British Isles Explorer Cruise

[deec]

19 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Santa Fe,

Which date are you going in May, 2024.  We are going May 1!

[SantaFe1]

23 minutes ago, deec said:

Santa Fe,

Which date are you going in May, 2024.  We are going May 1!

We are on May 9 on Neptune, the cruise leaving after the WC ends in Greenwich!

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

Helpful comments....

I hope y'all going in May will give us full reports when you get back. 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

Helpful comments....

I hope y'all going in May will give us full reports when you get back. 

 

I'm on the same sailing as SantaFe1. I might not wait until I get home. Depending on my mood a year from now, I might start a "Live" thread and report as I go along.

[KathyA]

And I'm on the May 6 London to Bergen on the Sky.  May 2024 will be a popular month!!

 

[Berlin Bear]

 

Re Liverpool - my hometown - I’d like to mention that art lovers shouldn’t miss the Tate Liverpool (Albert Dock area) and the Walker Art Gallery (opposite St George’s Hall).

In fact, I would suggest that when docking in Liverpool, it’s really worth spending the day there and not rushing off to Wales or elsewhere, even if you’re not a Beatles fan. There is so much to see.

For example, a walk along Hope Street https://theguideliverpool.com/can-we-talk-about-hope-street/ from the Catholic cathedral to the Anglican cathedral is really interesting. Beautiful Georgian architecture, a pub (the Philharmonic Dining Halls) with a renowned men’s bathroom, the Philharmonic Hall itself and you even pass my old school, Blackburne House, which I attended in the 1960s! There’s also a great view from the bell tower of the Anglican Cathedral. And good restaurants for lunch.

The Maritime Museum (also Albert Dock) is also definitely worth a visit and is home to the International Slavery Museum. Don’t forget, Liverpool was once the main slave trading port of Britain and many of its grand buildings stem from this period.

Just some suggestions…

 

[Let Me Travel!]

We did this one inAugust 2022…LOVED it! We did the pre-extension in London and the Post- extension in Oslo…I really have great memories of this adventure…just DON’T do a GTY cabin…they give you the loudest one, just above the tenders…hated the location.

[anaco_angler]

For our UK cruisers, thanks for the posts regarding tipping policies in UK restaurants. I have a related question: what is the suggested practice for tipping on a private tour conducted by the tour company's owner/operator? Since he is the one who sets the price of the tour and receives the tour fare, it seems that an additional tip would not be expected.

[KBs mum]

10 minutes ago, anaco_angler said:

For our UK cruisers, thanks for the posts regarding tipping policies in UK restaurants. I have a related question: what is the suggested practice for tipping on a private tour conducted by the tour company's owner/operator? Since he is the one who sets the price of the tour and receives the tour fare, it seems that an additional tip would not be expected.

Correct, on coach trips any tip would be by a 'whip round'. Which is an envelope (or similar) started by a passenger, that everyone contributes to as they deem appropriate. £1-2 per person is about usual. This would be for a lengthy day or overnight journey. For a few hours tips are not required unless somebody goes above and beyond

In the UK coach drivers are usually well paid

[anaco_angler]

1 minute ago, KBs mum said:

Correct, on coach trips any tip would be by a 'whip round'. Which is an envelope (or similar) started by a passenger, that everyone contributes to as they deem appropriate. £1-2 per person is about usual. This would be for a lengthy day or overnight journey. For a few hours tips are not required unless somebody goes above and beyond

In the UK coach drivers are usually well paid

Thanks, KBs mum. You are always a trusted source for UK questions.

[happyyaya]

We’ll be doing British Isles very soon. Anyone know if an umbrella is provided in PV1 cabins on the Venus? 

[deec]

There are umbrellas, they a big golf umbrellas. 

 

[longterm]

On 4/18/2023 at 1:49 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

You can purchase tickets for the castle online for a given date and time. This saves waiting in any queues.

 

If interested in some private tours, I have 3 local vendors that I would consider for tours of Edinburgh and the surrounding area.

If you can share them with me, I'd appreciate it; we're headed on that cruise July 4, 2024. Thanks!

 

[longterm]

I just found this information on CC about the condition of the North Sea in July: "The best time for a North Sea cruise is at the height of summer, during the months of July and August, for calmer waters and fantastic, sunny weather." 

 

Good news; we really want to see the Orkney and Shetland Islands.

 

I just added a Roll Call for the July 4, 2024 sailing.

Edited April 23, 2023 by longterm

[Newdaytrippers]

1 hour ago, longterm said:

If you can share them with me, I'd appreciate it; we're headed on that cruise July 4, 2024. Thanks!

 

See post #96 above.  

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, happyyaya said:

We’ll be doing British Isles very soon. Anyone know if an umbrella is provided in PV1 cabins on the Venus? 

 

There are umbrellas in all of the cabin closets and there is a rack of umbrellas as you leave the ship.

 

Even if I take the umbrella from the cabin, I return it to the racks as we return. Who needs to deal with wet umbrellas in the cabin? If I need an umbrella the next day, I know I can grab one as I leave for the day.

 

 

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, longterm said:

If you can share them with me, I'd appreciate it; we're headed on that cruise July 4, 2024. Thanks!

 

 

If you check back to page 4, post # 96, I provided some suggestions.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

Does anyone have specific information on where to meet up with someone when we get off the ship in Liverpool? We will be meeting up with relatives who live a couple hours out of Liverpool and they are wondering where to meet us. Is it best at the port, and is there public parking there? Would there be a better location nearby?

[Berlin Bear]

A good meeting place would be in front of the Museum of Liverpool about five minutes walk from where the ship docks. You can’t miss it - it’s a large white modern building right on the waterfront between the ship and the Albert Dock. No big roads to cross. There are a number of car parks around the Albert Dock area: https://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/carpark/albert_dock_c/l3/liverpool/?arriving=202304241700&leaving=202304241900

 

 

[goldwingers]

I've found all the tips on here so far very helpful.  There's a few things I haven't seen that I still have questions about, though.  We are on the June 10 Bergen to Greenwich on Venus with the pre-ext from Oslo to Bergen on the train. 

 

First question - does Viking take care of transporting your luggage from the Oslo hotel to the Bergen hotel or do you have to lug it onto the train yourself?  This will make a difference on whether we pack in carry-on only (as we normally do) or take an additional checked bag as I had hoped to do since we will have a variety of weather on this trip.

 

Second - on the day we board the ship in Bergen, does anyone know approx. what time they do the transfer?  And again, do they take your bags?  I was looking at doing a fjord cruise that day as there aren't any excusions, but the cruise starts at 10:30.  I am hoping it will be near the vicinity where the ship will be docked so we could just walk there.  This will be on a Saturday, so I was thinking perhaps it would be best to book this ahead and not just try doing it as a walk-up.  Feasible?

 

Thanks to anyone who might have any info!

 

 

[Ceegeefl]

We are also on this cruise and Oslo pre extension! My understanding is that Viking takes your luggage from the hotel in Oslo to the ship.

According to our Viking agent the usual arrival time in Bergen on the train is approximately 5pm. The transfer from the station to the cruise ship is only about 10 minutes.

Please correct me if I am mistaken on any of this information if you have been on this itinerary.

Looking forward to meeting you!

[goldwingers]

5 minutes ago, Ceegeefl said:

We are also on this cruise and Oslo pre extension! My understanding is that Viking takes your luggage from the hotel in Oslo to the ship.

According to our Viking agent the usual arrival time in Bergen on the train is approximately 5pm. The transfer from the station to the cruise ship is only about 10 minutes.

Please correct me if I am mistaken on any of this information if you have been on this itinerary.

Looking forward to meeting you!

Thanks, Ceegeefl - I guess I should have been more specific.  I didn't realize there were 2 different pre-ext. train trips - we are on the one with 2 nights in Oslo & 2 nights in Bergen after the train ride and would be boarding the ship on the 10th from the hotel - I think it is to be the Hotel Norge by Scandic.  Good to know that Viking will be dealing with the luggage, though.  That gives me a little more leeway in what I can pack.  Now I just need to know how early we would be boarding the ship.

 

Maybe we will see you onboard.  Starting to get excited!

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, goldwingers said:

I've found all the tips on here so far very helpful.  There's a few things I haven't seen that I still have questions about, though.  We are on the June 10 Bergen to Greenwich on Venus with the pre-ext from Oslo to Bergen on the train. 

 

First question - does Viking take care of transporting your luggage from the Oslo hotel to the Bergen hotel or do you have to lug it onto the train yourself?  This will make a difference on whether we pack in carry-on only (as we normally do) or take an additional checked bag as I had hoped to do since we will have a variety of weather on this trip.

 

Second - on the day we board the ship in Bergen, does anyone know approx. what time they do the transfer?  And again, do they take your bags?  I was looking at doing a fjord cruise that day as there aren't any excursions, but the cruise starts at 10:30.  I am hoping it will be near the vicinity where the ship will be docked so we could just walk there.  This will be on a Saturday, so I was thinking perhaps it would be best to book this ahead and not just try doing it as a walk-up.  Feasible?

 

Thanks to anyone who might have any info!

 

 

 

1. Your luggage goes by truck. You will see it when you arrive in Bergen. The train ride is 6-7 hours. Whichever train Viking has reserved, you will arrive late afternoon.

 

2. First, a note for all readers: Viking has two different Oslo-Bergen extensions. The 2-night arrives in Bergen and goes directly to the ship; the 4-night has a hotel stay in Bergen.

 

Yes, they will take your bags but you will probably be required to identify them before they are put on the bus -- and you will have to identify them again when you get off the bus at the ship or even deal with getting them into the terminal.

 

I'm guessing that the transfer from the hotel will be timed to get your to the ship after 10am (because all departing pax have to be off the ship by then) but before lunch.And, if the transfer time is earlier, it may include a bit of a drive by tour of the town to kill some time (and you never know when you board the transfer bus what it will be).

 

My thought is that you find out from Viking how early you can drop your luggage at the ship and then if necessary skip the included transfer altogether.

 

[As for carry-on plan. We are going next May, ending in Bergen. We also prefer carry-on only. My colder temps plan is my trusty cashmere tunic length cardi to layer under an unlined rain jacket. It is not bulky in the suitcase yet it is a very warm layer.]

[CDR2001]

     This worked for us in Stockholm, maybe your situation will be similar. We spoke with Viking hotel hosts and told them we were planning a small boat cruise prior to boarding the ship and would miss the bus transfer. They told us what to do with the bags so Viking could get them to the ship. We handed them off to the bell staff, and they ended up in our cabin! It might vary by hotel and cruise port rules. We took our independent Archipelago cruise, and upon advice of the Viking host, we booked the Hop On boat tour afterwards which deposited us at the dock. Easy!
     We ended the Homelands cruise with two nights in Bergen. Bergen’s port is close to the area where the boat tours depart. Ask the Viking hotel host for transportation suggestions to the ship. By the way, we stayed at the Scandic Norge and it was a short walk to the waterfront, Bryggen and the Fish market. We also took the 3 hour fjord cruise (Bergen to Mostraumen) and it was fabulous!!! ( We used Rodne.no)   Enjoy your trip! We’re on May 1 BIE 2024. 

Edited April 25, 2023 by CDR2001

[PRH]

On 4/24/2023 at 2:12 PM, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

Does anyone have specific information on where to meet up with someone when we get off the ship in Liverpool? We will be meeting up with relatives who live a couple hours out of Liverpool and they are wondering where to meet us. Is it best at the port, and is there public parking there? Would there be a better location nearby?

The ship docks right near the old city—adjacent to the Engineers & Titanic memorial.  The yellow “tunnel” cover is where you go up to the port—taken from our cabin.