One step closer - November 22, 2022

 

Today the World Cruise is closer to reality. 

We received our passports back with some of the VISAs we will need. Others we will get on the ship. We have started discussing what items we will ship using Luggage Forward. 

Next Monday a meeting with Travel Clinic to determine if we need more vaccines.  Today we also competed VeriFly, showing proof of being Vaccinated for Covid-19. We already have our super senior Flu shot.

Have looked for addresses in FLL, for Costco, CVS and where the Westin is located in relationship to where our Time Share is located. 

Now we just need to get to FLL.

Russ and Jan's Excellent Adventure

Prelude to our adventure: November 5, 2022, we drove to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico to take care of our home there as well as to pre-pay various fees. Those fees included Real Estate tax, el Cid HOA fees, and golf course fees as well as our license fee for our car. The drive took 2 days and 1,300 Kilometers, a hotel overnight and dinner. We arrived home on Sunday the 6th. On Monday the 7th found Jan very ill with what we believed to be food poisoning from her dinner in Navajoa. By Tuesday she was much better and we were able to accomplish getting everyone pre-paid. We departed Mazatlan on Tuesday the 15th after introducing our house sitter to our cleaning lady on Monday afternoon. The return trip saw us repeating the drive from Mazatlan to Navajoa, staying and eating at a different hotel. Driving in Mexico finds one stopping at various check points, crossing state borders and stopping to pay tolls. The drive from Navajoa started at 6am with our GPS suggesting our arrival time to get home to be 2:30pm. Which might have happened even with 8 toll booths causing us to come to a complete stop for several minutes or more. We have done this drive many times and it is not unusual to see a wreck or two going either direction. This time the wreck was on the way to Hermosillo. This is a photo of the traffic being rerouted from then North bound highway to the South bound closing one lane then being rerouted over a dirt area back to the North bound side. A very dirty detour. The photo of the wreck did not turn out. Regardless, we made it to the Mexico/USA Boarder at Mariposa instead of going to downtown Nogales. The border wait time found on the US Customs app suggested that the wait time was 30 minutes in either location. This is much less than normal. We in fact crossed in about 20 minutes which is the fastest time ever. I decided not to stop for fuel as we are now about 90 miles or minutes to Oro Valley. Little did we know that after the ICE check point the 4 lane highway went to one lane each way and the drive took two and a half hours to complete. Traffic on the drive out and a pic of a statue

Well Jan was successful and she got all of the Viking tours we wanted, with some funds left over to use at the spa.

More on excursions

 Today it begins to feel like we are really going on a 150-day cruise. 

Jan will in a few minutes begin securing our excursions and I would like to tell which one those are. In order of importance to us.

Viking has included tours for each port and when we are not doing what is outlined below, we will be taking an included tour. If you are curious, go to the Viking Ocean cruise site and then to World Cruise and look at the complete itinerary.  We also have made arrangements to enjoy other private (30 plus other cruisers) tours to see below after Viking Tours.

1)  Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - this is an overnight. Why? when we have a really good bed on the boat. Well from our Moorage it will take about 1 to 3 hours to get into Saigon. Now we will get to see Saigon and experience it at night.

2) Rhodes, Greece - Greek Cuisine - we get a cooking class and immersion into the Greece Culture.

3) Cabo, San Lucas - whale watching speaks for itself. 

4) Colon, Panama - Flora and Fauna, yes we are going to see flowers and trees and maybe a monkey or two.

5) Semarang, India - Borobudur Temple. This is a 9th century-in Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Borobudur mimics the shape of a lotus and every aspect of it represents Buddhist views of the cosmos. Practically every square inch is covered with sculptural reliefs and there are 504 Buddha statues, making it a popular pilgrimage site.

6) Naples, Italy - Enjoy a panoramic drive of Naples and lunch at an authentic pizza house, then discover Pompeii. The world’s first pizzeria opened in Naples in 1830. Watch a master pizzaiolo (pizza maker) skillfully prepare the dough, sauce and toppings and slide the pizza into a traditional oven.. At the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pompeii, you can explore a city frozen in time by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

7) Rome, Italy - Italy’s history on this outing, ideal for lovers of archaeology. Journey with a local guide to the ancient city of Tarquinia, founded in 449 BC. Explore the fascinating Etruscan Necropolises, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating from the 7th to the 2nd centuries BC, the numerous tombs, with their decorative frescoes, chronicle the development of Etruscan culture. 

8) Mooloolaba Australia - We will get to explore the picturesque mountaintop village of Montville and enjoy a taste of locally produced wine and cheese. Settled in 1887, Montville is nestled in Queensland’s Blackall Range. Sitting at 1,410 feet above sea level, it experiences inviting weather year-round and offers sweeping views over the hinterlands. Enjoy free time to further explore on your own. You may choose to visit one of the local cafés or restaurants, browse the art galleries and boutiques, or admire the striking views of the Sunshine Coast. You will cap your tour at a local estate winery, indulging in a delicious wine and cheese tasting, before making the return journey to your ship.

10) Bali, Inda - Ubud Discovery & Rice Terraces, explore the museum and marketplace of Ubud, and discover the remarkable rice terraces of Tegallalang.  You will travel by bus to Ubud, a quiet cultural center famous for its handicrafts.  At the Puri Lukisan Museum, admire a collection of early artwork from Ubud and the surrounding villages, then enjoy free time to browse the artists’ shops and bargain in Ubud’s market. 

10 Le Havre, France - While everyone else is heading to Paris we will be experiencing the Normandy coast. Journey to the seaside town of Fécamp, whose beautiful Benedictine Abbey gave its name to an herbal liqueur. Once the birthplace of Norman dukes, Fécamp’s prosperity grew on its fishing industry. Up until the 1970s, the port was France’s most important harbor for cod. Journey here with your guide and stop at the 13th-century Fécamp Abbey, known mostly for its monks—who, according to legend, first produced the Bénédictine herbal liqueur. (note the issues the English are having with the French over fishing rights. this is a Brexit Issue). Enjoy a liqueur tasting before returning to your ship via a short stop at Étretat, renowned for its chalk cliffs and natural arches.

11) Colombo, Sri Lanka - Ceylon Tea. Need to inject that we are not sure we will be visiting this port, due to the country's unrest. But if we do this is what we will see. Upon arrival at the tea plantation in Ingrida, you will enjoy a traditional welcome with garlands made from tea leaves. Some of the finest teas in the world are produced in this region, and during your tour, you will learn why it has become one of Sri Lanka’s most famous and principal exports. Delve into the island’s culture and history as you observe the tea crop being plucked, graded, tasted, bagged and packed.

OTHER TOURS NOT VIKING TOURS.

1 Sydney, Australia - Blue Mountain Tour

2) Aqaba, Jordan - Petra - think Indiana Jones

3) Luxor, Egypt - Luxor & Valley of the Kings

4) Haifa. Israel - Jerusalem & Bethlehem

5) Kusadasi, Turkey - Ephesus 

Starting to think about excursions

Today's date is 10/11/2022. And now the fun starts in just 5 days we can try to secure excursions through My Viking Journey. Our number one tour is an overnight in Saigon, followed by 12 more. We have committed to doing non-Viking tours with Memphis Tours at Aqaba, Jordon (Petra) and Luxor, Egypt (Luxor and Kings).  to us private means non-Viking supported, so we have made sure the tour companies will get us back to the ship on time for departure.

Jancie has taken the ball and is setting up a tour while we are docked in Kusadasi, Turkey for Ephesus. We have been here about 15years ago and thought the short time spent needed to be increased from one hour to 3 with this private tour. the tour will include several other interesting stops taking about 3 more hours. Well worth the $50 USD PP. And guaranteed to get us back to the ship on time.

More after we have purchased Viking Tours.

A practice run on posting pictures.

 

The first thing I'm going to order

and this will be the second

and this is what will be left

and finished with these

A little about the cabins

 

Date:	Monday, October 3, 2022

More information about the ship

There are five sizes of cabins: Veranda (270 sq. feet), Penthouse Veranda (338 sq. feet), Penthouse Junior Suite (405 sq. feet), Explorer Suites (range from 757–1,163 sq feet), and one Owner’s Suite at 1,448 sq. feet.

 The vast majority of the cabins are “Veranda” cabins. And the only size we will probably ever stay in. The 270 square feet includes the veranda and the bathroom. The bathroom is larger than many cruise lines with heated flooring and adequate storage. There is a coffee maker in each stateroom, some drawer space, a vault, king size bed that can be separated into two singles (if that is your preference). There is sufficient space under the bed to store your luggage after you’ve unpacked. Nightstands have 110 plugs and USB ports. There is a sitting area (either 2 comfy chairs or a small couch), coffee table, desk and chair. The desk also has 110 plugs. The desk contains a mini fridge, with some snacks and soft drinks replenished daily, as needed. Bottled water is replenished as needed. There is also a large TV that is very multi-purpose. Bridge cam, onboard account, Ted talks, movies, Port Talks, and more.

Our first voyage on a Viking Ocean cruise was in the Baltic in the fall of 2016. We boarded in Stockholm, Sweden. We were on the ship prior to our having access to our cabin, but we went in search of our cabin, just so we would begin to learn the layout of the ship. We found our cabin (the door was standing open), so we checked it out just a bit. We were then walking down the hall when a cabin steward approached us asking if she could help us. We told her we were just checking things out. She asked for our cabin number, and we gave it to her. Her response was “oh, Mr. and Mrs. Story, I’m so sorry, but your cabin isn’t quite ready”. She already knew the names of the passengers associated with their room number. Her prior passengers had gotten off the ship that morning. And the level of service stayed at that level or even better.

From conversations we had with other passengers and staff, we have learned that Viking hires personality. They feel they can teach any task, but it is the attitude of the individual that makes them Viking material. They also take care of their employees. An example being that they can only work a certain number of months before they must take time off and go home to family. However, before the employee leaves the ship, they know what their next assignment will be, and on which ship. Memory is faulty, but I think they can only work up to five or six months and they must take a month off. They learn your name quickly. They literally always have a smile and a greeting for you. During the pandemic, Viking continued to pay a salary to their employees, even though they were not sailing.