Iceland to Madrid Viking Ocean Cruise
Sept 10th - 29th, 2023
Rich, our Uber driver, picked us at 11 for a 2:10 pm departure to Chicago on United. Uneventful flight. We had a 4 hour layover so we spent the time in the Polaris Lounge in Chicago. They had a restaurant and we decided to eat there. Portions were small but good. Greg had a hamburger and I chose the seafood chowder. Our gate was right outside the lounge. They were already lined up for group 1 when we arrived. We boarded quickly. The business class seats are side by side so if Greg lays down I won’t be able to get up to go to the bathroom. Second trip on a strange Business Class setup. Greg’s tv monitor won’t turn off and their scotch choices were off brands. Not off to a good start for United. Last two trips on British Air and now United does make us appreciate American Airlines more. Since we ate earlier and it’s 10:30 pm and just now serving dinner, we opted for salad and cheese plate. They woke us at 7 am local time for breakfast. The time difference is 5 hours and air temp is 43 degrees. The plane landed 15 min early. Deplaning and immigration was a breeze, luggage was coming out as we arrived. After gathering our suitcases we found our Viking Rep and waited until the group was all here and she walked us to the bus. This process was a bit disorganized. Lots of pointing but not much in explanation. The rep returned to the terminal to find 4 missing people. Gee, they were buying liquor in the duty free shop. Don’t worry about keeping a whole bus waiting for just you. The ride to our hotel was 45 min. We are staying at Grandi By Central. When the bus stopped, we were told to follow the guide to the hotel and the luggage would come by truck. The guide took off toward the hotel immediately. We were like the 5th couple off and she was already a block in front of us, walking quickly. I figured she lost half of the group but I was walking so fast, I didn’t turn around to see. We were told we couldn’t check in until 3 o’clock but Greg went up to the counter and we couldn’t believe the room was ready. The room is very minimal. The sink is in the room and bathroom is a shower and commode. No room for luggage to be out and very little lighting. Very utilitarian. Greg wanted a nap and I didn’t mean to but fell asleep as well. We woke up when the lady delivered our suitcases.
After our naps we walked around Reykjavik, looking for a restaurant for dinner. We walked down to the harbor and back, stopping at Bryggjan Steakhouse for a drink and maybe dinner. The menu outside the restaurant showed scallops and mussels for entrees. When we saw the menu inside, the only fish was cod. So we finished our drinks and went back to the hotel. Had a drink then dinner in the hotel restaurant. I ordered cod and Greg had lamb. We ordered a salad but it was forgotten. Service started off really good but fell off quickly. We sat for ages to have our plates cleared and to get a check.
Tuesday Reykjavik
Breakfast is included and we had lots of choices. Our tour today was booked through Tours By Locals with ReykjavÃk Erupts. The guide Dofri was really, really good.
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| Dofti with his two dogs. |
We left at 8:45 am and returned at 4:30 pm, doing the Golden Circle. First stop was to feed his 3 horses that were in a stable on our way. The horses are pure breed Icelandic horses, which are much shorter but very hardy. To preserve the breed for the last 1000 years, no horses can be imported and if a horse is exported, it cannot return.
Our first official stop was a scenic stop then Gullfoss Waterfall which drops 105 ft into an ancient valley.
Next stop was Geysir Geothermal area, where you can see steam rising from the ground in the Haukadalur Valley. Geysir is the first documented geyser in European literature and originated from the old Nordic term which means “to gush”. Geysir seldom erupts anymore but the geyser next to it, Strokkur, erupts around every 10 min. It erupted right after we arrived and then erupted less than a minute later. We waited and watched it erupt one more time.
After the geysers we stopped for lunch at a family owned farm, Efstidalur ll, where they grow or raise almost all of the food served. I had trout and Greg had steak salad, both were excellent. Greg’s new beer was Boli on recommendation from Dorfi. The guys ended the meal with ice cream.
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| Watching the cows eat while we ate. |
The last big stop was Thingvellir National Park which is important for its geology and Iceland’s history. It’s unique geology is the meeting of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Iceland is the only place where this valley, the Mid Atlantic Ridge, can be seen above sea level. The historical importance is that starting in 930 ad representatives from each of vagabond clans would meet here every year to solve disputes. They called the meeting place “fields of assembly” which translates to Thingvellir. The first gathering was so popular that they continued every year, decade after decade, century after century, and eventually it became Iceland’s parliament.
Dorfi asked if we were in a hurry to get back and we said no, so we’re off on the road less traveled, going over a mountain with some off roading for a stop for a scenic overlook. He said we were blessed with a sunny day and wanted to share the beautiful views.
After returning to the hotel, we went in search of a restaurant. First stop no luck but we were in luck at Koper Restaurant. Excellent food and service. I had langoustine and crab risotto and Greg had crab soup and tuna tataki.
We walked back to the hotel and had a nightcap in the hotel bar.
Tues Reykjavik
Breakfast downstairs then our suitcases had to be out by 9:30 am. We were supposed to meet downstairs at 10 for a 10:15 transfer to the ship. The Viking rep had us head to the designated bus stop a little before 10 and we stood in the 48 degree windy weather waiting for a bus that arrived at 10:40. A lot of not happy people. Once on the bus, the process was easy. Walked in, went through security, short line to check in and on the ship. The tables in the lobby area were full so we went to the buffet area. We sat for a bit, then had a light lunch and then the rooms were ready by 1. After checking out our room, we went downstairs and purchased the drink package. When we returned, Greg’s suitcase arrived and he unpacked. We took a tour of the ship. It had been a few years, and we had forgotten how pretty the ships are and how many places there are to sit and enjoy the views. This ship, Saturn, was launched in 2023, so it is still bright and shiny. After the ships tour, my suitcase and the hangup bag arrived and I unpacked then we headed to the Explorers Lounge for drinks. We stayed and listened to the guitar player, Laurence. So far, service is really good.
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| Explorers Lounge |
We dined in The Restaurant (MDR) tonight. Doors open at 6 and we were there about 6:10. No problem getting a table but within 30 min it was packed. Greg ordered the tenderloin and I order linguini with clams. They brought Greg a strip steak and it was sent back. My linguini had 6 tiny clams so basically I had noodles for my main course. When Greg was served the tenderloin it was very good. They did have coconut ice cream for dessert and which was very good.
We went back to the room to change into warmer clothes for our Northern Lights excursion with Eastwest. It had been cloudy all day so we had very low expectations. At 9 the company emailed and gave us the third location for pickup. We hurriedly left to find the location. The workers in the visitor center pointed us in the right direction and we waited in the cold. About 30 min later they pulled up to the visitor center. Geez, we could have waited where it was nice and warm. We were the last two on the van so we had to sit separately. Our guide with Eastwest Tours, was Tony, from Spain. We made a stop after about 20 min driving to get out of the city lights. The lights did not disappoint. I have to admit, the camera pictures are more dramatic than with the naked eye. We made a 2nd stop and the lights were much weaker but we had hot chocolate so it made the stop worth it. We made a 3rd stop and again we saw lights but faint at the beginning but they got brighter and filled the sky at the end and were dancing in the sky. Our guide said that was very unusual but that might have been said to ensure a nice tip! But it was a special ending to the night. All in all pretty lucky to see the lights on the first night we tried and especially after a cold windy day. We arrived back on the ship after 1:30 am. Off to bed.
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Last stop
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| The ship at night |
Thursday Reykjavik
Set the alarm for 9:30 am. Next thing we both knew it was 10:30. After dressing we had lunch on the patio. They had opened the roof on the pool so quickly back we went for our jackets. I ordered ahi tuna steak and Greg had a hamburger. The ahi tuna was as good as I remembered. We walked upstairs and took pictures of the landscape from the other said of the ship. Our balcony is facing the port side so our view is pretty boring. With our room being cleaned, we went down to the coffee bar and had coffee and hot chocolate. The ship is deserted, guessing most are on a tour.
We met our afternoon tour at 1:10 on the bus. This tour was with the ship. We left 5 min after the meeting time. Pretty impressive. Excursion was ReykjavÃk Peninsula and Viking World Museum. First stop was the museum. We were told to use our quiet boxes, but all we heard was our guide arguing with someone about who was supposed to lead the tour. The museum said it was self guided. Another Viking excursion was there and their Viking guide was giving explanations. Only thing to see was a replica of a Viking Ship and then a timeline of the fights for control of Iceland. 45 min here was too long.
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| Skyline |
Next stop was a group of hot springs after passing through a fishing village. I thought we were supposed to have time in the village but we didn’t stop. This stop and the geyser from the first tour reminded me of Yellowstone.
Last stop was at a natural lake for a quick photo op then back to the boat.
Sail away was at 6. We changed into dinner attire and went back to Explorers Lounge for pre dinner drinks. Guitarist was playing again. It’s the place to be for pre dinner drinks, room was packed. No muster on Viking! You watch the video on tv then listen to instructions at 5:30 wherever you are on the ship and it’s done! Other cruise ships should follow suit!
We had a nice dinner in the MDR and went to the Welcome show an the theater. Typical show with cruise band, Captain introducing his staff, CD and Asst CD each sang and then a show with the singers and dancers. Their show was Duets, singing famous duets through time. Nicely done!
As we were leaving the theater they said the northern lights were out and they were! We watched from floor 2 then went to our room which was on the opposite side of the boat and we watched for at least 20 more minutes. When we booked this cruise we weren’t even thinking about seeing the northern lights in early Sept, so definitely a nice surprise!
Friday Sea Day
Breakfast in the MDR. Service was very nice, everyone was happy, and food was good. We checked out the self laundry and it was empty so we did a load. There are 4 washer and dryers, irons, and ironing boards with laundry detergent is included. Definitely the best laundry room on a cruise ship.
Between washing and drying, we had to go through immigration for Ireland. We walked up, they stamped our passports and we were done. Pretty cool that Viking and Ireland worked it out with immigration being on the ship during the sea days. Lunch was in the MDR where we both had Rueben sandwiches. They were good but very messy and heavy on the sauerkraut and dressing. We read and were pretty lazy in the afternoon. Did see a couple of whale blows but they were really far away. We decided to eat later because we had lunch at 1:30. Bad idea. Tried to have a drink in Explorers but completely packed so we went down to deck 1. No problem getting a seat but getting a drink was another issue. The waiter walked by us several times without making eye contact. I finally got his attention. After two drinks, we went to the MDR and there was a very long line but we were seating quickly. Arrived at 7:05 pm and left at 9:00 pm. We waited a long time to get our orders taken and even longer to get our food. It was the same waiter as last night and everyone apologized profusely but they have the waiters taking care of way too many tables. Greg’s venison was supposed to be medium rare but was medium to medium well.
After dinner we stopped at Torshaven to listen to the Viking Band.
Saturday Sea Day
We tried room service this AM. It arrived at the correct time but the order certainly wasn’t correct. I had eggs and bacon and only received eggs. Greg ordered omelet, smoked salmon and V8 juice and only got his omelet and cranberry juice instead of V8 We did get a fruit plate that we didn’t order. Oh well. Mid morning we went to the pool area. They are keeping the roof closed so it was very comfortable there and surprisingly not crowded. We had lunch in the buffet and lucked out because they had a mussel station on the back terrace. They were really good. Overall, Vikings buffet is better than most.
We went back to the room for the afternoon. Even though it is sunny out, it is still nippy. The talk today was on Dublin, so we decided to go listen. Turned out to be just a port talk so we headed upstairs to Explorers. The guitarist from the Viking Band was playing/singing tonight. Much better than the other guitarist.
Dinner reservation tonight was the Chef Table, the menu was Asian. It is a set menu with wine pairings.
If you have the Silver package then you have two choices for wine. It was very good. Hot/sour soup fried prawns, wok fried beef, and chilled mango cream for dessert. The show tonight was the Viking band on the pool deck. We stayed until around 9:30.
Sunday Dublin
We are tendered today and the seas are too rough so Dublin has been cancelled. Do you hear Greg crying??? Greg contacted the tour guide with Tours By Local. One of the benefits of booking with them is they refund your money if the boat misses the port. A disappointment. A wet and dreary sea day for us. We had ordered room service and they called to say it would be late. If we had been going on a tour, it would have been a problem. Again, the bacon was omitted, the eggs were very, very hard cooked, the toast was burnt. Room service is not the way to go which is sad, it’s one of the benefits I truly enjoy on a cruise.
Guest services called and said we had two tours that conflict in Porto. Somehow times and durations had changed so we cancelled the culinary Tuk Tuk. Sounded fun, oh well. Since we were on the first floor we stopped for coffee and hot chocolate and stayed long enough to have bloody Mary’s. The were having a corn hole contest and it got very noisy so we moved to the theater to wait for the talk, Lively Liverpool with Kenneth Williams.
After the talk we went to the MDR for lunch and to our room for reading. We watched sail in to Liverpool from the Explorers Lounge. Instead of arriving in the AM, we docked tonight. We went back to MDR for dinner and everyone greeted us, knew our name, and we ate in 45 minutes. It’s a shame that complaining about a 2 hour dinner is what it took to get good service. I had flank steak and Greg had pork loin and both were excellent. Now we had 2 hours before the show in the theater. Be careful what you ask for! The show was guitarist Mark Hussey and he was excellent.
Monday Liverpool
Rain followed us to Liverpool. We had enough with room service so up to the buffet we went. It was quick and good. We had a 9 am Beatles tour with Tours by Locals guide Jack Rigby. It was a great tour with an excellent guide. Our first stop was a look at the 3 Graces, 3 buildings by the dock built in the early 1900’s, the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, and the Port of Liverpool Building. The Liver bird that looks over the Mersey River is said to represent the wives who stay at home. During WWII there were concerns for the two liver birds on top of the Liver Building. Legend says that one bird watches over the city to protect the citizens and the second bird looks out to sea for incoming vessels. Legend also said that if one bird flew away then Liverpool would be no more. The Blitz on Liverpool caused great damage but the birds survived.
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| Port of Liverpool, finished in 1907. It was the headquarters of the Mercey Docks and Harbour Board |
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| The Cunard Building, finished in 1916 was the home office of the Cunard Cruise Line. |
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| Royal Liver Building finished in 1911 was the tallest building in Europe and the clock face was the largest as well. |
There are a number of statutes outside the port, probably the most famous is the statues of the Beatles.
We stopped in front of the bar where John Lennon frequented when he was young (pre Beatles).
We toured the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool. It is the longest church in the world. It was built between 1904 and 1978.
After the church we stopped at the tavern where Ringo Starr’s mother worked then we walked down to where he lived.
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| The Empress bar. It obviously did not look like this when his mother worked there. |
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| 10 Admiral Grove, Ringo's childhood home, called a up two, down two. |
Penney Lane was next. The street sign was signed by Paul McCartney so plexiglass was placed over the sign to keep it from being stolen. Lennon and McCartney both lived nearby, and often met at the Penny Lane junction to catch a bus into the city centre. Paul McCartney wrote the song as a tribute to his Liverpool Heritage after John Lennon’s Strawberry Fields which was written about the Salvation Army orphanage near where he grew up.
We stopped in front of the home where John Lennon lived with his mother until he was five
and then stopped at the childhood home of Paul McCartney.
Next up was the site of the orphanage (Strawberry Field) which had been torn down and replaced by a cafe, curio shop and small museum. We could visit the garden area
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| what the orphanage looked like |
After leaving Strawberry Field's we stopped at the home of John Lennon’s aunt with whom he lived after the age of 5. The aunt was very important to John and often the band could be seen in the enclosed front patio practicing.
We visited a church where Paul and John were first introduced to each other by a mutual friend. Inside the church cemetery is a grave of Eleanor Rigby which Paul claims had nothing to do with the Eleanor Rigby in the song. Just coincidental.
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| John, 16, was playing with the Quarry Men at a church social and Paul,15, had attended with his friend Ivan who also knew John. At the end of the evening, Paul joined the group for a few songs. |
Since we had extra time, Jack wanted us to see the Picton reading room at the city library. You walk into a very old building that is very modernistic then into an old part that looks straight out of the late 1800’s and was the first electrically lit library in the UK. Pictures really don't do the room justice. It was impressive.
Last but certainly not least was a visit to the Cavern Club, where the Beatles rose to fame.
We were back on board around two and had time to eat lunch at the Patio Grill. We showered did sail away at the pool area where one of the singers did a set of Beatles tunes followed by the Viking Band. Dinner tonight was in the specialty restaurant Manfredi’s. Viking does not charge for their specialty restaurants. Dinner tonight was excellent. The evening show featured the cruise director Damian who sang songs from Broadway and West End musicals. He is extremely talented.
Tuesday Sea Day
The Celtic Sea is angry today, we are rocking and rolling. Evidently this makes for great sleeping, we both slept past 10 am. We did have to set our clocks ahead one hour, so maybe we really only slept til 9! Ship’s captain announced at noon that due to the high seas we have to reduce our speed therefore we will not make our next port A Coruna. Gee, another sea day. We went to the MDR for lunch. I began to feel the effects of the seas so I went back to take a bonine. Should have been proactive and taken it earlier. I began to feel better so we cleaned up and went to the Explorers Lounge for a drink. Seas aren’t bothering everyone since it was pretty crowded. Dinner tonight in the MDR was lobster night. A nice size lobster and grilled nicely. We went to the show which was the singers and dancers doing Broadway and West End then stopped in Torshavn for a set. We visited with a couple from St Augustine that we had met earlier.
Wed Sea Day
Greg went to breakfast and I was lazy. I met Greg mid morning on 1 for coffee and hot chocolate. Lunch was in the Pool Grill. My throat is beginning to have crap running down it. Ughhh. We had dinner reservations at Manfredis and it was good again. I had the bone in rib-eye and Greg had Chicken Parmesan. My steak was thin but cooked med rare and very tender. The starter, Caprese Salad, was outstanding. The show was an opera singer and I wasn’t feeling great so we went back to the room.
Thursday Porto
Our excursion was the included one and was Porto on foot. I felt horrible. Crap running down my throat and the seas were especially rough last night so I bailed on Greg. When he returned he said I didn’t miss much, typical drive by in a bus. Viking excursions have been disappointing.
We ate lunch at the pool grill again. This time I had wings and Greg had a hamburger. It was finally warm enough to sit on the balcony and read.
Drinks in the Explorer’s Lounge. If you don’t sit right by the guitar player you can’t hear him, he has a very soft voice. Dinner tonight in the MDR. Menu didn’t look that exciting but we both liked our choices. We went to the theater show “A Star is Born” with the asst cruise director. She has a very strong voice, describing herself as a belter.
Friday Lisbon
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| Morning view from our balcony |
Early breakfast in the buffet and off to our bus. Todays tour is Monuments and Monasteries.
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| Our guide for the day |
Replica of plane that made the first crossing of the Atlantic
Belem Tower, officially the Tower of Saint Vincent a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation on the Tagus River for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon.
Monument of Discoveries was the next stop. Located also on the Tagus River, it was built to honor the explorers of the 15th centuries. From the river the statue takes the form of a Portuguese boat.
St Jerome Monastery and Basilica is where we spent most of our time. We were given priority entrance to the monastery (still a long line but not as long as the non priority line) and no priority for the Basilica. The Monastery of the Order of St Jerome was started in the 1500’s and is Portuguese Gothic Manueline architecture. It was paid with the gold found in Brazil by the explorers and took 100 years to complete. Manuel I picked the monks to occupy the monastery and their primary responsibility was to pray for the Kings eternal soul and to give spiritual aid to the navigators who departed from Lisbon. The monastery withstood the devastating earthquake of 1755. It remained a monastery until the 1800’s when religion and state were separated.
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| Dome of the Basilica |
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| Doorway for the priests to enter the confessionals from the back |
Statue of Marquis of Pombal which is in front of the Monastery
Our last stop before lunch was the Coach Museum which houses an extensive collection of horse drawn carriages from the 15th to18th Century belonging to royal family and even a pope (Pope Cheney the XI. The museum is the most visited museum in Lisbon and was a nice surprise.
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| Carrosse Moderne belonging to Queen Maria of Francisca of Savoy-Nemours, cousin of Louis XIV. 17th century |
Off to lunch. The bus dropped us off after a nice long drive and we walked through old medieval narrow streets to our restaurant Casa de Fados. We were told we were eating chicken but it was more like roast in a sauce over mashed potatoes. The starters of stuffed mushrooms was good as was the dessert of mango pudding. Main course, not so much.
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| Lisbon had always suffered from lack of drinking water. King John V decided to build an aqueduct to bring water from sources in the modern municipality of Odivelas. The project was paid for by a special sales tax on beef, olive oil, wine and other products. Construction started in 1731 |
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| Water from the Aqueduct |
After lunch we walked back the same route to the bus. Our last stop was the Tile Museum (National Museum of Azulejo) which is housed in the Madre de Dues Convent founded in 1509 by Queen D Leonor. Azulejo is the name given to the tiles originating from Spain then customized in Portugal. Original styles started from the Moorish influence of no humans or animals being depicted, thus the geometric shapes. Other colors were used but quickly blue and white was used in creating the tiles. The museum represents tiles from the 15th to present day but the most impressive was the chapel itself. Words don’t describe it.
A perfect ending to a very good excursion. Only disappointment was no time to look in the stores as we walked back to the bus. No time for buying a magnet. Our guide was excellent and one of the best Viking excursions so far.
We arrived back to the ship almost two hours late, rested for a few minutes, and cleaned up for dinner in the MDR. They seated us with new servers and it was not crowded and it still took a long time. We barely made it to the show before it started. The show was Patricia and Fado Music. Fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor, and infused with a sentiment of resignation, fate and melancholy. The guitar players were really good, especially the guy on the Portuguese guitar and the singer had a great voice but when it’s in Portuguese it’s hard to keep your attention and lots of people left during the performance.
We listened to the Viking Band for one set and then watched sail away from our room. With the lights it was a pretty sail away.
Saturday Sea Day
Greg got up for breakfast but I was still being lazy. Stuffiness and coughing still a problem. I went to the pool area to read and Greg opted for the winter haven area. Lunch was at the pool grill. I had to take my hamburger back, it was still raw. Greg had the tuna steak and was finished eating before I returned with a new hamburger.
We attended the talk on Malaga at 3:00, Marvellous Malaga by Kenneth Williams.
We went to Explorers for drinks and ate in the MDR later since we opted not to go to the theater tonight. The opera singer was back again. We both had Oysters Rockefeller for appetizers. Tiniest oysters ever, Greg thought they were clams or mussels in an oyster shell?? We both chose Veal Oscar for the main course and I thought it was really good, Greg said his was tough. We went to Torshaven for their first set and called it a night.
Sunday Malaga
Bounty Wonders of Andalusia
Even though our excursion said breakfast was included we went up for a light bite and glad we did. Two different tour numbers were assigned to the same bus with two different guides. We were told to sit on the left side. I thought that meant left as we were getting on, Greg said left side was facing the driver. I was right but we were on the wrong side. In the end it didn’t make a difference, we all did the same tour but both guides giving their commentary through the quiet boxes. Our guide had a thick, thick accent so we switched channels and listened to the other guide. Confusing to say the least. After the first stop, the other guide pretty much took over. Our guide was sweeter and cuter but harder to understand.
Our first stop was a local citrus farm. The owner was an older gentleman and was very entertaining. He made lots of comments about every fruit providing good sex and lots of flirting with the ladies, but all in good fun. We tasted lots of lemons, limes, figs, and pomegranates. Tour ended with a glass of fresh oj and toast with marmalade, their idea of breakfast.
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| Owner of the farm |
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| owner and son |
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| view from the farm |
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| limes |
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| oranges |
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| limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit all grown amongst each other |
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| farm tour ended with a light breakfast |
Off we went to a local winery. Landscape between farm and winery.
The two brothers that owned the winery spoke very little English so our guide gave us a brief intro and we were escorted to a covered patio for the wine tasting. We tasted 3 wines and were given potato chips, olives, cheeses and breadsticks for snacks. The Rose was first. Not our cup of tea but not bad for a Rose, tasting closer to a light red. Next was the white which everyone at our table liked and last was the red. The red drinkers all agreed that it was nice. We bought a red and a white for 20 euros, definitely not expensive wine.
Last stop after a bit of a drive was to the lake area. The lakes were dammed up to provide electricity for the city of Malaga which has very little fresh water. The views were nice and the lunch was loooong at Restaurante La Garganta. They served 8 courses, or small bites, but in accumulation too, too much. Bread, carpaccio, salad, tuna-potato salad, rice, chicken coquettes, fish balls, beef and potatoes and the dessert we had to skip because the bus was leaving at 3:30. Most people had walked away before the beef and potatoes. I took a few pictures while waiting between courses.
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| back patio |
Most fell asleep on the drive back but missed some nice scenery.
We arrived back at 5. Dinner tonight was supposed to be at the Chefs Table but Greg went down and they nicely switched us to tomorrow night. We couldn’t think about eating again. We went to Explorers around 7:30 and to the show after drinks. The Production was Old Time Rock n Roll and was a great. By now Greg is looking for food and the only option was in Explorers. They have prepared cheese plates which was the perfect size.
Monday, Sea Day
Greg went to breakfast and I slept in. Must be the salty air! We read for a while upstairs and ate a small bite in the buffet. Back to the room for reading. We decided to cancel the speciality dining because it’s the last show (country no less) and we would have missed it with a 7:30 reservation plus they are having lobster and prime rib in the dining room. Seems a no brainer.
We went to Explorers at 5. There was a group sitting next to us last night that were from Midland. I thought I recognized one of the ladies and so I went over and asked if they were from Midland and they were. The other couple were the parents of a young man that graduated with Jason. They asked us to join them and we visited until time for dinner. I had Lobster Thermidor and Greg had prime rib. We were too full for desert.
The final show was tonight which is very different from other cruise lines. The captain gave a toast and introduced the crew. Maddie (Asst CD) sang, Damian (CD) did a duet with female singer from the Viking Band and the Singers and Dancers did “Southern Sounds” which was country. Had to laugh at “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “Delta Dawn” for being considered country. They did a great job doing Patsy Cline to Eagles. After the show we listened for awhile in Torshavn. Laurence, the guitarist from Explorer's Lounge was in there and he sang faster and louder and much more enjoyable.
Tues Valencia
Our excursion was the included city tour. Our guide pointed out the Arts and Science complex designed by Santiago Calatrava as we headed to old town. His designs are certainly different. The bus dropped us off and we walked a short way through the narrow streets, pointing out the walled entrance, a wall from Moorish times, and one of the city markets. We were given 20 min to wander through and then off to tour the Basilica. Their claim to fame is a chalice believed to be used at “The Last Supper”. Guess they can’t prove it wasn’t used!
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| King Jaume I |
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| Plaza de Toros, bullfighting ring built in 1859, modeled after the Colosseum in Rome |
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| walled entrance |
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| also known as St Mary's Cathedral |
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| The chalice, believed to the Holy Grail. |
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| market |
We returned to the bus for a short ride back to the pier. We threw a load of clothes in the washer and went upstairs to see if we could grab a table on the back in the shade. We snagged one and ordered bloody Mary’s. It was the first time we had the opportunity to enjoy this sweet spot on the boat. We stayed and had a light lunch. Timer went off for the washer so back downstairs. Time to think about packing. We went to Explorers at 6 and ate later. Dinner was nice and relaxed. I had flounder and Greg had duck. Both were good but Greg’s was better. After dinner, we went back to the room to put out our luggage and then down to Torshaven. Place was empty, ship was pretty much empty.
Wed Train Barcelona to Madrid
We had to be out of our room by 8, no exceptions so everyone gathered in the Atrium. Blue 2 was called about 8:45 and after identifying our luggage we boarded our bus. Our luggage will be trucked to Madrid and arrive late afternoon or early evening. Ruth and Oreol will be our guides and will be with us until we check into the hotel. Short bus ride to the train depot. We are traveling 1st class which includes access to the first class lounge. When it was time to Board, our reps walked us to our train. We are all in coach 1 or 2. Seats are big and nicely spaced out. Trip takes 2 hours, going 183 mph. They served wine, OJ, or water first then served a box lunch with wine, beer or soft drinks.
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| Barcelona Train Station |
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| exiting the train |
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| Train station in Madrid |
After getting off the train we were escorted to the bus for a 15 min ride to our hotel Hyatt Regency Hesperia. Bit disorganized as everyone is trying to check in at once. We finally got in our room after 4.
We waited for a bit in
our room for our suitcases but they didn’t come so off to find a restaurant. Our first choice was El Yate and we had no problem getting a table. We shared 4 tapas: octupus, fried chili rellanos with beef, crab meat on toast and Brie with pork on toast. I asked for white wine and Greg ordered a Spanish beer. All was excellent.
We walked back a different route. As we were going up we saw a whole bunch of suitcases and one guy. We spotted ours and he helped us get them to our room. Who knows how long we would have waited. After a nice shower we were off to bed.
Thursday Madrid
We went to breakfast and they directed us downstairs. We were one of the last to arrive at 7:30 and we weren’t supposed to be there until 8:15. Directions were to pick up our quiet boxes and get our bus number. Instead we sat until 8:45 at which time we lined up and were sent to a bus where our guide gave us our quiet box. We did confirm our pickup time for tomorrow morning to the airport while waiting for the bus.
Once on bus we were off quickly for a panoramic tour
then we stopped for a walking tour of the old city stopping at the Royal Palace, the official resident of the royal family, although now only used for formal ceremonies. The palace was originally built by Mohammed I in late 800's.
The Plaza Mayor is a major public space in the heart of Madrid, the capital of Spain. It was once the center of Old Madrid. It was first built (1580–1619) during the reign of Phillip III.
Other sites before boarding the bus.
Back to the bus for a ride to the Prado Museum. Our guide led us through to see the “most important” pieces. The Museum contains paintings by Rubens, Goya, El Greco, and Velasquez, including a Mona Lisa painting now believed to have been painted in Da Vinci’s studio at the same time, probably by a student. We could only take pictures in the lobby area.
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| Mona Lisa believed to be painted by a DaVinci student |
We left the group to return on our own. We bought a magnet in the museum store then walked toward the botanical garden looking for a cafe, stopping at Restaurante Expression.
Greg had a ham quesadilla and I ordered Ceviche. After lunch we wandered through the Royal Botanical Garden, created by Carlos III in 1774. Not much was blooming except for the dahlias, but it was very green and shady with lots of benches.
After exiting the gardens we went in search of a Madrid magnet which we found easily and then walked a bit more until we found an empty taxi. Back to the hotel to rest before our tapas walk tonight.
Tapas tour started with a drive but we had already seen most of these sites but we then went farther into old town. Most people we had seen in one place. Our guide was the Viking rep, Berta, who directed us on a walking tour through a square then to the old palace. Our restaurant La Jonja was across from the palace and we ate al fresco. We had 3 cold tapas, gazpacho, potato salad, and quiche served together. Our hot tapas were paella, fried cod ball and ham and cheese croquette. We had a choice of white, red or sangria but they brought beer on request. White wine was good, red not so much, it was served chilled.
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| Museo Chicote, Spain's first cocktail bar, was favorite of Ernest Hemingway and other foreign journalists in the 1930's. Later, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardener would mix with the most famous bullfighters of the day in the cozy booths of this Madrid institution. |
After dinner we went straight home.
Friday Madrid to DFW
Again breakfast was served downstairs. We were the only people eating. Guess most had an early flight. Our suitcases were to be outside our room at 8:30 and we had a private transfer at 9:30. Our driver arrived promptly and we were at the airport in 20 min. Check-in was super easy, we had access to fast track security and then off to find the train to the satellite terminal. After arriving at the satellite terminal we had to go through passport control. Again easy process. At check in, the American Airline rep said we had access to Iberia’s VIP lounge. We were there long enough to have a coffee and a coke then off to gate 4 which was at the very end of the terminal. They boarded a bit early and we settled in for the flight home. The post extension to Madrid was certainly more organized and offered more than the pre extension to Reykjavik and the Viking reps were much more helpful.
We arrived a bit early, Global Entry was quick, luggage came out fast, customs was a walk through and our Lyft driver was waiting on us. I contacted Rich too late and he was already booked so we used Veteran's Limousine
Service out of Gainesville. He charges a bit more than Rich but very nice.
Pros:
Housekeeping awesome
Servers throughout boat friendly and helpful especially in the bars and buffet.
Buffet best of any cruise line
In house singers and dancers very good as is Viking Band
Washer and dryers available on floors 5,6,7 with included laundry detergent. Each laundromat had 4 washers and 4 dryers with 2 ironing boards and irons.
Elevators best ever on a cruise. Never overcrowded and arrived promptly
Post Extension in Madrid exceeded our expectations
Cons:
Shore Excursions limited, not well described, and not well organized at every port.
Feedback for the excursions are on the tv and gives you no option for comments.
No information about shuttles at the ports ahead of time, only an address and no maps of ports. Guides at the end of the tours not helpful in telling passengers how to get to the shuttle to return on their own. Times in port were so short that after the tour there really wasn't enough to time to wander on your own.
Wine by the bottle discount with silver package only available on wine by the drink options. Why would I buy a bottle of wine that I can get by the glass for free with the Silver Package?
Servers handling too many tables and food coming out of the kitchen took way too long.
Music in the atrium and Explorers Lounge are good but it’s all elevator music. Laurence played popular songs so slowly and quietly in Explorers it turned into elevator music.
Menu selections are strange. Trying to make it too fancy. Presentation seems to be more important than the food itself.
Room Service messed up the orders two times in a row so we quit ordering .
Pre extension disorganzied, offered no tours, Viking Rep unhelpful, hotel not centrally located and the rep walked us to our pickup to the ship 45 min before the bus arrived leaving us in the cold, windy elements.
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