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Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers


roothy123
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9 hours ago, JeriGail said:

I have a question about onboard temperatures which I know is very subjective.  We're "hoping" to cruise in December 2020 on the Sun's TA from Lisbon to Miami.  Lisbon's highs at that time are listed as 50's or 60's so we'll be bringing layers for outside adventures.  Did most people wear short sleeves or long sleeves or sweaters in public areas?

 

Spent 4 months on the Sun, wearing shorts and short sleeved golf shirt every day until changing for dinner.

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1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Spent 4 months on the Sun, wearing shorts and short sleeved golf shirt every day until changing for dinner.

Really glad I asked, since I was assuming it would be cool onboard and I'd be wearing pants and sweaters.

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I am another voice...I tend to be cold.   I always took a sweater or wrap to dinner,  depending on where you are seated in the Dining room is can be cool.  If sun is coming in the window near where you are seated it will be warmish. The theatre has some area that are cool.  My husband NEVER took anything...golf shirt or button down was always enough!!!  Explorer's Lounge has wonderful blankets but given COVID there maybe NO blankets and the comfy pillows in the Theatre maybe history!!!

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Many thanks to all for the input about onboard temps.  I'm probably mid-range in my temperature tolerance but I can get hot easily so I'll definitely be bringing more short sleeves.  I now understand the video I saw that was shot crossing the Pacific on one of the Viking ships.  The videographer was in shorts and golf shirt but went outside to show the promenade deck where it was raining and in the 50's.  I wondered why he was dressed like that if it was so chilly outside.

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17 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Drop me a line if you want/need other suggestions for Lisbon.  We spent a month there in June 2018. 

I'd love more suggestions for Lisbon.  I'm  newbie - how do I drop you a line?  🙂

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47 minutes ago, JeriGail said:

I'd love more suggestions for Lisbon. 🙂

 

JeriGail,

We spent 3 days in Lisbon last year and absolutely loved the city. Wonderful people, great food and so much to do. We can't wait to go back. The city's history and culture are very much present and easy to enjoy. One important thing to keep in mind is that Lisbon is a very steep city, like San Francisco on steroids. We picked up Rick Steves' travel book on Lisbon and followed his three recommended walking tours, one each day. All three were excellent. They all started at the top of the city and worked their way down to the bay. I'm in my 70's and had no problem with any of the walks. Each offered many places to stop for refreshments and scenic overlooks.

Jack  

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19 minutes ago, Jack E Dawson said:

 

JeriGail,

We spent 3 days in Lisbon last year and absolutely loved the city. Wonderful people, great food and so much to do. We can't wait to go back. The city's history and culture are very much present and easy to enjoy. One important thing to keep in mind is that Lisbon is a very steep city, like San Francisco on steroids. We picked up Rick Steves' travel book on Lisbon and followed his three recommended walking tours, one each day. All three were excellent. They all started at the top of the city and worked their way down to the bay. I'm in my 70's and had no problem with any of the walks. Each offered many places to stop for refreshments and scenic overlooks.

Jack  

Thanks for the recommendation.  I watched Rick's video on Lisbon and have been looking at his Lisbon book , but will wait to buy it until I know for sure that we're cruising in December.

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3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

We did have a few days where the Theatre was like an icebox, with the crew handing out blankets.

 

Jeri -

We'd been on 4 Viking cruises so far - 2 cancelled this year (including our Lisbon one).  On the Sea, Sky, and Jupiter in hot climates and cold climates (Caribbean and Northern Europe and southern Chile)

Our experience was that the theatre was always quite cold - we and many fellow passengers always brought sweaters and jackets to all the talks and evening events.   The Dining Rooms were sometimes cold although the World Cafe was usually just right.  Thankfully the various lounge areas were a mix of hot and cold so one could take their pick on if they wanted a cold place (like next to the Wintergarden) or warmer (Explorers Lounge) for example.  On our tour buses we always froze to death and often the passengers were asking to turn the A/C off or get some heat going.  We just learned to try to sit on the sun side.

But - Everyone has different feelings on the temperatures though.   Overall there were plenty of places on the ship to suit everyone's personal tastes!   Just bring layers.

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6 hours ago, JeriGail said:

Thanks for the recommendation.  I watched Rick's video on Lisbon and have been looking at his Lisbon book , but will wait to buy it until I know for sure that we're cruising in December.

I super fun day trip is to take the train to Sintra. It’s a beautiful small medieval town with the stunningly beautiful national palace, as well as medieval ruins on the hill over looking it. It’s an easy half hour train trip from the train station in Lisbon.

 

It was the highlight of our pre cruise visit a few years ago.

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2 hours ago, BarbarianPaul said:

I super fun day trip is to take the train to Sintra. It’s a beautiful small medieval town with the stunningly beautiful national palace, as well as medieval ruins on the hill over looking it. It’s an easy half hour train trip from the train station in Lisbon.

 

It was the highlight of our pre cruise visit a few years ago.

 

Did the same on a non-cruise related 6 night stay in Lisbon.  We took the train to Sintra and then got ourselves around on public transportation but my sister and her husband, who did it as part of a pre-cruise DIY, hired a car and driver and got to see even more than we did. We spent most of our time at Pena Palace but DS was able to see a number of places, including Cabo da Roca, the western most point on the European continent. 

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22 hours ago, JeriGail said:

I'd love more suggestions for Lisbon.  I'm  newbie - how do I drop you a line?  🙂

Email me at BigNCBear@aol.com

 

I agree with CCWineLover that temperatures varied in the various locations aboard ship. Thankfully for those that were chilly, there are always lots of wraps and throws on the seats in case one forgot their own layers. 
 

Can’t however agree with her about the buses.  We got tired of hearing “more AC” on our tours...but we also learned to sit on one side of the bus....the shady side!😂

Edited by Clay Clayton
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On 7/16/2020 at 11:22 AM, JeriGail said:

I'd love more suggestions for Lisbon.  I'm  newbie - how do I drop you a line?  🙂

 

I'm sure Clay has more info than I do, and it's more recent.  However, since people are curious about Lisbon, I will offer my two cents.  In 2016 we visited Lisbon to embark on a cruise.  We went a day or two early to Lisbon.  I posted captioned photos on my photo website, so feel free to browse them.  (Signing in or giving an email address isn't required, but note that there are multiple pages of photos!)  One thing we really enjoyed was a "side car" tour by Bike My Side - fun, comfortable, quite different, reasonably priced. It was a birthday present to my husband and he loved it, as did I.  You can find Daniel and the other Bike My Side guide on Facebook or they have a website.  They do tours of Lisbon and in an area around Lisbon, and I know they've picked up people from the port.   

   

https://pbase.com/roothy123/iberian_sojourn__portugal_spain_gib&page=all

Edited by roothy123
typo
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I have to admit I'm loving being back on Cruise Critic, and I DO miss cruising.  

 

I imagine nobody on this thread is planning to cruise this fall, or if Viking is even offering any cruises then.  But if so, note that the U.S. Centers For Disease Control & Prevention extended its "No Sail Order and Suspension of Further Embarkation; Notice of Modification and Extension and Other Measures Related to Operations" through the end of September.   We aren't planning to cruise until at least late spring 2021, and aren't likely to choose a cruise which stops at any U.S. ports, so it doesn't affect us.  However, I'm starting to get the cruise planning itch, so I'm looking at itineraries from my 2 favorite cruise lines. Viking's Iceland cruise has me interested.  If anyone has been to the northern Icelandic ports, I'd love to get your email address.

 

Sorry for being (and staying!) slightly off topic....but I suspect at this point, we're all a little starved for cruise talk!

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15 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

I have to admit I'm loving being back on Cruise Critic, and I DO miss cruising.  

 

I imagine nobody on this thread is planning to cruise this fall, or if Viking is even offering any cruises then.  But if so, note that the U.S. Centers For Disease Control & Prevention extended its "No Sail Order and Suspension of Further Embarkation; Notice of Modification and Extension and Other Measures Related to Operations" through the end of September.   We aren't planning to cruise until at least late spring 2021, and aren't likely to choose a cruise which stops at any U.S. ports, so it doesn't affect us.  However, I'm starting to get the cruise planning itch, so I'm looking at itineraries from my 2 favorite cruise lines. Viking's Iceland cruise has me interested.  If anyone has been to the northern Icelandic ports, I'd love to get your email address.

 

Sorry for being (and staying!) slightly off topic....but I suspect at this point, we're all a little starved for cruise talk!

We have been to Akureyri and Reykjavík (twice).  We have also been to Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.  In Akuereri and one time in Reykjavik we did ship's (Princess) tours.  The ship's tours were better than the typical ship's tours.  The 2nd time in Reykjavik I organized a small group van tour that was amazing.  We explored Tórshavn on our own.  Feel free to email me.  My email address is in my signature.

Edited by mreasier
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34 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

I have to admit I'm loving being back on Cruise Critic, and I DO miss cruising.  

Sorry for being (and staying!) slightly off topic....but I suspect at this point, we're all a little starved for cruise talk!

Cleaning up e-mails at this time...

Catherine and I lost our past two cruises.

We have rescheduled our Southern Atlantic Crossing,

so, hopefully,

I'll still be alive for the Viking Jupiter,14 NOV 2021.

Cath says, if one of us is not alive,

she's moving to Paris (old joke).😘

Edited by $hip$hape
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On 7/16/2020 at 11:22 AM, JeriGail said:

I'd love more suggestions for Lisbon.  I'm  newbie - how do I drop you a line?  🙂

 

There is no private messaging function on Cruise Critic.  Those of us who want to be contacted by other members put an email address in our signature file.  The downside is that not everyone can see the signature; it depends the platform the reader is using -- desktop, phone, tablet, etc. 

 

I can see sig files on my desktop but I'm working on my phone right now and no signatures. One day maybe I'll figure out how to find them using my mobile device. Or even better, maybe someone already knows and will share the secret.  

 

 

BTW, there is a Ports of Call section on Cruise Critic, and you may find info on Lisbon there.  The other thing to do, if you just want to hear from Viking guests, is to start a new thread in the Viking Oceans forum asking for travel tips on Lisbon, or even set it up as travel tips for the entire itinerary. 

 

LOVED LISBON.  

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5 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

There is no private messaging function on Cruise Critic.  Those of us who want to be contacted by other members put an email address in our signature file.  The downside is that not everyone can see the signature; it depends the platform the reader is using -- desktop, phone, tablet, etc. 

 

I can see sig files on my desktop but I'm working on my phone right now and no signatures. One day maybe I'll figure out how to find them using my mobile device. Or even better, maybe someone already knows and will share the secret.  

 

 

BTW, there is a Ports of Call section on Cruise Critic, and you may find info on Lisbon there.  The other thing to do, if you just want to hear from Viking guests, is to start a new thread in the Viking Oceans forum asking for travel tips on Lisbon, or even set it up as travel tips for the entire itinerary. 

 

LOVED LISBON.  

I was just going to post that I was moving my search for Lisbon info to the ports section of the forums.  I didn't mean to hijack the Viking new cruisers forum for info on Lisbon!  I really appreciate the onboard temperature info.  It probably saved me from recommending that my husband bring long sleeve shirts only - since he runs hot, he would have been very uncomfortable and would had to do some shopping in the Viking shops for expensive shirts.

Cruise critic members are so kind and willing to share to help other cruisers.  I think we're all a little starved for cruise talk.

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4 hours ago, mreasier said:

We have been to Akureyri and Reykjavík (twice).  We have also been to Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.  In Akuereri and one time in Reykjavik we did ship's (Princess) tours.  The ship's tours were better than the typical ship's tours.  The 2nd time in Reykjavik I organized a small group van tour that was amazing.  We explored Tórshavn on our own.  Feel free to email me.  My email address is in my signature.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but where do I find your email address?  When I go to your profile and click on "Message" a note pops up that says the feature has been disabled.  Would love more info on what you did in Akureyri & Torshavn.

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Just now, roothy123 said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but where do I find your email address?  When I go to your profile and click on "Message" a note pops up that says the feature has been disabled.  Would love more info on what you did in Akureyri & Torshavn.

Click on "Email Me" at the bottom left.  I just found out that if you are on an iPhone or iPad it might not show up.  My email address is mreasy44 at gmail dot com.

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9 minutes ago, JeriGail said:

I was just going to post that I was moving my search for Lisbon info to the ports section of the forums.  I didn't mean to hijack the Viking new cruisers forum for info on Lisbon!  I really appreciate the onboard temperature info.  It probably saved me from recommending that my husband bring long sleeve shirts only - since he runs hot, he would have been very uncomfortable and would had to do some shopping in the Viking shops for expensive shirts.

Cruise critic members are so kind and willing to share to help other cruisers.  I think we're all a little starved for cruise talk.

No problem JeriGail, threads are hijacked all the time.  Occasionally someone cares and comments, but I don't mind, and I think I'm the person who started this thread a long time ago!  In any case, I always take a light sweater or wrap on a cruise, plus something even warmer than that, as I like to go outside on cruise ships more than many people do, and more layers come in handy.  We also like to eat outside more than most people do, so that's another good reason for being prepared. I don't remember being particularly cold on Viking Ocean ships, but I'm sure I used whatever I took at least once or twice!  I have a lightweight navy sweater & a light white thing I take with me everywhere. 

 

Peregrina, thanks for the comment about signatures.  I didn't think I had gone blind yet.  I'm using a desktop and there's no signature!  Hope you're doing well.  Haven't been on Viking since our New Year's Eve trip with you in (I think) 2018/2019.  Then we did the big one (for us, anyway) - went to Bali Dec. 17 for a few days and then boarded an Oceania ship to visit Australia & New Zealand.  We returned Jan. 20, just in time for Covid and things have been downhill since.  But Bali was incredible (island has much more than beaches), and Aus/NZ too.  Sigh!

Ruth

 

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12 minutes ago, mreasier said:

Click on "Email Me" at the bottom left.  I just found out that if you are on an iPhone or iPad it might not show up.  My email address is mreasy44 at gmail dot com.

Thank you.  I'm using Chrome on a Desktop, and it doesn't show up!  Weird!  But I'll email you about Iceland - thanks!

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5 hours ago, roothy123 said:

Thank you.  I'm using Chrome on a Desktop, and it doesn't show up!  Weird!  But I'll email you about Iceland - thanks!

 

 

Browsers are weird, period. Since the latest Firefox update, I have been having trouble posting images on CC and I can't see the nav-bar at the top of the forum pages (but can in the individual threads) so that I can only see the first page in the threads in Viking Oceans. Yes, I use a lot of add-ons to block this, that and the other thing -- but that is why I use Firefox. Eventually, it will right itself.  In other words, not every web-page feature functions in every browser. I have two browsers on my computer: Firefox that I use all the time and Opera that I use when a webpage is not functioning. And that is my explanation for why you can't see sig files: browsers are weird. I can't tell you how to fix it. Considering the frequency of updates,  I just wait a few days/weeks/months and hope that it fixes itself.

 

As for Iceland, we were supposed to go at the beginning of June and then postponed to August. Now I have an Icelandair voucher for flights that we have decided we will use for a land trip before they expire.  In the course of planning, I organized a ton of links to info here on CC and elsewhere. It can be found in the roll call June 3, 2020 - Viking Sky - Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes. Start from the last page and work back.

 

6 hours ago, JeriGail said:

I didn't mean to hijack the Viking new cruisers forum for info on Lisbon! 

 

I wasn't thinking about hijacking this thread; it will eventually right itself. And you asked a about temps on board, not tips for Lisbon; so technically, those of us who jumped on your tangential mention of Lisbon are responsible for the hijacking.

 

I suggested a new thread because questions need audiences, the bigger the better, and not enough people are going to see your question here. Sometimes, you need to ask and look in multiple forums for answers. See and be seen!

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  • 1 month later...

Our original Viking transatlantic December 2020 cruise was cancelled, so I've now booked a November 29, 2021 (so far away!) transatlantic from Barcelona to San Juan on the Viking Sea.  I was checking the Viking boards on cabin recommendations and saw advice about checking the Viking web site for changes to available cabins.  Where do you go to see that?

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