June 30 - Orkney Islands

All three days we are in Scotland Kim and I have settled on different shore excursions.  Today she set out for a panoramic walk along the Yesnaby Cliffs while I was off to explore the Ancient Stones of the area.  Both of us visited Skara Brae, a neothlic era village which is over 5,000 years old (older than the pyramids of Giza in Egypt!).  The weather today was spectacular with crystal blue skies, not a cloud to be seen and temps never were out of the upper 50s with a wonderful stiff breeze blowing all day long.

Skara Brae & Skaill House

The manor house was first built in the late 1500s (the white-ish structure towards the left)

The Ring of Brodgar

This neolithic ring circle built about 2800 BC is about the same age as Stonehenge, but is a larger structure.  There has been no excavation done here yet in order to preserve the original site, so what it was used for, why it was built still remains a mystery!

The Standing Stones of Stennes

Some interesting trivia about the Orkney Islands......the "nearest" land to the west is North America!  The Orkney Islands are on roughly the same parallel as the southern tip of Greenland!  Today's temperature (57+ degrees) is a typical summer temp and they will have 20 hours of daylight this time of year....but in the winter the average daylight hours are only six hours long!  More days than not it's raining here (so we were very lucky!), and one in twelve days the winds are gale-force in nature!  Lastly, Skaill House was visited by the Queen Mother in the mid-1990s and there were photos of this historic visit on the table - she shared dinner with the family and the dinner table is set with the same dishes used for that momentous occasion!

June 29 - Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Scotland

This morning we woke up to D-E-N-S-E fog, or as it's called here "the Haar."  We had arrived outside of Edinburgh, Scotland but we could not launch the tenders to take us ashore until we could actually SEE the shore.  So everything was delayed by nearly two hours.  But once we got going it was a great day (except for the pitching and rolling of the roller-coaster-esque ride on the tenders from the ship to shore!) for both of us as we went on separate tours.  

Braveheart Country Castle Tour

I left first around 10 am and boarded a bus.  We headed out of Edinburgh and the farther we went the warmer and sunnier it got.  Just the reverse when we returned a little after 5 pm.  Along the way we saw the "magical, mystical horses" that surface out of the lochs...well they were sculptures of the famous "kelpies."

After 45 minutes we arrived at Stirling Castle which was home to King John IV of Scotland, and subsequently John V and John VI.  It was very interesting and a big complex to tour.  Very cool, again, to be walking where kings and their people walked some five hundred years ago.  

The castle overlooked the valley where William Wallace fought the English and won a monumental battle for the people of Scotland.  If the name is not familiar to you, Wallace was the character played by Mel Gibson in the film "Braveheart!"  After the castle we went to the Wallace Memorial and climbed the VERY steep path to monumental tower before heading back to the ship just before we cast off for tomorrow's adventure on the Orkney Islands of Scotland.

Bagpipes & Whiskey Adventure
While I was off exploring castles and ancient Scottish battles, Kim went into town to learn how to play the bagpipes and sample Scottish whiskey.  What was MOST interesting was that this was the FIRST time this excursion/adventure had been offered by Viking cruises and Kim and her group got to be the initial guests!

June 28: Day at Sea - Thoughts On Viking Oceans

Today was a day at sea - from start to finish.  Because there won't be any excursions & accompanying stories I thought today would be a good day to post some photos from the ship and give our initial impressions of Viking Oceans vs. our past experiences on Viking River Cruises.

Evening of June 27

When sailing on Viking River Cruises "the routine" is that all passengers (generally speaking) gather in the Viking Lounge a half hour or an hour before the Evening Information meeting.  Dinner is generally at 6 pm or 7 pm, so we are usually in the Lounge around 5:30 to 6:00 pm having a pre-dinner drink and talking with fellow guests.  The program director for the cruise comes to the microphone and for a half an hour there is an outline of what's going to happen the next day, as well as generally the chef comes out and previews dinner.  At dinner time nearly the entire group of passengers leave the meeting (always timed to end as the doors open in the dining room) and it is open seating.  Here we typically meet new guests or sit with our newly-made friends.  BUT it's very different on the Viking Oceans.  First, there is no information meeting and the program director is much like those on big-ship ocean cruises....they make an appearance on stage at the evening entertainment.  We found, so far, that we miss this social hour and look ahead to the day.  Both nights to date we had our pre-dinner cocktail in the "living room" which is very comfortable and luxurious in appearance, but we were alone in the room on a couch, no socialization.  On the first night when we went to the dining room we were very surprised that in spite of not going to dinner right at 6 pm, we were assigned a table.  As we entered "The Restaurant" (literally that's the name of the dining room) we noted it was broken up into four or five smaller dining areas instead of one large room.  We were seated with a great window view, but at a table for two.  And in our room as our appetizers arrived there were four couples, all - like us - at their own table.  Midway through out meal another couple was seated at the table close to us, but it was very unlike the social setting on the river cruises.  So, in summary, this is the biggest difference we've noted between Viking River and Viking Oceans.  If you've been on Viking River cruises, and really like them - as we do (obviously having been on five with two more booked for later this year) you should NOT expect to have a Viking River experience on a Viking Oceans adventure.  It is an ocean adventure.  We DO like that it's a smaller ship and it is fairly obvious that there are many fewer guests than on a typical multi-thousand big ocean cruising ship.  But it IS an ocean cruise.  We do agree however that the staff are very much of the same exceptional service and friendliness level as Viking Rivers.  But again, on the river there are at best 190 passengers and you feel a much more intimate feeling with the staff who quickly learn your names....on the Oceans by sheer volume it's just not the same intimate feeling.

SO, on the second night we requested to be seated for dinner with a "share a table" seating.  We were led to a table with two ladies who were traveling together (Judy & Carolyn from the upstate NY area) and quickly were joined by a couple (Peg & Dan, ironically from Columbus, Ohio - where I grew up!).  Unlike the first night where Kim and I had a wonderful dining experience but were finished in a little over an hour, tonight we had the "typical" cruising dining experience where we enjoyed a great meal and conversation that lasted nearly three hours!

We headed back to our room after dinner for a short break and I captured the sunset above.  Note that the sun has been setting somewhere around 9:30 pm to 9:45 pm.  We then went to "The Theater" as it's called where the officer staff was introduced and there was a short preview of the guest lecturers and the entertainers (who sang a few songs).  The captain, who is from Bergen, Norway (our final stop on the cruise) told us he's sailed our coastal route every summer since he was 16 years old and said he was hopeful we'd have better weather than their last trip and that we'd have at least a couple of "midnight suns" - they had four on the last cruise.  By now it was well after 10 pm and we turned in for the night, still I think feeling some of the effects of the long travel day. 

Good Morning from the North Sea:  June 28

Sunrise today was at 3:30 am - luckily we were informed of this in our Viking Daily newsletter last night so we knew to have the curtains fully drawn (as we're on the eastern side of the ship and get the morning sun).  Still, unlike the first night were we "slept in" which for us is any time after 7 am, this morning we were both wide awake by a little after 6 am.  We opened the door and while the temperature was - according to our weather info - a cool 57 degrees it didn't feel chilly.  We enjoyed a quick morning photo on our balcony and went for coffee and breakfast in the World Cafe restaurant on the 7th (next to top level) deck with a widow view.  We then took a short morning walk around the perimeter of the top deck.

Some thoughts on the ship, the "Viking Sea"......
As you board you have the distinct feeling that you are on a big ocean-going cruise ship.  But as you explore you're surprised that unlike the typical ocean cruise ship which has fourteen to eighteen levels, this one has seven levels with a sun deck / 8th level that is only about 1/2 the length of the ship.  And to walk from one end to the other - again, unlike the typical big ocean ships - is only about 1/2 the length.  So, while unlike the river cruise "longships" where to go from the top level observation/sun deck to your stateroom is a matter of seconds, it is still only a matter of minutes because it is much smaller.  It is luxuriously furnished and carries a Viking/Nordic theme throughout as you can see from these random shots I've taken to post here......

Each landing between floors has a Viking / Medieval Tapestry-Mural

Note the leather-covered banisters!

Thank you Mr. Kim & Ms. Mark.....
It's just the continuation of a long saga with Viking that nearly everything we receive via email or postal mail is addressed to JUST Kimberly Love, that sets the stage for an amusing saga from this morning.......As I'd mentioned previously, we'd been able to book additional excursions for the trip that had originally been "Sold Out."  But yesterday in looking ahead to our next set of excursions, we noted that MY ticket for MY excursion had Kim's name on it, and her ticket had her name on it correctly; then for the following day both tickets - for separate excursions had MY name; and the third excursion upcoming was like tomorrow's....her name was on both.  I went down to ask if that was a problem, but there was a long line at the excursion desk.  I asked at guest services and when I showed her the tickets she said it didn't matter, it was one account from one room.  So I returned to our room, but I saw from down the hall the room was being cleaned.  I went to the top/sun deck and read for an hour.  As I began returning I noticed I no longer had my tickets!!!!  I retraced my steps and couldn't find them anywhere.  So, I went back downstairs and now there was no line at the Excursions Desk...told my story....no this WOULD NOT be ok, so she began to reprint them.  As she went to double-check she stopped, smiled and said, "I'm going to show you a problem - it's not a big problem to fix, but it is funny, are you ready?"  She swiveled the monitor around and there were our photo ID pictures but my photo was attached to "Kimberly Love" and Kim's photo had the name "Mark Love."  We laughed and I told her that I had thought the other night that when Kim received her pre-dinner cocktail the server had said, "Here you go Ms. Mark."  But I thought I'd misheard him say "ma'am."  Perhaps not!  So I was directed back to guest services to have a new photo taken; Kim later went down to have her new photo taken.  Then I returned to the excursion desk and got the correct tickets with the correct names.

During the day we spent a good deal of the day doing out own thing.  Kim went to the gym for an extensive workout, followed by alternating steam spa and "snow spa" treatments.  I want to do the "snow room" but was disappointed to learn from her that it doesn't actually snow while you're in there.  Obviously the camera quality inside a spa is less than ideal, but you get the "real look" at her day; later in the afternoon she tried her hand at putt-putt golf.  I, on the other hand spent time reading my book both inside and outside as well as attending a historic lecture on "Vikings" - who they were, how they lived, and their legacy.  It was very interesting, delivered in front of a standing room only theater group of 400+ and the historic facts presented supported several of the story lines of the TV show "Vikings" which Kim and I have watched.

Dinner at Manfredi's
One of the unique features of the Viking Oceans experience, unlike other big-ship ocean cruises is that the specialty restaurants on our ship do NOT come with an added cost.  You only need to make reservations in advance.  We made our reservation for Manfredi's on the first day on board (you have to wait until you're on board to make reservations) via my phone app.  We have been looking forward to this since our "Rhine Getaway" Viking River Cruise adventure when that ship offered a sampling of this dinner option on their Aquavit Terrace - again, it did not come at an extra cost, but only required reservations in advance.

Our reservation was at 6 pm, and we were right on time following our pre-dinner cocktails in the "living room."  We were surprised at how crowded the restaurant was, but what truly blew us away was when the menu was delivered and we had to make our choices.  Such an array of selections!

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING we had was outstanding.  At the end of the cruise I will build a "Food" page with photos of all the main dishes, including many photos of tonight's wide variety of food and drink.  It took us nearly two hours to work our way through the multiple courses and dessert.  We then went for a quick change of clothes, a half hour stroll around the promenade deck and then on to the "Sounds of Broadway" live performance in "The Theater."  It was a wonderful day.  Tomorrow were in Edinburgh, Scotland and we have separate excursions, so twice as many photos!

June 27: Greenwich, England

The Cutty Sark Clipper Ship

Our morning tour was originally scheduled for 9 am to 11:45 am but the schedule changed (always be flexible as a seasoned traveler!) and instead we needed to be in the theater by 7:20 am for an 8-9:45 tour!  We're quickly learning that this Viking Oceans adventure is NOT like a Viking River cruise in many ways - often, like this morning, it's like an ocean cruise.  Instead of gathering in the lobby and exiting the ship to meet our guides as we do on river cruises, everyone who had a morning excursion met in the theater with their tickets and were assigned groups then dismissed to go off on their adventure.  And you needed your room key / sea pass card to exit the ship (and return).  We boarded the tender for the quick trip to shore and began our walking tour with our "quiet boxes" so we could hear our guide regardless of how far away she was physically.  And like nearly all Viking guides we've had on our FIVE previous Viking trips, Laura was wonderful.  Very engaging, friendly and so knowledgeable.   When she needed to help a couple with their quiet box devices, you KNOW who stepped up to assume command and take control......

We stopped first at the Cutty Sark Clipper ship which was for many years THE fastest sailing ship on the ocean.  It now is a museum and has a restaurant underneath.  We then walked around the lovely town of Greenwich.  Unfortunately at a restroom stop one gentleman upon rejoining the group realized he'd left his camera in the loo.....went back and alas, it was gone.  We all felt bad for him :(

St. Alfege Church

Next we were off to St Alfege Church which was the sight of where the Archbishop of Canterbury was kidnapped and executed by invading Danish armies.  And in this church King James I (king when the American colonies won their independence) was baptized.  As we walked through the gates I said to Kim, as I often do when we visit historical places like this, "Just think who's walked through these gates!"

We walked up to Greenwich Park which was just so peaceful and beautiful.  Used to be used by the royals to hunt and gallop their horses.  During the Olympics that were held here in 2012 this park was the site of the equestrian events.  We saw the home that was built for the queen which looks down to the river.  And further down is the British Naval College / Hospital which had to be built in two separated parts so as to not to block the view from the queen's "front porch."  It was interesting, as Laura explained, that the current site of the Naval College/Hospital was originally the Palace of Greenwich where King James held court.  It was built right along the River Thames and sat right in the open courtyard of what currently sits there.....

The Naval College/Hospital (Queen's House in background)

Greenwich Palace (circa 1600s)

Finally, a touching story....one of the heroes of British history is Lord Nelson, a famous naval commander (who Laura told us was ironically very seasick when on board his ships!).  Lord Nelson is known for defeating the navy of Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar, where Lord Nelson was fatally wounded.  In the courtyard of the Naval College is this building with this carving in the upper pyramid.  It portrays Lord Nelson's dying body being taken to heaven.  It's story goes that Lord Nelson met the artist of this in the months prior to the battle of Trafalgar and told him how much he loved the painting of the French general Montcalm dying in the arms of his men at the Battle of Quebec.  Nelson remarked he should do more work like that to which the artist remarked he "lacked subjects for such works and perhaps he (Lord Nelson) would would day be such a subject."  Ironically months later he was indeed.

We had a great morning and enjoyed the brisk weather (upper 50s and low 60s throughout the walk).  We sail this afternoon right after lunch where we are supposed to get some great sites for photos as we sail out of the Thames.  I'll try to post them later IF we have a connection, if not, we'll see you in a couple days from Scotland!

Continental Breakfast after the tour