Voyage of the Vikings Blog

[Bolt.]

Our family is thinking of this itinerary for next year, so I will be following these posts closely! Thank you all for keeping us up to date.

[rotjeknor]

3 hours ago, princessdi said:

Hi!  Today we tendered into Qaqortoq Greenland.  The ride wasn’t hard at all.  What was hard were the bugs.  Black flies and big mosquitoes. Much worse than at Red Bay.  I highly recommend getting the head netting if you can. They bugs are relentless.  We put tons of bug spray on before leaving the ship…really didn’t help much although it did help.  They were hungry for sure.  We did see one gentleman using the mesh bag that the bathrobe came in on his head.  Definitely going to find where I put mine.

 

Thanks for the tip ! I’m going to pack our mesh hats since we’re getting on the second leg…

[njfredd]

One of the posters on the VOV 2023 roll call linked to a blog from a cruiser currently on the 2022 VOV. The blog includes descriptions and photos from the two ports visited so far (Bar Harbor and Red Bay), along with additional info on the Zaandam experience so far. I have inserted the site reference below. Hope that this will help.

 

We have booked the 2023 VOV, as it will include three Ireland port stops (never been to Belfast), and we were able to get a nicer cabin selection - and better pricing - on the Zuiderdam next year. We were on the 2017 VOV and thoroughly enjoyed the experience immensely (that year it included Liverpool and Isle of Man). with great weather - even had sun in all of the Iceland ports! 

 

http://gdjmtravels.blogspot.com

[travelers07]

Just had a nice dinner in the dining room. I am with another couple and we had no trouble getting a set time and table and grouped up with some other people we met. So nice to get to know the waiters. And everyone at the entrance to the dining room seems to know all of us too. They all do an excellent job.

 

Yes, the bugs were awful today. Not sure what works- several reports that they tried spray and did not work. I was just going to go out on my veranda but there are lots of flies still riding along so I will leave the door closed for now.

 

Captain says we are good for Prins Christian Sund in the morning. They were concerned with ice at the other end but he said we are ok. Bow should be open, he says, and pea soup, rolls, and coffee served on open decks. Commentary by one of our speakers so should be wonderful! My favorite part of cruising!

[travelers07]

Ok- had to go out to get a photo of the iceberg- just beautiful!

 

[StLouisCruisers]

I'm wondering if there is a "season" for black flies in Qaqortoq?  I've been there in August and September and no black fly problem at all.  Sisimiut, Greenland and Red Bay, Canada were the only places I've had that issue. Some enterprising person sold nets to wear on shore in Sisimiut.  Red Bay was the worst though.

 

I like the idea of repurposing the net bag the robes came in!

[JennysUncle]

Is there a "traditional" piano bar, or the "Billboard" dueling pianists ?

[J&Dhighdesert]

 

 

 

Sadly the captain reported 3 cases of Covid.  The cabin stewards passed out new masks this afternoon.  He said this was routine.  We’ll see if more cruisers wear masks tomorrow.  The weather was forecasted for 51 and showers.  Didn’t need my coat.  Maybe because the weather  was so nice was the reason so many bugs.  The wind wasn’t blowing like it was in Labrador.

Jo

 

 

c

 

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[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, travelers07 said:

Captain says we are good for Prins Christian Sund in the morning. They were concerned with ice at the other end but he said we are ok. Bow should be open, he says, and pea soup, rolls, and coffee served on open decks.

 

You are in for a treat!  Observe the geology along the Sund.  You will see the effects of the  tremendous past interior forces of our Earth.  

[travelers07]

Here is a photo from just now. In the 40’s and rainy but still beautiful.

 

 

And here is the letter we got overnight. There were way too many people not masking and I hope this is not too late!

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

3 hours ago, travelers07 said:

Here is a photo from just now. In the 40’s and rainy but still beautiful.

 

 

And here is the letter we got overnight. There were way too many people not masking and I hope this is not too late!

 

 

 

 

This is an exact copy of the letter we received on Island Princess last month, with only the logo, voyage numbers, date, and captain's name being different.  We received the letter 10 days into our cruise and we followed instructions to a T.  We even wore our masks at our table for 2 in the dining room while ordering dinner and waiting between courses.  Nine days later on day 19 of the cruise I tested positive for Covid.  DH tested positive one day later.  We never went in the Princess Theater, took no shore excursions. ate our meals alone, and like I said wore our masks everywhere.  

 

Good luck!

[rafinmd]

One thing that concerns me about the Zaandam is that balconies are at a premium, all either Vista or Neptune suites.  I wonder what happens to people  who catch Covid.

 

Roy

[J&Dhighdesert]

.
 

 

 

At lunch,  the Captain reported more Covid  cases.  He said yesterday there were 14 and this morning another 10.  This does not include crew members.  The weather has been beautiful.  I compare the sound between Alaska and the Antarctic. Sorry,  I’m not good at downloading pictures.  I haven’t heard anyone complain about wearing masks.  Tomorrow is another sea day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[WFBgal]

After 10 days, no temp for a few days & test negative, you’re let out of jail & go back to your cabin. 🤣 Remember, when you book a cruise you agree to accept the risk of COVID. If you can’t accept the risk, you don’t cruise.

[St Pete Cruiser]

5 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

This is an exact copy of the letter we received on Island Princess last month, with only the logo, voyage numbers, date, and captain's name being different.  We received the letter 10 days into our cruise and we followed instructions to a T.  We even wore our masks at our table for 2 in the dining room while ordering dinner and waiting between courses.  Nine days later on day 19 of the cruise I tested positive for Covid.  DH tested positive one day later.  We never went in the Princess Theater, took no shore excursions. ate our meals alone, and like I said wore our masks everywhere.  

 

Good luck!

 A friend who was on the Island Princess from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton, 30+ days, said over 250 guests and crew tested positive.5

[rotjeknor]

2 hours ago, WFBgal said:

After 10 days, no temp for a few days & test negative, you’re let out of jail & go back to your cabin. 🤣 Remember, when you book a cruise you agree to accept the risk of COVID. If you can’t accept the risk, you don’t cruise.

We are boarding the Zaandam in Rotterdam next week . Hope the measure is still in place. I never stopped wearing a mask in stores or other busy places, so I won’t be alone doing so for a change.

[StLouisCruisers]

2 hours ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

 A friend who was on the Island Princess from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton, 30+ days, said over 250 guests and crew tested positive.5

 

Probably more than that.  The quarantine rooms were full week 2 when we started wearing masks, and then they had to let new positives stay in their own cabins.  We had quarantine rooms up and down all the hallways, with little tables set in front of the door to hold room service trays.  All B2B passengers tested 2 days before reaching Southampton.  We tested negative that day but I tested positive 3 days later.  Of the 800 B2B guests, 200 of them were positive.  Every one of them was told to pack their bags and taken off the ship, put into a Heathrow hotel for 5 days.  We of course got to stay on being negative, but spent the majority of our second cruise in a quarantine room, which by the way was not a balcony.  Obstructed oceanview.  Our balcony cabin we had booked sat empty for quite a while!  

[JanDay]

On 7/16/2022 at 3:48 AM, travelers07 said:

Here is a photo from just now. In the 40’s and rainy but still beautiful.

 

 

And here is the letter we got overnight. There were way too many people not masking and I hope this is not too late!

 

 

 

Travel these days is quite the unpredictable adventure. Sorry for all who caught the covid! Not the way any of us want to spend a cruise vacation. The letter you received re change of masking regulation is exactly the same we received on Nieuw Statendam in January, except with different cruise id and captain. I suppose it’s being widely used right now as cases increase again. We are double vaxxed and double boosted, wear masks most of the time, wash our palms off, use sanitizers, etc. We tested positive with mild symptoms the day we arrived home after two week Alaska cruise in June. Highly contagious strains out there. And, we did have masks off while dining and sometimes when outside with social distance. It was enough to expose us. 
We are headed out again with a 24 day cruise. We will mask up, sanitize, maybe eat further from others (or in our cabin). We know the risks, and choose to travel anyway.

Best wishes to all in these crazy travel times!

[St Pete Cruiser]

22 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Probably more than that.  The quarantine rooms were full week 2 when we started wearing masks, and then they had to let new positives stay in their own cabins.  We had quarantine rooms up and down all the hallways, with little tables set in front of the door to hold room service trays.  All B2B passengers tested 2 days before reaching Southampton.  We tested negative that day but I tested positive 3 days later.  Of the 800 B2B guests, 200 of them were positive.  Every one of them was told to pack their bags and taken off the ship, put into a Heathrow hotel for 5 days.  We of course got to stay on being negative, but spent the majority of our second cruise in a quarantine room, which by the way was not a balcony.  Obstructed oceanview.  Our balcony cabin we had booked sat empty for quite a while!  

Sorry to read about all the covid issues.  I was so impressed with itinerary, but in hindsight, am glad we were not onboard.  Did you enjoy the cruise despite your covid?

[StLouisCruisers]

4 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

Sorry to read about all the covid issues.  I was so impressed with itinerary, but in hindsight, am glad we were not onboard.  Did you enjoy the cruise despite your covid?

 

It wasn't our favorite cruise for sure, because in addition to missing so much of it due to Covid, there were so many changes to the experience, and the constant thoughts of "what if" when you removed the mask to eat or drink.  It's made us rethink our future plans.  Perhaps we will only use the FCC money that has piled up on one cruise and then wait and see what happens in the future.  We have FCC money on both HAL and Princess so we would have to risk cruising during Covid twice to use it all up.  It's not the Covid itself because we weren't all that sick, just the changes it's made to our cruise experience.😢

[bcummin]

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your Voyage of the Vikings with us.

What were the internet prices?  Before boarding and for the three levels of service available to purchase onboard?  This would help me plan ahead.

Thank you so much.

Barbara

[travelers07]

Hi all-

 

The internet has been buggy last night and today. There was a short note in the daily about problems due to position but everyone I see has a cell phone or iPad so there just may be too many of us.

 

Everyone seems to be masking as required. Captain said 29 cases yesterday and a few this morning. I am now avoiding large gatherings and hoping for the best. Some of you who know me will remember my positive case the end of March and being put off in Southampton on a Princess ship but we will hope for better luck this trip.

The day in Prins Christian Sund was wonderful. The sun even came out a bit but it stayed in the 40’s so I kept running out to take photos and coming right back in. And hoping we get another day there on the way back to Boston.

 

Today is Sunday and they had brunch in the dining room from 10:30 to 1. Lots of different choices and we all enjoyed some different things.

 

Dinner tonight was the best. Cauliflower curry soup actually had some spice to it. And the wiener schnitzel was fantastic as usual. We also requested fruit crisp anytime it is available. They used to have it every night and in the Lido but no more. But they made us some mixed berry crisp and it was delicious. Hoping for more later.

 

Reykjavik in the morning with departure Tuesday at 2:30pm. There is a free shuttle to the port entrance. Then there is a shuttle run by the port to Harpa- the concert hall downtown. I have seen different pricing but should be about $11 each way.

Having a wonderful time just hate the stress of Covid. But that is life right now.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

37 minutes ago, travelers07 said:

The day in Prins Christian Sund was wonderful. The sun even came out a bit but it stayed in the 40’s so I kept running out to take photos and coming right back in. And hoping we get another day there on the way back to Boston.

 

Any opinion of the geology that you saw as you sailed through the Sund?  I hope you do get a second trip through the Sund.  

[Red Haired Lady]

16 hours ago, travelers07 said:

Hi all-

 

The internet has been buggy last night and today. There was a short note in the daily about problems due to position but everyone I see has a cell phone or iPad so there just may be too many of us.

 

Everyone seems to be masking as required. Captain said 29 cases yesterday and a few this morning. I am now avoiding large gatherings and hoping for the best. Some of you who know me will remember my positive case the end of March and being put off in Southampton on a Princess ship but we will hope for better luck this trip.

The day in Prins Christian Sund was wonderful. The sun even came out a bit but it stayed in the 40’s so I kept running out to take photos and coming right back in. And hoping we get another day there on the way back to Boston.

 

Today is Sunday and they had brunch in the dining room from 10:30 to 1. Lots of different choices and we all enjoyed some different things.

 

Dinner tonight was the best. Cauliflower curry soup actually had some spice to it. And the wiener schnitzel was fantastic as usual. We also requested fruit crisp anytime it is available. They used to have it every night and in the Lido but no more. But they made us some mixed berry crisp and it was delicious. Hoping for more later.

 

Reykjavik in the morning with departure Tuesday at 2:30pm. There is a free shuttle to the port entrance. Then there is a shuttle run by the port to Harpa- the concert hall downtown. I have seen different pricing but should be about $11 each way.

Having a wonderful time just hate the stress of Covid. But that is life right now.

 

 

I definitely remember your positive case. Just be careful and you'll be fine... I hope.

[travelers07]

 

12 minutes ago, Red Haired Lady said:

I definitely remember your positive case. Just be careful and you'll be fine... I hope.

You be careful too !

 

Had this all written and it disappeared! 
 

Anyway, free shuttle from ship to port entrance. Nice store with restrooms there and place to buy ticket for shuttle to town. Today the bus was green and cost was $20 US round trip or slightly less if you charge. Running every half hour.

 

Nice shopping but not many public restrooms. Even the larger department stores did not have them so bought a coffee at small bar. Prices are a bit high but lots of lovely things for sale or just to look at. I did find a grocery store very near the shopping street to stock up on a few things. Every place takes credit cards so I did not get local currency. 
 

We were told that the local government wanted us to wear our masks which I did. But I wanted to warn the locals that they might want to also with all of us around. Locals did not wear masks- some tourists did. There was a woman on my shuttle back who sounded awful with a bad cough and blowing her nose. She seemed to be moaning a bit too so I hope she stays in her cabin now!

 

Hope someone will describe the shore excursions. I did some in the past and they were good.