bobcatcruiser1331

Wow! You guys are awesome! I love reading through all the responses. Part of what is drawing me to Viking is that it is so different from other cruises I've traveled. This will probably be a honeymoon trip, so I like the idea that it would stand out. 

Responding to some comments and some additional thoughts -

• On such a port intensive itinerary, I don't think the lack of activity will be a downfall. It would be nice to just come back to the ship and relax! 
• I like the inclusive nature of Viking, but I almost wonder if the value is worth it for us personally. We typically cruise in an inside cabin, don't buy beverage/wifi packages, etc. We do indulge in specialty dining on some occasions, but in our defense the food on other lines can be mediocre. I agree the value in Viking is worth it when comparing a similar experience on, for example, the 12-night Jewel of the Seas Norway/Iceland sailing we are also considering. We can have a balcony or junior suite, beverage, wifi, dining package and other things included with Viking for a similar price. However, if we went with that particular sailing we wouldn't add those things. Obviously, we would need to decide if those inclusions with Viking are meaningful enough to us to warrant the additional cost. 
• Regarding passengers, we can easily associate with people outside our age group. But, we don't really desire to be on a ship where we can't relate to anyone. Based on what I've read, it seems like that shouldn't be a problem. It seems as though "normal" people cruise Viking. 
• Regarding ship size, for me I can enjoy any ship! I've cruised as large as the oasis class and as small as the Empress of the Seas. My fiancé gets a bit seasick and has to wear the bracelets or some other item to deal with the motion. The smallest ship he's been on is RCI's Vision and did fine with the motion. However, I think ship motion is subjective. I've felt more motion on a freedom or voyager class ship than on a vision class, or even the Empress. 
• Thank you for suggestions with other threads. I am slowly reading more Viking threads as I take breaks from my research/writing. 
• A final question - If we booked Viking, we would likely book one of the lower category staterooms. I know these are the last available for shore excursion bookings. While I would anticipate us doing some independent tours, there are a few through Viking that I think we'd enjoy, especially in Geiranger. Does anyone have any input/knowledge about shore excursions becoming fully booked? Is it really THAT important to book a higher category stateroom to have access to excursions further out?

Thank you again for all your input! I look forward to continuing to read more!

Hello cruisers!

I have been on many cruises, mostly with Royal Caribbean or Carnival with a sprinkling of Celebrity, MSC, and Princess. My fiancé and I are really wanting to do a cruise visiting both Norway and Iceland in the summer of 2021. While we have found a few itineraries including both places, they haven't fully sold us. The Iceland's Majestic Landscapes itinerary by Viking looks promising for several reasons. However, having never been on Viking and after doing a bit of research, we have a few questions we would love to ask the CC community.

1. We are youngish (31, 39) active, fun-loving travelers. We've done ice climbing, hiked to the top of a volcano, etc. and like being social with other like-minded travelers. While we can fit in with the typical boisterous Carnival/Royal crowd, we can both become the sophisticated traveler Viking appears to seek (we are both classically trained musicians - I'm soon to have a PhD, yay!, teachers, enjoy learning/experiencing new cultures, etc.). Will we fit in with the typical Viking customer? In other words, who is the typical Viking customer? I know that's a somewhat vague and subjective question, but hopefully some insight can be provided. 
2. How/when does one find out port times? In looking through several of the threads on Viking, I stumbled across a post where someone had posted port times for this itinerary. I am wondering if these are consistent or dependent on the particular voyage/date. Browsing the available shore excursions through Viking, many seem a bit tame for our taste so we would likely be doing something independent in most ports. It would be nice to be able to plan in advance.
3. In a similar vein, having never traveled to Norway or Iceland, what are the chances of missing a port? Another subjective question, but just out of curiosity. 
4. In this particular itinerary, is there an advantage to going Norway - Iceland or Iceland - Norway? Our flights would be from Austin, Texas if that makes any difference. 
5. Is there anything else we should know about Viking? What else could sell us on Viking and this itinerary versus, for example, Royal's Anthem or Jewel, MSC's Preziosa, or Grand Princess, most with comparable itineraries?

Thank you in advance for your responses! Viking may or may not be for us and as this will likely be a pricey trip regardless of the cruise line (that we are starting to save for more than a year in advance), we want to make the right decision!

This has piqued my interest as we are looking for something to do in St. Thomas when we are there in early January. I didn't realize this existed but we love this type of activity. Does anyone have recommendations for transportation to/from the trailhead from the ship? Or, any other general tips?

I am also interested in information on this. We have booked Vision of the Seas for December 2019, have the same three post cruise shore excursions listed, and are possibly interested in the Old San Juan one. We are debating whether it is worth it to fly in a day early (arriving around 5:00pm) or just taking a later flight home and arrive on ship departure day. 

My question/concern would be what to do if the cruise line cancels the excursion on short notice. We have opted for ship sponsored shore excursions on departure day in other ports when we've had late flights and have had them canceled while on the ship making for a long wait in the airport or scrambling to find an alternative activity. 

As the OP inquired, any information on independent tours is appreciated!

Thanks for the ideas! The Alaska Cruise Transfer seems nice. We may go with that unless we find something better that strikes our fancy.

Hi,

We have booked our northbound Alaska cruise for July and will be ending in Seward. We really are not interested in Anchorage and would prefer to just fly directly home. The flights from Anchorage for us leave between 8:00pm and midnight and are overnight. I realize that the transfer to Anchorage from Seward is a long bus ride or a shorter train ride, which would still leave us in the airport for 8-12 hours if we took the transfer directly to the airport.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what to do between getting off the ship in the morning and a flight leaving Anchorage in the late evening? Even though we aren't interested in Anchorage, we would be open to walking around town or other options just to pass the time so that we wouldn't have to be stuck in the airport for so long.

Thanks for any suggestions in advance!

Thanks for your input. If we do end up booking this cruise, we will definitely be looking into some of the Norway tourism pages for independent excursions unless something just jumps out at us from the ships list.

Hi,

We are looking into booking a Norwegian Fjords cruise but are skeptical of the ship sponsored excursions on the cruise line website. We are very active travelers (for example, we enjoy rock/mountain climbing, hiking, biking, etc.) and would love to really experience the nature of Norway in those ways. There are only a handful of excursions listed on the cruise line websites, many of which seem to just be touring/sightseeing.

Are there more that become available when you book or when the date gets closer? Are there more active excursions for the ports in Norway? Any other tips for a first timer to Norway?

Thanks for any input.

Thanks for all the info everyone, very good feedback.

Hi,

We are planning on booking the Radiance southbound itinerary to Alaska for next summer. In searching for a room, there are a few things that I'd like some insight on.

First, because it is the southbound route, it seems that you'd get better views on the port side. Is this the case or does it even matter?

Second, if we are unable to get an ocean view room on that side of the ship (it looks like most of them are gone already) we will have to book an interior. Do you really miss a lot of the Alaskan cruising experience having an interior room? I've been on several cruises before and usually seek out interior rooms because of the price but thought that it may be better to have some kind of view to the outside in Alaska (and being a teacher, I can't justify dropping a months paycheck to have a balcony or higher).

Thanks for any tips.

We had different menus on the Oasis last week. Our waiter described them as "new" but it seemed like a combination of new and old items. For example, the vidalia onion tart was back one night and creme brûlée was back every night (not the banana one). I'm not sure if they were just trying it out or if it is something that will be happening everywhere.