Live from the Viking Star World Cruise 2021-22

[Heidi13]

On 1/1/2022 at 4:59 AM, GKTV32162 said:

Thanks for all the corrections. I noted them at the top of the blog post and added them in their entirety at the bottom.

 

Glad to help

[broker1217]

Thanks everyone for your posts. 

I have a question specific to the Canal transit as we are doing it next month.

Any tips for the day of the Panama Canal cruise?

I know I should be up early but are there any spots on the ship that are best for viewing?

How bad was the heat?

[Heidi13]

7 minutes ago, broker1217 said:

Thanks everyone for your posts. 

I have a question specific to the Canal transit as we are doing it next month.

Any tips for the day of the Panama Canal cruise?

I know I should be up early but are there any spots on the ship that are best for viewing?

How bad was the heat?

 

My preference is always Dk 7 fwd of Explorers. Expect the heat to be in the 80's.

[spryder]

24 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

My preference is always Dk 7 fwd of Explorers. Expect the heat to be in the 80's.

 

Yep!  Get outside on the walkway in front of the Explorers Lounge and claim a standing spot early before it gets packed.  We watched the entire transit from up there and felt like we missed almost nothing.  Only downside is that there is something of an audio lecture given by the ship's historian throughout the transit but for some reason they don't bother piping it to the outdoor areas, so we missed out on that.

Edited January 2, 2022 by spryder

[GKTV32162]

World Cruise Day 10/152 - Puntarenas, Costa Rica -Pura Vida!

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/01/world-cruise-day-10152-puntarenas-costa.html

[PlanoTim]

6 hours ago, broker1217 said:

Thanks everyone for your posts. 

I have a question specific to the Canal transit as we are doing it next month.

Any tips for the day of the Panama Canal cruise?

I know I should be up early but are there any spots on the ship that are best for viewing?

How bad was the heat?

The transit takes quite a while and you may want to move around some.  I started outside the Explorers Lounge as we approached and mostly stayed there through the first lock.  Deck 7 aft and the sides and aft areas of Deck 2 are interesting viewing areas as well.  The Explorers Lounge had plenty of pastries, juice, coffee, etc. available as we approached the locks that morning.  Our late-January cruise had rain just as we approached the first lock.  That scattered many of the observers.  It was warm too.  Enjoy the day.

Tim

[UWDawg]

1 hour ago, GKTV32162 said:

World Cruise Day 10/152 - Puntarenas, Costa Rica -Pura Vida!

 

https://kolbsontheroad.blogspot.com/2022/01/world-cruise-day-10152-puntarenas-costa.html

I see that the review of the Puntarenas Panorama wasn’t favorable [per Garry’s blog], so I was wondering if others might chime in as to their reviews of the other Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica excursions which were offered:

• Jungle Boat & Crocodile Safari
• A Walk in The Clouds
• Andalusian Horse Show
• The Story of Starbucks Coffee from Field to Cup
• Eco-Bike Adventure
   

[Australia08]

1 hour ago, UWDawg said:

I see that the review of the Puntarenas Panorama wasn’t favorable [per Garry’s blog], so I was wondering if others might chime in as to their reviews of the other Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica excursions which were offered:

• Jungle Boat & Crocodile Safari
• A Walk in The Clouds
• Andalusian Horse Show
• The Story of Starbucks Coffee from Field to Cup
• Eco-Bike Adventure
   

On our Nov 17-Dec 4 cruise, we did the San Jose tour. You don’t mention it here. We enjoyed it. The Opera House tour was very nice and we particularly liked the Gold Museum. We had a lovely lunch at a resort. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 12/28/2021 at 6:44 PM, Heidi13 said:

Not getting into Cartagena opens a potential failure to comply with the US PVSA, for those pax that boarded in Port Everglades and are disembarking in San Pedro.

Andy,  I must admit to not totally understanding this policy. I know you've referred to it in a different thread awhile back. If the issue is needing to visit a foreign port, what's the issue given that this is a WC!  I mean, there are loads of international ports scheduled along the way, so why a problem with Cartagena?  

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, OnTheJourney said:

Andy,  I must admit to not totally understanding this policy. I know you've referred to it in a different thread awhile back. If the issue is needing to visit a foreign port, what's the issue given that this is a WC!  I mean, there are loads of international ports scheduled along the way, so why a problem with Cartagena?  

Because about 350 pax are only going from FLL to Los Angeles.  This is sold as a separate Panama Canal cruise, although also the first segment of the WC, and it has no “distant” foreign port, as Andy explained to us earlier.  

[OnTheJourney]

OK....haven't paid much attention to this cruise having only come across the thread yesterday. I didn't realize there were shorter segments of it that were available separately from the entire itinerary. Even so, what qualifies as a "distant port" relative to where pax got on the ship? I'm looking at the itinerary and see that after the canal they go to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cabo San Lucas, and then arrive in LA. I guess I'm just not getting how this works. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[SantaFe1]

this is the only segment, I believe. 

 

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

this is the only segment, I believe. 

As said above, I still don't see why there'd be any sort of violation.  What is considered a required "distant foreign port" relative to the overall itinerary? 

Edited January 3, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Travelerstory]

29 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

As said above, I still don't see why there'd be any sort of violation.  What is considered a required "distant foreign port" relative to the overall itinerary? 

This has all been explained, either here or on Viking Star - January 10th, 2022. Scroll back a bit to find your answers.

[Travelerstory]

So what happened to Nicaragua?

[OnTheJourney]

38 minutes ago, Travelerstory said:

This has all been explained, either here or on Viking Star - January 10th, 2022. Scroll back a bit to find your answers.

OK...I see it. Missed the part about specific countries that are excluded as to satisfying the PVSA. Most interesting - was not all that familiar with this before. 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Andy,  I must admit to not totally understanding this policy. I know you've referred to it in a different thread awhile back. If the issue is needing to visit a foreign port, what's the issue given that this is a WC!  I mean, there are loads of international ports scheduled along the way, so why a problem with Cartagena?  

 

No worries, let me try to expand the previous info.

 

The US PVSA is not concerned about the vessel's itinerary, only where pax board & disembark, if both ports are in the USA. Yes, this is a World Cruise that is sailing from Port Everglades to Bergen. The US PVSA is not applicable to any pax that boarded in Port Everglades, that disembark in any non-USA port.

 

However, in addition to the WC, the ship has a number of pax that boarded in Port Everglades and plan to disembark in San Pedro. Regardless of the length of the cruise, this is considered a US coastal cruise, effectively taking pax from 1 US port to another US port.

 

For a Foreign-Flagged ship to perform this function, the US Cabotage Laws (PVSA) state the ship MUST visit a "Distant Foreign Port". The PVSA states a distant foreign port excludes all ports in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda and Caribbean (except ABC Islands).

 

This is why the re-positioning Alaska ships will often visit 1 or more of Aruba, Curacao or Cartagena. 

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

excludes all ports in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Bermuda and Caribbean (except ABC Islands).

Andy...thanks for further clarification. Most interesting, though, is why are these countries excluded? Any particular reason? 

 

As to the itinerary, I'm seeing that the cruise ends in Tilbury - not Bergen. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Jim Avery]

8 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Andy...thanks for further clarification. Most interesting, though, is why are these countries excluded? Any particular reason? 

 

As to the itinerary, I'm seeing that the cruise ends in Tilbury - not Bergen. 

Why does the government make any choices.  Usually the strangest reasons possible.  

[OnTheJourney]

Just now, Jim Avery said:

Why does the government make any choices.  Usually the strangest reasons possible.  

LOL  Truth is stranger than fiction! I'd have to do some research into the whole thing as to how this (and the Jones act) came about. What is this policy intended to prevent? I suspect the whole 'cabotage' thing gets a bit complicated. 

[Jim Avery]

1 minute ago, OnTheJourney said:

LOL  Truth is stranger than fiction! I'd have to do some research into the whole thing as to how this (and the Jones act) came about. What is this policy intended to prevent? I suspect the whole 'cabotage' thing gets a bit complicated. 

I was a cargo ship master so was more familiar with the Jones Act.  Mostly glad I didn't have passengers to worry about.  The Jones as well as the PVSA were concocted to protect the US mariners.  Of course there are very few left these days but don't confuse the govt. with facts.....🍺

[OnTheJourney]

4 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

but don't confuse the govt. with facts.....🍺

Always a treat to get your unique take on things!!  🍻

[OnTheJourney]

Jim...what cargo company did you work for?  Just curious...

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Andy...thanks for further clarification. Most interesting, though, is why are these countries excluded? Any particular reason?

I'm not Andy...but very simply they're not "distant" from the US, they're rather nearby. The ABC islands qualify as distant foreign ports because they are so close to South America as opposed to other Caribbean islands. You could argue about some of the countries in Central America being distant...but let's not get into counting the number of angels dancing on the head of a pin.

 

[OnTheJourney]

nj...thanks for further explanation!