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lackcreativity

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  1. We were there on Easter Saturday, and it was actually a rather appealing kind of crazy. There was a discernable sense of heightened anticipation in the air in comparison to our prior visits. I do suspect that Easter Sunday would be logistically too much. On our particular sailing, Ostia and Tarquinia were not offered as optional excursions (unless my memory is faulty). I would have chosen one of those instead. Perhaps if we ever return, we will get the chance.
  2. Haha! Could you answer that in a private message?
  3. We sailed on the Ancient Adriatic Treasures itinerary in October, which has a turnaround day in Athens. For our cruise, the included excursion was the Panoramic Athens & the Archaeological Museum (covers all of Greece). Since the younger, more fit versions of ourselves had climbed up to the Acropolis on a previous trip, we opted for the included tour this time. On the extra day, I sadly cannot remember which excursions were offered. We chose to use the free Viking shuttle to go to the New Acropolis Museum (which covers just the Acropolis). The drop off spot for the shuttle was very convenient for that, at Hadrian's Gate. That's just a five minute walk (at Google map speed) to the museum.
  4. Also, just for your information, if you do enjoy your first Viking cruise (as we always have) then consider booking another while on the ship. When you do so, make sure to request the 6 month PIF date that is available onboard or anytime you already have another cruise booked. Many repeat Viking cruisers take advantage of that perk.
  5. It is worth taking note that you should request the 6 month PIF when booking that second cruise, as the agents do not always make that offer. Once the booking is made, changing the payment date is not likely an option.
  6. I hope it is as good as I remember. At the time I thought it one of the best meals I have ever eaten. I fear it is a bit unfair to set your expectations that high. That's usually a recipe for disappointment!
  7. The Sweet and Salty menu in Chef's Table
  8. I hope my suggestion will be acceptable on an Oceania thread. I am here to learn about the Oceania experience, in hopes of finding some Mediterranean itineraries that are unavailable on Viking, my cruise line of choice. I am not a cold weather fan for vacations, but I know enough about Viking's offerings to report that they have a strong presence in Scandanavia, with a variety of options available. They already have dates available for all of 2025 and much of 2026. Perhaps you might find something that suits your August anniversary there. Again, as a likely future Oceania cruiser myself, I hope my advice will be recognized as an attempt to be helpful. From what my research here has shown me so far, it seems that Viking and Oceania are similar, and both are very popular.
  9. We always sail in Veranda cabins and have eaten in both Manfredi's and Chef's Table on each cruise we have taken. You may not get the day you want or the exact time slot you would wish, so be prepared to be flexible and you will be fine. If you remind yourself how much less you have paid for the same great service by the same wonderful staff to go the same lovely places, you will enjoy it all the more. At least that's what we do! Enjoy.
  10. As a regular inhabitant of the last to book Veranda cabins, I will vouch for that. We have rarely been disappointed, even though a time or two we had to keep checking back to get our first choice of an optional excursion. Fortunately for us, we had already been to the Alhambra in Spain, since I think that is another one that has a limited capacity!
  11. We have been to all of these ports previously. Usually, we mix a few optional excursions with the included ones. Oddly, in the case of the five ports you mentioned, we took the included ones in each port and added in some time on our own afterwards. In each case, the locations seem compact and easy to navigate. We appreciated what we learned from the guides, developed some level of familiarity with the area, and then explored on our own. In Corfu, for instance, we took the panoramic bus ride, and walked with the guide through the old town, but then went to the Old Fortress on our own.
  12. Note about walking the walls of Dubrovnik: I admit to not being as young as I used to be, and never being as fit as I wished to be. Yet the walls of Dubrovnik are spectacular. Only you know your own capabilities, but there is a compromise of sorts. There are two entrances to the walls. Of course, both entrances involve steep steps, and then more steps along the way. My plan, which worked then, but I doubt it would for me these ten years later, was to join my husband for the first half of the walk, and then go back down. We met again at a pre-arranged location. I wandered through the museum at the Rector's Palace while he completed the walk. A traditional Croatian lunch gave us both time to rest after our exploration.
  13. We have used TripMate previously, and in fact had a very positive interaction with them during a claim on our first land based tour years ago. However, situations have changed and now may be the time for us to follow this advice going forward. A pre-existing condition waiver is essential, but what about Cancel for Any Reason coverage? I know Viking only provides vouchers for a cancellation for a non-covered reason, but I would rather get that than nothing. Under these other policies, I would assume you are only reimbursed for a covered reason. I never wondered about this possibility before since we had TripMate. Does Viking (or even other cruise lines) let you move your payments to a different cruise in the event of a conflict not covered by insurance?
  14. That is very true, but I do recommend the visit to the top of the campanile in San Marco square. It might be a tourist spot, but they sell timed tickets in advance and there is an elevator, so it's not too much of a pain, and the view is spectacular. I had seen the photos before, but seeing it in person was amazing!
  15. This is where we stand as well, and it is the reason I have been contemplating Oceania for a while. Most of what I have read about them has been appealing, but Dr. Koob's excellent comparison has raised an issue for us and I will have to decide if it is a deal breaker. We have only sailed on Viking, and I cannot imagine switching to a ship where it is apparently so hard to actually see the ocean. On a Viking ship, it seems there is a water view around every corner! When we were brand new to this type of travel, we cruised for the destinations, and this is still true. However, the open, spacious design of the Viking ships has become an important part of the experience. As an avid reader, I usually spend some part of every day reading. There is always a quiet spot around the ship that is just right for my mood at the moment, from our balcony to the Explorer's Lounge to that little nook down off the Living Room. There are several Oceania itineraries that are very appealing to us, and I must admit we are struggling to find something on Viking that we would want to book right now. My wish would be for Viking to introduce some new European options for 2025. My personal preference would be islands in the western Mediterranean, or something along the coast of France, Portugal, and Spain. Fingers remain crossed. I would much prefer not to have to jump ship, so to speak!
  16. Thanks for your helpful update. On each of our cruises, including the one this October, they have been in our cabin. However, I should not have assumed all sailings are handled the same way. Learn something new every day!
  17. Just for clarity for any new Viking cruisers, this envelope will be in your cabin, not given out at check-in when you receive your room keycard. Also, it is good to check those tickets against the times and the excursions you are expecting, as on occasion there may be differences.
  18. Great line! If you don't mind, I may quote you in the future.
  19. Oops! Wish they would allow you to edit your posts for longer than the brief window available. Our upcoming cruise would be of the eastern Mediterranean, which my mention of the cruise on the Bosphorus should have made clear. Where is an embarrassed face emoji when you need one?
  20. "The list Viking gave us of excursions certainly has at least one “included” excursion at each port of call- but in nearly every case, the included ones are not much more than shopping in the port city. An all day excursion that looks interesting runs $100-200 per person." You do not mention which itinerary you are sailing. Not once on any of the four completed and one upcoming cruises that we have taken have we experienced an excursion such as you described. If you were exaggerating for effect, I am afraid you have instead invalidated your point. It is true that the included excursions are generally basic introductions to a location. Some are mostly panoramic bus rides with a guide for commentary and a few photo stops. More often, they include a walking tour and some time on your own. Sometimes, there is an inside visit of a church or museum. We have sailed exclusively in Europe, so I would expect the Amazon and the Artic and the Caribbean to have different experiences. On our 15 day cruise of the western Mediterranean which departs next week, the included excursions offer ten guided walking tours, two museum visits, one mosque, a boat ride on the Bosphorus, three ancient ruin sites, one monastery, a 4th century Roman emperor's palace, and Europe's largest active medieval town. Any time there is an icon shown for "shopping", that is an optional activity during free time. You can use that time for more sightseeing or a stop in a cafe. Viking offers free shuttle bus service in many ports, and we have often remained behind at the end of the excursion to explore on our own and return to the ship later in the day. When offered, the shuttles are available all day, so you can do your own port visit at no charge if that is what you want. Our cruising experience has all been with Viking, but from what I have read, the pricing of Viking optional excursions is considered reasonable in comparison with other cruise lines. We usually select a few optional ones on each cruise, and use the included excursions for the rest. I do hope that you will find your pre-cruise concerns are eased once you actually are on the ship. We have enjoyed each of our cruises, and hope you do too.
  21. Looks like there is a chance this will be delayed 45 days, which solves my problem, though I don't know what happens after that.
  22. We have flown internationally maybe ten times, so by some standards we are practically newbies. Up to this point, we have never been impacted by a government shutdown. I keep seeing reports that travel will be disrupted, with little details. Does anyone have advice based on their experience from prior events? We are departing October 12 ( Baltimore to Heathrow to Venice) and returning October 27 (Istanbul to Heathrow to Baltimore). For what it is worth, we have five hour layovers in each direction.
  23. We have used Tripmate several times, and I have not tracked the percentage, but I do know that the cost increases as you age. I assume that the percent is not consistent across the board.
  24. Five years ago (and wow, that really feels like a lifetime ago!) we sailed on the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages itinerary. We probably booked it even a year before that. At booking, the Included Excursion for Zeebruge was a trip to Bruges. Almost immediately after our booking, the website switched to the current Scenic Flanders & Coastal Village of Knokke-Heist. Since each page of excursions has the message: "Shore excursions vary by itinerary and are subject to change." both at the bottom and the top of the page, we just booked the optional trip to Brugges. When we took our first Viking cruise in 2017, we were supposed to end in Istanbul. Political turmoil caused that port to be dropped weeks before departure, a possibility outlined somewhere in the Terms & Conditions. And of course, we have missed several ports because of weather. Cruising, in fact most forms of travel, benefits from the ability to adapt to change without too much disappointment, because inevitably, something will happen!
  25. Well, I am not much of a complainer to begin with, at least not when it comes to vacations. That being said, we do pay the extra fee to have a say in our flight selection. We learned that the hard way years ago. Most other details we will gladly delegate. So far, so good.
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