Iloveketo

I don’t remember, but if I had to guess I would say 9:00. Hopefully, someone will give you accurate info.

We did Georgian Bay last May on the Octantis. We regret not going down to the Hide in the evenings, from reports that sounded very enjoyable. We also regretted not signing up for multiple excursions during the day. As soon as something becomes available SIGN UP! We missed out on the lab by waiting until the next morning. In May it was very buggy, so enjoying the terrace was not possible. We did enjoy the duo that played and sang most evenings in the Explorers Lounge!!! There was live music in the living room at times, also. The buffet was so incredible we canceled our reservations to Manfredi’s. Especially if you like steak and lobster or sushi! I slipped getting into the inside/outside pool, so we missed out on the kayaking. We were able to do everything thing else, including the sub! Enjoy!!!

I will be checking back in October for any updates on your cruise. We are trying to see as much of the world as possible while we are still healthy! We have only ever sailed with Viking, so I don’t know how you will like it compared to other lines. We took our first cruise in January of 2020, then a postponed one in December of 2021 both to the Caribbean. We enjoyed them so much that 3 days after getting off the 2nd one we flew to LA to get on a 33 day cruise to French Polynesian with them. Then, a Great Lakes expedition cruise in May of 2022, followed by our first Mediterranean cruise in November. So far this year a Panama/Central American cruise in January and a Northern Lights cruise in March. Next will be an Eastern Seaboard in September. Next year South America and the South Atlantic crossing! I hope you enjoy Viking as much as we do!

Has anyone been to Mindelo? For our South Atlantic crossing next spring, we just got notified of the change in ports. I was wondering if anyone has been there with Viking? Thanks!

We tested positive on a Thursday. He started Paxlovid that evening and was feeling better on Saturday. Sunday he was out taking a walk. It took me about a week to feel like doing much of anything.

We are booked on this next March!

Interesting that it was removed… at least Cruise Critics let the discussion continue.

Curious… is this being discussed on any other Viking sites? Also, does anyone think that the emotional support dogs should be allowed? Just curious…

We were on that cruise and saw the dog with a group of people getting their photo taken on the stairs in the atrium and on a young woman’s lap in the Explorer’s Lounge. I can’t imagine being on a cruise with 4 dogs, like the people on the Star!

Thanks for speaking up! It’s so inappropriate! Glad someone spoke to the owner.

Still enjoying the memories and photos from this magical cruise.

They were not boots, they were the spikes that fit over the boots. Sorry I didn’t take a photo of them when I was on the Venus. They looked sort of like these.

Where was the ships supply? I wish I had seen them! I only saw the ones near the excursions. We fell just walking back from shopping in Tromso. After I fell down I saw that when not in port the ship had them for sail for $30.

I was over confident in my abilities to walk in snow and ice and didn’t bring the spikes to slip on over our boots. I fell in the street when I decided to shop in Tromso. I didn’t break anything, but I might have. When they were provided in excursions, I used them and found them very helpful and not all that hard to get on and off. My boots were very warm, lightweight and comfortable. I wore one pair wool socks from LL Bean. My boots were from Columbia.

We didn’t have symptoms or test positive until 3 days after leaving the ship. So, I have no idea what Viking is doing if someone gets sick. Paxlovid definitely made a huge difference. My husband who has underlaying issues and got Paxlovid is totally fine now and I still have cold symptoms.

So, Viking was unable to test you for COVID?

There was an emotional support dog on our French Polynesian cruise in January of 2022. I was very surprised. We saw it sitting on the woman’s lap in the front set of chairs in the Explorers Lounge and then with a group of around 8 people having their photo taken at the top of the atrium stairs. The dog was small, quiet and in an opened handbag at that time. On the 33 day cruise. I only saw it twice. So, I definitely believe the poster!

My husband and I both had COVID at the same time. My doctor didn’t recommend it for me, but prescribed it for my husband. We have some cruises booked that are more than a month in length and involve repositioning cruises with many sea days.

So, your doctor gave you a prescription you could have filled before your cruise just in case you got COVID? Had you ever taken it before?

I can’t figure out how to PM you, so I will try to tell you about French Polynesia in a nutshell. We did it in January of 2022. Originally it was supposed to include Hawaii, but Hawaii wasn’t opened yet. Many cruisers canceled when Hawaii was no longer on the schedule. We only had about 550 passengers on the cruise. We were the first foreign ship in French Polynesia since the shutdown. Many sea days! I was afraid we would have rough seas in the South Pacific, but we didn’t. Maybe 7/8 days to get there, if I remember correctly. So many fantastic lecturers! We and 4 other people went on an excursion into the mountains in Tahiti with one of the lectures, who did more theater type talks. The waterfalls were beautiful! The lecturer was just one of us, not a guide or anything. Another time I was swimming in the middle pool and ended up talking to the woman, who was a marine biologist. I told her that after listening to her lectures, I got up the nerve to swim with stingrays and little sharks. At dinner out on the aquavit terrace we got into a conversation with the woman from the Smithsonian, who did many interesting lectures. So many other lecturers, but what I found so nice was being able to just have an unscheduled conversation with them. We felt very safe just wandering around Papeete, Tahiti. The islands were beautiful! Our favorite excursion was a Waverunner tour around Moorea. We did some boat rides, too. Plus, they had a ceremony for crossing the equator and we all got certificates suitable for framing with the exact location of our crossing. It is a place we definitely want to go back to!

Love your advice! The one thing you always take with you is yourself! So true! I like the way you think!

It should have read December of 2021! Nobody was cruising in January of 2021 as far as I remember. January of 2022, 3 days after disembarking from the West Indies cruise we embarked on the Orion for a 33 day cruise to French Polynesia. I’m surprised nobody questioned me on this. Lol

I wondered, because since that is a port intensive cruise the lectures aren’t as numerous. In January of 2021 we did that cruise and it was mainly the ship historian and port talks. Then 3 days later we got on the Orion for a 33 day cruise to French Polynesia. So many fabulous lecturers, such variety, anything from theater, to archeology, to a woman from the Smithsonian talking about repatriation of antiquities, to a marine biologist, to a geologist, to you name it. It was INCREDIBLE! I think the difference has to do with how many sea days there are.

We did one pre-COVID and 5 post cruises. I’m a real neat freak, so I’m surprised I don’t remember getting one. Especially, since clutter annoys me. Like when we get an extra breakfast menu. I will have to make a point to see if we get one on our cruise next week. Interesting…

Ok, so since we have never made a comment, complaint or voiced a concern that is why we have never seen one, except at the end of a cruise. That makes sense! Thanks!