Taking a TA cruise w Viking. First time taking a cruise longer than a week.

[DaddyTalloak]

What are good ideas for packing? Just pack for a 1 week cruise and plan on doing laundry on everything? What other packing strategies should I be aware of?

[TheOldBear]

13 hours ago, DaddyTalloak said:

What are good ideas for packing? Just pack for a 1 week cruise and plan on doing laundry on everything? What other packing strategies should I be aware of?

 

We've done 6 TA crossings so far - but on QM2, not on Viking. There may be some Viking specific suggestions - perhaps someone knowledgeable will join, or you can check their forum.

 

We usually pack for a week to 10 days, and plan on laundry on board. 

 

On our 2017 sailing, I needed to lend shirts to our tablemates - they were missing a bag [checked airline luggage] that had all his stuff in it. Afterwards, they cross packed - no separate 'his' and 'hers' suitcases.

 

Viking does not do formal nights, so you won't need anything special there. They do have a nice promenade deck - so bring a windproof outer layer, and a couple of layering choices.

 

The ship had a gym, pool and sauna - you will need appropriate attire.

 

Do you have travel plans before boarding or after disembarking?

 

Does the ship stop at places of interest [e.g. Iceland] instead of a non stop crossing? You may want excursion ready clothing and hiking boots for an active shore excursion.

[Heidi13]

On 3/7/2023 at 5:55 PM, DaddyTalloak said:

What are good ideas for packing? Just pack for a 1 week cruise and plan on doing laundry on everything? What other packing strategies should I be aware of?

 

Even for World Cruises of > 120 days, we only pack sufficient clothes for a week, or the longest stretch of port days in a row. On a TA, you don't have many ports days, so we would pack for about 1 week.

 

Higher level cabins on Viking have included laundry, while the others have access to the complimentary laundry facilities on each deck. Viking also includes the laundry soap. Most decks have 4 washers & driers in each laundry room, with an ironing board and iron.

 

If you want additional info check out the Viking Board

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/689-viking-ocean/

 

[RICHARD@SEA]

In this day & age most ships offer laundry services.....  why do laundry on vacation....

[RICHARD@SEA]

I usually pack for 10 days for longer cruises - mix & match and 1 black suit. sending out the laundry has never been a problem.

[Heidi13]

21 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

In this day & age most ships offer laundry services.....  why do laundry on vacation....

 

Having worked on ships and had uniforms sent to the laundry by our steward, I have experienced the significant wear and tear that multiple visits to ship's laundry can cause to garments. We again experienced this on our 2015 Princess World Cruise, as pax.

 

Based on these experiences, our preference is using the included self-service laundry services on our preferred cruise line.