Azulann

HA, it did seem like our meet up place was the Aquavit Bar in late afternoon! It was usually empty before the WC dinner started. Met lots of nice couples there over our cruise.C did try a glass of CAVA on my recommendation. But C did not like the Argentina chardonnay after Carlos the bartender gave him a sample.I loved it oand ordered it at dinner in Restaurant most nights. I am still amazed at the zero waste policy at our Viking post hotel St. Petri. I did have a G& T made with their Breakfast Vodka. It is made with the leftover fruits scrapes from each breakfast menu . They send it to a local distillery to make the Breakfast Vodka for the hotel! It made for nice light fruity flavor in the G& T, but not something you would drink for a dry martini.

My sister and I just arrived home this evening too. I had a fun time meeting you and Diane and other's and seeing each other around the ship and on tours. Happy you booked a cruise while on board, we did too, but not till Feb 2025 . Now we have something to look forward to in the future. I think our cruise and its ports were outstanding in their own way I found the history of the Nordic countries so interesting and enlightening especially from the 20 th century to now.

As we left the restaurant tonight I saw the quote that cracked me up IMG_0808.mov Good night Tak for reading my trip report 🚢 I will do a summary on a day or two once home . I had high expectations and all were met and then some 🎉💕

Went on the canal boat tour this afternoon. It was another way to view the city and all the landmarks we passed on our walking tours and bus tours around town in the last two days!!!! The canal boat was only half full so easy to take pictures from the seats without heads in the view. I recommend it to anyone who is in Copenhagen if only for a port day , if you can squeeze it in as an extra excursion. Found a number of Danish artist shops, artist showing their ware in the various parks today. Got all the presents to bring home that I needed. Today was the HS graduates from various schools on back of pick up trucks drinking, celebrating and then stopping at a park and running around blowing kazoos! Everyone in holiday spirit. For dinner we went to a restaurant overlooking a canal and the Kissing bridge called Naevaer. It has small plate menu with absolutely the freshest ingredients in their seafood, meats , soups perfectly prepared so savory. Perfect ending to our last night in Copenhagen Denmark. Viking transfer at 6:30 am on Sat to airport and then the grueling travel home to MSP.

So happy who are read my trip report . I do plan to write a final summary of what I learned about Nordic countries I have visited on this trip ‘ it has been an enlightening education for me , and memories I will treasure always .

I was just off Viking Jupiter yesterday. I thought the wines were very good. I like white wine. I found a nice Italian white in Manfredi's and a San Julla , Chardonnay from Argentina that I drank in the Restaurant and bar. I also love that they have added Cava wine to their sparkling wine list. I prefer Cava to champagne.

DAY 11 , ST. HANS EVE( MIDSUMMER) COPENHAGEN Last full day/night in Denmark, and we end with a national celebration of midsummer . The tradition is to light bonfires on beaches, in parks and at some point throw cutout paper German witches in fire! A guide did say they have banned the bonfires tonight in pars due to extreme drought here in Copenhagen. We will go on a canal boat ride this morning before it gets too hot and do some more walking around and seeing what strikes our fancy. https://www.guide-collective.com/gc-magazine/eve-of-sankt-hans-danish-celebration

Staying the Ski. Petri hotel in old town area close walking stance to most everything. The room is one of the biggest European hotel rooms I have ever had in Europe. The view from our window is the stain glass round window of the German Church. Disembarkation was at 9;15 am yesterday . Viking can definitely improve its communication about procedures for getting our bags in terminal and at the hotel. Mixed information just causes folks to become irritated when two Viking agents say two different things But in the end all bags got on the buses, to hotel, and eventually to our rooms. Did a two hr walking tour provided by Viking from our hotel. We also walked the pedestrian shopping street. Visited Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Store. For dinner four of us went to the Food Market, a five minute walk former hotel. Walked through rows of produce and found a Smorgasbord food stand , so many to choose from in this lively place. I had liveposti, a coarser type of live pate on thick danish rye bead topped with pickled beets ,lingonberries and bacon. Others had shrimp salad and roast beef . aFor dessert we had a sampling of Danish fruit tarts, donuts, and a basket of fresh strawberries from the market.

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Day 10 Copenhagen disembark ; Viking post extension stay tuned . We get a Viking two hr walking tour this morning from our hotel .

We want to do a canal boat ride on Friday . It looks like a great way to view Copenhagen!

10 pm all suitcases out in hall . Breakfast at 7;30 am then transfer to our hotel at 9;30. here are some pictures of our excursion to Dragor a charming village beyond the airport . It has thatched roof house painted yellow founded by Dutch farmers to grow food for Copenhagen by King Christian 4th. this was also the marina that the Danish boats left for Sweden with families of Danish Jews

10 pm all suitcases out in hall . Breakfast at 7;30 am then transfer to our hotel at 9;30. here are some pictures of our excursion to Dragor a charming village beyond the airport . It has thatched roof house painted yellow founded by Dutch farmers to grow food for Copenhagen by King Christian 4th. this was also the marina that the Danish boats left for Sweden with families of Danish Jews

Yes, they have both in every bar. I am on the Jupiter for the last full day. Others have posted the bar menus on various threads here. The one live report by CCWine Lover has the wine menus on his live trip report on the Viking Saturn.

Here the the current senior officers and staff

As we enter the port area

DAY 9 Copenhagen Day 9 In today"daily; 3:30-7:00 am. scenic Sailing of the Oresund Straits(unheated) Enjoy the sweeping views as we Salil the Oresund straits with the possibility of view of Kronborg Castle a.k.a. "HamletCastle"at approx. 3;50 am. Thanks Viking for heads up 😀 Room service breakfast will arrive at 6am. Need to be in Star Theater for our excursion "Charming Coastal Copenhagen". We book this excursion to see something outside the city. We will have a 2 hr walking tour of Copenhagen tomorrow after we get our our hotel..

I never got a reply to my email for the Jupiter. So on first day I went o Guest Relations and asked the person to notify General Manager and Cruise Director we have a Cruise Critic Roll Call and would like to set up a meet and mingle gathering with Viking. They did and it was day 6 in the cruise because we had no sea days on our itinerary and had to find a time mint he daily schedule. It was well attended and by staff and roll call.I did give them stateroom numbers of those on roll call who were interested.

We took an hour ride to Jelling from the port. Our guide Paul and driver Christina were fabulous. We were given the Viking history of Gorm the Old and his son Harald Bluetooth. We saw the small Jelling stone, the oldest around 950AD, that read "King Gorm made these runes in honor of his wife Tyra, pride of Denmark". This is the first mention of "Denmark". The larger most beautiful rune stone reads "King Harald ordered these remembrances made for Gorm, his father, and Tyra, his mother who won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and christened the Danes". Herald brought Christianity to Denmark. We also walked up the on Gorm's burial mound, the largest known Viking Age mound. Viking legend/mystery, in 1820 the citizens of Jelling dug into the mound in search of water and found an empty burial tomb. In 1861and1942 archaeological digs provided no answers. Where was Gorm? A grave, dating back to the Viking Age, was found under the Jelling church during significant excavations. Maybe the bones were those of Gorm which had been moved from the tomb in Northern Mound to the chambered tomb underneath the long-house which was replaced by the church. So Gorm ended up under the floor of the church! The interactive UNESCO Nationalmuseet allowed you to view the surrounding countryside from the rooftop and gave you a view as it would have looked back in time! The museum gift shop was very nice and the clerk was marking on her map all the different states her customers had come from! I truly enjoyed visiting perhaps some of my oldest relative!

How wonderful for you and your sister to do a Danish Heritage tour with a genealogist/guide after your cruise. I would love to something similar land trip another time. I am feeling a lot better this afternoon and will be ready for our 4 days in Copenhagen, two nights on the ship and two night at hotel on Viking extension. We got letter this morning that they are offering a 4 hr walking tour on disembarkation day when we arrive at our hotel.

Day 8 Aarhus ,Denmark Overcast skies and cooler temp. the sun set at 10:11 tonight! We are in an industrial port , only a few on this itinerary. Excursion is "The Birth of Denmark", 4 1/2 hrs. My sister will report on this, because I did not go . The German food I had last night did not agree with me. So taking a relaxing day on board to get back to full strength. Had room service for lunch, the chicken soup, French fries was was what I needed , it tasted so good. Tonight is seafood , lobster night in World cafe and restaurant. I should feel better by then to have a nibble of lobster. .

I am currently on the Viking Jupiter. First cruise post pandemic. Staff, dining service all excellent as before. I did not go to any entertainment because our cruise is port intensive and most of our excursions were at 8:00 am assembly so stateroom breakfast early and alway we go. Realized that as I get older I do like my sleep , usually in bed on the ship by 9:30.pm. This ship was sold out but did not feel like it was crowded at all , only a few times when coming for a lecture at 6pm there is a wait for seating in Restaurant, but only for about 10 minutes max.

Congratulation! on board a Viking ship today or the very first time. Look forward to your reports from a rookie viewpoint Cheers!🛥️🥂