Peregrina651

Before they were cleaned. I haven't been back since.

This is one of those times that I wish that CC had a sad face "reaction." That is a bummer!! They weren't just a walking aid, were they; they were a unique and irreplaceable souvenir from another amazing adventure, one that was re-lived each time you picked up the poles. On the other hand, if you do get back there, the new poles will now be part of an equally as amazing adventure and a tale of buying, losing and replacing the poles.

Yes, the Duck Boat tour is light entertainment but it does cover a lot of ground (and water). It's a fun way to see a lot of the Back Bay and Downtown without having to walk it (or drive it).

THANK YOU! Great information for those who want to know more about the "Churchill's Britain" cruise extension.

Agreed. They are amazing. But if they are a must see, make it part of a full day visit to the Harvard campus focusing on all of the museums. Taking public transit from the Aquarium to Harvard or even taxi or Uber, is time consuming just to spend an hour or so at one museum. In other words, you can't see everything in one day, so pick one area and focus on it. Else you may find that you have spent more time in traffic than seeing the sights. OR, leave the driving to an expert. If you want to see a variety of places, check out the Duck Boats or one of the hop-on-hop-off companies. Duck Boats are amphibious and thus include a short cruise on the Charles River. I have more suggestions but have to go cook dinner.

Until the grandson arrived, DD volunteered at the Gardner. This courtyard is the very spot where my son-in-law proposed to her. So, I agree that it is a fabulous small museum. If you don't want to wander so far a field and you love history, three don't miss stops are USS Constitution, Old North Church and Paul Revere House. Shuttle to Aquarium. Water taxi to USS Constitution. Walk back to Old North Church and then continue walkong through the North End to Paul Revere. Stop for cannoli at either Mike's Bakery or Modern Bakery along the way.

Hi and welcome to Cruise Critic. Glad you found us. Let us point you in the right direction to best accomplish your goal. We gave you a link to the roll for your sailing. That's because according to the community guidelines, we are only permitted post "tour shares" in the roll call for our sailing. (Otherwise, this forum which is designed for general discussion about Viking would be clogged with "tour shares" slowing down the rest of the conversations. Besides, roll call members are the target audience.) The guidelines also include some helpful tips for how handle arranging shared tours. Follow the link that millybess provided for your sailing. Introduce yourselves (first names are just fine; surnames are not recommended) and tell about the tours you are interested in sharing. Have a great trip and if you have any questions, please ask.

A good move. The Hilton they used was a mile or more from the center of town, the shops and the restaurants. We were closer to the Hallgrimskirkja and had a wonderful lamb meal at Cafe Loki.

beyond that even -- because of unplanned events that force a cancellation. We have done GTY V2 twice now and both times were assigned DV cabins. On one of those cruises, someone on the roll call booked GTY and ended up in an DV1 aft cabin. You never know what you will get. Also, you might not know your cabin assigned days before departure.

That's true; PV and above don't have to worry. Three drawers is a problem only for DV and V cabins -- and that is about 2/3rds of the cabins on the ship.

On top of what has already been suggested, consider packing for 7-10 days and making liberal use of the ship's laundry service and the launderettes. If it has to be ironed, send it out!😉 If you don't use the coffee maker and all the other stuff they put on that shelf, ask your steward to remove it so that you can make use of it. If you can reach the shelf over the hanging rail, plan on using it, too. I can't reach it, but DH sure can and does. Some people like to pack hanging shoe/sweater shelves and fold flat storage baskets.

I agree with you! You can slap the Viking name on the prow and the logo on the smokestack, but, for me, it is the employees who make the experience. US laws make it very difficult for Viking to staff and crew the ship from its regular pool of employees, employees who have been with the company for many years and who are what make the Viking experience on board the ships. I really can't see the service on board being anything similar to what one finds in the rest of the fleet. Hence, your friends will be judging the entire fleet by this one outlier experience.

Take-out and paper plates! Folks will understand!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! I can't tell you anything about using Viking Air in Australia. Little details differ from market to market, so you really need to hear from someone who has actually dealt with the Australian office. What I can talk about is strategy. When you book your Viking cruise, ask if the air portion can be cancelled should you decide to book your own air ( you will have decided long before the pay in full date). Be sure to ask when the last day to drop the air portion is. Book your air around 275 days prior to departure. If you still haven't booked the cruise at this point, start what watching the air fare prices and Viking promo prices. That way you have a better handle on who has the cheaper rates for your flight plan. Sometimes Viking wins and sometimes booking on your own wins -- and there is no way of knowing until you do the math. Since the air portion can be cancelled in the US, I always include air in the booking If you end up booking after the pay in full date (121 days out), do your homework before you book and know just how much air will cost you if you book on your own. You will probably have to make the Viking vs 'on your own' decision at booking. If you book your own airfare, transfers can be purchased from Viking only if you are landing at the airport on Day 1 of the cruise and/or departing from the airport on Day Last of the itinerary. You can buy transfers only for arrival or only for departure.

Keep trying! With the older demographic, cancellations can happen any time. People get sick, need surgery, break bones. One couple on our sold out Nile River cruise booked 11 days prior to departure because there was a last minute cancellation.

If allergies are an issue, then you should direct your questions to Viking. They will be able to tell you what products are used in the laundry.

Why not Bergen to Reykjavik to O'Hare? Why the extra stop when Icelandair has a direct flight from BGO to KEF?

Do you have any sort of schedule or "dailies" that you could photography and post here? If not immediately, then perhaps when you get on board or even when you get home??

YES, PLEASE!!!!! 🎉

WOW!!! GREAT PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing them.

Viking uses SOLD OUT as a place holder. I can mean what it says or it can mean that the tour is not being offered on your sailing. You don't know what it means until you click on the tour to see what is going on. Since you are in a PV, unless the tour is super-limited capacity, it is unlike that the tour is sold out and much more likely that it isn't being offered. Viking does not keep a waiting-list. You just have to keep going back to the website to see if seats have become available -- and they just might. People change their mind. People have to cancel last minute. Viking adds more capacity. It all happens without announcement and seats are sold first-come-first-served. In the meantime, while you are checking the website every day, dash off an e-mail (tellus@vikingcruises.com) to Viking telling them how disappointed you are that the tour you so much wanted is sold out. Ask them if they will be adding more capacity. Since they don't keep a waiting list, they have no way of knowing if they need more space. Include your booking number and a phone number where they can reach you.

Ask your MD what is appropriate for your medical status. Make sure that you meet the vaccination requirements of each of the countries you are visiting. Remember that the words "They told me on Cruise Critic..." mean nothing to border officials.

I agree with @Azulann. Every sailing has its own vibe -- and its own eccentric. Some of the vibe is determined by the people on board and some by the nature of the itinerary -- and it is rarely predictable in advance. Glad to hear that you are planning a next time.

It doesn't matter which direction you travel. I know that the May 9, 2024 sailing will not be docking in Dublin from my invoice: MON MAY 13, 2024 Dublin (Dun Laoghaire), Ireland 08:00 AM 11:00 PM. There may be other sailings that also dock there, rather than in Dublin. Even then, docking locations are never set in stone. With a call to Viking, you should be able to find our which sailings are scheduled to dock in Dun Laoghaire. According to the Viking website, these are the London accommodations. Note the fine print. Your Accommodations Conrad London St. James Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the hotel is just minutes away from some of London’s most renowned landmarks. Savor traditional British fare in the Blue Boar restaurant or relax with a themed afternoon tea in Emmeline’s Lounge. Contemporary guest rooms are spacious and reflect the hotel’s sleek design. ALL THIS IS INCLUDED: 2 hotel nights in London (as shown or similar) 2 meals: 2 breakfasts Services of a Viking Host All transfers Fine print: Extension is not available on all departure dates; confirm availability & seasonal pricing when booking. Pricing may vary by departure or activity date. Activity order may vary. Accommodations are subject to change depending on availability; if advertised hotel is not available, a similar hotel will be confirmed. If you haven't found them yet, here are links to a couple of threads here that may be of help: Random thoughts about our British Isles cruise British Isles Explorer Cruise excursions https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2862566-viking-british-isles-cruise-tips-for-others-going-on-this-cruise/page/6/#comment-64571383 British Isles Explorer Past Cruisers - Questions British Isles Explorer Cruise Favorite British Isles Explorer port souvenirs Live thread: Onboard Neptune now - British Isles Explorer See especially posts #132 and 136

I wouldn't think so since the third party is not taking over the management of the community. The online-- access it through a browser -- is still the core of the boards. All of that stuff still has be taken care of. Moreover, CC has already partnered with other third parties to get the job done. The CC boards are run on a third party platform. Sometimes it is cheaper and easier to hire a contractor than to do it yourself.