Viking Neptune - a cruise ship in a class of its own

Quite simply the Viking Neptune is a wonderful all balcony ship with spacious Explorer suites. Once sailed on, you will not be able to judge other ships by the high standards it sets. Viking has a style, and it is not based on budget. It is not a ship that you look at for a budget or bargain cruise, it is a cruise that is a wonderful holiday and there is no finer way to travel, if there is, we haven't done that yet. They may suggest that once you add in the free drinks with meals, the free fast WIFI, the free additional fine dining restaurants and a free tour at most stops, what you have to lay out saves to the point of making it a very reasonable holiday with the beautifully designed in the understated elegance for which Viking is known.

Technically it is a small ship, and although there seems far too many facilities for a small ship it has under 1000 guests so hits the title. Just as its eight sister ships (the number is growing), she is about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

The Neptune marks a quantum leap in the longstanding cooperation between Viking and Fincantieri for designing, delivering and operating sustainable and eco-friendly cruise vessels. It embodies the first result of the experimental hydrogen fuel cell module, with a nominal power of 100 kW. There appears to be, at any given time, at least one, but many more than one new ship being built for Viking.

The difference the guest sees starts in the way they are approached. The daily events paper is just that, it is not trying to sell things. There is no pressure to buy anything. There is no pressure. The quality of food is comparable to a top restaurant. Quite simply, you are in a top city hotel and not a motel. The staff dress and address you in a way you would expect if entering a Park Lane Hotel.

We have two versions of the film, and on both we use the music of the very talented Laurence Murray. His song Nothing More To Say/Red Thread of Fate should be a hit. Laurence's own Spotify page is here. The Red Thread of Fate is a love song, and is inspired by the Red Thread of Marriage, joining, and other variants of togetherness even when apart. It is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese mythology.

The shorter 6 minute long version of the filmed tour on our channel.

Scary, ghostly, voodoo magic filled cruise ports

Trick or Treat or are the ghosts all year round? It appears the latter whether you aim at Boston or New Orleans. There was so much conflict creating America, that the ghosts still rumble on. Autumn is the time of year for spooky stories and Halloween cakes on the ships. The cinemas and television are filled with horror films and the nights this side of the globe get longer and darker. The podcast is here - https://play.acast.com/s/doris-visits/halloween

Halloween Cakes on the Azura

https://youtu.be/GwS1lOXUOPE

Podcast 3 is live and Stuart and Jean talk through what seems to be an endless list of ghost stories in Boston, which make up much of the tourist fodder. Stuart thinks that Boston is a spooky cruise port and with good reason. The ghost tours are normally at night, and cruisers have left, but as he joined the ship at Boston early (ships fly acts out a day early just in case) he considered a ghost tour, but he went to Cheers and then to Joe's instead.

https://youtu.be/AzySPeDMo88

The Boston bar that inspired the TV series “Cheers” was originally named the Bull and Finch Pub and was established in 1969. The Boston pub that inspired the fictional bar in the NBC sitcom, Cheers, is a bar in the Beacon Hill area. You go down below street level into the bar, then take the stairs up to a bar that looks more like the one in the TV series. Jean went there rather than complete all the spooky cemeteries on the trail available from the tourist office (mentioned in film).

Jean chose New Orleans as her spooky voodoo cruise stop. On the podcast, you will hear her and comedy magician Manuel Martinez going into the cigar factory. In the film, they saw far more. New Orleans has many stories from the Witch Queen to the contemporary Nicholas Cage who has bought his plot ready in cemetery number 1.

Who sang - The Witch Queen of New Orleans? Answer- Redbone.

https://youtu.be/ItrpcF1dJ14

For fireworks, Stuart chose Sydney Bridge as the one he thinks is the most spectacular. He and Jean climbed the tower to the top, had a spectacular view, and filmed those climbing over the bridge who are not allowed a camera and are alcohol tested before they climb. They were there on a leg of a world cruise which was weather struck and the ship sheltered in Sydney for three days. They have a few films made in Sydney from the beach to shops.

https://youtu.be/d-T9KhRd8oE

Finally, Stuart reads Chapter 3 from his cruise novel Cruise Ship Heist. For the audible trial click here

P&O Cruise Ship Arcadia World Cruise 2017 - Polynesian & Asian Adventure

P&O Cruise Ship Arcadia World Cruise 2017 - Polynesian & Asian Adventure

It is a dream, a bucket list item, but also a huge undertaking. Columbus and Vasco did it and they, like all seafarers made stops. So, 'world cruise' does not mean the whole world and it does not mean 'never getting off'. Though I add, there are those who never leave the ship.  

What does a World Cruise mean?

It probably means you are retired or you could not take 114 days off work in one stretch. Not and come home to a job still waiting. It undoubtedly means you are an adventurous.

There are those who make it the holiday of a life time, those who do it over and over again once hooked, and those who plan such a journey around family that now lives abroad, like Australia.

The Acradia is one of P&O's ships that undertakes these mammoth journeys each year and it is partly because it is an adult only ship and it is just small enough to get through the Panama and Suez Canals where as the Azura is 2 meters too wide for Panama.

What do you pack, what do you need. Not much is the real answer though you will take a lot more. When at home you probably have the same cycle of clothes, and it will be little different on board. You will go out more, because the theatre, club and pub are all just a stroll down the deck. You might use the laundry room, you might use the laundry service, but you will not be doing any cooking. Not on the Arcadia. You might on the Britannia which has a huge kitchen for cookery classes with stars.

The Arcadia will move quickly from Southampton on January the 2nd and before you know it be in Madeira, then Barbados, then on transit through the Panama Canal. Before you know it, you will have turned native and enjoy being looked after in style. USA, Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Middle East ... the list goes on. If you are sitting on a nest egg, just remember you can't take it with you. Take a look at more details and some of our films that will help you plan, because the one thing you won't have easily is internet and research and some excursions should be considered before you go.

Go to P&O site for full details or ports and excursions

Go to Doris Visits site with Doris details and films of many of the stops, filmed tour of the ship and laundry room.