The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, vslparis said:

well, 'free" is a relative term these days.  I prefer to say included in the price. Aa Andy said, Torshavn has some nice and unusual ( for non Europeans) single malts that are within the $15 limit . However, it wouldn't be a bad thing to ask if they could get some of your favorite. I am a firm believer in " you don't ask, you don't get " !  Which are his preferred single malts ?

I really don’t think he’d turn down any single malts.  He has 19 favorites in the liquor cabinet!  He drank McCallan on the last Viking cruise, which was acceptable to him.  
 

This spring was supposed to be our whiskey trail trip in Scotland.  As I don’t care for scotch, I offered to drive.  That’s another trip that got aborted for us this year.  

[deec]

our first cruise with Viking Aberlour was our favorite scotch next cruises no more Aberlour so we had Macallan I think 12. Also like a Rusty Nail to watch the evening show!   We both like scotch and would love the Scotland trip !!!!  We our planning to do the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky with some friends.

[duquephart]

1 hour ago, deec said:

our first cruise with Viking Aberlour was our favorite scotch next cruises no more Aberlour so we had Macallan I think 12. Also like a Rusty Nail to watch the evening show!   We both like scotch and would love the Scotland trip !!!!  We our planning to do the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky with some friends.

 

The "hard hat" tour at Buffalo Trace is recommended.

[vslparis]

I am very envious of those WC 2021/2022 passengers that have only 1 year more  until they are on board.  In fact, I bet many of them will be at the Explorer's Lounge right now on 24 December 2021 . I have to wait until 10 January 2022 😪

This time last year ( OK, not technically since we were in Australia,  but it was 24 December) we were having lunch with friends in Brisbane and getting ready to enjoy the Christmas Eve festivities on board the Viking  Orion 🍷😀 . In contrast, this year I have spent most of the day cooking for tomorrow and have just crawled up onto a stool in the Virtual Explorer's Lounge Bar  for cocktail. Not sure what yet but I am leaning towards a single malt. MacAllan would work .🥃

[SantaFe1]

I’ve been thinking about this all day.  Next Christmas Eve on the Star, in the Explorer’s Lounge for a glass of good champagne, then hopefully off to Manfredi’s for dinner!  
Merry Christmas, everyone!  And happy other holidays to all who celebrate them at this, usually, festive time!

[Mich3554]

This time last year, we were listening to Heather sing at the Christmas show on the Jupiter. We got out of the show and there was chocolate galore!  
 

It seems like it as a decade ago, not a year.

[JM0115]

18 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I’ve been thinking about this all day.  Next Christmas Eve on the Star, in the Explorer’s Lounge for a glass of good champagne, then hopefully off to Manfredi’s for dinner!  
Merry Christmas, everyone!  And happy other holidays to all who celebrate them at this, usually, festive time!

Hopefully next year!  Happy Holidays to all!

[CCWineLover]

19 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

This time last year, we were listening to Heather sing at the Christmas show on the Jupiter. We got out of the show and there was chocolate galore!  
 

It seems like it as a decade ago, not a year.

 

We two!!!   Heather was indeed the best!  We just went through pics from that amazing Christmas South America cruise!!!

it does seem like a long time ago.  I think we even appreciate it mor now.  Hoping we can do our Med cruise in November!!

 

Happy Holidays!!

[deec]

You were so lucky to get to meet Heather!!!  She played a huge role in making the WC full of memorable moments.  She met each challenge with poise, graciousness and the notable smile,  formed a choir, performed regularly in atrium gatherings, led our Church services with ease and a surprising spirituality,  was a fashion show in heels each day, and laughed as she was tossed in the pool for the equator crosssing ( not sure that dress or shoes survived).  I would love to sail with her  again.

[Roger88]

On 12/25/2020 at 1:33 AM, SantaFe1 said:

I’ve been thinking about this all day.  Next Christmas Eve on the Star, in the Explorer’s Lounge for a glass of good champagne, then hopefully off to Manfredi’s for dinner!  
Merry Christmas, everyone!  And happy other holidays to all who celebrate them at this, usually, festive time!

I dreamed of having Christams and new Year on board the ship. I am sure its very fun and entertaining. I heard that sometimes you can even meet celebrities there. The problem with those cruises is that they are mostly short and not well  designed for those who is travelling on a budget

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, deec said:

You were so lucky to get to meet Heather!!!  She played a huge role in making the WC full of memorable moments.  She met each challenge with poise, graciousness and the notable smile,  formed a choir, performed regularly in atrium gatherings, led our Church services with ease and a surprising spirituality,  was a fashion show in heels each day, and laughed as she was tossed in the pool for the equator crosssing ( not sure that dress or shoes survived).  I would love to sail with her  again.

I was impressed by those heels!  DH and I speculated how many miles she put on those heels each day of the cruise.  I couldn’t do it!
She was the CD on 2 of the cruises we were on.  I think I saw her in sneakers less than the fingers on one hand!

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, Roger88 said:

I dreamed of having Christams and new Year on board the ship. I am sure its very fun and entertaining. I heard that sometimes you can even meet celebrities there. The problem with those cruises is that they are mostly short and not well  designed for those who is travelling on a budget

 
We have been on a Viking cruise during 2 Christmases.  One was a (much cheaper) trans Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami.  I think this was 12 days.  Last year, it was an 18 day cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires.   Last year’s cruise was a last minute purchase, so was highly discounted from published fares.
 

 

[JM0115]

48 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

 
We have been on a Viking cruise during 2 Christmases.  One was a (much cheaper) trans Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami.  I think this was 12 days.  Last year, it was an 18 day cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires.   Last year’s cruise was a last minute purchase, so was highly discounted from published fares.
 

 

Where did you eat on Christmas and how was it?

[deec]

Mich3553...where do you find last minute deals?  Now that we are retired I'd like to try and find those!

[vnb2003]

3 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

 
We have been on a Viking cruise during 2 Christmases.  One was a (much cheaper) trans Atlantic from Lisbon to Miami.  I think this was 12 days.  Last year, it was an 18 day cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires.   Last year’s cruise was a last minute purchase, so was highly discounted from published fares.
 

 

We spent last Christmas and New Year on the Viking Sun. Christmas dinner was disappointment for our table mates (Restaurant). No dressed up people and less than a few Christmas dishes. We loved our dinner though it wasn’t traditional. New Years was a lot of fun with river of Champagne and New Year Day branch was SPECTACULAR!!! Mimosas and Bloody Mary everywhere plus delicatessen food for every taste together with the hearty dishes.

It seems this was ages ago :(

our trip was last min deal we just couldn’t miss - Santiago to Los Angeles. 
 

[Mich3554]

7 hours ago, deec said:

Mich3553...where do you find last minute deals?  Now that we are retired I'd like to try and find those!

 I was booking our China trip and river cruise and for Oct 2020 and March 2021.  There was a $500 price break by a certain date, but it excluded 2019 cruises.  I was speaking to my contact at Viking, telling him that I really wanted to do the SA cruise in Dec. and he told me he could do better than the $500 discount.  I want to say it was about $1500 off?  However, this was booking Oct. for a Dec. cruise.  I was booking less than 2 months out

 

I have a contact at Viking who helps me out quite a bit.  I have booked 7 cruises with him (including a WC last week), 2 of which were canceled and rebooked.  

[Mich3554]

7 hours ago, JM0115 said:

Where did you eat on Christmas and how was it?

Manfredi’s Christmas Eve and NYE the last cruise.  I have never had a bad meal there.  
I don’t make a Christmas dinner at home, so not having those dishes didn’t matter to me.  I usually just cook what interests me.  Yesterday, we had grilled lamb.  

[Ruthieofthesea]

On 12/13/2020 at 4:21 PM, deec said:

We had the dreaded Torshavn cabin 3055 initially on the WC until we finally got  moved.  Not just late night.... day time practices too AND we even had a "wanna be" passenger who had gotten permission to sing his heart out ( with loud speakers) about 6am    ...front desk people thought I was crazy until I brought them to invesitgate the noise one morning!  At least the early morning crooning stopped.   ADVENTURES!!!!  Do NOT EVER EVER agree to that room or a DV6  guarantee ( how we ended up there) that might result in that cabin...oh and they also wash lifeboats early morning!!!  Sleep was at premium.

We had cabin 3052 on the Star. We didn't hear any noise, but! we went to bed really late.

[Peregrina651]

Wishing you all a

 HAPPIER NEW YEAR

 

 

[JM0115]

Peregrina651 - Happy New Year.  Do you have any pictures you can share of NYE on a Viking Ship to get an idea of what people were wearing? We are looking forward to NYE on the WC in one year!  I think I saw one picture from you before but if you have more that would be great!  Thank you,  Jim  

[Peregrina651]

Jim,  your right. I have posted a picture or two in the past. For anyone who wants to drive themselves crazy trying to find them here using the CC search function, I probably posted then in 2017 or '18.

 

In the meantime, after I'm done burning dinner, I will look for them and post them here. I will say that dress ran the gamut from casual to fancy but I don't know that I remember seeing anyone in a tux..

[JM0115]

57 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Jim,  your right. I have posted a picture or two in the past. For anyone who wants to drive themselves crazy trying to find them here using the CC search function, I probably posted then in 2017 or '18.

 

In the meantime, after I'm done burning dinner, I will look for them and post them here. I will say that dress ran the gamut from casual to fancy but I don't know that I remember seeing anyone in a tux..

Thank you. I know that you can wear whatever you want other than jeans but I would actually like to get a bit dressed up. Look forward to seeing your pics. Hope dinner was nice🙂. Happy New Year!

[Peregrina651]

NYE on Viking:

2016/7

 

2017/8 (shooting from Deck3)

 

2018/19 -- They added a Jan1 buffet -- And they added the Pool deck and Wintergarden as an additional party/dance venue for NYE.

 

 

[Ruthieofthesea]

Happy New Year. 2021 will be better. Just want to let everyone know that Viking has dropped the air for the 11/14/21 SAC. It is now free. 

 

It is my intention to book a Christmas cruise on the SAC this year. I simply love Christmas cruises. I have three previous Christmas cruise on two other lines. I look forward to seeing/sailing  on a Viking Christmas cruise. We were on the Star for Thanksgiving several years ago. The preperations for the Christmas were underway, I could tell they would be lovely.

Happy Cruising.

 

[Ruthieofthesea]

On 1/1/2021 at 6:38 PM, Peregrina651 said:

NYE on Viking:

2016/7

 

2017/8 (shooting from Deck3)

 

2018/19 -- They added a Jan1 buffet -- And they added the Pool deck and Wintergarden as an additional party/dance venue for NYE.

 

 

Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing.