Moonlion

On our cruise, the pasta carbonara, gnocchi and the Osso Buco were delicious. We didn't like the lasagna at all - some strange bechamel topping that was thin and hard as a cracker.

As discussed in some of the previous posts, we've concluded that Viking probably cancelled the optional excursions in the Orkneys because there were three ships on the island that day - the Viking Neptune, the Viking Venus and AIDA’s Luna (over 2000 passengers). With 4000 passengers in town, there may not have been enough tour operators to service the two Viking ships.

Agree completely with this comment. I had done quite a bit of research (on CC. TripAdvisor and FB) before booking our independent excursions. I was well aware that Orkney (Kirkwall), the Shetlands (Lerwick) and Ullapool can often be missed at the last minute because of weather conditions. For this reason, we booked Craigie's Taxi on the Orkney Islands which allowed payment after the tour was completed, therefore mitigating our financial risk if ship was not able to make the port. I did not arrange independent tours in Ullapool or the Shetland Islands, instead booking Viking optional and included excursions. Although they may exist, I wasn't able to find independent tour operators at Lerwick or Ullapool that offered a full refund if ship couldn't dock. I booked our remaining independent tours (Holyhead, Liverpool, Belfast and Invergordon) through TripAdvisor/Viator which offered a more generous cancellation policy (full refund up to 24 hours before tour) versus booking directly with the tour providers. The TripAdvisor/Viator tour costs were about 10-15% higher but worth it in our opinion for the 24-hour cancellation policy. The quality of all our independent tours ranged from excellent to outstanding and included many fewer passengers than on the Viking excursions we took (both Viking optional and included). Our independent tour prices were about half of Viking's optional excursion prices, and were generally longer/more comprehensive, covering more sites. The downside, of course, with an independent excursion is not making it back to the ship in time for sail-away. However, all the independent tour companies we booked are very experienced with conducting shore excursions and have an excellent reputation for returning passengers to the ship at least an hour before departure time. Of course, rare incidents can still occur causing passengers to miss the sail-away but all the companies we went with had good backup plans and even "guarantees" in place. Their reputations depend on it. However, for "zero risk" of missing the boat, you'll need to stay with the ship's excursions.

Be aware that there can be changes to port arrival and departure times. Our original invoice said that we would be in Dublin until 11 PM. About a month or so before the cruise, the departure time was changed to 6 PM in My Viking Journey and in our final documents. However, if Viking is offering excursions in the evening in Liverpool, you should be on solid ground (pun intended).

We had the same experience on our May '23 BIE cruise. We went to Manfredi's twice: the first time, the steak was excellent; the second time, it was thin, fatty and overcooked.

Agree, makes much more sense that it was the quantity of tour providers (with 3 ships on the island) versus the quality.

The Orkneys were unusual. When shore excursions were first listed in MVJ last December, there was the included excursion and 6 or 7 optional excursions available. A month or two later, all the optional excursions were suddenly removed from MVJ and only the included tour remained. I never learned why but someone onboard had heard that Viking was not satisfied with the quality of the local tour vendors in the Orkneys on our sailing. The May 13th Viking Venus stopped in Orkney the same day we did, and they also had no optional excursions available to them, just the included. We wanted to visit Scara Brae which was not on the itinerary of the included excursion and thus booked a 4-hour tour of the Orkneys with Craigie’s Taxi. We were very happy with our experience.

On our BIE cruise this May, we were directed to The Restaurant (our assigned muster station; others may have been assigned to other stations) for a 5- minute instruction on putting on the life vests. No more Covid testing or procedures.

We just got off the May 9-23 BIE cruise and didn’t miss any ports. However, I think we were very fortunate with the weather. From my research, it seems that both Orkney and the Shetlands can be missed due to winds and rough seas. If these islands are on your bucket list, you may want to consider a land trip. Once you book the cruise, the port times will be listed in your Viking invoice. On our cruise, we arrived at most ports between 7-8 AM and departed at 5 or 6 PM. Ullapool was the only port where we had a half day (arrived around noon and departed at 5 PM). Keep in mind that you will be asked to be back on board about an hour before the departure time.

@What was that? I believe we were on the same Northern Lights sailing as you in January ‘22. I can’t remember but thought we may have met up with you at our informal roll call meet-and-greet? It was our first Viking Ocean cruise and, despite the MANY Covid procedures in place both before and during that cruise, we had a great time…and saw the lights! While onboard the NL cruise, we booked this BIE cruise and a future South America & Chilean Fjords cruise for February ‘24. Laura and Ernie from Maryland

Well, we leave the ship this morning 😢. Yesterday, we explored Bergen on our own, skipping the included excursion. Beautiful weather again today, sunny, warm. We took the funicular to Floibanen. The views of Bergen at the top on a sunny day are to die for. We decided to walk back down. Easy walk on a well-marked, groomed path, and through the forest with nice views all the way down. Dinner was very good last night in the Restaurant. We’ve had a fantastic time on this cruise, but it goes by so quickly. We’re independently extending our trip: one night in the Thon Orion Hotel in Bergen; then taking the scenic train to Oslo; and 2 nights in Oslo (Thon Opera Hotel) before heading back to the States. Bon Voyage to all future travelers!

Deleted.

Sorry, not so in our case. Our optional excursion, Scenic Assynt, had 2 buses - ours had exactly 44 passengers, the other had close to 50 according to another passenger on that bus. Our optional excursion, Walking the Nature Trails of Moussa Island, was almost a full bus, more than 35 I would say.

Sorry, I don’t really know what people are tipping the guides/drivers on the Viking excursions which are usually large bus tours with 40-50 passengers. From what we could see, most people discreetly handed the tour guide some kind of tip at the end of the tour but I have no idea the amount.

Day 13 (May 21st, Shetland Islands): Today, we woke to gorgeous sunshine, calm seas, no winds and balmy temps. We were told by our tour guides and every local we encountered today that this is extremely unusual for the Shetland Islands. We did two Viking Excursions, one optional and the other the included one. In the morning, we did the “Walking the Nature Trails of Moussa Island” ($129 pp). If all conditions line up perfectly, this could be a fabulous experience…or a disaster. Ours fell somewhere in between. There is a half hour bus ride to the small pier across from Moussa Island and then a half hour boat ride to the Island. The tour description said we would walk about about 3 miles around the perimeter of the island to learn about the island’s wildlife. However, we were only able to walk about a half mile to the Broch (which was interesting to visit) and back the same way because of poor ground conditions (heavy rains the past couple of weeks made the walking paths very muddy and slippery). Also, we didn’t see as much wildlife as expected (the birds and wildlife haven’t arrived in full yet because of a very cold spring). Sheep roam freely on the island and therefore there’s a LOT of sheep dung everywhere! The tour is described as “demanding.” However, the most strenuous activity was avoiding slipping in the mud and not stepping in the sheep dung 🤣. Although we enjoyed the hike and lovely sunshine, we probably wouldn’t recommend this excursion. The Shetlands are known for their strong winds. Our tour guide said that the boat ride is often canceled several times a week in the summer because of rough seas and winds. Not sure what alternative Viking would offer if this excursion were canceled. We did the included excursion in the afternoon (Shetland Panorama and Ponies). It’s a 1 hour, 45 minute bus ride to the western side of the Island with a couple of photoshops along the way. The “Ponies part” consisted of 5 or 6 Shetland Ponies in a pen by the side of the road and a 10-15 minute presentation by the breeder. Some people seemed to enjoy this excursion while others commented that it was a waste of time. Although OK, it wasn’t one of our top-rated excursions on this cruise. Dinner tonight in the Restaurant was excellent, every dish we ordered was perfectly prepared and delicious!

Ours didn’t include a description of a lunch stop either. However, we stopped for an hour in Inverness to see the Inverness Castle (not open to the public now) which was enough time to grab a quick lunch. Unless, you arrange a private tour (e.g., skip the drive down to Loch Ness), there’s not enough time to tour both Urquhart and Cawdor Castle. Urquhart is one of the Outlander sites, but basically a ruins. Cawdor is a working castle, beautifully decorated inside and the gardens are truly amazing. All the sites were interesting, but Cawdor was a highlight, at least for those of us on our tour.

No, not on this tour. However, I believe that Thistle offers another excursion that stops at a distillery.

The Uber from the Royal Yacht Britannia to the top of the castle took about 25 minutes; from Holyroodhouse to the New Haven pier, it took a little over 15 minutes. Of course, your travel time could be more or less depending on traffic, which will depend on day of week, time of day, etc. We were in Edinburg on a Friday. When we got to the Castle around noon, it was mobbed. I was glad we decided not to purchase tickets to the Castle because we probably would have skipped it.

TripAdvisor referred to ours as “Tour 2.” Our excursion included a tour of Cawdor Castle and a drive by of Urquhart (which is basically a ruin).

Day 12 (May 20th, Invergordon): We did an independent tour today with Thistle Excursions which I booked through TripAdvisor ($150 pp). We visited a lot of sites on this 7-hour excursion: Culloden Battlefield, Clara Cairns and Beauly Priory from the Outlander series, Cawdor Castle and Gardens (beautiful castle and gardens - not to be missed in our opinion!), lunch stop in Inverness, Loch Ness (we didn’t spot Nessie 🥲), and more. Our guide, June, was excellent and there were only 6 of us in a minivan, all fellow passengers from the Neptune. The weather was lovely in the morning and held out until the mid-afternoon when we had some light rain on and off. Fortunately, we had done all the outdoor activities by then. We thoroughly enjoyed this excursion and can highly recommend. Dinner tonight in The Restaurant was excellent!

Day 11 (May 19th, Edinburg): Brilliant day! We did not do any tours today, Viking or independent. Instead, we used Google Maps and Uber (easy and fast in Edinburg) to get around the city. The weather was perfect - sunny, and almost too warm for a long sleeve tee shirt. The ship anchored in New Haven harbor. To get a tender spot when touring independently, we needed to sign up at Guest Services in the Atrium when ready to leave. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to be called. We took the 8:30 AM tender and got to shore a little before 9 AM. Our first stop today was an independent tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia. I had booked tickets online before leaving the States for the 9:30-9:45 AM entry time, but it looked like you could buy tickets onsite. We walked from the New Haven Pier to the RYB in less than 20 minutes, and made our entry window in plenty of time. They provide audio guides and the tour was excellent, a fascinating look into the Royal Family and luxury yachting! After the tour (took about an hour and 15 minutes), we had tea and scones or cake in the Tea Room onboard the RYB. This tour was a lot of fun! We then Ubered from the RYB to the top of the Edinburg Castle (£12). Viking offers a free shuttle from the pier to Charlotte Square which is a few blocks from the Castle, but we didn’t want to waste any time. We didn’t buy tickets to the Castle but could walk up to the top of the esplanade to take photos and enjoy the views of the city. From the Castle, we walked the Royal Mile using Rick Steve’s free app “Audio Europe” which includes a “walking tour” of the Royal Mile. Along the way we visited the Edinburg Museum and had a snack and beer at a local pub. The Holyroodhouse at the end of the Royal Mile is closed until the end of May. We Ubered back to the pier (£11). We had dinner at Manfredies. The starters and sides were excellent. The mains and pasta were a bit overcooked or dry tonight. A lovely day in Edinburgh!

Because we request to sit at a window seat and have dined at different times, we’ve been seated at all sections of the Restaurant and have had lots of different waiters. The waitstaff work in teams and they’ve all been excellent in our opinion - experienced, efficient and professional.

Day 10 (May 18th, Kirkwall/Orkney Islands): Woke up early and went to the World Cafe for coffee and cereal. Lo and behold, the Viking Venus was anchored across from us on our starboard side. This must be the Venus BIE cruise that departed on May 13th from Bergen to London. Hello Venus! We joined our new friends we had “e-met” on the CC roll call for a private excursion of the Orkneys (we also did the Beatles tour with them in Liverpool). This port was odd - Viking only offered an included excursion but no optionals for some reason. The 2-hour Viking included excursion did not include some of the top Neolithic sites such as Skara Brae which we really wanted to see. Therefore, Michelle arranged with Craigie’s taxi a 4-hour tour (£200 total/£50 pp) that included Ring of Brodgar, Stones of Stenness, Skara Brae (amazing site, not to be missed!), Skaill House, the Brough of Birsay, the Earl’s Palace at Birsay, and the Cliffs of Yesneby (breathtakingly beautiful!). Our driver, Collin, is not an “official” tour guide but he was very knowledgeable about the Orkney Islands and the sites we visited. Orkney is another port that can be cancelled because of bad weather. Craigie’s doesn’t require advance payment; you pay with cash or card after you complete the tour with them. We saw so much in our 4-hour tour! Collin dropped us off in town after tour. We visited the beautiful St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall before walking back to the tender boats (a 5-minute walk). Kirkwall is a tender port but we had no problem getting a tender boat to shore and back for our independent excursion. We had dinner again tonight at the Chef’s Table. Tonight’s menu was Erling’s Scandinavian Bistro. It’s an “adventurous” menu (some unique Norway dishes). but we really enjoyed it! Some great wine pairings too. Another delightful day!

Ha, ha. DH, who is a night owl, did the same thing. No way was he willing to get up at 6:30 AM on a sea morning. He said all washers were free on our floor.

Day 9 (May 17th, Ullapool): Today is a half sea day. The ship arrived in Ullapool in the late morning, and our excursion wasn’t until the afternoon. We really appreciated the little (half) break from this very port intensive itinerary! The public areas of the ship seemed so “uncrowded” this morning despite a full ship. Well, I now know where everyone was…the Laundry Room. I woke up early and thought I would start a load before breakfast. I got there around 6:45 AM and nabbed the last washing machine. By 7 AM, people were lining up! There are four or five laundry rooms on the ship, each with 4 washing machines and 4 dryers on top. The instructions are reasonably clear although I was really glad that someone more experienced was in the room who could explain how to work the detergent dispenser. We went to the World Cafe this morning for a quick breakfast and again for lunch before our excursion. This was the first time we went to the WC on this cruise. It was busy but not crowded. No problem finding a table and no queues at the buffet. I’m convinced everyone was still in the laundry room 🤣. There was an interesting lecture this morning on the history and culture of the Vikings, dispelling several preconceived notions about the Vikings, and another on the natural biology of the region (unfortunately, we missed that one). We’re getting behind on the lectures since we’ve been touring all day long but trying to catch up in the evenings with the taped lectures. The weather gods finally decided to rain on us this afternoon…a light steady rain but no heavy downpours fortunately. Ullapool is a tender port but it was very efficient getting from ship to port. We did a Viking optional excursion this afternoon, Viking’s Scenic Assynt ($159 pp). We decided to go with Viking rather than an independent excursion because Ullapool can be missed due to heavy winds and/or rough seas. The excursion was mostly a bus tour of the Scottish Highlands with a few photo-stops (10-20 minutes each) along the way. Our guide was very good, and recounted the history, culture, folklore of the Highlands. The scenery was rugged and starkly beautiful, and exactly what we were looking for. All in all, we were satisfied with this excursion. Tonight we dined at the Chef’s Table and tried a new menu for us: La Route des Indies. Wow, we both LOVED this menu, really interesting and unique flavors/spices, and the premium wine pairings were outstanding! It seems that, on this cruise, the CT has a lot of openings, while Manfredies is booked solid.