Host Jazzbeau

Azamara is known for seeking every way to find an alternative port in such cases, but I'm not sure what even they could have done on that route if weather was interfering. If you had been on Oceania, I would have suspected their usual trick of cancelling ports (always without recompense) to save money. But I don't know about Viking Ocean that way.

That's even worse than surf and turf! You might as well go to the Zen buffet – make me one with everything!!!

Maybe that's why Dantica includes transfers to/from San Jose in their packages. It certainly made it seamless for me.

Port visits and long stays are Azamara's wheelhouse. But – your Viking cruise was only scheduled for 4 ports? That seems like a very small amount, unless it was a TransAtlantic – in which weather could play a big role for any cruise line.

...and Galicia in Spain, and Sicily – wherever you find red-headed people today!

When we did this it was not only the same guide, she was the Cruise Director from the cruise itself. I believe AMA still does this.

This problem is spreading because of imported tree [Eucalyptus, if I remember correctly] mono crops that become super-heated fires.

I can't imagine doing this. That's why we haven't (and won't) try the Wind ships. Chacun à son goût!

In January we will be arriving in Costa Rica a few days before our group tour, so I have booking at Dantica Cloud Forest Lodge, which is south of San Jose (so not on the way to Puerto Caldera) but is in an area known for Quetzals. This was the one thing we missed on our previous trip to CR, so it seemed like the ideal way to spend these days.

And I couldn't tell you if they were offered on any of the cruises that I have sailed because we would never order either one! Chacun à son goût!

I have always said that when things go well, almost everybody likes almost every river cruise. It's when things go pear-shaped that you find out which river cruise lines really stand out above the rest. I'm not surprised that Tauck is handling this so well.

CroisiEurope has been doing the Elbe even longer than Viking, and their paddlewheel vessels can sail in low-water conditions somewhat better than Viking. They are French, but they do market to North Americans. Historically many, many, Elbe cruises have tended to be cancelled or turned into bus tours due to low water – this year's flooding is the first I can recall since I started following this forum. But it just reenforces the point that the Elbe is one of the least reliable cruising rivers in Europe. I would steer OP to the Moselle – either an Amsterdam to Basel cruise that diverts up and back along the Moselle for scenic sailing and interesting port stops, or (since you have already visited Amsterdam) one that starts in Paris with a TGV to Luxembourg to board the ship to start with a scenic cruise down [up, on the map] the Moselle. OR – the Douro. Completely different: only daytime sailing so you get the scenic cruising that the brochures promise; Portugal is a lovely country with great food and wine, and lovely people. The rare cruise that I can imagine doing again, since even without shore excursions it is such a lovely sail!

Haven't sailed Windstar yet but have Star Pride booked for 14 days in January in a BS French Balcony cabin. We would not book the Wind fleet because the cabins are all very small, no balconies, the open decks don't appeal to us, and our friends who loved a sailing on one of the Wind vessels were so pleased that the sails were used once on their voyage! But what I'm planning for our second Windstar cruise is the new Star Seeker: bigger cabins, many with real balconies, plus all the other features that make Windstar yachts so appealing. Note that however you book, as a first-time cruiser, if you do a Star Collector [aka b2b] cruise you get free laundry.

Yup, me too – got the email today but thanks to this thread I had already watched and logged the webinar. Love Cruise Critic!

She's actually the favorite neighbor on Halloween. Look at the size of those candy canes! [Just don't let the kids go inside her house...]

That phrase made me think of this meme:

The sf numbers for Viking listed above are all on the small side compared to other river ships. On AMA's current generation, the aquarium class cabins are 160sf (compared to Viking's stated 150sf which someone has measured as actually 135sf of floor space plus that storage ledge); French balconies are 155-170sf (compared to Viking's tiny 135sf – definitely below industry standard); and Veranda cabins are 210-235 (still larger than Viking's 205, even without shifting the hallway to make more room – an artifact of Viking's high passenger density).

Viking has many good qualities, but flexibility is not one of them! We have already done the seaway on a Fall Foliage cruise, so I'm only interested in hitting all five Great Lakes on one cruise. Viking and Pearl both offer that, and when I compare Pearl cat K to Viking the rates are actually comparable.

Sorry Davy, and I hope this doesn't rupture our (virtual) friendship – but isn't this common to all cats? If Cain had a pet, it would have been a cat. Abel had a dog...

Here's a comparison between the Pearl Mist, Victory and Viking ships on the Great Lakes: Ship Built Tonnage Pax Space Ratio Crew / Ratio Pearl Mist 2014 5,600 206 27.2 60 3.4 Victory I 2001 4,954 202 24.5 84 2.4 Victory II 2004 4,954 202 24.5 84 2.4 Viking * 30,500 374 81.6 260 1.4 * Octantis 2021 * Polaris 2022 As you can see, Viking is newer, bigger and better staffed – the prices reflect that. Between Pearl and Victory, Pearl has slightly more space per passenger but Victory has a considerably better crew/pax ratio. There was also an issue between Pearl and the shipyard which resulted in a 4-year delay in their accepting the ship – presumably its sailing history and the recent refurbishment have put those issues to rest. [Caveat: I haven't done a Great Lakes cruise on any line yet – I am researching for a future cruise. At the moment I'm drawn to Pearl Mist for its Great Lakes Explorer itinerary, but Viking's Great Lakes Collection itinerary is similar and worth keeping in the consideration. I would not book Victory – or any cruise line that hasn't sailed for at least a year – until they have a track record. Its ships are older and need major refurbishment before they should sail again.]

You can cancel and rebook in that case. I did it twice on my last Azamara cruise, and saved quite a bit.

So glad to see the boxwood hedges looking so good – last year they were being attacked by some pest (which I don't think had been identified yet). This is how the gardens should look!

So sorry Davy. Lovely dog. And everything else. —Jazz

I like being able to walk past the end of the bed without banging any body parts on the wall, or furniture that has been strategically placed there to find my pinky toe! 😱

That could be reality! That's why I don't allow my devices to upgrade shortly before or during a trip. Once I'm home and the reports on the internet say it's a safe upgrade, then I initiate it. But no automatic upgrades for me! [Even on a Mac!]