UK TV: Viking Sky

On Friday 1 September, Jane McDonald will be sailing the Baltic Sea on Viking Sky, visiting Tallinn, St P and the ABBA museum in Stockholm. Channel 5 at 9pm. Wonder what she will make of the ship!

We were on the SKY when she and her crew were aboard. They all were delightful. I even taped a fun laundry room segment with delightful Englishmen and Jane! I wonder if it will be included in the segment. Please post here and let me know what the segment shows.

Is this something only aired in the UK?

Oh no!!

That's our well kept secret gone ; (

Look forward to seeing it none the less. Thanks for the heads up.

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Is this something only aired in the UK?

Unfortunately I suspect that it might only air in the uk.

To give none UK readers a bit of background: Jane McDonald was "discovered" in 1998 while she was working as a singer on Celebrity Cruise's Galaxy. The ship featured on a very popular (41% UK audience) BBC documentary series "The Cruise". Becoming an instant "Celebrity" herself Jane went on to have a successful recording and performing career.

Last year she hosted the first series of a travel show "Cruising with Jane McDonald" http://www.channel5.com/show/cruising-with-jane-mcdonald/

It is the second series of this show, which features a different river or ocean cruise each week, that starts with Viking Sky.

Jane has held on to a professional persona of unpretentious "lass" from the industrial north of England who hit the big time. Despite her rather, umm......"exuberant" style I quite enjoyed the first series and look forward to hearing what she picks out to comment on while on the Sky.

I will try to remember to report back after it goes out.

will be looking forward to your report....especially if you see ME...

Will watch for you in the laundry :)

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Well deec you certainly made the cut! Quite a long section and now we all know the secret of the out of order sign ;)

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The laundry scene was the highlight of the hour-long programme!!! Deec, if you were the white-haired lady, you were centre stage. (But why were there so many female people in the laundry at the beginning of the cruise -- do tell a puzzled male who doesn't understand and who has enough clean underwear and socks to last a week! )

Overall, I found the show disappointing because I was looking forward to being reminded much more of the ship, but most of the time was taken up with Jane being excessively excited ashore. Whether Viking was pleased with the programme which did not really showcase their ship we shall never know. No Explorers' Lounge, no MDR, theatre, World Cafe, spa, pool, no food (other than a waffle in Mamsen's and a very brief glimpse of afternoon tea) but we did get some views of the Owner's Suite, and the tumble dryers. No mention of the underfloor heating in the bathroom, either. So, the luxury of Viking Sky did not really come across. Pity. But Viking likes to stress their ports of call so I suppose her shoreside travels show us what's available (but no mention of tours). She did sing her ABBA song very well indeed though.

I was really looking forward to seeing this programme and learning more about Viking and as for the ports visited !!! She goes to the beautiful City of Stockholm and all they show is the Abba museum. The segment in the laundry was funny but really there was a lot more areas of the ships I would have like to have seen.

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yep I am the silver haired woman

maybe it will be on YOU Tube

It was a 3 week long cruise ....so we did do wash!

Too bad they did NOT do more to showcase the ship....it is wonderful!!!

Thus programme felt like it was more about Jane Mcdonald than anything else. She's very pleased with herself!

The ship seemed very bright white everywhere but maybe that was due to the lighting.

The various cities visited looked lovely but remarkably similar somehow.

All in all US viewers, you didn't miss much!

On Friday 1 September, Jane McDonald will be sailing the Baltic Sea on Viking Sky, visiting Tallinn, St P and the ABBA museum in Stockholm. Channel 5 at 9pm. Wonder what she will make of the ship!

Does anyone know when Viking Sea "Into the midnight Sun" is being shown on QuestTV in the UK.

This has already been shown as part of "Mighty Ships" in Canada. This was a fantastic trip and I hope it shows how great are the staff.

Ingra Tor

Is this something only aired in the UK?

You can watch catch-up with this link:

https://www.my5.tv/cruising-with-jane-mcdonald/season-2/episode-1

What's more amazing about the programme is the comments it has generated over on a couple of UK cruise sites where 'cost of Viking cruises appears to be an issue. (no surprise there then)

The silliest comment I did spot however...."entertainment looks limited. Given Viking's river boat origins - that is to be expected."

Obviously not from a Viking cruiser.

I'm not sure what actual cruising content people expected to see in an hour show, on Channel 5, and was centered on Jane McDonald.

Of course the best way to experience any of Viking's products is to go and try them...

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/12/28/viking-star-a-taste-of-something-different/

Budget Brits however will no doubt be thrilled with one of Jane's forthcoming visits: Celestyal Crystal...

I really enjoyed the programme and I think had the focus been more on the ship, they risked being accused of making a free advertisement for Viking.

Jane always makes me smile and I thought they got the balance about right. I'm not a devotee (I've never seen her live for instance) but she was a success originallly because people warm to her personality in addition to being able to sing. Clearly we are in 'you can't please all the people ....' territory here!

My only (very) slight criticism, having done the Homelands cruise on Viking Star last year, was they did not make it clear that Jane joined the cruise part-way through.

I enjoyed the laundry section too :D.

What's more amazing about the programme is the comments it has generated over on a couple of UK cruise sites where 'cost of Viking cruises appears to be an issue. (no surprise there then)

 

The silliest comment I did spot however...."entertainment looks limited. Given Viking's river boat origins - that is to be expected."

Obviously not from a Viking cruiser.

 

I'm not sure what actual cruising content people expected to see in an hour show, on Channel 5, and was centered on Jane McDonald.

 

Of course the best way to experience any of Viking's products is to go and try them...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2015/12/28/viking-star-a-taste-of-something-different/

 

 

Budget Brits however will no doubt be thrilled with one of Jane's forthcoming visits: Celestyal Crystal...

 

Your blog is amazing and certainly has us looking forward to our Viking cruise next year.

I also read your QM2, good job. Hard for us to look forward to such a regimented FORMAL atmosphere but we will skip all that as much as possible and try to enjoy our Queens Grill Suite.

Thanks again for your great blogs.

I really enjoyed the programme and I think had the focus been more on the ship, they risked being accused of making a free advertisement for Viking.

 

Jane always makes me smile and I thought they got the balance about right. I'm not a devotee (I've never seen her live for instance) but she was a success originallly because people warm to her personality in addition to being able to sing. Clearly we are in 'you can't please all the people ....' territory here!

 

My only (very) slight criticism, having done the Homelands cruise on Viking Star last year, was they did not make it clear that Jane joined the cruise part-way through.

 

I enjoyed the laundry section too :D.

Nice comment Mrs Goggins.

I entirely agree.

Your blog is amazing and certainly has us looking forward to our Viking cruise next year.

I also read your QM2, good job. Hard for us to look forward to such a regimented FORMAL atmosphere but we will skip all that as much as possible and try to enjoy our Queens Grill Suite.

Thanks again for your great blogs.

Thank you for your kind comment.

Did you notice on the Queen Mary 2 itinerary section we spent Christmas day not too far from you?

Thank you for your kind comment.

 

Did you notice on the Queen Mary 2 itinerary section we spent Christmas day not too far from you?

Yes, Trenton is not far from us. Next time your in the area we would love to meet you.

We recently returned from seven weeks in your great country. This was our 44 visit to London to take in all the great theatre.

Jane was NOT on the Homelands tour. She spent about week of our 3 week cruise this Spring....Barcelona, the Baltic and Beyond on the SKY. The cruise has a great itinerary IMO!

Yes, Trenton is not far from us. Next time your in the area we would love to meet you.

We recently returned from seven weeks in your great country. This was our 44 visit to London to take in all the great theatre.

I plan to stay longer the next time I'm visiting Trenton.

I'm in love with your country and have a Mississippi River cruise booked for next year. If your ever in Southampton on a cruise do contact me through the blog. I'll see what i can do.