Wake of the Vikings

[BobCatter]

Has anyone done this trip before? Can you tell me about the shore excursions that were (or might be) available?

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, BobCatter said:

Has anyone done this trip before? Can you tell me about the shore excursions that were (or might be) available?

We did this just before COVID hit. Great trip, but bad weather prevented us from three ports.  The best excursion, IMO, was the Vagar excursion in the Faroe Islands. Fascinating trip and a great way to travel from Europe back to the US (Canada actually). 

[SantaFe1]

We had this cancel twice during Covid.  We are going to book for 2023, Sept. 12.  Yes, this is during hurricane season, but we are willing to risk it.  We did the Iceland cruise last year, but still want to see Greenland.  

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, BobCatter said:

Has anyone done this trip before? Can you tell me about the shore excursions that were (or might be) available?

We were on the 2019 version. Here is the guide discussing ShoreEx offered at that time - although it's not clear what may be available at this point.

 

As @janetcbl mentioned, weather was an issue and nuked some ports but we still greatly enjoyed our first Viking experience.

 

I have highlighted the Viking excursions we took - all were good. We also had a number of privately arranged tours - lost the Shetlands one when we could not make port and a helicopter tour in Iceland (weather).

 

Hope this helps somewhat. 🍺🥌

 

 

170935328_WakeoftheVikingsShoreEx2019.pdf

[BobCatter]

What happens when you completely miss a port? 

[BobCatter]

11 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

We were on the 2019 version. Here is the guide discussing ShoreEx offered at that time - although it's not clear what may be available at this point.

 

As @janetcbl mentioned, weather was an issue and nuked some ports but we still greatly enjoyed our first Viking experience.

 

I have highlighted the Viking excursions we took - all were good. We also had a number of privately arranged tours - lost the Shetlands one when we could not make port and a helicopter tour in Iceland (weather).

 

Hope this helps somewhat. 🍺🥌

 

 

170935328_WakeoftheVikingsShoreEx2019.pdf 27.78 MB · 8 downloads

 

[janetcbl]

29 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

What happens when you completely miss a port? 

I think we just had sea days, but I sort of remember being told we were taking a different way to our one Greenland stop, through an unbelievable passage way with outstanding scenery. Curler Rob may have a better memory!

[Heidi13]

50 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

What happens when you completely miss a port? 

 

Viking immediately refund the cost of any shore-ex to your shipboard account. If you used cash/Visa it shows as a refundable credit, if you used Viking OBC, it shows as a non-refundable credit - in our experience.

 

If no alternative port is available, you get an extra sea day, and the cruise director & staff create and publish a list of activities.

[BobCatter]

Curler Rob: How can I tell on your pdf which were the included shorex? Is it always the first one listed? Golden Circle is listed first in your pdf in Iceland, but it looks like our included one is just Reykjavik - why would I go to iceland and only do Reykjavik? 

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

I think we just had sea days, but I sort of remember being told we were taking a different way to our one Greenland stop, through an unbelievable passage way with outstanding scenery. Curler Rob may have a better memory!

As I recall, there were actually two Viking ships following the same route at that time - we were on Sun (segmenters on the WC - sorry Jim Avery!). I believe that Sky was also in play, originally scheduled two? days ahead of us. The itineraries for the two ships wound up being somewhat different, as Sky left Bergen first, but had different and longer deviations due to weather patterns - Sun benefitted from their pain.

 

Andy is correct regarding refunds - I seem to remember that Sky actually stayed an extra day in Bergen, trying to dodge one of the storms - that would be an "extra" port. 🍺🥌

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, BobCatter said:

Curler Rob: How can I tell on your pdf which were the included shorex? Is it always the first one listed? Golden Circle is listed first in your pdf in Iceland, but it looks like our included one is just Reykjavik - why would I go to iceland and only do Reykjavik? 

You can't tell from my document - it's not simply the first one listed. Usually, the included one will be short and offered multiple times - look for key words like "panorama", "walk" or "drive".

 

If your reference to "our included one" in Iceland came from MVJ, that is the accurate source for which tours are included vs optional. 🍺🥌

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

As I recall, there were actually two Viking ships following the same route at that time - we were on Sun (segmenters on the WC - sorry Jim Avery!). I believe that Sky was also in play, originally scheduled two? days ahead of us. The itineraries for the two ships wound up being somewhat different, as Sky left Bergen first, but had different and longer deviations due to weather patterns - Sun benefitted from their pain.

 

Andy is correct regarding refunds - I seem to remember that Sky actually stayed an extra day in Bergen, trying to dodge one of the storms - that would be an "extra" port. 🍺🥌

That’s how I remember it.

[LindaS272]

3 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

As I recall, there were actually two Viking ships following the same route at that time - we were on Sun (segmenters on the WC - sorry Jim Avery!). I believe that Sky was also in play, originally scheduled two? days ahead of us. The itineraries for the two ships wound up being somewhat different, as Sky left Bergen first, but had different and longer deviations due to weather patterns - Sun benefitted from their pain.

 

Andy is correct regarding refunds - I seem to remember that Sky actually stayed an extra day in Bergen, trying to dodge one of the storms - that would be an "extra" port. 🍺🥌

Was it the Sky? I thought it was the Sea…? But I could be wrong. We were segmenters on the Sun too. When we missed a port, we got an extra sea day—except as mentioned with Greenland where we traded the missed port for Prince Christian Sound.

[CurlerRob]

42 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Was it the Sky? I thought it was the Sea…? But I could be wrong. We were segmenters on the Sun too. When we missed a port, we got an extra sea day—except as mentioned with Greenland where we traded the missed port for Prince Christian Sound.

It could well have been the Sea. The Greenland tradeoff was well worth it! 🍺🥌

 

[Peregrina651]

We did Iceland last summer with Viking. They did a series of "Welcome Back Cruises" one of which was a circumnavigation of Iceland.

 

Here's my two cents about what to see in Iceland -- and it isn't Reykjavik -- for me, it is the countryside, the flora, the fauna and the geology -- tectonic plates meeting, waterfalls and landscapes terraformed by volcanos and glaciers, homes powered by geothermal energy. If you only have two days, get out of town and see the countryside. (BTW, the included tour is lackluster, pretty much what you see elsewhere.)

 

There is no Viking bubble, so you don't have stick with Viking shorex. After the cruise and out of the bubble, we spent two days touring with GreyLine tours -- and there are other companies as well. We did Golden Circle bus tour for half the price the ship is offering.  The picked us up at the ship (luggage and all) and at the end of the day dropped us at our hotel. They have other tours as well and also offer small group and private tours. (We chose to do an area that Viking didn't cover, the Snaefells Peninsula, on our second day; it was a 14 seater mini-bus with 8 pax -- perfect. Well paced so that we all had plenty of time to see the countryside, take pictures and not feel like we were being rushed off to the next stop on the tour).

 

We did do one tour with the ship while we were still in the bubble -- the one to Reykjanes Peninusla. It was a huge disappointment. Not at all what I was expecting or wanted.

 

That said. I did save  the shorex with pricing. I printed the Reykjavik pages to attach here. It will give you an idea of what to expect in Reykjavik (because I don't expect the prices will be going down for this year.)

 

For Norway and Faroe Islands (and Iceland as well, come to think of it), you might be able to get some current pricing information if you ask on the roll calls for Iceland's Majestic Landscapes (on Jupiter). There are at least two sailings this summer -- Norway to Iceland and then a sailing returning to Norway.  If you list the tours you are interested in, maybe some one will fill in the prices.

 

 

2021 Reykjavik tours with prices.pdf

[kcpvwill]

We were on this cruise September 2019 ahead of V Sun by two days.  We were on V Sea.  Arrived in Bergen and set off straight away on embarkation day to try to avoid hurricane Dorian.  We still had severe seas!  We missed Shetland and Faroes but had extra stops in Iceland after the sea days.  We had only one stop in Greenland and the second was scenic sailing in a more sheltered sound.  After recovering from my sea-sickness (when I was saying never again) we booked another cruise onboard for 2020.  About to take that in two weeks time (fingers crossed) after it was Covid cancelled for 2020 and again for 2021.  The included tour in Saguenay was 

La Fabuleuse Live Stage Show

 

which really was fabulous.  Staged by locals of all ages and I’d happily see it again. 

[BobCatter]

Shorex was released to preview today, we can book on 6/7.  Part of the reason we chose to go with Viking was included shore excursions, so we'll see how those go. So far, I only see a couple that I will probably pick optional tours.

Thanks for the help, guys. 
 

The one port I'm most interested in is Reykjavik - I want to do more than see the city, so I'm looking at the other options including "Through the Lens."  I'm a fairly avid photographer, so this looks amazing. Negotiations with Hubby commencing...

[CurlerRob]

28 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

The one port I'm most interested in is Reykjavik - I want to do more than see the city, so I'm looking at the other options including "Through the Lens."  I'm a fairly avid photographer, so this looks amazing. Negotiations with Hubby commencing...

If it helps with your planning, especially regarding photography, you may want to check the web for information on the typical weather for Reykjavik. The general expectation for August and September would be mainly cloudy, with a high probability of at least occasional rain. Temps in the mid-50s F.

 

We have been twice, in each of August and September. Both times we were unlucky enough to catch poor weather - continuous rain and wind. Neither prevented us from various land tours, nor did the weather distract us from enjoying Iceland's spectacular scenery and great people!

 

Here's hoping you have the opposite experience to ours. 🍺🥌

[BobCatter]

24 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

We have been twice, in each of August and September. Both times we were unlucky enough to catch poor weather - continuous rain and wind. Neither prevented us from various land tours, nor did the weather distract us from enjoying Iceland's spectacular scenery and great people!

 

I think inclement weather adds to the mood of photos. Maybe not TOO inclement, though. 🙂

Which land tours did you do and would recommend either Golden Circle tour or Reykjanes Peninsula & Viking World Museum tour?  They both cover some ground, but I would want photo ops, and maybe the dedicated photo excursion would scratch that itch better... ?? I'm not sure what to expect on the tours. Is it mostly driving? Do you get time to take pictures and walk around at the stops?

[SantaFe1]

My husband is a very good amateur photographer.  He has always felt that the photo tours were too simple.  We did Viking’s Golden Circle tour last summer and he got some spectacular shots, especially of waterfalls.  It also included a nice lunch.  If you’ve never been to Iceland, that’s where I would recommend starting.

[BobCatter]

7 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

My husband is a very good amateur photographer.  He has always felt that the photo tours were too simple.  We did Viking’s Golden Circle tour last summer and he got some spectacular shots, especially of waterfalls.  It also included a nice lunch.  If you’ve never been to Iceland, that’s where I would recommend starting.

Good information; thanks.

[BobCatter]

Another question: if you do the included tour, then do you have time after to wander around on your own? Or is it straight back to the ship? I don't mind getting a nice overview, but my hubby and I love to walk around on our own. Can we get back to the ship if we do that? 

Specifically wondering about Shetlands and Faroes.

Edited June 4, 2022 by BobCatter

[CurlerRob]

21 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

I think inclement weather adds to the mood of photos. Maybe not TOO inclement, though. 🙂

Which land tours did you do and would recommend either Golden Circle tour or Reykjanes Peninsula & Viking World Museum tour?  They both cover some ground, but I would want photo ops, and maybe the dedicated photo excursion would scratch that itch better... ?? I'm not sure what to expect on the tours. Is it mostly driving? Do you get time to take pictures and walk around at the stops?

I should have been more specific - our land tours were at other ports in Iceland, not Reykjavik. The weather at those locations was sketchy as well, but not prohibitive.

 

Our primary tours for Reykjavik were privately-arranged helicopter tours. Both times, the weather was so abysmal that we stayed in the city (not what you want I know). We wound up taking the HoHo one time and simply walking all over the city and waterfront the next time.

 

Lacking personal experience, I'll defer to @Peregrina651 and @SantaFe1 regarding the Reykjavik tours - although from my own reading and contacts, I have not heard anything negative about the Golden Circle tours offered by several different cruise lines.

 

Enjoy the trip - it's a great one. 🍺🥌

[SantaFe1]

7 minutes ago, BobCatter said:

Another question: if you do the included tour, then do you have time after to wander around on your own?

Very often Viking provides shuttle busses to town and back to the ship.  It really depends on the port.  And some ports you are close enough you can walk back.  Also, many times people just want to leave the tour and stay someplace.  And that is fine as long as you tell your guide.  Last summer was very iffy about what you could do.  This year, it’s all much more open.  

[janetcbl]

21 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Very often Viking provides shuttle busses to town and back to the ship.  It really depends on the port.  And some ports you are close enough you can walk back.  Also, many times people just want to leave the tour and stay someplace.  And that is fine as long as you tell your guide.  Last summer was very iffy about what you could do.  This year, it’s all much more open.  

In Reykjavik,  shuttles were provided from the ship to Harpa  (the Concert Hall).