Azulann

Yes, I too wanted to do this GR Odyssey in 2024. We booked GR, Odyssey for Feb 2025 and there is not another itinerary of this after ours. Do not know why nothing in 2024 until late Nov Dec?. I do know there will be two World cruises in early 2024 for VO. Maybe the reason? I would do Greek itinerary anytime expect summer. Looking forward to our "quiet season " of Feb.2025

I just checked the Viking Ocean Web site. link under current sailings. Israel – As of October 10, 2023 We are carefully monitoring the situation in Israel. We have no scheduled calls in Israel until late November and will continue to evaluate conditions in the days and weeks to come. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground; should any itinerary modifications become necessary, impacted guests and their Travel Advisors will be contacted directly by Viking Customer Relations. Check with your Travel agent sounds like the thing to do in the coming weeks. Hope you have signed up on your roll call for your ship. You will find better information here than on this more general Viking forum .

So looking forward to your trip report on an expedition ship. What a wonderful itinerary to the tip of South America. You will have a total different night sky to observe than the usual one from the USA. Hope you have a totally unexciting flight to Santiago.

Traveled on Delta /KLM in June to Europe. All flights were full. I was amazed on our return flight on Delta from AMS to MSP that many were families: grandparents, adult children and grandkids. I just kept thinking what the price of their tickets were: WOW;Unless, of course ,these families all worked for Delta. 🙂 Our next cruise will be in Feb2025 from Greece. We figured there would be very few kids on our flights, less tourists at various sites, and cooler weather.

My recent VO cruise"Scenic Scandinavia" in June 2023, we booked half of the included excursion and the other half were option excursions which we paid for. Got all of them within 20 minutes when I was able to book them . We were in DV stateroom. I really loved the optional tours. Great guides and anywhere from 16-24 folks on an excursion.

In pre-pandemic days, I always was on robust rolls calls. There you could find folks who wanted to hire a private guide for excursions as a option. We always booked direct with the guide not through a third party . Recently it is harder to find these guides online and bypassing the Viator etc. Thanks for the info on Dan the Man. What a wonderful day you and your party had with him.

I have head that stuff for years on CC boards.It comes and goes about Spain, Italy too ,in years pass. I have sailed out of and into Barcelona and other Spanish ports. Never seen it on a cruise ship. SPAIN IS PART OF THE EU AND THEY DO HAVE A VAT TAX ON GOODS. Viking never breaks out taxes like some other cruise lines, and even when buying a drink, the tip is included not added. I would not worry about what is discussed on NCL threads.

So glad I found your live trip report! I so enjoyed your trip report on Viking Ocean. My question is : does the new Vista have the same openness as a Viking ship? Can one see sky, water when in common spaces ? Or is there drapery hanging from the ceiling ,are there walls of windows? I am a Viking Cruiser because of the ship design ,first and foremost. Eating on he Aquavit deck and enjoy the expansive view from the Explorer lounge are my favorite spots on an any cruise ship I have ever been on( Celebrity 10 cruises) before I found Viking. Look forward to your wonderful photo of your journey to Miami.

Go ports of call on CC. Look for Panama City. Ask there about thing to do and excursions to take while in Panama City. You will lots more suggestions than on Viking Forum. You can see some the canal, it history , visit the old town area, Learn the history of Panama and the burning of Panama City and Portobello by English pirates etc. I loved my Panama Canal cruise and visiting Central America and Mexico . The canal itself is a wonder of the world.

All three places on our cruise in June 2023 . I love reading the paper printed daily for the next day in bed in the evening. It was always on our bed just like all my previous Viking cruises.

I having been sailing on Viking Ocean for this very reason. Now I can add another cruise line to consider in the future.

Enjoying your trip report. Your description of the ship as modern, neutral decor with floor to ceiling windows is good to know. I hate being on a ship that reminds me of a Vegas or old country club decor. I like being able to see the sky and sea and know I am on a ship, not some draped , low ceiling space where they serve food. Glad you are having great meals in various venues.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Did you cruise on Viking River or Ocean.? Just asking because originally, River cruise folks could refer people and after so many referral they got a free River cruise. See the pinned thread at the top of the Viking Ocean ocean forum. I don't think that referral program works like in the past. I referred my sister and brother in-law when they also booked the same cruise I had booked. I asked the Viking rep about the referral. He said I had to asked for it , it was not automatic. So I got $100 per person for this couple, and they got the same. He gave me a future voucher . We were beyond final payment and close to sailing. I used this $200 voucher later when I booked on board: it showed up on my last cruise invoice for June of 2023. This was all on Viking Ocean.

The new Vela ,which will be ready to sail in early 2025 .will meet those requirements. Their first itineraries will be the Northern Lights. Check out the Viking Ocean Web site.

I did ask at excursion desk if they had a biography of Alfred Nobel while on my cruise in June. She said she would check in office. Came back in a few minutes and said no they did not have it. The do have a bibliography of books on the ship that they can check. As Clay stated,there is a couple of selves in Living room where past guest have left books. Many of them are novels. Others all around the ship , a l book readers paradise. I also use the RESOURCE link on the main Viking Ocean web page for my particular itinerary. There you will find a curated list of books and movies that will be about your particular cruise. These are all curated by a bookstore in England. I usually read number of the histories that are listed before hand as part of my research. Then I always bring a novel set in the area I will be visiting. I loved the book ICE by Ulla-Lena Lundberg .Written in Swedish , but read the English translation.It is set in 1946 and takes place on Aland island! Also watched Babbitt's Feast and the A Fortunate Man ,both movies that are set in Denmark . Up next in 2025 is a Greek Odyssey cruise, so I will revisit some of the history and literature for Greece. Happy reading and enjoy your upcoming cruise.

What recent cruise were you on? I was on the Jupiter in June. Asked for the list of Chef table menus the first day of our cruise. We change one reservation for table for two and got another , no problem. We were open to eating anytime before 8:30. On one evening we were waiting to get into Restaurant for dinner. There were about four copies ahead of us. The host for Chef Table appeared and asked if anyone was interested in eating at Chef table now? We said yes, and another couple and us were escorted to Chef Table and seated at tables for two. I think each cruise is unique in some respects as to the dining and reservations. Our Jupiter cruise had no sea days btw so maybe folks were tired after excursions and cancelled some of their reservations at Chef Table or Manfredi? Never had a problem getting more than one Chef table reservation on all my five previous cruise. Sorry you were not able to get additional reservations for a table for two.

I absolutely love coffee. I grind my own beans every morning for my morning coffee at home. I always have them remove the Nespresso machine. My sister and I need that space in a DV cabin. always get our morning coffee in the Living room. my sister works out everyday at 6am and bring me a to go cup when she get back to room. Then I have my cappuccino later in morning in Living Room.

Love your pictures of your hike today . Reminds me of Northern MN . That staircase is similar to one I went down with a Duluth pack on my back and we slid our canoes down the steps . We were portaging in the BWCA in MN . I was in my 40’s at the time . One and only wilderness trip of a lifetime . Love your trip report as always .

Love the water pressure in shower on Viking ships

Looks forward to reading about your cruise on the Lake Superior. yes, I did hear about the rain in Duluth. Most of the state is is serious drought so any rain is needed. Enjoy Thunder Bay, it was many years ago we were there. Thank you for your posts on this expedition ship Polaris. t

What wonderful hospitality you all received by the people of the village. Warms one's heart.

HAHA! I do like the Viking Luggage tags and have them on my stuff even if I am not flying to a Viking cruise. Phil, what cruise are flying to have another great vacation?

I also enjoyed the Erling Scandinavian chef table dinner on a previous cruise. Your pictures bring back memories. Seeing it is a sea day, I would certainly talk to Food manager about the nuts in desserts. Go toughest relations and ask to speak ot food manager.The chef will certainly make a dessert that is without nuts . Talk to folks behind the counter at World Cafe and let your waiter know when you sit down for dinner that you have a nut allergy. Viking has always been very accommodating with any food allergies of any kind. Am enjoying your trip report so much.

Have read this thread and the one you are doing on Ponant Forum. Welcome to the Midwest. Our weather will be perfect this weekend when you fly into MSP airport. Enjoy Milwaukee. and do have a German dinner. My son went to Marquette University so I got to know some of the city during those years. I look forward to your cruise on a Great Lake and on a French owned ship. I sailed Celebrity for many years. Loved the M class ships. Then booked a Viking Ocean and have found my new favorite cruise line. It too is European owned ; love their service, ship design, food and their emphasis on the history of the area you are visiting and having a resident historian on board. I can feel your excitement about your new adventure , happy for you both.

Absolutely fabulous picture! The lighting is amazing. Looking forward to your report of visiting this Greenland village.