Is there typically an itinerary offered called "Ancient Mediterranean Isles"?

[OnTheJourney]

We have been offered an (8-day) sailing under this name. I looked it up and can't find it on the website. Should be grouped with other Mediterranean cruises. Is it perhaps something that was created for the sole purpose of getting the Mars from Rome to Barcelona prior to her starting her scheduled itineraries? 

[Dave W 10]

It is a new route. It was presumably created specially for the chairman's cruise rather than the usual Rome Barcelona route that some will have done already. Some people would be grateful for the consideration rather than continually moaning.

[OnTheJourney]

16 minutes ago, Dave W 10 said:

Some people would be grateful for the consideration rather than continually moaning.

I am grateful for it, especially being that it was quite unexpected to hear something offered within so short a timeframe. I'd suspect that most of the "Sky Survivors" would not have anticipated that something would be offered within the next 3 months. I was hoping for next year so as to avoid conflicts. 

[CCWineLover]

I envy you all for the opportunity to try out this new ship, meet your fellow passengers from long ago, and experience a route that is quite unique!   I for one, would absolutely enjoy seeing places like Malta, Sardinia, Menorca (well, perhaps not Rome again as we were just there).

Yes, the timing is probably unfortunate for many, but at least Viking is still going to do something for you all - especially when it looked like they might just forget about it.

Hoping you all have a wonderful time and hope to see pictures and hear tales about how the new cruise transpires!  

[OnTheJourney]

CC....very nicely said. Thanks for the encouraging thoughts. I need them since I'm really struggling with whether or not to go. There are so many complex issues, not the least of which is that we have a cruise that conflicts with this one. 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

meet your fellow passengers from long ago,

Probably mostly due to my crappy (and worsening) memory, but I must sheepishly admit that I don't remember a single person from that cruise - passenger or crew (other than the staff person telling everyone to "stand back...it's gonna get worse" while things were going crazy up in the lounge). The only people I "know" are the ones that have been posting on some of these threads ever since the event. Wouldn't know any of them face to face with the exception of the passenger who was our neighbor on deck 5. DW and I are admittedly not overly social on any cruise...no "meet and mingle", etc. So the "reunion" aspect of it is probably less meaningful for us compared to others who knew each other well and may have personally kept in touch via more than just usernames on a forum. 

Edited February 8, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Mrs Miggins]

This is a lovely itinerary.  One of the issues with Viking is that their Mediterranean offerings are very predictable.  Many of us have visited the ports usually offered on numerous occasions so the opportunity to offer something a little different would be welcome.

[Haworth]

6 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

CC....very nicely said. Thanks for the encouraging thoughts. I need them since I'm really struggling with whether or not to go. There are so many complex issues, not the least of which is that we have a cruise that conflicts with this one. 

Are you saying that you have received this from Viking as the Chairman's Sky Cruise, do you have any details as we have heard nothing?

[DGHOC]

Haworth, the email has just been sent from the London office. See the Viking survivors thread here on CC.

[OnTheJourney]

Just checked....still nothing on MVJ about this. Probably later today. I need to at least explore what the options are for my already booked May cruise that directly conflicts with this one. This thing kept me awake all last night 😳 Zzzzzzz....

[OnTheJourney]

5 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

One of the issues with Viking is that their Mediterranean offerings are very predictable.

Interesting, since I have no experience with the Med at all. I must admit to liking the Trade Routes itinerary more than this one, so the most attractive part of this offer is that the two cruises could be combined. Not liking the idea of getting home mid-June however. Were this offered around the same time of year the previous one was, I'd be very likely to do it as a B2B. 

[Haworth]

4 hours ago, DGHOC said:

Haworth, the email has just been sent from the London office. See the Viking survivors thread here on CC.

Thanks, just got home and seen it, now the game of "musical diaries" begins

[DGHOC]

Yep you and me both!

[map70065]

7 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

This is a lovely itinerary.  One of the issues with Viking is that their Mediterranean offerings are very predictable.  Many of us have visited the ports usually offered on numerous occasions so the opportunity to offer something a little different would be welcome.

I'm excited that this is a DIFFERENT itinerary than I've ever done in the Mediterranean.  All of the ones I've been on (except Greece) have stayed along the shoreline of Italy/Monoco/France/Spain.  I've never been to the islands here.

[map70065]

12 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Probably mostly due to my crappy (and worsening) memory, but I must sheepishly admit that I don't remember a single person from that cruise - passenger or crew (other than the staff person telling everyone to "stand back...it's gonna get worse" while things were going crazy up in the lounge). The only people I "know" are the ones that have been posting on some of these threads ever since the event. Wouldn't know any of them face to face with the exception of the passenger who was our neighbor on deck 5. DW and I are admittedly not overly social on any cruise...no "meet and mingle", etc. So the "reunion" aspect of it is probably less meaningful for us compared to others who knew each other well and may have personally kept in touch via more than just usernames on a forum. 

I was traveling with my daughter, but there were 2 couples that we knew also on the cruise.  One can't go on this one, but the other can and it will be nice to cruise with them again.  We did actually run into one of the bartenders on our Sky cruise in Iceland.  I wouldn't have remembered him - but HE remembered my daughter and she kind of remembered him.  Wonder if our staff will be on the ship with us.

 

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, map70065 said:

Wonder if our staff will be on the ship with us.

There has been speculation about that. Would be nice for those that made any personal connections. I very honestly never really got to know any crew or passengers other than a few casual conversations. Only contact I've ever had is here on CC through the various threads that dealt with the incident. 

[Haworth]

I have replied on the other thread that we will attend, it would be nice to catch up with the entertainment team who were a young group from the UK

[OnTheJourney]

53 minutes ago, Haworth said:

entertainment team who were a young group from the UK

Yeah, we missed out on the Beatles show being that we were no longer on the ship. 

[Haworth]

8 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Yeah, we missed out on the Beatles show being that we were no longer on the ship. 

That was an emotional event

[OnTheJourney]

7 hours ago, Haworth said:

That was an emotional event

I'm sure. We were really getting 'into' that cruise, feeling very comfortable about everything, etc. right up to the time the guitar player did "My Heart will go On" during lunch. 😳Then, things started to go downhill from there. So unfortunate, truly. In terms of the pending reunion, really the pax are in two rather different 'camps', if you will...those who stayed on board, and those who were pulled off. VERY different experiences for both groups. On the Mars, something should be done to reunite the passengers according to those two groups. I can't, for instance, at all relate to those who remained on the ship the entire time. And the reverse is surely true. 

Edited February 9, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Haworth]

I agree, its impossible to imagine the helicopter evacuation, the cold, dark, wind, fear etc

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

15 minutes ago, Haworth said:

the cold, dark, wind, fear etc

Well, at least we were among the first to get off. As you say, I cannot imagine those that went during the late evening / early morning hours!  So much worse, I think, in the dark. Surely aLOT colder!!! On the other hand, maybe NOT being able to see that churning water below might be better?  Somehow don't think so. This all brings up an interesting thought - that of how people will react during the inevitable discussions onboard the Mars ala revisiting the events. As Andy indicated, it could well be conducive to a cathartic, healing process, but for others it could also bring back some quite unpleasant memories that they may be better off having left dormant. Hadn't thought much about that aspect of the reunion before. Probably best, ultimately, to keep the tone of conversation as a joyful reuniting rather than any sort of somber rehash of the final few days, though the latter is probably inevitable to some extent. Would LOVE to know how many total pax are accepting and planning to go. 

[Haworth]

21 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Well, at least we were among the first to get off. As you say, I cannot imagine those that went during the late evening / early morning hours!  So much worse, I think, in the dark. Surely aLOT colder!!! On the other hand, maybe NOT being able to see that churning water below might be better?  Somehow don't think so. This all brings up an interesting thought - that of how people will react during the inevitable discussions onboard the Mars ala revisiting the events. As Andy indicated, it could well be conducive to a cathartic, healing process, but for others it could also bring back some quite unpleasant memories that they may be better off having left dormant. Hadn't thought much about that aspect of the reunion before. Probably best, ultimately, to keep the tone of conversation as a joyful reuniting rather than any sort of somber rehash of the final few days, though the latter is probably inevitable to some extent. Would LOVE to know how many total pax are accepting and planning to go. 

Hard to say because not that many are part of this community, I hope for those that do travel the event is not diluted by filling the spare cabins with travel agents etc etc. I moved on mentally very quickly after the event, we survived, but will be cautious in how I talk about those 30 hours.

We really hope to reconnect with our small group from the theatre as we waited and wondered, hopefully we will see them

 

[OnTheJourney]

3 minutes ago, Haworth said:

by filling the spare cabins with travel agents etc etc.

Indeed...in some ways this cruise - not to belittle the magnitude and generosity of it for sure - could be construed as a sort of glorified repositioning cruise. Probably a good number of 'big shots' etc. go on these inaugural sailings. Just my speculation however.  Good thought about being cautious as to how the past is revisited during casual conversation! 

Edited February 9, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[JDincalif]

6 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

really the pax are in two rather different 'camps', if you will...those who stayed on board, and those who were pulled off. VERY different experiences for both groups. On the Mars, something should be done to reunite the passengers according to those two groups. I can't, for instance, at all relate to those who remained on the ship the entire time. And the reverse is surely true. 

 

Both groups - those who were airlifted and those who had to remain onboard - endured harrowing experiences. So as long as there's no conversational competition about who suffered more, we'll enjoy raising a glass, sharing stories and celebrating life with all our fellow Sky passengers on the Mars.