Twitchly

Blue Cross works internationally — at least ours does.

Thanks for the great review. That’s surprising about the World Cafe. We’ve never had an issue with rudeness there. But every cruise has a different feel to it. Sorry you ran into that. Yes, we’re huge fans of the Explorer’s Lounge — easily our favorite spot on the ship!

Looking forward to living vicariously! Here’s hoping they stock pistachio rolls for you.

According to their website: ——— Vaccination: For departures on or before October 31, 2023, Viking will continue to require that all guests be vaccinated against COVID-19. We suggest carrying your physical vaccine records at all times.Viking will not require COVID-19 vaccination for voyages departing on or after November 1, 2023. For added protection, we recommend that guests stay up to date with all relevant vaccines, including COVID-19, in accordance with their healthcare provider. Plese Note: Select countries continue to have COVID-19 related travel requirements. You will receive details via e-mail ahead of your departure. ——— https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/why-viking/health-and-safety/health-and-safety-faq.html

I think I’d rather skip the dunk and go straight to the aquavit part.

This sums up our experience beautifully.

Good points. I have often thought this myself. We’re a little younger than the average age we see on Viking cruises, and we definitely skew more informal. I don’t associate jeans or shorts with being too “Carnival” or “Walmart.” (Both terms smell just a teensy bit snobbish to me, frankly.) But I know that many — most — of the people we cruise with have a more extensive cruising background than we do and are used to a certain formality that comes with cruising, which they enjoy. We respect that. Maybe when we’re both retired we’ll see dressing up as more of an enjoyable event. In the meantime, it’s not like Viking is requiring tuxes and evening gowns. As you say, it will be interesting to see what changes the next generation of cruising will bring.

I can relate to this. One thing I appreciate about land tours is the opportunity to eat local food. Would love to see Viking offer more of this, though I understand the complications it would present.

In Britain last fall, many (most) places took Apple Pay. We could just tap our phone or watch. We carried a backup card just in case. And our health insurance cards, which have a number to call when overseas. No driver’s license.

Trying to imagine how much someone would have to pay me to get into one of those things …

On Ocean ships, daytime clothing can be casual. T-shirts, shorts, fine. It’s just in the evening at three of the four restaurants that things get a bit more formal — collared shirts for men, etc. No idea about River ships, but I’ve heard they’re a bit more casual than Ocean.

*Now* I find this out.

He’s marvelous! Love the destination performances.

Would you be willing to share your thoughts on the two cruise lines? And his?

What a fabulous photo!! Thanks for sharing it. I love vintage cruise shots. Another world.

My thoughts exactly.

Good to know. Your review was helpful; thanks. I’d be interested in hearing about dress as well. In particular, do O or Seabourn have formal evenings? That might be a dealbreaker for us unless they’re easily avoidable.

Looking forward to hearing comparisons from those who have cruised Viking plus Seabourn or Oceania. The onboard culture is something I’m particularly interested in hearing about. We fit very well into Viking’s culture; curious how the others compare.

This is exactly how we felt about our recent land tour to Israel/Palestine/Jordan. Like trying to drink from a fire hose.

We use them for groceries. (Maybe that’s one reason Viking doesn’t offer them. I’m guessing Kroger’s isn’t quite the association they’re looking for.)

Wow. Neither of our travel agents offered anything close to those numbers.

Another way to handle that is to bring black pants. (Or another neutral.) No need to wonder about pairing. We have taken cool-weather cruises so far. For the second cruise, we decided to just bring carry-ons because of all the luggage problems the airlines were having. So I left the jeans at home and just brought black knit pants. They went with everything and were wearable in all the restaurants. And they didn’t show dirt, a major plus for a mess like me!

That was the main (only) benefit of our TA experience. Does anyone know if you can get a credit when dealing directly with a Viking?

That reminds me of another activity offered on one of our cruises: nighttime star-gazing on the top deck with an astronomer. He was one of the visiting lecturers.

I’m sure that’s true. We’ve tried two TAs and had two misses so far. I’m starting to feel like Charlie Brown and the football. At some point you have to know when to say “enough.” Fortunately booking a cruise vacation isn’t exactly complicated.