Category: Cruising

Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, Restaurants & Bars, TRAVEL

The Question of Food When Cruising

Jane Sadek
Our Taste of Austria Dinner
Our Taste of Austria Dinner

TRAVEL THERE: WHAT I LIKE AND DISLIKE ABOUT DINING AT SEA

Food is one of the biggies on a cruise and Viking has it down pat.  You’d have a hard time feeling hungry at anytime on board, yet it’s not the obscene food orgy of ocean cruising.

Cruise Food I Have Loved

My favorite food I’ve ever had on any boat was a dessert on the Carnival Ecstasy.  I ordered it the first night, because it was chocolate.  I ordered it the rest of the nights, because it was the best thing I had ever put in my mouth.  The name of the chocolate creation, which I cannot for the life of me remember, did it no justice.  I have no picture of it, but will never forget it.  The rest of the food on the boat was good, sometimes really good, but it wasn’t the best overall I ever had.

The best dining experience on any ship was on Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas.  I was traveling with all the people I loved best, so that may have enhanced the enjoyment.  This was old fashioned cruising where you really dressed up for dinner and had assigned seating at a specific time in a single venue.  Every meal, every night was a unique and wonderful experience.  We also had the best waiter I have ever had aboard any ship any where.

What You Won’t Suffer on a Viking River Cruise

I am not a fan of multiple restaurants on a cruise.  I don’t want to make reservations.  I don’t even want to have to make a decision about which restaurant I’m going to choose.  I don’t want to pay a premium.  I like it the way Viking had it.  They just fed me.

On our “Free-styling” Norwegian cruise a few years ago, my husband felt like the only style unavailable was the one we wanted – particularly when it came to breakfast.  Breakfast is his favorite meal.  He loves to linger over the menu and the meal.  The only sit-down breakfast service on that cruise was quite early in the morning and on a cruise, Bill doesn’t do anything early in the morning.  On top of that he had to navigate the huge buffet, when all he really wanted was for someone to bring him exactly what he wanted for breakfast and he wanted it piping hot.  Was it a lovely breakfast buffet?  Yes, but he didn’t want a breakfast buffet.  Viking solves all of this.

Another of our pet peeves with Ocean Cruising has been the battle of the bottle.  We like wine with dinner.  While we love a particularly good wine, we’re perfectly happy with a decent wine.  On-board various ships we’ve ordered by the glass, ordered by the bottle and pre-ordered a selection of wines.  Either way we’ve done it we’ve felt the ouch of the price, because we know we can get a perfectly good wine at Trader Joe’s for around $10 a bottle and it bothers us to pay more for less.  To make things more interesting Bill loves red and thanks to my sinuses I prefer to drink white.  Viking made wine with dinner a breeze for the same price of a breeze.

And speaking of bottles, even getting a glass of water on your average cruise ship is a hassle.  They’ll sell you a soft drink package, they’ll tempt you with fancy cocktails and they’ll charge you for a bottle of anything – even water, but try whetting your thirst for free.  It’s not easy.  Viking completely abandoned that business model.  There were bottles of free water all over the place and a dispenser for bubbly and still water at the coffee station.

On most cruises I sort of feel like the emPHAsis is on the wrong sylLAble, as my mother used to say.  There’s entirely too much attention paid to shoving food down your mouth.  It takes a page or two of the daily newspaper to explain all the food choices and then if all else fails, they will deliver food to your stateroom 24 hours a day.  I had all I could eat and more on Viking, but I didn’t have to make a career of managing my food choices.

So now that we have discussed cruise food in general, next week I’ll introduce you to the way Viking does food.

Accommodations, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Who Do You Cruise with on Viking River Cruises?

Jane Sadek
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Our best cruise buddies with one of our favorite waiters.

TRAVEL THERE: MY SAILING COMPANIONS ON VIKING TOR

Our first cruise was our honeymoon.  We sailed around the Hawaiian Islands on a line that no longer exists.  It gave us taste for cruising that hasn’t gone away, but our first moments in Hawaii made us very nervous.  When we climbed aboard the bus to the boat terminal, it looked as if we’d caught the wrong bus.  Surely all those people with canes, wheelchairs and oxygen tanks were on their way to the hospital, not to a cruise!  Come to find out, we were on the right bus and once we were aboard the ship, the wheel chairs and oxygen tanks melted into the general population of passengers. 

On our last ocean cruise, the geriatric set was also in proportion, but we wondered where the beautiful people had disappeared to.  Apparently Norwegian had corralled them behind the walls of The Haven.  We’re not the suite sort, but we also felt a little out of place among the 30 million screaming kids and a large contingency from OUfFWG (Overeaters United for Further Weight Gain).  We kept reminding ourselves that diversity is good, but we also wanted a few more people from our team to show up.  I’m not exactly sure what to call our team.  Maybe MBSK (Mature But Still Kicking)? Or Thirty Something Plus?

Viking Had Our Team 

From the moment we boarded the Viking Tor Longship, we felt at home.  Diversity was immediately evident.  Though the primary language was English, you could also hear a polyglot of other languages.  Skin colors ranged from Nordic Pale to nearly black.  However, throughout the week I noticed the darkest passengers seemed more Indian than African.    There were zero kids.  The youngest person I met was either late twenty-something or early thirty-something.  I didn’t ask. I just guessed.  The oldest was in her nineties.

I’d say about 70% of the passengers were hetrosexual couples.  Most of the other people I met were various groups of women traveling together – either friends on a girls trip or multi-generational family groups.  I didn’t meet everyone and certainly didn’t quiz anyone about their sexual preferences.

There were blind people, wheelchair-bound people, people with walkers or canes and one lady whose hair was growing back in after some sort of brain surgery.  The woman growing her hair didn’t like to walk and was just taking the cruise for the benefit of her husband.  The cruise staff made every effort to accommodate handicaps of any sort.  In each city there was an “easy” walking tour to facilitate anyone who wanted to enjoy the tour but was worried about hampering the progress of other passengers.

Our Best Cruise Buddies

Usually in the mornings Bill and I made a point of finding someone new to sit with for breakfast.  Most of those encounters were very pleasant and we enjoyed the acquaintance of several groups through our endeavors.  One morning we bombed out completely.  I think we inadvertently interrupted a couple having a disagreement, but didn’t realize it.  When we asked to join them they welcomed us to the table.  There just wasn’t very much said after that.

We’d also crowd hop in the evenings when the passengers met in the lounge.  On the first evening, we ran into someone we’d seen in the airport in Frankfurt. They ended up being our best cruise buddies.  I was excited when we met them in the airport, because they were from one of our favorite places, Oregon.  They were there with some of their best friends and the six of us really bonded.

The couples, Deb & Mike and Gwen & John were traveling together to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversaries, which were only a few days apart.  The girls had know each other for an even longer period of time.  We were roughly in the same age group and shared many of the same interests.  As the days passed, the friendship grew and I hope we’ll be friends for ever.

I’ve used up all my words today.  Come back next week and we’ll talk about the food and beverage service.

Accommodations, Attractions, Cruising, DESTINATIONS, International, TRAVEL

Waltzing Along the Danube with Viking River Cruises

Jane Sadek

20160419_115712

TRAVEL THERE: OUR VIKING RIVER CRUISE, WONDERFUL IN EVERY WAY

On Monday I had a little fun with you about the joys of coming home from a vacation, but the truth of the matter is that I thoroughly enjoyed our Viking River Cruise.  I can’t think of a single reason why you wouldn’t want to call your travel agent this minute and book one of their marvelous experiences.  My frustration with the size of the room could have been resolved by one of the Viking suites if money were no object, but money is always an object.

River Cruising vs. Ocean Cruising

This was our sixth cruise and our second on a river.  We definitely prefer river cruising, but you might not.  If you like the casino, shopping arcade, pools, kid’s activities, theaters, gyms and spas, then you should stick to ocean liners.  If you think you’d like remarkable access to amazing destinations, individualized service and a relaxing atmosphere, then I might have just the thing for you.

We loved being two of the only 190 guests on the Viking Tor.  Everything (and I do mean everything we wanted) was included in the price of the cruise.  The boat was full of cozy little places to relax and enjoy our time on board, instead of the craft being stuffed cheek to jowl with attractions designed to separate us from a little more of our money.  We returned to the same dining room for every meal where our waiters quickly learned our preferences  and we made friends around the table, instead of being shuffled from dining room to dining room with a new waiter every night, never seeing the same passengers twice.  We sat on the Sun Deck with plenty of elbow room and a pair of riverbanks to watch, instead of suffering the frenetic pool scene of an ocean liner.  Best of all, there were no roving photographers trying to get us to pose for yet another picture every time we turned around.

More River vs. Ocean Trade-offs

I’ll admit we’ve enjoyed some great entertainment on ocean liners.  There are no Broadway spectacles aboard a Viking Longship, but they still managed to provide satisfying entertainment.  I wouldn’t have minded a gym, for morning workouts, but with walking tours at almost every stop, I usually managed to meet my step goal for the day.

And speaking of walking tours, I adored the shore excursions on Viking.  I’m not a big fan of getting drunk on a pirate boat or a private island.  I don’t snorkel, scuba dive or participate in other water sports.  While I enjoy shopping excursions, my husband is not really happy with the dings on his credit card bill.  There’s usually one day on an ocean cruise where I really enjoy an excursion, like the Road to Hana in Maui or Dzibilchaltun on the Yucatan peninsula, but on the other days, I would gladly trade my experience in on a good museum.

Aboard the Viking Tor, we woke almost every morning to discover we were docked at yet another wonderful destination.  After breakfast we joined a knowledgeable guide, usually for a walking tour, but in the bigger cities, a bus tour.  Even with the bus tours we’d get out of the bus and wander around various sites.  The guides were knowledgeable, personable and delightful.  The focus of the tours was to teach us something about the destinations and familiarize us with the lives of its inhabitants, now and in the past.  Drinks were not served and we weren’t abandoned at shopping opportunities with no hope of exit without a purchase.  Instead we drank in the beauty and chewed on the history.  If we were interested in shopping, there was plenty of free time.

And There’s More!

I’ve only begun to rave.  Come back next week and I’ll cover some more of the generalities of the cruise, like who our fellow passengers were and what the food was like, so you can get an even better idea of whether you are a river cruiser or an ocean cruiser.

Cruising, DESTINATIONS, DFW Metroplex, Road Trips, TRAVEL

Cruise Report: The Return

Jane Sadek
OK, so I am an addict!
OK, so I am an addict!

TRAVEL HERE: NO MATTER HOW HUMBLE, THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Most folks who travel will tell you one of the best parts of the trip is coming home.  I have to agree with them.  I loved my recent cruise on the Danube, but sleeping in my own bed has its advantages.

What Did I Miss Most?

What I always miss most during my travels is Diet Dr Pepper.  No airport in the world has my beverage of choice.  A few airlines will offer it, but very few and certainly not Lufthansa or United.  Soda machines outside Texas rarely have it and locating a six pack of it at my American destinations can be somewhat of a challenge.  Finding any Dr Pepper product along the Danube was not going to happen, so once a day I would settle for a Coke Light to get my daily dose of caffeine.  Coke Light is the European answer to our Diet Coke.  Coke Zero?  Forget about it!

Other Things I Lacked

I missed my bed and most particularly my top sheet.  The mattress, though smaller than the one we sleep on at home, was perfectly comfortable.  The contour sheet, pillow and pillow cases were all very well and good, but the only cover we got was a comforter.  It was a very nice comforter, but I really missed having a top sheet.

Another thing wrong with the bed was that it was attached to the boat and at 3 AM in the morning, when the captain put the pedal to the medal, everything on the boat would vibrate.  When I was a kid I thought it was cool to put a quarter in the hotel bed and enjoy the vibrations, but I giggled all the way through the “massage.”  On the boat I would come awake wondering what was happening and then figure out that I’d been wakened by the boat’s vibrations – again.  Of course, then I’d toss and turn.  I was too hot with the comforter on and felt weird without a top sheet, so I’d usually stay awake until it was finally time to get out of bed – not by choice, of course.

When I did get up, I immediately regretted the tiny bathroom in our cabin.  While the length of the shower was more than sufficient, for my money, I’d have preferred a little more elbow room in the other direction.  I’m not a fan of showers, so I stood as close to the showerhead as I could, to get the most of me wet or I’d get a chill.  Hence, I was stuffed into the front of the shower stall banging into the walls and doors – a far cry from my large soaking tub at home.  Sitting on the toilet was particularly claustrophobic, but there was enough room for the brushing of teeth.

I moved the rest of my ministrations into the main room, taking over what I think was supposed to be a desk, but it made for a great vanity table – with the exception of the light.  To turn on the light above the mirror, I would have had to turn on all the lights in the room.  Not a good idea with Bill enjoying his final moments of sleep.  (He had no problem with the vibrations, for which I was glad, but a little envious.)  So, I would crack open the curtain of the sliding glass door which was right next to me – the benefit being that I put on my make up with natural light.

All Is Forgiven

In truth, I know these are minor irritations.  While I struggled with the bed and bath, I was not cooking meals or washing dishes.  A maid showed up to make up the bed and restock the linens.  I didn’t fight the crowds at the grocery store or worry about traffic.  In fact, I didn’t worry about anything.  I didn’t know or care who was ahead in the election process or if anyone had been blown up.  Even if I was missing my Diet Dr Pepper, having a bottomless glass of wine at dinner certainly made up for it.

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Sorry, you have to imagine the frog voices.

As much as I love traveling there was one very priceless moment as I arrived at our home.  The night was pitch black except for a brilliant full moon.  I couldn’t wait to get out and take a picture. As soon as I opened the car door I could hear our frogs.  They were all singing their welcome.  I’ve identified three types of voices, the basso bullfrogs, frogs with a clicking sort of song and the sopranos screaming at the top of their voices.  Thankfully the sopranos only sing a few nights out of the year, but they were out in full force when we arrived.

The picture didn’t come out very well, but I’ve shared it anyway.  In the coming weeks I will share all the wonderful things we did on our cruise and all the amazing things the crew did to make it a memorable experience.

So, I’ll be changing things around here on the blog again.  Mondays will remain Travel Here stories about things to do in the Metroplex.  Wednesdays will return to Travel There stories where I’ll tell you all about the cruise.  Travel Bug Tales, which were started as a sort of filler, have become very popular, so they’ll replace At Home in Heath on Fridays and if I have Rockwall County things to share with you, I’ll include them on Mondays.  So I hope you’ll join me Wednesday for my first installment on the cruise.