janetcbl

27 minutes ago, Moby_Spout said:

Peregrina, when you say you 'grabbed two or three...' and then checked out, could you have done all the optional ones you wanted?  So, if I use ACH, can I load all 9 paid tours (x2 to include my spouse) that I want and then check out?

 

Or is that amount of time - to find/load/pay more than two or three, a risk to lose some tours to faster check outs? IE, the tours in your cart aren't 'protected'?

For the Optional Excursions, it is safest to only load one or two and then pay, repeat with the next one or two, etc. If you wait until after you load all of them, you risk someone taking the one that is just sitting in your cart. 

3 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

On Viking Sun, the crew often handed out blankets, to those that wanted them, when entering Star Theatre. It was on the cooler side.

Did the same on our Panama Canal cruise. Otherwise, the ship’s  temperatures were fine, IMO.

3 minutes ago, travelguy19 said:

 Akureyri port - does anyone have any insight into Northern Iceland’s Natural Treasures vs. The Diamond Circle? Both excursions are the same price (and seem to slightly overlap). Thanks!

DC also includes Husavik, an interesting town and the setting for the movie ‘ “Eurovision Song Contest”, recently still available on Netflix. More important it is a center for whale watching,  has a fine Whale Museum, and is the oldest settlement in Iceland. NT consists of some important natural geological sites, Lake Myvatn, Dimmuborgi, etc. DC includes some of these sites as well. Both would be great!

10 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We have found that the wine list and availability depends on where in the world the ship is sailing.  Viking cannot load endless supplies of wines to a ship and they restock in many ports.  It does depend on what stock is available in the restocking ports.

 

Veuve Clicquot which has been mentioned here many times has not been available on some of our cruises although normally on the menu.  We were disappointed on the Treasures of the Rhine cruise that it was not available, although it was on the menu. 

You are absolutely correct. On our last Mars trip my favorite Austrian wine (Gruner Veltliner) was available. Never saw it on any of our previous trips and will be curious to see if it is available on upcoming Mars trip in a couple months. 

5 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

I see that there are laundry facilities on board Viking Ocean ships.  Are they typically over-subscribed, or can you generally find a machine to use without too much trouble?  Are passengers generally courteous / reasonable, and don't dump your laundry in a pile if you don't pick up IMMEDIATELY?   We have three 'sailing days' on an upcoming cruise, so presumably we'll have time to do such mundane tasks. 

 

Are "accessories" - soap, softeners, dryer sheets, etc - available for purchase in a vending machine or similar?  Are there ironing boards and irons available? 

 

And what about laundry service - how much does it cost, for example, to have a men's long-sleeve shirt laundered and pressed, and what is the turn-around time for such service?  Thanks! 

No charge to do your own laundry. Detergent is automatically added by pressing a button. Dryer sheets are discouraged due to some people’s allergies. My husband does our laundry on vacation and never had a problem getting a machine early in the morning, Laundry service is wonderful! Returned quickly, beautifully wrapped like a present or on hangers. A real included perk for PJS and above; extra charge (reasonable, IMO) for everyone else.

1 hour ago, KDN2024 said:

Also, anyone have any input on Mt. Ulriken vs Mt Floien in Bergen?

Floyen is closer to the center in Bergen and more popular. You can ride the funicular up, hike around the top or back to town (good path). There is a restaurant on top (currently undergoing renovations). Ulriken is out of town (a bus ride or cab is probably necessary). If I remember correctly you ride a cable car up. There is a restaurant on top. It is a very long hike back to town or some very ambitious people have hiked to Floyen - I have no idea how that is done. 

1 hour ago, DaveA said:

How does it work in restaurants? Do they top up house wine glasses without being asked? Does the same happen if I order a different wine on the SSBP list?

When we had the SSBP package we asked for a particular wine in the restaurant which was then kept available for us each night. We ate at the same table so the waiter got to know this and he brought it without asking. I don’t know how it works if you ask for a different special wine each evening or eat infrequently in the Restaurant.

1 hour ago, jkadventures said:

We are sailing in May of 2025 and the itinerary was changed to Tallinn. It is listed on MVJ that way. 

That is great news! Tallinn is a fascinating city!

12 hours ago, Mad-39 said:

Does anyone have any input on which paid excursions on the Bergon to Stockholm cruise are worth the money. I can’t do them all so trying to get the best bang for the buck!

Appreciate all the input!

Just my opinion: The Flam Railroad (Eidfjord), Pulpit Rock (Stavanger), Behind the Scenes at the Munch Museum (Oslo, if you like the art of Munch), Full Day Classical Oslo ( if you have never been to Oslo and don’t want to explore on your own-it covers a lot of ground). People enjoyed the long day in Berlin (if you haven’t been there previously). It really all depends on what your interests are; do some research and then decide.

8 hours ago, ChrisB123 said:

I paid for gratuities a year in advance, right from the MVJ site. 🤷‍♂️ It's easy to do and easy to see.  By the time we actually cruise, we won't even notice it. That way our favorite crew members will get a cash amount extra. 😁

The only reason we don’t pay gratuities in advance is we have often had excursions cancelled and end up wit a lot of extra OBC, which is helpful in paying for gratuities at the end of the trip.

1 hour ago, ericosmith said:

Can you book more than one included excursion at a port when two are offered?

Once you are on board, if there is enough time between excursions, you are sometimes ( and I emphasize “sometimes”) able to book a second one. 

3 hours ago, amelia3171 said:

Viking told us that our April 2025 Homelands changed from Mariehamn to Tallinn about a month ago. Looking forward to seeing Tallinn. 
 

Consider this a winner! Have been to both places; Tallinn is definitely more interesting and a fascinating city, especially the walled Old Town. Don’t miss the tower. Enjoy!

On 2/22/2024 at 1:24 PM, dleahy4444 said:

Sailing July 2024. First time to Iceland. First time on the Silhouette. I booked a sunset veranda at a premium expecting great views as we approached port but now I’ve read that the real scenery is once you are on land? (Ican book an Aqua room for less, so if there is not much to see perhaps I’d switch) 

What are the must sees? Any tour recommendations? I’d appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks so much!!

The Golden Circle is the most popular tour and probably a good suggestion for a first time visitor to Iceland. It includes Skogfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir. The first is a waterfall, the second a Geysir and the third is where the first parliament was held and where the North American and Eurasian plates come together (they have been growing apart- and you can see down in many places.) Many companies have this tour from Reykjavik.

13 hours ago, JM0115 said:

Pulpit Rock cruise.

Gdańsk on Foot (Included), Behind Closed Doors at the Munch Museum (if you like art and Munch’s work), Flam RR or Voss, Geilo and Bergen RR. Just my opinion…there are many others and some places just wander on your own, after doing some studying of the port.

On 2/20/2024 at 7:55 AM, pmjnh said:

We will be in Helsinki from 6 AM to 5 PM. have you rented a car in Helsinki? If so, how far from the cruise port are the car rental companies? We are thinking about renting a car and going out to the countryside.

 

Thank you 

Have you checked out what is available in Helsinki? If you have never been there before there is much to do/see. The market, art museum, history museum, sculptures, a “Rock” church, a great book store, cafes, walking tours, etc. It is one of my favorite cities! 

48 minutes ago, Coconutguy said:

Sorry if I am out of place. Trying to find out if anyone has taken the Viking expedition cruise from Duluth.  If so what was the exact cruise terminal address. Hoping to book a nearby hotel. Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance. 

Viking boarding location was the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. We tendered to get to the ship. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Canal Park (upscale Hampton Inn!)…lots of restaurants in the vicinity. 

19 hours ago, mc1962 said:

 

Thanks! All very helpful info. Our confirmation did list Newhaven, but it was changed after that. We may just save Edinburgh for a future Scotland-only trip.

 

We would like to do both the kayaking and included bus tour in Geiranger. I would prefer to bus in the morning (8:30-11:30) and kayak (12:45) in the afternoon, but don't want to miss the paid tour if the bus tour comes back late, plus the tender issue. Will have to look into whether we could find some lunch where ever the tender docks, to stay there between events.

If I remember correctly there are a couple of restaurants and I think there is a fresh fish booth with fish sandwiches. 

1 hour ago, luv2ndhalf said:

We are going to be docking in Warnemunde on a Sunday in August - 

We are interested in spending our day in Rostock and Warnemunde....are shops and restaurants open on Sundays?

We prefer to go by private car as opposed to train or bus....Is it easy for private transfers to pick up at the dock? Is it an easy walk from Warnemunde to the ship? TIA

 

Warnemunde is an easy walking area. We spent part of the Sunday we were there walking 

the beach, enjoying all the families there and wandering the town. A “typical” beach town, lots of shops selling ice cream, etc. looked as though we had been transported back to the 1950s. Rostock is a fascinating town…we had a guided tour and then wandered on our own. Easy trip back to Warnemunde. 

1 hour ago, May B said:

Don’t forget to check out the pool grill for lunch. Burgers made to order are great but also a wonderful ahi tuna grilled to order. And two versions of hot dogs. IYKYK. Also a salad bar similar to what’s offered at the World Cafe.

 

Bon voyage, jondfk!

Absolutely right. I forgot this…a favorite place for lunch!

23 minutes ago, formernuke said:

The restaurant does NOT require reservations (did only during COVID). Manfredi's and Chef's Table do. Reservations can be made before the cruise based on your category (different categories get a specifc number of reservations), on board using the App or got to the restaurant station.

On our Expedition ship this past summer reservations were required in the Restaurant, ‘tho you could just show up and and would have to wait a bit.

2 hours ago, Mapomp said:

First, I know food is so very subjective, what I like you may find repulsive, but in general.....  I'm looking at Panama Canal on (I think?) Mars.  We recently cruised Regent Splendor and Oceania Vista (for reference) and loved them both, for food and the ship.  From what I've been able to research, I think I'll love the ship, but I haven't been able to find much about the food or any sample menus.  And I'm unclear about how many specialty restaurants there are.  I have more questions, but I'll keep this to food related for now. 

Help?

Thanks!

MA

We were on the Mars Panama Canal cruise. Food was fine…different people have different tastes. Sometimes all we wanted was a waffle (Mamsens), sometimes more exotic (Chef’s Table). We certainly never went away hungry! There is the World Cafe (a buffet that also has a Grill (good lobster tails), an Oriental area (good sushi) and everything else you would expect…my favorite-the gelato bar. The Restaurant serves more upscale servings; sit down service, menus are posted daily. The Library area has the early morning coffee/pastry bar. Mamsens has sandwiches, waffles, soup and a limited hot sandwich choice. The 2 speciality restaurants are the Chef’s Table, rotating International menus and Manfredis (Italian cuisine). The latter two and the Restaurant usually require reservations, depending on the passenger load. Tea is served most afternoons at 4:00. I.E., you will not starve on Viking!

There may also be tours of certain areas of the ship: the Bridge, the Kitchen and the Laundry. Ask at Guest Services because they are not usually advertised. 

4 minutes ago, FoggyEthan said:

At a tender port, is the start time for a shore excursion the time you need to be waiting in the theater, and the end time the time you are back on-board Viking after return tendering? i.e. is the apparent time for the shore excursion actually approximately an hour longer than the excursion's real total time, because the first and last half hours are eaten by tendering?

 

I'll be in Svalbard / Longyearbyen for 2 days and sadly we'll be tendering. (Surprising since no other ship is listed as being in port that day.) I'm trying to figure out what shore excursions I can combine, perhaps by not returning onto the ship, just staying by the dock.

 

Bonus points if you know if Viking will provide regular shuttles from the dock into town, and whether there's any way to get a quick lunch (sandwich?) at the port without tendering back first.

 

Thanks!

-- Ethan

 

From a website I follow, there are restaurants In Longyearbyen as well as what looks like a great bakery.

The Nordica is a nice hotel, but not centrally located. There are some okay restaurants in the area, but we took the bus (the hotel use to give you a transportation pass) to downtown for dinner. If you are eligible, the Executive Suite is one of the best I have encountered.

1 hour ago, brzymom said:

I ordered yaktrax from amazon--any idea how easy/difficult they are to take on and off? 

When you receive them practice putting them on and off….you will find what works best for you. Putting them over the toe first, then the heel worked best for me. Practice walking on an old piece of carpet to get your balance. Best to stay off concrete; it can damage the cleats.