The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[Cruisenewbie63]

10 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

That would be me! 

 

Thanks , and a alcohol free seedlip spice gin.  Knew I had seen it somewhere.  
 

[Clay Clayton]

8 hours ago, Cruisenewbie63 said:

Thanks , and a alcohol free seedlip spice gin.  Knew I had seen it somewhere.  
 

Some folks have reported that if ia brand is available on the ship that you can ask for a bottle to be brought to the bar you frequent. 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[TayanaLorna]

23 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Some folks have reported that if ia brand is available on the ship that you can ask for a bottle to be brought to the bar you frequent. 

Yep.  Friend of ours was disappointed that his favorite single malt scotch was not in the Explorers Lounge.  The bartender found one and put it under the bar for him.  But then he tips the bartender at the beginning of the cruise.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

But then he tips the bartender at the beginning of the cruise.

 

But there is no way of saying that his tipping practice is what got him the bottle. From what I have heard, all one has to do is ask if is possible and staff will do what they can to make it happen, whether one has tipped the staff or not.

[Azulann]

52 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

But there is no way of saying that his tipping practice is what got him the bottle. From what I have heard, all one has to do is ask if is possible and staff will do what they can to make it happen, whether one has tipped the staff or not.

On our first cruise, a Transatlantic, a friend  asked for a Dark and Stormy. The bartender said they did not have any ginger beer left  on the ship, sorry.

Next day a waiter at the Explore Bar said , "sir we looked and located some ginger beer way down in storage. "They kept it for him at the bar for his Dark And Stormy drink in the evening. The staff do aim to please.

[knoxclone]

We have never purchased the SSP on our previous 4 cruises, but it is included on our upcoming Panama Canal cruise. Unfortunately, due to the current meds I am on, I can't mix w alcohol. 

 

However, I have been assured that there was a large variety of non alcoholic beverages (mocktails) that I will be able to enjoy as we travel through the Caribbean.  I was encouraged to ask the bartenders about their favorites... and I will report back. 🙂

 

[SempreMare]

33 minutes ago, knoxclone said:

However, I have been assured that there was a large variety of non alcoholic beverages (mocktails) that I will be able to enjoy as we travel through the Caribbean.  I was encouraged to ask the bartenders about their favorites... and I will report back. 🙂

 

Look forward to hearing your feedback!   In Amsterdam I was amazed at the variety of non-alcoholic beers. They were genuinely craveable and as interesting as any locally brewed alcoholic beer. 

 

I've not enjoyed the taste of the non-alcoholic Gins / whiskeys I've had here in the states.    Would love to find some good ones. 

 

Re: alcohol or not...
For me it's the 'buzzed' feeling I don't want.  Plus now that I can see (Oura ring)  what having alcohol near bedtime does to pulse rate and amount of deep sleep,  alcohol has become a day-time only thing for me unless with friends or traveling. 

[duquephart]

10 hours ago, Azulann said:

On our first cruise, a Transatlantic, a friend  asked for a Dark and Stormy. The bartender said they did not have any ginger beer left  on the ship, sorry.

Next day a waiter at the Explore Bar said , "sir we looked and located some ginger beer way down in storage. "They kept it for him at the bar for his Dark And Stormy drink in the evening. The staff do aim to please.

 

Did they have Gosling's Rum? Dark & Stormy = Gosling's.

[Cruisenewbie63]

10 hours ago, SempreMare said:

 

Look forward to hearing your feedback!   In Amsterdam I was amazed at the variety of non-alcoholic beers. They were genuinely craveable and as interesting as any locally brewed alcoholic beer. 

 

I've not enjoyed the taste of the non-alcoholic Gins / whiskeys I've had here in the states.    Would love to find some good ones. 

 

Re: alcohol or not...
For me it's the 'buzzed' feeling I don't want.  Plus now that I can see (Oura ring)  what having alcohol near bedtime does to pulse rate and amount of deep sleep,  alcohol has become a day-time only thing for me unless with friends or traveling. 

The Clean Gin Co   ( green bottle). Easily obtainable in Uk is about the best I have tasted   ( strangely doesn’t taste like gin near but when mixed with a tonic. Ice and a slice and sitting in the sun. You could be having a G&T 😂.  
alcohol free draught Guinness  very good too.    Enjoy 

[DGHOC]

We have Strykk  NOT G*N which is also pretty good. (Not as good as the real thing obviously!)

[Cruisenewbie63]

5 minutes ago, DGHOC said:

We have Strykk  NOT G*N which is also pretty good. (Not as good as the real thing obviously!)

Thanks , never heard of that!   When you say we,  do you mean Viking? Do you work on board.  (Sorry to ask.  ) 

[DGHOC]

No I'm a traveller like yourself! We are Londoners too, I buy it from Ocado. It's the only non alcoholic gin my hubby will drink.

[Cruisenewbie63]

4 minutes ago, DGHOC said:

No I'm a traveller like yourself! We are Londoners too, I buy it from Ocado. It's the only non alcoholic gin my hubby will drink.

😀. Just looked it up, and can see it’s sold in Uk,   At first sight of the name  I thought Nordic. Hence my question 😀. 
Thanks for the recommendation. 

[Clay Clayton]

Do any of you have a suggestion on how I can find out what Orion will be doing after it disembarks passengers from its rerouted Vancouver to Tokyo cruise in Hawaii in mid October and before it embarks passengers in Bangkok in November?  
 

We were booked on the now canceled segment from Hong Kong to Bangkok and if they offered a cruise from Hawaii to Bangkok we would likely book it so we could use our already booked independent hotels and tours in Bangkok and Siem Reap. I’ve been checking the website everyday but so far no new cruise has appeared.  If Viking isn’t going to sell a cruise then we are likely to join some friends on their cruise to Alaska and Hawaii on HAL 😳

 

I had hoped Viking would announce a new itinerary a week or so after the deadline (8/19/22) for folks to decide on a voucher or a refund on the multiple segments which were canceled but so far nothing. My emails to TellUs on this subject have gone unanswered and Google hasn’t been any help either.  Apparently Silverseas has announced they are deadheading to Signapore to start their cruise to Australia after doing a similar cancelation. 

TIA!
 

[Azulann]

Clay , have you talked to a travel Agent? They might know about the missing Orion itinerary.  Also post your question as a separate topic on Viking forum, some of the in the know folks might be able to help you. Gook Luck. 

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Azulann said:

Clay , have you talked to a travel Agent? They might know about the missing Orion itinerary.  Also post your question as a separate topic on Viking forum, some of the in the know folks might be able to help you. Gook Luck. 

Yes on the agent question.  No one seems to have any information. 
 

Thanks for the suggestion.  I’ll give it a day or three here since most of the “in the know” folks are subscribed to this thread. 🤞

[Viking Cruises]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Do any of you have a suggestion on how I can find out what Orion will be doing after it disembarks passengers from its rerouted Vancouver to Tokyo cruise in Hawaii in mid October and before it embarks passengers in Bangkok in November?  
 

We were booked on the now canceled segment from Hong Kong to Bangkok and if they offered a cruise from Hawaii to Bangkok we would likely book it so we could use our already booked independent hotels and tours in Bangkok and Siem Reap. I’ve been checking the website everyday but so far no new cruise has appeared.  If Viking isn’t going to sell a cruise then we are likely to join some friends on their cruise to Alaska and Hawaii on HAL 😳

 

I had hoped Viking would announce a new itinerary a week or so after the deadline (8/19/22) for folks to decide on a voucher or a refund on the multiple segments which were canceled but so far nothing. My emails to TellUs on this subject have gone unanswered and Google hasn’t been any help either.  Apparently Silverseas has announced they are deadheading to Signapore to start their cruise to Australia after doing a similar cancelation. 

TIA!
 

Dear @Clay Clayton

 

So sorry we missed your message! While we understand you've done so recently, we kindly invite you, or any other fellow explorers, to reach back out to us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com (where our specialists are currently fielding guest emails as we speak) so that we may assist with your individual booking and any itinerary questions you may have. We hope to hear from you soon!

 

Sincerely, 
Viking

[FetaCheese]

4 minutes ago, Viking Cruises said:

Dear @Clay Clayton

 

So sorry we missed your message! While we understand you've done so recently, we kindly invite you, or any other fellow explorers, to reach back out to us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com (where our specialists are currently fielding guest emails as we speak) so that we may assist with your individual booking and any itinerary questions you may have. We hope to hear from you soon!

 

Sincerely, 
Viking

For anyone wondering if Viking (or any cruise line) looks at their Cruise Critic Category Board, here is your answer.

[Clay Clayton]

16 hours ago, Viking Cruises said:

Dear @Clay Clayton

 

So sorry we missed your message! While we understand you've done so recently, we kindly invite you, or any other fellow explorers, to reach back out to us at Tellus@vikingcruises.com (where our specialists are currently fielding guest emails as we speak) so that we may assist with your individual booking and any itinerary questions you may have. We hope to hear from you soon!

 

Sincerely, 
Viking

Thanks for being involved in CruiseCritic. I’ve emailed as requested but my question is simple and is what was in the Original post:

1. Will Viking be selling a cruise between Hawaii and Bangkok after Orion disembarks guests from Vancouver in mid October and before it embarks guests in Bangkok on November 10, 2022?  We had planned a week in Bangkok after disembarking the now canceled Hong Kong to Bangkok segment of Orion’s cruise.  If Viking is going to make a cruise from Hawaii to Bangkok available (at a reasonable price) we would prefer to join it over joining friends on another line for another cruise. 

[vslparis]

5 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Thanks for being involved in CruiseCritic. I’ve emailed as requested but my question is simple and is what was in the Original post:

1. Will Viking be selling a cruise between Hawaii and Bangkok after Orion disembarks guests from Vancouver in mid October and before it embarks guests in Bangkok on November 10, 2022?  We had planned a week in Bangkok after disembarking the now canceled Hong Kong to Bangkok segment of Orion’s cruise.  If Viking is going to make a cruise from Hawaii to Bangkok available (at a reasonable price) we would prefer to join it over joining friends on another line for another cruise. 

Seems like a non answer to a pretty simple question to me ;  it’s either  yes or no. End of story. 

[Clay Clayton]

50 minutes ago, vslparis said:

Seems like a non answer to a pretty simple question to me ;  it’s either  yes or no. End of story. 

LOL.  I thought the same thing.  Just got a response to the email they requested I send.  Why does someone need to email me and call me. A simple yes, no, or we don’t know yet would suffice 

[Jim Avery]

Can you believe I am having to make our own strawberry banana daiquiri today?  What happened to the service?  🍹  I guess everyone is too busy taking care of Clay...

[Twitchly]

Just found Fever Tree tonic! Got the kind with elderberry. I foresee a celebratory G&T coming up … 

[deec]

now mix in the Hendrick's...I hope you like it!

Cucumber will be next!

 

[SantaFe1]

18 minutes ago, deec said:

Cucumber will be next!

Oh my.  Cucumber is my nemesis.  Just the smell of it makes me nauseated.  And my counter story to the thread on best Viking experiences ( of which I have many) is the night at Chefs Table when I told them I was allergic to whatever they were having with cucumber in it and asked them to bring me a salad instead.  Took a bite and it was redolent with cucumber.  My eyes flew open, I looked at my husband in distress, and did the only thing I could do—brought my napkin to my mouth and —you know. Not my finest hour!