20Cruise20

Squawkman: Nancy summarized the served buffet. As we walked the buffet line, the staff asked for input on the items we preferred as well as the portion size. In this particular experience, our drinks and dessert were ordered directly from a table menu.

Cruise: Viking Star - Panama Canal & Central America - Feb & Mar of 2023 If the excursion that you are referring to is: The Panama Canal Railway - Connecting Two Oceans, I can share my perspective. We enjoyed the excursion and are not train buffs. Most of the train ride was close to the canal. The ride provided a much different perspective than what we experienced on the ship. Was it non-stop viewing of water? It was not. However, there was plenty of canal viewing. A light snack provided on the train as well as some history from the guide. I spent a fair amount of time at the open area at the rear of the train car. Snapped a few photos, watched many ships of varying sizes that we passed, and enjoyed a closer look at the landscape and visible birds. Coming close to the Bridge of Americas was stunning. Much more so than the ship experience. Upon completion of the train portion and arrival at the train station, a rest room stop before boarding the bus. (There were several Viking passenger train cars.) Lunch was at a local restaurant. (Pretty sure that we were seated at tables for four.) A served buffet with a choice of drinks. It was very good. Literally driven across the street from the restaurant for a photo stop with some great water views and a couple of small shops. The last component was the bus ride through Colon to return to the ship. While it was interesting to see Colon and hear some additional history, nothing extremely notable on the bus ride. Would I recommend? Yes. If your purpose is to truly experience a different canal perspective and understand more about the Canal, it's a good choice. A few other general cruise observations along with background perspective: We are both active adults without any limitations. We have cruised 3.5 times with Viking. (Partial Trans-Atlantic when "the world" shut down due to the pandemic onset, Med Odessey, and Homelands.) We found this cruise to be a really nice mix of sea days to enjoy the ship as well as excursions to enjoy the ports. Similar to the original poster, we researched partial versus full transit and settled for the partial based upon the schedules as well as the ability to spend a bit of time in Florida before and after the cruise. (Not snowbirds, simply wanted a winter getaway from PA.) We had no regrets that we selected the partial. My advice for the ship transit experience, try to get to different places on the ship for the lock entry and exit. High deck, low deck, front, back, and each side. If you have questions about the ports or other excursions, please ask. Happy to provide my input for your consideration.

Details on a different excursion. In the spring of 2022, we enjoyed the Meštrovic Gallery & Diocletian Palace excursion. A short bus ride and some history provided. Less than 20 on the excursion and no other groups at the gallery. So, it was a very delightful environment. About an hour in the gallery and small grounds. If desired, a few minutes in the tiny gift shop. Back on the bus for the return trip to the old town and palace. About a 45 minute walking tour with expected narration. At the conclusion of the formal excursion, a choice to stay in town or return to the ship via bus. We stayed in town and had about a 15 minute walk back to the ship. Despite the two of us having different interest and appreciation of art/sculpture, we were both very happy with the excursion. We also both enjoyed the time in the palace and old town.

In March of 2022, we experienced the pre-excursion with the standard MO itinerary. Our stated hotel was the Hilton, however, about a month before our departure, the pre-excursion hotel was changed to the Marriott. Because we were traveling independently to Rome and taking the train to Venice, I contacted the Marriott directly for assistance to get to the hotel. Marriott made arrangements for a private water taxi from the train station directly to their property. The private water taxi experience was wonderful and one that we will never forget. In regard to the Marriott, the service by the actual hotel staff was excellent. All common areas were spotless. Similarly, our room was spotless. After a late afternoon check-in, we enjoyed walking around the hotel island capturing some wonderful photos. We also made the decision to have dinner at the hotel after check-in. The restaurant staff had trouble handling the large volume of Viking guests. The food, however, was very good. Conversely, the breakfast buffet had a lot to be desired. A good variety, but, not quality. We had challenges with the Viking staff at the hotel. Our challenges all revolved around ignoring required COVID test results, requiring additional on-site testing, and overscheduling of on-site testing. (Please reference the timing of our visit...Italy was just opening up in the spring of 2022. So, this will not be a challenge for current guests.) On day two, both the hotel and Viking had shuttles running about every 30 minutes from the "Marriott" island to the main tourist area. It was a two- or three-minute walk from the docks to St. Mark's Square. It was an easy process using the free Marriott shuttle. Late in the evening of the second day, our luggage was required to be in the hotel hall. For day three, we were provided with a morning time to be in the hotel lobby. Groups were escorted to a water shuttle, transported to the Venice port area, processed for embarkation, and boarded buses for transport to Fusina. It was a hurry up and wait process, however, it truly was simple. Because of the timing of our trip with Italian testing requirements as well as the port changes that were just beginning for Viking, we did not regret our decision of the Venice pre-excursion. If I've missed something about the pre-excursion or you have questions, please let me know.