Live From: Under the Midnight Sun!

[photopro2]

Hello again Carolyn,

 

I see from my tracking app that you are just about 80 miles due East of here as I write! I trust the North Sea is being kind to you even if it as overcast where you are as it is inland.

 

As you shortly be in London I wonder if you could sound out anyone you might meet from the Viking team there about progress on the City Terminal http://www.londoncitycruiseport.co.uk/

 

The site says that the opening will be "announced shortly" but it has said that for months. Maybe you will be able to see how things are going with the building work as I believe it is close to where you will be mooring?

 

Enjoy your voyage under The Queen Elizebeth Bridge and up the Thames, it might not be as scenic as the Norway coast but it is an iconic journey towards the old port of London. Hopefully your river pilot will take a bit more care through the Thames Barrier than the last one did with the Star :o In fairness it is a bit narrow!

 

We are looking forward to reading your article and trust you will have a great time in London :)

[jodi0553]

Alright, I've got one more question for those of you just wrapping up this trip and experienced cruisers. We're usually "plan it all ourselves and rent a car" travelers but decided a ship would be the best way to see Norway. We HATE crowds; we usually run and hide from bus crowds and do all we can to go places at off-times (a la Rick Steves). So, should we still do the included Viking bus tours in each port? In some ports, we've rented cars already - plan to see Shetland and Orkney independently - and in London we're prepared to take the tube to get around. We are used to walking 4-6 miles a day when traveling, too. That said, I love the history and culture lessons that the group tours provide. Are there any included tours that are walking tours that are a must do? Any included tours that are bus tours that we should avoid? We booked the included tours in most ports with the understanding that any can be cancelled if we change our minds. Thanks for the advice!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Photopro2 -- believe it or not I didn't forget you! Have asked around to a point, not gotten a sufficient reply, but am on to new sources, so will get back to you on this. Thanks for the nudge, never hurts....

 

I was told there are regular meetings about it and Viking has a rep who goes.

 

 

Carolyn

 

Hello again Carolyn,

 

I see from my tracking app that you are just about 80 miles due East of here as I write! I trust the North Sea is being kind to you even if it as overcast where you are as it is inland.

 

As you shortly be in London I wonder if you could sound out anyone you might meet from the Viking team there about progress on the City Terminal http://www.londoncitycruiseport.co.uk/

 

The site says that the opening will be "announced shortly" but it has said that for months. Maybe you will be able to see how things are going with the building work as I believe it is close to where you will be mooring?

 

Enjoy your voyage under The Queen Elizebeth Bridge and up the Thames, it might not be as scenic as the Norway coast but it is an iconic journey towards the old port of London. Hopefully your river pilot will take a bit more care through the Thames Barrier than the last one did with the Star :o In fairness it is a bit narrow!

 

We are looking forward to reading your article and trust you will have a great time in London :)

[editor@cruisecritic]

This is a great question, jodi0553 -- and hope my other pals from this voyage (and anyone else who wants to) will jump in, too.

 

We're pretty independent travelers and found the included tours to be hit and miss. In some cases, we just wanted a cursory overview of a place (thinking of Tromso) and that we'd get. But you really skim along -- for instance we were able to wander around the outside of the Arctic Church there but no time (or tickets) to go inside which seemed to me to defeat the point. Also in Tromso, where a highlight was driving out into the mountainous tundra to see where you can watch northern lights in other seasons, we flew past the city's well-regarded botanical garden. Considering its northern location, we would have loved to make a stop there. Edinburgh was just a drive around. We'd been to Shetland islands so just took the standard tour. The ponies were darling but the tour was otherwise kind of banal.

 

 

The more specialized tours can be more satisfying (the North Cape trip by boat to go crabbing, and then to a lovely camp where we ate them) was worth doing. But not always. I did the World War II tour in Orkney and it was right out of a textbook. Nothing terribly special.

 

 

Long way round to say -- if you have the time and the desire, especially because these ports are all pretty easy to get around -- book a car if you can. Journo colleagues of ours did just that in both the Shetlands and Orkney islands and came back with terrific stories and -- no photos with crowds anywhere.

 

Just my humble opinion!

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

For all the focus we’ve had on this trip off-the-ship, I thought it was important to say a few things about what the cruise experience was like. Is like. One more day (sad).

 

I’ve been lucky enough to travel on all of the Viking Oceans’ ships and others here (Roothy123, Peregrina651 I’m thinking of you guys) a lot of experience on the ship. There are tons of lovely discoveries and surprises to make for folks who are new to Viking (like the food at Mamsens, the beautiful infinity pool, the Aquavit Terrace, heated bathroom floors). And I thought I’d pretty much discovered all of them. But of course – not! So here are three new discoveries I’ve made onboard:

 

*The wonderful, wonderful spa has something called the “Nordic Bathing Ritual.” It’s held once or twice per cruise, always at 8 p.m. when the spa’s closed. Limited to about 10, and costing a well-worth-it $39, you’re taught by spa team about the whole philosophy of this facility, which incorporates hot and cold regimes.

 

I’ve heard and read all about it, but when you go through the experience, which lasts about an hour and a half, you learn how to use the snow-room (you don’t just stand there and contemplate who’s going to be on the receiving end of your snowball toss!). In fact, the purpose of the snow is to use it on your body to cool it down. This is of course after you’ve gone into the steam room and rubbed the most glorious scrub-stuff on you. I think. The order’s fuzzy now. The point is it’s fun.

 

Everyone winds up with the choice of a foot massage, hand massage or scalp massage. Our group came in all atwitter and chit chatting, and by the end we were all quiet and contemplative. Really – nice.

 

It’s also very lightly promoted (you may catch it in the daily program). Feel free to just inquire at the spa – you sign up there.

 

 

*Soul of the ship. This ship, as do the others, really has its own personality and you see it threaded through so many aspects of the cruise. It’s not just the spa. It’s entertainment features like the Munch Moments, held in the Living Room before dinner each night. It’s the food, where the chairman’s favorite dish (steamed salmon, boiled potatoes, exquisitely simple) is on the “every night” menu. It’s in Mamsens, with spades, which is all about Nordic cuisine. And it’s in the (again, deceptively) simple and spare décor, with its extensive Nordic art collection. It’s beautiful – there’s no cruise-manufactured furniture, but a lot of pieces we’d love to buy for our own home – but it’s also cozy and comfortable.

 

*Manfredi’s still great but…. You know, on every cruise I’ve been on aboard a Viking Oceans’ ship, passengers are all worried they won’t get to dine in Manfredi’s, the ships’ well-deserved, and award-winning, Italian restaurant. Me, too. And Manfredi’s is still amazing. But this time, for whatever reason, I spent more time in other venues. The Restaurant, the ship’s main venue (open for breakfast and dinner daily, lunch on port days) really wowed me this time around, both in quality of food and superb service from crew. The World Café is the ship’s top deck buffet venue and it’s always got a beautiful and just-varied-enough selection. The pastas, made on the spot, were incredible, and we love the sushi bar at night. Don’t miss the ship-made ice creams….

 

 

Carolyn

[Gigiandbaba]

This is a great question, jodi0553 -- and hope my other pals from this voyage (and anyone else who wants to) will jump in, too.

 

We're pretty independent travelers and found the included tours to be hit and miss. In some cases, we just wanted a cursory overview of a place (thinking of Tromso) and that we'd get. But you really skim along -- for instance we were able to wander around the outside of the Arctic Church there but no time (or tickets) to go inside which seemed to me to defeat the point. Also in Tromso, where a highlight was driving out into the mountainous tundra to see where you can watch northern lights in other seasons, we flew past the city's well-regarded botanical garden. Considering its northern location, we would have loved to make a stop there. Edinburgh was just a drive around. We'd been to Shetland islands so just took the standard tour. The ponies were darling but the tour was otherwise kind of banal.

 

 

The more specialized tours can be more satisfying (the North Cape trip by boat to go crabbing, and then to a lovely camp where we ate them) was worth doing. But not always. I did the World War II tour in Orkney and it was right out of a textbook. Nothing terribly special.

 

 

Long way round to say -- if you have the time and the desire, especially because these ports are all pretty easy to get around -- book a car if you can. Journo colleagues of ours did just that in both the Shetlands and Orkney islands and came back with terrific stories and -- no photos with crowds anywhere.

 

Just my humble opinion!

 

Carolyn

Carolyn, we are on the Viking Sea at the moment, and I am so glad that we canceled the optional tour in Tromso as 2 of the places I really wanted to see were the botanical gardens and the Arctic Cathedral. The ship was within walking distance of the botanical gardens so we walked there and spent 1 hour + just looking at the spectacular garden-totally in bloom. Then we hopped in a taxi and went to the Cathedral and spent some time there. It cost 50 NOK to get in. We then walked across the bridge and wandered around Tromso, finding a "locals" place for lunch. That was definitely the way to go!!!!

[Mrs Miggins]

Viking in Greenwich.

We are lucky enough to have a home in Greenwich. I saw one of the Viking ships on the river two weeks ago. Last night we were lucky enough to attend a wonderful concert in the grounds of The Old Naval College. I saw that Viking was again on the river.

I wonder if any of those onboard were able to attend the concert or perhaps even hear it when on deck.

Greenwich is wonderful but I am afraid it doesn't look quite so wonderful when the stage obscures the usual view when the ship is arriving or leaving.

We have had one Viking cruise and are booked again over New Year. However my one complaint is that it appears that onboard their local knowledge was poor. Of course when we were on board last September many of the ports were new. However that really does not excuse someone onboard doing some research and perhaps alerting passengers to local events which are happening whilst the ship is in town.

I know that last year there were complaints regarding available information when Viking were in London and I sincerely hope that things were better for those onboard now.

We have just returned from our sixth Azamara cruise. Whilst their back office is poor once onboard everything is great. I guess they have a longer track record in the ports but in general their information is better than on Viking.

In regard to the Proposed Greenwich Cruise Terminal, as they say here in the UK, I wouldn't hold your breath! There is substantial local opposition largely related to air pollution issues. We have been hearing that building would commence shortly for the last 6 years!

Very much looking forward to returning to the wonderful Viking experience at the end of the year.

[fairbourne]

Well what can I say - what a special, special trip we've just had on the beautiful Viking Sky.

 

Ending in Greenwich sitting on the top deck with a chilled bottle of champagne in the evening sun. Where exactly is that spot you may ask - ah well you will have to discover it for yourself! :D

 

Mrs Miggins - we could just about hear Michael Ball and Alfie Boe - we did look at getting tickets but the few left were at the very back of the concert site and we reckoned we'd just stay put on the ship with our champers!

 

Briefly, we enjoyed the included tours but we went into or should I say onto the coach not expecting much more than an overview and that was pretty much what we got. Some of our guides were better than others and we were happy to also do our own thing at other ports. We had more stops for photos and walks around in the included tours than we had thought may be the case due to previous comments, so that worked out well too.

 

I'll give you just a quick example and this is our opinion only. The excursion in Molde which took us to a collection of period houses in their open air museum was charming. We had a short talk in the chapel about the site by a guide wearing national costume and were entertained by local school children dancing and singing traditional songs. They also had a new (last year I think it opened) museum which was very interesting to walk around. We also tasted the local flatbread which was being made in the "bakery" and two of the children were there, chatting to us in perfect English and telling us all about how it was made etc.

 

It was cold, and raining (but it then cleared up) but some people came very ill-prepared for the weather there and ahead of us going further North, which is their own fault for not doing any research or heeding advice on layering so sadly I think some hastened back to the ship moaning about the cold etc. Well quite what do you expect if you turn up in open sandals and Capri pants? With a "bin liner" (trash can liner) plastic rain coat?

 

 

We did find Guest Services and the Excursions staff to not be quite so informed as they should have been, however, the excursions team did herd the cats very well!

 

They do not speak - and have never done - Gaelic in Shetland or Orkney so to put "take me back to the ship" in Gaelic on the front page of the Viking Daily, would have had a few in those places scratching their heads if shown this! We would also include Edinburgh as maybe a few folk there might and I stress might understand it but it's really not required at all. We did mention this to the asst cruise director.

 

 

So from Bergen to Greenwich, with fjords, snow capped mountains, a lot of blue noses, more delicious choices of food than we can possibly remember, "nothing was too much trouble" crew and staff, Mary Queen of Scots birthplace, a christening, a wedding, a haircut wi' a wee dram, a delightful and charming Godmother, Prosecco-a-plenty, a Norwegian SAR helicopter exercise, The Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, peedie ponies, Orkney ice-cream, postcards sent from the furthest north we've ever been, sitting under the midnight sun, a bumpy foggy night in the North Sea ......... And Finse! Oh joy of joys that much loved pooch and her family are a delight!

 

 

Talking of pooches, must go get ours! :hearteyes:

[photopro2]

Thanks for the interesting posts everyone and for the update from Greenwich mrsmiggins. As we will not now be expecting to walk on and off any reports on the effectiveness of tendering in London would be appreciated.

 

Sent from my mobile using the CC forums app

[fairbourne]

Photopro2 - tendering was easy.

 

It literally was a less than 5 minutes from ship to dock. The floating dock we were tied up to provided a very easy access to the tender boats which were in fact the boats used for sightseeing trips on the Thames - so very comfortable, no deep steps down or up as per the ship's tenders.

 

It was the easiest disembarkation we have ever had from any cruise line. A few days before we were sent the usual questionnaire about disembarking arrangements. We were independent so gave the time we wanted to be on the dock and were then provided with coloured luggage tags and a time to meet on level one (Viking Living room). This meeting time was 10 minutes before the tender was due to depart so everyone for that tender was waiting and then all got on at the same time, so the boat departed on time! They started tender runs I think around 0330! Some had very early flights and it's a good 2 hours run in a coach to Heathrow from Greenwich. Thankfully we were not so early, so were on the 0730 tender which meant 0720 meet. We were on the dock a few minutes later. Viking staff directed us to a marquee to collect our luggage which was arranged according to colour code - plenty of porters available to transfer luggage to waiting transport.

 

Our pre-ordered taxi arrived just before 8am which gave us time for a few last farewells to the crew setting up the welcome for the new guests arriving later that day, and standing by Cutty Sark with no-one else around was quite something!

 

There were two taxis available for hire with more around the corner - they are not usually allowed to wait right there but had been instructed by an official to come around but I'm not sure they got any takers as I imagine everyone would have pre-booked transfers etc.

 

The tenders seemed to run every half an hour to and from the ship/dock during the day before and then they reduced it to every hour after midnight until the guests started leaving early morning when it reverted to the half hour schedule. It was very efficient. You could also if you wished hop on the Thames sightseeing boats and water taxis right at the same pier - Greenwich Pier (Tier).

 

 

We flew home from London City Airport which was a short 25 minutes drive away and it was a delight to travel through there instead of the dreaded Heathrow. Great view of the Viking Sky as we took off. She looked beautiful proudly sitting there with the backdrop of Greenwich.

[Viking Cruises]

Dear Mrs. Miggins,

 

We're excited to be cruising with you again this December, and likewise look forward to another memorable experience. Moreover, while we regret to hear about a perceived lack of local knowledge during your last voyage, we do appreciate the feedback and invite you to reach out to us at TellUs@vikinbcruises.com if you're interested in discussing the matter further. Thank you for being our guest once more, and it is with pleasure that we welcome you aboard for our next journey together.

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises.

 

Viking in Greenwich.

We are lucky enough to have a home in Greenwich. I saw one of the Viking ships on the river two weeks ago. Last night we were lucky enough to attend a wonderful concert in the grounds of The Old Naval College. I saw that Viking was again on the river.

I wonder if any of those onboard were able to attend the concert or perhaps even hear it when on deck.

Greenwich is wonderful but I am afraid it doesn't look quite so wonderful when the stage obscures the usual view when the ship is arriving or leaving.

We have had one Viking cruise and are booked again over New Year. However my one complaint is that it appears that onboard their local knowledge was poor. Of course when we were on board last September many of the ports were new. However that really does not excuse someone onboard doing some research and perhaps alerting passengers to local events which are happening whilst the ship is in town.

I know that last year there were complaints regarding available information when Viking were in London and I sincerely hope that things were better for those onboard now.

We have just returned from our sixth Azamara cruise. Whilst their back office is poor once onboard everything is great. I guess they have a longer track record in the ports but in general their information is better than on Viking.

In regard to the Proposed Greenwich Cruise Terminal, as they say here in the UK, I wouldn't hold your breath! There is substantial local opposition largely related to air pollution issues. We have been hearing that building would commence shortly for the last 6 years!

Very much looking forward to returning to the wonderful Viking experience at the end of the year.

[roothy123]

:)

 

Very cool -- got a heads up about trip reports from Cruise Critic members currently onboard the Viking Star cruise, our same itinerary, that's winding up soon. Tomorrow, I think, as my colleague Adam Coulter, our UK bureau chief, is visiting the ship then. Anyway, big thanks to Cruise Critic member mhb1757 for sharing -- the trip reports start at page 20. If you read a few pages before 20 you'll appreciate the relative lack of travel chaos that's impacting our trips (there's began just as the British Airways snafu was unraveling).

 

Carolyn

 

 

 

 

 

Link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2346766&page=20

 

 

Not quite the same itinerary, and maybe not quite as great a job as other write-up's, but if anyone wants a bit of info on London to Bergen on Star, I've done little updates on my recently-concluded cruise. It's a Roll Call thread, but open to all and is located here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53438559#post53438559

 

What I wrote was mostly about the ports (cities) not the ship. However, between all of us, future cruisers should have a lot of good info on the midnight sun experience. (And yes, it was an experience. Gorgeous sun at 11 PM over snow-capped mountains in the Lofoten Islands was one highlight for me.)

 

P.S., perhaps you've returned to Dulles on international flights and found this to be the case all the time, but if not: Last evening when we came in, it took us all of 20 minutes to get on the mobile lounges and get through passport/customs control. Maybe it was just a fluke, but the lines from two years ago weren't there, and the only waiting time we experienced was at the baggage carousel.

Edited July 2, 2017 by roothy123

[photopro2]

Fairbourne - Thanks for the very detailed response in regard to tendering. Much appreciated!

 

Sent from my mobile using the CC forums app

[roothy123]

Excellent advice roothy123 ... re - Really helps to take a lanyard for your key card. You will use it a lot.What type of fastener (eg a hook or something similar?) do we need on the lanyard to secure the key card ? Thanks again, Frank

Sorry; just now saw this. Home now, but response is same as if I had written it earlier: I used an old plastic name badge holder plus a lanyard with a clip so that I could just slip the key card into where a name tag would be. I think it's possible to punch the card with a hole, but I don't recommend doing that, as I think there's a chip inside which "contains" info and picture which need to stay intact for scanning. I've also got a wrist wrap I use occasionally that will hold a key card, which is same size as a credit card. However, I like the lanyard because it's easier to hide in my clothing when I go out. While I felt completely safe in all the ports we went to, I still felt it was prudent to try to blend in and not scream "tourist."

[roothy123]

Carolyn's done a great job of capturing this cruise experience. To add a few highlights...

 

The spa space on this ship is incredible. Least busy times are when the ship's in port, especially at the beginning of the trip. We were often the only ones down there. Guaging by today, the facilities get much more crowded on "At Sea" portions of the trip. My suggestion is to take advantage of the spa - especially the steam room, large thermal pool, and snow room - during some portion of your port days. It's a great way to gear up for or wind down from your stimulating shore excursion. I also took advantage of a special that showed up in the Daily Viking: an evening experience that explained the methods and philosophy behind "Nordic Bathing" which involves alternating time in the sauna with exposure to cold (snowballs in the ice grotto!). It was a wonderful way to learn about - and experience - a great Scandinavian ritual!

 

So far this trip is all we expected and more. Stay tuned!

 

Silly me. I'm not into spas much, and because the other cruise lines I've used require payment, I've seldom been to the spa. However, I was determined to try Viking's. I changed into my bathing suit, suit cover up and sandals, and went to the spa. When I went inside I found there were lockers - each with robe, plastic shoes (good for the snow grotto), and a couple other things. After using the facilities my suit was still wet, although they DO have a wringer for that, which I didn't try. I went back to my room in a rather soggy state, shaking my head at being so spa clueless.

[roothy123]

Hello from Lofoten -- and a meet up (sort of) with Viking Star! We'll post a pic on Instagram later -- and will provide a meaty update on the ports of call, beyond Stavanger, that we've been to. Time flies as you know and now I'm behind :)

 

 

Carolyn

Did you see me waving from my personal photography spot, deck 2 aft???

 

On this cruise, we saw Sky AND we saw Sea at another port! I think Viking was monopolizing western Norway last week!

[Mrs Miggins]

Fairborne, so glad you heard a little of the concert in Greenwich on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday evening it was Cliff Richard. Greenwich is always busy with tourists, but over the weekend we also had lots and lots of excited fans. Most of course we're in the older age range but also surprisingly some youngsters. We could just hear the cheers from our garden.

In regard to this wonderful itinerary, I have also been reading a very good thread on the Azamara board about their cruise above the Arctic Circle. They say that Viking were often in the same port but Azamara always bagged the best dock !

Of course I love both lines and would love to book one of these itineraries. Such a difficult choice but a lovely dilemma to have.

[fairbourne]

Mrs Miggins - I read that piece of bragging too! Well all I can say is that Viking Sky was often the only ship in port on the days we called. We met the Viking Star in Lofoten and we waved and waved when we arrived but they'd already gone off on their tours and then we went off on ours and when we came back hoping to catch them, they'd gone! So we missed one another waving.

 

The Viking Sky, although arriving at Lofoten later than the Viking Star, had the privilege of docking with the Star sitting beautifully at anchor. The two ships together was stunning.

 

Maiden calls at all of these ports brought out fantastic local "welcomes" - I can't wait to tell you about "The Christening"!

 

 

Lots of photos too when I can sit down and upload them - still unpacking, doing laundry, picking up our own towels and making the bed! Heavens above what has the world come to? Ha Ha! And I can't even think about the "difficult choices" we had to make every evening for dinner! As my dear late mother would have said with a happy sigh "Aye lass, it's back to al' claes and tatties". I'll translate - you are home now dear girl, so it's back to your normal clothes and everyday food. Till the next time!

[fairbourne]

Fairbourne - Thanks for the very detailed response in regard to tendering. Much appreciated!

 

Sent from my mobile using the CC forums app

 

No problem, any other questions, ask away! I've never been shy of words! ;)

[editor@cruisecritic]

Alas photopro2. Have come up empty despite numerous queries. Here's the official response from an official spokesperson: "We have no update on timings to give you."

 

 

We're following the progress from our UK office, though, and will be posting new developments on our news section as they occur.

 

 

Carolyn

 

Hi, Photopro2 -- believe it or not I didn't forget you! Have asked around to a point, not gotten a sufficient reply, but am on to new sources, so will get back to you on this. Thanks for the nudge, never hurts....

 

I was told there are regular meetings about it and Viking has a rep who goes.

 

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Laughing, you bring it all back, Fairbourne. Teijo and I loved meeting you guys --

 

 

Carolyn

 

Mrs Miggins - I read that piece of bragging too! Well all I can say is that Viking Sky was often the only ship in port on the days we called. We met the Viking Star in Lofoten and we waved and waved when we arrived but they'd already gone off on their tours and then we went off on ours and when we came back hoping to catch them, they'd gone! So we missed one another waving.

 

The Viking Sky, although arriving at Lofoten later than the Viking Star, had the privilege of docking with the Star sitting beautifully at anchor. The two ships together was stunning.

 

Maiden calls at all of these ports brought out fantastic local "welcomes" - I can't wait to tell you about "The Christening"!

 

 

Lots of photos too when I can sit down and upload them - still unpacking, doing laundry, picking up our own towels and making the bed! Heavens above what has the world come to? Ha Ha! And I can't even think about the "difficult choices" we had to make every evening for dinner! As my dear late mother would have said with a happy sigh "Aye lass, it's back to al' claes and tatties". I'll translate - you are home now dear girl, so it's back to your normal clothes and everyday food. Till the next time!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Sounds like a perfect day, Gigiandbaba!

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn, we are on the Viking Sea at the moment, and I am so glad that we canceled the optional tour in Tromso as 2 of the places I really wanted to see were the botanical gardens and the Arctic Cathedral. The ship was within walking distance of the botanical gardens so we walked there and spent 1 hour + just looking at the spectacular garden-totally in bloom. Then we hopped in a taxi and went to the Cathedral and spent some time there. It cost 50 NOK to get in. We then walked across the bridge and wandered around Tromso, finding a "locals" place for lunch. That was definitely the way to go!!!!

[editor@cruisecritic]

I'm with Fairbourne, and frankly was surprised (and thrilled to be so) about how efficient the tenders were. They were large boats, not ship's boats, and the ride was a whopping five minutes to the port. I was frankly (again, in a good way!) at how efficient the debark was -- when was the last time any of us debarked via tender? Really well done.

 

 

Carolyn

 

Thanks for the interesting posts everyone and for the update from Greenwich mrsmiggins. As we will not now be expecting to walk on and off any reports on the effectiveness of tendering in London would be appreciated.

 

Sent from my mobile using the CC forums app

[fairbourne]

Hello Carolyn! Laughing back at you! It was a pleasure meeting you and Teijo. We did have lots of fun didn't we - and what a trip!

 

We had the additional pleasure of meeting Karine Hagen and Finse again in Greenwich and I told her there were two words I felt summed up the Viking Sky - "Classy and Elegant". For once I felt there was no need for further words!

 

I read they had an earthquake in the North Sea a couple of days ago (4. something) which I can quite believe after our night of rock and roll coming down the North Sea after we left Edinburgh. They felt it in Orkney and Shetland!

[jodi0553]

Hello from the North Sea! The Sky is enjoying our first day at sea and relatively clear skies making the Wintergarden a fantastic place to camp out for the morning. Thank you all so much for the replies about excursions, I'm going to use quite a bit of your info, as we returned from breakfast to find out hiking trip to the glacier in Tromso was cancelled due to too much snow on the trails and then we learned that all other excursions in Tromso are fully booked. We were so excited to see a glacier up close, guess that just means another bucket list item that has to be added to our "next" arctic adventure! Found the excursion desk staff to be incredibly knowledgeable even regarding ideas for independent exploration; we learned of a short but high payoff hike in Geiranger, just go right off the ship and hike 15 minutes to the waterfall.