zodiacsign

There’s a possibility there will be some Baltic amber stuff on board; but not much beyond that.

Did they publicly identify the cause? The OP said NOT Noro…,

You won’t be able to stream prime video or Netflix. Ship WiFi isn’t set up for streaming. You may be able to watch media you already have stored on your device.

This is what I mean by messaging. They definitely don’t put in the daily newsletter NOROVIRUS TREATMENT IS FREE!!!!! so people assume they’ll be charged, as they would be for other medical interventions.

Ugh. And that’s the people they know of. Lots never report it (they don’t want to get quarantined, or be charged a consultation fee by the ship dr). So however many are reported as ill on board, the real number is higher. I wish the ships would improve messaging (tell people to call in and report it, just to help them trace it in the ship). But of course they don’t want to mention it, sometimes you only know something’s up when they increase the cleaning and the pepper shakers disappear from the restaurant tables!

Have they figured out what it is? Noro happens, but anything else (e.coli? salmonella?) are pretty rare on cruise ships.

Yikes

I actually hang mine in the wardrobe, clipped to hangers. The A/C means the air is dry enough for them to dry in there, and I don't have my room looking like a laundry.

You can book onto one of the transfer buses the ship will be running to the airport. There will be a charge, but it will be easier than trying to find your own taxi.

2.5lbs I saw on the Marina.

I did a walking tour in Barcelona that was very good (from guruwalk.com). Most European cities have these free walking tours, quality is high, you tip what you feel at the end (I usually go with 10-15 EURO per person). City tours en route to the airport (organised by the cruise) are usually arranged for those who have flights later in the day (which may not be the case from Barcelona). Since you're staying overnight, you'll probably enjoy doing your own thing more. My 2 cents.

I agree that itinerary affects the average age of the crowd. On a 3 week Carib/Panama Canal cruise, the average age was much older than on an Asia cruise. There were more people in their 30s on Viking in late summer 2021, when cruising had only just started up again, I suspect because a lot of older people were still being cautious/had been advised not to travel. Across all cruise lines, you'll find younger folks (on average) on shorter itineraries, as people who are still working are more able to take a week or so from work than a longer break. (Note: all my comments on this thread are re Viking ocean, I have not done a river cruise).

To add, the reservations for the spa was a covid measure, they didn't require them pre2020.

When I was last on, the reservation thing was pretty lax. On food, you'll see above I agree on the food. Our last Viking trip, Manfredis was pretty poor, and the MDR has always been just decent IMO.

I've done both. Obviously my views are subjective, but here's which one comes out on top in my opinion on different elements. STATEROOMS: Oceania, in layout and bathroom space. (not considering balcony/no balcony issue). APP/ONLINE INFO: Viking. (The lack of digiboards to look up the day's menus/events, and an app on board, are a downside on Oceania). FOOD: Oceania DRINKS: Viking. (Beer and wine included at meals, and cocktails to purchase very reasonable). ENTERTAINMENT: Oceania (by a mile). PUBLIC AREA DECOR: Viking EXCURSIONS: Probably a wash. Viking does offer one "free" tour in each port. In some place these are good (like a walking tour), but in European cities there are usually "free" walking tours you can go to on your own anyway. Often Viking's included tour is just a bus tour with some photo stops. When it comes to paid excursions, I think they are similar (unsurprisingly: it's usually the same local tour companies selling excursions to all the cruise lines). SPA AREAS: Viking. The indoor heated pool area, ice room, jacuzzis, plunge pool, sauna, etc.