Viking star with cancelled tunis/algiers port stops - our experience so far.

[Gnoelj]

My travelling partner, went to listen to some tunes playedby the house pianist (on the Viking Star) the evening before last . After the pianist finished playing, my friend saw him speak to some otherpassengers, and then he gave them a CD .He then chatted to my friend, and heshook his hand and gave him a CD also as he had done to the other couple. My companion did not really want it but he was too polite to say “no” especially whenhe thought it was a gift and it would be rude to refuse. A few moments later, however, the pianist said, "The price is 35 euros, but there's no hurry, you can pay melater"- or words to that effect.

 

My companion was embarrassed and felt he was being takenadvantage of , but he was unsure what to do. When he discussed it with me, Isuggested that he just hand the CD to the receptionist at the Explorer’sDesk to give it back to the pianist. Hedid that the following day. The receptionist expressed concern and took the CD,and she said she would deal with the matter.

 

We are mentioning this in case any other passenger(s) comeacross something like this in the future on any cruise ship and would not knowwhat to do.

[Cahpek]

DAY 6 & DAY 7

 

As we were not docking in Palma de Mallorca on Day 6 till noon, we thought we would have a lie in. We realised that cruising , no matter how enjoyable it can be, could bequite tiring – spending hours packing, thenhaving to fly many hours to get tothe ship, getting up early in time to get the excursion tours, rushing to therestaurants, then going to exercise like mad to try burn up the caloriesconsumed, going to the laundry, checkingthe maps for next visits, and again spending more hours flying back etc, etc.It would be nice to have a proper rest when we get home, said us, rather cheekily!

 

In Palma de Mallorca, we took the free Viking shuttle buswhich dropped us off near the La Seu Cathedral – guess if anyone who knowsnothing about Palma de Mallorca, they will know the picture of the Cathedral.As we had been here just a few weeks ago for 10 days, we did not go with the free excursion as itwould be doing the same thing we had done over again. We just went to El CorteIngles and C&A and did some windowshopping ( we bought nothing, as there was hardly any bargains even postChristmas!). Some friends of ours, who took the Scenic Mallorca excursion saidthey enjoyed it thoroughly. They went to Valldemossa, which we have beenbefore, and that is one of the loveliest and best kept villages on Earth !!!!

 

In the evening, we went to the first of our two bookings atthe Chef’s Table. Their menu reminded usof molecular gastronomy - carrot andcardamom cream for starters, then spicy tuna, followed by ginger & terragongranitea, a beef tenderloin with 4spices for main course, and a tarte tatin for dessert.

 

Trouble was, the waitress gave us the impression that as it was a “high class” restaurant, we are supposed to know nothing. It just felt a bit pretentious. She even tried to explain what an Apple Tarte Tatin is. The menu was supposed to be wine pairing, but at least one ofthe wines was those “free” wines offered in the buffet and other restaurants.The wines were not served in wine glasses (even The Restaurant serves wine in wine glasses) , just tumblers glasses , that is unless you are willing to pay a hefty sum for “better wines” (my “wine connoisseur” partner looked that thelist of their better wines, and felt it was not worth it). What was more, theyear of the wines were missing in the menu, including the list in the “better”wines . If they are trying to cater to someone who appreciates wines, by notputting in the year, that is quite something.

 

I had my share of “shock” when I had a mouthful of the spicytuna tataki. It tasted so awful that I nearly fell off my chair! For me, itreminded me of food essence, but of washing up liquid perfume.

 

The tarte tatin it tasted a bit “austere”. It might taste better if it came with some accompanying cream ,custard or ice-cream, but there was none.

And lastly, the dessert wine mentioned in the menu was different from what was served. It was not mentioned at the beginning of the meal ; we only noticed when the wine was served. The waitress never mentioned that it was different from that in the menu until we asked her -perhaps a bit unprofessional, we had thought.

 

 

It was quite unfortunate as we had looked forward to goingto this restaurant. We had always been impressed with specialty restaurants oncruise lines, but felt the Chef’s Table was an exception. So much so, we CANCELLEDour next evening’s reservation with them.

 

Of course, as mentioned before, food (and restaurants) are subjective.

 

The evening entertainment at the Theatre were the duo – the Virtuosos,who performed a few nights ago. Idecided to give it a miss, as I did not enjoy their show before, so I thought I would not enjoy them that evening.

 

As we went to bed, the sea was a bit choppy. I felt the cupboard door vibrating, and the shipwas not as calm as before. My bed was also vibrating a bit , it reminded me of lying on one of those Japanese electric massage chairs! But a lot more comfortable, of course. Lol.

 

 

DAY 7. On our last day before disembarkation,at breakfast, the captain announced that due to strong winds, we had to waitfor further news to see if we could dock at Valencia. Fortunately, we weregiven the clearance to dock, although a bit later than schedule. We took thefree excursion, a 3 hour Valencia City Tour. Even though we had plenty of time,the guide did not arrange for us to stop at the famous, stunningly beautiful and futuristic City of Arts and Science. Hejust got the driver to drive around it for a couple of minutes, and the rest ofthe time seems to be spent in the vicinty of the old town. It was like taking us on a tour of Paris with having no more than a couple of minutes glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Felt let down. He took usinto a cathedral, and for church lovers, they would probably enjoy it, but forthe rest of us, we felt he could have made the tour be more balanced betweenold Valencia and the modern Valencia.

 

Tonight, everything on the ship seems to be turning down.The menus in the restaurants was not so interesting. Even in the buffet, thenightly crabs, langoustines, king prawns and the sushi has not appeared. Theroast chicken was dry, whereas, a few nights ago, they were succulentThere wasno show in the Theatre.

 

We joked with our cruising friends what were they going tohave for dinner when they get home tomorrow. “Probably lettuce leaves” was thereply. We laughed.

 

It is rather interesting how one’s impression of a cruisechanges from the first day to the last. We may try later, after settling down back home, to give a more roundedreport of the entire cruise. Just wondered if anyone would bother to read it(maybe no one! Gulp!!)

 

Hopefully, if others do the same, we can “exchange notes”and learn from each other this way.

Edited December 28, 2017 by Cahpek

[Cahpek]

DAY 6 & DAY 7

 

!

 

 

I had my share of “shock” when I had a mouthful of the spicytuna tataki. It tasted so awful that I nearly fell off my chair! For me, itreminded me of food essence, but of washing up liquid perfume.

.

 

I had meant to say above: I had my share of “shock” when I had a mouthful of the spicytuna tataki. It tasted so awful that I nearly fell off my chair! For me, it did not remind me of fragrance of foode, but of washing up liquid perfume. It really seemed so strange. Guess it is an acquired taste, and I have not acquired that taste, probably never will.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Thanks for posting this. I'm sure that lots of people are enjoying reading your comments. Safe home now.

[RJ2002]

Thanks so much for sharing your Viking Star experience with us. Your frankness was refreshing and appreciated.

 

BTW, serving wine in a regular glass, or tumbler, seems to be appearing more and more. We've been to many restaurants where they were used instead of a traditional wine glass.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thanks so much for sharing your Viking Star experience with us. Your frankness was refreshing and appreciated.

 

BTW, serving wine in a regular glass, or tumbler, seems to be appearing more and more. We've been to many restaurants where they were used instead of a traditional wine glass.

 

When the first reports about these Viking 'tumblers' came out, further queries indicated they are really stemless wine glasses. I love my Riedel stemless wine glasses -- never use stemmed glasses any more [and never spill wine when talking with my hands :D]

[VitaminSea53]

You can always request for a stemmed wine glass instead of the “tumbler”. I always do - no problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Cahpek]

You can always request for a stemmed wine glass instead of the “tumbler”. I always do - no problem.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

We wish we could, like you did.

 

We asked the waitress and she indicated that wine glasses would be offered only for wines which you have to pay extra for. She was quite clear about that. We did not wish to cause to scene. What else would you do in our case?

[Cahpek]

When the first reports about these Viking 'tumblers' came out, further queries indicated they are really stemless wine glasses. I love my Riedel stemless wine glasses -- never use stemmed glasses any more [and never spill wine when talking with my hands :D]

 

If tumblers are really wine glasses and if they made no difference, why did the waitress at the Chef's Table mentioned that if we ordered the additional priced wines, she would serve in stem wine glasses? It shows that Viking does see that there is a difference in the different glasses, does it not? Otherwise, they would serve all wines in the tumblers.

 

Besides, in The Restaurant, all wines including the included wines are served in stem wine glasses. So why not the Chef's Table?

[deec]

I think it is so they do not get confused about who has the beverage package.

It is silly on Viking's part to deny a stemmed glass if someone requests it though!

 

I would not have caused a scene either but if you were eating there again during the cruise perhaps mentioning to the maitre d when you are seated

[VitaminSea53]

Earlier this year, this is what Viking Guest Relations had to say on the topic of stemless glassware:

 

“To confirm, stemless wine glasses are used in a few of the dining venues aboard our ocean ships. Premium wines are, however, typically served in stemmed glasses.

 

If you prefer one type of glassware over the other, please ask. We’d be happy to accommodate your request.

 

We appreciate the opportunity to respond and hope you find this information helpful. Of course, we are always happy to hear from our Cruise Critic members at TellUs@vikingcruises.com should any of you wish to discuss further.

 

Cheers! “

 

When we last cruised on the Sea in May, we requested stemmed glassware if stemless was being offered. No one seemed to have a problem with that. I just like the feel of a traditional wine glass.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[VitaminSea53]

We wish we could, like you did.

 

 

 

We asked the waitress and she indicated that wine glasses would be offered only for wines which you have to pay extra for. She was quite clear about that. We did not wish to cause to scene. What else would you do in our case?

 

 

 

I would just quietly ask to speak with the Maitre’d and tell him/her that we really would prefer stemmed glasses. If they still say NO then I would let Guest Relations know after my meal that I was not pleased that they were not following corporate policy.

Next night I might get a glass of wine at the bar and bring it into the dining room with me.

Cheers!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Viking Cruises]

Dear Cahpek,

 

We appreciate you taking the time to provide detailed feedback regarding your time aboard Viking Star.

 

Though we have enjoyed following your journey day-by-day, we regret to learn of your experience of the service and atmosphere at Chef’s Table and on the final day of your voyage.

 

We would appreciate the opportunity to address the circumstances you’ve described, and kindly ask that you send your booking information to TellUs@vikingcruises.com so that we may put you in touch with a Customer Relations agent. They will be more than happy to discuss with you the highlights of your cruise, as well as better understand the drawbacks.

 

Additionally, should other cruisers wish to discuss their individual voyages, we welcome all feedback at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

We look forward to connecting, and wish you well in 2018.

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

 

 

DAY 6 & DAY 7

 

As we were not docking in Palma de Mallorca on Day 6 till noon, we thought we would have a lie in. We realised that cruising , no matter how enjoyable it can be, could bequite tiring – spending hours packing, thenhaving to fly many hours to get tothe ship, getting up early in time to get the excursion tours, rushing to therestaurants, then going to exercise like mad to try burn up the caloriesconsumed, going to the laundry, checkingthe maps for next visits, and again spending more hours flying back etc, etc.It would be nice to have a proper rest when we get home, said us, rather cheekily!

 

In Palma de Mallorca, we took the free Viking shuttle buswhich dropped us off near the La Seu Cathedral – guess if anyone who knowsnothing about Palma de Mallorca, they will know the picture of the Cathedral.As we had been here just a few weeks ago for 10 days, we did not go with the free excursion as itwould be doing the same thing we had done over again. We just went to El CorteIngles and C&A and did some windowshopping ( we bought nothing, as there was hardly any bargains even postChristmas!). Some friends of ours, who took the Scenic Mallorca excursion saidthey enjoyed it thoroughly. They went to Valldemossa, which we have beenbefore, and that is one of the loveliest and best kept villages on Earth !!!!

 

In the evening, we went to the first of our two bookings atthe Chef’s Table. Their menu reminded usof molecular gastronomy - carrot andcardamom cream for starters, then spicy tuna, followed by ginger & terragongranitea, a beef tenderloin with 4spices for main course, and a tarte tatin for dessert.

 

Trouble was, the waitress gave us the impression that as it was a “high class” restaurant, we are supposed to know nothing. It just felt a bit pretentious. She even tried to explain what an Apple Tarte Tatin is. The menu was supposed to be wine pairing, but at least one ofthe wines was those “free” wines offered in the buffet and other restaurants.The wines were not served in wine glasses (even The Restaurant serves wine in wine glasses) , just tumblers glasses , that is unless you are willing to pay a hefty sum for “better wines” (my “wine connoisseur” partner looked that thelist of their better wines, and felt it was not worth it). What was more, theyear of the wines were missing in the menu, including the list in the “better”wines . If they are trying to cater to someone who appreciates wines, by notputting in the year, that is quite something.

 

I had my share of “shock” when I had a mouthful of the spicytuna tataki. It tasted so awful that I nearly fell off my chair! For me, itreminded me of food essence, but of washing up liquid perfume.

 

The tarte tatin it tasted a bit “austere”. It might taste better if it came with some accompanying cream ,custard or ice-cream, but there was none.

And lastly, the dessert wine mentioned in the menu was different from what was served. It was not mentioned at the beginning of the meal ; we only noticed when the wine was served. The waitress never mentioned that it was different from that in the menu until we asked her -perhaps a bit unprofessional, we had thought.

 

 

It was quite unfortunate as we had looked forward to goingto this restaurant. We had always been impressed with specialty restaurants oncruise lines, but felt the Chef’s Table was an exception. So much so, we CANCELLEDour next evening’s reservation with them.

 

Of course, as mentioned before, food (and restaurants) are subjective.

 

The evening entertainment at the Theatre were the duo – the Virtuosos,who performed a few nights ago. Idecided to give it a miss, as I did not enjoy their show before, so I thought I would not enjoy them that evening.

 

As we went to bed, the sea was a bit choppy. I felt the cupboard door vibrating, and the shipwas not as calm as before. My bed was also vibrating a bit , it reminded me of lying on one of those Japanese electric massage chairs! But a lot more comfortable, of course. Lol.

 

 

DAY 7. On our last day before disembarkation,at breakfast, the captain announced that due to strong winds, we had to waitfor further news to see if we could dock at Valencia. Fortunately, we weregiven the clearance to dock, although a bit later than schedule. We took thefree excursion, a 3 hour Valencia City Tour. Even though we had plenty of time,the guide did not arrange for us to stop at the famous, stunningly beautiful and futuristic City of Arts and Science. Hejust got the driver to drive around it for a couple of minutes, and the rest ofthe time seems to be spent in the vicinty of the old town. It was like taking us on a tour of Paris with having no more than a couple of minutes glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. Felt let down. He took usinto a cathedral, and for church lovers, they would probably enjoy it, but forthe rest of us, we felt he could have made the tour be more balanced betweenold Valencia and the modern Valencia.

 

Tonight, everything on the ship seems to be turning down.The menus in the restaurants was not so interesting. Even in the buffet, thenightly crabs, langoustines, king prawns and the sushi has not appeared. Theroast chicken was dry, whereas, a few nights ago, they were succulentThere wasno show in the Theatre.

 

We joked with our cruising friends what were they going tohave for dinner when they get home tomorrow. “Probably lettuce leaves” was thereply. We laughed.

 

It is rather interesting how one’s impression of a cruisechanges from the first day to the last. We may try later, after settling down back home, to give a more roundedreport of the entire cruise. Just wondered if anyone would bother to read it(maybe no one! Gulp!!)

 

Hopefully, if others do the same, we can “exchange notes”and learn from each other this way.

[Nippy Sweetie]

I will most certainly expect white wine to be served in a proper wine glass. They have stems for good reason!

[Sailing4me]

We received an email from Viking last Thursday (Dec 21), informing us of changes to our itinerary, replacing the ports in Tunisia and Algeria.

 

In 2014, we booked the Grand Mediterranean Tour which sailed on February 20,2016. The ONLY reason we booked that cruise was that ports in Algeria and Tunisia were on the itinerary. However, we were very unhappy when Viking cancelled the ports in Tunisia & Algeria on that cruise and replaced those with Naples & Mallorca.

 

Therefore, when we booked our upcoming Viking cruise (sailing on Jan 11. 2018) MajesticMediterranean on September 5, 2017, the ONLY reason we selected to REPEAT this cruise is that Algeria & Tunisia were on the itinerary again. We were very angry to receive a notice from Viking to learn that they once again cancelled the ports in Algeria & Tunisia on the itinerary three weeks before our sailing date of January 11, 2018, and once again replaced those ports with Naples & Mallorca, after receiving our final documents with the ports of Tunisia & Algeria.

 

We researched the State Department’s website (travel.state.gov) and found that the last warning for Tunisia was issued on May 2, 2017 and Algeria on June 21,2017. If Viking was planning on cancelling these itineraries they should have done so sooner. We feel that Viking should let their cruise passengers know onboard the risks involved at these ports, and let their passengers decide if they wish to disembark at the ports of Tunisia and Algeria, not cancel this itinerary three weeks before sailing. When we cruised on the first sailing … many of the passengers told us that the only reason they also booked that sailing was the destination ports in Algeria & Tunisia.

 

We feel that we should be able to cancel this cruise penalty-free, or receive fair compensation to resolve this travesty. We now feel that Viking is only using these destinations to get bookings, and then drops them on their itinerary when it’s too late for passengers to cancel.

 

PS We heard back from our travel agent today (Dec 29), and Viking is unwilling to offer any compensation for cancelling these ports. This will probably be the last time we sail with Viking. We will be sure NOT to recommend Viking to anyone in the future.

[Peregrina651]

We received an email from Viking last Thursday (Dec 21), informing us of changes to our itinerary, replacing the ports in Tunisia and Algeria.

 

In 2014, we booked the Grand Mediterranean Tour which sailed on February 20,2016. The ONLY reason we booked that cruise was that ports in Algeria and Tunisia were on the itinerary. However, we were very unhappy when Viking cancelled the ports in Tunisia & Algeria on that cruise and replaced those with Naples & Mallorca.

 

Therefore, when we booked our upcoming Viking cruise (sailing on Jan 11. 2018) MajesticMediterranean on September 5, 2017, the ONLY reason we selected to REPEAT this cruise is that Algeria & Tunisia were on the itinerary again. We were very angry to receive a notice from Viking to learn that they once again cancelled the ports in Algeria & Tunisia on the itinerary three weeks before our sailing date of January 11, 2018, and once again replaced those ports with Naples & Mallorca, after receiving our final documents with the ports of Tunisia & Algeria.

 

We researched the State Department’s website (travel.state.gov) and found that the last warning for Tunisia was issued on May 2, 2017 and Algeria on June 21,2017. If Viking was planning on cancelling these itineraries they should have done so sooner. We feel that Viking should let their cruise passengers know onboard the risks involved at these ports, and let their passengers decide if they wish to disembark at the ports of Tunisia and Algeria, not cancel this itinerary three weeks before sailing. When we cruised on the first sailing … many of the passengers told us that the only reason they also booked that sailing was the destination ports in Algeria & Tunisia.

 

We feel that we should be able to cancel this cruise penalty-free, or receive fair compensation to resolve this travesty. We now feel that Viking is only using these destinations to get bookings, and then drops them on their itinerary when it’s too late for passengers to cancel.

 

PS We heard back from our travel agent today (Dec 29), and Viking is unwilling to offer any compensation for cancelling these ports. This will probably be the last time we sail with Viking. We will be sure NOT to recommend Viking to anyone in the future.

 

Viking was not planning on cancelling those ports and certainly would not have waited until the last minute to do so. Viking docked in Tunis as recently as December 10, 2017.

 

It is not up to the passengers to decide EVER. It is up to the Captain and the owner of the ship. A ship is not a democracy.

 

When the State Department calls the cruise line and says that it has developing intel that it might not be safe, the cruise line is not going to wait until it is posted on the website to react.

 

Read the fine print of the contract you entered into when you put the deposit down for your cruise. It says that Viking has the right to change the itinerary for any reason it wants without having to compensate you. Viking does not owe you a penny. It is a legally binding contract. You entered into it without coersion.

 

Yeah, it sucks that you ran into the same problem twice but you know what would suck even more, if Viking ignored the State Department and somebody died.

[Fpacifico]

I will most certainly expect white wine to be served in a proper wine glass. They have stems for good reason!

 

I’m a klutz, so I love the stemless wine glass. Wine still taste the same whether it’s in a stem or stemless glass. Enjoy

[VitaminSea53]

We received an email from Viking last Thursday (Dec 21), informing us of changes to our itinerary, replacing the ports in Tunisia and Algeria.

 

 

 

In 2014, we booked the Grand Mediterranean Tour which sailed on February 20,2016. The ONLY reason we booked that cruise was that ports in Algeria and Tunisia were on the itinerary. However, we were very unhappy when Viking cancelled the ports in Tunisia & Algeria on that cruise and replaced those with Naples & Mallorca.

 

 

 

Therefore, when we booked our upcoming Viking cruise (sailing on Jan 11. 2018) MajesticMediterranean on September 5, 2017, the ONLY reason we selected to REPEAT this cruise is that Algeria & Tunisia were on the itinerary again. We were very angry to receive a notice from Viking to learn that they once again cancelled the ports in Algeria & Tunisia on the itinerary three weeks before our sailing date of January 11, 2018, and once again replaced those ports with Naples & Mallorca, after receiving our final documents with the ports of Tunisia & Algeria.

 

 

 

We researched the State Department’s website (travel.state.gov) and found that the last warning for Tunisia was issued on May 2, 2017 and Algeria on June 21,2017. If Viking was planning on cancelling these itineraries they should have done so sooner. We feel that Viking should let their cruise passengers know onboard the risks involved at these ports, and let their passengers decide if they wish to disembark at the ports of Tunisia and Algeria, not cancel this itinerary three weeks before sailing. When we cruised on the first sailing … many of the passengers told us that the only reason they also booked that sailing was the destination ports in Algeria & Tunisia.

 

 

 

We feel that we should be able to cancel this cruise penalty-free, or receive fair compensation to resolve this travesty. We now feel that Viking is only using these destinations to get bookings, and then drops them on their itinerary when it’s too late for passengers to cancel.

 

 

 

PS We heard back from our travel agent today (Dec 29), and Viking is unwilling to offer any compensation for cancelling these ports. This will probably be the last time we sail with Viking. We will be sure NOT to recommend Viking to anyone in the future.

 

 

 

Sailing4me,

 

If you want to go to Tunisia and Algeria so badly then you should book your own trip there and take your own security risks. It is absurd to ask a ship full of ‘Americans’ (westerners) to sit out in the harbor like a “sitting duck” for terrorists to dream of attacking just so you can take a tour.

 

 

This is from a NATO meeting earlier this year:

 

“Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis thinks one of the most "lucrative" targets that terrorists could potentially attack is cruise ships with little in the way of defenses.

 

Stavridis, who retired from the Navy as the supreme allied commander in Europe, gave the cruise ship example as one of two scenarios that have him "very concerned" in an interview with The Cipher Brief.

 

These huge cruise ships are big lucrative targets. They’re not very well defended. You could see a USS Cole-style attack on one of them. At the really dark end of the spectrum, you could see terrorists actually trying to infiltrate a cruise and acting on a captive audience at sea."

 

Stavridis brought to mind the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, when terrorists drove a small explosive-laden boat into the hull of the ship as it was being refueled in Yemen. The attack killed 17 sailors. And the idea of terrorists infiltrating a cruise has an example on land in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when just 10 terrorists carried out a coordinated attack over four days.

 

Such an attack on a cruise ship, with thousands of passengers on a ship with little escape, would be devastating.”

 

Everyone knows that on a cruise, ports of call can be skipped or changed due to a variety of reasons. I appreciate that Viking is acting on an abundance of caution, skipping the ports in question and offering substitute ports of call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Fpacifico]

Sailing4me,

 

If you want to go to Tunisia and Algeria so badly then you should book your own trip there and take your own security risks. It is absurd to ask a ship full of ‘Americans’ (westerners) to sit out in the harbor like a “sitting duck” for terrorists to dream of attacking just so you can take a tour.

 

 

This is from a NATO meeting earlier this year:

 

“Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis thinks one of the most "lucrative" targets that terrorists could potentially attack is cruise ships with little in the way of defenses.

 

Stavridis, who retired from the Navy as the supreme allied commander in Europe, gave the cruise ship example as one of two scenarios that have him "very concerned" in an interview with The Cipher Brief.

 

These huge cruise ships are big lucrative targets. They’re not very well defended. You could see a USS Cole-style attack on one of them. At the really dark end of the spectrum, you could see terrorists actually trying to infiltrate a cruise and acting on a captive audience at sea."

 

Stavridis brought to mind the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, when terrorists drove a small explosive-laden boat into the hull of the ship as it was being refueled in Yemen. The attack killed 17 sailors. And the idea of terrorists infiltrating a cruise has an example on land in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, when just 10 terrorists carried out a coordinated attack over four days.

 

Such an attack on a cruise ship, with thousands of passengers on a ship with little escape, would be devastating.”

 

Everyone knows that on a cruise, ports of call can be skipped or changed due to a variety of reasons. I appreciate that Viking is acting on an abundance of caution, skipping the ports in question and offering substitute ports of call.

 

Let’s just hope that your scenario never ever takes place but you’re correct, it could happen. Everyone’s safety must be paramount to the captain. And if the cruise line tells me that a port is not safe, we’ll then, I’ll just suck it up and enjoy wherever they take us.

[Peregrina651]

I’m a klutz, so I love the stemless wine glass. Wine still taste the same whether it’s in a stem or stemless glass. Enjoy

 

For what it's worth, the last of the great wine connoisseurs did notice that in the MDR aboard the Star this evening, the plonk du jour was served in a stem. Yeah, you got it, the only truth in that last sentence was the stem. And, while I might not be able to tell a good wine from a bad, I can tell a stem from a tumbler and will try to keep an eye on the situation, while I am LIVE from the Med.

[VitaminSea53]

Were the reds also served with a stem?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Fpacifico]

For what it's worth, the last of the great wine connoisseurs did notice that in the MDR aboard the Star this evening, the plonk du jour was served in a stem. Yeah, you got it, the only truth in that last sentence was the stem. And, while I might not be able to tell a good wine from a bad, I can tell a stem from a tumbler and will try to keep an eye on the situation, while I am LIVE from the Med.

 

Lol, enjoy your trip and keep sending those photos.

[Azulann]

For what it's worth, the last of the great wine connoisseurs did notice that in the MDR aboard the Star this evening, the plonk du jour was served in a stem. Yeah, you got it, the only truth in that last sentence was the stem. And, while I might not be able to tell a good wine from a bad, I can tell a stem from a tumbler and will try to keep an eye on the situation, while I am LIVE from the Med.

Look forward to your posts while LIVE in the MED. I see you are enjoying yourself....:D

[Peregrina651]

Were the reds also served with a stem?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Wait! How did you know I was drinking white? Was it something I said? Did?

 

But, yes, stems were on the table when arrived and both red and white were served in those glasses. And come to think of it, stems were on the table in Manfredi's when we arrived last night.

 

And, I confess, I was drinking white, but I promise, I only had a few sips.

[wayfair816]

We had a comparable experience - we went on a cruise with viking in 2016 that missed half it's ports because the river was un-cruisable, so we hung out in the middle of nowhere on the boat for 4/7 days. We got a credit though and used it for this cruise. Now they've canceled the only 2 ports we hadn't been to on this cruise with no truthful reasoning since, as you mentioned, there are no new security alerts and we knew what we were signing up for when we signed up.

 

At this point their entire business model of difficult to reach and unlikely to actually visit in the end locations seems like a scam. I have attempted to converse with them about this via email, but they are only willing to discuss via phone, and I don't have interest in yelling at some poor customer service agent.

 

We received an email from Viking last Thursday (Dec 21), informing us of changes to our itinerary, replacing the ports in Tunisia and Algeria.

 

In 2014, we booked the Grand Mediterranean Tour which sailed on February 20,2016. The ONLY reason we booked that cruise was that ports in Algeria and Tunisia were on the itinerary. However, we were very unhappy when Viking cancelled the ports in Tunisia & Algeria on that cruise and replaced those with Naples & Mallorca.

 

Therefore, when we booked our upcoming Viking cruise (sailing on Jan 11. 2018) MajesticMediterranean on September 5, 2017, the ONLY reason we selected to REPEAT this cruise is that Algeria & Tunisia were on the itinerary again. We were very angry to receive a notice from Viking to learn that they once again cancelled the ports in Algeria & Tunisia on the itinerary three weeks before our sailing date of January 11, 2018, and once again replaced those ports with Naples & Mallorca, after receiving our final documents with the ports of Tunisia & Algeria.

 

We researched the State Department’s website (travel.state.gov) and found that the last warning for Tunisia was issued on May 2, 2017 and Algeria on June 21,2017. If Viking was planning on cancelling these itineraries they should have done so sooner. We feel that Viking should let their cruise passengers know onboard the risks involved at these ports, and let their passengers decide if they wish to disembark at the ports of Tunisia and Algeria, not cancel this itinerary three weeks before sailing. When we cruised on the first sailing … many of the passengers told us that the only reason they also booked that sailing was the destination ports in Algeria & Tunisia.

 

We feel that we should be able to cancel this cruise penalty-free, or receive fair compensation to resolve this travesty. We now feel that Viking is only using these destinations to get bookings, and then drops them on their itinerary when it’s too late for passengers to cancel.

 

PS We heard back from our travel agent today (Dec 29), and Viking is unwilling to offer any compensation for cancelling these ports. This will probably be the last time we sail with Viking. We will be sure NOT to recommend Viking to anyone in the future.