May B

That having been said, when I filled out the end-of-cruise survey, I was perplexed at having to answer regarding Viking’s comparison to its competition in the cruise industry. I’ve never in my 49 other cruises cruised on a ship where I couldn’t dine every night at a full-service restaurant. I agree there was great variety, much of it very good to really nice, at the World Cafe. Does any venue ever serve rack of lamb?

And very helpful! Two of my fellow guests went out of their way to help me, on Octantis. I felt like it was not a coincidence. I also agree that crew, staff and officers go out of their way to be helpful. I guess that’s why we’re considering the Baltic on Viking Jupiter next year for our 55th anniversary.

This whole topic about restaurant reservations boggles my mind. If I take a ten night cruise in a deluxe veranda stateroom, might I have to eat EIGHT dinners at the World Cafe?

That is NOT why I take a cruise vacation. I take a cruise vacation to enjoy the company of Mr B, and sometimes friends and family who join us. Every time we take a cruise alone together, the two of us, we come home and say, the best way to cruise is just the two of us. We’ve decided to try to alternate: one cruise alone together, the next cruise with friends or family.

Exactly! Thx!

It turns out that phone’s only available on four of the ships, not the entire fleet. That makes sense, as you describe it. Thank you!

That’s frustrating about not being able to use OBC, but is that special price only if purchased in advance? If you can just wait to purchase at embarkation, that would be so helpful to you. I would expect the social media package to be fine for texting to your dad. And of course, depending on where you’re cruising, you might be able to text for free whenever the ship is in port.

Keith, I have good news for you. It’s only four months until Thanksgiving!

I did call NCL, and evidently Encore isn’t one of the ships that offers the cell phone for guest use? So they’d just use their own phones, and they’d download an app called Free-style?

Asking for a friend: #1-can you think of any reason to upgrade to the unlimited Internet package, before embarkation? when onboard, OBC can be used, so my thought is just wait #2-is it honestly true that upgrading to unlimited, the regular speed, is just $49.93 for an entire seven-day cruise? the booking already has 250 shared minutes #3-if purchasing the $9.95 pp texting and calling to other guests, is one expected to use one’s own cell phone? but what’s this rumor about a phone lent to guests from the Haven for use onboard?

That was later proved to be incorrect, supposedly, about Tony Dow.

And btw, things change all the time. Schedules, availability. Go with a very flexible outlook on life and I think you’ll be happier in the long run!

I did sign up from home, but when I got to my stateroom, there was no ticket. I inquired at Guest Services. Everybody is required to attend a special briefing regarding the sub. I think everybody who wanted to go, was able to. I wimped out after watching the description of what I should be able to do by myself, to transfer from the zodiac to the sub. I probably would’ve been fine, but I chose to say no thank you. Besides needing to be able to transfer, you might be unhappy if you’re prone to seasickness or claustrophobia. Evidently the subs have to be balanced somewhat carefully, so anybody who cancels at the last minute causes staff to hunt around for a guest of similar weight. Otherwise, they load some huge beanbag into your seat! Anyway, that’s my understanding. Also, I suspect that a few staff are on standby. Most of them don’t weigh very much, though!

Over on the Crystal boards, I was talking about my Octantis last week. Here are some answers to questions a cruiser asked. First, my quick impressions. Now to a CC member’s questions. “1. My understanding is that higher cost suites get priority for booking the "toys" (e.g., the SOBs, which allow pax to board for zodiak-style explorations while still on the ship, thus avoiding balancing problems getting into a Zodiak when the sea is choppy). Some pax reported in reviews they were unable to get the "toys" bookings they wanted, or even more than one sit-down dinner reservation per week (e.g., all sit-down dinner venues require reservations, as I understand it). “ Me: while it’s true that higher cost suites get a priority booking window, for restaurant reservations as well as shore excursions and water toys, I in my lowliest stateroom category had no trouble booking many things, as well as two dinners, prior to boarding. Interestingly, the time frames published were not strict. Bookings opened earlier than expected, so checking in advance, on a daily basis, was a good idea. The SOB does not give the same experience as the Zodiac. Also, I suspect Zodiacs are suspended in choppy seas. I was able to add two more restaurant bookings, on embarkation day, just by asking. Also, some toys and excursions are added. They keep wait-lists, too, and you can hang out at an appropriate time to see if you can get on at the last minute. So before boarding, we had one reservation at The Restaurant and one at Manfredi’s. Added one more of each. Menu at The Restaurant changes daily, and is an indication of what you’ll find at the World Cafe (buffet). Manfredi’s menu stays the same, but also has a changing fish of the day and pasta of the day. There are two soups, so I had one the first time, the other the second. I love soup, and these were both fine. “2. Are there long lines or problems getting a table at the evening buffet? When I'm tired from an excursion, I don't like standing around in a hungry (sometimes pushy) crowd “ Me: absolutely no trouble getting a table, and barely ever a line. On the sides are a salad/fruit area and a hot food area, same on both sides. At the one end, there’s sushi, sashimi, shellfish, but I’m not 100% sure about sashimi. At the other end, at dinner I’m not sure! Pizza of the day? Some kind of sandwich of the day? And wonderful breads, where you can watch the baker knead, set to rise, put in ovens. Fun! That part is at all three meals. And on one side, The Grill with a few choices. At lunch, ahi tuna steak, burgers. At dinner, steak, perhaps two choices, plus some brisket we never tried. A nice place to sit if you like watching chefs at work. Btw, no sit-down option for breakfast or lunch, but a nice little area of Norwegian specialties. “3. Are there wine lists (for extra pay of course, though base "wine and beer" are included), and if so, roughly how many wines and what quality? thx in advance!” There is a list, I suppose, but I spotted exactly what I wanted, as we walked into The Restaurant, and drank it consistently at all three venues. At the two sit-down venues, they even brought us the nice larger red wine glasses. It was the Francis Coppola Zinfandel, just their basic one that retails on the winery web site for $15.99 and I can get at Luekens for $10.99. Interestingly enough, our Total Wine here in Tampa doesn’t carry it. That gives you an idea of the cost of the included wines, which I didn’t bother with, ever. I think if you’re paying, there are pricier ones. I had the Silver Spirits package. (If I didn’t, my Maker’s would’ve been $8, or Jim Beam for $6. Two other bourbons, one at each price point, but I don’t remember what they were.) As you probably can see, I love talking about my past cruises. 😃

Tenders, the normal kind, brand spanking nice new ones, except at Frazier Sound, where it was zodiacs. I happen to love the zodiacs, but there was a chance of thunder storms, so I didn’t choose to go. Somebody who did go enjoyed it very much. I had wanted to see Okeechobee Lodge, but had to miss it b/c I wimped out.

I was able to book two of them, prior to embarkation, and I was in the cheap seats. Who gets to go is who perseveres at watching for them to be available to book. I cancelled one of mine and both of Mr B’s. On the one I did enjoy, a member of the expedition team was the 12th one (or tenth … I can’t remember if it holds ten or 12). A few other late arriving guests might’ve been contacted by phone when there were some last minute cancelllations. I posted on FaceBbbok that you should be flexible and ask to be wait-listed and even if no wait-lists are available, I got to just get added at departure time to the birch bark canoe demonstration. I hadn’t booked it in advance b/c I hadn’t read the description! But at the evening briefing, I realized I’d enjoy it. So went to Guest Services but no w/l so the next a.m., I just went down there, prepared to go. Worked out great.

So sorry to hear of your loss. Wise words, obviously from experience. Your memories and photos are even more priceless now, no doubt.

Moi aussi. I love carbs, though. And potatoes are probably my favorite. But I prefer mashed, baked, pancakes, kugel, and perhaps some I’m forgetting. I also eat sweet potatoes, incl. baked, fries, mashed. I wish I could show you how my mother-in-law said potato. Can you use the D sound for the Ts?

The style and material of my expedition pants rules them out as being considered anywhere near nice enough for The Restaurant or Manfredi’s, in MY mind, anyway!

I would often wear the shell to dinner that I planned to wear under my expedition shirt the next day, in the Galapagos. Not sure what the gasp was all about. Not the same lightweight pants. I had two pairs of expedition pants for days, and two pairs of casual slacks for evening. Same plan for Octantis, pretty much. What made ME gasp was when some guests came to dinner in the clothes they’d worn THAT DAY when going by zodiac to the various uninhabited (by humans) islands. I could never do all that hiking around and then go to dinner without showering!

It’s gorgeous, Roy! Still looks like the teenshiest but of sun hasn’t quite emerged from the water. Keep enjoying.

Bon voyage, Roy! I’ll be watching closely, as that’s a potential place for me, on occasion.