Peregrina651

@shmabbies GREAT THREAD! Thank you for starting it. Very, very helpful information. And thanks to everyone for all the visuals. We need more threads like this one, threads focusing on the things we want to know about the ports.

All the times I've been in Barcelona with Viking, all pre-pandemic, the pick up point was on the esplanade in front of the World Trade Center. So, my question is whether Viking has switched pickup point permanently or are they alternating between the two locations? Maybe folks who have been there in 2023 can tell us their experiences. @Mich3554 is the statue you are referring to the Colon statue?

We are 120 days out today and ours aren't loaded in yet either. 😖 But, then again I don't ask for a preview because I don't want to set my heart on a particular shorex and then learn that it isn't offered on my sailing -- but that's just me. Available to see but not to book. Viking Oceans adheres to its booking schedule. Shorex are loaded into MVJ a few weeks (on rare occasions, a month or more) before booking opens for all to see. Booking then opens category by category. As CDR2001 says, it is possible to obtain a pdf of the shorex but that list is usually a generic list, not the specific list for your sail date.

Viking has just changed the timing on shorex booking, moving the opening day forward by 40 days. They are transitioning to the new timing as we speak. Therefore, currently, we can't tell you how far in advance they are making the information available. It maybe a few months before we figure out what the new timing is supposed to be. We can say that their goal used to be to have the information loaded in around 120 days prior, with the first category opening for booking 107 days prior. 120 days was a goal not a promise. What the new timing will be is unknown at this time. Once all the vendor contracts are signed, the complete list of excursions on offer for your sailing will be loaded into My Viking Journey. They will appear without fanfare or prior notice. MVJ is the only place the official information will be available for your cruise, although Viking can send you a pdf of the generic list if you call/chat to ask.

And, don't leave anything on the bus when you get to Harpa.

No issue with noise if you are aft of the aft elevators. Noise from the disco is more of a problem for those who are on the starboard rooms (odd numbered) that are closest to it (3057 to about 3051).

I can't agree with you more! We sail in May and our shorex have not yet been loaded in. Honestly, they should have had everything loaded in and ready to roll before they made any sort of announcement. I hate being in the middle of this mess.

By the time you two wander off, the rush should have slowed. Demand for down elevators will have slacked, etc. Especially if you use the elevators that are not by the gangway.

Umm, just how much luggage will DH have that two of you can't wheel it off ship when it is time to disembark??? You aren't vacating the cabin. Put it in the closet until you are ready to disembark (out of the way of your steward as they clean the room). But otherwise, you are right there are just some questions that you will have to ask once you are on board.

Turnover day is like any other day on board. Everything runs as normal. Only the faces change. Food service will run its regular hours. The only difference is that some passengers are headed home and new passengers are arriving. Yes, definitely spend the day with your husband; it will give your friends a chance to unpack and settle in -- and nap if necessary. If you do decide to spend the night on shore, let the ship know that you be gone overnight. Also, since you aren't rushing off the ship and don't have to vacate your cabin, consider a late, leisurely breakfast (in the Restaurant if it is open; it will be quieter there). Before you leave for the day, you will have to get a new key card. Talk to Guest Services before you head off the ship for the day (or maybe even the day before). Use the old card to disembark for the day; use the new card to embark later in the day. Beware! The cards look alike. (Put them in different pants pockets -- left off, right on).

You are in luck! My kid sister is doing Bergen to NYC and I just sent her my comments. I'm not editing before posting it; any time I say "you" remeber that I wrote this for my sister. Geiranger -- we took a bus ride up to Mt. Dalsnibba, loved it but it was COLD up there. We booked with 3rd party Geirangerfjord Services for a bus ride up there (no lunch) but the same company also rents two -seater electric cars no windows, no heat -- and you two may get a kick out of driving up up the mountain. Downside: going up there is only fun if you have a clear day and can see all the way back down to the fjord. Regardless, if you are headed up to Dalsnibba, warm layers and warm hats are a must. We also did the tourist boat ride as part of our Dalsnibba tour package. BE ON DECK FOR SAILING in and out of Geiranger. Amazing scenery!!!!!. https://www.geirangerfjord.no/english -- ticket office is on the dock and their buses leave from a small parking lot across the street (you can watch the RO-RO ferry loading and off-loading as you wait) Tromso -- Another fun place. We took this tour and enjoyed it but it has a few negatives: Portals to the Arctic Duration: 4 hours 30 minutes Here are the negatives. 1) We loved the cable car but Tromso socks in frequently so the cable car is weather dependent. We lucked out, the clouds rolled in later in the day. IMHO, find a cab and go on your own if the weather is clear. The view is magnificent. 2). The Polar Museum was interesting but too small to be dragging tour groups through; do it your own (takes a hour or so and depending where you are docked can be walkable. 3) the Arctic Church is one of those enticing bits of architecture that is more rewarding from a distance. If these are the things you want to see, then IMHO, do them on your own. Otherwise, wondering around the town is interesting, especially the blending of old and new architecture. Honningsvåg -- The appeal for us here was the idea that this was as far north as we had ever been or were likely to ever go. We lucked out and had a clear warm day. Best souvenir here is a post card mailed home from the Nordkapp post office. Come prepared with stick on address labels; buy stamps in the gift shop along with postcards. I know that there are ATV trips available but not sure if any go to Nordkapp. Maybe look into motorcycle rentals for a ride to Nordkapp. Landscape here is barren, quite a contrast to what you have already seen as you worked your way north.

There are two versions. One is a shore excursion with the Executive Chef -- a visit to a local market to shop for the ingredients for a meal that you will then assist the chef in preparing. Not offered on every itinerary or sailing. The other is an at-sea day activity where you prepare a meal with the chef and then enjoy it. Usually offered on sailings with multiple at-sea days. Both versions are very limited capacity.

Sadly, no. Not even if you book your cruise after booking has opened for all categories. In 2021-22, there were capacity issues but in most countries/ports these days it is no longer a problem. It is not a game of chance. Most people get what they want. Except on certain excursions with very limited capacity -- Chef's Table, heliocopter rides for example-- adding capacity is not a problem. .

Me, too. And is that packing for one or two? Because if that is packing for two, then WOW, Clay and Mike win the "Light Packer" Award!

Once upon a time, the target seemed to be 120 days, about two weeks before booking opened for the owner's suite. Still, there was a lot of variation in when things actually occurred.

What SF1 meant to say is that shorex for our May cruise have NOT loaded in yet. (we're on the same cruise). Makes me think that this is a last minute decision. They announced the program for June 1 but don't have the June shorex loaded in and ready to go. They don't even have all of the May departures loaded in yet (and that should be their priority). It is going to be a rough couple of weeks -- and I am very sorry to have to be part of the transition.😖

We are booked on Malta, Morocco and Med (can we just refer to this as 3M?) for Jan, 2026 on the Vesta. I was hoping we might be the maiden voyage but Char says they are on the schedule starting summer, 2025. 😒 Oh, well. So, now we have to wait for CC to add Vesta to the list of roll calls. Maybe its time we give them a nudge? Vela Roll Call forum is open: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2693-viking-vela-roll-calls/

I just posted an answer to your question in The Virtual Explorers Lounge.

While I don't know exactly, from what I learned when we did our river cruise in China (2010) and from the few snippets I'd read about the sale, Viking was supposed to at least add a casino and redecorate the cabins to accommodate family groups. (scroll to the footer of any page on the Viking website and check out the MEDIA CENTER; there might be an old press release about the sale). Whether Viking every made these changes and whether they were ever able run cruise during the pandemic, I have not heard. The ship is owned by a Chinese company and leased backed to Viking to run the hotel services. That is the way it works in China. The Chinese company operates the ship with Chinese officers and crew. Viking runs the hotel operation with a few officers from VO HQ in charge and the balance of the crew Chinese nationals, most of whom will speak English to one degree or another. Because of the river cruises that ran from 2004(?) to 2019 (shutdown before the 2020 season), Viking has seasoned employees in China, who hopefully are still with the company and long standing relationships with the tourist industry in the Beijing, Shanghai and Xi'an (food on land will be Chinese cooking served family style or hotel buffet). On the ship, food service will be standard Viking fare with regional specialties available, just as on the rest of the fleet.

Because Viking very clearly quotes cruise fare and airfare separately. If a guest chooses not to use Viking Air, it does not effect the price of the cruise fare, whether the price of the airfare is $1000 or $0.

I don't think either of the combatants (whose territories border neither the Red Sea nor the Suez Canal) is willing to risk the ire of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world if they mess with the smooth flow of Suez Canal traffic. There is only one alternative to the Red Sea/Suez Canal: doing it the old-fashioned way around the horn of Africa.

Based on your pictures, I think we might have to revisit Ephesus. We were there in 1999 and I don't remember being able to go into the houses.

I'm another one who does not use what Viking offers for insurance. The plan is cheaper because Viking "self insures" the plan, giving future cruise vouchers instead of cash -- and if I have to cancel, I want my money back. I've heard of the TripInsuranceStore (they are an insurance broker, and represent many insurance companies) and I probably should at least price compare each time we book a cruise but the one time I did, everything was more expensive than what my current company was offering. Still, I really should check each time. But, I've been using the same company for over 20 years now; I'm comfortable with them -- it helps that they are the same company that my travel agency has a relationship with. IMHO, at my age and with aging parents, the most important coverage I need is "existing conditions."

We are 127 days away from our May 9 embarkation date. Viking hasn't even loaded in the excursions for us to view. No way that they could have moved us to the new plan at this point. We'll see how the roll out works for the early June departures as they need to be loading in the shorex already for the OS to be able to see what is on offer before before they book.

I've only ever traveled on Deck 3 or 4 and I have often had similar thoughts. I have found that on any given cruise they tend to seat us in the same area every time but we have been seated all over the dining room.