Dukefan

If it is a city we have been to  before but it has been a while since we last visited it, we will sometimes take Vikings Complimentary Panarama tour to reacquaint ourselves with the area and then head out on our own to visit our favorite spots.   If we have not visited the city before we will research the place, determine what we want to see, and then research the tour companies to determine which can best satisfy our requirements.  Since my wife has hearing challenges, we seldom will book a tour with more than three other couples.  We have been very successful in using Cruise Critic to put together these private tours.  We seldom take cruise ship tours unless they offer special access to a site that you can not arrange on your own or unless there is a significate risk in making it back to the ship before it departs - both these situations are rare.  If you don't want to take the effort and time to research a location, then I would probably recommend you book a ship's tour.

Having traveled in both the PS and PV, we like the PS better because of the double sink in the bath, the free dry cleaning and laundry, the earlier  booking times for the spa & restaurants, the additional extra booking at the restaurants prior to the cruise, the two hour earlier access to your cabin at departure, and most of all, the easy access to the Explorer Lounge.  That said, except maybe for trips longer than 15 days, we feel that the PV cabins offer significantly better value. 

With regard to rooms with PV sliders vs. doors, we have had each and like the PV rooms with sliders significantly more than the PV rooms with doors.  

22 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

All changed again with Viking Sun. Now she is at anchor off Hong Kong and the destination on her AIS is now listed as Hong Kong.

All this reminds me of when we would negotiate with the Chinese 20+ years ago.   You would get the deal all set and agreed to by both parties until you showed up for the signing and tranfer of payment.  When you arrived the person you had agreement with was not there and in their place was a new person who would anounce that they had replaced the previous person because the deal negotiated by the previous person was not good enough and was unacceptable.   The best way to deal with the situation was to say that the deal is unacceptable we will leave.  Their strategy I believe was to try and get you to better the agreement because when you said that you were walking away, they always eventually decided the orginal deal was acceptable after all.

After reading this article from last November, it appears likely that the handoff of the Viking Sun will occur in Shekou:  https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/china-merchants-shekou-and-viking-cruises-announces-formal-signing-of-jv-agreement/

Viking Sun now headed for Shanghai, China  and due to arrive on the 25th.  I wonder if there will be a name change? Probably I guess.

4 hours ago, old biddy said:

Our May cruise is 'locked' in MVJ, which I am sure means it is cancelled, but no email confirmation as yet.

 

Also no news about what is happening with Eastern Seaboard Explorer in September. Canada banned all cruises until Feb 2022 a couple of weeks ago so I was hoping for something by now. Plainly the cruise can't go, so some communication would be good.

All cruises in North America for 2021 including "Eastern Seaboard Explorer" are all showing "SOLD OUT" whatever that means except for the Panama Canal Cruises and the West Indies Cruises n November and December.

In looking at the Viking Site this morning it appears all Cruises until June 2021 have been deleted.   Between June and September 19, 2021 it appears the only cruises available are in Europe.  On September 19 the first non-Europe cruise appears to be between Tokyo and Hong Kong (Far Eastern Horizons).   Hopefully with vaccines and other measures we all will be able to get back to cruising by the end of this year.   I for one sure miss it!!

This post's subject sure is getting  "cheesy" 🙂

My favorite Sandwich is Applewood Bacon, Mozzarella, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Basil Leaves on a Baguette with Duke's Mayonnaise.  Makes my mouth water just thinking of it.

My favorite Cruise Ship Sandwich is the Steak Tartare on Rye Bread available on any Viking Ocean Ship at the Mansen's Norwegian Deli.     

3 hours ago, CharTrav said:

?? I'm looking at the VO site right now. In the Wake of the Vikings on Sept 1 is still available but with limited availability. Don't know why one would conclude that because the Eastern Seaboard Explorer is sold out on both Sept sailings the  Wake of the Vikings sailing would be in doubt. The two are not logically connected. As far as I can tell, Viking is following its typical seasonal pattern of sailing. The usual pattern of doing Caribbean sailings from October to March got blown to pieces this year and last. So I don't see anything odd at all. The season for Northern Europe/Baltic cruises is April to Sept with the notable exception of In Search of the Northern Lights.

 

Bottom line - IMHO no need to worry. 

CharTrav  after the Viking Star sailed from Bergen to Montreal on the "In Wake of the Vikings" from September 1st to September 15th it is scheduled to sail from Montreal to New York on "Eastern Seaboard Explorer" from September 15th.   When I checked the Eastern Seaboard Explorer sailing it was sold out.   Since that is sometimes Viking Code for getting ready to cancel I felt that if the Eastern Seaboard Explorer sailing is canceled then it makes little sense to sail Bergen to Montreal.  Of course, the other possibility is that the Eastern Seaboard Explorer sailing from Montreal to New York is in fact really sold out.  Since you are sailing on the In Wake of the Vikings Cruise, I hope for the latter.

I was looking at the Viking Ocean Schedule and noted that all sailings except in Europe and the Baltic Area are not listed or marked "Sold Out" between now and September 1st.   On September 1st "In the Wake of the Vikings" is still listed from Bergen to Montreal and on September 19th "Far Eastern Horizons" is still listed as the only two cruises in September listed that are not in Europe or the Baltic. But since the "Eastern Seaboard Explorer" from Montreal to New York on September 15th is listed as "Sold Out" it calls into question if the September 1st cruise to Montreal from Bergen will really happen.  It is beginning to look as if Vikings' Plan is to start back in the Baltic and Europe for most of 2021.

Definitely Brugge.  It is a wonderful city!

Does this mean the Star, the Sun and the Sky will all be in Mukran, Germany?

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

I agree with the Chief, as Marinetraffic is a more reliable site. The Sun has moved out to the anchorage a couple of times, most likely vacating the berth for inbound ships.

 

Orion is currently anchored off Port Suez at the canal's southern entrance. Her AIS now lists Trieste, Italy as the destination.

Trieste is near Venice isn't it?    Why would she be headed there? 

I am impressed with the things the Viking Crews are doing to entertain themselves (and us) during this really trying time for all of us who love cruising and those that make cruising possible.   They are wonderful folks and it not only shows when we are on board but even when we are not as you can see from this video.   Thanks Jimmy Bun for posting! 

The Viking Sun and Star are no longer docked in Mukran but are now both anchored less than 10 nm offshore between the Port of Mukran and Sassnitz, Germany.   The Viking Orion is near entering the Suez Cannal.

It has been fixed.

19 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

That's what I thought, expecting her to continue in the vicinity of Singapore, which has reasonable bunker prices.

 

Should have a better idea tomorrow morning, if she is heading up the Indian coast, or setting courses across the pond.

19 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

That's what I thought, expecting her to continue in the vicinity of Singapore, which has reasonable bunker prices.

 

Should have a better idea tomorrow morning, if she is heading up the Indian coast, or setting courses across the pond.

It sure appears now as if the Orion is headed  toward the Suez Canal & to Europe to join her sisters.

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

The "Special Survey" is the survey done every 5 years, so the 1st Special is just the first 5 year drydocking inspection.  There are a number of inspections and certificates that are issued at each survey, some annually, some at the mid-period of the 5 year Special Survey interval (Intermediate Certificates), and some at the 5 year period.  Some of the 5 year certificates require the same inspections regardless of how old the ship is, but the Special Surveys increase in detail the older the ship gets.  The 3rd Special is a turning point, as after this, the ship can no longer use an underwater (diver) survey in lieu of the intermediate drydocking, and the ship will need to dock twice in 5 years, and the amount of ultrasonic and x-ray testing of structural steel and welds goes way up.

Thanks, this helps.

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

The one I am watching with interest is Orion. After weeks of steaming at a couple of knots, she has probably topped-off with bunkers in Singapore and has left Malacca Straits. Last time I checked, her AIS still shows a Malaysian port on Sept 12th.

She appears to be headed to India where we think she dropped off crew a couple of months ago.

10 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Affirmative, the sequence was Star, Sea, Sky & Sun.

 

The drydock schedule depends on the labour available, hours of work and scope of work. I've never completed a 1st special survey, so not certain on the scope of work. We pulled shafts every 10 yrs and rudders/hubs every 5 yrs.

 

I have seen rudders, hubs & shafts pulled and re-installed in as little as 9 days on the P&O/Princess ships, but locally we normally spent almost 3 weeks on the blocks.

 

Drydock bookings are often made many years in advance. We drydocked twice every 5 years and had at least the next  2 dockings booked and confirmed. Many drydocks are fully booked years out, so not too many opportunities to vary the dates. Although H&W may be the exception, as the Stena ship was due to return to service Aug 17th, but she is still on the blocks.

Thanks.  I was curious if the Sea & Sky were waiting around H&W for a drydock opportunity.  It would seem little a good move at this time and would delete the need in 2021-2022.

On 8/22/2020 at 11:33 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

I believe the only Viking ship to have completed the 1st Special Survey/Drydock is the Star. In wet deck they can't complete any of the tasks that require drydocking, so only painting, hotel work and other minor work can be completed.

I understand from this post that the Viking Star has had its 1st Special Survey/Drydock.  Are the Viking Sea and Viking Sky the next two ships scheduled for this work? I know that the Viking Sun was built the same year as the Viking Sky but I don't know which is oldest.    If the Sea & Sky are the next ships scheduled for this work, could it be the reason they are still at Harland & Wolff.   Also, how long does the Drydock part of this work require?  Would it make sense to wait until the last minute to do this work before they actually start cruising again?

After 26 days of just going in small circles in the South China Sea the Viking Orion finally looks as if it is making its way to Singapore. 

After being docked at Alesund, Norway for three months since mid May, the Viking Star appears headed for Mukran, Germany. 

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I'm confused -- you are talking about those timings from the new area shown on the map?  If so, where is that info available? 

I used Google to get the bus times to the airport as well as the rental car times.  I also used Google for the boat connection to San Marco.