Live from Mediterranean Odyssey - March 28 thru April 9, 2022

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, austinetc said:

The key question I have is whether Viking, for some obtuse reason, require that people booked on the precruise extension travel to the ship per some set schedule?  I am hesitant to ask Viking about any of this because, frankly, I don't trust corporate Viking to give me a reliable answer. I desire an answer so I can best plan for my two(?) days in Venice. 

 

My online research suggests:

1) It is 800 yards from the entrance of the Marine Terminal to the ship. I get this from MarineTraffic showing where the ship was yesterday and Google Maps telling me where the entrance is.  If, as expected, Viking will transport our luggage from hotel to ship, this is a trivial distance.

 

2) The hourly scheduled water taxi to Fusina ($9 each) delivers people to a dock outside the Marine Terminal fenceline. From there it's a roundabout 2 miles to the ship. Assuming one can get a cab from there, it's again just an 800 yard hike.

 

3) A taxi from Venice to the Ternimal entrance would cost about $25. This would be my choice I think.

 

 

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that check-in for all passengers is at the Cruise Terminal in Venice, even those who are arriving independently. 

 

Unless all passengers have assigned, non-negotiable  check-in times at the Cruise Terminal, the question that I would be asking is how late will check-in be available.  It is much easier to let Viking handle the logistics of getting you to the ship -- and considering what Heidi13 said in post #63, avoids a lot of possible pitfalls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[austinetc]

11 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that check-in for all passengers is at the Cruise Terminal in Venice, even those who are arriving independently. 

 

Unless all passengers have assigned, non-negotiable  check-in times at the Cruise Terminal, the question that I would be asking is how late will check-in be available.  It is much easier to let Viking handle the logistics of getting you to the ship -- and considering what Heidi13 said in post #63, avoids a lot of possible pitfalls.

Are you suggesting that passengers go to the Cruise Terminal to check in, even though the ship WILL NOT BE at the Cruise Terminal? I've been assuming that people would have to get to where the ship is. Your assumption would be certainly make things easier.

 

 

[curmudgeon98]

4 minutes ago, austinetc said:

Are you suggesting that passengers go to the Cruise Terminal to check in, even though the ship WILL NOT BE at the Cruise Terminal? I've been assuming that people would have to get to where the ship is. Your assumption would be certainly make things easier.

 

 

Judging by some comments from passengers on Viking Sky in Venice earlier this month, not only do you not need to make your own way to where the ship is, you won't be able to.  Essentially they set up shuttle busses as a sort of "secure corridor" between the ship and Marittima cruise terminal.  

 

 

[Sprigs616]

24 minutes ago, austinetc said:

Are you suggesting that passengers go to the Cruise Terminal to check in, even though the ship WILL NOT BE at the Cruise Terminal? I've been assuming that people would have to get to where the ship is. Your assumption would be certainly make things easier.

 

 

Perhaps you overlooked post #28 which describes the check-in process???   

[Eggtuary]

15 hours ago, curmudgeon98 said:

Judging by some comments from passengers on Viking Sky in Venice earlier this month, not only do you not need to make your own way to where the ship is, you won't be able to.  Essentially they set up shuttle busses as a sort of "secure corridor" between the ship and Marittima cruise terminal.  

 

 

That was certainly my impression.  We had to go to the Venice cruise terminal and go through our check-in there (confirmation of passports, COVID vaccinations, COVID tests, etc).  They had nothing set up to do this at Fusina.  We got off the bus (from Stazione Marittima in Venice) and walked directly to the ship.

[Eggtuary]

Today started with another great breakfast from room service.  My wife really liked the granola.  They also accommodated her request for "not too crispy" bacon, which was very nice.  Again, everything was delivered super hot and fresh, though they were rather early this time (12 minutes before our time slot).

 

Our excursion was a lot of fun.  Our guide's name is pronounced Eileen, as she explained that it was popular in Croatia at the time of her birth to give kids Western European names.  She was quite entertaining and informative.  She could have done a better job warning people of how tough the trail through the Krka Park was going to be, as we had a number of participants show up late to get on the bus to head to lunch because they struggled to keep up the pace.  Then again, I suspect some of those folks overestimated their abilities.  My wife's knees were sore from our time in Venice, so we took the easy route.  Luckily, the rain held out until we were done with our hike.  Sounds like we won't be so fortunate the next few days...

 

We got back with plenty of time to try out the Wintergarden for the first time.  That was really nice.  Great food and, really cool location and of course Viking's usual wonderful service.  I'm curious:  Does anyone know where to buy the tea sets they use there?  I really liked how they had a scone warmer you place on top of your tea.  I imagine there are others like it, but it would be fun to have the same one was they used, just to have the pleasant reminder of Viking when we make tea at home.

 

Dinner tonight was our first meal at Chef's Table.  The menu was Asian Panorama, which includes the Peking Duck that not everyone loves.  Neither my wife nor I have ever had an authentic Peking Duck, so we don't have any point of comparison, but we thought what we were served was nice.  The red wine they paired with it was pretty great, as it tempered the sweet sauce on the duck.  The dumplings in the second course were really good, too.  My wife and I were split on the other courses, but I think that's the point of Chef's Table -- it pushes you to try new things, so some will work and others won't.  It was certainly an enjoyable experience.

 

Tomorrow, Dubrovnik!

[20Cruise20]

Let me catch up to our activities through Day Three.

 

Day One - We enjoyed settling into the ship and our cabin. Earl leads our fabulous cabin crew. If it's of value to anyone, our list of requests: a top sheet, mini-bar change out, turning off the bathroom floor and towel rack heat, extra soap for the shower, and ice replenishment in the afternoon. A very good meal at The Restaurant with appropriate service.

 

Day Two - Since we have been on vacation for a little over a week and this is a port intensive itinerary, we decided to enjoy another day on the ship. Lovely breakfast, a light lunch, an hour of walking on deck 2, and a fabulous dinner in Manfredi's. Based on everything that I've read on the boards, I used the half order approach. (My better half enjoyed similar full courses.) Calamari, mushroom soup, Bistecca steak, shrimp ravioli (pasta of the day), and sorbet to finish. We both loved everything and were spoiled with very attentive service. And, ladies, the half portions truly were the perfect size! 

 

Day Three - A delightful excursion to the Mestrovic Gallery and Diocletian's Palace. Including the two of us, ten passengers were on the optional excursion that I would highly recommend. Fortunately, the rain stayed away until we returned to the ship. We had a truly wonderful meal at The Restaurant. Between the two of us, oysters, ceasar salad, Prime Rib with Yorkshire pudding, brussel sprouts, creamed spinach, and a walnut cake. And, excellent service, too.   

 

From a health and safety perspective, we're still testing daily and still required to wear masks in all indoor areas of the ship. At this point, Italy is not allowing any tours outside of the Viking bubble. We're hopeful that something changes for next week to allow independent Italian exploration.  

[aungrl]

4 hours ago, Eggtuary said:

Today started with another great breakfast from room service.  My wife really liked the granola.  They also accommodated her request for "not too crispy" bacon, which was very nice.  Again, everything was delivered super hot and fresh, though they were rather early this time (12 minutes before our time slot).

 

Our excursion was a lot of fun.  Our guide's name is pronounced Eileen, as she explained that it was popular in Croatia at the time of her birth to give kids Western European names.  She was quite entertaining and informative.  She could have done a better job warning people of how tough the trail through the Krka Park was going to be, as we had a number of participants show up late to get on the bus to head to lunch because they struggled to keep up the pace.  Then again, I suspect some of those folks overestimated their abilities.  My wife's knees were sore from our time in Venice, so we took the easy route.  Luckily, the rain held out until we were done with our hike.  Sounds like we won't be so fortunate the next few days...

 

We got back with plenty of time to try out the Wintergarden for the first time.  That was really nice.  Great food and, really cool location and of course Viking's usual wonderful service.  I'm curious:  Does anyone know where to buy the tea sets they use there?  I really liked how they had a scone warmer you place on top of your tea.  I imagine there are others like it, but it would be fun to have the same one was they used, just to have the pleasant reminder of Viking when we make tea at home.

 

Dinner tonight was our first meal at Chef's Table.  The menu was Asian Panorama, which includes the Peking Duck that not everyone loves.  Neither my wife nor I have ever had an authentic Peking Duck, so we don't have any point of comparison, but we thought what we were served was nice.  The red wine they paired with it was pretty great, as it tempered the sweet sauce on the duck.  The dumplings in the second course were really good, too.  My wife and I were split on the other courses, but I think that's the point of Chef's Table -- it pushes you to try new things, so some will work and others won't.  It was certainly an enjoyable experience.

 

Tomorrow, Dubrovnik!

I don't know about the tea sets specifically, but on our second Viking Ocean cruise, I decided I really wanted one of the oblong wooden bread baskets.  I asked the waiter about it and he said they couldn't give me one - of course not! - and that they weren't available for purchase anywhere on the ship.  The next day, I stopped by Guest Services and told the person on the desk that I really wanted one of these bread baskets.  He proceeded to pull up a listing of dozens of the various Viking dishes, from the supplier they use in, if memory serves, Florida.  He printed out the page with the bread baskets on it for me, and wrote the suppliers name and contact number on the page.  When we got back home, I contacted the supplier, and voila - two weeks later, I had my Viking bread basket in hand.  You might try that route for the tea service.  

[Eggtuary]

Day 4: Dubrovnik

 

Sleep was a little tough last night, as the storms kicked up some pretty good waves.  Jenna the cruise director warned us that was to be the case at the end of last night's performance in the theater.  Still, it wasn't as bad as I feared.  I'm certainly not seasick at all, and haven't had to resort to meclizine ... at least not yet.

 

My wife wasn't hungry to start the day, so I ran up to Mamsen's for the famous waffle by myself.  It was ... okay.  I feel guilty saying that, as I know many people rave about it.  I thought the brown cheese was good, but the waffle did nothing to wow me.  Sadly, I'd prefer Waffle House.  Perhaps my tastes just aren't refined enough. 🙂 

 

The weather was lousy, so we didn't get to ride a boat out to a platform in Mali Ston bay to eat oysters directly out of the ocean, which was the big draw of that excursion for us.  Still, we had a great meal of wonderful oysters and mussels at a local restaurant.  And we got to watch how olive oil was made hundreds of years ago.  And we visited a nice local winery.  I'd love to see Dubrovnik on a pretty day, as it was clearly beautiful even on a hazy, rainy day.  It is also more cheery than Split, which is marred somewhat by the occasional Soviet-era depressing gray building.  Then again, Dubrovnik has had a troubled history of its own.  It was eye-opening to hear the winemakers, for instance, talk about how their businesses were impacted by communist rule.  And of course the war back in the early 90s did a ton of damage.

 

We got hungry before dinner, so I ran to the pool grill around 4 pm and picked up a cheesesteak sandwich for us to split.  Those things are seriously addictive!  Much higher quality steak than I'm used to in that kind of sandwich, and the fries are the perfect accompaniment.  

 

We didn't see anything on the Restaurant menu that we were dying to have, and we were tired, so we opted for the World Café.  This was our first time enjoying the sushi, which was very good.  The crab legs already cut up are enough to really spoil a person.  There was a Croatian dish I forget the name of, but it was meat rolled up tight in pastry and then laid out in a spiral.  I really enjoyed that.

 

Tonight was the Abba show, which I was looking forward to, but we're really worn out, so we watched the movie "King Richard" in the room, which was a nice way to wind down.  

 

It's another bumpy night from the waves.  A sick part of me wanted to go to the show to see if the sudden lurches of the boat would interfere with the performers' dance routines, though I certainly wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt.  In fact, that reminds me of another thing I've really appreciated throughout the day:  how much attention the Viking crew pay to the safety of their passengers.  For example, just watching a crew member help a woman to her table tonight, which visibly instilled significantly more confidence in her, just puts a smile on your face.  

 

We'll be in Corfu in the morning.  Unfortunately, we lose an hour as we're crossing over into another time zone.  Fortunately, we'll get that hour back the very next night.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Eggtuary

[austinetc]

Did the ship have a shuttle bus option to visit the old town?

[Eggtuary]

19 minutes ago, austinetc said:

Did the ship have a shuttle bus option to visit the old town?

Yes. 

[Sprigs616]

4 hours ago, Eggtuary said:

Day 4: Dubrovnik

 

 

Thank you for the update on your adventure. It's very gracious of you to take the time to do this.  I'm sure we all appreciate it.  I'm also enjoying pictures my sister-in-law is uploading to face book.  I'm sorry the weather turned bad.  I hope the weather report is wrong because it shows you will have rain and wind for the next few days. It appears the bad weather will clear up from Rome onward.  My brother and SIL have sailed Viking Ocean several times before and, when they get home, my brother always raves about the sushi. I'm glad to hear it's still available but I hope he leaves some for the other passengers.    😁 

 

Edited to add:  My brother also raves about a steak covered in powdered mushrooms but I don't recall where it was served.

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Sprigs616

[Eggtuary]

They announced we will have to continue wearing masks everywhere for the rest of our trip, which concludes April 9. 
 

In good news, the sun has come out in Corfu!  It is supposed to cloud up later, and rain this afternoon and evening. But the original forecast was for storms all day, so we are grateful for what we are getting!

[20Cruise20]

Day Four (Dubrovnik) & Day Five (Corfu):

 

Day Four - The rain and the wind were horrendous throughout our time in Dubrovnik including the evening travel. We decided to cancel our included Dubrovnik excursion. A big dissapointment in missing the port, however, we decided to pass on the opportunity with the hope of returning some day.  We spent time in the Fitness Center and enjoying games for two of BlackJack, Memory, and Scrabble in the Atrium. We also had our first lunch with table service at the Pool Grill. Had an enjoyable LOTUS dinner at The Chef's Table. The service could use some fine-tuning. Regardless, it was a pleasant experience in a different setting. 

 

Day Five - Despite a forecast of stormy weather, it didn't materialize. We enjoyed the Corfu included excursion. A couple of brief bus rides, picture stops, a walking tour, and a delightful guide providing us with the history and the magic of the island. A few purchases were made before re-boarding the ship in the mid-afternoon. (Shuttles were available.) An excellent dinner at The Restaurant centering upon Chateaubriand.  

 

Other Notes: 

 

I've seen questions on mat availability in the Fitness Center. Sanitized mats are available for passenger use.

 

The laundry service has been excellent. The process is simply complete the form, place the items in the laundry bag, and enjoy items being returned the next day. Items are either returned on hangers or neatly folded in tissue paper in a nice white box. 

 

Despite the 4/1 date, masks continue to be required on the ship.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, 20Cruise20 said:

Despite the 4/1 date, masks continue to be required on the ship.

 

The announcement said it applied to cruises that commence on April 1 or after.

[Maryann221]

13 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

The announcement said it applied to cruises that commence on April 1 or after.

I am sailing another cruise line, embarking on the 9th. Do you think the announcement is cruise line specific or general for European cruises? Thanks!

[austinetc]

2 minutes ago, Maryann221 said:

I am sailing another cruise line, embarking on the 9th. Do you think the announcement is cruise line specific or general for European cruises? Thanks!

The announcement I received was via an email from Viking.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Maryann221 said:

I am sailing another cruise line, embarking on the 9th. Do you think the announcement is cruise line specific or general for European cruises? Thanks!

 

The announcement discussed here is specific to Viking.

[Oceans 8]

 We are currently onboard the Viking Sky.  The announcement regarding mask use continuing until the end of our cruise was prefaced by the cruise director stating that they were planning to end mask use on our cruise on April 1st, but unfortunately, it is now going to be required till the end of our cruise.  According to crew members in the know, this is probably due to the fact that we’ve had 2 confirmed cases onboard being diagnosed earlier in the cruise. 

[jtwind]

Well, remember, people from the US are still required to be negative before returning.  So, even if the vaccine works well, and you're asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms, your trip may not end the way you had hoped.  Viking is probably doing you a favor.

[Oceans 8]

Don’t disagree with you at all jtwind.  Just wanted to inform people that even though our cruise began March 28, Viking was planning to suspend mandatory mask use as of April 1st for us too. Now that’s not happening. 

[Cadodge]

3 hours ago, Oceans 8 said:

Don’t disagree with you at all jtwind.  Just wanted to inform people that even though our cruise began March 28, Viking was planning to suspend mandatory mask use as of April 1st for us too. Now that’s not happening. 

On the Orion right now. Masks became "recommended " yesterday, rather than mandatory. This morning about 1/3 of passengers seem to be maskless. That said, we seem to have a lot of passengers coughing and sneezing, and some don't seem to have learned much over the past 2 years about how to not spread your illness to others, whatever it may be. Finally, I got a scare upon my return from an excursion yesterday afternoon in the form of a phone call from the Dr. He said I to remain in my cabin until they re-ran my morning test because the first was "inconclusive." It took another two hours (no new sample, they used the same one from the morning) and he called to tell me I am negative and could again leave the cabin. Whew!

[austinetc]

6 minutes ago, Cadodge said:

On the Orion right now. Masks became "recommended " yesterday, rather than mandatory. This morning about 1/3 of passengers seem to be maskless. That said, we seem to have a lot of passengers coughing and sneezing, and some don't seem to have learned much over the past 2 years about how to not spread your illness to others, whatever it may be. Finally, I got a scare upon my return from an excursion yesterday afternoon in the form of a phone call from the Dr. He said I to remain in my cabin until they re-ran my morning test because the first was "inconclusive." It took another two hours (no new sample, they used the same one from the morning) and he called to tell me I am negative and could again leave the cabin. Whew!

How many passengers does the Orion have on board?

[Cadodge]

3 minutes ago, austinetc said:

How many passengers does the Orion have on board?

We were told 720.

[Jim Avery]

On 4/2/2022 at 5:03 AM, Oceans 8 said:

 We are currently onboard the Viking Sky.  The announcement regarding mask use continuing until the end of our cruise was prefaced by the cruise director stating that they were planning to end mask use on our cruise on April 1st, but unfortunately, it is now going to be required till the end of our cruise.  According to crew members in the know, this is probably due to the fact that we’ve had 2 confirmed cases onboard being diagnosed earlier in the cruise. 

Are those two cases actually sick?