Live from the Viking Sky (Ft Lauderdale to London) December 20, 2023 - May 6, 2024

[PeterPan48]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

LCR at 3:30 pool bar!

Sorry friends, can’t make it today. Have fun. Jeanne and Steve 🎲🎲🎲

[cruising denise]

20 minutes ago, PeterPan48 said:

Sorry friends, can’t make it today. Have fun. Jeanne and Steve 🎲🎲🎲

same here!  Sea days are so busy!!!  Hope someone wins big today!

[cruising denise]

On 1/30/2024 at 12:15 PM, Clay Clayton said:

Beautiful day in Waitangi New Zealand.  It was amazing to go from beautiful sunshine to nasty squaws and back to a glorious day…twice!  Had a great visit with a cruise chum that I haven’t seen since 2010, she toured us around and then came onboard for lunch…and just texted she is calling her TA tomorrow to look into taking a Viking Cruise! (Who do I contact for my commission???😂😂😂)

 

Missed surf and turf night though I hear it was great.  We had reservations for my much anticipated first time to have “Sweet and Salty” at the Chef’s Table.  Perhaps my expectations were set too high but it was just ok.  And unfortunately the scallops were overcooked so I doubt I will be running back for it. I guess my version of “sweet and salty” runs more to a French Fry dipped in a vanilla milk shake!😂

What?  No pix of the inside of the men's room at the Hundertwasser bathrooms??  I could only get as far as the inside of the ladies' room, and the gentlemen's from outside...Here's inside one of the stalls 😃   Of course it's posting sideways so you'll have to turn it!!!!!

[Clay Clayton]

24 minutes ago, cruising denise said:

What?  No pix of the inside of the men's room at the Hundertwasser bathrooms??  I could only get as far as the inside of the ladies' room, and the gentlemen's from outside...Here's inside one of the stalls 😃   Of course it's posting sideways so you'll have to turn it!!!!!

Men’s was similar!  The photo of the wine bottle “window” was from inside the men’s. 

[cruising denise]

12 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Men’s was similar!  The photo of the wine bottle “window” was from inside the men’s. 

we had a very similar one!  Mary Ann took the one of me - I was waiting for a stall but was so busy gawking and taking pix I missed the first open stall!!!

 

 

[Heidi13]

5 hours ago, Hanoj said:

 

Kind of begs the question, why schedule such ports of call? Missing ports seems to be more common now across cruise lines than pre-shutdowns. Some guests (see this mostly with Oceania) suggest missing ports or shortening visits is a cost cutting measure (I have no idea about the plausibility of such assertions - I just find it interesting because a cruise's itinerary is the most important factor in our selection process). And there seem to be certain ports, like Napier, where it is a recurring issue. Though, of course, reading about missed ports on the different forums is more likely to be posted than if they were successfully visited.

 

The previous World Cruise did dock in Napier, so it isn't impossible.

 

In response to the cost cutting myth prevalent with many pax, I recall crafting a lengthy post outlining many of the factors that would dispel the myth. While the cruise line saves money on port fees and can proceed to the next port at slower speed, the ship is still at sea burning additional fuel.

 

Lots of other factors also increase costs and/or reduce revenue, so unfortunately missing a port does not mean the cruise line saves money, in many ports it could result in additional costs. In addition, you also need to factor the negative pax impressions, as you noted with Oceania.

[cruising denise]

50 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The previous World Cruise did dock in Napier, so it isn't impossible.

 

In response to the cost cutting myth prevalent with many pax, I recall crafting a lengthy post outlining many of the factors that would dispel the myth. While the cruise line saves money on port fees and can proceed to the next port at slower speed, the ship is still at sea burning additional fuel.

 

Lots of other factors also increase costs and/or reduce revenue, so unfortunately missing a port does not mean the cruise line saves money, in many ports it could result in additional costs. In addition, you also need to factor the negative pax impressions, as you noted with Oceania.

I certainly have nowhere near your expertise, but after our disappointing miss of Costa Rica when the hull cleaning took far longer than anticipated due to the poor visibility in the water, it was explained to me (and no, I was not complaining) that Viking incurred lots of extra expense:  longer than scheduled docking in Panama, still had to pay for the missed port in Costa Rica, as well as pay for all the excursion providers yet still reimburse us.  I'm sure the same is true for all these missed ports.  Still disappointing, but as you and others have often pointed out, flexibility is required to be happy on a world cruise.

[Heidi13]

14 minutes ago, cruising denise said:

I certainly have nowhere near your expertise, but after our disappointing miss of Costa Rica when the hull cleaning took far longer than anticipated due to the poor visibility in the water, it was explained to me (and no, I was not complaining) that Viking incurred lots of extra expense:  longer than scheduled docking in Panama, still had to pay for the missed port in Costa Rica, as well as pay for all the excursion providers yet still reimburse us.  I'm sure the same is true for all these missed ports.  Still disappointing, but as you and others have often pointed out, flexibility is required to be happy on a world cruise.

 

So true, especially on World Cruises, if you can't accept the itinerary is finalised upon disembarkation, perhaps a 7-day jaunt to the Caribbean might be a better option.

[PasadenaDave]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The previous World Cruise did dock in Napier, so it isn't impossible.

 

In response to the cost cutting myth prevalent with many pax, I recall crafting a lengthy post outlining many of the factors that would dispel the myth. While the cruise line saves money on port fees and can proceed to the next port at slower speed, the ship is still at sea burning additional fuel.

 

Lots of other factors also increase costs and/or reduce revenue, so unfortunately missing a port does not mean the cruise line saves money, in many ports it could result in additional costs. In addition, you also need to factor the negative pax impressions, as you noted with Oceania.

We docked in Napier in December a beautiful day, but we don’t think we will go to another winery as they are all basically the same except for tasting.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved seeing the geography, but Napier is a cool town and we would have preferred to explore it rather than wineries 

[Hanoj]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The previous World Cruise did dock in Napier, so it isn't impossible.

 

In response to the cost cutting myth prevalent with many pax, I recall crafting a lengthy post outlining many of the factors that would dispel the myth. While the cruise line saves money on port fees and can proceed to the next port at slower speed, the ship is still at sea burning additional fuel.

 

Lots of other factors also increase costs and/or reduce revenue, so unfortunately missing a port does not mean the cruise line saves money, in many ports it could result in additional costs. In addition, you also need to factor the negative pax impressions, as you noted with Oceania.

 

Perhaps overly aggressive marketing campaigns (not insinuating anything adverse about Viking) and illusory perceptions with the marvels of technology (GPS, radar, sonar, etc.) are partly to blame for the gap between reality and cruise passenger expectations, especially for those of us, myself included, who have no meaningful marine navigation experience besides being a passive observer on a cruise, when it comes to evaluating shortened stays and canceled ports. Yeah, I once piloted a speedboat at 55 knots over placid lake waters during my naive youth, but this means nothing towards any appreciation for the challenges navigating a narrow passage like that approaching Napier in a nearly 48,000 tonnes cruise ship. Would that cruising conditions always allowed cruise ships (at least the ones on which I’m a guest) to keep their port calls. It’s a primary reason we cruise, particularly since my wife doesn’t have to prepare meals, which is significant since I have food allergies (which Viking has done a remarkable job accommodating), which means our land vacations, though more affordable than cruising, usually entail accommodations that allow us to prepare our own meals since avoiding my allergens at restaurants is not easy in some locales.

 

Obviously, cruising is not without risks, some of which I have no real experience to appreciate. This is why I value the contributions of @Heidi13,  @Jim Avery, and others, who have significant marine navigation  experience. Thank you.

[cruising denise]

2 hours ago, Hanoj said:

 

Perhaps overly aggressive marketing campaigns (not insinuating anything adverse about Viking) and illusory perceptions with the marvels of technology (GPS, radar, sonar, etc.) are partly to blame for the gap between reality and cruise passenger expectations, especially for those of us, myself included, who have no meaningful marine navigation experience besides being a passive observer on a cruise, when it comes to evaluating shortened stays and canceled ports. Yeah, I once piloted a speedboat at 55 knots over placid lake waters during my naive youth, but this means nothing towards any appreciation for the challenges navigating a narrow passage like that approaching Napier in a nearly 48,000 tonnes cruise ship. Would that cruising conditions always allowed cruise ships (at least the ones on which I’m a guest) to keep their port calls. It’s a primary reason we cruise, particularly since my wife doesn’t have to prepare meals, which is significant since I have food allergies (which Viking has done a remarkable job accommodating), which means our land vacations, though more affordable than cruising, usually entail accommodations that allow us to prepare our own meals since avoiding my allergens at restaurants is not easy in some locales.

 

Obviously, cruising is not without risks, some of which I have no real experience to appreciate. This is why I value the contributions of @Heidi13,  @Jim Avery, and others, who have significant marine navigation  experience. Thank you.

Amen to your thoughts, and I echo your thanks to those contributions you cite above.  

[Clay Clayton]

A beautiful sunrise this morning after the night in the washing machine and heavy winds on our way to Wellington. Our balcony divider broke its lock, thank goodness for the heavy table-it allowed me to stop the banging. 
 

And looks like sunny skies for our visit!

 

Edited February 3 by Clay Clayton

[SJD117]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

A beautiful sunrise this morning after the night in the washing machine and heavy winds on our way to Wellington. Our balcony divider broke its lock, thank goodness for the heavy table-it allowed me to stop the banging. 
 

And looks like sunny skies for our visit!

 

 

If I recall my Wellington geography correctly, the shaded peak on the left is Mt. Victoria, rising above Oriental Bay. The views from the top are spectacular -- highly recommended, And if you walk down, you get bonus points if you can find the theatre that hosted the world premiere of Lord of the Rings. It's on the way into town.

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, SJD117 said:

 

If I recall my Wellington geography correctly, the shaded peak on the left is Mt. Victoria, rising above Oriental Bay. The views from the top are spectacular -- highly recommended, And if you walk down, you get bonus points if you can find the theatre that hosted the world premiere of Lord of the Rings. It's on the way into town.

We didn’t walk down but our included tour did take us to the top even though it was part of the description.  Our driver asked if we would rather have an hour at the museum and go up there or have 1.5 at the museum.  Given you need days to really see the museum, glad we all voted to go up!

 

Edited February 4 by Clay Clayton

[Penspack]

On 2/3/2024 at 2:37 PM, cruising denise said:

What?  No pix of the inside of the men's room at the Hundertwasser bathrooms??  I could only get as far as the inside of the ladies' room, and the gentlemen's from outside...Here's inside one of the stalls 😃   Of course it's posting sideways so you'll have to turn it!!!!!

My blog has pictures of both the women’s and men’s hundertwasser bathrooms 

[WhereInTheWorldIsKarla]

Seal Watching from Tongue Point excursion from Wellington today. The stars were the fur seals. 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 4 by WhereInTheWorldIsKarla
Duplicated text and correction

[Liz Masterson]

Thanks to @Heidi13 and @cruising denise for the information on the economics of missing a port. I sometimes wondered about that. Not really about Viking, since most shipboard activities are included… but about some of the lines with more nickel and diming and art auctions and casinos, and additional charge things like go cart racing and surf boarding etc.  

Edited February 4 by Liz Masterson

[cnd crsr]

5 hours ago, WhereInTheWorldIsKarla said:

Seal Watching from Tongue Point excursion from Wellington today. The stars were the fur seals. 

 

 

 

 

Karla beautiful photos of the seals. Thanks for sharing.

[Clay Clayton]

We are having trouble docking in Nelson due to high winds. So far two attempts have  failed. We just turned away (8:42 am-original docking time was 8am) for the second time. No word yet on whether their will be a third🤞

 

Edited February 4 by Clay Clayton

[cruising denise]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We are having trouble docking in Nelson due to high winds. So far two attempts have  failed. We just turned away (8:42 am-original docking time was 8am) for the second time. No word yet on whether their will be a third🤞

 

We made it!  Shortly after 10 AM!  Yay and thanks to Captain Fredrik!  They have pushed everything back by 2.5 hours including all excursions so we can still have a full day.  Well done!

[SJD117]

1 hour ago, cruising denise said:

We made it!  Shortly after 10 AM!  Yay and thanks to Captain Fredrik!  They have pushed everything back by 2.5 hours including all excursions so we can still have a full day.  Well done!

Glad you were able to make it! Nelson is one of the nicest South Island towns to explore.

[Clay Clayton]

Great day in Nelson, so glad we made it ashore!

 

Our included tour this morning was to the Nelson Classic Car Museum.  It’s an amazing private collection of automobiles.  The oldest are 115 years old and it includes all makes, models, and eras.  I was amazed by the dovetail joints in the Chrysler Town & Country, the tea set in one, and how precise they are with the restorations.  The Land Rover shown in the garage is almost done-four years after they started!

 

I was taken with the amazing radiator caps.  All were beautiful and the one added functionality!

We didn’t exactly have a death march today, rather a long walk around Nelson. It’s a nice little town with a 6 block by 6 block downtown with lots of shops and restaurants and breweries.  We first headed along the river (past some pretty homes) to the Sutter Gallery. This gallery is housed in an old Māori building with a beautiful modern entrance pavilion and connection to the nearby Queen’s Garden from which we went into downtown. 
 

The block of the Main Street in front of the cathedral is closed to traffic and was being well enjoyed by many locals. I’m glad we made it into Nelson as it gives us one more insight into New Zealand. Sky visited two small towns-this and Waitangi, a medium sized city-Tauranga, and two big cities-Wellington & Auckland.  All were great to visit and we sure hope we get to come back sometime!  
 

Thanks New Zealand for a great week!

[Clay Clayton]

Can’t seem to get most of the pictures that wouldn’t that go with my previous post to upload.  Maybe when we hit land again? Or check on Instagram

 

#cantwaitforrealwwifi

[Clay Clayton]

Tuesday is a sea day so hope you’ll join us at LCR at 3:30 at the pool bar (unless it’s too hot in which case you can find us at the Explorer’s Lounge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5 by Clay Clayton

[cruising denise]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Great day in Nelson, so glad we made it ashore!

 

Our included tour this morning was to the Nelson Classic Car Museum.  It’s an amazing private collection of automobiles.  The oldest are 115 years old and it includes all makes, models, and eras.  I was amazed by the dovetail joints in the Chrysler Town & Country, the tea set in one, and how precise they are with the restorations.  The Land Rover shown in the garage is almost done-four years after they started!

 

I was taken with the amazing radiator caps.  All were beautiful and the one added functionality!

We didn’t exactly have a death march today, rather a long walk around Nelson. It’s a nice little town with a 6 block by 6 block downtown with lots of shops and restaurants and breweries.  We first headed along the river (past some pretty homes) to the Sutter Gallery. This gallery is housed in an old Māori building with a beautiful modern entrance pavilion and connection to the nearby Queen’s Garden from which we went into downtown. 
 

The block of the Main Street in front of the cathedral is closed to traffic and was being well enjoyed by many locals. I’m glad we made it into Nelson as it gives us one more insight into New Zealand. Sky visited two small towns-this and Waitangi, a medium sized city-Tauranga, and two big cities-Wellington & Auckland.  All were great to visit and we sure hope we get to come back sometime!  
 

Thanks New Zealand for a great week!

Amen to the thank you to New Zealand!  What a wonderful country.  I can't begin to explain all the many things that I loved about it.  But I really hope to be back here someday.