The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[CharTrav]

I'd be happy if they'd waste paper on me!!!! 😁

[BluebonnetTexan]

I realized recently that we hadn’t received one in a few months, but our friends did. I went in to MVJ and just updated my data and within a week or two started receiving the brochures in the mail again. Coincidence?

[CharTrav]

1 hour ago, BluebonnetTexan said:

I realized recently that we hadn’t received one in a few months, but our friends did. I went in to MVJ and just updated my data and within a week or two started receiving the brochures in the mail again. Coincidence?

Hmmm. That's an idea!

[Jim Avery]

Sitting here in Explorers I forgot all about the forests of paper piling up in the snail mail box at home.  I remember the paper Viking products seemed to drop off about the same time the electronic Viking stuff ramped up.  We get messages from Karine, recipes, videos of all sorts of spaces, recordings of past speakers, etc.  Rather have them than the endless catalogs  that end up in recycle.🍹

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, Jim Avery said:

Sitting here in Explorers I forgot all about the forests of paper piling up in the snail mail box at home.  I remember the paper Viking products seemed to drop off about the same time the electronic Viking stuff ramped up.  We get messages from Karine, recipes, videos of all sorts of spaces, recordings of past speakers, etc.  Rather have them than the endless catalogs  that end up in recycle.🍹

Absolutely agree!  

[CharTrav]

Another off the wall but pertinent question. In my copious free time I've been productively amusing myself researching what Viking cruises we'd like to do in the future looking at ocean, river, and expeditions: gathering together information about each itinerary, excursions, extensions, cost estimates, etc. so that we can rank order them.  One of the ones I'm looking at is South America and Chilean Fjords. And I'm thoroughly confused about the overnight excursions offered in Santiago (Santiago Overnight & Mapuche Culture; Chile's Wine Country Overnight) and Buenos Aires (Iguazú Falls Overnight).  I can't for the life of me figure out how they would work. If any of you have done this cruise and can enlighten me how these overnight excursions work. Again, many thanks in advance!!!

[Clay Clayton]

Char 

Can’t help with your questions but can tell you that our ‘round the horn cruise (on NCL not Viking 😢) remains one of our favorites-perfect mix of sea and port days. 
 
You got me interested in the Falls excursion-have you seen this-Peregrina provides some insights

 

[Peregrina651]

11 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Another off the wall but pertinent question. In my copious free time I've been productively amusing myself researching what Viking cruises we'd like to do in the future looking at ocean, river, and expeditions: gathering together information about each itinerary, excursions, extensions, cost estimates, etc. so that we can rank order them.  One of the ones I'm looking at is South America and Chilean Fjords. And I'm thoroughly confused about the overnight excursions offered in Santiago (Santiago Overnight & Mapuche Culture; Chile's Wine Country Overnight) and Buenos Aires (Iguazú Falls Overnight).  I can't for the life of me figure out how they would work. If any of you have done this cruise and can enlighten me how these overnight excursions work. Again, many thanks in advance!!!

 

I can talk about Iguazu Falls in general terms. We did a week in Buenos Aires, pre-cruise and on our own, including an overnight trip to the Falls in 2008-09 (so not with Viking). Yes, there was plenty to keep us busy for a whole week. BA has two airports. The international airport in the burbs and the domestic airport in the city, right along the river front and a few minutes from the cruise terminal. There are/were multiple flights per day to the falls; we took the first flight out in the morning and the next to last flight back the next day. We stayed at the hotel in the park (falls view room), so we did not have to waste time going back and forth. I will note that it was very hot and humid; we were there for New Year's Eve/New Years day. We left our luggage in the hotel room that we had booked and just took an overnight bag; bathing suits are a must on this trip. Viking will probably have you do something similar. It was a memorable adventure.

 

The cruise itself was one of the best we had ever taken. The itinerary is fabulous and well worth doing. Name another itinerary where you can see penguins? See photos: https://southamericajanuary2009.shutterfly.com/

 

[CharTrav]

Thanks for the reply. Agree that the itinerary looks wonderful. I was just having problems trying to imagine the logistics of the overnight excursions. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, CharTrav said:

Thanks for the reply. Agree that the itinerary looks wonderful. I was just having problems trying to imagine the logistics of the overnight excursions. 

 

To do it as an overnight, the only way is to fly. It is a 15 hour, 1200km drive. IMHO, worth the visit, whether you do it with Viking or on your own.

[deec]

We are hopefully doing this cruise February 2022 starting in Santiago so there is NO pre to Iguazu Falls which is a disappointment. We are then staying onboard and doing the Transatlantic Crossing so we can not do the post from Buenos Aires.  With the fluid state of travel at this point we don't want to attempt a DIY in case we have to cancel at last minute.  I would rather have Viking refund the money.  So we will do an "excursion" to the falls...probably the over night.

[CharTrav]

1 hour ago, deec said:

So we will do an "excursion" to the falls...probably the over night.

That's the one I'm trying to figure out how it works. The pre and post extensions that include the Falls certainly make sense. It's the overnight excursion on Day 17 if you end in Buenos Aires doesn't make sense to me at all. Esp what happens on Day 2 when supposedly that's the last day of the cruise. Here's the overall narrative for Iguazu Falls overnight:

"Experience the majesty of the world’s largest waterfall system during an overnight visit to Iguazú Falls. Taller than Niagara Falls, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is an impressive natural wonder; 275 cascades are spread across a gulf of almost 2 miles. After your flight from Buenos Aires, board your motor coach for Iguazú Falls National Park. Enjoy a delicious lunch at a restaurant inside the park, then head to the pathways of the Lower Circuit and the Iguazú River. Journey through the subtropical forest, keeping watch for local wildlife, then embark on an adrenaline-packed rigid inflatable boat (RIB) ride through frothing rapids for a close-up view of the cascading falls. The next morning, you will board a small-scale eco-train to the Upper Circuit and the famous Devil’s Throat. Enjoy stunning panoramic views as you walk the pathways above this long, narrow horseshoe-shaped gorge."

This excursion is also listed on Day 2 for the reverse itinerary. The only way I can see that working by the way is if the ship departs for Montevideo late the next day. 

 

So I was hoping to find somebody on this thread who's done this cruise before and knows how its three overnight excursions (Inc the 2 in Santiago) work. Cuz i can't come up with a way that it does. Viking has a similar overnight excursion on one of its trips in Australia but there it's explained how you leave the ship and come back later - meet the ship at a different port. 

Edited February 9, 2021 by CharTrav

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, deec said:

With the fluid state of travel at this point we don't want to attempt a DIY in case we have to cancel at last minute.  I would rather have Viking refund the money.  So we will do an "excursion" to the falls...probably the over nig

Btw - have found this overnight excursion listed for VE South America & Antarctic Discovery. There it makes sense because it's part of a full 2 day stop at BA on Day 6&7 of an 18 day itinerary. It's not at the end or the beginning. Sometimes I have to wonder how these excursion lists are populated. 🙄

[vslparis]

4 hours ago, CharTrav said:

That's the one I'm trying to figure out how it works. The pre and post extensions that include the Falls certainly make sense. It's the overnight excursion on Day 17 if you end in Buenos Aires doesn't make sense to me at all. Esp what happens on Day 2 when supposedly that's the last day of the cruise. Here's the overall narrative for Iguazu Falls overnight:

"Experience the majesty of the world’s largest waterfall system during an overnight visit to Iguazú Falls. Taller than Niagara Falls, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is an impressive natural wonder; 275 cascades are spread across a gulf of almost 2 miles. After your flight from Buenos Aires, board your motor coach for Iguazú Falls National Park. Enjoy a delicious lunch at a restaurant inside the park, then head to the pathways of the Lower Circuit and the Iguazú River. Journey through the subtropical forest, keeping watch for local wildlife, then embark on an adrenaline-packed rigid inflatable boat (RIB) ride through frothing rapids for a close-up view of the cascading falls. The next morning, you will board a small-scale eco-train to the Upper Circuit and the famous Devil’s Throat. Enjoy stunning panoramic views as you walk the pathways above this long, narrow horseshoe-shaped gorge."

This excursion is also listed on Day 2 for the reverse itinerary. The only way I can see that working by the way is if the ship departs for Montevideo late the next day. 

 

So I was hoping to find somebody on this thread who's done this cruise before and knows how its three overnight excursions (Inc the 2 in Santiago) work. Cuz i can't come up with a way that it does. Viking has a similar overnight excursion on one of its trips in Australia but there it's explained how you leave the ship and come back later - meet the ship at a different port. 

Haven't been on this trip but I would say that if you do the Falls on day 17 you will disembark the ship on that day and do you Falls trip ; so basically get off on that day  with all your things, do the overnight trip  and then fly back to BA that afternoon and then fly  home on day 18 at night as many flights to the US from BA are late night flights. You would give up touring in Buenos Aires to go to Iguazu Falls. For the Day 2 option, then you give up the day in Montevideo, do the falls that day , fly back to Buenos Aires the morning/early afternoon of Day 3 and I would think that the ship would  leave Montevideo late in the day after you get back from Iguazu. Since the next 2 days are at sea , I would only do a tour like this with Viking as they won't leave without you 😬

[Peregrina651]

Char, take it to TellUs.  Ask them how they plan to do a 2400km trip to Iguazu and back by bus and still get you to the ship in time--and have time to spend at the falls.  Also ask them how many stops will there be for meals and for pit stops.  Try to work in mention of the 30 hours of driving time, too.

 

Then start your stop watch and see how long it takes them to update the copy.  

 

PS.  If you go to the Falls, get a yellow fever shot.  

[CCWineLover]

10 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I can talk about Iguazu Falls in general terms. We did a week in Buenos Aires, pre-cruise and on our own, including an overnight trip to the Falls in 2008-09 (so not with Viking). Yes, there was plenty to keep us busy for a whole week. BA has two airports. The international airport in the burbs and the domestic airport in the city, right along the river front and a few minutes from the cruise terminal. There are/were multiple flights per day to the falls; we took the first flight out in the morning and the next to last flight back the next day. We stayed at the hotel in the park (falls view room), so we did not have to waste time going back and forth. I will note that it was very hot and humid; we were there for New Year's Eve/New Years day. We left our luggage in the hotel room that we had booked and just took an overnight bag; bathing suits are a must on this trip. Viking will probably have you do something similar. It was a memorable adventure.

 

The cruise itself was one of the best we had ever taken. The itinerary is fabulous and well worth doing. Name another itinerary where you can see penguins? See photos: https://southamericajanuary2009.shutterfly.com/

 

We also did the Iguazu Falls (on our own) last January. 2 nights at the Gran Melia (well worth it).  It was beyond belief.  A true bucket list item.  Hot and steamy but who cared?   Truly spectacular.  There are indeed many flights (we were on Aerolinas Argentinas) and the airport is actually quite modern and nice.  We arrived about 3 pm, checked into the hotel and took off on a hike through the park.

 

There is NO way a bus is going to make that trip in any amount of time. 

We enjoyed spending all our time in the park.  So much to see, so much to do, and we did so much walking - it made for great exercise - we probably did 8-10 miles a day at least!!

[CharTrav]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

Char, take it to TellUs.  Ask them how they plan to do a 2400km trip to Iguazu and back by bus and still get you to the ship in time--and have time to spend at the falls.  Also ask them how many stops will there be for meals and for pit stops.  Try to work in mention of the 30 hours of driving time, too.

 

Then start your stop watch and see how long it takes them to update the copy.  

 

PS.  If you go to the Falls, get a yellow fever shot.  

In the interest of space, I didn't include the whole narrative, just the summation. In the day by day narrative, it's clear that you fly from BA to the Falls and back. The wierd thing is that on the 2nd day of the excursion or Day 18 of the cruise, it says "This afternoon, enjoy a boxed lunch during your transfer to the airport for your return flight to Buenos Aires. Upon your arrival, you will be taken on a panoramic tour of the city en route to your awaiting ship". And by the way, the same words are used for the reverse itinerary. They do list a 13 hr excursion to the Falls which has you flying to and from Puerto Iguazú and cramming alot of touring in between.  Not sure I'd want to do that on day 17. 🤪

 

As I said in a separate note, the overnight version does make sense for the SA and Antarctic trip where BA is 2 days in the middle of an 18 day trip starting from/ending in Rio (typing this with a kitten in my face is unique). 

[CharTrav]

8 hours ago, deec said:

We are hopefully doing this cruise February 2022 starting in Santiago so there is NO pre to Iguazu Falls which is a disappointment. We are then staying onboard and doing the Transatlantic Crossing so we can not do the post from Buenos Aires.  With the fluid state of travel at this point we don't want to attempt a DIY in case we have to cancel at last minute.  I would rather have Viking refund the money.  So we will do an "excursion" to the falls...probably the over night.

Agree. I've been making a list of possible cruises to take in the future - VR, VO, and VE.  And then each of us will assign priorities for each group. I haven't added my preferences yet but hubby certainly likes this one. Think he assigned it a 2 after the one that does the Amazon. He's not into repositioning cruises btw. A few sea days here and there OK but not massive numbers of them. He spent years doing trips on research vessels.

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Char, take it to TellUs. 

Good idea! Think I will!

[Clay Clayton]

12 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Agree. I've been making a list of possible cruises to take in the future - VR, VO, and VE.  And then each of us will assign priorities for each group. I haven't added my preferences yet but hubby certainly likes this one. Think he assigned it a 2 after the one that does the Amazon. He's not into repositioning cruises btw. A few sea days here and there OK but not massive numbers of them. He spent years doing trips on research vessels.

But were there lectures, a spa, and afternoon tea on those vessels? 😂

Edited February 10, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[burnabyjean]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:58 AM, CharTrav said:

Thanks for the reply. Agree that the itinerary looks wonderful. I was just having problems trying to imagine the logistics of the overnight excursions. 

I can't speak for Viking, but we did an excursion to Machu Picchu with Princess Cruises. We got off the ship in Pisco, then "trains, plains and automobiles" (plane, bus, train) to Aguascalientes. We arrived there in the late afternoon, had dinner, then EARLY the next morning were bused to the Machu Picchu site. About noon we left the site and did the reverse journey, but flew to Lima (the ship sailed from Pisco to Lima while we were doing our excursion). Obviously, Viking may handle this differently, but it will give you an idea about what COULD happen. BTW, it was probably our favourite excursion of all time!

[CharTrav]

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

But were there lectures, a spa, and afternoon tea on those vessels? 😂

Dear Clay - no. If he happened to be on a non US research ship he might get a daily rum ration. 😉

[Mich3554]

16 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Agree. I've been making a list of possible cruises to take in the future - VR, VO, and VE.  And then each of us will assign priorities for each group. I haven't added my preferences yet but hubby certainly likes this one. Think he assigned it a 2 after the one that does the Amazon. He's not into repositioning cruises btw. A few sea days here and there OK but not massive numbers of them. He spent years doing trips on research vessels.

There are quite a few sea days on this cruise, and more if you miss the Falklands due to weather (we caught it, but I think the next cruise had to bail in it).  I think that this was one of my more favorite cruises of the 3 I have taken so far.    

We did Iguazu Falls, but as a separate tour not through Viking.  Our trip here was a 3 day, 2 night tour and we did both sides.  

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, burnabyjean said:

I can't speak for Viking, but we did an excursion to Machu Picchu with Princess Cruises. We got off the ship in Pisco, then "trains, plains and automobiles" (plane, bus, train) to Aguascalientes. We arrived there in the late afternoon, had dinner, then EARLY the next morning were bused to the Machu Picchu site. About noon we left the site and did the reverse journey, but flew to Lima (the ship sailed from Pisco to Lima while we were doing our excursion). Obviously, Viking may handle this differently, but it will give you an idea about what COULD happen. BTW, it was probably our favourite excursion of all time!

Good to know. We had been booked on the Galápagos trip that was to have been last Dec but cancelled because of covid and because whatever deal Viking thought they had to charter the Santa Cruz II fell through permanently. Hoping they'll be able to position themselves do they can do something involving Machu Picchu. Time will tell. 

[CharTrav]

7 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

We did Iguazu Falls, but as a separate tour not through Viking.  Our trip here was a 3 day, 2 night tour and we did both sides.

That's what the 5 day Rio & Iguazú Falls extension seems to do. Which is why in my planning for "future things to do" I'm including that.