daleybread

22 hours ago, CDR2001 said:

I’m following this thread as we have BIE in May. I clicked the underlined links abore and found the tour operators. Invergordon was with Avril’s Travels. Thanks to those sharing information! 
 

My pleasure. Somebody else had suggested them to me last year.

The Beatles childhood homes tour is special. I think only 4 groups of 12 are done each day. 

Love Carlos as well. In 2022 we had a great time on a half empty Viking Sea in the Med.

Took this cruise last Summer. So much fun. Great itinerary to go outside of what Viking offers because they are cheaper and better. (links included below)

The Noss Boat Wildlife & Photography Tours in Lerwick
Take a boat tour around the coast: Lerwick is surrounded by stunning coastal scenery, and a boat tour is the perfect way to experience it. Look out for seals, seabirds, and possibly even whales and dolphins. (Viking shuttle will drop you off right near this. This was amazing going out to the island and feeding the birds)

Tour of Culloden, Cairns & Cawdor Castle in Invergordon
Make the most of your time on land with this comprehensive shore tour of the Scottish Highlands. In a small group you'll enjoy a more intimate experience than the big bus tours as you journey from Invergordon to Beauly, Loch Ness, Inverness, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns and Cawdor Castle. (They pick you up at the ship and get you back with plenty of time. Some of the best scones at Cawdor and the tour guide got us there when they were getting out of the oven.)

Highland Park Whisky Distillery in Kirkwall
An in-depth, enlightening foray into highland park. You’ll start with a short film about Orkney and the origins of Highland Park, accompanied by our ‘dram to discover’, followed by a tour of our distillery and finishing with a tasting of 2 award-winning single malt whiskies selected by our distillery team in our private tasting room. (Get a cab up to the distillery and ask them to come back to pick you up)

Black Taxi tour in Belfast
Black taxi tours are a unique way to learn about the history and culture of Belfast, including its role in the Northern Ireland conflict and its transformation into a thriving city. (Set up in advance and they were at the meeting place waiting for us)

The Beatles' Childhood Homes Tour - Speke Hall pickup
This tour is the only way to get inside the childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney. Lots of other tours will take you to look at the outside but this is the only way to see inside the unique places where John and Paul grew up and the Beatles were born. (Can't recommend this enough. There are just a few available spots each day. All of the other tours drive by their homes but this one you go in. Cab is expensive but worth it).

North Wales Adventure - Sightseeing Day Trip Tour in Holyhead
Make the most of your time at shore on a sightseeing tour around North Wales. Climb aboard your bus and see several landmarks including Caernarfon town walls, Snowdonia National Park, and the Betws-y-Coed and Llanfairpwll railway station. As you explore, your driver-guide sheds light on the local history, legends, and culture of the Welsh. (Similar to Ivergordon, they pick you up at the ship)
 

On 3/3/2023 at 8:44 PM, MVPinBoynton said:

 

I have just posted a review to my website with lots of photos of a recently completed Search for the Northern Lights on the Viking Venus.  I also have the menus from the restaurants, spa and lounges.

 

The review is located on my website, which is linked to in my signature.  You can also just Google “Mike and Carol’s Cruise Reviews” to find a link to it.  I hope it is helpful for those of you that are planning to go on a Viking cruise or to see the Northern Lights.  If you are fortunate enough to have been on a Northern Lights cruise, I hope that it brings back some fond memories.

 

Below are photos of the Igloo Hotel in Alta Norway and the gorgeous terrain in Norway’s inside passage. 

Just checked out your post on your site. It was fun seeing Paolo (who we watched sing every night) and Mohammed (who was also our attendant). The staff on Viking sure make a difference!

Paulo's last night of his contract was on our trip in June. What a fun last night we had in Torshavn!

21 hours ago, SoDakPirate said:

My favorite was Southeast Asia which began in Bangkok and proceeded to Cambodia, Vietnam and ended in Hong Kong. We experienced so many new things that are so very different from the European cities and ports we commonly visit. 

On 12/30/2023 at 8:53 AM, bookbabe said:

This year or a previous year?  Maybe we just had bad luck?

 

Just pointing out that the itinerary pre-cruise is not necessarily what you get, and people’s experiences can vary greatly from one cruise to the next, so the OP should take all the recommendations with a grain of salt…

Very true. So much can impact things (good and bad). On my last cruise there were 30 people who never got their luggage! Most made the best out of it but that would be a drag.

I like hearing what people like. I don't see much about specific itineraries on this forum. There was a ton about British Isles. I felt well prepared for that one.

I guess when i really think about it, this would not be the best option for me. I do like the port heavy itineraries better. I have not been to a lot of places because we camped with our kids mostly while we raised them so seeing new places is exciting for me.

I have to admit though that on Mediterranean Odyssey we skipped Rome. We were pretty tired from the Formula 1 race and didn't think spending 4 hours+ on a bus sounded like much fun. The whole ship was empty so we did laundry and walked around the little town we were in.  

@LindaS272

What a trip! Not offered in 2025 but will add it to the short list. Thanks

@BlairsvilleCruiseGirl

We did some of these on Mediterranean Odyssey. Wasn't Dubrovnik amazing and memorable?

Ancient Mediterranean Antiquities also looks interesting.

@Kountess

We started British Isle Explorer in Bergen of course and loved that city a lot so we may want to check this one out. Thank you!

5 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

We took a variant of Trade Route of the Middle Ages (ended in Copenhagen instead of Bergen) and for sheer variety of ports, it was one of our favorite cruises. Spain, Portugal, UK, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Norway, what an experience.

 

BTW We JUST took the Chilean Fjords expedition cruise in October and it was tremendous. Here is my writeup:

 

Thank you for the recommendation!

Thanks also for the link. You are one of the few that have documented that trip. Glad you did! Looks fantastic.

Sounds wonderful. This one looks pretty similar to the Expedition one we are going on in March. Your comments makes feel confident we picked a good one. Thanks!

My mom and I have been cruising on Viking for the last couple of years. We are looking for recommendations for 2025. Which itineraries have you all experienced Viking travelers liked most?

We started with Mediterranean Odyssey in June 2022. We were lucky enough to be in Monaco during the F1 race! That made up for having to do PCR tests every single day and see people get sent to Deck 3 for isolation.. lol Overall was a great itinerary! 

This year we did British Isles Explorer in June 2023. We loved this one as well. I did a lot of research and we did some amazing excursions on our own, including visiting Isle of Noss, going inside the Beatles childhood homes, and a black cab tour in Belfast. Amazing.

Next March 2024 we are doing a less port focused tour, Chilean Fjords & Patagonia Explorer on Viking Polaris. This sounds like it will be more site seeing from the ship and boats/kayaks. Should be interesting.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for our next trip! Open to your ideas. Thanks all!

Great thread. I strongly agree with all of these picks.

Thanks for sharing. Great trip coming my way!

Moonlion! Thank you for these posts. So helpful. We will be on Venus on June 10 and this is getting me so excited for our journey. Great info! (Also, I didn't realize Viking had TWO ships on this itinerary)