Voyage of the Vikings Question

[Boston Accent]

Would anyone who has traveled on the VOV in the last few years help answer a question ( or 2)? I am unsure exactly how to pack for the voyage. We leave on Aug 2 and I know we may have cold outside weather, however, what do people wear on the ship? Since it is summer is the ship warm or is the dress fall/ winter clothing since the outside could be cold? I am concerned about daytime wear and dining room dress. Thanks to anyone who will help.

 

Pam

 

 

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[keikobad]

Hi Pam,

we cruised in 2011 and we were lucky with the weather as the sun was often shining on us. However it was quite cold throughout the complete cruise. We packed a lot of layer clothes and it was not warm enough at the end especially between iceland/greenland/new foundland. Many people on the ship bought warmer clothes in the shop on the ship.

We enjoyed our layer clothes as we liked to walk out on the deck to watch wildlife and didn't had to carry big jackets throughout the ship to spontaneously do that. We were also fine with this solution during the shore excursions. Howewer if you like to stay for a longer period of time on deck especially in the morning it is likely that you will need a real warm jacket in the mentioned area. The morning we explored the prins christian sund nearly everyone was freezing for the morning hours. I am sure it is even more intense if the weather is foggy or wet.

Overall the "dresscode" on the ship during daytime was quite similar to other cruises as the air condition is working constantly. They didn't heat up a bit because it was cold outside. I didn't see summer clothes around the ship. We packed very few clothes for warm weather and didn't need them at all. Maybe if you are lucky in Europe or the states but rarely inbetween. More autumn clothes and many people with layered outdoor clothes/jackets on the ship with the regular dress up during the evenings.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On the ship during the day in side it will be comfortable to wear shorts

[RuthC]

I've done this cruise several times, plus the Viking Passage cruise, so am familiar with all the weather conditions you are likely to encounter.

Outside can go from very warm to 'Yikes, it's cold', so layering is preferable.

 

Inside on the ship you should be comfortable in long sleeved shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and long slacks. If you like colder temps, then lighter weight clothes could be very comfortable for you; I wore a lot of sundresses. I had a windbreaker with me for going outside, with some gloves tucked in the pockets.

 

Evening wear came from my winter wardrobe---heavier fabrics with longer sleeves---as it can be cool in the public rooms.

[rkacruiser]

A pleased 2016 VOV guest and I found planning to dress in layers to be appropriate for some Northern ports that the ship visited. For our European ports, regular Summer-time dress was OK for me.

 

For days at sea, I dressed as I normally do for any cruise in any part of the world. If I wish to use a deck chair, then a sweater/windbreaker/hat combination worked well on most days.

 

Enjoy your cruise! It is a great itinerary and the staff of the Rotterdam makes it even better!

[Hflors]

I have a question. Since this cruise is in the summer were there a "lot" of children onboard? I would think this cruise would be an excellent one to teach children about the world.

[RuthC]

I have a question. Since this cruise is in the summer were there a "lot" of children onboard? I would think this cruise would be an excellent one to teach children about the world.

When I've taken it, there were very, very few children on board. IIRC, kids were more likely to be on one direction or the other, but not the full cruise. Some of the kids could have been officers' family.

Remember, this is a very long---and very expensive!---cruise for a family to take.

[Hflors]

When I've taken it, there were very, very few children on board. IIRC, kids were more likely to be on one direction or the other, but not the full cruise. Some of the kids could have been officers' family.

Remember, this is a very long---and very expensive!---cruise for a family to take.

 

Ruth, I am sure you are correct about the cost (didn't think about that) just thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about the world.

[RuthC]

Ruth, I am sure you are correct about the cost (didn't think about that) just thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about the world.

It is! It is! On the other hand, though, such a long cruise can also be overwhelming, and I don't know how much the child would retain.

 

I remember the first time I took this cruise it was 33 days. The night before the last port I heard someone say "Oh, good, tomorrow's the last time we have to get off and appreciate something!".

 

After doing this cruise three times, and taking a Viking Passage cruise (or two???), I know I learned a lot. However, I think as much as anything it was the repetition that helped me retain what I learned.

[knittinggirl]

37 Degrees Fahrenheit in Greenland. Bought my down jacket, and actually needed it a few times! But most of the time, I wore a waterproof/windproof jacket.

 

We had a lot of children on the return half. One of my dining companions said they were officer's kids, and I saw them in the passenger part of the ship several times. He also said that they had some crew rooms up near the crow's nest.

[Boston Accent]

Thank you all, I appreciate the responses! I feel more settled now in how I want to go about packing! Next will be keeping it under 50 lbs and a carry on !

 

 

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[knittinggirl]

We took advantage of their laundry service. Each day, we sent a small bag of laundry, and we got it back the next day. We had to pay extra, since we didn't have enough stars to earn the perk. But it was well worth it!