The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[deec]

😞

 

[CCWineLover]

21 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

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!

We’ve had similar issues with cilantro, which these days seems to everywhere.  So we’ve learned not to go to Mexican night at Chefs Table. 😉

[SantaFe1]

2 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

We’ve had similar issues with cilantro, which these days seems to everywhere.  So we’ve learned not to go to Mexican night at Chefs Table. 😉

And of course, one’s meat is another’s poison.  I LOVE cilantro.  LOL

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

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!

Makes me happy to see someone on social media use a term like “redolent.” Such a great word. I must use it more often. (Yes, I’m a word nerd though I try to keep it under wraps!)

[Clay Clayton]

On 8/27/2022 at 4:04 PM, Clay Clayton said:

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 

Just finished an email conversation with TellUs 😢

[Twitchly]

Wow. Must be expensive to have a fully-staffed ship sit empty for weeks.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Twitchly said:

Wow. Must be expensive to have a fully-staffed ship sit empty for weeks.

 

In these situations, the cruise line will often send some of the hotel crew to other ships and then re-crew when operations resume.

 

While the fixed costs remain, the operational cost can be reduced by, reducing crew size and slow steam to the next destination, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bunkers. They will also not be spending money of port fees, pilots, tugs, guest entertainers and the stores budget will have a significant surplus.

 

With only a couple of months to plan and sell cruises, they have a reasonable chance of losing less money by dead heading the ship. They also have time to conduct additional maintenance, both deck/engineering and hotel operations.

 

Trying to schedule cruises on short notice probably would receive considerable negative feedback, especially with respect to shore-ex. This is one of the biggest complaints on CC. The shore-ex can't be planned until the ports are confirmed, with arrival and departure times confirmed.

Edited August 31, 2022 by Heidi13

[TayanaLorna]

16 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

In these situations, the cruise line will often send some of the hotel crew to other ships and then re-crew when operations resume.

 

While the fixed costs remain, the operational cost can be reduced by, reducing crew size and slow steam to the next destination, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bunkers. They will also not be spending money of port fees, pilots, tugs, guest entertainers and the stores budget will have a significant surplus.

 

With only a couple of months to plan and sell cruises, they have a reasonable chance of losing less money by dead heading the ship. They also have time to conduct additional maintenance, both deck/engineering and hotel operations.

 

Trying to schedule cruises on short notice probably would receive considerable negative feedback, especially with respect to shore-ex. This is one of the biggest complaints on CC. The shore-ex can't be planned until the ports are confirmed, with arrival and departure times confirmed.

A really good explanation.  Thx.

[Clay Clayton]

9 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

A really good explanation.  Thx.

Yeah but I still don’t like it😂

[odblnt]

And without some of the folks who follow this tread onboard, the amount of alcohol consumed will drastically decline. 😀

[Finn67]

At this time Cruisemapper.com shows the Orion going from Vancouver to Alaska to Japan arriving in Tokyo on Oct. 12th. No stop in Hawaii. Then it leaves Tokyo with a number of stops to arrive in Bangkok by Nov 10th. Where I will be embarking.

[Clay Clayton]

2 minutes ago, Finn67 said:

At this time Cruisemapper.com shows the Orion going from Vancouver to Alaska to Japan arriving in Tokyo on Oct. 12th. No stop in Hawaii. Then it leaves Tokyo with a number of stops to arrive in Bangkok by Nov 10th. Where I will be embarking.

Cruisemapper is wrong. It hasn’t been updated since they canceled the segments from Toyko to Bangkok and rerouted the Vancouver to Tokyo segment to Hawaii. 

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, Finn67 said:

At this time Cruisemapper.com shows the Orion going from Vancouver to Alaska to Japan arriving in Tokyo on Oct. 12th. No stop in Hawaii. Then it leaves Tokyo with a number of stops to arrive in Bangkok by Nov 10th. Where I will be embarking.

 

That is the classic issue with 3rd party websites - they often don't update the schedules. Viking has cancelled a number of the Trans-pacific cruises with the Sept 20th cruise ending in Hawaii. The ship will then deadhead to its next embarkation port.

 

MarineTraffic provides the most accurate position information, accepting that the free version only provides AIS ground station reception.

[Azulann]

Great weekend ahead.  The Viking Mississippi will be in Red Wing MN on Friday and come into historic Lambert's Landing in St. Paul. It is a huge deal. I know many will  turns out to welcome the Viking Riverboat to St. Paul. 

I will have a  glass of bubbly to celebrate  the Viking Mississippi. docking at my hometown port !!!!!!! 🥂

Edited September 1, 2022 by Azulann

[Clay Clayton]

On 8/30/2022 at 8:52 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

In these situations, the cruise line will often send some of the hotel crew to other ships and then re-crew when operations resume.

 

While the fixed costs remain, the operational cost can be reduced by, reducing crew size and slow steam to the next destination, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in bunkers. They will also not be spending money of port fees, pilots, tugs, guest entertainers and the stores budget will have a significant surplus.

 

With only a couple of months to plan and sell cruises, they have a reasonable chance of losing less money by dead heading the ship. They also have time to conduct additional maintenance, both deck/engineering and hotel operations.

 

Trying to schedule cruises on short notice probably would receive considerable negative feedback, especially with respect to shore-ex. This is one of the biggest complaints on CC. The shore-ex can't be planned until the ports are confirmed, with arrival and departure times confirmed.

Viking posted Orion’s post Hawaii cruise today. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia-australia/honolulu-to-bangkok/pricing.html#modal/OOR221013C13174065/search/sfym=2022-10&sftcm=13-174065

[TayanaLorna]

34 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Viking posted Orion’s post Hawaii cruise today. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia-australia/honolulu-to-bangkok/pricing.html#modal/OOR221013C13174065/search/sfym=2022-10&sftcm=13-174065

So they did it!  Are you?  Thirteen days at sea sounds heavenly.

[Heidi13]

57 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Viking posted Orion’s post Hawaii cruise today. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia-australia/honolulu-to-bangkok/pricing.html#modal/OOR221013C13174065/search/sfym=2022-10&sftcm=13-174065

 

An interesting, but very minimal itinerary. Great price.

 

I'm surprised they haven't included any S/Pacific stops before Cairns. Thursday Island doesn't have much - walk along the waterfront after disembarking the tender, then back for a quiet pool day.

[Clay Clayton]

45 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

So they did it!  Are you?  Thirteen days at sea sounds heavenly.

Not yet. More expensive than our original and no perks!😢

Edited September 2, 2022 by Clay Clayton

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Viking posted Orion’s post Hawaii cruise today. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/asia-australia/honolulu-to-bangkok/pricing.html#modal/OOR221013C13174065/search/sfym=2022-10&sftcm=13-174065

 

I agree with Andy that it's a great price per day. We love sea days, so the shortage of ports would not be an issue for us.

 

Cairns, Darwin, Bali and Singapore are all quality stops, with good excursion possibilities if you've not been there before, and, with the possible exception of Benoa, lots to do on your own if you don't care for a tour.

 

Good luck with you deliberations! 🍺🥌

[Clay Clayton]

13 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I agree with Andy that it's a great price per day. We love sea days, so the shortage of ports would not be an issue for us.

 

Cairns, Darwin, Bali and Singapore are all quality stops, with good excursion possibilities if you've not been there before, and, with the possible exception of Benoa, lots to do on your own if you don't care for a tour.

 

Good luck with you deliberations! 🍺🥌

Agree. Just wish it did a few Hawaiian ports. If we are going to pay to fly that far, we will end up spending time there as I’ve never been and it’s been 35 years since Mike has.  So between the air (included previously), days in Hawaii (we weren’t going to arrive early in Hong Kong), and the more expensive cruise we aren’t sure we want to spend this much right now….but we are tempted and seriously considering. 

[SantaFe1]

Clay, life is short.  I know this from tragic experience.  Go for it if you like it. And, I’ve never once regretted money spent on travel!  

[Clay Clayton]

48 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Clay, life is short.  I know this from tragic experience.  Go for it if you like it. And, I’ve never once regretted money spent on travel!  

Agreed.  But …..we have already booked the expensive (for us) Iceland and Arctic cruise for July.   

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I agree with Andy that it's a great price per day. We love sea days, so the shortage of ports would not be an issue for us.

 

Cairns, Darwin, Bali and Singapore are all quality stops, with good excursion possibilities if you've not been there before, and, with the possible exception of Benoa, lots to do on your own if you don't care for a tour.

 

Good luck with you deliberations! 🍺🥌

 

So true, with the exception of Thursday Island, all great ports

 

Cairns - perfect for walking, with a walkway from the dock, around the hotel to the lagoon and then the promenade. I spent all morning one day. While most want to do the GBR, Cairns has lots of other brilliant tour options available, including the evening dinner in a candle-lit forest. Right at the end of the gangway is a brewery on the dock, just perfect after a long hot walk.

 

Darwin - again a great waterfront with parks, beach, wave pool. Great for walking. Also has a number of great tours available and a brewery between the shops and the ship.

 

Bali - has so many options available that a single day isn't enough. Downside is while private tour operators are available, you really can't walk into town from the ship.

 

Singapore - ensure you read their restrictions, especially if taking public transport. Hopefully they will be at the closer dock and not out by the industrial port. You can easily purchase a transit pass and do everything on your own, or hire a local guide and take the transit.

[Jim Avery]

31 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Agreed.  But …..we have already booked the expensive (for us) Iceland and Arctic cruise for July.   

Do like us.  Sell your house, go on the World Cruise then live in your car....🍹

[Mrs Miggins]

On 8/29/2022 at 3:05 AM, SantaFe1 said:

And of course, one’s meat is another’s poison.  I LOVE cilantro.  LOL

Sorry had to look up - what is cilantro - somehow I thought it was something to do with keeping mosquito's away - realise now thats citronella.  

However in the UK cilantro is called coriander.  Definitely a flavour that splits opinions.