cccole

Your WC reports are fabulous and it seems like you are enjoying it more everyday. Your photos are great and daily life onboard sounds good, especially when you connect with other passengers that you enjoy spending time with. Thank you for this "live from." Cherie

Thank you for the fun and informative posts and photos. This is a great time of year to get cold weather clothing at a good price, I've made a list of things we will need. I think I will get "Under the Ice" for my husband for Father's Day. Fleece hats with a visor would be great, I'll search for them. Bringing layers seems to be the name of the game. I love silk long underwear but haven't had any for a long time. And I don't think I've ever had silk socks. Bringing warm things to meals is really a great idea, so you're always ready. I think that packing a flexible outlook will also be important because the weather seems to dictate what we will and will not be able to do. Seeing Antarctica and the wildlife will be just amazing. Having light for 22 hours a day will also provide lots of viewing opportunities. Thank you for the encouragement and much appreciated information. Cherie p.s. We are booked for February 2024. Where has time gone!!!!

No chip on my shoulder, I love visiting Mexico. Unfortunately we are experiencing an increased cartel activity in Mexico that you may not be aware of. "eyeroll" ...love it. Happy cruising, Cherie And you did say "some of you folks say". Hilarious... I 'm not one of "you folks".. Awesome.

"Hilarious"...not so much if you vacation in Mexico or live in the southern U.S. North Americans are crazy? Possibly. Awesome coming from an Australian. I lived in Texas for a few years and never used "y"all". Only for those born and raised in Texas. Not alarmed is a great way to travel. When cartels are involved, OP should be alert and alarmed. Cherie

Not reported and responded to by authorities. Living in the world of "if it doesn't affect me, it doesn't matter." Really? Do you really think that Mexican authorities report deaths by cartels? Hello Disney. I wonder how many Mexican citizens are incapacitated by the cartels daily. Don't know, don't care.... O.K. My preference is not to travel to Mexico but no worries for others who do. Have fun, Cherie

Thank you OlsSalt, I have a friend on an Atlas ship now in Antarctica. I looked at Atlas but it seems a bit more expensive than Viking. I refer to your recommendations re packing. etc. and really appreciate your posts. I may bring extra ear muffs and tennis visors for passengers less informed!!!!! Cherie

You're correct, in my post #26 I did ask you to give comps, whichever ones you chose to provide. I don't have a problem admitting this. Wishing you lots of happy stays, travels, and cruises to Mexico. Cherie p.s. I'm sure you know that the crime reports in coastal Mexican cities are tied to the cartels? You think all crimes are reported? I love Disney.

Sorry, I thought you were providing comparable statistics. No problem if I misunderstood your post #27. Not sure where you live but Compton doesn't scare me. (I've also lived in Texas.) And where the ships are docking is "pretty safe" is your opinion, which is as valuable as mine. As I and others have said to OP, be aware of your surroundings and do not wear anything flashy. Whether I would travel or cruise to Mexico now is not important, it's being honest about the situation. We disagree on the safety of cruise ports but that's o.k. That's what CC is for. Cherie

Thanks so much for the stats. Monterey Park was not the result of a cartel and police responded. L.A. - 9th worst...what is the first? Thanks for letting me know that I am not safe, maybe I should start locking my front door. I still feel safer in L.A. than across the border. I think we should agree to disagree on whether traveling to Mexico is as safe or safer than traveling in the U.S. Sorry you have had unfortunate personal experiences in U.S. cities. JMO. Cherie p.s. I have served on a jury in Federal Criminal Court of a member of the Sinaloa cartel. Still feel safe in L.A.

Thank you tupper10, We just need to have room in our luggage to bring the jackets home. Can't wait for the adventure. Cherie

Really? Just NYC or other cities? I live in L.A. and don't fear the cartels unless I were to compete with them for drug sales. I think it's all personal experience and your recent experiences in NYC, LA, and other large U.S. cities have been different than mine. But also I have not compared the crime rates of Mexican cities to U.S. cities. Possibly you can provide the comparison. I think one thing that affects my opinion is if I encounter a problem can I contact local authorities and they will respond. Not sure this has changed in Mexico since the 1970's. Differences of opinion are what CC is for. Cherie

We did not do the December 2022 HAL cruise and after reading all of the posts we decided to book a smaller ship, Viking Octantis in February 2023. I think the ship has @350 passengers. I'm not getting any younger and really want to experience Antarctica as close as possible. We will also be cruising to South Georgia Island and the Falklands. I know that we will not have a landing every day, but I am also happy in a zodiac, kayak, or expedition craft getting up close and personal with all that is Antartica. For those who recommended Hurtigruten, we seriously considered this line also. Fortunately Viking provides us with outer wear so no need to worry about boots and jackets. Thank you all for the responses which encouraged me to look at smaller ships. Cherie

Shippy, You will have a great cruise but be careful. News is not always about the bad stuff. I love, love, love visiting Mexico but am very cautious now. I don't consider Mexican cartels the same as going into some of the "worst" areas of L.A. I've volunteered in these areas. As said, don't try to look like you are walking Rodeo Drive. No jewelry, cameras, etc. No one can guarantee you will not have a problem but you should be fine in the tourist areas. Our last trip to PV we came thru a town on ATVs where the federales were getting out of their vehicles in masks with lots of fire power. When someone says it's safe, no worries, that's BS. Use your common sense and enjoy your cruise. You might check out Copper10-8s posts on his cruises. I think he is a good source for cruising to Mexico. Hopefully you will have some great weather!! Cherie

Thank you. Something less to pack. Cherie

Thank you!!! I was wondering about the laundry. I'll pack a couple laundry pods to use. We will be in a DV cabin also. Good info on the goggles and sunglasses. My husband wears glasses or contacts so may need the googles. I have Maui Jim's that should be fine. THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH for the info. Cherie

Thank you for answering my questions!!!! The pools could be wonderful!!! I have "hot hands" and will be packing them. Thank you for the other packing tips. Is there any "stuff" that you didn't need or wear that you would definitely not pack again for this cruise? I hate overpacking but seem to always do it. Thank you again for your help. Cherie

This is such great info. It will be fun to take a look at the excursions when they become available on line. Is the thermal pool available to everyone or just those with a spa treatment? I prefer to wear shorts and flip flops so will need to purchase warm socks and gloves. Did you find you were able to keep your hands and feet warm? Thank you again for the detailed and helpful info, Cherie

Thank you so much for this review and the offer to answer questions. We will be doing the 19 day cruise in February 2024. I'm happy to hear that you did not make all of your dining reservations prior to leaving. Do you think that making specialty restaurant reservations are best on "sea days?" Was the dress code in all of the restaurants fairly casual? Really looking forward to the grill, I could eat lobster 7 days a week! When you were not on an excursion did you bring another jacket to wear on the ship or did you and most passengers wear the jacket given to you by Viking? Were there specific excursions that you booked when the booking window opens? Did you explore any other areas in Argentina before or after your cruise? Thank you so much. We are so looking forward to this adventure. The cabin window that goes down half way seems fabulous for Antarctica. Thank you again, Cherie

So happy to hear that they are not the couple that had to leave the ship, info from another live from, for a family emergency. I always love the positive, informative, and fun posts by Diane. Cherie

Wow, that's amazing. I don't think I would enjoy a cruise where the ship moves 30 feet up and then down, or a collision with another large obstacle, whether ship, iceberg, etc. Our son was on a Tiger cruise from HNL to Pendleton in 2004 on the Ogden. That is such a great program for relatives. Unfortunately the seas were such that they were not able to jump off the ship. Britton was a water polo player and really looking forward to jumping off of a Navy ship in the middle of the Pacific. I have toured the Midway and for me it was an emotional experience. Thank you again so much for your posts and responses to our questions. Cherie

I'm sure this is "nothing" to you. Can you tell us what the most frightening time at sea was for you when serving in the U.S. Navy? 12 foot seas must be a walk in the park. Really enjoying following your adventure and the enthusiasm you and Judy bring to those of us not on the WC. Cherie

Peregrina651, totally understand the policies, lots of fine print reading. It's not our first rodeo but the first with Viking. Thank you for pointing out differences between Viking and other cruise lines. So far Viking has really not been much different than other lines. We're looking forward to our 2024 cruise. Cherie

Because of following your thread we have booked our first Viking cruise on the Octantis in Antartica, January 31, 2024. Thank you so much for all of the info and the photos. I have a million questions. Prior to your cruise did you reserve any specialty restaurants? Antartica seems to be the luck of the draw as far as landings but your posts have indicated that if a landing is cancelled Viking does its best to substitute. Is the Spa open to all guests without charge unless you are reserving a treatment? Did you bring your parka home or was it too bulky for your luggage. I loved all of your pre and post cruise adventures and we are beginning to plan. Thank you so much for this "live from" thread. Cherie

I made a reservation last night to take advantage of the $50 deposit and today my TA called Viking and it was transferred to him. First time on Viking, and first time using a TA for our cruise. It is a 19 night Antarctica cruise and our TA is able to gift us $500pp OBC. I'm happy and will watch possible price drops. Really looking forward to this cruise. Cherie

Bill & Mary Ann, so happy to hear that you can bring local produce back on board. That would be a huge treat for me. As you are saying, it seems that taking something off of the ship is more of a problem than bringing something back on board. So many countries and rules to get to know. Thank you. Also happy to hear that you were able to celebrate one of the 2020 WC reunions. I did see that on your February 20 post. So many of us were following along as everyone made their way home. This WC seems fabulous. Cherie