The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[deec]

Good Morning,  fellow Explorer Lounge folks.  Since the cruise consultant's office seems to be closed and no appointments available in the near future I am coming to you for group wisdom.  We have some vouchers that don't need to be used BUT the current Viking offers are tempting.  Here's what we are considering:    3 back to backs in Spring of 2022....#1Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires #2Beunos Aires to Barcelona and ending with #3 In the Footsteps of the Vikings to Bergen!!!  The down side is that the trip to Patagonia or the Iguazu Falls  is only offered from Buenos Aires not Chile and we really did want to see that part of South America .  Many repeat stops in the final leg but there is always something new to explore!  Any thoughts?

[Heidi13]

Dee - when booking on the Sun, your # 1 and # 2 B2B was the other option we considered. Actually provided more days on the ship that the river/midnight sun combo we eventually booked.

 

Determining factor for us was the flights, which aren't so easy from Vancouver. Would definitely consider this itinerary in the future.

 

To visit Patagonia/Iguazu, could you do that independently, then fly to Santiago to join the cruise.

[Peregrina651]

47 minutes ago, deec said:

Good Morning,  fellow Explorer Lounge folks.  Since the cruise consultant's office seems to be closed and no appointments available in the near future I am coming to you for group wisdom.  We have some vouchers that don't need to be used BUT the current Viking offers are tempting.  Here's what we are considering:    3 back to backs in Spring of 2022....#1Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires #2Buenos Aires to Barcelona and ending with #3 In the Footsteps of the Vikings to Bergen!!!  The down side is that the trip to Patagonia or the Iguazu Falls  is only offered from Buenos Aires not Chile and we really did want to see that part of South America .  Many repeat stops in the final leg but there is always something new to explore!  Any thoughts?

 

 

Sounds delightful! Sure covers a lot of ground (and sea).

 

If you want to see Patagonia and/or Iguazu, a pre-cruise in Buenos Aires on your own may solve that problem. I checked flights and there don't seem to be direct flights from Santiago to Iguazu-- at least not on any airline we may feel comfortable flying on, so not as easily do-able from Santiago.

 

We did around the horn with a week on our own pre-cruise in Buenos Aires and loved the entire experience. Stayed in a delightful 'guest house' in the San Telmo district (Rick's Place; not sure if they are still operating but they still show up on the map) and did an overnight to Iguazu Falls in the middle of it (stayed inside the park; spring for a falls view room). 

[deec]

The cruise originates in Santiago so adding Buenos Aires stay at the beginning will be expensive.  The pre-cruise from Santiago includes Galapagos and Machu Pichu which we visited (incredible!!!)  Hoping Viking may add Patagonia the cruise is still a long way off!

We usually do our our air and pre/post arrangements but given travel at this point I want the comfort/ease of everything with one vendor.  It was much harder to get $$$ from Delta than Viking!  My daughter's family canceled a March trip to Costa Rica and still has not been compensated.

[Jim Avery]

In the past I might have complained about it being too cold here in Explorers.  But knowing what it is like in Phoenix today I promise to never complain of cold again.  Pass me over that reindeer skin and bring me a hot buttered rum please....😎

[jonthomas]

Hey I want to get one of those skins. Have lots of OBCs for Feb , if we go and if they have it. Last time on the ship, they were all out. It is a hot item. 

[Jim Avery]

18 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Hey I want to get one of those skins. Have lots of OBCs for Feb , if we go and if they have it. Last time on the ship, they were all out. It is a hot item. 

Haha we wanted one too but the weather in AZ is rough on furs.  If you are going anywhere on the Norway/Iceland cruises, nearly every shop has them.  Like T-shirts in Cabo....😎

[Heidi13]

27 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

In the past I might have complained about it being too cold here in Explorers.  But knowing what it is like in Phoenix today I promise to never complain of cold again.  Pass me over that reindeer skin and bring me a hot buttered rum please....😎

 

OMG! Jim, surely the temperature hasn't dropped below 100F. If it has, I suggest a flotilla of hot buttered rums😁🥂 might be required.

[Jim Avery]

Just now, Heidi13 said:

 

OMG! Jim, surely the temperature hasn't dropped below 100F. If it has, I suggest a flotilla of hot buttered rums😁🥂 might be required.

The temp here in Explorer's Lounge is a balmy 68F.  In PHX the tale is 118F possibly 120F today.  48+C!🍺

[Heidi13]

2 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

The temp here in Explorer's Lounge is a balmy 68F.  In PHX the tale is 118F possibly 120F today.  48+C!🍺

 

That's almost as bad as we used to experience in the Persian Gulf. Hopefully, you don't get much humidity. Right now that 68 in Explorers sounds very comfortable, as we enjoy a Mamsens brekky.

[Jim Avery]

Andy wearing one of the skins in the Explorer's Lounge......😳

 

 

[deec]

Jim,

Do you think we will be disappointed in the South American adventure? 

Pat really wants to go to Antartica but it is so expensive and I really hate being cold...

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, deec said:

Jim,

Do you think we will be disappointed in the South American adventure? 

Pat really wants to go to Antartica but it is so expensive and I really hate being cold...

Hard to say Dee.  We are glad we did the SA circumnavigation but I have posted before that, for the most part, we were disappointed in SA.  Now we enjoyed the Falklands and Ushuaia and they were not like the rest of SA but everyone travels with their own expectations.  I will say that, as a former ship captain, Cape Horn was on my must see list.  Ok, been there, done that.  It is a bleak rocky point jutting out of a choppy sea.  Just like millions of other rocks seen all over the world.  As to Antarctica, I am with you.  Give me warm over frozen.  And I can attest that snow and ice look exactly the same whether in the far North or the far South.  To quote one of our fellow passengers on the Inaugural who told us: "everyone should see South America.........Once." 🍸

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Andy wearing one of the skins in the Explorer's Lounge......😳

 

 

 

Haha, if coming up to the North Wet Coast, suggest you bring it with you. Might be sunny here today, but our temp is less than half what you are experiencing. Actually, almost consistent with the lounge temp.😁

[Peregrina651]

13 hours ago, deec said:

The cruise originates in Santiago so adding Buenos Aires stay at the beginning will be expensive. 

 

 

Unless you prefer the comfort of letting Viking do all the arrangements, don't give up so easily. Patagonia travel packages are readily available. Flights between Buenos Aires and Santiago are fast 2hrs frequent and cheap.  You might even be able to book land packages to both Iguazu and Patagonia for less than Viking is charging for just Patagonia. Just depends on your comfort level.

 

 

 

 

[Dauntless]

I find with each cruise my comfort level expands.  Have always done pre and post stays and arranged them myself.  I've made hotel reservations before so it's not a big stretch.  My start and finish ports have been easy to access the ship through public transport.

[deec]

We have always done pre/post and airfare on own.  If travel industry returns to ???normal??? as we get closer to cruise time we will start researching how to do it on our own!  We end in Bergen so will also plan to do the train to Oslo but "Norway in a Nutshell"  sounds better than the Viking post excursion.  Have any of you done  Bergen to Oslo post cruise? 

 

Jim,  this trip will close much of the gap for our round the world adventure!!!

 

Hoping the vaccine will be ready by then!

Yes, please an expresso martini to end the evening!!!

[Heidi13]

We do Oslo to Bergen between our river cruise and the Midnight Sun in June 2021. I will do daily blog posts with lots of photos.

[Heidi13]

On 7/12/2020 at 9:14 AM, Jim Avery said:

Andy wearing one of the skins in the Explorer's Lounge......😳

 

 

 

Had a wee chat with the Chief Engineer last night, mentioned that some found it a tad chilly in the lounge that morning.

 

How's the temperature this morning - time for a chilled beverage or coffee?😁🥂

[BluebonnetTexan]

Dee, we did Viking Homelands last summer (June 2019) and did Bergen-Oslo on our own. We did the Flam railway excursion with Viking during the cruise, then for post-cruise we booked the train direct from Bergen to Oslo in lieu of “Norway in a Nutshell” which we felt would repeat a lot of ground. We took the early train in Comfort Class and then had three nights in Oslo to see the sights there before heading home. And of course we did it much cheaper than what Viking charged for their post cruise excursion. But, it really all depends on how you value what Viking provides versus DIY. When we did our first Viking trip, it was right after we retired and I didn’t have time to research and plan beforehand, so we did the Viking pre and post excursions and felt we got our money’s worth. Now that I’m retired, I’ll probably only do Viking pre/post if it includes something I can’t get otherwise, including security, depending on the part of the world. 

[deec]

Nancy,

How difficult did you find it handling your own luggage on the train?  We don't  pack  a lot but would have a roll-aboard and a large suitcase apiece.  We are fit for 70 but lifting 50 lbs up steps is not in my plan!

thanks

[knoxclone]

We also DYI'd  from Bergen to Oslo at the end of our cruise - lovely train ride to Oslo.  Took a cab from ship to bergen rail station and had no problems with luggage - we each had a roll aboard (18") and a 24 inch suitcase ( plus we each had a small daypack).  We stayed at the Thon Opera which is right next to the train station in Oslo. 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, deec said:

Nancy,

How difficult did you find it handling your own luggage on the train?  We don't  pack  a lot but would have a roll-aboard and a large suitcase apiece.  We are fit for 70 but lifting 50 lbs up steps is not in my plan!

thanks

 

I have a vague recollection of reading somewhere on these threads and roll calls of talk of a luggage service that will take of getting your luggage from Bergen to Oslo. Considering how many threads and rolls calls that covers, I wish it were more than just a vague recollection.

[BluebonnetTexan]

Dee, well, I keep my luggage to around 35 lbs, plus a large backpack, so not sure about getting 50 lbs lifted. However, it was only one or two steps up then directly into the storage slot by the door and only had to do it once on and once off. My husband was 70 when we went and just stepped in then pulled our luggage up if I remember correctly. Our friends near the same age did likewise and I know their luggage was closer to 50 lbs than mine. We thought it was fairly easy. We also stayed at the Grand Central Comfort hotel, so didn’t even have to leave the train station with our luggage. We took a cab from the ship to the train station. To be honest, managing luggage was one of the turnoffs for me to do NiaN. Too many changes of trains and busses with the luggage we all had. The landscape on the Bergen-Oslo train route is spectacular though so don’t miss it!

[BluebonnetTexan]

Peregrina, I recall reading about a luggage service also. However, once we decided to do the Viking Flam railway tour, we decided taking the direct train from Bergen-Oslo didn’t warrant using that service. But it is definitely an option if you can reduce to basically an overnight bag and send your big bags ahead and spend a couple of days doing NiaN less encumbered.