contract. This is beyond the control of the cruise line, and although I understand that people don't want this to happen and it can ruin your vacation, but it is a reality that you just have to roll the dice and see what you get.

I will answer about Viking River Cruises. You mention Chef's Table - that is not available on a Viking River Cruise, there is only one dining venue. (Well, there is the Aquavit as well, but same menu as the dining room.) Each day there is a new menu on Viking River that has a "locally inspired menu" including a starter, a main, and a dessert, and then the menu for that day which is also unique. There is always the left side of the menu that has the "always available" steak and chicken, and this does not change. Regarding smaller menu - grab and go - no, Viking does not have that. Whether you are eating in the dining room or the Aquavit terrace, you are sitting down and going through the full table service. You don't have to get three courses, but you are still going through full service. Each river cruise is different as to whether the ship sails at 4pm or 6pm or 11pm and some rivers don't sail overnight at all which means you are in port overnight. On Viking River at night and after dinner, there is only the lounge and whatever entertainment they have which could be just a piano player or the crew put something together. Sometimes they bring entertainment on if they are not sailing until late. How long is the bus ride to the excursion? Depends. We have done 20 minute bus rides and we have done 2 hour bus rides each way. Depends on where you are going. Some excursions are 3 hours total, and some are 8 hours plus. You are right about DIY tours. You cannot predict in advance water levels and if you will be 100% docking in the prescribed location. You should only engage with tour operators that are familiar with river cruising and willing to meet you at an alternative location. This is also where Uber comes in.

We don't invite friends or family to knock on our door. In actual fact, they may not even know our cabin number. If you want to be in touch, WhatsApp is the communication app of choice on the cruise ship and if there are more than 2 others with us, we will put a group chat in place. I would never want a knock on the door - do not disturb sign or not.

We were told many moons ago now that if we wanted specific products or ingredients on board that we should email tellus at least 60 days before sailing. This gives them time to get the request to the ship before sailing. If you are only asking the ship when you arrive, the stores could be full and not being restocked for days. At the time that we were told this we had a very restrictive diet, and it was the Viking reservation desk - a tenured person - that told us to email tellus.

Good advice from all. But... we would never use an ATM anywhere but home unless we were in dire need. We calculate what we need daily for tips on excursions and take a bit above that. We only take daily the tip money we need and the rest is in the safe on the ship. Basically, if a credit card is not accepted we don't buy or eat there. We bring nothing home with us. We don't bring gifts for family or friends and we don't collect or buy anything for ourselves, so we don't need cash for anything other than tips.

Absolutely right on. Many don't care about their seat assignment, or won't pay for it in advance so they are left to assignment at the airport on their arrival.

Always carryon and if they try to force the checking of the carryon, you would always remove them first. TSA and security around the world are well used to diabetic insulin and other injectables.

Sorry, forgive me regarding the remark being serious. Was not sure how to take it but regardless, I took it as support for those with mobility challenges. We see this everywhere. We just cannot travel to anywhere outside of North America and expect good accessibility. Just not something that exists yet in many countries.

Not to be prying, but what medications? I take 2 different injectables, and both are good at room temperature for up to 60 days. Do they absolutely have to be constantly refrigerated? So many do not today. Have you talked to your pharmacist? If you absolutely do need to keep cold, there are tubes that have ice packs that you can buy that will keep cold, but flights and hotels.... who knows how long. Also it has been commented on that many fridges are not refrigerators but "coolers" and cannot be relied upon for constant or specific temperature. There is also recommendations that many medications - like insulin - are not in and out of the fridge. Once it has come to room temp, leave it at that. All of this said, your medication may have different needs.

Not to rain on your parade, but we have abandoned the window / aisle concept expecting that maybe, just maybe, we will have the full row. We have watched flights and seats for many years and now more than ever flights rarely operate under full and it is like a lottery win if you get an empty seat beside you. We will watch the seat maps and even the day of the flight they show open seats - lots of them - and then we are amazed as the people keep coming and coming and coming until every seat is full. We have perhaps a unique strategy if we are flying economy. I especially do not like to be blocked in on an overnight flight, so will never book a window. I don't want one or two people between me and the aisle. I also cannot tolerate a middle seat. We book aisle seats one in front of the other. I will be 25C and my husband is 26C. We love this strategy! We also add to this strategy, because we are both right handed, that we only book aisle seats on the left side of the aircraft - so mostly the "C" seat. This is because during the meal, your right arm is on the aisle and not encumbered by whoever is sitting in the middle seat. We don't talk during a flight anyway... my husband sleeps for most of any flight and I watch movies.

What @GeezerCouple said, but why can't you walk back in and have the paperwork filled out? In Canada I would do that, but I would expect to pay a fee for the service. We had to cancel a trip this past December and the paperwork for the insurance cost us a total of about $200.00 after all was done, but we were refunded over $14K so it was worth it. We had two doctors that were very compliant and willing and one that refused to fill and sign paperwork, but gave us instead his report / diagnosis which the insurance company accepted. This whole process took a number of phone calls to doctor's offices and walking in with the hard copy to some and emailing to others. In Canada, any report written by the doctor or attending physician is your personal property if you want it and cannot be kept from you, and I would assume that this is the same in the USA. We also have in our area online portals where we can pull all our medical records and reports at any time. If however they need the attending physician's signature that is different. Glad you are better - or at least hope you are... Good luck.

One of the best ways to look at this in Google Maps. Look at the town or city you are going to and then look for its reference to the river. Often Google Maps will indicate where the ships are docking. Even if the city or town is a short distance away, often Viking have shuttle busses, or Uber is a great option in many places.

We did not do Transylvania, however... I cannot find the specific more detailed descriptions of the pre excursions you are doing, but with the Viking final paperwork - if you have paid in full - then you get the full excursion list and that will sometimes give you a bit more detail. With Viking however, "Demanding" is their highest level of excursion and we have seen that as being easily managed by two people that are relatively in shape, to quite demanding of our physical abilities. Demanding can be climbing literally 100's of steps, to hiking up steep hills, to uneven surfaces and cobblestones, to just longer times of walking and standing. If you don't have the Viking excursion list yet from your specific booking - this will list all excursions in detail - then email tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask for it, then ask their advice on what constitutes "demanding" for these particular excursions. Viking's demanding is described as: * Demanding - Physically challenging activities, including extensive walks, hiking, riding, water sports, and high altitude activities. Activities by foot may contain difficult, unpaved surfaces and/or multiple stairs and steep inclines. Total time walking or standing may exceed 3 hours.

I know - or at least suspect - that your response is sarcastic, but we have to accept that this is Europe or Asia, where they don't have accessibility standards that we expect in other regions of the world. I am not yet at the point of mobility issues - thank goodness - but I also get it through extensive travel. If you think Europe is bad, check out some off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions in China.

We have also found that on Viking Ocean, there is a "dietary manager" that is associated with the restaurants. Ask to speak to him/her/them and you will be set. We were walking through the World Cafe on embarkation day mid afternoon when the buffet was not open yet for dinner and a crew member approached us and greeted us by name. This was first hour on the ship. This was the dietary manager and we had some dietary needs and he already knew us from our passport pictures and his "list" of dietary needs passengers. We were quite amazed at this, and he was our best friend for the rest of the cruise. Everything that @Peregrina651 has told you above is what we have found. Viking River is a bit different, but also manageable. ...and just a note... I was instructed by the agents at tellus@vikingcruises.com that if I wanted any special ingredients or products on board that I should give at least 60 days notice. Also to understand that some products may not be available in the country or region where they are restocking. Viking cannot guarantee any product request.

This is because in Europe the flour has less gluten. North American flour has higher levels of protein or gluten in it. This is down to the type of wheat we grow in North America. Often you try a baked good made in Europe and bring home the recipe and it does not have the same result after baking, and that is because of the flour difference. If you want to reduce the gluten then buy "00" or double zero flour which is available in specialty stores if not in your local supermarket.

Next year's New Year's Resolution will be to try something new, like a new cruise line.

Absolutely. We have been with friends on a cruise and both did the same excursion but on a different bus and guide and our reviews of the excursion have been very different. Again - all subjective which makes the whole exercise difficult to have real value. Once discussion threads get too long - 25 plus responses - I tend to stop reading them unless the subject is really compelling to me. I feel like these would be pages and pages of responses very quickly and then who is going to read from page one to page 25?

A rating system would be great.