sippican

Have been in that cabin/ location on a number of sailings. In fact, that's my cabin of choice due to the balcony size. Never heard a thing from the closet. Honestly, I do not understand the reservations about having a connecting cabin. Has never, ever been a noise issue.

The fourth cabin in from the starboard side is absolutely wider on the S class ships (numbers vary). Just pull up some aft photos.

I just had clients return from the voyage last week. We chose Atlas over Viking for the pricing. They were excellent to work with from my standpoint, although it is complicated to work around their preferred vendor. Your personal ta can provide extra perks so if considering them, use a familiar ta if you have one. I have not heard back from my friends, but from the photos, look like they had a fantastic trip. (Other than airline snags which seem to be global) I myself was booked on the Viking sailing that was cancelled due to the rogue wave incident. I requested a refund to decide whether to book with Atlas instead. I am wondering about their excursion offerings since those are the highlight. I know Viking offers more, all included; Special Ops boat, kayaking, sub. Also, comparing the actual number of activities for the duration of the cruise.

Thanks! We're sailing in a Sky Class, but I haven't sailed in RC suite class for quite awhile. We'll look forward to hearing from our concierge.

Does every suite tier receive communication from the Concierge prior to sailing?

So are the menus in each venue basically the same? Besides size, what are the differences between Coastal Kitchen and the Main Dining room?

Following this for an April port stop.

Geez I've really messed up today with the Viking fans. Whatever it may be called, their ships are notorious for being unable to navigate low waters in the European rivers, while most other companies continue sailing. I guess I was given the incorrect reason for that - basically, I was told they sit lower in the water, closer to the bottom (is that clear enough). I will apologize for not knowing the correct rems. If you follow the river cruise boards during times of low waters, (and even flooding), perhaps you can enlighten ,me as to why this might be. There are tons of very upset Viking cruisers when this happens, especially when they sit in hotels and on buses, watching other ships sail by.

Thank you for setting me straight - again! So are you contending that part of the Polar Code training is extensive active training on site in the polar regions. Of course, you cannot possibly contend that training equates to experience? Kind of like putting a well-trained med student right out of the classroom into the operating room.

Interesting discussion! I am wondering if anyone is even considering that the company is very new to expedition cruising, having only a partial season with Octantis under its belt. The crews are not seasoned veterans of those conditions. They have a huge customer base that will remain their loyal cheerleaders. The comparison to Carnival is a somewhat valid point. They cram more passengers onto their river boat ships, which are designed poorly (they have a lower beam which limits their capability to navigate low river conditions). They are the first line off the European rivers, placing their passengers on buses, while other companies continue to cruise. I wonder what cost cutting measures, if any, were considered during the construction of these ships? Pure speculation,

This was posted prior to any official notification. The e-mail came last evening. I am also a member of that page as well as a TA.

Passengers onboard

I was on the December 6th Polaris sailing. Good luck with your sailing. We are truly disappointed.

I chose to use the term as reported by passengers onboard (note the quotation marks).

Received official cancellation notice from Viking

Sorry about that. My apologies. Too late to edit.

Reports state it was a rogue wave that caused the damage, injuries and fatality. If you do a search, you will find that many other ships have suffered severe damage if they encounter one. Yes, they were in a storm. Her sister ship was built by the same company during covid and crossed the Drake multiple times last season. Although Viking expeditions are a new endeavor for them, a very experienced company, Quark, suffered the loss of two passengers in a zodiac accident a few weeks ago in Antarctica. Looking for someone or something to blame seems to be a fruitless venture but ceratainly questions worth asking. https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20221201-rogue-wave-kills-person-on-antarctic-cruise?fbclid=IwAR081mJahe3tYOrRPksuWq6QLft381uRZXCVGn3dGM2x_UmZcnxqx3Xq03g

Where did you get your information regarding the next cruise being cancelled? As a TA booked to depart 12/6, there has been no such notification or information from Viking. Their official statement says the next sailing will go as planned. (although that seems impossible).

It was reported that there was "an explosion" on the zodiac, which resulted in the woman's broken leg. Another passenger was thrown into the water but pulled in by crew. I have not read of any other injuries from that mishap. Since the woman was unable to be evacuated, the ship headed back When the rogue wave struck, one passenger died and four more were injured.

Yes, according to reports of those onboard the zodiac "explosion" resulted in a broken leg injury (another passenger was thrown into the water and pulled to safety). Evacuation by helicopter was not feasible so the ship needed to return to port so the injured woman could receive medical care. On the crossing, a rogue wave struck, destroying some cabin windows/walls on deck 2. several passengers were injured and one died. I am scheduled for the next sailing, which Viking claims will not be impacted! The government of Argentina is investigating. Some passengers have been unable to return to their cabins to retrieve any personal belongings.

In light of yesterday's tragedy on Viking Polaris when it was struck in the Drake Passage by a rouge wave, how does the PC rating impact a ship's actual seaworthiness? Should the ice rating be the only consideration? The ship was returning to port early due to a passenger injury, when a medical evacuation was not considered feasible.

The new Viking Polaris was heading back to Ushuaia early due to injuries suffered by a passenger when a zodiac "exploded". According to reports, a rogue wave struck the ship during a storm in the Drake Passage, causing severe damage to the ship, one fatality, and other serious injuries.

Are you scheduled to sail? We were scheduled to sail on Polaris on 12/6, but are hearing others on the pre-cruise excursion have been notified of the cancellation. Passengers on Octantis were read a statement from Viking that there was one death and others critically injured on Polaris. Those passengers currently on Polaris have not received any such news. Those in the impacted cabins have not been allowed to return to their cabins to retrieve any of their personal belongings until the investigation is finished.

Unfortunately, the Marine lab mentioned above closed some years age. I'd just like to add a few random observations. Having experienced Bar Harbor and Acadia both during high season summer, and shoulder season, late August, September (when most cruise ships call), I can assure you that the crowd level is ridiculous during both periods. During our recent cruise call in September, the restaurants were overflowing, the shops full and the passengers loaded down with shopping bags on the returning tenders. The load in Acadia Park was similar, but remember, the cruise passengers use tours or excursions, so the traffic was a bit lighter than summer. If the cruise tourists not spending money was a strong argument, that logic would apply to cruise ports elsewhere, particularly in the Caribbean. The main reason seems to come down to the permanent residents and very wealthy part-time residents that just want their quiet island back.

What are you proirities? You have chosen two top of the line ships (owned by the same company). You will be spending a great deal of time off-ship as the Galapagos are the real reason for the trip. My friends did sail Flora and raved about it. You will be doing basically the same excursion sites and experiences, so the differences will be ship amenities and cost. Do a ton of homework by reading reviews, etc. It is doubtful on here that you will find someone who has sailed on both, but you never know. We sailed Xpedition twice with only 48 aboard for a much lower price and loved every minute. Although the ship is older, it is lovely with a great crew.