The Other Tom

36 minutes ago, WCB said:

we were greeted by the waiter/waitress? who recognized us from being here often.

Wow!  I'm surprised they recognized you.

Nice pictures from report 170, especially the sharks and the sunset.

5 hours ago, WCB said:

Is it Bahia d’ Opunoha or Opunohu, as it is spelled locally? 

I would guess the local spelling would be correct. In any event, Google Maps spells it Opunohu.  Perhaps the "Opunoha" spelling is Dutch?

31 minutes ago, Bookited said:

How do you measure the height of the swells?  Does the captain state the height on his talks at noon.

She mentioned the wave height measurement in one of her pervious posts when she talked about questions the passengers had asked the captain.  Basically, they estimate the wave height.  I assume the captain announces it in one of his talks.

It's my understanding you don't actually get to set foot on the continent.  Is that correct?  I think it's scenic sailing.  

1 hour ago, WCB said:

These teak decks are very slippery when wet, especially the handicap ramps.

Wow!  You'd think they would plan these things a little better when they designed the ship.

You seem settled on the Movenpick.  We stayed at the Double Tree by Hilton near Centraal Station.  There's also a Hotel Ibis near there.  We walked the dock to our hotel and from our hotel to the Anne Frank house.

Like any large city, be aware of pickpockets. 

You might want to get a Rick Steves book on Amsterdam to check out various areas.  

I see a few later this year (Nov) and one in 2025 but none in 2024?  Does that sound correct?

We always try to fly in 2-3 days before to get acclimated to the time.  That way, when we're on the ship, we're ready for our cruise.  On our NL cruise, we flew into London 4 days early and used that time to tour London on our own.  Then we embarked and flew home from Bergen. 

If you do your own flights, allow some time on the end as well due to potential weather delays.  Several sailings of the NL cruise last year were delayed.  

Port or Starboard makes no difference.  By the luck of the draw, we got a port room and were pleased with the views.  

Thanks for the info on drinking water on the lifeboats (tenders).  Makes sense, and I'm glad they think of things like that. 

On 9/18/2023 at 1:24 PM, Heidi13 said:

Note - I will not use a private ATM, only those from accredited banks

Good idea.  I've found out (the hard way) that private ATMs usually charge high conversion rates and are more suspectable to being compromised by hackers.

5 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

I'm sailing on the Bliss in January and I'm eyeing a shorex that departs at 6:30 AM (the ship arrives the prior evening)..

Aside from room service, what would be the breakfast options? How early does the buffet open?

Usually the buffet opens an hour or so before the first excursion.  Sometimes the daily gets the time wrong, so I would check with the buffet staff the day before.  Also, O'Sheehans opens early every day, (maybe 5:30?)  but it's a sit down and not a buffet. 

10 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sometimes the promos come out (or I don't see them anyway) until the weekend and rather than risk not getting it booked, I'll go online and book it and then send the booking number to our TA.  

Gotcha, thanks

My daughter's family stayed at a hotel near the airport and asked if they could park there for 14 days or so.  The answer was yes but I think there was a charge, which they paid.  Then they took the hotel shuttle to the airport the next morning. 

I would look for major hotels near the airport and call and ask.  I don't think they had the info on their website.

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

When we do it we always do it almost immediately after booking online or on the phone. 

Just curious, it you're going to transfer the booking immediately, why not just book with the TA?

Fixtures are one thing; water pressure is another.  Even if you have the same fixture that's on the ship, you might not have the same results.

33 minutes ago, Meander Ingwa said:

Do the machines they use have a specific type pod or are Nespresso pods universal across their machine line?  I am NOT a 4 level coffee drinker, more likely to want to take it to 11 ( LOL)

There are two types of Nespresso pods and each has its own machine.

The ones in the room are "original" line and is typically espresso (around 2 oz)

The other type is Vertuo and is typically 8 oz but can be higher or lower.

Original pods won't work in Vertuo machines, and Vertuo pods won't work in original machines. 

K-cup type pods won't work in either machine. 

FWIW, I went to the buffet and used the coffee machine, with a 2X double espresso mixed with an Americano (for volume).  Worked for me, and I like strong coffee. 

....and they're off again.  Just discovered this thread.  I'll be following along.

22 hours ago, Mitina said:

But if you're happy with your flight and seats, any other reason to ticket early?

Yes, because they can change your flight/seat and you have no recourse.  Of course they can change your flight anytime, even if ticketed, but at least you can argue with the airline about connection times, etc.  And they're way less likely to change your seats if ticketed. 

3 hours ago, formernuke said:

I’m confused why not use the provided washers and dryers in the laundry?

In my experience, the dryers have a longer cycle than the washers and are usually full.  So maybe that's a way to circumvent the dryers?  Or maybe they were going to a show and couldn't come back when the dryer finished?  I'm just guessing here, but I'd do the same if I wasn't worried about wrinkles. 

On 7/31/2023 at 2:44 PM, notjaded said:

We are thinking of doing the Northern Lights voyage, and have a few questions:

 

1. Have heard various reports that they (A) call the room to wake you up vs. (B) make an announcement on a TV one needs to have on all night: Which is it?

 

2. When the northern lights are out, does Viking keep the outdoor lights of the ship off on the viewing platforms?

 

3. Have heard that there are inland excursions to see the northern lights: Wondering how that works?

 

Thank you for your insights!

This winter is the time to go.  Sunspot activity is approaching or at maximum, so you have a good chance of seeing the lights (assuming the sky is clear)

1.  Leave you TV on the bridge channel.  Yes, it brightens the room somewhat but they make the announcements on that channel.  

2.  No, but it's ok.  If they're out, you'll see them.

3.  We had really good luck with the "Chasing Lights" excursion out of Tromso.  Northern Lights Big Bus Chase | Chasing Lights

We had an overnight in Tromso so it didn't matter if we were "late" getting back to the ship.  The Viking excursion was sold out, but our excursion went out of their way to find a clear spot to see the lights.  They said they will drive into Finland if necessary. How does it work?  You get on a bus and ride for an hour or so to a clear spot, then get out and enjoy the show.  It was icy where we stopped and I wish I had trekking poles, which I think would have worked better than the crampon things you put on your shoes (hard to get on/off).  Our bus had a restroom and our guides were ok if we used it.  The Viking busses have a restroom but it's generally locked and the driver doesn't want anyone using it. Note that it can be cloudy in and around the port area and sometimes you have to ride several hours to get to a clear spot.  Our excursion was willing to do that but not Viking, so in the end I'm glad the Viking excursion was sold out.  We took a Viking excursion at our next port but the location was cloudy, so we didn't get to see the lights.  But we had a good time talking to the locals around a campfire at the location so all was not lost. 

7 hours ago, notamermaid said:

And if you are into unusual places do check out Tim's other videos.

Oh boy, another Youtube rabbit hole to go down.  I'll never get anything done!.  (Thanks for the link)

Edited to delete post

In the US (and I expect Canada, too) the price of the cruise is fixed regardless of who you buy it from. Travel agents usually give some of their commission back in the form of on-board credit.  Some give more than others, so you have to shop around.

Note that you can buy a cruise without the "free" promotions (specialty dining, wifi, etc) and save some money that way. 

Thanks for letting us know about the impossible burger.  I would definitely order that over the regular burger.  I like the impossible burger, but they tend to be high in fat.  Depending on your dietary needs, they may not be as good for you as you think.  Of course, they are vegetarian and probably vegan as well if that's your thing.