molymoo

-Oslo is lovely and you can see most of what there is to see in the time you have for the extension. We pre-purchased hop on hop off tickets in advance and that enabled us to get around to most of the sights. Unfortunately it looks like the Viking Ship Museum is closed for refurbishments but the Fram and Kon Tiki museums are fun snd close together … easily done in an afternoon. The Vigeland museum/sculpture park is a nice stroll if the weather is nice. We had a lovely lunch on the waterfront during our wandering … we weren’t really lost but couldn’t say exactly where we were! If you are up for some authentic Norwegian food try the Engebret Cafe. It is the oldest restaurant in Oslo and although pricey … the food is good and the service charming. -The train is lovely … either side will give you great views. The seats are comfortable and when we went the Viking group had a car to ourselves. A tour guide stays with the group the whole time so things ran very smoothly, -Most of the excursions we took have since changed but in Edinburg any excursion that includes The Britannia is worth doing and St.Andrews is worth a visit. If you liked The DaVinci Code the excursion to Rosalyn is also a good one. We did a pre extension in Edinburg so got to see lots there. - I’ll stop there … still lots of time to plan!

We did this cruise in 2018 and started in Greenwich. We are doing it again later this month and starting in Bergen. Yes, we loved the cruise and for us it is worth repeating. I don’t think starting point will make much difference but I would recommend adding a pre or post that takes you to Oslo and the train to or from Bergen. Oslo is a bigger airport and you will have more flights to choose from. The train ride is spectacular. Oslo is a great little city too!

FWIW … I am neither a “foodie” (but I do like to eat!!) or the least but knowledgeable about wines but my daughter and travel partner is. She can absolutely tell the difference in the wines and appreciates the premium pairings at Chefs Table.

We often have very early flights and have often been the only ones leaving either the ship or the hotel at whatever ridiculous hour. The last two times we were picked up by very comfortable limos. We enjoyed our boxed "breakfast" in comfort as we were whisked to the airport without the hassles of rush hour traffic. The drivers were courteous and assisted us with our luggage to the airport doors. It's a bear to get up and have to leave in the wee hours but on the upside we generally get home to O'hare in Chicago at a reasonable hour and home before dinner!

You got it! And best to “check MVJ often” every day!

If you are ending your trip with Viking you will be given a printout of the results of your last test onboard to present for return to the US. If you are doing a Viking extension, it is my understanding that Viking will arrange a test for you at the appropriate time. If you extend the trip on your own you will have to make your own arrangements, but it sounds as though most hotels have been helpful in guiding you in getting the test necessary for the trip.

I think when all is said and done we will go with one of the many rapid tests available in our area. We will likely have to pay for them but the cost will be considerably less than the rapid PCR test we originally planned to take during the 72 hour “window”. We’ll have to schedule the test the day we leave which can be a little nerve racking, but with pre- planning and an appointment we should be okay. We are doing two nights in Oslo on a Viking pre-extension and not sure anyone will even see these test results! Norway has no Covid restrictions right now (we’re less than 30 days out) so we will arrive in Norway, travel to the hotel (in the evening) and there MAYBE meet with the Viking rep. If it is the wrong test, what are they going to do … send us home? I think we’ll be fine!

Right you are! Can’t keep the terminology straight … dealt with Medicaid a lot when I was a working stiff!

Wouldn't that be nice! Actually am a senior on medicaid but when I completed the questionaire to see if I was eligible for a free test it said NO ... the questions specified symptoms, exposure, and referral from health provider ... all were no from me so I guess I would have to fudge a bit to get it free. The "girl scout" in me has a problem with that.

Actually, I do not qualify for free test with CVS.

This has probably been covered but my mind is boggled. If we are doing a Viking extension prior to embarkation who will look and and assess the "validity" of our pre-flight tests. We have multiple options for getting this testing done and the prices range from "nominal" to $300.00 each. We are going to Oslo then to Bergen to board and Norway does not require any testing at this point ... certainly don't want to spend $600 if one of the more nominal ones will do.

We have always used the Viking insurance (actually Trip Mate ... they work with Viking they are not owned by Viking) will refund cash if the reason for cancelling is medical. We cancelled our first VO cruise in 2015 for medical reasons and we received a full refund ... 50% from Viking which was credited back to our checking account within two weeks of our email request and the rest (minus what we paid for the insurance of course) within a month of our initial contact with Viking. The cruise vouchers come with the "cancel for any reason" waiver and I believe is offered by Viking for those that insure with Trip Mate.

I am well aware of that ... I was simply trying to illustrate the fact that one cannot be sure of the time they will book the train for your extension ... on either route. I have done this extension twice and once we left Bergen at about 8:30 and another time we went on the 10:30 train. It is going to depend on what Viking is able to "book in bulk". Thank you for correcting me though.

Used to be the early one but recently have read reports of some leaving at the mid- morning (10:00 ish) and one person reported leaving from Bergen to Oslo at 2:00 in the afternoon! 😮

And … call housekeeping and request some ice. They’ll bring a bucket full and your stewards will fill twice a day!

Not sure about the beer but they will certainly fill with your choice of spirits and “soft” drinks. There are four small (airplane size) spirits … gin, vodka, whiskey, and something else … we requested just gin and tonic and one Diet Coke. They happily complied!

And in MVJ in the “Before You Go” section. This gets updated regularly and even more detail is added as the cruise date nears.

I will agree with others that this is an appalling story and you have made some very serious accusations against Viking. If it is true I wish you well in your endeavors to make things right but ... call me a skeptic ... I am thinking that your story is just that ... a story.

That was quite a perk and again, if you have a relationship with a TA that you know and trust, great! But even a hefty OBC will lose it's worth pretty quickly if you pick an agent for the perk and he/she happens to be a loser. For every "quite a perk" there is a horror story ... just know what you're getting into.

Isn’t here!

We always book directly with Viking … mainly because we do not have a TA we know, have a working relationship with and would trust with the details of our trips. Many people have agents they know and trust and they do enjoy some perks … but if you don’t already have one that you are comfortable with I wouldn’t jump into anything hoping to reap great rewards. TA “perks” are limited by their agreements with Viking so you’re not missing that much really.