TayanaLorna

Besides what JM0015 said, Air Traffic Controllers won't be paid but are required to work. No Federal workers will be paid except for Congresspeople.

The first time we thought to tie back the drapes was on a welcome back cruise when we had to wear contact tracing devices. They were on a lanyard. My DH said why don't we try one of these lanyards with our magnets. We did, it worked so we just asked Guest Services for more lanyards. We too keep a bag with stuff we bring for a cruise and don't use otherwise.

I think we are the only ones who prefer the door/window combo in a PV. The first one we had was a PV2 so disregard that Viking staffer comment that only PV3's have them. We do tend to spend time in our cabin. My DH downloads photos at the desk and I sit with my legs up on the sofa journaling. We can both have great views to outside. We put the chair in the narrow wall space between the door and window. We also capture the drapes with ties and affix each tie to a wall magnet which we bring. That places the drapes behind the chair giving a better view through window or door. I know some folks like to leave their slider open but we don't. Keeping the door open is harder. We do use our veranda but have yet been on a cruise where the weather was conducive for long seatings out there. It was either frigging freezing or dripping humidity salt encrusted rails, table and chairs. One thing with the door is it closes slowly then at the end slams. So we needed to be considerate and not allow door to slam.

You may want to look under Roll Calls to meet folks on your cruise. Roll Calls - Viking Ocean - name of ship - name of cruise and dates. Good luck.

Some find the location objectionable as those on the Bridge can see on to the veranda and folks who go to the outside deck can look down on to the veranda also. However your cruise is port intensive so how much time will you really spend on your veranda.

We did not get yellow fever due to age and we did not carry malaria meds. Wore lightweight long sleeved shirts and pants and sprayed with a Deep Woods insect repellent. Typhoid is water borne so never drank water, ice cubes and never ate at local markets or kiosks - only nice hotel and on ship. Had all Covid vax and boosters available. Yes people on ship were still getting Covid in Feb-Mar 2023. Already had hepatitis and tetanus shots. Traveled Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, up the Amazon to Manaus on a cruise ship followed by a week on a smaller river boat further up the Amazon and 2 days in Manaus. Only saw mosquitoes once and it was on a dense forest hike. We each need to research what is best for ourselves based on what we plan to do. We chose a river boat to go further up the Amazon rather then a land based rainforest lodge figuring a lodge surrounded by dense forest would have more mosquitoes.

I only referred people twice. The first time the credit was applied to our cruise and our friends cruise immediately. The second time the credit was applied to our friends cruise but not ours. When I called our Viking agent he said it won't be applied to ours until our friends complete the Guest Info form on MVJ. Huh? They booked a cruuse and it was fully paid up, why does Viking need an on line form completed? My friends were not very tech savvy so I walked them through downloading MVJ and where to find the form. They said they completed the form but Viking said they did not so no credit forthcoming. This happened several times. You can't make this stuff up. We did finally get our credit. But boy has the Viking LA office gone downhill since we took our first cruise.

No they won't hold it on the ship but at the hotel where they arrange the day room. You will claim your bags in the terminal alongside the ship, then walk them out of the terminal past Customs & Border Patrol officers who will ask you if you have any fruit, vegetables or plants. Once outside the bags will be put on a bus to the hotel. Folks with early morning flights follow the same process but go to the airport. The ship and all passengers are already cleared by Customs & Immigration by the time the disembarkation begins. No one ever asked us if we had anything to claim, only if we had anything agricultural. You will need to be out of your room by 8 am and off this ship by 9-9:30 am.

For past cruises, Viking has arranged a day room at the Sheraton across the street from the docks and folks were able to explore Old San Juan for the day. The best way to find out if the do that again is to find and join the Roll Calls before you. We have always found out the details of transfer day arrangements once on the ship.

Drawers in DV closet became standard beginning with Orion. Then the Sky got outfitted with them. As far as I know the Star and Sea have not.

If they show up on My Viking Journey, you should be able to use that money for excursions. Often OBC from a TA does not appear on your account until you board the ship. In that case you can use it for drinks, massages, gratuities once on board.

Viking is dropping its Covid vaccination requirement soon - October? November? All they ever required was the original 2 shots. Boosters were never required. They were recommended. If that is the reason you want CFAR coverage, I wouldn't worry about boosters required next year. TripMate through Viking includes CFAR. It is underwritten by Viking not TripMate. Thats why Viking gives vouchers. A cash refund is only given by TripMate IF you qualify under a listed reason to cancel and provide all the required paperwork. I found CFAR from any other insurance carrier to be an add on and cost half or more of the original premium and only reinbursed 50-70% of the cost of the cruise. I usually like CFAR as we have several reasons that we might cancel that are never covered in a regular insurance policy.

On our Midnight Sun cruise, Viking sold bottles of Aquavit that's it.

He won't be upset. He focuses more on composition then technical.

LOL Kent, I added some leg strength and balance exercises as I am determined to be able to walk the wall in Dubrovnik and up to the Acropolis. BTW I think we are going to ditch the Viking Post and stay at a boutique hotel near the Plaka instead.

We arrived for a cruise at 7:30 pm. The ship overnighted there. No problem.

On warm or nice weather cruises we see more folks at the infinity pool and those loungers fuller. Hardly ever see people around the main pool and never saved loungers there. The only full or illegally saved loungers are the outward or window facing ones. Folks love to read, watch the sea and nap there.

We had one way flights twice but it was for cruises that ended or began in San Juan. We live in PR. One cruise was free airfare. The other cruise they reduced the airfare cost by one third.

In 2020 traveled on a cruise from Valparaiso, Chile to Buenas Aires, Argentina including a pre cruise stay on our own in Santiago during the social unrest and protests in that capital that year. No problem. We just avoided the city center at night as the marches usually began at 9 pm. Traveled on the cruise from Valparaiso to Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Ushuaia, Around Cape Horn, The Falklands, Puerto Madryn, Montevideo and ending in Buenos Aires. Excellent cruise. We were 70 at the time. This year we cruised from San Juan, PR through some Caribbean islands to French Guiana and then up the Amazon River to Manaus, Brazil. Then we spent another week traveling further up the Amazon on a riverboat and then staying in Manaus. No problem with safety. We take normal precautions when traveling - aware of our surroundings, no jewelry, no wallets in back pockets etc. We live in Puerto Rico and don't want to travel to the US for safety reasons and feel that the US is at the first stage of social and political breakdown.

We had a friend pick up our mail at PO. Most of it was junk. All our bills were paid on line. Bank statements could wait. But now even those are on line. PO needed a letter from us stating who was getting the mail and the time period. Found that forwarding to someone worked but it took some time to kick in. Mail was inevitably still sitting at PO.

In 2020 we used Elizbet through Tours By Locals for an all day tour. We could have arranged an airport transfer but did not need one. She has her own company called Iconic Buenas Aires now and it is run by her and her daughter. Excellent.

We ask for a kettle too. The steward says just run water through the coffee maker or order tea from room service. Noooo not the same. Makes only one cup at a time, takes too long. So we insist. Wish cups were bigger in room. I wish more special room requests could be made on MVJ.

Even if you all get the same included and optional excursions be aware that you may not all be on the same bus. Often there are several buses for each excursion at the same time especially the included ones. The ONLY way to be on the same bus is agree to meet at a specific location on the ship and then get in line as one group to get your bus number assignment. When you reach the front of the line, let the Viking person know you are all together. Don't send two people to wait in the line to get all the bus tickets because they will be asked to go back and get everyone and then get in line. Just because 2 people get there first, the rest won't be allowed to cut the line. Sorry if i am being rude, i've just seen it happen too many times with groups.

I would suggest Ocean - something Scandinavian. Midnight Sun or Homelands. Scenery is spectacular and it is Viking land.

For 15 and 18 day cruises our 100% refund cancelation period was also 120 days prior. Also the US final payment is often 12 months before the cruise and 6 months for those who have other cruises booked. These times may also have cancelations just prior.