WNcruiser

You know, it’s tough getting old lol. I haven’t been on the Seabourn boards in a while so thought I was on Regent. Sorry about that.

One of the best entrees we had in CR was the miso glazed Chilean sea bass. Cooked to perfection! It was so good I ordered a second one.

That's an understatement. Ridiculous prices! My exact same cruise in 2023 for 2024 is DOUBLE the price, over $8000 pp for a mini. I can go on Oceania or the Retreat on Celebrity for less than that. Princess better come back to reality.

This post would be better suited for the South America ports board as it is not Viking specific.

Already posted yesterday, just a couple topics down the page.

Yet Viking continues to blame those countries for,the testing. Every time I speak with someone at Viking they tell me they are not the ones requiring the testing 🙄

I’m surprised no one has posted them already. TAs usually get them a week or more before the release and get posted here.

We were on Explorer in March and they were extremely accommodating with vegan requests. They had a vegan ice cream everyday as well as at least one vegan dessert. Just speak with any head waiter on day 1 and they will make it happen. One of the chefs checked with us every day to see if we had any special requests. I am not vegan but still enjoyed many of the dishes they prepared for my spouse.

i am really surprised that no one has posted the 2024 schedules yet. There are many TAs on the Princess boards and it is usually posted here a couple weeks in advance.

We just used PE a few weeks ago and it was a breeze. From the car in the Palm garage, dropping the bags and in to security in about 5 minutes. That was just before 11 AM. Miami is a completely confusing mess last two cruises out of there. I think the OP might be taking out his frustration on being late out on the port. Lesson is get there early!

From what I have researched, the only way to actually get ON Martillo/Harberton is through Pira Tours. All the other tours just go by on a boat as it is privately owned.

This link is continuously updated (including today)with the latest requirements: https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/14-PreCruiseRequirement-All-US_CAN_UK_AU_NZ.pdf

It was kind of disappointing. As Liz said its really touristy and more than half the ride is actually a foot massage and scrub where they stop the raft for a long time. Apparently a large part of the river was closed due to a storm so our actual raft time was minimal (maybe 15 mins). Several of us complained when we got back that the "3 mile trip" was barely half a mile. At first they refused to do anything saying we read the wrong description. I had to show them screenshots of the tour description and keep pressing them, also spoke with the GM who finally agreed to refund us 50%.

I think it depends on your interests . Most people did the included tour to Carambola gardens or for those that like beach/snorkeling they went to West Bay beach. West Bay is really beautiful and there is fantastic snorkeling right from the beach.

Anyone can request the .PDF, on hold or not. Just go to the cruise description and request it. Once it is on hold you can book or check availability under "Manage reservation", no deposit needed.

Hi Liz. There were no storms in that area before or during our cruise. The dirt road was well maintained and flat. There were many cars and motorcycles driving on it, definitely no 4 wheel drive needed anywhere on the tour. I was picturing a rain forest and lots of animals and wildlife but that was not the case. I will attach a photo of the road where we stopped for our walk, which was about 10 minutes on the dirt road. Never went in to any rain forest as we were expecting. We had our “picnic“ at the banana plantation. You don’t actually visit it, just stop on the outside of it. We were given a bag of plantain chips and a water or soda. I don’t want to talk anyone out of the tour as there were people who enjoyed it as well. There was also some nice scenery but I wouldn’t book it again.

We did the monster bus in the morning and canals in the afternoon. I will attach photos of the canal boat. We didn’t have anyone sitting in front or behind us on the boat. We did see another boat though. As far as the monster bus we were really disappointed in that tour. The tour is misleading as there are both cars and motorcycles driving on the dirt road. The walk was very short and uninteresting. We thought we were going in the jungle but that wasn’t the case. The bus holds about 40 people. Hope that helps you.

I was on the October 14th Panama canal cruise on the Star. Agree 100% about the Tortoguero canals. AMAZING! We did the last tour at 2:00 and saw so much wildlife. The guide told us afternoon was the best time. So many monkeys and sloths.

There is no "caution" needed. If you took just a couple minutes to look at previous threads you will find many that talk about this subject. You will have no issue getting in to the specialty restaurants once on board. You will not need to be squeezed in. We also had a DV and chefs table was full when our slot opened. We could book any night of the cruise once on board. Many nights had 6 or 6:30 open. Keep checking MVJ as your cruise approaches as openings kept popping in. Everyone is guaranteed to get on the included excursions so no need to worry about that either.

We just returned from our first Viking cruise. If you have been on Regent before you will be disappointed with the included wines on Viking. They were extremely dry and usually from Spain, Chile or South Africa. Don’t expect anything decent, they were very low end. Definitely get the SS drink package if wine is important to you (like it is to me!)

Is 2024 Europe still supposed to be released tomorrow? I figured someone would have posted the itineraries by now 🤷‍♂️

It states reservations are required for dinner.

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Many negative posts on here have persuaded us from booking our first Silversea cruise on Dawn next year.

We took our first Regent cruise in April on Explorer and were blown away. We much prefer it to O. Its much more than "expensive booze" included on Regent. Unlimited shore excursions, and no not just bus tours. Unlimited valet laundry, a much more elegant upscale atmosphere and decor such as fresh flowers everywhere. The food was amazing, the best we have ever had on a cruise. Dover sole, filet and lobster tail on the "anytime menu". Also all gratuities are included unlike O. Both lines offer excellent staff and country club casual dress which we love. We are looking at our first Silversea cruise next year but hate that they have formal nights still and also charge for specialty restaurants.

When I zoom in it looks like Saturn. Not 100% though