SJD117

This is an excellent recap. Recall how this back-and-forth began. The OP wrote that the then-Silversea captain — now the Viking Polaris captain — had, quote, “issues with judgment.” The OP didn’t elaborate. So reasonable questions came to mind: What were these issues? How did they affect the captain’s judgment? And why was the OP blaming the captain directly? We know now, from the OP, that she and others on the Silversea ship had to experience a 3-mile tender; that the seas were rough with wind and sleet; and that many elderly passengers complained about the bouncy trip. Fair enough. I wasn’t there, the OP was there, and I have no reason to dispute her recollection. (Again, I’ve quoted her directly.) But this is where I’m struggling. How did her experience, uncomfortable as it was, amount to an issue with the captain’s judgment? What exactly did the captain do wrong? Regrettably, the OP hasn’t provided this information.

Rachel wrote in her first post that the then-Silversea captain had, quote, “issues with judgment.” It’s fair to ask Rachel what she meant by these so-called issues. It’s also fair to ask whether the captain’s judgment, as allegedly colored by the issues, violated any applicable law or Silversea policy. It was entirely appropriate for @chengkp75to ask these questions.

I’m going to Svalbard, too (next summer). I’m also “elderly” or close to it (at least my elderly friends tell me so). I fully expect Viking to anchor the ship where it’s safe and appropriate to do so. I also expect my elderly posterior to be jostled a bit — this is the North Atlantic, after all. But I will enjoy the trip nonetheless. You’re only elderly once!

It didn’t take much effort to learn about the Polaris captain. She became Silversea’s first female captain in 2013. Now she’s Viking’s first female ocean captain. To this layman, she appears to have boatloads of relevant maritime experience, including in the Arctic and Antarctic. Someone like her wouldn’t be hired by Silversea, poached away fron Silversea, and put in charge of the Viking Polaris without this experience. Quite obviously, she’s fully qualified to do her job.

In reading the OP, I’m not sure what Viking did to merit “never again.” A flight from Ushuaia at 11:30 am? That seems reasonable to me. The Hard Rock Cafe in BA? I’ve never been to one — that might be an interesting experience. Economy class on a short charter flight? I’ve survived much worse in 40+ years of international travel. (One example was a 36-hour transit from BA to Miami to Charlotte to Seattle — all in economy.) Putting aside these inconveniences, I do hope the poster enjoyed the wonders of Antarctica, and that he/she sees fit to give Viking another chance.

I second your comment! Many years ago, I did a small boat cruise in Ecuador on the Rio Napo (one of the Amazon’s major tributaries). The jungle flora and fauna were outstanding. I’m sure the experience in the Peruvian Amazon is much the same.

Viking drinkers typically prefer the hard stuff — the harder the better.

SS threads are always a scream. My takeaway: Never get between a Viking cruiser and his or her cocktail! 🤪

I’ve been to Iceland 3 times and have twice driven the Ring Road around the country (850 miles more or less). Don’t rely exclusively on ship excursions to see Iceland’s magnificent landscape. Instead, you might consider renting a car out of Reykjavik to explore parts of the country in more detail (pre- or post-cruise).

If you want a quiet time on Mount Desert Island, try camping in Acadia National Park in mid-September or later. Back in 2005, Linda and I pitched our tent near Southwest Harbor and spent a delightful two nights in relative solitude. Not a cruise ship passenger to be seen!

Mr. Linda here. Of course we check on the redemption price — we’ve been booking mileage awards with Alaska Air, its partners, and other carriers for almost 40 years. And as Linda wrote, the price issue is moot for Iceland Air Saga class in July 2023 (for us at least) because there’s no inventory available and we didn’t want to wait for inventory to become available. We’ll use our mileage elsewhere, and we’ll do our best — as we always try to do — to get good value in return.

We spent a few days at the falls in 2000 toward the end of our 6-week trip around South America. Quite a sight on both sides!

The name of the cemetery is Recoleta. While you're there, say hello to all the residents -- including Eva and hundreds of wandering cats.

Also accept the fact that, if a person insists on flying business or first class (as many Viking passengers are wont to do), then he or she will likely need to drop some serious coin in order to get to a far-off destination. Yes, the person may have points or miles or airline status, blah blah blah, any or all of which may cushion the cost burden. But all other things being equal, flying expensive class to a Viking cruise, halfway around the world, will probably drill a large hole in a wallet or purse — just for the flight.

I’ve never paid much attention to the loungers. When I’m in the pool area, I’m usually headed for a quick swim or for lunch at the Grille. I reserve my “hang out” time for other places on the ship. Also, I don’t use the loungers for sunbathing. A diagnosis of Stage 4 metastatic melanoma, this year, has scared me away from sun exposure. That said, and having now been alerted to this important topic, I will keep an eye out for miscreants and scoundrels who abuse their pool privileges. There’s only one word for those disreputable people — “oink.”

Stress? What stress? We tested every day on our March cruise from San Juan to Barcelona. No problem at all.

I'm quite happy with different levels of crispness. In fact, I hadn't given the issue any thought at all -- including on five Viking cruises -- until I read this thread.

We’ve been on five VO cruises and have yet to see a Beatles or ABBA show. Instead, we enjoy the specialty entertainers, solo performances, and the abundance of informative lectures that Viking presents. To each his or her own!

When someone makes negative comments about several Viking vessels (as the OP did), and cites "reading" as the basis for those comments (as the OP also did), the lawyer part of me cries out for more specifics. Where did you read about the Viking ships? Do you have a link? Did your source identify the specific ships? Do your concerns relate to the ships' public areas, to the passenger cabins, or both? Etc. Absent this detail, a better way to frame the query might have been to delete the "reading" sentence entirely and instead ask just the question about the Viking Sea (which several people on this thread did answer directly). That's my wordsmithing critique for what it's worth.

We have missed five ports over the course of five Viking cruises, for an average of precisely one per cruise. Lerwick was our second missed port.

One can indeed do the main Circle route clockwise or counterclockwise — I’ve done it both ways (once by myself, the other with a tour). Also, there are a myriad of scenic highlights in the region. I can think of multiple ways to construct a tour itinerary.

I was diagnosed with cancer in mid-April, two weeks after the the completion of our last Viking cruise. That’s our focus right now — not the experience on the ship.

On its main website, Viking links to its Passenger Contract and to its Booking Terms and Conditions. Whether you choose to work with Viking by yourself or through a travel agent, the Contract and T&Cs are available for review before, during, and after the booking process.

@eelI’m going to offer you some friendly advice. I’m not your attorney and I won’t be your attorney on the Viking dispute. But I’ve been a lawyer for 40 years, so I know something about legal process. You said you’ve consulted with a maritime attorney. Great — that’s your right. But don’t tell us in this group, or anybody else, what the results of that consultation might be. If you do, you lose the protection of attorney-client privilege as to the consultation. It will no longer be confidential because you’ve waived the privilege. On a related point: You should assume Viking reads the comments in this group. So you should likewise assume that Viking has read or will read every statement you make here (especially since you’ve raised the prospect of a legal claim in multiple threads). If I were in your situation, I would be very hesitant about arguing a claim in a public forum like this one and the other threads where you’ve posted. Every word will be parsed by Viking and its attorneys and potentially used against you. Why give them that ammunition? Good luck.

I’ve been on five Viking cruises, and I don’t believe I’ve ever ordered beef or veal. My tastes run toward chicken, fish, and anything ethnic.