lackcreativity

MVP, I don't know DrKoob at all, except to the degree that we sometimes recognize those who post here regularly. When I commented that I thought his booking of another cruise while on board said it all, it honestly never crossed my mind that a discount or future cruise credit played a part in that decision. It seemed obvious to me that in spite of the things he disliked about Viking, he found enough things that he really liked to want to go again. While I don't personally share some of his feelings about the issues he found problematic, I think his honest evaluation will allow him to enjoy his future cruise even more.

From Dr. Koob: I loved that excursion as well until we go to Monaco at 4:15 pm (after leaving the ship at 8:30) and were told, now you have an hour to shop or whatever you want to do. This was in the Monte Carlo side of Monaco (not the old city) Only places to shop were places like Dolce and Cabana, etc.We just wanted to go back to the ship. That was unfortunate. We were given a break for lunch in Monaco's Old Town, after touring that area. We found a nice outdoor cafe for a glass of wine and a Salad Nicoise, so we got a second wind. There was some free time in Monte Carlo, but we spent that looking at all the fancy cars parked out front of the casino and watching (through the fence) part of a Monte-Carlo Masters tennis match. On our way back to the ship, we saw the grandstands for the Grand Prix being finished up for the big race. April was a very nice time to visit there.

DrKoob, Thanks for your very honest evaluation of your three one-week cruises with Viking. While I don't agree with many of your evaluations, I do agree that most of those disagreements are over matters of personal opinion (absolutely love Viking beds, and food issues are always up for debate). I think that your booking of another cruise while on board says it all. With a new set of expectations (and hopefully without food poisoning!), you may enjoy your future cruise even more. While you may never change your mind about dining venues that we love, I do suggest you consider giving another try on a different ship. Each cruise can have its own personality, and some crowds are more boisterous than others. I also wish that your first Viking experience had been pre-Covid. When we cruised in April, we had a wonderful time on the Barcelona to "Venice" portion of your trip. However, we recognized that some issues were still being impacted by the aftermath of the pandemic. The staff is still #1 on our list of things we love about Viking, but they were not fully staffed and many of the crew are still new. Shore excursions are still facing similar problems: there are fewer to choose from and some guides were definitely better than others. We had a fabulous guide in Barcelona on the included excursion, but had a poor experience with the guide on the optional excursion to Montpellier. All the rest were satisfactory. The all-day optional excursion from Monaco that you found a disappointment was one of our favorite of the trip. Personal opinion and expectations again. We knew that visiting three stops in one day would be a whirlwind, but we wanted to see all three since we may never get another chance. The view from the Jardin Exotique at the top of Eze was worth the cost of the trip for me. It provided many nice photos even if take on the run, so to speak! Thanks again for your photos and commentary. Hope your next trip will be even better!

We have missed ports in April (Naples, high winds) and in October (Falmouth, storms). It's always a gamble trying to predict weather, as there are outliers even during a particular season. It also seems obvious that those highly unusual weather events are becoming less unusual these days. Just ask the people on the Atlantic coast of Canada this week.

Most people seem to want the early tours, for the chance to spend as much time in port as possible. One time, we had no choice but to schedule afternoon because the mornings were all booked. We discovered that afternoon version had its good points too. Sleeping in a bit and then not having to rush through breakfast is nice on a vacation once in a while! Sometimes we schedule afternoon tours if the port is not quite as important to us as others on the cruise. Morning or afternoon choices can also be helpful when temperatures might be an issue. Hope you are able to book just what you want!

I don't even remember mentioning that it was my husband's birthday on our most recent cruise, and I certainly didn't "notify" anyone at Viking. Yet when we returned from our excursion that day there was the lovely fresh berry and chocolate cake with beverage in our cabin. Thank you, Viking, once again!

Everyone has their own temperature preferences. I love the Mediterranean, but I hate hot weather. For that reason, we travel April or October most of the time. The trade off is that we have more than our share of showers and grey skies. I look back on my photos, and notice how often my very favorite places are the ones we just happened to visit on bright blue sky days. Coincidence? Maybe not! Even so, I know that if those bright blue skies were accompanied by temperatures above 85, I would be miserable. Such is life. Perfect days are rare. That's why they feel so, well, "perfect"!

Like quite a few other Viking repeat passengers, our first cruise of any kind was a Viking River cruise. (Thank you, Downton Abbey!). We enjoyed that so much that we booked our first ocean cruise after that, and more after that one. We really like both, with a slight nod to Viking Ocean. Most people we have spoken to have taken our same path: river, then ocean. I hope that you will do your research so that you will know that while much is the same (same outstanding Viking crew, same style decor, same good food), but not as many choices of things on the river cruises. OneSixtytoOne in the previous post did a good description of how that changes things. Both River and Ocean are great vacations, but just different experiences.

I am really enjoying your photos. We took the two week Barcelona to "Venice" part of the cruise back in April, and will be doing the Venice to Istanbul portion next year. Your description (and photos) of Crotone are the perfect example of how I often wish I could be in two places at once on these trips. We took the optional excursion to Santa Severina from Crotone, which was just wonderful. I do wish I could have seen Crotone too. While my photos in no way can compete with yours, the scenery was just as beautiful, and it was also a small Italian town, but on a hilltop and with a castle. And there was a stop at a vineyard with great local food. What a tough choice!

I realize that you have to make a plan, but based on reports we have seen here ( and our own personal experience in April), what you plan now may change before then. Our trip involved a change in final port mid-cruise. We were using Viking's transfers, so that made it easier for us. Research a variety of options so that you back-ups to your intended plans.

As always, excellent points. In particular, I didn't remember this was started five years ago. Much has changed in that time, even though I think most of the important features remain the same. I withdraw my request!

Peregrina, Thanks for taking care of this. I tried to hunt it down using the search feature, but of course that is useless (or maybe I am?). I think that it would be a good idea to pin this at the beginning of the Viking thread. New people keep making inquiries, and this is a great way for them to get to know Viking. How might that happen? Thread moderator? Anyone ?

Katlew is on the mark. So many tourist industry employees had to find new jobs during the pandemic, and so many of them have chosen not to come back. As much as we want to travel, travel isn't yet like it was prior to Covid. We really enjoyed our eastern Mediterranean cruise this spring, but we went with the expectation that things would not be exactly the same. I suspect that things will not be the same for quite some time yet. At seventy years old and very nearly seventy, we personally don't have time to wait. We will continue to travel, and accept that the great crew at Viking will do the very best they can to make our trip a pleasure.

We travel in a Veranda cabin, so have no reservations available prior to boarding. On our 15 day cruises, we usually eat in Manfredi's twice and Chef's Table once or twice. We could probably eat there more, being flexible about time, but we enjoy the World Cafe and The Restaurant too. The World Cafe usually includes a few of the same things that the Restaurant is serving, and they can cook somethings to order, like a steak, for you. Plus, there is great fresh sushi and crab legs to start, custom made salads, and a variety of bite-sized desserts. It is the best buffet I have ever seen, and the perfect place when you are tired from an excursion, still in your jeans, and just want something quick. The Restaurant is great for a nice leisurely meal to talk over everything you did that day, and will do tomorrow. It's also a good place to chat with your neighbors at the tables next door. We have made some good friends that way, and then met them for dinner again during the trip. We do make reservations as soon as we get on board for the specialty restaurants. It's easy to do on your phone using the Viking Voyager ap, which we download before leaving home. There have been a few times when we have been tempted by something on the menu in the Restaurant that night, and have canceled a reservation. That's why it never hurts to stop by Manfredi's or Chef's Table on a whim to see if they have a table available.

Our first visit to Manfredi's was a meal we didn't love, (I guess we chose poorly) but we gave it a second chance and were so very glad we did. Now we go once or twice every cruise. With Chef's Table, we examine all the available menus for the open time slots before we decide which one to try. Then, if there is a course that we don't care for, we don't have to finish it. We never left being hungry. Even if that did happen, there's always the World Cafe. If you give Chef's Table another try, and still aren't a big fan, at least you gave it a second chance!

We also like Chef's Table very much when the menu is one we like. The Asian series seems to show up on our cruises quite often. Not sure if that is just coincidence, since we have only done four cruises after all. The Sweet and Salty menu is one of my favorite all time meals, and we have never had a chance to repeat it. There are several others that we have liked very much, some were satisfactory, and two were disappointing. We will continue to schedule at least one meal each cruise there as trying something new is part of the fun.

Dr. Koob, I think I have the explanation of your frustration with the wine list at dinner. When the server comes to your table, they already know who you are from your cabin number when you check in. The devices they use have your name, cabin number, food allergies, and whether you have the Silver Spirits Package or not. When they know you have not selected the SSP, they assume (and I bet are right 95% of the time), that it is your intent to drink one of the two wines of the evening. We never get the drinks package, and the only time a wine list has been brought to the table was when we were dining with new friends who do have that. The routine is not the same as in an onshore restaurant , or maybe on other cruise ships. They will accommodate you, I am certain, once they are clear on your wishes. I hope your other issues get resolved quickly. I imagine that Viking is still dealing with the staffing shortage that resulted from the pandemic.

I will admit to being a somewhat lazy traveler, and like the convenience of having Viking take care of all the details. That leaves me free to research the places we will be visiting. Included extensions are then all covered by Viking's offered insurance. ( I know, many would argue against that, but that's a topic in a different thread. ) A final bonus is the chance to meet some of your shipmates before you even get onboard. However, if that doesn't work out, Barcelona is a really great city, and pretty easy to navigate on your own. There's a good metro system and much of the city is very walkable. Even if you have to do it on your own, don't miss out on the extra time in Barcelona.

deec, Doubt that you meant to post that multiple times, but it is certainly a point worth repeating!😉

Shmabbies, I am glad that others were here to answer your question while I was at work! I am surprised that you had one cruise without use of the Quiet Vox devices. I don't know what happened in your case, but we have had use of them on all our cruises, both river and ocean. We used them as recently as April this year.

This is so true. It's great to share all these cases which were really exceptional, but even the everyday type of Viking great service makes our trips outstanding. I am thinking of our Viking excursion in Barcelona to Parc Guell. There was a crewmember on the excursion, in civilian clothes, on her time off, yet she approached us up on the iconic Terrace with the fabulous view of the city. She asked if we would like her to take our photo. Her thoughtful gesture provided a nice memento along with one more reminder of how special the crew can be.

I think you are wise not to get your heart set on seeing sites A, B, and C in your short time there. Set some easy goals once you get your starting point confirmed, and just BE in Paris. When your time is short, don't spend it getting frustrated over what you can't do, and enjoy yourself. I think you have the right idea!

Happy to share. Just as background, I should offer that I have never met a castle I didn't love, cathedrals still enthrall me, and hilltop towns and walled cities are my dreams come true. Your version of a great vacation of course may vary. Having been to Barcelona previously, we just took the Included excursion. We had a great guide, which always makes a tour. Though the description of the tour did not list it, we did make a stop to view the outside of Sagrada Familia from a nice little park on a side of the church we hadn't seen on our previous tour. That was a bonus, and the walking tour of the Gothic Quarter was another area we had not visited before, so it was a good excursion for us. From Sete there are several interesting choices, but we went to Montpellier & Chateau Flaugergues. The weather and our guide were both less than satisfactory, but I enjoyed both locations. On the city walking tour we did pop in to take a peek at the interior of a 14th century building now used as a conference center (Hotel de Varennes).Though just a quick view, it was great to get to see the inside of one of the buildings we were passing by. Plus it felt like a castle, so bonus points for that! From Marseille, again there were multiple good options, but we went to Aix-en-Provence. A good guide, better weather, and a Charming town with a capital C. From Monte Carlo, we did the whirlwind tour of Nice, Eze, and Monte Carlo. I could have spent a day at any of those places but we didn't have three days in port, so this was the best alternative. We paid the additional six Euros each to go tour the Jardin Exotique at the top of Eze, which was an incredible site. What a hike, so bring your stamina and your comfy shoes. On the two days in Livorno, (we've been to Florence before) we did the included Pisa tour to see inside the church and the baptistry which we had not done before, and the optional tour of the Pitti Palace (again a first visit). Pisa was fine, but not special. The Pitti Palace tour and guide and included lunch were all good. I would not necessarily pick that if it was my first visit to Florence. Rome was a changeover day for the first segment of the cruise, but Viking did provide an included panoramic bus ride to Rome with free time at the Vatican (no inside visit ) for those of us who were taking the second leg of the cruise. Since we have also been to Rome before, we went along for the ride. During the free time in Vatican City (on Easter Saturday no less), we wandered off to have lunch in a little pizza place we had found on our earlier trip. We were unable to make port in Naples because of very high winds, so for the second time in our travels we missed a chance to go to Pompeii. But that is another story, and we are too lucky to complain! In Sicily, we chose the Enchanting Taormina, which was another highlight in a trip full of them. The guide was fine, but not really relevant as the city is the star of the show. In summer the crowds and the heat would be a challenge, but in April (though a bit busy with Easter holiday crowds) it was a gem. From Crotone we went to Santa Severina, a hilltop town with a castle. We got to tour parts of the castle, so I was in delighted. From Bari, there are several tempting choices, but we went to the Castellana Caves and Polignano a Mare. A scheduling issue at the caves limited our time in Polignano, but what great seaside town (or I guess I should call it a cliffside town) that was. In Sibenik, we had planned the included walking tour, but pouring down rain led us to turn in our tickets for that and watch the groups walk off with their red Viking umbrellas from the World Cafe. Luckily, we were docked right in walking distance, so later in the morning the rain stopped and we went out on the same route on our own. It was a very pleasant surprise. Our final surprise was that mid-cruise, Viking learned that our intended port of Fusina (for Venice) was closing for an environmental study and they arranged a last minute docking in Ravenna. With some working of miracles, Viking arranged revised excursions to Venice (we've been multiple times) and also to Ravenna. So we got an unexpected visit to a new location, famous for its mosaics. OneSixtytoOne, I am sorry for the very long winded reply, but you did ask, and I was glad for the chance to relive the trip. Hope you enjoy yours too.

There are multiple reasons not to do this, but I agree that "a little Paris is better than no Paris at all" tops them all. I can't help you with the drop off point, but I know I have seen that information here before, so hopefully, someone will provide it for you. Enjoy your cruise. We loved that itinerary.

Thank, Heidi, for getting this started. I love this thread already! We became particularly friendly with the Head Waiter in The Restaurant on our most recent cruise, and he regularly stopped to chat with us every time we were there. One evening, he and my husband were talking about food (imagine that!), and he asked what our favorite food was. Indian was the reply from both of us. We were invited to have the Chef prepare a special meal for us on a night which suited our schedule. That "homemade" chicken curry meal was one of our all time favorites on Viking, and that was a very high standard to attain. That will always be a very special memory. I would love to give him credit publicly for such a great gesture, but I am not sure it would be fair to burden him (and the Chef) with nightly requests from all of us looking for a special meal. Now, on the other hand, if they offer.....