Frenchberet

Or ESA/pet nips a passenger…

Happy to hear you arrived safely. Looking forward to following along on your trip!

I emailed Tellus on Tuesday but haven’t received an acknowledgement or response. Sorry you are dealing with this on your cruise.

The easiest way is to just get in the official taxi line at the airport. There’s literally no wait time. Fare is a fixed rate of around 60 euro (depending on whether your destination is left or right bank of the Seine).

I’m so sorry you are not happy with the desserts! We just sailed with Viking Octantis and the desserts were fabulous! There was a chocolate table one afternoon with an array of amazing treats. I searched out the pastry chef to tell him the chocolate cake was the best I’ve had in my entire life, so good!

There’s an excellent (2018) documentary titled “Pick of the Litter” about training service dogs. I watched it on a plane once but I think it’s available on Netflix and Hulu. I don’t think the dogs in question here are service dogs. I emailed Tellus this evening.

Neither of the dogs pictured above are wearing a vest identifying them as an “emotional support” animal (not that it really matters, you can buy the vests on Amazon for less than $20). So, they’re pets. If I was separated from my pet and paid to have him in a kennel, I’d be really annoyed to see another person’s pet on the cruise. Sitting in chairs and barking? Dining in restaurants and sleeping in staterooms? No way. Viking, please stop.

There’s no good answer to this question. When we discuss our Viking cruises with others there’s always a mix of responses. It’s either “much too expensive” or “not fancy enough”. For us, Viking is a good fit, and since we’ve found them we have no interest in other cruise lines. I don’t care that much about all inclusive, just no surprises. Butler - no. Great food, attentive staff - check. A glass of wine at dinner is nice - check. Included excursions are fine - check. I expect a bit more from optional excursions but so far have been pretty happy with them. We’ll stay with Viking for whatever level of “luxury” they provide.

Paris is my #1 favorite city and I’ve visited many times. It’s easy to get around by walking, metro, or bus. For just three days I’d stay in Paris. Get a good guidebook (try Rick Steves Paris). Select a few museums (Louvre, Orsay, Orangerie, Rodin, Cluny). Many now require advance purchase timed tickets. Do the math to see if a Paris Museum Pass will save you time/money. Note that everyone has to stand in line to go through security. If you want to do the Eiffel Tower, purchase tickets from the official website a few months in advance (https://www.toureiffel.paris/en/rates-opening-times). It is not covered by the Museum Pass. Attend a concert at Saint Chapelle (https://www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en/News/Concerts-at-the-Sainte-Chapelle-Paris-2023). Nice music in a beautiful venue. Get tickets for a performance that begins before sunset to see the stained glass at its best. Do a one-hour cruise on the Seine. The boats dock next to the Eiffel Tower. Not necessary to purchase a ticket in advance. Learn a few basic phrases in French. Plan to spend some time sitting in a cafe just relaxing and people-watching! Everyone has their favorite place to stay. Ours is the Hotel Empereur in the 7th arrondissement. Hope you have a wonderful first trip to Paris!

We took a taxi at the dock, we didn’t arrange it in advance. It’s about a 5-7 minute ride or a 30 min walk.

Yes, same on Expedition ships.

We both packed too many socks, shirts, and pants. We always book a DV cabin and I don’t mind doing a load of laundry. We took goggles but didn’t use them. I bought a nice pair of polarized sport sunglasses that worked well. Be sure to leave room for your red parka and liner!

The LivNordic spa facilities are available to everyone. The area is open all day and includes a heated pool, a warm tub with seating, sauna, steam room, and snow grotto. There are changing rooms with showers, bathrobes, and slippers. Services like facials and massages are available for a fee. In addition, on deck 5 there are several plunge pools - tepidarium, frigidarium… Viking hosted a ‘polar plunge’ in this area and added ice cubes to one of the pools to enhance the experience! The temperature in Antarctica was around 30 degrees and we never felt really cold. We took light and heavy gloves but ended up only wearing the lighter ones. I had a few ‘hot hands’ and kept one in my jacket pocket to use to warm up when taking photos. We also brought a few pair of boot socks and a set of long underwear (top & bottom). I took a headband and stocking cap. We packed lighter than some people but still brought stuff we didn’t need or wear.

Post Extension - Gateway to Patagonia (5 nights) Day 1 - We disembarked in Ushuaia and took a 2 1/2-hour commercial flight to El Calafate, Argentina. We checked into the Xelena Hotel and had pizza in the bar. After lunch we took a 4x4 ride to the summit of the Balcon del Calafate and Huyliche Hill. There were several stops where we were able to photograph animals including guanacos, hares, rheas, and gray foxes. We had tea at a ranch before returning to the hotel for dinner. Day 2 - The next day we took a 2-hour bus ride to the Perito Moreno Glacier. We walked the entire length of the glacier which included many steps and ramps. This took about an hour and ended at the visitor center where we had lunch. After lunch we took a boat ride along the front of the glacier to get a closer view. We returned to the hotel and went into town. There was nice promenade along the lake (2 km), however, we noted a large number of stray dogs roaming around the area so we opted for the free shuttle. Dinner was on our own. Day 3 – After breakfast at the hotel we took a long bus ride. We passed through a mountain top immigration checkpoint and entered Chile. We checked into the Rio Serrano Hotel and Spa and had dinner. Day 4 – We spent the day exploring the Torres del Paine National Park by bus. There were several impressive mountain peaks and a very nice waterfall. We saw herds of guanacos and a puma. We returned to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon there was an optional tour to Grey Lake. We trekked through a small forested path, across a gravel beach, in a wind-driven rain, to see the glacier. We did have a nice view of the glacier, although it was approximately 14km away. We returned to the hotel for dinner. Day 5 – After breakfast we boarded the bus for a 5-hour ride to the airport at Punta Arenas and flight to Santiago. We arrived at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and had time to explore the city and have dinner on our own. Day 6 – We had breakfast then checked out of the hotel. We had time in the morning to explore the city on our own. Viking arranged for a bus tour in the afternoon then transported us to the airport for our 10 p.m. flight. Overall, we enjoyed Patagonia. Our guide was excellent and we got a lot of great photos. However, after experiencing Antarctica, it was a bit anti-climactic. There was a lot of bus time involved in this extension.

We didn’t make specialty dinner reservations on the two Drake days but it turned out to be a non-issue, we felt fine. We chose later dining times to allow for any delayed excursions. Anything goes in the World Cafe. The only requirement in the specialty restaurants was a collared shirt or sweater, no jeans. We brought a jacket to wear on the plane and walking around town. Many folks just wore the Viking jacket liner or waterproof shell. Our priority was to do the landings so that’s what we booked first. We were only able to pre-book one landing and one special ops boat. The subs were booked within minutes of our sign-up time. We were disappointed but once on board there was a waiting list for each activity and it appeared that everyone was able to do everything they wanted to do. We used Viking Air and spent one night in Buenos Aires prior to the charter flight to Ushuaia. Following the cruise we did the 5 night post extension Gateway to Patagonia.

The Drake Crossing was a little rough but nothing worse than the Tasmanian Sea or the North Atlantic by Norway. We didn’t miss any of the planned ports. There was one day when they were unable to launch the subs due to high winds. Another day high winds and choppy seas delayed the excursions. However, they rescheduled everything for a few hours later. Most of the days the skies were sunny and clear.

We just returned from a 13-day expedition cruise to Antarctica! We loved the beautiful Viking Octantis. It appeared that every detail had been carefully thought out and every item in the décor curated especially for the space. The ship was smaller than the ocean vessels but never felt crowded. The staff was exceptional. All of the excursions were included – landings, zodiac and special ops boats, subs, and kayaks. No problem booking making additional reservations once on board. We saw penguins, seals, whales, and many different species of birds. There were daily lectures on history, wildlife, and conservation efforts. All were available for viewing later in your stateroom. There was also a large expedition staff that was helpful in answering questions and sharing information. We had dinner at the Restaurant three times and at Manfredi's three times. We ordered room service once and enjoyed the rest of our meals at the World Cafe. The World Cafe was different on the expedition cruise and included the Grill and Sushi bar. The food was especially good at the Grill - we loved the NY strip steak! We also thought Manfredi's was a step above on this cruise. We booked one advance reservation at the Restaurant and Manfredi’s and additional reservations via the app once on board. No problem. We took tons of photos but it is impossible to capture the vastness and beauty of Antarctica. We feel very fortunate to have had this experience. We had a lot of questions before the cruise (thank you Austrailia08) and we’re happy to provide any other info.

“When I went to call them back to give them more detail the receptionist refused to put me though because they had given my my credit and the case was closed.” I think Viking already compensated the traveler for the excursions.

Thank you for the info. We’re sailing Octantis to Antarctica. Read that World Cafe is great on the expedition ships but we are hoping to have dinner in the main dining room more than once. Guess we’ll find out once on board!

Hi Don, our last Viking Ocean cruise was pre Covid and our experiences were exactly as you described. For our upcoming 2023 cruise we were able to make 1 advance reservation for the main dining room. Is it still just walk-in and stand in line once on board?

Cruise Critic Chris, hope you enjoyed your trip. I was hoping you would do a review of your Antarctic adventure on Cruise Critic. I’ve searched but can’t find anything. If you do a report, please post the link here. Looking forward to your comments! Thank you!

I think it can only be applied to one cruise. Check the language on the voucher/email, or call Viking.

Be sure to note your medical info on My Viking. Once on board, talk to the chef. I’m sure they’ll come up with some great desserts for you to enjoy. In my experience, Viking staff members go out of their way to accommodate the passengers.

Sounds like you are having a wonderful time! Thank you for taking the time to report. Great photos!

Cruise Critic Chris, how is your cruise going? How was the Drake Crossing? Were you able to make all the landings in Antarctica? See much wildlife? Hope you have some great photos!