Azulann

Feta Cheese, I hope you post  a report of your cruise. That is one I would really like to do, looking at  Dec 30, 2024, If I can get my sister to agree. Have to decide by Dec 31 for our promotion. 

I have never been to Hawaii .

Wow! another new ship the Vela for 2025. Wonder where  that ship will cruise ?  thank you so much to all you do Char in putting this ongoing speed sheet together. 

Merry Christmas World cruisers. Now I have two WC to visually follow. The Viking Sky and The Viking Neptune ! 

Love to follow along on your great adventure. Will you ever meet up with the Sky  at a port call during your WC? 

Jim,  sorry you  did not like some the changes on Celebrity. 

If you are shopping around, check out Viking Ocean. Many Celebrity cruisers have been drawn to their ships. You would love the Explorer Suite either aft of forward. VO only have  465 stateroom. but they do not have a casino and no children under 18. The staff is outstanding on board in every area.

Safe travels home. I have so enjoyed following your trip report.

Merry Christmas. 

48 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Best way to tag along other than here is on Instagram where we are @ClaynMike

 I do not have instagram account.  Please do post here too. I love your pictures. I know you will have a  great world adventure  and all the World Cruisers 🥂 

I  prefer the aft location  so I can watch the wake. Love DV1 #4123!

2 minutes ago, PRH said:

Be aware that final payment for 2026 for that promotion is Nov 30, 2024!  We also discovered that you cannot change sailing date without cancellation and loss of your deposit.

Thanks so much for the heads up about that particular promotion. Good to know before I call Viking . BTW, I still have great memories about our TA cruise on the Viking Sea over Easter . Merry Christmas to you and your husband 🎄

Look forward to following virtually your World Cruise !

I will never get to many of the ports you will visit so reading  the thread  during this winter will be a relaxing  moment in my day.

1 minute ago, Clay Clayton said:

But do they give you more than that?  If not, then it’s likely (unless you’re doing a cruise longer than 27 days) that you aren’t getting the max allowed.  

mmm, our cruises are  15 days or less  and we usually do a Viking  post extension. It is an online agency, and the consultant I used no longer works there. so new one called me and taking over our  2025 cruise, I booked on board  June 23. I think I will ask him  before  I give him the new cruise we will book before Dec 31 with email promotion we received  for past cruisers  had an upcoming cruise scheduled. Can't remember if it had a code or not, but we hope to book a 2025 or 2026 cruise before the end of the year. Thanks Clay 

The TA I use gives  the cost of the gratuities for each of us no matter what the length of cruise .

Your pictures of the fjord is incredible. Just viewing them I felt so peaceful . Thank you 😍

Look forward to  reading your  report . Safe travels to down under. 

Thank you for your review and why you love  Viking Ocean ships. Same reason I do. 
I had two friends on your TA and they both said  this sailing was perfection ,  the solo gatherings, service, food , and most of all the people they met made thus a never to be related cruise for them . 

 Great to see the 2026 cruises are on the web site.

 I have till Dec 31 to use the promotion  Viking sent me   as cruiser  who had a booked a cruise  before Nov21.2023.  Need to talk to my sister over the weekend about a late 2025 o early r2026 cruise for us. 

I always like the Nautical Term  and definition in each Daily. Learn something everyday.

Been on 5 Viking Ocean cruises. Had many table for two in Restaurant. Mostly on the left side of room when you enter. We usually eat anywhere from 7 -8:15. So by the window some not,   some nights are somewhat noisy because people are having fun especially table of six or more, other times  it is just fine even if we  we get a table  near another two top. Always can have a conversation with my sister.

Chef table is always only half filled when we go there. Manfredi  is fine too  especially after 7:30. We do not eat in World cafe for dinner, we like to have full service and sit down and be served. Servers are always outstanding. 

Thank your trip report of your TA crossing.

I think it is up to individual passengers to read carefully the  tours offered by Viking  as to physical exertions needed for walking around a city or old part of town in foreign countries.

It is not the tour guide that should be responsible for those who do the walking tour and need to go back to bus or take a taxi on their own. Maybe if a crew member  is with every walking tour, they can help those less fit to figure out how to get back to ship  during a walking tour .

The descriptions of tours are very clear: walking over 1.5-3 miles over uneven pavement for 2-3 hrs is very clear. Others are labeled  demanding . The   easy label  means  it is a bus ride with photo stops etc.  

Thank you for posting  this positive experience with Viking Air  when the airline cancelled your flight at the last minute.

 One time  when I  used Viking Air they did solve the problem of  a cancelled flight  weeks before my cruise. They put me on another flight  a day early and put me up at a hotel. Next day I flew the rest of my journey to Bermuda. This was a cruise right after Viking started sailing again after the pandemic shutdown. 

56 minutes ago, Naismith said:

re soft drinks included only in dining room venues, or also at the buffet/deli spots?

Soft drink are  included during the lunch time and dinner time  in all venues. buffet, pool grill , Mamsen , any bar.  The times are listed in the Daily. I think lunch is from 11:30 -2:30? or something like that. Also in any DV cabin and above you  will have soft drinks in your mini frig. Your stateroom  attendant will stock it each day with what you would like. Let them know the first day what beverages you like.   

Enjoy your  Viking cruise.

Your post extension day sounds great. Been to all the sites you will be seeing. I read the description that you will go into the Blue Mosque. The tilework , rugs and hanging lights make it a spectacular space. The guide will give you a detailed background on this historic building. Wear socks because you will have to take your shoes off. Women should have a scarf they can put over their heads . But they do have some for women to wear. The cistern is the huge underground space beneath or next to the Haiga Sofia. You walk along a network of raised platforms . It is illuminated space  The famous iconic pillars are there with the head of Medusa at the base of some pillars. There is lots of signage , but if you have a guide even better . It is definitely something to see and explore. Did not do a cruise with lunch , but Turkish food is wonderful . I bought a carpet in the grand Baazar with an appointment  I made from home. Do go and wander around . You could probably just duck out of the carpet presentation and “ sales “. By then tour bus will take you to hotel  and your room will be ready for check in. I think Viking  does a really good job on their extensions. Hope you take a tour of the Tokapi palace site which is a full day of exploring the various buildings , but get a guide which are cheap and well worth it 

I see that Viking Ocean cruise line is not listed.  During the pandemic, with ships not sailing ,  ,they were paid from the Norwegian Seafarer Union.  

Enjoyed reading your trip report and review of the new ship.  thank you for taking the time  , and safe travels home.

2 hours ago, VintageCheap said:

We were on that one.

Maybe we met on board .‼️ I organized private tours in Istanbul and in Kusadasi for some on the roll call . We stayed four days after cruise in Istanbul . 

Look forward to your trip report. Last Celebrity ship I was on was the Constellation, a 12 day cruise out of Istanbul  in late October many years ago. One of my favorite cruises of all times. 

I love the M class ships even if they are now non glamour ships of Celebrity.

Been sailing on the Viking Ocean ships but I could be persuaded to try Celebrity again especially out of Tampa  for a nice winter getaway at a reasonable price.  

Never go to YouTube for any review or self promoters .