CCWineLover

4 hours ago, Microman123 said:

We are doing this cruise in reverse the end of August. Question - did you embark in Barcelona or Tarragona? Thanks

We boarded in Barcelona.  Stayed overnight.  Left the next day at 6 PM.  No Tarragona.

On a previous trip (which OneSixtytoOne was on) we boarded in Barcelona, had to leave the dock before midnight and sailed to Tarragona, where we spent the day before leaving that evening to head to Cartagena.  Actually Tarragona was a pleasant surprise to see and walk around.

We love Viking and thus have high expectations.  Have not been let down.  On the surveys, we also check "Meets Expectations".    We've written every time (18) in the comments section that this survey needs re-doing but obviously we are in the minority who feel this way.  My reason to them is they are not getting a true picture of what people feel.  THere are many like me who treat the words literally.

That being said, in all our many cruises River and Ocean, we have NEVER been asked or coached on what to put down.  I even asked one of the Guest Services people - aren't you going to ask me to put a high grade down and she said absolutely not!   That to me makes all the difference.  But they still need to redesign the form or they will not get true results.

On 5/23/2024 at 5:28 AM, Mlb4chris said:

Hi all, first Viking cruise and trying to book the May 2025 “trade routes of the Middle Ages” tomorrow. I’ve only booked one cruise and that was thru AAA. This is a 15 day cruise and they’re giving us a $200 OBC which seemed great. I’m now reading that a trip of that length is normally $500 pp. my appt is tomorrow and there are very few cabins left for PV1 so I want to get this booked asap. I’m confused about the talk of booking direct with Viking then moving to a TA (yay, at least I know what that means😉). If I book with AAA, do I move it to a Viking TA to get more OBC? I’m hoping someone will feel sorry for my ignorance on this subject and help. But seriously, I’m so excited about this trip I’m booking no matter what (but free wine never hurts, right?  Thank you so much in advance. 

Hi there - echoing others . . .

This is definitely a 14 night (15 day) cruise, as are many of Viking's Ocean cruises.

Maximum a TA can give for this trip is $300 pp.   TA's can offer less.

PV cabins are wonderful!  We decided to "upgrade" on this trip and do a PV and are so glad we did - so much more room.  But everyone has their own priorities and preferences.

We are obviously wine lovers, living in Paso Robles, and enjoy many great wines from that region.  We are not "wine snobs" in any way and enjoy many styles and types of wines.  And we enjoy trying new wines.   We have been very pleasantly surprised on this trip with the included wines.  In the past we've done Silver Spirits, but they have greatly diminished the availability of wines by the glass on this package compared to before. SSBP seems to be more used and beneficial for the many hard liquor cocktail drinkers, not the wine drinkers.

Unlike some, we've found on this cruise some very interesting wines and blends.  My wife loves the included sparkling wine and also one of the Chardonnay blends.  I prefer red, and while not totally in the league of Paso Robles IMHO, many are not bad at all.  We enjoyed the Chilean Cabernet and the French Syrah-Grenache blend the most, and some of the Portugal and Spanish wines are also quite good although I've never heard of them before.  I was not happy with the Viking stock in 2021-2023 post COVID but they seem to have elevated the included wines.  Not only that, if the "wine of the day" is not what you want, you ask the waiter or server for your favorite (perhaps from a day or two ago) and they will go find it for you.  (Which they never did before).  That is a game breaker for us!  When you like an included wine, take a picture of the bottle and then you can show it to the waiter in the future!

Happy tasting!

Pulled into Bergen this morning - typical weather - rain, mist, overcast - reminds me so much of Seattle!   Had a wonderful included walking tour in the morning.  Nice that Viking now has 2 includeds here - one for bus people and one for walkers.

Here we are pulling into Bergen a few hours ago, with the Neptune already in port.

Safe travels and better health to everyone!  And to future cruises.

This morning from the Mars in Bergen - a shot of your ship Neptune.

Look for the Viking Mars in Bergen if you are still there.  Our waiter told us you'll still be there.  We arrive/dock by 7 AM on tomorrow, Friday morning the 24th at the berth next to Neptune.  Save some sun for us!

We are on the May 24 Trade Routes right now.  It is indeed classified as 14 nights.  15 days is a misnomer since on the 15th day you have to be out of your room at usually 8 am and off the ship at 9am (possibly can “stretch” it to 10 am) - so it really isn’t a real day.

max OBC allowed for this cruise by a TA is $300 pp.  Tip:  don’t prepay any gratuities even if offered the chance.  This way if things happen like weather and ports cancelled you might get SBC’s that you can then apply to gratuities and other things.

fyi you’ll love this cruise!  It’s been fantastic and we’ve been lucky with the weather!

11 hours ago, bookbabe said:

As I said very clearly, we like everything else about Viking, so I think we’ll keep the three future cruises we have booked, thanks.  But thanks for reminding me why the fellow passengers aren't necessarily a reason we book Viking either.  Why you think I haven’t done my homework is beyond me, I do plenty of research before booking vacations of any sort, especially at the price points for most of our trips.  And that wasn’t our first or only Viking cruise, we’ve done multiple itineraries and ships, and our opinions of the food haven’t changed since cruise one.  If you like food that’s been fancied-up for the sake of fancy with mixed success in the taste department, that’s your right.  If everyone liked the same thing, there would only be one dish on the menu.  
 

Food isn’t our main priority in cruising, we have tons of fabulous restaurants near our home that we can eat at any day of the week, plus all the great restaurants we encounter in our other travels.  We do have a world cruise booked with Regent, whose food is more to our taste, but it was still cabin and itinerary that was our deciding factor, not the dinner selections.

 

And I have met with restaurant managers in the past, I just don’t want to have to commit the day before and lock in what I feel like for dinner the next night.  And be thankful you don’t have food allergies, you have no idea how much more difficult it makes things unless you’ve been there.

*Editing to add that I did make the attempt to talk to people at CT on Mars because there was a menu DH wouldn’t have minded trying that was heavily fish-based, and the hostess refused, saying to just talk to the waiter that night.  And Mars is the first ship on any line we’ve travelled that didn’t send out main restaurant menus the night before, even if I didn’t choose to return them with selections each day.

 

Wow what a long statement!

again so sorry.  Everyone has different experiences.

ours is different.  We substited at CT every time and we’re never “refused”.  Many others did too.

menus are posted the day before for all restaurants.  Never had an issue with seeing them.  Are you sure we are on the same ship?  In Falmouth today.

1 hour ago, bookbabe said:

We were also on Mars recently, but we stayed on Istanbul to Bergen…36 days onboard.  We both lost weight.  I am allergic to fish and DH doesn’t eat exotic or game meats, which poses a problem when those foods comprise a majority of the offerings every night.  Even Tuna Pizza..*****?!  There’s only so many times in a row you can eat steak.  lol.  And a lot of the time the dishes we could eat were only mediocre.

 

The Asian station at the back of WC had a few good options, but there and in all the restaurants the menu was quite repetitive, probably because the cruise was made up of a bunch of shorter segments.  
 

Manfredi’s was okay, not fabulous, only ate there twice, but I agree the carbonara needed more sauce.  Ate at CT twice, but a lot of their menus are challenging for us due to the no fish or exotic meats issue.

 

We had issues a few times when we dined late where the kitchen had run out of a dish we were looking forward to and subbed something else for the second half of the evening, especially at WC.  Once, the restaurant manager chased us down and had the executive chef make DH short ribs when he expressed disappointment that they had run out at WC (we left and headed down to the restaurant to get something different and they found us there).  They were great, but DH’s point was that they should be experienced enough to make sufficient quantities of dishes to meet demand.  And it should tell them something when they don’t run out of even the first tray of some of the weirder stuff, like maybe take a closer look at your menus?

 

We love the ship size, service, atmosphere, staterooms, spa, etc, and have more Viking cruises booked, but we’ve accepted that we don’t sail Viking for the food.  It’s the one thing we would change about Viking if we could.

So so sorry for you.  You are probably on the wrong cruise line.

We've been on 18 Viking cruises and are on Mars right now.  We think the food is just fine - but we always do our homework.  And we fortunately don't have allergies.

I wish I could say we lose weight but we do gain it.  I do think Viking goes out of their way to accommodate those who can't eat the majority of the foods.  I also have heard from many who have been so thankful that Viking has helped them out.  Try meeting with the restaurant manager, whom we know.

13 minutes ago, Jaylie said:

Are the waters overly rough when sailing this itinerary? My husband gets seasick if things are too rough. This is a Viking cruise … I might have sent this to the wrong board!

What does "rough" mean to him?  2 foot seas?  4 foot?  10 foot?  rolling? pitching?

It is so hard to say.

In general the sea could be calm or things could be happening.  If your husband is worried, you should look into pills or patches or sea bands or something - or not go.

This is the North Atlantic and anything can happen.  You could luck out - or not.

As people have said, opinions on food are very personal and vary amongst everyone.  What one person likes, another dislikes.

We generally like the food on Viking, but truthfully we are NOT foodies and don't eat at 5 star restaurants at home - by choice, not cost.   

That being said, and we are currently on our 18th Viking cruise, the quality VERY DEFINITELY depends on the specific cruise and executive chef.  Our current cruise on Mars has been fabulous - especially the fish.  We would pick fish any day over steak.  It has been wonderful - the variety and quality of cooking with sauces and other flavors as needed.

In our experience, I do believe the quality was affected adversely post-COVID.  However, for us the trend seems to be getting better the last 2 cruises (2024), so I'm hoping the trend continues.

One of the reasons we enjoy World Cafe so much is simply that you can try a little of so many things.  Some will be hits, some won't, so we just go get a full serving of the hits that day.  So simple!

Just print the page of your pdf file invoice that was sent to you.  Ours has always been page 3 or 4.  Don’t print the whole document unless you really want it.

No worries.  We did this cruise last June.  Used dollars everywhere. (USA).

We did get some Canadian dollars for small change items like souvenirs, stores, etc.  In Iceland we did not get krone and had no problem using credit cards for purchases including even the famous hot dog in Reykjavik, and no problem with US Dollars cash for tips.  As for Greenland, it was cancelled on us, due to icebergs, so can't speak for it.

7 minutes ago, benjaminnicholas said:

As a simple data point, on Polaris (expedition), in the two reservation eateries, they were making comment on people coming to dinner in black jeans, but still allowing them to sit.

Who is “they” ??

was it embarkation day?

On 5/8/2024 at 5:22 PM, Clay Clayton said:

I know Robin and Sam are going to be aboard.  They are TwoLeosTravels on Instagram

Hi Clay - good to know.  We will be on Mars tomorrow in Barcelona headed to Bergen, then staying on Mars for Bergen to Iceland.  Will hopefully get to meet the two Leo's!

Kent

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Also get to know the Shore Excursion (Shorex) manager by meeting with them after port talks... this person will likely be the most help to you.

 

We do the exact same thing!  We've learned so much from that manager.  We try to attend the very first port talk so that we can talk afterwards.  They are happy to discuss any of the future excursions with details.  We had such a nice man the last cruise on Saturn (from S.Africa).  Easy to talk with, easy to understand English wise, and very detailed in providing difficulty assessments, number of steps, angle of inclines, standing time, walking time, bathroom time and just about anything.

Based on that, we've often changed/cancelled excursions on board (ahead of the 48 hours) rather than wait for the later port talks.

The crew is all more than happy to engage with you all!  Especially if your are professional, courteous, polite.  (Not like some passengers we've observed who are just the opposite - what the staff must have to be subjected to is unbelievable).   Just be articulate and nice!

Everyone be aware - different people have different sensitivities to noise and loud sounds.  Some, like my wife, can now simply not deal with it - so that is one major reason we go to the WC.   This doesn't mean that some of you will say you have no noise problem with MDR.

For us, it is, as said by many, other reasons too.  Time to eat, relaxation, sampling of foods, ordering items cooked to order like steaks, mahi mahi, grilled shrimp, Asian bar, along with the sushi and fish selections.  We don't even think of it as a "buffet" like the old days.  I guess we just like to sample and graze.  As I said before, each to his own, and certainly we not trying to "scare" people away from the MDR.  Only you know what you tolerate and don't.  That's why it is so great to have so many choices on Viking Ocean.

4 hours ago, DrKoob said:

Wore exactly what you are talking about on our Viking Ocean cruise. But after three meals in the loudest dining room I have ever been in, with strange and inconsistent service we ate the rest of the 21 night cruise either in the buffet, room service (we were quarantined for four days) or the specialty restaurants. 

Agree with you about the noise.  We used to go to the restaurant dining room, but as my wife now has hearing issues, it has become unbearable from a noise point of view, such that it is not even a pleasant place anymore.  Add in the often 2-2.5 hours to get through a meal without being able to hear ourselves or any people we've eaten with, and we've come to the conclusion - why?  And the World Cafe has nearly all the same selections - plus you can try all kinds of things to see what you like ....   AND it has the best view around.  Often if the weather is nice, we eat out on the fantail too.  Wonderful time had by all.    But each to his own.  Some don't appear to be bothered by the cacophony.   It's nice to have choices so everyone has what they want!

1 hour ago, bkalmans said:

I know there are many topics on this but looked and couldn't find an answer to this.  I know in the dining room in the evenings jeans are not permitted.  What about khaki style jeans (I call them my dress jeans) for men.  Would that still apply and it is required to wear slacks?  Have no issues either way just want to make sure I pack correctly.

You probably need to be more specific and include a picture.

Rather than asking here, where you'll likely get opinions across the board, you probably should just ask Viking directly by sending them a picture with your question.  Send to tellus@Vikingcruises.com

23 minutes ago, DogSaysStayHome said:

Agree, love reading the posts and the Neptune seems to be MIA. This roll call is just about to hit 1000 posts!

Much of that thanks to Clay's wonderful posts helping us all live vicariously!

3 hours ago, kenexx said:

Would anyone have any recommendations for somewhere for 2 weeks.  Something larger than a hotel room with the ability to self cater at times.  Not necessarily central London as we are happy to use transport to get to places.  Thanks in advance! 🙂

Likely your best bet is to check on VRBO or Airbnb - a quick search shows numerous properties that you could choose from - mostly apartments, that would allow you to self cater.  We've done that for a week in London before and thoroughly enjoyed it - staying in Kensington.  You might find some decent prices outside London however.  Hope this helps!

Happy Birthday Clay!  Have been following your exploits these many months, and living vicariously by them and your pictures.  So much appreciated.  What an amazing trip.

Wishing you the best in your "re-entry" and assimilation back into the real world, such as it is.

See you and Mike next spring!

6 minutes ago, Breckski said:

If you are objecting to make a point, simply book on another line.  I don't think your objection will change Viking's policy, nor will it change your perceived quality of their representatives.    

Excellent Point.

I may object to things, but with the $25 deposit only at risk, I'm willing to "place some bets" as options in case I want something later.

Too many complain about Viking but then don't go to other cruise lines.  I guess it's just human nature.

Agreed - and that's also if you don't plan to leave your room/balcony.

We love to go up top in Explorers Lounge, outside in front of the Lounge, or on Deck 8, or the fantail for great views on either side when we sail into/out of port.  In between, there isn't usually much to see as the shipping lanes tend to be further from shore.   And it seems like Viking always transits Gibalatar in the middle of the night.

5 hours ago, m2inor said:

Just finished a call with Princess for CCL military benefit. The good news, after a very long wait as the agent waited for a superior to intervene, it was properly credited for my August cruise.

While on the call with Princess, I logged into my brokerage account to see how my order for VIK shares was doing. It was rather dormant for much of the day, with no action. Finally started trading around 12:45pm and I got my shares at 2:21pm.

Offering was prices at $24, it opened at $26.15, and I got my shares somewhere in between. We will have to see what is next for shareholders.

I love Viking! Many more cruises ahead. Just was on Viking Egypt cruise and Jordan extension. Best time of my life on a cruise.

Sounds good!  We'll have to wait and see.  I suppose it was better today than dropping below the IPO price.

Also - the Villages must be huge!  Seems we meet someone from there on every single cruise we've been on!  You are all well represented.

7 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

I hope my 10,000 shares goes up...🍸

Jim - you are up $26,410 !!   Enough for another Viking Cruise 🙂