ReaderGirl57

I would love it if the Chef’s Table had at least two choices for each course. We don’t eat seafood and every menu has at least one seafood course. I know they will sub in something from Manfredi’s if you don’t eat seafood, but that sort of defeats the purpose of eating at the Chef’s Table.

We did this trip in reverse last July - looking forward to sharing your journey!

We were on Viking Jupiter last summer. I thought the food was on a par with the Oceania Marina cruise we had taken in 2022, but my husband thought it was better!

We loved Skalanes. It’s a nice drive out to the preserve and then a lovely walk through fields of lupines until you arrive at a cliffside viewing point. Loads of bird life circling the cliffs, including lots of puffins, some of whom posed for us just a few feet away from us. IMG_9268.mov

I may be wrong, but I believe there is only one company that goes to Vigur Island. And when a cruise ship is in port, they contract with the ship and are unavailable for private booking. When I was looking at shore excursions for our Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes cruise last summer, I was worried that we might not get Viking’s excursion to Vigur because we were in a DV so I looked into alternatives. The only available excursions were for later in the day and wouldn’t be returning to port until after our ship had left. Luckily, we’re able to go with Viking, because it’s a great experience with lots of puffins! Of course, if you are in Isafjordur on your own, it’s certainly possible to book a later trip to Vigur on your own.

We actually spent the day in Warnemunde because the early start and long train ride seemed like a lot to spend a few hours in Berlin. It’s a fun little German seaside town with nice outdoor cafes and lots going on at the beach. And we hardly heard a word of English spoken the entire day!

We are doing this cruise in September and your write-up and the Viking Dailies have been very helpful - thank you!

We loved the Vigur Island tour in Isafjordur and the Skalanes Nature Center in Seydisfjordur. Both are nature tours and great opportunities to see puffins in the wild at the right time of year. We were there in mid July. Vigur Island is the one that sells out quickly, so I booked it first. We missed out on the Viking tour of Northern Iceland’s Natural Treasures from Akureyri but booked a similar minibus tour through Saga Travel which was excellent. We did the included tour in Reykjavik but felt it was pretty lame. A panoramic bus tour with a stop at a viewpoint (nice but we were there too long) and a whale museum which could have been anywhere. In retrospect, we would have been better off wandering the city ourselves - and thankfully we had time the next day to do that. The puffin pictures below are taken at Vigur and Skalanes with an iPhone - that’s how close we were.

We were in a DV6 last summer on a cruise that went to Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. I followed the advice here on CC, got onto the website the minute excursions opened, and booked each excursion separately, beginning with the one I wanted the most. We only missed out on one, and I was able to book that one with a private vendor. But I agree, it is stressful. We have another cruise booked with Viking in 2026 and I’m already dreading “the day”. But we did book another cruise shortly after our last one because we were so happy with our on board experience. Just wish there was an easier way to book excursions without spending a fortune on a cabin.

Yes, you never know. We did Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes last July. The seas were perfectly calm between Norway and Iceland - but the ship was really rocking one night going up the coast from Bergen! We were lucky to be able to make the stop in the Faroe Islands - I know that others on this board have missed that stop due to rough seas.

I know this to be true. I booked an Oceania cruise directly with the line in 2020. Since I was booking early, the rep offered me an accessible cabin “because it was bigger.” Since neither my husband nor I are disabled, I declined it because I didn’t want to take it from someone who actually needed it. And was kind of surprised that the offer was made.

In July, we disembarked at 9 AM, but our flight wasn’t until the early evening. While our checked luggage went ahead of us to the airport, Viking did provide a bus to the Harpa Concert Hall as well as a room at the Hall where we could stop for snacks and use as a base to explore the city until it was time for us to be bused to Keflavik. There was plenty of room under the bus for our carry on luggage to be stored. Perhaps you could ask Viking if you could take the bus to Harpa as well?

Same in July 2023

We were there this past July. It’s an easy walk from where the ship docks to the center of town. They may run a short shuttle from the ship to the end of the dock if there is a cargo ship loading/unloading in the same area. Torshavn itself is quite small.

Plus one! 😊

We docked there in July on the Viking Jupiter. There were two or three other ships in port.

We did the Vigur Island tour in Isafjordur and the Skalanes Nature Center in Seydisfjordur - both were excellent especially if you want to see puffins in the wild. The boat for Vigur is right near where the ship docks. In Akureryi, we did a small group tour (maybe 12 people?) with Saga Travel. We saw the Godafoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn, lava fields, geothermal pools, and the rift between the Eurasian and American continents. Our guide was an Icelandic actor who has appeared in Trapped on Netflix and the sights were amazing. Enjoy your trip!

We took a Baltic Cruise with Oceania in 2022 and a cruise to Norway, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland with Viking this past July. The lines are certainly comparable, although we liked the more informal atmosphere and the ship’s decor on Viking. What really stood out on Viking, though, were the lectures. Our ship had a historian, a naturalist, an astronomer, and a visiting lecturer, all of whom gave interesting and informative talks on the places we were visiting. On Oceania, even though we were visiting places that were very much in the news, they had one person who gave a couple of lectures on Scandinavian film. The lectures on Viking were always packed so, although I know some people might not care about this at all, it is important to some. My husband and I have just decided to book another cruise with Viking.

We did a Viking excursion hike in Gerainger and poles were provided by the company that did the hike.

For anyone who has done the Empires of the Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Athens, do you recall how late the ship stayed in port - especially in Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Kotor? Thank you!

Starry Starry Night was a big hit for Don MacLean.

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We are just off the Jupiter and we had 4 shows from the Viking Vocalists. “Decades” was songs from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The 50s and 70s were pretty good, but the 60s featured Burt Bacharach and Andy Williams, which isn’t exactly what I think of when I think of the 60s. “Duets” was famous musical partnerships. Think “Endless Love”, “I Got You Babe”, etc. “Stage Door” featured songs from the West End and Broadway and “Southern Sounds” was country and western. The performers were talented if not exceptional, but very sweet and enthusiastic which goes a long way in my mind. Our cruise director was Edward Garth and he did a cabaret performance one night which was my favorite. Out assistant cruise director Rosie also performed one night and they brought in a classical guitarist named Mark Hussey for two shows as well. He was quite good. Since this was our first Viking Cruise, I would have been happy with ABBA and the Beatles, but we enjoyed the shows.

We are just off this same cruise on the Jupiter - from Bergen to Reykjavik. We ate in the World Cafe almost exclusively - if you sit on the starboard side near the stern you may encounter Julian who is wonderful about keeping your wine glass filled. This was our first Viking Cruise and will most likely not be our last. Except for the dealings with the home office pre-cruise (difficult to say the least), we loved everything about it - especially the friendliness of the staff, the excellent enrichment lectures, and the delicious food (well except for the watered down orange juice). It’s a great itinerary. Even the on and off rain for the entire Norwegian portion didn’t matter in the end. And we were able to visit the Faroes! As the captain said - “The Faroes are sort of like the Loch Ness Monster: often talked about but seldom seen.” But the seas were calm and we didn’t need our Dramamine in the end. I look forward to your postings so I can relive what was a fabulous cruise!

Oh good - I booked that as well. Thanks!