WanderingBrit

120 days for Virgin Voyages, my only other contemporary data point.

QE2 had a small ladder and platform too, no direct door

That's a very low hydration dough, I would expect it to be like a bagel once baked - and to require a lot of kneading!

Rick Steves has been posting very recently from Iceland and describes it as a cashless society now.

By my reckoning, that means Jacquart Brut should be covered under SS and the new $15/glass limit?

I'm 99% confident that the answer is "No", but would be happy to be proved wrong. The Tripmate policy is specifically written for a stated itinerary.

If you’re able to find availability on a Viking cruise at 3 or 4 months from sailing you’ll be fine then.

And once you've noted a preference, expect them to track you down each day to discuss. We were sat in the Wintergarden on a sea day, almost entirely alone reading over a beer, when someone from the catering department approached us with a menu for the next day for my wife to review. The same thing happened every day, and they new in advance of her preference when we were at Chef's Table too.

We’re booked on Empires of The Med for March precisely because of heat and crowds later in the year.

Why would you think anyone here would know, when EU authorities haven’t published a date yet?

No, they do different things. ETIAS manages the authorization to enter the EU for those doing so without a visa, and is valid for 3 years at a time. ESS tracks visitors entering and exiting to ensure they do not overstay, irrespective of whether they enter under a visa or ETIAS.

As a follow on to the topic of insurance - I found that an annual policy, with no limit on the number or nature of trips, was less expensive than TripMate for a single 10 night cruise.

What time did you arrive at the harbor?

During the mass cancellations of cruises in 2020 and 2021 passengers were offered either a full refund, or a future cruise voucher worth 125% or more of their original fare.

I admire the optimism that enables people to generously share tips here for those who can’t/won’t/don’t read T&Cs, thinking that those same people would ever use a forum search 😜

I just emailed customer service requesting the change, which they made without further question and in under 24 hours.

That is not correct, per my very recent experience. I requested a change to final payment date after paying deposit.

I've seen it referred to once or twice in older YouTube ship tours, but it wasn't used at all when we were last aboard Viking Orion in 2021. Curious if any recent cruises have seen it in use, and if so for what? Kevin

Nicely thought out and written. We'll be on Jupiter at the end of next week and it sounds like I should take your recommendation to ask to be seated in Feri & Derrick's area - you were able to have a table for two easily enough, and not too close to larger/louder tables?

I don't think you, specifically you personally, should book travel directly on your own. You would be better off using a travel agent who understands how vouchers and insurance work, what the cruise line vaccination policy is, and with the time to explain it to you before you spend money. Your insurance does not have "$0 of coverage". It has coverage for medical emergencies, lost luggage, a whole range of covered losses, in addition to your actual cruise fare costs - which is indeed $0 in this case. The T&C of vouchers are not secret, Viking's Vaccination policy is not secret. Within the last 2 weeks there was another thread almost identical to yours, right here, from a chap who accused Viking of stealing his money. There too the complainant had not read/understood vouchers or the insurance policy he had purchased and blamed others.

I'm fairly certain that the lower decks have larger balconies - the rear of the ship steps out to the stern. That's how it seemed when I looked down on 3 from our ES on 4. Shade from the overhang is only likely to make any difference if the sun is directly overhead. I might be more concerned about proximity to the infinity pool when on deck 5, though I'm told they now routinely lower the water level to avoid sloshing when under way. Our sun loungers were arranged so they faced directly aft, so you're under the overhang of the balcony above in any event. Viking Ocean Cruise Ships Cabin Guide and Review: Full Suites (viking-cruises-cabin-guide.blogspot.com)

Our upcoming cruise has been completely sold out for over 8 months, so the answer need be no more complicated than that. For the cruise after the one upcoming I emailed customer service and requested final payment be adjusted to 6 months, citing my upcoming booking number, and they complied within a day.

Clutches pearls - not 'stringed instrument solo' as hold music - won't anyone think of the children!

Couldn't. Find. The. Cutty. Sark. 🤦‍♂️

My wife will be pleased to hear that, as we're due to join Jupiter at the end of the month.