molymoo

Please don't let one person's experience (or rather their "perception" of the experience), determine whether or not you want to try Viking ... or any cruise line for that matter. Everything is subjective and your experience might well be a very different matter.

We did the BIE on Venus in early July. We did the Oslo pre-extension and took the train to Bergen. We enjoyed cooler weather early in the cruise but by the time we got to Holyhead it was hot ... and apparently unusually so. We missed the Orkney stop due to high winds but after the cold drenching we got in the Shetlands (although it was still one of my favorite excursions!)we were happy enough to stay on a warm, dry ship. This was our second BIE cruise (we did one in 2018 ... London to Bergen) but we enjoyed it so much we really wanted to do it again. We did our own thing in Edinburgh and enjoyed Dublin on our own as well ... the Little Museum of Dublin was a wonderful hidden gem and we enjoyed an iconic lunch of oysters and Guiness at Matt the Thresher restaurant. We, too were able to enjoy the renowned pistachio buns and based on the accolades I had to try one ... it was tasty for sure but won't replace the (Mamsen's) waffle as first in my heart.

We generally get the SSBP but my daughter is the "wine aficionado" so she is the one checking the wine list. There are many to choose from and some have become our favorites that we frequently re-order. There is a sommelier in each dining room and they will, if you wish, make recommendations based on what food you plan to order.

Please keep in mind that food is a very subjective subject and don't take anyone's critique too much to heart. We love the food and don't find two hours for dinner too much ... you're in the middle of the ocean, what are you in a hurry to do? We enjoy relaxing and having the time to chat with each other and sometimes our "neighbors". For that matter there have been times we have felt rushed in the restaurant ... so take it FWIW.

Actually, there is no priority for suites in booking excursions ... just early stateroom access (12:00 noon for suites, 3:00 PM for other cabins. All cabin categories can embark at 12:00. There is one dining room and one seating for dinner, however breakfast and lunch are scheduled and you may go to eat when it suits you. The last river cruise we were on breakfast was 7:00 - 9:30 and lunch 11:30 - 1:30 most days.

I don't know for certain but I would guess no.

If you usually bring your favorite pillow with you I would continue to do so. Even if they have memory foam pillows I would be willing to be they wouldn't be the same.

I have never heard of an email for Viking Air but we were given a 24 hour emergency phone number for our last cruise (June 2022). We did not have to use it so I cannot attest to its efficacy but here it is: 877-523-0576.

We could go on and on about the exceptional Viking service ... from the guest services desks, to the dining venues, bars, cabin stewards, every cruise has given us wonderful service so I will not be redundant here but offer an example of great service from the medical team. Pre-COVID we had occasion to "visit" the medical facility after my daughter twisted her ankle on the Into the Midnight Sun "Husky Trek" excursion. She initially thought she was going to be okay so she finished the "trek" and after returning to the ship went on the included tour after lunch. While on that tour the pain set in and the swelling started. By the time we got back to the ship again she was pretty miserable so we called down to medical and they were ready for us. They took three sets of xrays, gave her an injection for pain, and some additional oral meds for pain. By the time we got back to the stateroom they had notified housekeeping to keep us supplied with bags of crushed ice for the next 24 hours. They were as nice as could be and all at no charge as it was a Viking excursion. Would not hesitate to look to them for assistance anytime.

We have taken numerous river and ocean cruises with Viking and as long as someone else is doing the shopping, chopping, cooking, serving, and clean-up ... I'm a happy camper!

At the risk of provoking the ire of the "tipping police" I will admit that we have always tipped in $$ on the oceans. With such diverse itineraries and the fact that, truth be told, crew members don't always get off the ships at many of the ports it would be impossible to predict which currency would work for them at any given time (note: not all European countries use euros). Dollars is the official currency of the ship so it seems that $$ would be a reasonable currency for tips. In our conversations with crew over the years we have learned that most of the crew we interact with (cabin stewards, wait staff, bartenders) either send most of their money home or save it for their "time off" between contracts.

We did this extension and stayed at Villa Poggiale. It was lovely and although it was perhaps a little bit rustic but we LOVED it! All of the rooms are different but all have en suite bathrooms and there were toiletries provided. The food was delicious ... not fancy but fresh, locally sourced, and homemade. It is still one of our favorite extensions and to be honest if the opportunity came up we would likely book it again!

Totally get it! We are really excited about our upcoming Panama cruise ... it leaves the country but the flights are both domestic! Whoo Hoo!

This seems to be a "thing" for you and as one who almost always gets the package I will say that having the package is more of a convenience than anything else. I hawk our account while we are cruising. For some reason we seem to accrue a lot of charges while onboard and have found many, many mistakes along the way. It pays to watch and having the SSBP takes one thing off the list of things to monitor. No special doors .... just simpler bookkeeping.

So glad your trip went well and you enjoyed the Octantis. We would love to experience the expedition ships but for us it would be a trip to Antarctica, and that may not be possible ... I'm not getting any younger! The Great Lakes trips might be fun but as a mid-westerner who has visited most of the great lakes and surrounding regions, I would find it difficult to spend what it costs on Viking for something I could essentially do in my car with $1000.00 and a long weekend! 😉

The whole concept of Mamsens is that of a Scandinavian deli ... featuring the recipes of Mamsen (the Hagen family matriarch). They even duplicated the dishes that she used for serving her creations. Love a good Macaron but they aren't Scandinavian.

I had to renew my passport when they were saying to plan on it taking up to 18 weeks to process (2021). It took 12 weeks and some days so the estimates were not too far off!

One change I would like to see is more "real" information about the excursions. Right now all you have to go on is a generic "easy", "moderate" or "demanding" and having taken ones in all of these categories they are not really useful in determining your ability to manage the trip. Obviously there are some situations where you know that you will not be able to manage (eg: having to use a walker, cane, or wheelchair) but there are more subtle things that can make a difference. They go into more depth on the excursion's demands during the port talks but as these are the evening before the port it is too late to change or cancel ... you're stuck with either "sticking it out" or losing your payment. Why not do the port talks a couple of days ahead and give people time to make adjustments. They did that for us on one cruise (Midnight Sun) and they were VERY honest in their descriptions of the demands of the excursion ... I think a lot of people appreciated it!

Glad to hear we weren't the only ones who noticed this. I had read that some gave her rave reviews but we found her to be very unapproachable ... and downright "snarky" at times. We stopped going to the port talks because we found her difficult to listen to.

Just wait ... start talking about "tipping" and you will unleash the diatribe! For as many people who would like to see tips included you find just as many who will be opposed. The ability to pre-pay gratuities is, IMO, a reasonable compromise ... also a good way to use up those vouchers!

We have been on 8 twice and loved it ... but ... there is definitely more motion the higher you go and we experienced it firsthand on a winter cruise (Journey to Antiquities). We left our cabin and hung out on decks 1 and 2 for a good part of the day. Another thing to keep in mind that deck 8 (and 7 too, for that matter) has no laundry room. If you wish to do laundry (I don't think the "free laundry" applies to the DV cabins on these floors) you will have to go down to deck six (or lower) to do you own laundry.

Oh you can bet some people are!

As I recall we did receive email "reminders" from Viking as we neared our departure date ... specifically when there were more "requirements" in place throughout the world (ie: last summer / 2021). That said, I would not rely solely on Viking to guide you along the way. They do update things in MVJ regularly but you have a lot on the line ($$$) and should monitor things yourself as well.

Interesting! We have completed several mid-cruise surveys but never had any sort of response. Glad they are paying attention.

Have not stayed in this particular cabin but have been in others near the elevators and have never noticed a problem ... noise or otherwise.