Aspen&Birch

5 hours ago, cruising denise said:

To anyone from the 22/23 WC, or prior, there is a new overland excursion now posted for Sri Lanka (see below).  Has anyone had experience with this, or know of anyone who does?  It's quite expensive but might be one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences (like a world cruise!) that could be worth the extra expense.  We'd be cancelling $700 total in other excursions if we were to do it.

TIA for any thoughts.....

 

Sri Lanka Safari Overland

$1,699 Per Person

Day 94 – Colombo, Sri Lanka

Saturday, March 23

7:30 AM

2 Days

 

MODERATE

 

NATURAL WORLD

 

SIGHTSEEING

 

MEAL

In Search of Island Wildlife

Explore the wetlands and scrub jungles of Sri Lanka while on safari in search of intriguing wildlife.

Depart the bustling commercial capital and head south toward Hambantota, your base from which to explore Sri Lanka’s wildlife at one of its leading national parks. Yala National Park is home to large populations of elephants; keep watch for them during an afternoon safari, along with wild buffalo, crocodiles, sloth bears and more. Return to Yala at sunrise and journey through the jungle, passing brackish lagoons in an open air 4x4 vehicle. Your knowledgeable guide will point out various species of migratory birds and animals, and you will have ample opportunity to capture your experience on film. After a hearty breakfast, depart your hotel, stopping in Galle for lunch. Arrive in Colombo and enjoy a panoramic drive to admire the colonial architecture of this historic port city before rejoining your ship.

 

 

This excursion was on the preview list for the 22/23 WC but when final offerings were made available, it was no longer there. It was one of the excursions I was really looking forward to. Sri Lanka was one of my most favorite destinations on the entire WC, mostly due to the natural beauty we experienced. Sri Lanka as a country prioritizes keeping their natural resources and cities clean ( compared to what you experience in India). I would jump at the chance to do this excursion - I expect it would be fabulous!  The country is beautiful and this would be a chance to get a deep dive experience!

5 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Just heard that y'all never had the tomahawk steaks that were fixtures in previous world cruises.  Was it ever mentioned as to why y'all didn't have tomahawk nights?   As I recall from from friends who were on the 21/22 WC they had them multiple times. 

Oh we did have them!  It was a memorable day - served under the stars after a day in Phuket. Served with crab cake appetizers, lobster mac and cheese as a side and cherries jubilee for dessert. We were serenaded from the balcony by the guest performers. The combination of the perfect port day and the spectacular evening literally had me in tears that night. 

On 3/28/2023 at 5:14 PM, Aspen&Birch said:

On 3/26/2023 at 11:18 AM, mbviking2023 said:

 

One last tip - don't panic if you are closed out of an excursion you want.  There are so many options to get you there, either on your own, or with a small group.  In our planning for this WC we were closed out of favorites, and managed to go see all of them.  This board is excellent for organizing those small groups.

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1 hour ago, Margaretwelker said:

I’ve called Viking to get a copy of what their excursions are like but no luck there. They said they would be released to me about 30 or 60 days before the trip. I am a single traveler, so entry-level cabin. Can anyone please take a photo or send to me an example of what the excursions are like? I imagine the free excursions are just a bus ride around the city. Would this be correct?

I am happy to share the print out I have of all the excursion descriptions as well as prices to anyone who wants it once I get home. You can email me at barbara.l.malm@gmail.com and I’ll send to all in May. I’m sure it will be helpful to understand the current offerings so you can begin research. I remember how anxious I was for info when I was planning. 

Is there anyone on the Neptune that is a US notary and has their stamp with them?  Please contact Barb Malm in room 4010 or text at 407-446-1128. 

Oh - and we also missed the CC reception. Sorry, was not paying attention to the role call. 

For clarity, I was informed by the guest services desk that all of our previously scheduled tours for day 1 in Honolulu were also cancelled and need to be rebooked. Even the included ones. So be sure to rebook for day 1 and get new tickets while also booking for day 2. 

In one of the blogs today there was a pic posted of scuba divers entering the water around the Neptune. Then on the Viking FB feed a passenger said their ship was just denied access into NZ due to invasive snails on the hull of their ship and they were now cleaning them with scuba divers. I assume Viking is now diligently managing this issue - hoping we don’t become a victim of getting denied.