traveld

I am wondering how various cruisers are obtaining their expedition gear, i.e. boots, waterproof pants, gloves, mid-layer clothing, etc.  There is a company that rents and delivers to Silversea and Nat Geo ships, but not to Viking ships.  For the experienced expedition cruiser, what are the must-haves and what are the nice-to-haves?

I am thinking about doing a Viking expedition cruise, but not sure how to obtain the necessary gear.  I don't really want to purchase too much since I live in a warm weather location and would have no further use after the cruise.

Any advice or insight would be appreciated.

I'm not sure when this stopped, but I just noticed that there have been a number of new postings to the boards that I follow and I have not received any emails for months on any of these.  I have checked my settings and I am set to receive immediate notification.

On 1/19/2020 at 6:40 PM, tehrdbl said:

We traveled on the Viking RA in October 2019.  The trip was so incredible we ran out of adjectives to describe it.  The crew was outstanding, our Egyptologist, Sharif, was amazing, and the sites were exceptional.  Prior to our departure we reviewed many tips provided by cruisers and - in particular - those who had previously visited Egypt.

 

Having spent many hours reviewing various experiences and recommendations, we assembled and posted a tip sheet for those planning to travel on a Viking cruise to Egypt.

 

Now that we actually traveled to Egypt as our #1 bucket list destination, we modified our tip sheet based on real everyday experiences.  The true updated tip sheet is attached.

 

Enjoy your visit to this cradle of civilization! Let us know if you have any thoughts, concerns, questions, etc.

Egypt Planning Tips Actual Trip.xlsxUnavailable

I am very interested in your tips.  We are scheduled to sail this coming March.  Can you email your spreadsheet to traveld@outlook.com?

The icon in your post does not have the attachment linked to it.

Thanks.

Not sure if I ever answered this question for you, here goes.

The ship did provide a free shuttle to two malls. We used the one that took us to the Diamond Hill Mall as it had an easy access to the MTR (subway train). There were taxis, but didn't use them. There was also a public bus, again didn't use. Check the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal wed site for more information:

http://www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk/

The terminal is the biggest we have been in and involves some walking just to get out of to the taxis and, shuttles and buses. If you are using a smart phone, suggest you load Google Maps, just tell it where you want to go and it'll tell you the nearest bus stations, number of stops etc. also for the trains. Very handy and easy to use. It will also show how to walk to places. There is a tourist help station at the cruise terminal, these people are great, they'll provide maps and show you how to use the public transport. Can't say enough about how much help they were in making the public transport easy, efficient and saved money over taxis. Taxis are not too expensive, but the public transport is just so cheap and efficient. I had originally planned on using taxis, after using the public transport we never found the need for taxis.

Happy Planning,

Capt. Ron

Thank you for the information. I could not find a "Diamond Hill Mall" on the maps, but there is a mall in the Diamond Hill area, near the Diamond Hill MTR station about 15 minutes from the cruise terminal. Is that the one the shuttle goes to? Do you recall if that mall was the one near the Chi Lin Nunnery? That's my destination and it looks like walking distance from that particular mall. Thanks again.

Does Celebrity provide a shuttle from the cruise terminal to a more central area in the city? Was it easy to get to public transportation from the cruise terminal? Was it far? Are taxis readily available (disembarkation)?

Kai Tak cruise terminal, very large and new. Built on the old airport runway of Kai Tak airport which has been moved to outside the city on Lantau island.

Web Site: http://www.kaitakcruiseterminal.com.hk/

They offered free bus/shuttles to diamond mall which has a MTR station so that was nice. Go early as the shuttles leave when full in the morning starting at about 7:30am.

 

Capt. Ron

Thanks for the information. I was hoping they were still using the Ocean Terminal site.

Do you recall which cruise terminal Celebrity uses in Hong Kong? The older Ocean Terminal or the new Kai Tak?

Thanks Roothy123. You've been a fountain of information! Appreciate everything you've passed on to the rest of us.

Is there a supermarket in the vicinity of Piazzale Roma that is in easy walking distance to the cruise ship terminal?

Thanks. My husband drinks a lot of soda so we usually bring large quantities on board and store them in the cabin. It will help a little if some of his thirst can be quenched with freebies!

My question is on the sodas provided during meals. Is there a limit to the number that will be served? Is the serving in a glass or can? Can an extra serving be requested at the end of the meal, then taken out of the dining area, to-go?

There is a posting on the Viking Oceans forum that includes all of the dailies for the first leg. I see that there are a number of enrichment lectures, but quite a few occur during meal times. Are the lectures taped and broadcast on the TV for later viewing?

I don't think there was a free shuttle, because others I know took the Metro back and forth or used the included tour and I'm sure they would have used a free shuttl if available. We didn't go into town as I was sick with a cold, so went to visit a Pharmacy in Pireas as our excursion. :(

Thanks to everyone who answered my question regarding transportation from Piraeus to Athens.

This is a late question for someone who was on the first leg. Did Viking provide transportation from the port (Piraeus) to Athens? Were there more than one deparrture and pick up time? Was the transfer complimentary or paid? Any information would be appreciated. I'm trying to decide whether to book a tour or wing it on my own. Thanks.

We are sailing later this year and are interested in finding out a few things so that we are adequately prepared. Hope someone can help!

1. Are sodas complimentary all day throughout the ship, or only at meals?

2. We are in a V1 cabin. Are these outfitted with mini-fridges?

3. Is the evening dress code country club casual every night? No formal nights?

4. We enjoy ballroom dancing when we cruise. Is this available every night?

5. We also love to play trivia. Is this a daily activity?

Appreciate any information that can be provided. Thanks.