Cubs Fan

thank you!

Following this thread. We just booked a cruise for June and we are looking for a hotel in Rotterdam, we have Marriott Points and are considering that location. We are taking the train from Schipol to Rotterdam. Any and all advice is welcome.

I live in the suburbs of Chicago and most of the things you’d like to do in Chicago are very easy to do on your own. The Art Institute is right on Michigan Ave and on Thursdays it is open until 8:00 pm. If you become a member you can get in an hour before everyone else…that may be less money than what you’d pay for a shore excursion. You can also take an Architectural Boat Tour on your own…you board just off of Michigan Avenue. The Goodman Theatre is in the Loop on Dearborn Street, 2 blocks west of Michigan Avenue. During July “ Tommy” the musical is playing there and they have matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Chicago Theatre is on State Street, 1 block west of Michigan Ave and I am not sure what their shows are, Wrigley Field is a must see and you can take an Uber, cab or jumper on the Red Line train to get there. Depending on when you are here, check Stub Hub for tickets or you might get lucky at the Box Office or on the website. There are lots of good bars and restaurants in the Wrigleyville area. Chicagoans are very friendly and will point you in the right direction. Have a great trip and wander around Chicago. The concierge at your hotel should be able to answer more questions. Have a great time!

We are sailing July 7th on the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sojourn for 22 days. I was also curious about those extra days in Athens and Venice and when I called Viking their agents indicated there is nothing that day. I will ask about those days when we board the ship Getting very excited to start this adventure!

We had a positive experience when we booked on board last year for our cruise that leaves in 32 days. My travel agent received our booking within 2 days and sent me an email. There are a lot of perks to booking on board the ship and we are waiting to do so.

PS…you will also receive a certificate indicating you crossed the Arctic Corcle….it is suitable for framing and we did!

We did the Blue Nose Ceremony on our Into The Midnight Sun cruise last June. It was fun! It was on a sea day and there are 3 parts to the ceremony. Viking accommodates all need levels for participation in this ceremony so if you chose to not take a dip in the Iced Spa or you don’t want to drink the “ ceremonial “ beverage, it’s your choice. It was packed as so many people either took the plunge or watched.

I loved everything in the Orkney’s. There are wonderful jewelry designers with shops there. The Highland Park whiskeys are available at the duty free shop in Heathrow and in The states too. It was a wonderful day there.

They did a very good job of managing my gluten intolerance both on the ship and on any excursions that included meals.

We did this fabulous cruise last June. This was one of the best trips we ever did. We had to be tendered in several ports and I don’t recall any shuttles. I did the included tour on Orkney Islands and then shopped. There are terrific jewelry artists and shops close to port. We missed Shetland Islands due to weather There is also a whisky made on the Orkney Islands. There is so much history. I would do this trip again…so much to see and so little time in each port.

Thank you!

How far is the port dock from the city itself? We are doing a pre-extension and we may have time on our own in Istanbul. Thanks for all of the advice!

Last June was our 1st Viking Ocean Cruise and we had difficulties getting reservations that were not 8:30 pm, etc. At that time there were no shared table due to some continuing Covid protocols and we were only 2 people. We noticed that there were lots of larger tables available when we dined in the Specialty Restaurants. This year I was concerned about the same issue for our July 7th cruise so I chose the Shared Table option and I think there was only 1 time I couldn’t get. Once you get on board, you should be able to make some arrangements at the “Dining Desk” which is located next to the Customer Service area.

We leave July 4th for the Adriatic & Mediterranean Sojourn with a 2 day pre-extension in Istanbul. Thank you for your posts as we will visit some of the same places you have recorded. We have never been to Venice and will have 3 days there. Trying to figure out the best way to get from our docking site in Fusina to do a tour on our own in theJewish Ghetto area. If you have any experience with the boats I have been reading about,I would appreciate it. Love your trip!