travel4b

I can’t imagine it wouldn’t offer included expeditions at Easter Island. Maybe others that have been there on Venture can chime in. 

55 minutes ago, Cienfuegos said:

Independent of the issue of people wearing jeans in the dining room, I think Viking offers a more polished atmosphere.  No clanging casino noise, audible from 100 feet away.  No intrusive photographers at every meal, with their displays in the passageways.  No kids, running unsupervised in the pool area or elsewhere.

 

It just seems a little more refined and quieter.

I agree completely about the atmosphere of the ship. The entire vessel is gorgeous in a beautifully refined way. I just wish the passengers would take their cue from that and - to borrow a phrase - “read the room”.  

19 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

On our recent Neptune cruise, I can report that I saw two people gently turned away from The Dining Room one evening because they were dressed in jeans. So it may depend on the ship and the Maitre d’. 

That’s all well and good but how does one enforce an “elegant casual” standard?  I’m being generous to say that at most 25% of the guests met that goal.  And I’m grading on a curve here!

29 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

We are on the Mars now. The passengers seem a bit older than the usual crowd, and there are a lot more mobility devices (walkers, poles, etc.) than usual. Dress is very casual, lots of shorts, t-shirts, but this is a Panama Canal, warm weather trip, so I would expect it. No bathrobes in the Cafe or anything really absurd like that.

 

So you boarded yesterday in LA after we disembarked.  It sounds like the same guest profile we experienced.  So I’m still puzzled.  You seem to be saying it is a one off from the norm. On the other hand we finally asked two crew members (one very senior management and the other a waiter) and they both said this demographic was the norm.  

So last night was New Year's Eve on the Mars and the transformation was amazing.  For the last two weeks I could probably count on one hand the number of men I saw in sport coats.  Last night probably almost half the husbands suddenly remembered they brought one along and actually put it on.  There were even a few tuxedos.  As for the women, there was a dramatic increase in ones who you could fairly characterize as fulfilling the "elegant casual" dress code.  Hooray for Viking.  BTW, the New Year's brunch today around the pool was a knock out.  Kudos to the incredible crew who clearly worked very hard to pull it off.

57 minutes ago, jimdee3636 said:

The baffling thing about old people being sloppy dressers is that the easiest way to look better (and sometimes younger) is by dressing better. If you're 75, 80, or older, you can't get by on youthful good looks anymore, no matter what you looked like forty or fifty years ago. But if you put on a decent shirt and sport jacket, neat pants, and "real" shoes (i.e., not sneakers), in other words a nice but age-appropriate look, you'll get noticed in a good way---for very little time and effort. 

 

For me, the worst examples are men who look like hell even when their wives are clearly making an effort to dress well. It conveys a selfish and disrespectful attitude, both to their wives and to other guests on the ship. 

Very well said. There are a LOT of couples on this ship that fit that description. I’m guessing that the wives sold their husbands on a cruise by promising them they could dress like they were going to cut the grass. 

The comments have been very interesting. It’s good to know that it’s not just us. I think the thing that has disappointed us the most is not the age or health status.  I get that now with this particular itinerary.  What I don’t get is the pervasive sloppiness of guests. I’m on a spectacular ship with a great crew surrounded by passengers who are dressed like they are headed to Walmart.  Everyone is certainly old enough to know better and respect Viking’s dress code. 

2 minutes ago, friendlyfifer said:

I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. We disembarked Viking Jupiter on 6 December having sailed from Barcelona to Buenos Aires.
 

We were told by a senior crew member that there was a high percentage of passengers in their 80s and 90s. There were a large number of less able passengers. This made moving around the ship and getting on and off the ship slower for others. Many of the less able signed-up for the walking tour of Recife. They didn’t last long and ruined the tour for others. Many of us more able had to apologise to the guide for abandoning the tour,

 

As for dress code, jeans, grubby t shirts were frequently seen throughout the ship in the evening. One woman was in the Explorers’ Bar in the evening in her bath robe. Viking didn’t seem to challenge anyone.

Adding fuel to the fire, it seemed that most of those making no attempt to reach the bar of the dress code were American.

I’m afraid that pretty much parallels our experience. A shame, really, as the ship is gorgeous and the crew generally great. We are booked on an Athens to Mumbai itinerary in the fall but will probably cancel for the above reasons.  

Our one and only tender port is in a few days. That should be interesting!!  In the meantime, my other half came up with a great solution to the evening dress code issues. Since the dining venues are divided spaces just have the hostess sort seating from “what dress code?” up to “yes, of course I know what casual elegant means!”  

2 minutes ago, Azulann said:

You re on  a Holiday sailing  from FL,  at least 15 days. You will have an old crowd for sure . Younger folks do not ge that kind of vacation time . 

Our June 2023  Scandinavian cruise had a great mix of ages from 30's to 80"s . Lots of  fit  young, and  middle age and older  folks doing kayaking, hiking, bike excursions.  I think it just depends on itinerary and time of year. 

Welcome to  your first Viking  Cruise !!!!!!!

Good to know. That’s a positive. We’ve done seven cruises on Seabourn, usually 2-3 weeks, and the mix skewed much younger and vigorous. Again, not judging at all. 

42 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

On our Ft LAUaderdale to LA Panama Canal cruise - it certainly was the oldest looking group, with more walker, rollers, etc.

I believe any cruise that does Florida has a good chance to be that way.  At least they are out there trying to take that last cruise2

Thanks. Was it a Viking cruise?  We have a Viking Middle East cruise scheduled but are not sure we are a good fit based on this first experience. 

39 minutes ago, millybess said:

Can you be more specific about the average age, health status, and dress of your fellow passengers that has surprised you?

 

 

Again, no disrespect at all but so many of the passengers have obvious infirmities.  There are many with canes or walkers and more that seem to struggle walking any distance. As for dress, not to open Pandora’s box, but there might as well not be a dress code. Every night we’ve seen more than a few tee shirts and grubby jeans. “Casual Elegant” seems to be a wishful concept for those that do clear the tee shirt/jeans bar. 

We are currently on the Mars Ft. Lauderdale to LA Panama Canal cruise - our first on Viking.  The ship really is gorgeous and service very good as expected. One thing that has surprised us though is the average age, health status and dress of our fellow passengers.  I mean no disrespect whatsoever; I’m just wondering if this is the norm or a one off with this cruise. Any veteran Viking travelers aboard who care to comment?

On 9/28/2023 at 3:17 PM, Sunprince said:

IMO, a 10:05am flight is risky. Will the ship dock on time? Likely. Will there be a delay for disembarkation (I.e. port worker strike or other issue)? Possibly.  If all goes well, getting to the airport in Lisbon is quick with the exception of some construction in the Lisbon waterfront area.
 

The problems arise once at the Lisbon airport (not my favourite).  It’s a convoluted multi step process to get to the gate.  You check in and drop bags, then do a pre security check. Then security but no fast track for business class. Then you go to a lettered “gate”, for an exit passport control check ( not sure why). Then you go to your actual gate (lettered and numbered), where you have to stand in line for another passport check to get a “blue dot” in order to board the plane (again, no idea why) So if you get to the airport by 8am, you can make it to your final gate on time. BUT if super busy, which it usually is in the morning, then you might not have time. Also, there is no time to stop in the business class lounge.  It’s not worth it anyway. The TAP/Star Alliance lounge is the worst I have ever encountered.

Agree with all of this.  Lisbon is a miserable airport to fly out of and having a business class ticket is of little help in making it easier.

1 hour ago, jjs217 said:

The Colonnade is very utilitarian.  I'm just guessing, but when we were crossing The Drake, we hit a rogue wave and dishes and glasses on tables that weren't occupied went flying.  Perhaps it makes for an easier clean-up.  Also, on the few evenings we ate there for dinner, everybody was dressed in what looked like their expedition clothes.  Hmmm.  Maybe they just decided to keep it canteen-ish, because that is basically what it is.

Seabourn does a decent job converting the Colonnade into a nice sit down dinner experience. I just don’t understand why they missed the mark so badly on Venture. Of 20+ days onboard I think we’ve had dinner there once. I love Earth & Ocean but gave it a pass to avoid the venue. 

On 6/14/2023 at 1:25 PM, Shipless in Seattle said:

Can you let us know if David is CD? We met him on Odyssey last December as ACD but he was excited to be joining venture as cd this year. Was real good. Kent & Jeffrey 

David Price?  He was the CD on Venture in March.  I’ve never seen a CD less on a Seabourn cruise!  It was downright odd.  In contrast, John Barron was everywhere when we were aboard a few weeks ago.

On 6/15/2023 at 4:16 PM, lincslady said:

One  could argue that the new titles express  the jobs more accurately - but, as you say, the old terms are used universally in cruising.  If it's not broke, don't fix it.

Interesting.  The hotel director explained that these new job titles are rapidly becoming the norm on cruise ships - and for good reason as they more accurately describes the job.  Unfortunately passengers go right to the cruise director with any and all concerns or complaints when they should often be going to the hotel manager.  

19 hours ago, Atmavictu said:

I have been on the venture last December and it is indeed a beautifully conceived, comfortable ship with exceptional maneuverability that makes it ideal for any expedition journey . The Staff was very friendly and very efficient, food was ok considering we were on open seas fro almost two weeks. Wine was pretty mediocre but rough seas makes it difficult to preserve the bottles.

 

The only thing that is not quite so intelligently designed was the Discovery Center since you just don't see anything if someone is sitting in the row in front of you. But since it is almost never a full house down there, you can always find a decent spot. But it was pretty cold so eventually I ended up watching the briefings live in my cabin.

I also found some members of the scientific team a bit too full of themselves but hey it is a big team so there will always be someone who is there just for the free ride.

The one and only thing I would change in a heartbeat is the main dining hall, it feels really dated and boring, I would bring some life into it. But I understand I am 20 years younger that the average seaboard traveller so I guess it is more of a generational change in taste.

 

If you are talking about the Colonnade I very much agree.  It is starkly plain with harsh lighting - a glaring contrast to the otherwise lux public spaces.  As a fellow passenger put it “it feels like a canteen”.

On 6/22/2023 at 6:47 PM, Dusko said:

We also disembarked from Venture on Sunday after what was truly a trip of a lifetime. @markham did a fantastic job of describing the ship, the crew and the voyage and I didn't think I could add anything useful. I unequivocally second all the points he made. Since I got home I wondered whether there was anything I could add that would be helpful to anyone considering such an expedition. Maybe it's worth mentioning a couple of points:

 

Such a voyage would suit people who are interested in new experiences and broadening their knowledge horizons. I learned that 40% of the passengers were new to Seabourn. That's fantastic since it means the company has a future once the "Boomer bubble" has burst. They, and all the guests that I met, were well educated and flexible. Flexibility is essential on such a voyage and is stressed right at the beginning. Conditions such as ice or inclement weather mean changes in itinerary on short notice. When this happened the expedition team and Captain were exceptional in their ability to change direction and provide us with alternate and equal experiences. They were magnificent!  As Markham mentioned, I didn't meet anyone bemoaning the lack of a TK grill, formal evenings or an elaborate entertainment program. Yes, I did see jeans in the MDR but I didn't see anyone who was "scruffy" or less than elegant. The food and the service were first rate, particularly given what must have been a challenge provisioning a ship so far from major ports.

 

This voyage would not have suited some of the people that Markham mentioned including the bullies or the deck chair hoggers. If you're looking for a strict schedule so that you can arrange your own private excursions, that's not going to happen on such a voyage. [Most of the excursions here were included]. If you measure satisfaction in terms of whether you were at the captain's hosted table or the Cruise Director remembered you and admired your evening outfit then this is possibly not the trip for you.

 

@SLSD asked earlier in this thread about preferring a cruise or an expedition. A good question. The answer is that they are different experiences but age should not prevent you from trying something completely different. The youngest person on board was close to 12 years old and there were certainly several aboard well into their 80s. All had a wonderful time. Once we had done the zodiac boarding once or twice there was nothing to it and this kind of transport opened a whole new horizon. Watching the humpback whales or getting close to massive icebergs intricately carved by nature is just not the same from a tender. I would say "go for it!". You will not pass this way again. If you don't like it you can always come on Cruise Critic and tell us about your success at trivia while crossing the Atlantic or finding the perfect Prada bag at a stop in the Mediterranean.

 

BTW there was an excellent videographer on board. If you want to see what the voyage was really like I can't do better than this https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/837407543/rendition/1080p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=179cd6f35ab6ff830938992871671bf69cbf3c73f323e204c3ec37e49e992260

 

Having done two cruises on Venture I would agree totally with everything you have said.

On 6/15/2023 at 7:46 PM, frantic36 said:

 

I for one find it very awkward when there are large groups standing outside my door for quite awhile. It would be fine if it was 15-20 minutes but I have had a few occasions when it has gone on longer and I want to go to the club and I have to exit my room and I feel uncomfortable that these people may now think it rude that I didn't want to introduce myself to my neighbours. 

 

You might think why don't I just join in and I have tried a few times but generally it just feels forced and uncomfortable to me.

I agree.  

The bad news is that the Venture and Pursuit eliminated the make up table in the hall in favor of a closet with heated drying bar.  However, there is a small make up mirror at the desk and chair in the sitting area.  

48 minutes ago, calm down dear said:

350, but that makes colonnade rammed and rather misses the point - nowhere does it say you only get buffet for lunch and breakfast ? I repeat only having this venue for breakfast and lunch isn’t luxury in 14 days - it’s cafeteria.

If you think 350 makes the Colonnade rammed you should have seen it in August when the ship was sold out. Lordy!!

14 hours ago, florisdekort said:

I’m purely speculating, but this might have something to do with the ratio between the total number of passengers on board vs. available crew (crew NOT in self-isolation). If the ship is full and a high percentage of crew has Covid, certain services might simply not be available on a sailing? Just my 2 cents. 

That would make sense.  So how full is the ship at the moment?  

18 hours ago, calm down dear said:

Perhaps these ideas not everyday but trust me 14 days of colonnade breakfasts are not luxury.

You got that right!!

15 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

We eat in the Colonnade for Breakfast-and often for Lunch and have never utilized the buffet.   The sit down menu offered is limited but is still fine.    We enjoy the tables outside and those at the windows so have never been around a buffet crowd.    Since we sat in the same areas we had staff who knew our needs so we always had the right drinks.    Timely service was never a problem.

I think you have glossed over the fact that if the ship is full and the weather is inclement it feels like a scrum to get any table, much less a preferred one, at the Colonnade.