Does Viking provide umbrellas

[firstplacechef]

Sailing this Christmas on Spirit. Paris, Normandy, Paris. So I know snow and rain to be likely. Do we need to pack umbrellas or will Viking provide them for passenger use? I'm assuming to dress in layers with waterproof shoes?

Also, are there optional tours in each city provided? I know of Louvre and Palace of Versailles is avail. TIA Scott

[OkieCruiser49]

They provided big red umbrellas for all the ship excursions on our cruise last year. If you're staying at hotels in Paris before or after the cruise, you may need your own.

[FotoPeg]

Our cruise also - they had umbrellas available as we left the ship - GREAT!!!

[firstplacechef]

Thanks, one less thing to pack. If our cruise is in December. When should we expect something from Viking to begin preparation?

[H2Otstr]

The umbrellas that Viking provide are the very large golf-type. I have a very small Tote's folding umbrella. I have two of them and keep one in each of my suitcases just for travel. When folded it will fit in my coat/jacket pocket. Cost was less than $20 and I have had mine for years.

[WarEagle76]

Originally Posted by H2Otstr

The umbrellas that Viking provide are the very large golf-type. I have a very small Tote's folding umbrella. I have two of them and keep one in each of my suitcases just for travel. When folded it will fit in my coat/jacket pocket. Cost was less than $20 and I have had mine for years.

Agree 100%. You may leave the boat with a blue sky and sunny, only to find yourself in a downpour a few hours later (happened to us in Rouen and included a hail storm to boot). On our day trip to Normandy, rained hard early then cleared up later. Having a small umbrella (like a Tote) is much easier to deal with than carrying around a large, bulky umbrella. A Tote you can easily tuck away when not needed and have free hands when touring and trying to take pictures, yet readily available if needed.