UWDawg

Yep... Hobart was removed back on 1 July 2023 The Royal Hobart Regatta is a three-day event that runs over the weekend of the second Monday each February. The Monday is a public holiday for a large part of southern and eastern Tasmania. Just got the email from Viking cancelling Hobart, Tasmania and putting an extra night in Melbourne. There will be lots more changes before we see the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. Just the way it goes on sea voyages.🍹

Darn it! We will just miss you in Sydney as we are there the 15th and 16th. But maybe some of us can meet up in Melbourne/Geelong as we are porting there on the 12th (tomorrow). I'll be heading south to see the 12 Apostles on that day if any Neptunites are going there.

Did you see me waving to you from outside deck 8 Explorer's Lounge? Wish we could meet up.

Cheers and Hello back at ya from the Sky 👋🛳️ I'm guessing the same thing is going to happen tomorrow night when we head to Geelong/Melbourne and you are departing. Too bad we don't have an opportunity to be at the same port together.

A few of us managed to make our way to the Sydney Harbor Bridge and do the Bridge Climb during our impromptu stop in Sydney. Ultra safe.

I heard rumors of a garden that might be worth exploring at that port... I read about it a long time ago.

@millybess We we on the WC aboard the Star 2 years ago for the 21/22 WC, which went around South America instead of heading west to HI, Fr. Poly, NZ, AU, SE Asia, India... so every port has been a new port for us. We have enjoyed each of them. on the 21/22 WC we picked up the original itinerary in Saudi Arabia... well, for the most part... Despite the initial disappointment associated with the revised itinerary and missing a big chunk of the world during the 21/22 WC, we throughly enjoyed the revised itinerary and having extra days at a few ports allowed us to explore those ports more completely. Viking did a Fantastic job of catering the guests who chose to continue with the 21/22 WC despite the revised itinerary. Of course because we missed so many of the original ports is the biggest reason why we taking the current WC. And as things are looking, we are likely to visit a set of ports we hadn't planned on. We're trusting that Viking will do right by us no matter what the challenges we encounter going forward. [FYI... I miss our weekly puzzle competition... I don't recall which of us came out ahead, but it was neck-to-neck for much of a year.]

Just announced: Due to the continuing Pilot strike, we will not be able to port in Hobart, Tasmania, AU. That forces us to seek an initial port in Australia elsewhere... and that will be Sydney, AU, where we will port on the 9th. Then we will head to Philip Island to see the penguins and continue on our original itinerary. That forces us to miss Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound, as well as Hobart, Tasmania, but we get an extra day in Sydney.

Given our current direction of navigation, I find it doubtful that the Viking Sky is going to visit Doubtful Sound or Milford Sound.

VIKING SKY 2024 WORLD CRUISE SHIP BUILDING COMPETITION Create your own NON-MOTORIZED sea-going vessel. Let your imagination go wild! It could be Kon Tiki-style raft, a marauding Pirate ship, a majestic sailboat, or even a Viking longship! Here are the guidelines: You may create your vessel in teams of up to 6 persons. Your vessel must be a representation of a NON-MOTORIZED water vessel. Collect your own materials, but remember - no ship property such as towels, trays, cutlery, china, linens, etc. Use recyclable materials or anything you find ashore. Please name your vessel and be prepared to introduce it to the judging panel. You'll score points for creativity, workmanship, use of recyclable materials and sea-worthiness. Your vessel must be able to navigate the bumpy seas of the Deck 7 pool or Jacuzzi without capsizing. Your vessel will NOT be required to carry cargo. The official sea trials are tentatively scheduled for January 28, the day before our arrival in New Zealand.

I’ve been thinking for many months that we on the Sky ought to leave some "Easter Eggs" for you on the Neptune… to discover along the way in our joint voyages around the world. I was remiss in not leaving an Easter Egg for you in Hawaii… and you failed to find my “Easter Egg” in French Polynesia/ Bora Bora… So, I’ve left you another here in the South Pacific, between Fr. Poly and NZ… look for the message I left for you in a bottle. I didn’t want to contribute to the plastic waste in the ocean, so it is a glass wine bottle with a real cork. It’s up to you folks on the Neptune to find it… it might be easier to find than a whale in these deep waters.

Unfortunately, the plans/blueprints are of little value without materials and supplies and looking at ShipTracker I can't seem to find a supply ship anywhere between Fr. Poly and NZ... supply chain problems in the South Pacific. A clear example of why it took so long for NZ to be discovered by the Moari.

Thank you so much for your efforts @Wavetripper I figured it was a long shot... 3 days later... but worth a try. I really enjoyed the Le Truck excursion and hope you did too. Bora Bora was impacted significantly from the drop of tourism due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it looks like it will take a long time for them to recover economically. Hopefully our cruise ship visits will help out.

* Correction... I'm on the Viking SKY... LOL, we were on the Star on the 21/22 WC, but on the Sky for the 23/24 WC to pick up the ports we missed on our prior voyage.

Anyone aboard the Neptune who will be on the Le Truck excursion in Bora Bora, I lost a Nikon camera lens while I was on that excursion the other day (I’m on the Viking Star). I know the specific stop where it was lost and if you could take a look for it at that location, I would greatly appreciate it. It was the 3rd or 4th stop where we stopped and got off of Le Truck to take photos. We pulled over in front of some residential properties/ driveways and from the grassy slope you could take photos of one of the lagoons and of some waterfalls looking inland. Below is one of the photos I took from that location. I was on the grassy slope near some short palm trees and I likely lost it near the base of one of those palm trees, to the right of where the below photo was taken, when I knelt down to take a photo of some distant waterfalls. We were advised to watch our step because of dog poop. Anyway, I changed from my shorter lens to my longer zoom lens and somehow the short lens fell out of my pocket. I’ve also included the specific map location of that viewpoint. Thanks in advance for your efforts to find my lost camera lens.

On this afternoon's wildlife watch I only spotted a few sea birds. Here is one of my better photos of a Masked Booby taken from the deck in front of the Explorer's Lounge on the 7th deck.

@Clay Clayton asked that I post an updated list of blogs that are currently active for the Viking Sky 23/24 World Cruise: @cruising denise #2524 https://eddieanddeniseworldcruise.blogspot.com/ @Penspack #2527 https://drsla-wc.blogspot.com/ @tomv2950 #2443 https://www.travelswithtomandjoanne.com/ @Mschaecher #2496 https://mandmtouchettravelers.blogspot.com/ @Clay Clayton Instagram @ClaynMike https://www.instagram.com/claynmike/ @Lk1961 #2440 daily blurb on Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.keeling.3 @TwoLeos #3093 Instagram posts: @twoleostravels https://www.instagram.com/twoleostravels/ Peter Van Demark #3102 Substack blog and SmugMug photos https://peterhvandemark.substack.com/archive?sort=new https://peterhvandemark.smugmug.com/Travel/Viking-Ocean-World-Cruise-2023-24

With the 3000 passenger Carnaval Miracle in port at Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI at the same time as us, and Carnaval docked at Pier 2, the Viking Sky was berthed at Pier 3. I was having trouble identifying where to schedule an Uber to pick me up for a 3rd party excursion, but there is a gate close to Pier 3 that doesn't readily show up on Google maps. And in case you were wondering where Walmart and Costco are relative to the port, this might help: Per guest lecturer, Dr. Ann Caroll Burgess, Walmart is a good source to get leis in Nawiliwili and Honolulu.

After porting in Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, the crew practiced lowering and raising the tenders. Here's a photo and there is a short time-lapse movie attached as well. IMG_5044.mov

Thank you to @Clay Clayton for coordinating the Cruise Critic Meet-and-Greet session in the Wintergarden last evening. It was a great opportunity to associate CC user names with people's actual names and faces. Yesterday, over either lunch and the Meet-and-Greet session, I did manage to track down most of the folks that I am aware are writing and publicly posting blogs of their travels on this Viking Sky World Cruise, and thank them for their efforts. I am so much enjoying their different perspectives of the places we are visiting. As we travel forward, since I can't go on all the excursions that I are of interest to me, I hope to expand my appreciation of the different ports vicariously through the experiences shared by others.

Last night's Vodka Tasting in Torshavn... Here are my notes from the tasting: The bar tenders provided background information on each of the vodkas one-by-one prior to us tasting them. Tito’s made from corn. U.S. Texas. Gluten free. 2nd largest U.S. exported spirit behind Jack Daniel’s. Slightly antiseptic. Sensation, slight burning, in nasal area, tongue, front and sides of mouth. Belvedere 5 filtrations. Creamier. Sensation, slight burning, tongue, front and sides of mouth, but less so than Tito’s. Kauffman Soft - Russian. Tear drop / penguin shaped bottle. Filtered 14 times. Wheat based. Primarily feel on tongue. Smooth. Beluga Allure - Russian. neutral and clean wheat vodka is subtly enriched with trace amounts of maple syrup and fig extract. 3 filtrations. Smells antiseptic and slightly sweet. More sensation in nasal area and front of tongue. Can also make vodka from fruit, which can provide a slightly sweeter taste than vodka made from potato, which is creamy, while vodka made from grain/rye can be bolder. Kauffman Allure was my favorite of those tasted. I believe that each of these vodkas is covered under the Viking beverage plan with no additional charge. The Kauffman Vodka is only available in Torshavn.

Apparently the White Wine tasting was NOT posted in the Viking Daily because so many people had signed up for it that it was "sold out." We got in just under the wire. Clay, I'm guessing you are TOO TALL to fit under the wire. 🤣 Yes, check with Guest Services. 🍷

White wine tasting this afternoon: 1. Loberger Vielles Vignes, Riesling, Alsace, France. 2. Baron Longo Hohenstein, Gewürztraminer, Trentino, Alto Adige, Italy. 3. Gérard Bertrand: Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc; IGP Pays d'Oc, France. 4. Robert Mondavi Napa Valley: Fumé Blanc; Napa Valley, California. 5. Hartford Court: Chardonnay; Russian River Valley, California My favorite was the Riesling.

Here is the list of the Viking Sky World Cruise 23/24 blogs that I think are currently active: @cruising denise #2524 https://eddieanddeniseworldcruise.blogspot.com/ @Penspack #2527 https://drsla-wc.blogspot.com/ @tomv2950 #2443 https://www.travelswithtomandjoanne.com/ @Mschaecher #2496 https://mandmtouchettravelers.blogspot.com/ @Clay Clayton Instagram @ClaynMike https://www.instagram.com/claynmike/ @Lk1961 #2440 daily blurb on Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.keeling.3 There are now two Viking Sky 23/24 World Cruise Critic Pages: World Cruise planning and coordination: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2880934-viking-sky-december-20-2023-world-cruise-including-la-jan-6-2024/page/102/# Live From the Viking Sky [onboard activities and excursions] https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2979887-live-from-the-viking-sky-ft-lauderdale-to-london-december-20-2023-may-6-2024/page/4/ Additionally, folks can enjoy the ventures of our sister ship, the Viking Neptune 23/24 World Cruise, which is following behind us by three days https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2901317-live-from-the-viking-neptune-world-cruise-2022-23/

I'm guessing that the last photo included some of the passengers from New Zealand and/or Australia. 🙃