TayanaLorna

9 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We have found that especially on a Sea Day, you probably want to arrive at 3:30pm to get a seat inside the room itself.  We have seen them serve both sides outside the Wintergarden room also.

On one cruise the tea service overflowed into the table seating area by Mamsens.  That was before Viking started scheduling early port talks or lectures at those times.

32 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Hi there - echoing others . . .

This is definitely a 14 night (15 day) cruise, as are many of Viking's Ocean cruises.

Maximum a TA can give for this trip is $300 pp.   TA's can offer less.

PV cabins are wonderful!  We decided to "upgrade" on this trip and do a PV and are so glad we did - so much more room.  But everyone has their own priorities and preferences.

 

We are obviously wine lovers, living in Paso Robles, and enjoy many great wines from that region.  We are not "wine snobs" in any way and enjoy many styles and types of wines.  And we enjoy trying new wines.   We have been very pleasantly surprised on this trip with the included wines.  In the past we've done Silver Spirits, but they have greatly diminished the availability of wines by the glass on this package compared to before. SSBP seems to be more used and beneficial for the many hard liquor cocktail drinkers, not the wine drinkers.

 

Unlike some, we've found on this cruise some very interesting wines and blends.  My wife loves the included sparkling wine and also one of the Chardonnay blends.  I prefer red, and while not totally in the league of Paso Robles IMHO, many are not bad at all.  We enjoyed the Chilean Cabernet and the French Syrah-Grenache blend the most, and some of the Portugal and Spanish wines are also quite good although I've never heard of them before.  I was not happy with the Viking stock in 2021-2023 post COVID but they seem to have elevated the included wines.  Not only that, if the "wine of the day" is not what you want, you ask the waiter or server for your favorite (perhaps from a day or two ago) and they will go find it for you.  (Which they never did before).  That is a game breaker for us!  When you like an included wine, take a picture of the bottle and then you can show it to the waiter in the future!

Happy tasting!

 

Pulled into Bergen this morning - typical weather - rain, mist, overcast - reminds me so much of Seattle!   Had a wonderful included walking tour in the morning.  Nice that Viking now has 2 includeds here - one for bus people and one for walkers.

Here we are pulling into Bergen a few hours ago, with the Neptune already in port.

Kent, I thought the included wines for our Med/Adriatic cruise were better then those on the Chilean Fjords or Amazon cruise.  Wonder if they are region specific.

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

They existed pre-COVID on the Meet & Mingle page on CC.  All you needed to do was sign up for your saling and when 10 people signed up, it happened automatically. Typically they reserved the Wintergarden for a private party and sent invitations to your stateroom. Too bad you missed it. 

Currently the page says the M&Ms are paused and instead directs you to the roll calls and recommends you DYI.
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/meet-mingle/main/

 

Agreed.  Went to 2 CC/Viking organized M&M's pre Covid, tried to organize for 2 cruises during Covid Welcome Back sailings but Viking would not allow more then 6 people to gather at once even outside, attended 2 M&M's which were Roll Call organized post Covid.  Wish CC/Viking would resume organizing them.

20 hours ago, huntwc said:

Is there a site that reviews the Viking Ocean excursions?  We are on the Saturn in September.  It is hard to choose without any ratings and limited descriptions!  
 

Ports are

 

Koper Slovenia

Zadra Croatia

Dubrovnik

Kotor Montenegro

Corfu Greece

Olympia (Katakolon) Croatia

Santorini

Athens

 

Many thanks!

We did the Krka Waterfall walk from Sibenik and it was awesome.  Longer drive from other ports but if nature and hiking are your thing...

Dubrovnik we did an all day Wine & Food excursion.  Went to a family farm where there was a demonstration of a 200 year old olive press followed by a light meal at their house consisting of of farm grown and locally sourced food.  Next we visited a local winery where we sampled 6 liquors and 3 wines.  Them we had a walk about at Ston, then went to Mali Ston where we boarded a traditional fishing boat which we took out to tge oyster beds.  We dined aboard on freshly harvested oysters on the half shell and a cooked fresh mussel dish.  The drive and scenery was gorgeous.  The ship was scheduled to be in Port until 10 pm but was changed to 6 pm so we totally missed seeing Dubrovnik which we planned to do that evening.

Kotor - you MUST be up and on deck at least 2 hours before ship is scheduled to dock.  The sail in scenery is gorgeous.

We did Lady of the Rock & Perast excursion and then walked Kotor on our own.  The church on the Rock is lovely as are the stories.  Perast was a charming walk about.

Katakolon we did the Olympia & Syrtaki/Greek Food tour.  Olympia is interesting but the Syrtaki was one of the best excursions.  We could learn how to make 3 Greek foods (or not) and eat them.  Then the lunch spread was served - 3 buffet tables of all kinds of delicious choices.  Then they cleared the cooking tables for dancing.  It was wild!  Great dancers performing several different dances, then dance lessons for us guests, breaking plates on the floor, dancing on the tables.  So much fun and a beautiful setting.

In Athens we used George's Transfer Tours for their 5 hour Taste of Athens. Excellent!  Went to the Acropolis Museum on our own. 

Corfu we went on the Monestary Excursion to get a sense of the island terrain followed by some time in Corfu Town.  Monetary was lovely.  Wanted more time in town.  Wished we had stayed and taken shuttle back.

On 4/23/2024 at 1:46 AM, roddy good boy said:

Do you have recommendations on the best  source material on the history of the site?

I put a UTube video link that i really liked on page 2 of this thread.

1 minute ago, TayanaLorna said:

This is my favorite UTube video of the Acropolis.  It contains reconstructions so one gets an idea of how it looked to the people of the time.  I also liked how the geometry, proportions and orientation of the buildings were described.

 

The video also shows some of the new handrails.

This is my favorite UTube video of the Acropolis.  It contains reconstructions so one gets an idea of how it looked to the people of the time.  I also liked how the geometry, proportions and orientation of the buildings were described.

6 hours ago, roddy good boy said:

Do you have recommendations on the best  source material on the history of the site?

Yes.  There is an excellent U-Tube video and other sources I used.  When are you going?  I need to search my bookmarks for the trip.  Will do but I am traveling tomorrow to visit friends and family in the states so give me some time.

1 hour ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Well, we really appreciate all the input about this location. But, after a lot of thought decided to go back to a DV on deck 3. Couldn’t get a Starboard but will check often and one may open up. We just decided the PV category wasn’t worth the extra 5K+ to us. We loved being on Deck 3 on our 1st Viking cruise so have moved back to what is familiar and comfortable. We are just back from forward stairs so quick run down one flight and out onto the promenade. Thanks again. 

We had a DV6 3046 for the first time for an Adriatic cruise and loved the location.  We were near the laundry which I used often since we were traveling for 25 days.  But the best was knowing which way to turn for an elevator.   All we did is look for the Atrium seating area to go to aft elevators for disembarkation, Living Room or restaurants.  For the Spa or Explorers we went the other way.

22 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

We just switched our sailing for next February SA cruise.  There were very few cabins left on starboard which we wanted so not much choice.  We are in 5031.  We do like being near the elevators but usually choose a cabin a few doors away.  From the deckplan it looks like 5031 is directly across from the entry into the ellevators/stairs.  Probably not much we can do if we want to stay on starboard but just curious.  Otherwise, happy to move up and try a PV and a door instead of a slider as we have never had one, only sliders. My husband thinks I worry too much abouth trivial matters and he's right but what can I do? It's me!  Thanks for any input.

We were in 4030 once right by the elevators.  Did not hear elevators ding nor folks talking.  The only reason my DH did not like it was if people are waiting for elevator, they can see into your room when you open your door.  Didn't bother me.

20 hours ago, jb12 said:

Are there a lot of  scaffolds and missing columns at Parthenon?

Yes one end is all scaffolding. It does not take away the awe factor though.  These ancient monuments will continuously be under repair.  

7 minutes ago, Jayhoaps said:

Wow what a relief, thank goodness they have washrooms lol. I appreciate the reply, it was very helpful. 

I know.  A tour guide we had out in the countryside of Croatia told our bus group that she never had folks whose main focus was on restroom locations.  We laughed and said you must not have guided a group of seniors before.

For those still following this thread, we were at the Acropolis in March 2024.  There are now stainless steel railings in many of the more difficult stair areas.  In older photos there were ropes between poles on the stairs.  There is still some of that but basically to keep folks from climbing where they aren't supposed to go.

I was so questioning my ability to do this hike.  We decided to do it on our own having thoroughly read the history and familiarizing ourselves with the different structures and gods.  Plus we wanted to enter at the Southern Slopes which Viking tours don't do, they just focus on the Hill.  I was surprised how easy it was.  Most of it up the Southern Slopes way and back down to the main entrance was walking along wide gradual paths with a short step up to the next path.  When we got to the stairs there were railings in most areas.  The stairs seemed to have been improved as i noticed most of them had sharp squared edges which worn over the centuries marble would not have.  Once on top there were wide flat areas where folks could walk to see everything.  You did not have to walk on the rocky grassy area unless you chose to.  The hardest part for me were the young school groups when walking down.  They stop for no one and exit en masse.  I just hung on to my railing and let them pass.

3 hours ago, Jayhoaps said:

Hey all, this may be a silly question but was wondering if there was any restrooms at the Acropolis/parthenon? I just want to be ready, or know in advance if there was no restrooms or not.

Yes there are restrooms at the base by the ticket booths.  There are also restrooms up on Acropolis Hill but there are no signs and hard to find.  If you are walking towards the lookout over Athens with your back to the Parthenon, they are down to your right.  There was no charge in March 2024.

On a recent Italy, the Adriatic and Greece cruise which includes some of your ports and a pre cruise extension to the Umbria region, there was a woman who had a mobility scooter.  I was amazed to see how much she did and what excursions she took.  Her scooter was stored in the cargo area under the bus.  She was able to walk some as we saw her scooter parked outside their room in the Castle we stayed at in Perugia.  But she managed the hilltop towns we visited, going over cobblestones, Venice, Olympia, she got to the top of the Acropolis hill and we even saw her at the Krka Waterfalls.  Many of the places were a lot of walking for everyone and our guides would tell the group what the walking was going to be like and offer to arrange a taxi to get the mobility challenged to the next place/church/square without the 20 minute uphill walk.  Once in a church there were 2 steps up to a room where the guide was to give an extensive explanation of the frescoes, they brought a ramp so she could motor up.  I don't know if she arranged all of this ahead of time but the service and accommodation she received was amazing.  There was also a 94 year old gentleman using trekking poles accompanied by his daughter who tore something in her knee right before the cruise and was using crutches.  They also did these excursions but sometimes acceoted the taxi rides.  In the past I would say Europe is really hard, yes cobblestones, stairs, no railings, uphill walks.  I am 73, 2 hip replacements, fractured a vertebrae in my back and I use trekking poles.  Now I say, do the research and requirements to bring your mobility device, question the logistics of the excursions for you and go for it.  

10 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

When you got the offer (for $$) to upgrade, did they tell you the cabin number that was on offer?

10 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

When you got the offer (for $$) to upgrade, did they tell you the cabin number that was on offer?

That is the first thing we asked.  First time only choice was 6072.  Second time it was 4021 which we loved.  It has window/door combo vs slider which we decided we liked more.  We actually booked that cabin for an upcoming cruise that has 8 sea days.  First time we actually booked a PV.  

We never got a free upgrade however twice we were offered upgrades from DV6 to PV1 or PV2 for a price.  The first time it was $399 per person and the second time it was $199 per person.  The difference between the DV's to PV's at the time we booked was $1,200 per person so we thought it was worth it.  The offer came via email one week before the cruise.

6 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

Seems to me this is either the tour operators fault or the guests for not giving them the correct all aboard time (with a margin for error). I’m a big proponent of independent excursions and have never in all our cruising had an issue-but we always tell the operator we want to be back to the pier at least an hour before the all aboard time and sometimes longer. 
 

I hope someone on CC will post the name of the operator so that nobody else books with them.  I’ve found that conscientious tour guides always have a plan B. On one tour on South America I had arranged for a small group, the guide got a phone call when we were on the way back to the ship.  Another guide working for a different company was calling as their van had blown a tire.  Our guide asked if we would be willing to pick up those passengers, rather than them cutting it very close while they changed the tire.  We of course welcomed our fellow guests-and as I recall, our new friends insisted on paying the tips to the guide for all of us. 

I agree.  I was nervous arranging mostly private tours on our Round Cape Horn cruise.  On one tour when Viking cut the stop short due to weather, our guide in the Falklands got a radio call from home base telling him to head back immediately because Viking was calling all excursions back.  On another tour to the remote Peninsula Valdes area, we were happy to learn that the company had a free roaming van on the Peninsula whose sole job was to get guests back in case their vehicle had trouble.  It is the guests responsibility to return to ship on time as well as question the tour operator they choose.

Heard birds on the Saturn and other ships we have sailed.  However in one bathroom on a ship i cannot recall name i heard barnyard like animals including the snorting sound which i thought was a pig.

14 hours ago, millybess said:

Yes, Corral de la Moreria.  If you book directly on their website, you will get a better table.  But if @Torquato  has a recommendation, take that one over mine.

 

Loved Corral de la Moreria.

15 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Haha don't worry.  My dear wife still turns the wrong way out of the elevator just about every time.  And on her third Viking WC.  Second in 4046.  Talk about directionally challenged...🍸

Thats why i like the forward elevators.  I always know where port and starboard are because i face the bow when i exit.

15 hours ago, millybess said:

Yes, as you know, we did the show/dinner also.  No, definitely not Michelin Star, but fun.  We did enjoy the Tuk Tuk tour.  Did you get to the Palace?

 

It's easy for us to get to Madrid from Toronto also.  I just wish it was as easy for us to get to San Juan.  

No palace.  Did not get advance tickets.  With the cold weather and rain, folks wanted to be inside and it was too crowded.

14 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

We got this same message last month when we booked for May.  I believed and still do that it means that all the online reservations are now booked (we didn’t encounter that and got two at each restaurant between 6:30-7:30). But as many have said on this topic, Viking seems to only reserve about 40% of the seats for online booking.  Very easy to book once onboard and the rest open up.  We ate five times at chefs table on our last cruise.

Could be most folks try to book tables for 2 on MVJ.  Haven't been able to reserve a table for 2 but can always get one for 4 or 6 folks.  I never saw Viking seat 2 people at a table for 4 or 6.

15 hours ago, millybess said:

I can't find a "Dinner Reservation" thread to post this on so I'll post it here.

 

I was just on MVJ and I noticed that they have now added this to the dinner reservation site:

 

 "In case reservations are fully booked, they can be made directly on board the ship."

 

🙂

It should say "if you can't make reservations here, try when you board your ship."

14 minutes ago, millybess said:

It sounds like you might have had our table.  I'm glad you were able to get in.  It did make for good photos.

 

I had read here previously that if you book it yourself on their website rather than through a tour you will get the best tables.  Is that what you did?

Yes. If I can find a direct website for booking tickets, tours or hotels I book direct.  I do find we get the best tables, hotel rooms and can actually communicate with a guide that way as well as get the best price.  I could not get the show/drink package so booked the show/dinner one.  We like to eat early anyways.  Food was very good but didn't quite think it was Michelein starred good.  Really, thanks for that tip.

In hindsight, I wished we had booked the Tuk Tuk tour you mentioned as the weather was just awful for walking around.   Ah well, we will be back.  It is cheaper and easier to fly from SJU to Madrid then most places in the US.