Borderlander123
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Posts posted by Borderlander123
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On 11/9/2019 at 4:28 PM, Jim Avery said:
A follow up on the noise problem. The GM met us again and we all went to the off limits deck underneath our cabin and we think we have found the source of the noise. G M is now trying to find out who might be making it. We have specific times so he is going to view the video security and hope to get to the bottom of this. GM gets top marks for efforts on this.
Jim, we had a steel-on-steel clanging noise issue on Sun (Deck 5) during the last couple of weeks of the WC earlier this year. It took days for the staff to identify it, but our dinner companions (architect and civil engineer) one evening immediately recognised our description as a faulty fire damper in the funnel. Some action was taken to minimise the noise, but it did continue. If it's the same source, you are correct in that it's very difficult to sleep through as it is irregular. Hope they sort it out for you.
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21 hours ago, Jim Avery said:
Right you are. There are drinks in Torshavn the other bars can't serve. Knob Creek comes to mind. Too bad, we must suffer along with Makers Mark and Jack Daniel's in the Viking Bar. And only 5 types of vodka, shocking....😎🥃
Do you happen to know which malt whisky brands are being served in the Explorer's lounge, Jim? Hoping there might be a bottle or two of Laphroaig there when we board in Santiago 😀 or will we need to spend more time in Torshavn?
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44 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:
Hi Dee. Sujith. He goes home October 9 from NYC. And you are right, he is great. Runs a tight ship.
So sorry we will miss Sujith when we board in Santiago. If you have a chance Jim, please say hi to him from the lady with the fancy cast on her broken arm onboard the last leg of the last WC in April-May.
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2 hours ago, Rawmac said:
Also, when leaving the bathroom, protect your hands with a dry paper towel or tissue (carry your own) when grasping the door handle, as the previous person leaving has probably not sung "Happy Birthday" at all. There are many other ways to pass on viruses, bacteria and fungi, such as putting belongings (hats, especially hats, books, bags, clothing, etc) on tables at mealtimes, handling food, cutlery and plates in the World Cafe then returning them to the servery, not washing thoroughly on return from shoreside, or tours, using machines in the gym without wiping down when finished, and so on . . . and on . . . . . .and on. Norovirus cost my wife a tour to Jerusalem, the main reason for going on the cruise in the first place, so I feel strongly about hygiene issues on board. Possibly, a pointed mention by the captain during the safety induction on day one, and some reminders at noon and in the theatre (port talks, shows) would help (although there are those who rudely try to over-talk the Captain during his broadcasts!) with perhaps some time in the paint locker for non-conformers. Yes? Who just may be those who brought the bugs on board in the first place. Somebody did.
Wash, wash and keep washing. Please. For the rest of us. Then use your anti-everything gel.
By the way, how has a thread about Viking Star's mechanical issues been hijacked into Security Officers, norovirus and passengers' personal hygiene. I have noticed this "ignoring of the thread title" happening with increasing frequency lately, with most hijacks heading towards Alaskan excursions!!!! Surely some of these hijackers should start a thread of their own? And some definitely not. Should I have set an example with this in a new thread?
Totally agree. We all do it. What do we do with the others? As for the drift, Viking Star's Mechanical issues coincided with norovirus onboard. (Conspiracy theory?) Now onto Alaska Excursions ...
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18 hours ago, SarahDevorah said:
I have not cruised in about 30 years. When I did it was Royal Caribbean and only to the Caribbean. I will be cruising to the Mediterranean with a new cruiser who tends to get seasick in small boats. We have been going over itineraries and ships and have narrowed it down to the Azamara or Celebrity. They both look great but the itinerary on the Azamara Pursuit looks pretty spectacular. However, I don’t think we can afford a balcony on the Azamara. We can on the celebrity as long as the price will hold for a little while. We’re pretty destination oriented but at the same time we’re both a little bit claustrophobic. Not desperately so, but enough. I’d really like some advice.
When I cruised years ago I had an Ocean view and did fine. But my partner is more claustrophobic than I am.
If anyone has advice I’d really love it! We both very much want great destination experiences. I guess in a way the experience on the ship is equally important for us as they experience in the ports but I think for me personally it’s the destination that wins.
This may be the one of two trips (I pray at least) that we ever get to take. Please help if you can. Thanks!
We cruise mostly with Azamara, but have also taken 8 or so Celebrity cruises, all within the last 5 years. Both are fairly similar in their ship culture, especially in the Mediterranean. You will be paying for soft and alcoholic drinks, bottled water and coffees on Celebrity (apart from the basics on tap in the café) unless you have a drinks package included, so that may tip the balance a little, as Azamara drinks are included, and Azamara wines are generally pretty good and you get cocktails, soft drinks, bottled water and coffees included too - at all times of the day. I get seasick in high seas (meclizine on standby!), and the Azamara ships are great for me as they don't rock from side to side but act like a "real" ship, whereas I find that Celebrity and Viking ships sway more, so bigger is not necessarily better. Three cruises in the Mediterranean last September/October and the sea was as calm as could be. Pursuit is new to Azamara, and seems to have a few problems yet to be ironed out reading the reviews, but it should soon be getting up to scratch with the other two: Quest and Journey we have been on a number of times. Which Celebrity ships were you considering? They do vary - the Millennium class ships are older and a little smaller, and the Solstice class are larger and a little more sophisticated - but the crew are good on all these ships. The Edge class I have no experience of yet. The nice thing about both lines is that you are looked after well, which is important to us, and the crew are professional, hardworking and friendly, soon getting to know your likes, your name, etc. Food is a little better on Azamara, especially so if you plan to eat in the café rather than the restaurant, but Celebrity has more variety. Both have sunset decks to eat outside: which is lovely if you are in the Med. The Pool Grill is fab. on Azamara, and you can take food to the back deck from there too. It will take you longer to disembark at each port on any Celebrity ship, especially when tendering, simply due to the number of passengers, and also because you will not have priority disembarkation, as many others will. I would always choose a balcony, as I love to get up early in the morning to see each new port appear, spot dolphins etc, and sit out there each evening for sailaway, but it is easy to go up on top deck, or out on deck 5 and do the same. If you are taking advantage of all the entertainment and facilities onboard, you may be spending very little time in your cabin anyway. None of the Azamara or Celebrity ships have felt claustrophobic at any time to us. The library on the Azamara ships is a haven of peace. A sea day may be busy by the pool. Both have great entertainment. Azamara also has the white night party, plus an Azamazing evening excursion. Both lines are smart casual rather than formal. Their captains are fantastic, visible and inclusive. Go for the best itinerary every time. Whichever you choose, I do hope you have a wonderful time. PS Both the Celebrity and Azamara musicians and house bands are great!
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1 minute ago, caskale said:
On the Star right now and they are still asking everyone to either wash or sanitize as you enter dining rooms.
unfortunately do to high winds and seas had to miss Santiago de Cuba
Our experience of the Star in 2017 was that they ensured sanitizing more regularly than currently on the Sea, so perhaps it's more specific ship culture than I thought. We also had problems with the high winds on Sea last week - shortened our port times considerably, and missed excursions.
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1 minute ago, Cienfuegos said:
I'd like to see Viking offer warmed wash cloths on dining room and world cafe entry, like some airlines do on first class / business class. It's clear they're losing the war, people are not sanitizing on entry.
If you can't get people to do tings which they should be doing, then appeal to their vanity...
My experience is that Viking just don't have staff allocated to the task of ensuring sanitizing so they have to fit it around their other tasks. Azamara and Celebrity always have a staff member on each entrance with sanitiser so there are no excuses.
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Just off the Viking Sea, (Caribbean and South America) and we were unable to watch any movies on the TV in the cabin due to constant buffering. The movies under the stars on the pool deck in the evening were wonderful.
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On 2/15/2019 at 5:19 PM, aimhigh said:
On our recent Viking Sea cruise (West Indies) embarkation was delayed due to passenger sickness on the prior cruise.
A letter explaining the situation was given out as passengers arrived in the terminal, and there were announcements, but many passengers walked right past the sanitisers as they boarded the ship.
For the first 7 days, a crew member politely asked everyone to wash their hands as they entered the World Cafe, but this was bypassed by many if the crew member was replenishing towels. There were no such requests at the pool grill and I didn't see anyone sanitise or wash their hands.
I was amazed (disappointed) to see passengers sneeze into their hands in the World Cafe and then pick up serving tools; in the last few days I heard one passenger walk past those who were washing their hands and say in an arrogant tone 'we aren't still doing this are we?'; and people picked up fruit and plates and then put them back. It is no wonder that sickness spreads on a ship.
Is it the age of the passengers? ignorance? or just plain refusal to comply?
Whatever it is, I always used a tissue when picking up serving tongs.
Just off the Viking Sea (Caribbean and South America) 17th February, and we can confirm that many passengers walked by and did not sanitise, either at the restaurant, café, pool grill nor on re-embarking the ship at ports. Again, coughing and sneezing into hands and then picking up serving utensils. We witnessed a passenger arguing with the crew member who requested him to sanitise his hands, and he "won" the argument and walked through. I cannot fathom why people behave like this. Do they believe they are immune? After the first day or so no crew were requiring that guests sanitise before eating in the café. Manfredis and Chefs table were more consistent as guests are taken through individually. Viking need to put a cap on it right now. Meanwhile, sterilise hands after using serving tools and before eating.
Ultimate World Cruise 245 days and all the parts. Ongoing review, questions, opinion
in Viking Ocean
Posted
Ah, that solves my query about how on earth the Sun was going to be allowed to dock in Greenwich. Disembarking out at Tilbury will be much safer for you all, and logistically easier for Viking too. We disembarked last year's WC at Greenwich, which involves tenders.