misha227

I'm interested because I have Princess Plus and the website says these 'premium desserts' can  found in the Gelateria, Swirls, or Coffee and Cones. That's great but I'll be on the Sapphire Princess and it doesn't have any of those venues. (I will miss gelato!)

14 hours ago, cathyawagner said:

On Oosterdam ship, did they have the shows on big main stage every night? Or have they been cancelled? And how did COVID situation feel on board? Did you feel safe from infection?

I'm on Oosterdam right now and the nightly shows are still there! (Well, it's only day 2 or 3 but so far...) I'm not sure if masks are required in the theater because I haven't gone to a show yet.

If you choose to wear masks, you will be in the minority. But I haven't seen anyone being hassled about it.

If you want to have dinner at your own table, they can generally do that in the MDR but it might be a few minutes more of waiting versus sharing a table... maybe 10 minutes more, if that. (Excluding gala nights or whatever the new name is...) You might want to make reservations for a table for 2 those nights, or every night. You can do this even if you have the flexible dining option (i.e., no fixed dining time).

I've only seen a handful of people wearing masks on the ship. On the excursions,  you're supposed to wear a mask inside the bus but I don't know how well this is enforced. On the bus ride from Venice to Trieste, only about 4-6 people out of approx. 50 wore masks. There wasn't even an announcement to say masks were required or recommended.

I feel safer than at my home but we have a lower vaccination rate. I don't believe you can ever be 100% safe but the ship is not full and there are plenty of places to go where you're able to sit farther away from others.

9 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Food Question:

 

We will be a group of eight (8) and will engage italytours for a private tour.

 

The question I have is, we have one vegan and one one person who has GI problems and require a special diet... will IT be able to assist in finding a restaurant which will be able to handle these special diets???

 

Or any other input about this??

 

gracie and bon voyage

If you email ahead of time (I've been speaking with Christina by email) and let them know the requirements, they will absolutely do their best! Christina will pass this information along to the driver and/or guide. They might have to rearrange the order of stops or similar so that you're in a more populated area at meal time so it's best to let them know ahead of time.

I concur with everything that has been said. However, I wear a swimsuit coverup or lightweight cotton dress between my cabin and the spa. I do not wear that while I'm in the spa at all--I leave it in the locker until I'm ready to leave.

I'm in a spa; there's no harmful sun; there are plenty of towels so I can wrap up if I feel the need. If you wish to wear a t-shirt or a cover-up in the pool or to the edge of the pool for modesty, feel free as everyone's comfort level is different.

However, when I was a young girl at the lake I observed older men walking around with all manner of bumps, lumps, and weird bulges...all without a care in the world! They were not struggling to cover themselves or fretting that they would give offense. They were living their best lives! I decided then that I would do the same, even though we are told that women's bodies are not to be displayed with pride. I wear one-piece bathing suits as they're what I prefer, and I walk about just as if I were wearing a ball gown. 😁One of my friends keeps saying "Women are allowed to take up space in this world" and I think it's a good thing to remember.

Yikes. Thanks for the responses, everybody!

Well, that seals it then. No reason at all to purchase a pass. It is a port-intensive cruise with the only sea days being Saturdays. (Why Saturdays and not Sundays, when there are so many churches and cathedrals to visit...which are closed to the public on Sundays...strains my brain to contemplate. But that would be for a different thread, LOL!) I would likely miss a day or two anyway, so daily passes it shall be.

Ultimately, I will be spending far less than I otherwise would have, had I been able to purchase the couple's pass. I will have to make the decision every day: Is it really worth the extra cost today? My miserly nature will win out most of the time, and HAL will lose out on revenue they could have easily captured with that couples promo.

(I am not miserly when it comes to clothes or quality footwear, but in other areas of life my upbringing shows.)

Thanks again!!!

I'm going to be sailing in mid-July so this is a bit early, perhaps, but I very much want to purchase a Thermal Suite pass. My roommate & I are actually doing two 12-days, back-to-back. Lucky, I know!

Anyway, the online system will only show the pricing for a single person Thermal Suite pass for a 12-day cruise, at $299. I'm wondering if anyone has taken a 12-day cruise this year and can share what the onboard price was for a "couple's" pass for a 12-day cruise?

Also, if anyone knows the current price for a one-day pass that would be helpful as well. It does not seem to be a very good deal to purchase the 12-day pass for one person, if I'm remembering the price of a one-day pass correctly--if you miss a day or two, any savings is gone. But I could be remembering wrong, or perhaps prices have increased.

We'll be sailing on the Oosterdam, if that matters.

Thanks for your help!

I've only been on NCL once, on one of their smaller ships, the Dawn. The crew were attentive and friendly and in this, they were almost as good as HAL. The ship was in good condition for her age. It was laid out tolerably well and we were able to find our way around easily for the most part (only ended up in the kids' club or arcade twice).

However, I felt the food in the MDR was subpar. There were some dishes that were very good, but there were more misses than hits and the quality ranged so widely that this became a big liability in my eyes. They want you to pay in order to eat in the specialty restaurants, so they purposely cut corners in the main dining rooms, is my conclusion. They do not have enough capacity to serve all pax in the main dining rooms plus the buffet if they all decided to eat there, at any rate. We did try several of the specialty restaurants because of the "free-pay-only-the-gratuities" promotion and they were quite good.

The buffet was also poor in my estimation, mainly because the food was hardly ever served at an appropriate temperature unless you had the cooked-to-order items like omelettes or pasta. They have a heated base and heat lamps, but they do not have steam tables; this does not keep the food at a proper temperature and it was usually cold by the time I made it back to my table and began to eat. (I do not walk THAT slowly!) I never observed any crew member conducting a temperature check on any buffet dishes, either.

Finally, and I realize this is a risk we took traveling during COVID, but this was at the height of the Omicron surge and it was clear before we sailed that several stops were not going to allow us to stop there (San Juan and two Southern Caribbean ports). There were 6 stops on our itinerary, and we only made one of the original stops. Four were replaced with other stops, and one was replaced with a sea day. The sailing after ours, and after that, and after that, and then I stopped checking...all of those were cancelled. They should have cancelled ours, as well, as they knew before sailing that at least 3 of the 6 ports were not going to allow us to go ashore. (This was public knowledge, having been covered by major news outlets.) They would not allow us to cancel even though we had booked under their "COVID book with confidence" guarantee, or whatever it was called. We had planned exciting experiences on several of these stops--swimming with the dolphins, a zip-line over a forested canopy, and a horseback ride on land and into the Caribbean ocean--and yet the shore excursions that they were able to offer on short notice consisted only of drives around the island, beach breaks, and catamaran rides with snorkeling. While there's nothing inherently wrong with any of these, they were in no way comparable to what we had planned. Also, I do realize the captain can skip a port or replace one if necessary. I expect this to be limited, however, and not to happen for FIVE ports out of SIX on a single itinerary!

We were offered no compensation--I expected only a future cruise credit--and when I filed a complaint I was simply told the contract allows them to substitute ports for any reason they see fit. Technically true, but this was not the cruise I had signed up for nor paid a pretty penny for. I will not be sailing with NCL again, no matter how good their deals seem. In the end, it was not that great of a deal and the experience was not up to the expectations I have from my experiences with HAL.

If you enjoy NCL, that's great! Have fun!

16 hours ago, Bigbluegal said:

it is ridiculous to have an expiration of

1 year when cruises have only recently resumed with limitations.  We had two cruises scheduled and can only cruise during school breaks so two in one year is not necessarily possible.  

I agree, one year to book and take the cruise is unreasonable. Not everyone has tons of vacation time waiting to be used up, and I already have a cruise booked for December 2022 that was rescheduled from 2021 with another line. That leaves me two weeks in August, so I would be forced to go wherever NCL happens to be sailing at that moment in time. Not acceptable.

12 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

I'd be thrilled if everyone was considerate enough to test before mingling in the crowds at the pier. As the OP pointed out, waiting until check-in to test resulted in over a dozen Covid positive people potentially & needlessly exposing others.

 

I'm disappointed to hear about the lack of support from NCL at the pier, but it's understandable considering the circumstances.  If more people were proactive, it would make it easier (and safer) for everyone.

The OP said in their original post that the family tested negative, twice, before arriving at the pier. Seems they were doubly considerate.

4 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

GEEZE... something this important and they didn't get a proof reader?

 

I believe that should read 'can be achieved". 

 

Or reword that second line completely to eliminate the double negative.

FOllowing Exceptions: When physically distanced outdoors

 

Someone at NCL should be reading carefully and slowly 

 

 

No typo.

If you are outdoors and you CAN physically distance, then you should do so, and you do not need to wear a mask while doing so.

If you are outdoors and CANNOT physically distance because it is too crowded, at that point you must wear a mask even though you are outdoors.

I'm on the Dawn January 2, 2022

 I can only book the first 7 days of an 11-day cruise. I called and the agent couldn't book the last few days, either. I think it is a glitch. I was 120 days out when I called, and our final payment had been moved to 60 days... and that did not impact my ability to reserve dining. 

3 hours ago, jefarl said:

So there is an option to apply the free offer towards a unlimited package? 

Yes, you can do that. It should be available online. You would have to pay full price for the second person's unlimited package, though. 

You do know two people can share one package, right? You just have to logoff when you are done using the internet, and then your roommate or partner can login using their device. Only one device can be logged on to the internet at a time, but you could share a single account. (Unless one of you is a teenager!)

Both of you can use the wifi on ship all the time for the NCL app all the time, though. No charge for that.

18 minutes ago, Kerrfamily said:

I am not concerned in any way by the requirement. I just have not seen this requirement on our previous Viking Ocean Cruises. We always clean up and change for dinner. But from earlier threads, it looks like no denim breakfast or lunch?? that’s where I am confused. 

I just wore long denim shorts and a nice top to The Restaurant for breakfast and lunch today. I suppose they could be bending the rules because there are so few people on board (only 110-120 pax), but I don't think so? These were no problem at times other than dinner. I wear a dress to dinner, though.

PaulaPatti4, I am also cruising solo. My name is Susan and the last name starts with Sch, and it's quite long.  Maybe you can find me on the Viking app once on board? I tried to message you here but couldn't. See you on Friday! 

12 hours ago, JeriGail said:

It doesn't!  The "no sleeveless" might apply to excursions that visit religious sites:

"Some shore excursions visit religious sites that require modesty of dress. To avoid being denied entry, we recommend men wear long pants and refrain from sleeveless shirts; and for women, clothing that covers the knees and tops that are not sleeveless or too revealing."

It also says: "There are no “formal nights” in the evening; evening dress is “elegant casual” for all dining venues, performances and special events. On these occasions, required attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse."

I was interpreting the request for a "sweater or blouse" for the ladies as a request for nothing sleeveless. I guess that's not the intent? Thanks for clarifying! 

The thing I'm not keen on is the idea of not permitting sleeveless dresses for the ladies--requiring sweaters or shrugs. Personally, I wear them because my upper arms are not toned, but that's my personal decision. If someone wants to wear a stylish sleeveless dress to dinner, why should that not be allowed? Their dress code reads as if this would be a violation. Is it treated as such?

I'm so worried...I just got back my approved Bermuda Travel Authorization...It's Green and it says Approved...so I guess I'm okay?

However, somehow I messed up the application or something, because next to "Have you had contact with someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days?" is a huge Y! That is not accurate; I must have selected the wrong answer.

I arrive in Bermuda on August 13, so I guess I will tell them that the exposure was on July 28 (within 14 days of today, when I filled out the form...but outside of 14 days from August 13)?

I'm also a bit on edge because my printer has decided to stop working, or the app on my phone, or something...so I may have to lug my laptop into the office to print out some documents. Although if this "Y" answer gets worked out, I'll be so relieved that I won't care!

So excited to be cruising, even if it is just being docked for five days!!!

On 8/8/2021 at 11:10 AM, paulapatti4 said:

Thank you for posting a link to the review!

Based upon all the research and tips posted by all who have experienced Bermuda trips, I took a leap and booked the 8/13 sailing.😀

This will be my first Viking trip but from all of feedback and reviews, thinking this will just be the start of my relationship with Viking.

I can't tell you how much I have relied on the information gathered on cc to guide me through what I need to prepare for the trip and what to expect along the way.

 

Tomorrow will be Covid PCR test and fingers crossed, Tuesday I can submit BTA form.

 

Unfortunately the roll call started for 8/13 is silent, I'm sure I will connect with fellow cruisers once I step on to the ship.

 

Again, thank you for all your posting, tips and words of wisdom. I believe the term used was trail blazers and that aptly describes all of you!

 

Paula

See you August 13, Paula! I'm on that cruise and packing as I type!

--Susan

I went on my first cruise when I was about 40--it was with my mother, but I still had a great time! You'd be surprised; yes, many of the passengers are older, but they are almost all active and ready to explore! It's definitely not like visiting a nursing home or senior's center! Lots of people ready to get out there and see exciting and historic places, and who enjoy being pampered. Viking ships have enough room for everyone on board, they don't feel crowded like some other lines can. I'm 48 now, and I've been on several cruise lines since. Viking is really top-of-the line unless you pay a great deal more, and with the zero single supplement, it's a great deal!

I will say that the included excursions can be a bit tame--they are general overview types of excursions meant to get you familiar with a place. (I usually advise taking the ship's tours because the ship is guaranteed not to leave without you; if you take a tour you've arranged independently, and you return too late, the ship will have left already. At that point, you're responsible for the cost of trying to catch up with your ship at the next port...if that is even possible. However, reputable tour operators always do their best to get you back on time. You can find those here or on Tri_____sor--not sure if I'm allowed to mention the name of other sites?) In any case, check out some of the "pay extra" tours offered by Viking if you are a bit more adventurous.

On 7/12/2021 at 1:10 PM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

About to take my first HAL cruise in August, but as much as I love Princess, the one think that really irks me about them is that they fail to provide a sitting area in any of their cabins except for "deluxe" balcony rooms and above on their newer ships.  You shouldn't have to get an upgraded room just to have a small sitting space other than your bed.  I also really like that HAL has tubs in their rooms.  I hate those small showers where you might as well just shower without the curtain and get water everywhere.  I hate a wet bathroom!  The lack of a sitting area is one of the things that will likely draw me to other lines to try though.  We just booked two cabins on a Carnival cruise on one of their newer ships for 7 people and it was about what we pay for a Princess cruise for the two of us.  Carnival provides sitting areas too.  Don't get me wrong, we are only doing this for the kids.  I can't do a "fun" ship on the regular.    

 

Don't get me wrong though.  I do love princess for lots of reasons though.  I'm hoping to love HAL too!

I agree about the lack of cabin seating on Princess. I took a Panama Canal cruise with them in February 2019. It was my first Oceanview room (I'd always had Verandahs before), so I thought perhaps that was the problem? No, it was a Princess "thing." I was cruising solo so it wasn't such a big deal, but if there had been two of us, having to sit on the bed the whole time? No thank you!

I also enjoy the bathtubs on HAL, but not all cabins have them. I don't mind having only a shower...I just wish they had glass doors instead of those awful, cannot-ever-get-them-clean, clingy shower curtains! Eeeeewwwww!  I never considered going without the curtain...Hmmm.

The Goya I have found is not pure juice...its second ingredient, after water, is High Fructose Corn Syrup. Ew. I do not mind the water, but I draw the line at HFCS. Even a little cane sugar I could forgive...but certainly not as the second ingredient!

Oooh, guava! I'll have to ask for that the next time I'm on HAL! I usually eat in the MDR, unless I'm going on an excursion and then it's room service....

My usual is pineapple juice.

I made a mistake. Well, no way to tell yet whether it's a mistake or not... I'm returning from a Caribbean cruise to Tampa on January 13. *If* my presentation got accepted at a particular conference, and *if* they didn't schedule me to present on the 13th, I need to fly not back to my origin airport but rather to Washington, DC in order to attend the conference.

1. Is that something that the NCL Air program is even capable of--routing me to a different city outbound than where I came from inbound? Assuming that they're both connecting cities on NCL's list, of course.
2. I purchased the "second person flies free" promo. I'll be traveling with my sister. I'm not sure how keen she will be to extend her trip to attend a boring conference with me (although there's lots of stuff to do in DC, and there's a metro station right in front of the hotel). Anyway, *if* my sister would rather just go home, would it be possible for NCL to send me one direction and her another direction? Again, as long as both destinations are on their list of connecting cities.

Just asking in case anyone has any insight or previous experience. I know that for the real answers, I'll have to ask NCL. Thanks!

I'm booked on the Westerdam from February 15 to 29. I'm fine with the change in itinerary, and was looking forward to Japan and South Korea actually. But now I see that the Diamond Princess has a 2-week quarantine in effect--this, I would not be fine with.

I bought travel insurance but it does not include cancel for any reason. I was unhappy to find out that, even with a letter from my physician documenting asthma, the travel insurance would not pay out and considers this "fear of traveling" (which is not covered).

I'm not afraid of getting the virus--I understand the risks of that and am willing to take on those risks--but I am unwilling to subject myself to a two-week quarantine either on ship or on a military base when re-entering the USA. Looking into my options now.

Mom and I are doing the same partial transit in December and we decided to take the excursion that goes through the Pacific locks. That way we get the best of both worlds. I can't imagine it's that great to see the same lock coming and going, but that's just me.

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