pavementends

Be aware that Bangkok traffic is truly next-level. Expect a substantial amount of time on the bus even if running to schedule. I haven't taken a cruise ship excursion in Bangkok but I have taken an excursion from a hotel. On return I abandoned the tour bus a few blocks from the hotel and walked.

Explora aims at a luxury market and has the ambition to outdo other luxury lines like Silversea and Seabourn. And at the moment there is very good availability and prices that overlap Viking. In my mind it's a no-brainer to go with Explora if the itinerary works for you. Although right now the itineraries are quite limited. I was looking hard at an Explora trip but found a very well-priced Seabourn trip with a better itinerary. I don't expect to be back on Viking as I was somewhat disappointed with the food.

It would be pretty impressive (and fast footwork) to get a hotel open in that time frame. Maybe what is planned is renovation of the existing building? I can see the advantage of having your customers waiting the weather in a luxury hotel, so presumably less unhappy. (Those considering the air bridge option should be aware of two costs: the additional cost of air transport and the possible loss of time in Antarctica due to weather delays). Personally I found the Drake crossing not that bad, but then I wasn't killed by a rogue wave.

While not the same trip, I had no trouble getting almost all the excursions I wanted and I never did it more than 6 months ahead. (Because I never bought a cruise more than 6 months ahead). OP might be too early not too late. Now there WILL be changes (both additions, subtractions, and time changes). But I wouldn't worry yet.

My plan is to spend time in Portugal both before and after the cruise. And Lisbon has excellent flights to the US. I was thinking that a nonstop flight, all other things being equal, is less subject to issues than a flight with a connection. And I am after all getting in a day early.

(Posting here because more than one cruise leaves from Las Palmas.) I am on a cruise this spring leaving from Las Palmas. Any experience with the reliability of flights from Lisbon to Las Palmas? The problem is that the nonstop runs every other day. Right now I am arriving one day early on the nonstop. Is that safe enough? (There are plenty of one-stops that take twice the time and connect in in Madrid.)

I would like to encourage all who are unhappy to try a new cruise line they have never used before. Then that experience can be judged by what it is as opposed to comparing it to what it was before.

Yes I received a refund of Viking air. I'm not sure how much in advance you need to cancel but all you need to do is call. It would be a tragedy to fly down to South America and not spend some time in those cities.

"LA is a great big freeway (put a hundred down and buy a car)" I go to LA rarely. Because the traffic is terrible OP should try to choose one or two things to do and plan around that with the objective of minimizing driving. If I go there again- I would go to the Getty Museum. Haven't been there yet. From Long Beach- there are whale watching day trips.

On a different Viking Ocean cruise I had the same experience. There should be some degree of consistency in portion size- a main course should be main-course sized. Overall- for me Manfredi's was fine but the Restaurant was more disappointing than not. I realized afterwards that carefully-chosen items at the World Cafe might overall be better...but with a less enjoyable dining environment.

(Coming from the US) I don't have a problem with either the automatically added (Viking) or included (some luxury lines) gratuity. It doesn't take long to realize that on many lines this is part of the cost, and as long as I know it's part of the cost, I can mentally add it when making my purchase decisions. I do have an issue with those implying that this is not "enough" and that I should be tipping more. As I have noted elsewhere, if I need to expend mental effort figuring out exactly who and how much I need to tip...it makes it less of a vacation. So if you persuade me that I am oppressing the masses then I will take my vacation dollars elsewhere.

When I made my complaint on board, they were at great pains to explain that this restaurant was not meant to be "Japanese". And I tried to explain that that was not my complaint. I am OK with using the name Kaiseki for some sort of Asian-influenced restaurant. My complaint was that even allowing for a flexibility of concept it was not "good enough" especially for an upcharge. A few further comments. Yes, I have been to some very nice (and pricey) restaurants in Japan. I have been very happy with the food in all the other restaurants on board. And it appears (given comments above) that some ships have a teppan and a somewhat different dinner than the one that I had, so that my criticism of Kaiseki did not apply across the fleet.

I walked from the train station pulling my carryon. Not very far but a bit tricky to find the way to the port. Google maps helps. I thought I would kill time getting lunch at the hotel nearby but they started boarding early. I was able to walk on, no waiting at all, and was on board for lunch. Salisbury is a good overnight the night before the cruise. Caterbury is also OK but requires a train connection.

In Hanoi I was given instruction at the hotel about how to cross the street. Yes, in the cities the traffic is totally insane. It seems to mostly work out as I did not see any injuries while I was there. Only you can decide. Personally I consider walking in the city exciting enough- the sidewalks are all filled with motor bikes so you have to walk in the street.

Used to be the reduction for D2D without flights was not much, and P2P was a fair bit less. However P2P was not always available and P2P had more limited cancellation options. With the new pricing structure things have changed, so check the options and conditions for your cruise of interest. Particularly with long flights before a cruise, it is highly advisable to come a few days early, another reason not to use D2D.

Those numbers make no sense at all and are extremely likely to be due to a website hiccup. It's easy enough to call up and inquire. Worst case OP could book for a couple and let the other person be his cello.

I WAS (recently) able to reserve la Dame on Moon at $60/person. This will only be my second experience at a not-included restaurant- curiosity mostly as it doesn't cost that much (right now, that is). I have been quite happy with the included restaurants on board. This thread gives me the feeling that changes are afoot, probably not happening at the same time everywhere.

Bus or train. I took the train in the standard class. Enjoyable but not a not-to-be-missed experience unless you are a train fanatic. I assume OP is making his own arrangements. The train tends to book up so reserve early if that is your choice. As always don't count on making tight connections so a night in Anchorage (at least) might be advisable. OP can also add a night in Seward. In Seward I wish I had chosen to do the hike to the Exit glacier. Accommodations in Seward exist but are quite limited.

Take the jacket. Don't leave the cannoli.

> It won't let you choose 2 on the same night Unfair! Unfair! Seriously for OP: not all restaurants require a reservation. Reservations can often be made or changed on the ship.

On an upcoming cruise on Moon I see at least one wheelchair-accessible tour listed on the Tour Program. (I stopped looking after one). It was quoted at $79 and I don't know whether it was included or extra. I do remember one port where access to the wharf required descent of a rather steep ramp. I assume this was an accident of the port, tides, etc. Two employees negotiated this ramp with a wheelchair-bound guest. So (1) it can be and is done and (2) it looked a bit hair-raising.

The same is true with regular bookings. When a cruise is popular and well booked port to port (or now the Essential) bookings will not be available. For me only the port to port option has had an attractive price. So (even though I book for two) I act like a single who won't book unless there a favorable deal on the single supplement.

Personally I am not into formal. The idea of actually wearing a tuxedo seems bonkers to me. And when working (at a university) cargo pants and running shoes were perfectly acceptable wear, with a sports coat (ideally well-worn tweed) for the odd meeting. So having actually read about Silversea before the cruise, I decided to dust off a pair of black shoes, buy some new black travel-oriented no-iron slacks, and to pack the less disreputable of my sports coats. And, for yuks, one of my small selection of ties. So I wore the sports coat for dinner, and even put on a tie for the formal night. Got a few nice pictures with the wife. That was...just fine. After all, on land, one would typically wear a jacket to a better restaurant, and maybe even better shoes. And the jacket is useful anyway for the after-dinner walk on deck. People make too much of this. Some decrying the decline of standards since the Golden Age, and some surprised that wearing anything better than torn jeans and a T shirt to a better restaurant is expected.

Years ago I took Hurtigruten up the coast and they did go into Trollfjord. I don't know if that is a regular part of the trip.

Fascinating. I would have thought that the typical number of expensive watches sold per cruise would be somewhere between zero and one. On cruises I have many times walked past the shops and I have never (so far) seen anyone actually buying anything.