TayanaLorna

LOL now that would be me. First time in that pool i did the doggie paddle then the breast stroke but was just swimming in place. Then i learned there was also a bench along the right side that i could grab on to or sit upon.

Nikon D56 with Nicor 18-400 mm zoom lens was the camera that captured most of the wildlife close ups. I used a Panasonic ZS100 but do mostly landscape, city scenes, people, buildings etc. I am a birder so i just use binoculars when touring for wildlife. Unless you are doing a river cruise separate from Viking, i would not worry about running out to buy a new camera/lens. Other then the monkeys in French Guiana, the wildlife/birds we photographed were on our excursions in a small skiff from the Iberostar Grand Amazon 3 day trip further up the Amazon from Manaus after Viking. I hope we have not given the expectation that what we saw is what folks will see from Viking. Please closely look at dates and locations. Ok that said. We bought some nice raincoats with hoods for the trip. However we found that what worked best was the cheap hooded ponchos that i also threw into our suitcase. The raincoats were fine when we could duck into a shelter from the rain. The hooded poncho was essential when out on a trail, in the forest or in an open skiff. The poncho kept our gear and legs dry. Actually the worst camera experience was going from the air conditioned cabin or the AC of the Explorers Lounge to our veranda or the outside Explorers deck. The lens would immediately fog up! My DH just said we should have left our cameras on the bathroom floor to keep them warmer. IpPhones take great photos and i don't recall our phones fogging.

We considered watching Papillion again before going. It is painfully long as well as depressing so we did not. Remembering it and imagination was enough.

Thank you. We loved doing it - both the traveling, photography and writing. I can never manage a live report as others do. We are always too busy experiencing.

Sure thing BettyRuth

I beg to differ here. Yes it is a current which one can swim against. You won't have enough room to do the crawl more then a stroke or two but you can certainly tread water with the breast stroke for exercise and aerobics. The strong jets are at the head of the pool opposite the entrance stairs. Most people make their way to the jets where there is a long bench for sitting and being massaged by the water action.

Hear hear!

On our upcoming trip to Europe i chose the slightly upgraded fare to get 1 carry on bag, one under seat item and 1 checked bag as well as the ability to chose seats in advance and flight change if necessary - all included. Its out there. Check each fare class.

By missing your nieces graduation you are teaching her some valuable life lessons: - Don't be afraid to seize the moment and opportunity. - Travel is an education in itself - Live life to its fullest Do it!

I never even knew there were crew access doors across the hall from staterooms until i saw them open one time. Never noticed slamming noise from them. However we have noticed guest stateroom doors noisily slam. We became very conscious of catching our own door and quietly closing it so as not to be those annoying guests.

Deck 3 atrium is pretty quiet if the room is borderline. More importantly it is near the tenders. If your iitinerary has tender ports, you may hear noise if tenders are launched on that side. Then again, folks have enjoyed watching the tender operations from their balcony.

No no no...Viking is very civilized. I would say most guests use the Viking transfer and with that you get a specific time. Yes there will be Customs on the dock. Of course, Viking clears in the ship and passengers but when you disembark in the terminal Customs & Border Patrol will be there after you claim your luggage. All they asked us is if we had anything agricultural or fresh fruit/vegetables. Plants, seeds are not allowed nor are some fruits depending on what disease is prevalent. One time we came in mangoes were not allowed due to disease elsewhere in the Caribbean. No one asked how much alcohol we were bringing in or jewelry or gifts etc. Go figure.

For those who have done this Extension in Athens, can you tell me what time.Viking transfers you to the pre cruise hotel (Marriott)? Hotel, breakfast and transfers are included in the extension but no excursions. Does Viking offer any paid excursions on Day 1 (disembarkation) either with pick up at the ship or the hotel? Or do they offer any paid excursions on Day 2 from the hotel? It has been our experience that paid excursions are offered but we have never learned about them until we get to the hotel and talk to the Viking staff working there.

At 5:30 or 6:00 am there won't be a line of taxis to the airport. Suggest pre arranging one or paying for Viking transfer. Taxi takes about 20-25 minutes and costs $30-35. Viking transfer is $49 usually.

My pleasure. I love journaling and we both enjoy taking photos so happy to help. Our deck crew said there were more, larger and different top deck insects on the January cruise then our end of February dates. So maybe you will have a bug show in December.

Don't worry. Footsteps from runners would normally be heard if the exercise deck was above. People on the river cruises with the expensive upper deck cabins have complained about hearing the runners on the upper deck. I have walked the promenade and noticed that we walkers irritate the few runners because we are slow and walk and talk with friends rather then walk in single tile. They have to dodge us. Promenade means a place for strolling, a leisurely walk, a public place for pleasure - not a running track.

Hmmm...don't know. Thinking of past cabins and in the PV's we have had, the back of the sofa was on the same wall as the headboard of the bed. In DV's, the 2 chair backs have been on the same wall as the headboard. Seems like the fore/aft bed orientation list would work. Got that somewhere but changed phones recently and not up to storage speed locations yet.

In Tierra del Fuego National Park near Ushuaia there are several awesome hiking trails. The one that begins to the right of the beach on which the End of the World Post Office is located is particularly spectacular. We used Nicolas from Alma Calma as guide for this. At the Puerto Montt, Chile stop we hiked the trails at the Osorno Volcano. We had a clear blue sky day and the views were endless. There was also a hike from the Osorno Volcano down to the Petrohue Waterfalls area. We hiked those trails also but drove between the 2 spots. We used AndresO from Tours by Locals.

Hi Jean. You will be on the Amazon at about the same time we were on the Viking Sea - 930 max passengers but we had around 890. Would NEVER go on a larger ship but may try a smaller one. Vikings cruise was San Juan to Manaus or the opposite. Some people did it back to back to avoid the limited international flight options out of Manaus. Yours sounds like a very nice itinerary. We have had great luck with Tours by Locals in South America and went over to MUSA in Manaus with a TBL fellow too. The concert sounds beautiful. The acoustics in the theatre are supposed to be incredible. If the reception is in the salon on the second floor...Wow...wait until you see it. I posted some photos but they don't do it justice. Hope the ship is able to stop in French Guiana as choppy waters sometimes makes tendering difficult. It is where we saw the monkeys very close up. The path leading to the penal colony buildings is an upward incline, hard packed but not paved. I think a wheelchair could travel on it. We never had 90 degree days in the Amazon as the sky was mostly cloudy but the humidity is what gets intolerable. However all our excursions via boat were delightful due to a nice breeze. We are over 70 and did not get vaccinated for yellow fever. When going ashore outside a town or on a boat, we wore lightweight, loose long sleeved shirts and long pants. We sprayed our clothing with deep woods type insect repellent but only once saw mosquitoes when hiking in dense forest. A wide brimmed hat was helpful and a rain poncho essential. We brought raincoats and small folding umbrellas but never used them. We found the cheap plastic rain ponchos worked the best because they covered our camera gear and legs too. We each had a pair of good binoculars. Viking provided them but they were more like opera glasses. Ours are better. We had lots of US bills in $1.00 and $5.00 denominations as almost everything we purchased from the indigenous tribes on shore was $1.00 or increments of $5.00. We had BRL also which i got from our local bank before we left but did not really need it. The locals gave us the exchange rate of BRL$5.00 equaling US$1.00. That's about it. Clothing for the ship is whatever you like to wear for warm weather or in air conditioning within the dress code for your cruise line. Happy planning for the next 6 months. Our next trip begins in February for a combination of self guided land trip in Madrid, Umbria region of Italy and Athens with a 2 week cruise Rome to Venice and then Venice to Athens. Happy to go off season and in cooler weather.

There could also be bridge tours, galley tours, yoga classes, wine tastings, mixology classes, cooking demos and don't forget Tea at 4 pm.

Thanks for your kind words Jean. Happy to help. The first question in my mind is what month is your trip? I recall our Iberostar guide commenting as we were going through the flooded forests, that where we were would not have been possible in low water a few months ago. I also recall excursion reviewers complaining that there were few water lillies and the lake was rather dry. Again due to low water season. If your travels are January-April, taking both excursions would be fantastic. December its possible depending. Is the Maica Lake excursion through Gil? Heard his tours are fantastic. We did ours on a typical double decker river boat and could only go so far. Would have been awesome to transfer to smaller vessels and go further. The Maica Lake region is much closer to a major town and it is totally different then traveling up the Amazon from Manaus. You will travel along the waterfront of Santarem which is quite interesting and uniquely picturesque. Its a nice combination of town and traveling to a close but totally different rural area. The trip from Manaus will pass through the Meeting of the Waters whose separation can be viewed clearly from satellite. You will pass under an impressive bridge and it will take about an hour to reach any of the stops. It sounds like you will be visiting many of the places we did. I believe there is only one dolphin (Bota) platform licensed for guests to swim with them - unless they are only taking you to a beach and hoping dolphins show up. The main lake for seeing the water lillies is where we stopped. We docked at a floating restaurant with indigenous crafts and from there walked a wooden platform to the lake with lillies. We did not eat at the restaurant. There are many places to canoe through the flooded forests and it is amazing. Pirahana fishing will most likely be there. Our indigenous village visit was exceptional but no telling if you will be going to same. Our trip from Manaus was around 4 hours. We visited the dolphin platform and the village with plenty of time at both places. The other places we visited were on day excursions from the anchored Iberostar Grand Amazon ship. The trip back to Manaus was much quicker as we had the help of the current. This part of the Amazon is different with high bluffs in places where you can really see how the seasonal floods scour its banks. Your excursion should be 6-8 hours to see all you described. If you are going to a concert in the Teatro Amazonas (Amazon Opera House) I am jealous. Some day visitors have had the pleasure of hearing an orchestra practicing but we did not. Enjoy. There is a young travel couple who do UTube videos of their travels. Their channel is called Jumping Places. They are from Brazil and travel all over the world. They did a series of 8 or so videos of traveling by local boat from Manaus to Santerem, Alter do Chao near Santarem, Manaus impressions and several day and multi day trips from Manaus. They are all interesting and show what they see unlike some UTubers who love to talk into the camera showing little scenery. You might have to search back a year or so for their Amazon series. What cruise line are you using for your Grand Voyage? Happy planning! Lorna

She had emotional problems.

You will most likely get reservations at more desirable times once you board. Out of our 5 cruises so far, the place to make reservations on Day 1 has changed each time. Last cruise it was at the desks outside the Chefs Table and Manfredis on Deck 1. Each desk made reservations for either restaurant. Other cruises it has been portside at the entrance to the World Cafe on Deck 7. The World Cafe is the usual location after Day 1. And then sometimes there was a desk by Guest Services on Deck 1. So check all locations on Day 1.

I haven't seen a CT menu preview available pre cruise since 2020. On our three cruises since then have had to wait until boarding to see menu. Yes, if you don't like a menu that you booked, you can change your reservation to another day.

I can certainly understand your expectation and disappointment in failing to receive a vegetarian meal when dietary preferences/needs were previously listed. However the Chefs Table is a set menu venue with the foods paired to a particular wine or liquor. Often the entire menu other then dessert and the palate cleanser contains some sort of meat, fish or fowl. If the menu items are changed, then it is no longer a true Chefs Table wine pairing experience. Perhaps it is better to avoid a CT menu heavy on animal protein or be sure to meet with the Chef earlier in the day to assure that the animal options will be switched to vegetarian.