Mediterranean

Category: Mediterranean (page 1 of 3)

2026 Feb. 18, Day 07 Barcelona Day 1, Spain.

February 22, 2026 / Captain Albert / 1 Comment

This morning we docked in Barcelona and were assigned Berth B, while the Costa Tuscani was at Berth D. Between 2010 and 2020 Barcelona heavily invested in new and state of the art cruise terminals which now run from A to H and then there are still the 3 small (old) ones at the World Trade Center. Unfortunately the mood in Barcelona has turned against the very large influx of cruise visitors and now there is the plan to demolish 2 of them again.

Cruise terminals in Barcalona

How that will work with nbr. H, I do not know as that one seems to have been built with MSC investments so their very big ships can dock there. I do somewhat understand the concern of the Barcelonan’s as with all 8 big terminals full: with on average 2000+ guests on board, there are at least 16000 extra people milling around in downtown (and most of them, marching, during some moment of the day up and down the Las Ramblas If it is a change over port day, then the approaches to the airport are clogged up with tour busses. So a definite challenge to for the City Fathers, City Mothers and City Persons, (I am very inclusive…. to find a good balance between the needed revenue a large chunk of money for the Gaudi Church (La Sagrade Familia) and other buildings comes from the cruise industry) and still protecting the locals way of life in down town.

Photo of the Atrium taken from deck 3 down to the grand piano (Steinway size B) This is were we will wait tomorrow for the coach to the airport.

We have been to Barcelona many a time, so we decided to stay on board. Also because we have to pack in the afternoon, we had booked a speciality restaurant booking in the evening, and we have a coach connection to the airport at 05.45 tomorrow morning. And we were far from the earliest casualties as some guests were leaving at 02.45 in the morning.

The stern of the Viking Saturn. On top the Norwegian flag, as Viking is the last cruise company to have Norwegian registration which must be costly. Under the flag, the “Infinity pool water catcher box” under the deck 7 pool. At the water line, the “duckfoot” an extension with a dual purpose, it improves stability as it increases the surface size of the ship and also it inproves fuel economy as it acts as a “spoiler”, which you often see at the back of sports cars. (Photo courtesy, somewhere on the internet)

But it gave me the chance to walk the ship from top to bottom and to have a very good look at the interior. The outside of the ship is not so much different from the current design of other cruises ships, with a dumpy funnel, a macrodome, balconies all around the superstructure and the public rooms on the lower and the top decks with the majority of the cabins in between. But the inside design of the ship (and those of the other 12 Viking ships as they are all similar) varies considerably from other cruise company’s.

What I think is very cool is the gangway button in the lifts. When you do not know where the gangway is, you just push the button (above deck 8) and it goes to the right deck. I wish all ships would have that.

If the theme of the mega liners of Carnival, RCC,NCL and Celebrity is noise and action, here the theme is Nordic Tranquility. That might not be enjoyed by everybody but the fact that Viking is able to keep churning out a new ship each year (and this year even 2 with LNG propulsion) means that there are more than enough people who do like it.

The deck display next to each lift. Good and easy to read. The only irritating thing is, it rotates with the gangway deck indication. So you have to wait until it comes around again.

This success is due to 3 things: smaller ships (40 – 60.000 tons is small nowadays), very good and balanced service and an harmonious interior that is consistent through the whole ship. The ships must have been designed by a team that was given a concise briefing, did their job, and then the results were checked, to see if the briefing was followed. The President, Mr. Torstein Hagen comes from a maritime background and does therefore understand that a ship has to remain a ship, and that the end result should still be a ship and not a coorporate and ego-tripping muddle of Sr.Vice Presidents. And I think that has worked very well on these ships.

This is Deck 2 portside Atrium with sitting areas and game tables, both analog and digital.

The centre of the ships is “The Atrium” but is also called “The Living Room”. (Saga Cruises has a similar concept). It is mainly a lounge to sit and relax, especially on level 3. There is no library but there are bookcases full (with very high quality books) in every corner and on every level. As well as in other lounges like the Explorers Lounge (crowsnest) on deck 7& 8). Game corners everywhere integrated as a part of the overall concept. And the game corners were very busy, especially with guests travelling together and who enjoyed time together before the afternoon tour or after the morning tour.

Portside Forward Atrium Corner, deck 2. “Viking Museum”.

Then there is a bit of Nordic history (up and until the early 19th. century Sweden and Norway were one country) on level 2. Here is also the Future Cruise Specialist, whose office is hiding behind a very nice Viking Saturn model. Look for the model and you know where it is. The most lively part of it all is on deck 1. Here is Guest services located, but it has no counter. No, there are 6 desks with attendants (number in use depending on expected traffic during the day) so a discussion can take place in a more intimate and professional setting, instead of being “processed” at a long counter with multiple slots.

Two of the six front desks. These two are in use on very busy days,

Shore excursion has a small stand there, for meet & greet, but for more indepth issues they take you to one of the Guest Services desks. Diagonally opposite is the Bar, a combination of a coffee and cake stand and a regular bar. I think it is located in this corner to be next to the Gangway, so guests can pick up a coffee before going off the ship or have a drink when coming back after an exhausting tour. Then late afternoon it changes more and more into a bar and there are always 20 – 30 guests present. By 18.00 hrs. the cocktail crowd starts gathering before dinner, for cocktails and to listen to the Resident Pianist or the Classical duo. (The latter alternate between the Livingroom and the Explorers lounge)

The bar in the Atrium. To the left are high chairs & tables for eating your cookies or a lunch time roll. Low chairs and tables are all around the Atirum.

To my amazement it all works here extremely well, there is no noise, just the buzz from polite conversion with a tinkling piano in the background. The fact that the space is 3 decks high has no impact at all on the atmosphere. Where you walk the deck is marble but were you sit it is all carpet and thus no scraping noises and also no echoing noise.

A corner of the “Chefs Table” speciality restaurant.

Behind the Livingroom is on Deck 1, portside is the “Chef’s Table” a speciality restaurant (see further down) with a rotating menu. On the starboard side is Manfredi’s the second speciality restaurant that focusses on Italian Cuisine. (see write up from some days ago). On the port side there is also the “The Kitchen Table” were there is a separate chefs cooking area and also options to do cooking classes.

The starboard side of “The Restaurant”. As you can see there is art everywhere and the long blueish painting is called “twilight” by Kenneth Blom painted for the ship in 2023.

Then on deck 2, there is the main dining room called “The Restaurant”.. (I think the designers wanted to ensure that a guest would not get confused about its purpose……….) This is horseshoe shaped and runs all the way around the stern. With in the center aft, a table for 14 guests. Indeed the Captains table, although Captains tables are not a regular feature of the Viking program. Normally a Captains table is 10 seats or less, but 14 can work very well, if there are Captain & 3 officers in attendance, you have a host at “each corner” of the round table). I used to do that in the grey mists of time when on the South Pacific cruises and I resurrected the Captains tables from the old World Cruise days. Officers loved it, much more than having their own table as they knew that the Captain would run the show, keep things under control and would ensure that conversation flowed. (as well as the booze)

The Parfume and gadget shop. There is also a boutique and a jewellery store.

Then going towards the bow, there are the shops, on deck 1 and deck 2 (in my opinion overpriced and with very limited choice) and on deck 2 also the Spa, gym, and beauty salon. This is all very nice but I did not see too many customers. But maybe that was because we did not have any seadays. On Deck 1 is the show lounge and that is a very clever set up. At each side in the back there is a Cinema and in the evening they pull away the bulkhead with the movie screen and it becomes part of the Show lounge.

The “Star Theatre”. The cinema on the starboard side is open and now part of the Theatre. The port side is still closed as there was a movie in progress.

The sightlines are very good as there are no pillars. (Every show lounge on every ship, can be without pillars, but it depends on how much a company wants to pay. Because a “free view” lounge without deck supports” calls for a heavier steel deck construction and that costs money, but it can be done. The seating rows are benches and then a row in front of chairs( see the brown pillows in the above photo) and there are small tables in between for drinks. Also that works, unless you have a very – very tall and big person in front of you. Drinks are served before the show starts from a very nice and large bar in the staircase behind the show lounge. Directly behind the showlounge is the Night Club called Thorshavn.

The Torshavn night club as seen from the entrance. The light stand on the left is fabricated in the shape of trombones. Not original as Holland America has the same one on board on the ss Koningsdam since 2016.

Then you get Deck 7 and 8 (outside deck). At the bow, is the Explorers Lounge with music in the evenings. The only thing that irritates is that the constellation display on the wall behind the bar, reflects onto the front windows and thus it is hard to see outside after dusk. But you can solve that by going up one of the 2 glass staircases to Deck 8, where there is no reflection. The music can still be heard as there is a gap with below.

Deck 8, upper level Explorers Lounge. Mainly meant as a quiet study area with lots of books about exploration. Note all the books in the bookcase.They are all real and of high quality.

Deck 8 Explorers, is mainly meant as a quiet place to read or work on the computer. There are nice books and a lot of Nordic heritage on display, including old farm utensils. Above this lounge, on deck 9 outside are games (skittles, ping pong, mini golf) but insulation is very good as I could not hear anything below, although there was a very lively group at the poing pong table with very piercing voices.

The study table at the far right corner has a glass top and doubles up as a historic display case about life in (winterly) Norway.

On the starboard side, deck 7, is a small food outlet (I would call it a small catering hatch that looks after a very small restaurant called “Mamsens”. This is a Nordic version of breakfast and lunch nibbles based on Nordic specialities. Apart from the waffles, it was a bit too far out of range for our taste interest.

Mamsen is located in the starboard aft part of the explorer’s on Deck 7 and is a very small restaurant.

It was also never very full and the Chinese guests on board where complaining to the chef about why there were no noodles. Somehow they did not grasp the concept, and the chef, a very cheerful lady from Zimbabwe, could not make them understand either. I listened to the conversation with great interest, especially when one of the group tried to get into the kitchen to verify if there were indeed no Noodles. (Maybe “Mamsen” is also a word for noodles in Chinese or Korean ???).

One might expect a “Blond Helga” as cook in a pure Nordic restaurant but here we had a lovely lady from Zimbabwe. And no, she did not serve noodles.

Behind deck 8 Explorers are cabins and behind on deck 7 Explorers is the winter garden and then the covered pool. Main focus point of the Winter Garden is “High Tea” in the afternoon. (When the General Manager found out about our experience with “the trolley” from the beginning in the cruise, she was there every afternoon to make sure it did not happen again. On each side of this place are seats and loungers, that Viking calls “The Lanai concept”.

The Wintergarden, a bright and open space.

As a side note, I have never seen a Hotel manager / General Manager so omini-present as this Emma from England. I hope that Viking appreciates it as she was everywhere, where the regular supervisors could not be for a moment. It is always nice to see a hotel manager walking through the diningroom, but he/ she does not need to be there as it is full of supervisors and related. Better to keep an eye on the flow in other areas. So very Good.

The “ceiling” of the Wintergarden. Nordic pine made to resemble a forest. I wonder if the birds would like it when the Dome is open.

The aft part of Deck 7 has the small “Hamburger Bar”. The product is extremely good but it is a bit limited. Hence guests switch for one lunch between the two venues as the Lido, called the “The World Cafe”, is just behind it. Again very good food but I had expected a few more options to choose from. There is a very small asian outlet, which is extremely good (Asian Chef). Then there are the regular counters, topped off with a nice ice cream stand.

The World Cafe. This is the portside.

Behind it all, another bar, which is very busy as softdrinks, beer and wine are included at lunch time for everybody. (Same as Saga and Fred Olsen and also most 6 star company’s) Then there is an outside terrace, called the “Aquavit Terrace”, which today was in use as it was chilly but sunny. The stern of the ship has a infinity pool with in the front a jacuzzi. To stop the Infinitiy pool water from raining down on the balconies below, there is a sort of box hanging under it. This makes the ship look a bit weird from the outside. The first time I saw it, I thought it was some sort of cherry picker basket for cleaning windows.

The Infinity pool at the stern of the ship on deck 7.

On deck 8 aft, carefully hidden away from the guests, is a black glass wall under the aft end of the funnel. Inside is a Officer / crew bar. A very clever setup and it would other wise have been a wasted space and there is also a hidden corner for smokers. For guest smokers there is a smoking section on the sb. side midships but I never saw it very busy.

Guest smoking area on deck 8 sb. side. Still a very civilized way to slowly commit suicide.

That completed my tour of the ship. Then we had to pack. Luckily we had not bought very much, apart from a Soup Spoon in Pisa. But we still had to go the shops on board as we had booked another cruise with Viking, on the Viking Polaris to the West side of Greenland and Baffin Bay. For that we received $200,– on board booking credit but it had to be spent this cruise on board. Unusual, as it normally goes on the credit for the next cruise that you have just booked. So the shops still made some money as all the “on board bookers” came marching in. Now I am the proud owner of yet another Power Bank, a set of suitcase locks (TSA approved) and some perfume for her ladyship. It made the day of the very friendly Turkish shop attendant who could just scrape in her commission before she left tomorrow to go on leave in Antalya. Her next ship is the Viking Star for another 6 month contract.

The “Kitchen table” on Deck 1, where under guidance of the chef you can take cooking classes and also eat your own cooked food.

We had booked the Chefs Table for 19.00 hrs. on this last day as most other days were filled up. The higher category cabins (all of them, apart from us sinners living on deck 3) could make their bookings from home but the standard Verandah cabins had to wait until on board. It did not make much difference in the end, accept the early times being booked up. Tonight we could go at 19.00 hrs., after cocktails, and the place was nearly empty. I think the packing and leaving the next day had reduced the enthusiasm for a “last extravagant supper” somewhat. This restaurant runs in 3 set- menu cycles, Italian, Asian, Californian, but the names might differ somewhat from ship to ship. If you take a future cruise, it might be different again, as Viking has 21 of these options floating around the fleet. 5 courses with wine included in the cruise fare.

The most puzzling thing on board is this staircase that leads from the back of “The Restaurant” deck 2 to the back of Manfredis Italian and the Chefs Kitchen on deck 1. and it goes nowhere else. It looks like a very posh way for the Dining room manager to commute between his restaurants. The piece of art on the wall is called “paper and wood” by Johanne Ness and Hanne Overland.

With it comes a wine paring of 4 different wines. Also included. If you have bought the drinks package ($ 25,— a day, but going up) then you get slightly better wines. Price wise I think, as wine is very personal, a I preferred the “cheaper” Pinot Noir with the Asian lambchops much more than the Spanish Tempranillo offered. But as far as wines are concerned, I was already very happy that they stored our favourite white wine (Austrian Veltliner, in this case Bereich Wachau) as Veltliner is not always on board. (Azamara has it, but Cunard does not) So we had a very good dinner and then it was time to put the suitcases outside as at 05.45 we had to be ready for transfer to the airport.

The blank bulkheads in the forward and aft staircases are covered with scenes taken from the Bayeux tapestry depicting the Normans (Norseman or Northman or Vikings) coming from Normandy, France, led by William the Conqueror in 1066 and defeating the English/ Anglo Saxon King Harold at Hastings.

Weather for tommorrow for when going home: Overcast with rain during the day and temperatures aruoud 13oc / or 55 oF.

https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/ships/viking-saturn.html

2026 Feb 17; Day 05, Sete, France.

February 18, 2026 / Captain Albert / 2 Comments

The last time I was in Sete, was in 2001 as captain of the ms Noordam (III). Then we docked in downtown Sete and we could walk directly into downtown. (50,000 inhabitants). Since then the port has been upgraded with a combined cruise and ferry pier. All very nice, but now you have to take a compulsory shuttle to the Gate, where the bow of my Noordam went 25 years ago. I am all for improvement but the compulsory shuttle service was setup in the French way and thus a bit more complicated than necessary.

Sete dock. A very nice new dock with ample room for the compulsory port shuttle bus and the Ferry docking at the other side. In the good old days we used to dock opposite of where the high apartment building is located and then just walk into town.

By 11.10 we were expected on the dockside and put in a nice sightseeing coach so I was quite happy. We left late as once again there were guests missing and then we drove out of the gate. I was now expecting that this sightseeing coach would drop us off somewhere in downtown for our walking tour. That was not the case, we lined up behind 4 other (shuttle) busses. Then we had to wait because the shuttle busses left every 10 minutes and it was not possible to speed that up, so we had another 20 minutes delay. Once our coach had made it to the official stop, we were allowed to disembark and the walking trip started from here. As the whole trip was supposed to last 2 hours, we had lost 30+ minutes as the tour guide kept the ending time the same. So 1hr.30 minutes instead.

Sete Jousting. This is the red team training boats, there is also a blue team.

Once lined up we marched into town and stopped at each bakery and patisserie for a look in the windows as cookies and pies are the big thing in Sete. Then on the canal there were the “jousting boats”. Once a year in August, there is a jousting duel on the water in rowing boats, a tradition that might even go back as far as Roman Times when Sete was already a port. The photo shows the bare training boats. During the jousting, a sort of bridge / platform is constructed at the stern of a heavier boat and the “jouster” stands on top of it with a pole, trying to push the opposite person into the water. The rowers have to manuver the boat in the best position possible and avoid being pushed into an impossible position so that the jouster cannot do the job.

This is the real happening with the boats that have the ramp with jousting platform.

Although Sete is small, it is a very nice place and it was very pleasant to walk around there; compact but interspersed with canals. Here the fishing fleet of the town is located and our Guide was very proud to announce that little Sete as 3 times as many Tuna fishing boats than Marseilles. There are several canals that go through the city and they are flanked on each side by restaurants serving the fresh catch of the day.

This canal connects the sea with an inland lake and is very popular with small time boaters and fishing enthousiasts. Mussles and fresh oysters even grow on the bridge pillars.

Then it was on to the covered market (Les Halles in french) to look at more cookies but now also at the Fish stands, cheese stands and other local specialtiy boutiques. And that was the tour. Those who wanted could stay behind, those who wanted to go back to ship could follow the tour guide, although in Sete you cannot get lost.

The outside of the fish market. It was restored sometime ago and, an architect was let loose to create an inspring roof, and he came up with a………………………………… a fish net cover.

Then it was waiting again for the shuttle bus. The ID card checking and boarding of the shuttle bus was supervised by no less than 5 security guards. I have never felt so protected when stepping on a bus. We were back by 14.30 and time to take a nap as all that walking (and especially all that eating too much) does make you tired.

The inside of “Les Halles”. It is open every day from 07.00 to 13.00 hrs. and the place to go for “fresh” shopping by the locals.

We had cocktails in the regular atrium lounge , then on to the dinning room again; good food, good service but nothing special, and tonight we were early as we wanted to see the crew farewell and then the “Beatles show”. Doors opening at 20.30 hrs. The farewell show opened with a speech by the Cruise Director about how wonderful we were, as we sailed with Viking.

The crew farewell show with the -tall- captain in the middle.

Then a short speech by the thus far very elusive Captain. We have not heard a peep from him all week, no departure announcements, nor anything else, but it as it is compulsory to be part of the crew farewell, there he was. I have not been able to get anything out of anybody about what he is supposed to do as far as announcements go, but I do not get the impression that Deck and Engine are very much involved with the guest operation. So the Captain is more a “Chief Bus – driver” than anything else. It feels more that the guest well-being is solely the job of the Hotel department. Headed by the Cruise Director and the General Manager. Her name is Emma Smith and she is from England. We spoke several times with her as she is very visible in the ship and indeed “manages by walking around”. Also her office, on the side of the Atrium with the door open, and directly approachable.

Then we had a toast, with champagne handed out when coming into the show lounge followed by about 30% of the officers and crew marching onto the stage. Not much different from other company’s, only here with Viking, they pulled it off somehow with having all the crew lined up properly, instead the chaos you normally see. (and believe me it is not easy to do that, as it is not the same crew that is assigned each week, and they all want to stand”next to their friend” instead of being in the right position)

The “Beattles song show”. I have a lively imagination but I had to stretch my Beattle’s imagination very far…………………. to figure out the connection of striped pajama’s with the Beattles. The Cast felt the same when I complemented them after the show. Why not have them wearing “Sergeant Pepper” costumes to make it a big more colorful ?

The show was about all the Beatles Songs and the singers were extremely good again. The same cannot be said about the person who designed the stage clothes as that was far from comprehensible. Especially after the costume change half way through when the men were dressed in a sort of prison uniforms. But the show was very good and the Singers rightly received a standing ovation.

Then we decided to go for a nightcap and poked our nose into the Torshavn nightclub. Quite intimate but again the sound level was a bit too much. So we went back to the Atrium Bar for a nice Brandy Alexander and a portwine.

The Thorshavn nightclub. On the stage the guitar player acting as a warming up act, for the very good, but very loud house band.

Tomorrow we are in Barcelona for 2 days, with the second day being the dis & embarkation day. Tours will be going all over the city, Gaudi’s church and buildings of course and other city tours but also one to the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, which is a 6 hour tour, and one I had never seen before. Cost for that one was well over $ 300,– and for that price I prefer to watch U-tube.

Expected weather tomorrow : sunny but chilly with temperatures of 13oC or 55 Fahrenheit

2026 Feb 16; Day 04, Marseille, France.

February 18, 2026 / Captain Albert / 0 Comments

I have been keeping an eye on the weather in the Nord Med., an area which is called “The Gulf of Lions” or Gulfo de Lions. (Lions as in correct spelling) The chance of a strong Mistral wind (funnel wind from the Rhone valley is always present) but regular northerly winds can be a problem is well. Those were blowing during the early mornings and that resulted in the appearance of the MSC ship in Villefranche. But it looked like that by 07.00 hrs. the wind would have died down sufficiently for our ship to safely sail into the new harbour of Marseille.

The port of Marseille. The ships are coming in at the far northern end of the breakwater. The south side (although much better for windy codiitions) is only used by small craft. (Photo Courtesy” Med-Mediteranee)

The port of Marseille lay out is its own worst enemy as the sail-in channel is perpidencular to the northerly winds, so when the Mistral blows you get a higher number of port cancellations, especially with the cruise ships as they catch so much wind. And it can play havoc with the ferry schedules. For us the wind had died down and we had no problem sailing in, swinging around and docking. At the other side of the dock was the MSC Orchestra the 2nd cruise ship in port.

We had booked / included in the cruise package / another walking tour, this time of the downtown Marseille. To my utter amazement, the tour guide was Dutch, having lived in Marseilles for 20 years being married to a frenchman. To the amazement of some of the fellow guests on the coach, she spoke english by translating Dutch straight into English. I think in english, so my english sounds much more native, She did the same with French, but for English and German she went back again to thinking in Dutch and then giving the english translation, Dutch syntax and idiom included.

Marseille is the largest city in France after Paris with about 2 mln. inhabitants. It is overcrowded and not exactly clean, although the multitude of cultures (many from North Africa and old French colonies) make for fascinating glimpses of how other cultures live and work. (especially the small markets, each dedicated to their own cultural background with local products and marketeers screaming in their own language).

Palais Longshamp. Great museum collection and great gardens. And the outside is not shabby either. (Photo courtesy: Packyourbags.com)

So we drove around the port, up and down the streets, and got a good impression of how Marseilles functions. First with a photostop at Palace Longshamp. This is a very impressive building, built between 1831 – 1869 to celebrate the completion of a canal that brought fresh & safe water to the city. It took 30 years due to planning problems and construction costs but now houses several musea. We stayed on the coach as it was raining, so we let the photo-op go.

The Porte d’Aix in Marseille. Commemorating all sorts of victories the french had in the 19th and 20th century.

A very peculiar thing is that Marseilles has an “Arc de Triomph” (official Porte d’Aix or Port Reial) same as in Paris, about the same size, but looking slightly different on the outside. Officially marking the entry point when coming from Aix-de-Provence, but several governments were involved in the building process and wanted to mark the Arch for several subsequent battle achievements. There was the end of the American war of independence in 1784, then the French Spanish Expedition in 1824, and when it was completed in 1839, it was to honor “all sorts of victories” so a very multifunctional monument.

Most of the sightseeing tour was along the Corniche (bench in English) which runs along the whole coastline of Marseilles. The road is officially named after the American President John F. Kennedy. It is where the most expensive houses are located, included Gated-Communities, and the best fish restuarants, often in converted houses from the fisherman days. The weather was horrible while driving along the coast so we were quite happy to sit in the bus and let the -french- world roll by. Photostop at the Corniche was the monument for fallen french soldiers in the East Med. and Africa during the First World War. Although we mostly think about Flanders Fields during WWI,there were many more theatres of war. In Eastern Europe, in the Balkan and also in Africa.

The “MonumentAux Morts Des Orients. Erected in 1927.

I took this photo from the coach as you cannot miss the monument, it really dominates the local sky line. Most people in front of it, were from our busses, as the French themselves waited for better weather to have a look at it.

I felt straight at home. What Macdonalds is for the Americans, is HEMA for the Dutch. So we had to visit.

Then the rest was by Coach, followed by an hour to walk around downtown. And there we found a HEMA. This is a dutch shop /chain that sells anything you need for your house. It is very very Dutch, so finding it in the deep south of France, is about the same as finding a Wal-Mart on top of the Swiss Alps. Even the packaging was in Dutch but it did not stop the French from buying up a storm.

The Atrium bar. To the left is a sitting area with regular tables and from there you can spread out over the 3 floors of the Atrium, which is officially called “The Living Room”

Back on board it was time for lunch and this time we tried the “nibble” selection at the Bar on deck 1 of the Living Room. This is the 3 deck atrium of which the corner on deck 1 also functions as cocktail place and related. It serves small sandwiches with shrimps, salmon and beef and is a great for those who are peckish but do not want to be tempted by being exposed to the Lido outlay (called the World Cafe on this ship)

Wendy the Future Travel Specialist in full swing. We were quite impressed with her as she was able to rattle off every port of each cruise listed in the brochure.

Viking has a repeater program, The Viking Explorer Society, (On average they have a repeater rate of 60 to 90% on board) and that means that you might get a drinks package and gratitues included on you next cruise depending on the promotion going at the time. There is no tiered program as with Cunard or Holland America. To recognize everybody there was a party in the Atrium and although we were not “repeaters” yet, the Future Cruise Lady had invited us. And with free drinks…….. who can say no? So we got a few wise words from Wendy the future cruise specialist, some more wise words from the Cruise Director and then a short show from the ships cast / singers. There are no medals or other gifts but the biggest day holder (this cruise 160+ days) was recognized with a bunch of flowers.

As the whole ship decor is “Scandinavian bare” it does not look very impressive during the day time with the tables not being set. But is is very cosy in the evenings.

The evening show was the Cruise Director himself who is also an ccomplished singer. He performed a selection of songs from the last 40 years. We did not go as it conflicted with our dinner reservations in “Manfredi’s” the dedicated Italian Restaurant on board. And when one has to choose between food and culture, guess what wins. It is free of charge and the menu is standard Italian restaurant style, as people would expect it shoreside. With a decent range of entries and very pleasant service. It is evey night booked to capacity and with Viking higher cabin catagory’s you can book at home, while mere mortals like us, have to wait until on board, and then it depends on space still available. However it turned out not to be a problem and we have also booked the other speciality restaurant, “The Chefs table” for the last night. That one has a set menu. Then you can book cooking classes for $60,– a person and for that you also get an apron. They run the classes in the evening so you will eat your own cooked dinner at dinner time. We saw a group of very excited ladies marching out around 9 pm. followed by a group of spouses, drink in hand, who looked rather less excited.

Tomorrow we are in Sete, France. (It is pronounced Sept, without the t) Weather is supposed to be dry and sunny but with a cold wind blowing from the North giving noon time temperatures of 12 – 14 oC / 54 – 57oF)

2026 Feb 15; Day 3 VilleFranche, France, for Monaco.

February 17, 2026 / Captain Albert / 2 Comments

To get to Monaco, you can anchor in front of Monte Carlo (Hercule or Fontveille) harbour, dock at the cruise ship pier, anchor at Villefranche or at Cape Ferrat in France. For reasons not entirely clear we went to Villefranche, while we found out later that the downtown Monte Carlo Cruise Pier was not in use that day. The reasons for that can by myriad, especially in France when dealing with a Sunday situation. The only nice thing for the afternoon tour was, that it included for each tour a 45 minute drive, as Monte Carlo was part of the excursion.

Villefranche bay. From anchorage nbr 1 it is only 5 minutes to a very nice tender dock, right in downtown.

My Lord and Master had decreed that she now has approved Viking Cruises and had found out that there was an North West Passage cruise (partly, just in & out) in 2028. Under the well established rule, if we book now and early then we save money by speadning it ………………, so we had a meeting with the Travel Consultant. And we booked a 13 day in 2028 from Nook in Greenland, up and into Baffin Bay with the expedition ship Viking Polaris. So that takes away my pocket money for the next 3 years.

To recover from the shock I decided to forget my diet and invest in some comfort food by visiting the Pool Grill for a BBQ hamburger. That is all cooked a-la-carte and was very good. As mentioned before, the food is very good on board but somewhat limited in volume and variation, compared to the exuberiance of some other companies, like Holland America Line and Celebrity. But the quality is very good.

One of the 4 ships tenders. Well laid out and easy to operate with all the latest gadgets

For the tour we had to take our bla-bla boxes again to receive a lot of useful information while walking through Monaco. The ship has the best tenders we have encountered so far, it was just a pity that the tender drivers have not been trained very well in using the latest gadget called “the bow thruster”. That is a great gadget but you have to have a little bit of forward momentum for it to work optimaly. When going astern the pivot point of the tender goes back and that negates the positive force of the thruster somewhat. So both on arrival and depature from the Villefranche dock there was a lot of See-Sawing to get the tender alongside. With extra waiting while everybbody was seeing the show, but eventually we got there.

Monte Carlo / Monaco is very small, and downtown is even smaller. Our walking tour Started at number 19 and ended at nbr 22, and that is not more than a 15 minute walk.

The coach drive to Monte Carlo goes along some very narrow roads and a few times we were right on the edge of where we could look down an awful long way. Because the tour is included in the cruise package, we were not expecting it to be very intensive and we were right. But it was a nice walk from the coach (parked in a 5 story underground parking garage under the Oceanographic Museum) through the botanic gardens into the local Cathredral where the Grimaldi’s (The Princes of Monaco, who rule the Principality) are buried and then for a photo-op at the main palace. Then 1 hour of free time and back to the ship with a promise that the coach would do a full lap around the Formula One circuit.

The late 19th. century Cathedral. Homebase for the Royal Family of Monaco.

The Catheral is from the mid 19th. century so not so old but is very interesting with many side chapels dedicated to various Saints. The past rulers of Monaco are buried here, starting with the churches completion.

The grave of movie starr Grace Kelly, or Patricia Gratia as she was known in Monaco.

Only the direct Monarch and his spouse and those in directe line are buried there, the rest is buried somewhere else. One “mass grave” had the remains of those who ruled before the Church was completed. (So for modern times, Prince Rainier is there, so is Princess Grace and the next one will be the current ruler Prince Albert, wife and oldest child)

The main Monte Carlo harbour, called Hercule, is not the only one. Just to the West is “Fontveille” which a much smaller and quieter affair. This photo was taken from the lookout point in the Gardens just under the Cathedral.

Monaco is only 4 square kilometers in size, so if you do not break on time, you are out of Monaco and back in France. Hence Monaco has the euro and a lot of French rules & Social Security accepted. But is has local police, local taxes (only the Monegaskan Passport holders are tax exempt, who make up 20% of the population) and local driving rules.

We had to be back on time at the bus, except one couple who arrived / were found by the tour escort 30 minutes late, without much of an excuse, as it is nearly impossible to get lost in this area. “Walk down to the gardens and you cannot miss the entrance to the car park. But it brought us back 30 minutes late to the ship. But now comes the nasty part, the tour escort had talked up this full lap around the Formula One circuit. Then with great aplomb announced where the starting line was and then waffled off about underground traffic tunnels. We never did the full lap. And I was hoping for the full lap because when you go under the hotel, even a coach engine sounds like a roaring ferrari, due to the acoustics.

The F1 Grand Prix circuit of Monaco. We only saw the section V to A1. We have been here before but a pity for the guests for whom it was the first time.

Coming back to where the tender is the driver nearly ran into a leaving bus, could not handle the hand break while going uphill and then refused to make more room for the other busses coming out. Compliments to the lady bus driver of the other coach coming out, she managed to get around our coach with about 1 inch to spare. On arrival at the tender pier we had to wait 20 minutes for the next tender and then other five while the tender driver gave the “not how to dock show” by the wrong use of the bow thruster.

The main palace of Monaco. It is mainly a working palace with the direct family scattered around it in various villa’s.

We were supposed to be all by ourselves but in the aftrnoon the MSC Splendida came in. She had not been able to dock in Marseilles due to strong winds. Apart from the city being a port of call also a number of guests were supposed to disembark and embark, so after arrival a large shore tender came out to arrange that. We had fun and games with the small parking area’s with 900+ guests and 12 busses, so let alone what they will face with handling the approx. 2200 guests on board.

For cocktails we went back to the Explorers Lounge and then to dinner. The company had laid on a barbecue and dancing on the stars on Deck 7 under the Magro Dome. We went to have a look, but the barbecue was very limited so most people got extra from the buffet inside. It turned out that the dancing under the stars was not a continious party but more like a show where the various entetainers all did their own little thing. As (with the dome closed) the music was deafening we decided to go for a regular dinner. This BBQ gig did not get much of attendance as there are not many high tables around the pool, so one would have to hold the plate on ones knees. We are now spoiled by the “White Night” with Azamara, so this was a bit of a let down in comparison.

So we went for a regular dinner in the diningroom. While waiting for the Maitre to figure out a table we met an American couple who we had talked to while waiting in the show lounge the night before, and decided the share a table. Good company, as they had also travelled the world, lived in Germany, and an enjoyable time was had by all. Maybe due to the size of the ship, or the international travel experience most guests enjoy the interaction with other guests they have never seen before. It splits the crowd in a sort of 3 groups. Those who march according to the daily program and do their town thing, the second group who already travel in a group for the duration of the cruise, and a 3rd group, who are by themselves but enjoy cocktails and interaction with other fellow travellers. So one does not need to be exactly lonely on board.

Tomorrow we are in Marseilles. The weather is supposed to be windy during the night but the wind should die down on arrival, so if the captain is a luckily man he won’t have much programs in getting in. With us is the MSC Orchestra which came in early due to the expected wind during the night. Weather, overcast with rain, temperatures around 11 – 14oC / 49 – 58oF.

2026 Feb.14, Day 2, Livorno Italy.

February 16, 2026 / Captain Albert / 2 Comments

For the 2nd day of our stay in Livorno, the ship had its focus on tours to Pisa. Yesterday most guests had gone on tours to Florence and Lucca and came back completely exhausted. Public rooms and restaurants were very quiet in the evenings. The tours are on average quite expensive and when reading through them I could not see if they did anything more detailed or different than tours with other company’s. If no different than the regular ones, then I think they are somewaht over priced. We have several tours during the cruise that are included in the package and which are mainly panoramic bus tours or walking tours with free time. For that purpose each cabin has a “bla -bla-box” with ear piece for each person so you can hear the tour guide without having to be too close or the escort having to shout. We have seen these “bla-bla boxes ” (as we call them in the UK) on the river cruises and it is very a nice feature. For those not on tour, there is a local shuttlebus service to downtown Livorno.

Air photo of Livorno port. The black line is the track that most cruise ships follow, hardly any other way to do it as the port is large but very compact. Photo courtesy: Capt Alberts blog 17 Oct. 2018.

We tried room service breakfast this morning and opted for the last moment of 09.45 to 10.00 as that is normally the least busy time. They made it just after 10 am. as at 10,00the Captain had decided that this was the most perfect moment to run an unannounced safety drill. (It is a requirement to do every so often a drill that is not announced / publicly scheduled) So room service had the challenge to get their orders ready while the cooks were already trying to run-away. But it all worked out. The room service menu is nice but not much different then with other company’s. The tray is plonked on the table and that is it. Setting the table is for 6 star or higher.

Stock photo of a self service laundry; from Viking Sky, via Cruise Critic. As the ships are almost identical so are the laundries. Only thing the Viking Saturn had missing was the clothes rail above the ironing boards. When finished with ironing you can fold the boards back against the wall and give more space for the loading of the machines.

What is nice with Viking is that they have self service laundries on board, one on each deck with 4 washing and 4 dryers and 2 iron boards, free of charge. We had to hunt around for a free iron board as we have groups on board who did a pre-stay in Rome and a large contingent of chinese who seem to have been much longer on the road and now seem to live inside the laundries. (There is also a TV and couch inside so you can watch a movie while doing the washing) But I like self service laundries on board as I never get my shirts wrinkle free out of the suitcase.

Pisa ” central” from the air. The leaning tower to the top left, the chatedral (Duomo) left, the Baptism church (Baptistry) to the right and the Cementry (Campo Santo Monumentale) left under. The whole area in green (and very soggy) grass) and is called Piazza del Miracoli. (Photo courtesy, somewhere of the internet)

We went on the afternoon tour to Pisa, which is a panoromic tour with a walk to the leaning tower. The weather felt like being at home, chilly and raining. The company who provides the escorts is Italian, but they also cover Monaco and further west into France, so we will see them again. The are called Trumpy Tours but the apologetic escort advised that there were was no connection to you know who.

The bus trip lasts about 45 minutes and although it is mentioned that is was going over the motor way, it goes on the regular roads so it is quite interesting even if only for the bus drive. In Pisa they have moved the coach park to another area than before (much bigger) so it is a good 15 minute walk into town. To make things more agreeable they also moved most of the souvenirs shops to remain in line with the new “invasion route” of the coach – tourists so all was well in the world. (Before you would enter through a Gate at the top right of the photo so the first thing you would see was the leaning tower, now you first see the Baptistry)

The afternoon tour left just one hour of free time and hence not much time to visit anything beyond the square. Luckily there were no long lines, as it is off-season, and the persistent rain kept a lot of people away as well. If you buy a ticket for the Baptism church, the leaning tower, or the cementary, you get free access to the Cathedral. The church is in principal free to visit but to reduce (selfie) traffic, they charge unless you have a ticket for one of the other ones, then it is free.

As you can see, with everybody pushing, you do get the Leaning tower of Pisa almost upright. Then the tourists go away for the night and the tower reverts to its original tilt. And then the process starts again……………….).

Waking / climbing up to the top of the Leaning Tower costs 20 euro and is 296 steps. It is about 15 minutes to get to the top and 15 minutes down and the timed ticket lasts an hour. If you over stay, security will help you very efficiently to get downstairs much faster than you would have normally done. The very top of the tower is off-limits nowadays. According to our tour lady, this was for maintenance purposes but she also hinted that too many people tried “to fly” from the very top at the “leaning over” side.

There have been a lot of repairs done to the tower to stop it from further tilting over due to the swampy underground and the last repairs have brought the tilt back from 4.8 to 3.8 (or something like that). Several hundred years ago, when the then incomplete tower started to lean, the finishing architects worked it in such a way that the “backside” of the tower got a banana curve which makes it look almost straight. But nobody is interested in that, everybody wants a picture with the leaning side.

Somebody posted this on Reddit and my appreciation to the dog owner as it is not easy at all to get the perspective right with a human being, let alone with a dog. But each gentle push helps the tower to stay upright, so well done doggy.

The latest craze seems to be to have a dog -picture while pushing back the tower. Today I thought I saw a Japanese lady trying it with a small “fiffi” dog, but it is not easy to get a small dog the right perspective with a large tower.

Deck 7. All the public areas are on Deck 1,2, and 7. The Explorers Lounge is near the bow and has a 2nd level (deck 8) at the forward part which can be reached by a glass staircase. You can still hear the entertainment from deck 7 level but is somewhat quieter.

Back on the ship it was time for cocktails and we went to the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7. On the first night there was no entertainment there until 9 pm. but this time there was cocktail music by means of a guitar player, who gave quite acceptable renderings of songs by Arlo Guthrie, Billy Joel and Gordon Lightfoot.

The Explorers Lounge on the Viking Saturn. More to the left is a nice bar and a lot more seating area. (Photo courtesy Viking Cruises)

By 19.30 we were entering “The Restaurant” (yes a very original name) and because it was Valentins day all the Ladies received a red rose. That felt me quite discriminated. The Ladies are now all equal to men in society , and that is the way it should be, but it should also work the other way around. If the Ladies get a rose, why don’t the Gents get a chocolate or something ?

The show started again at 21.00 hrs. The lounge is quite spacious with ample room between the rows (so a waiter can get in with drinks) and for the evening they also open the separation doors of the two cinemas’ on either side as well, creating a show lounge for about 400 guests. Tonight was Musical night: “Stage Door” featuring musical songs from the MGM music catalogue. There are no dancers on board and thus they had cheographed the show around the pianist on center stage. Never seen that before but it worked very well.

The Viking Saturn theatre called the “Star Lounge”. As you can see in the photo a lot of pillows have photos of old movie actors on them. We recognized, Valentino, Gloria Swanson and Ingrid Bergman but there were many others.

Tomorrow we are in Villefranche at the anchorage for the Monaco call. We have an afternoon tour again with a walk-a-bout. Weather: Overcast turning to sunny with temperatures around 59oF / 15oC.

2026 Feb 13; Day 1, Livorno Italy

February 14, 2026 / Captain Albert / 0 Comments

This morning we docked at Livorno and the docks are on the industrial side of the town as they do not really have a downtown cruise terminal here. Ferries, to Sardinia etc., are more important and so are the cargo and container ships. Livorno is the 3rd largest port in Italy and hence the focus is on facilitating as many ships as possible and not leaving any dock space unused.

Opposite us, is a small dry-dock and repair company for mult million dollar yachts and Livorno is also focussing on that, as part of the old fishing port has been turned into a special harbour for mega yachts. It is supposed to open in a few weeks and if I counted the mooring bouys for the bow anchoring of the yachts correctly they will be able to park at least 40 big ones in there, maybe even more. I assume that it will be extensively used for the charter market as Livorno is not exactly known as a playground for millionaires. The owners use their yachts normally only a few weeks a year and most of them try to reduce the operating costs with chartering the yachts out for the rest of the year.

Our yacht the Viking Saturn will stay two days here, with long and short tours to Florence, Pisa and Lucca. We will be taking the panoramic tour on the 2nd day, 4 hours in duration which was included in our package. We also had WIFI included with the booking and it is the best we have had so far of all the ships we have sailed on in the last 2 years. It is not just a fast connection and includes streaming but there is also no limit to the devices that you can run at the same time. Most company’s, we have so far encountered, only allow one device so you have to log off one device before you can log on the other. Not here, so Very Impressed.

The Spa hydro pool with a very nice lay-out. It is not very big, so best to go in port when there is no crowd.

We skipped breakfast and went to visit the Spa on board, which has a very nice pool and an even better lay-out. With spacious dressing rooms (each with a cold plunge bath and a sauna) and extensive changing facilites, where you get slippers (crocs) a thin bath robe and towel all nicely waiting for you in a dedicated locker, All the lockers work with a cabin key card swipe to lock and it worked very well…. Maybe because it was a newer ship, maybe because they maintain them well.

Deck 3 portside there is a display of national costumes with extensive explanations. On the starboard side in the corner is a small museum with Viking artifacts includinOn g swords and helmets. Then in the staircases, more history is displayed by runes on stones hanging in the staircases. Then the back of each staircase has on each level a section of the Bayeux Tapestry, which makes sense as the Normans – north men – who invaded England in 1066 were Vikings who had settled down in Normandy, France.

Nordic art with runes on a slab of slate stone in the aft pax. staircase, This is copy of a real one found in Sweden. Again a very good explanation on the grey plaque next to it.

For lunch we ended up in the World Cafe again, which serves free soft drinks, wine or beer with lunch. The food is good butthe choices are somewhat limited when compared to Holland America but much more extensive when compared to P&O.

The winter garden in the center of deck 7.

When going through the daily program we found out that there was “High Tea” in the Winter Garden, which is a light and airy indoor space on deck 7 just in front of the Swimming pool. It is very nice when it is overcast but it might be a bit much on a very sunny day. We will find out. As most of the ship was on tour, we thought it would be ideal to go for tea now (we had not eating anything in the last 2 hours………….. so it was time) and within a nice relaxing atmosphere, the classical duo were playing, a large number of tea’s were available and a large tower tray (etagere), with sandwiches, scones and small cakes came to the table.

Lesley and the high tea. Please note the trolley to the right above her shoulder. When fully loaded it came rattling through the whole lounge to get to an elevator. Really spoiling the atmosphere.

It all was very civilized and enjoyable…….., and then a waiter came rattling through with an empty trolley and started to load his trolley in full view of the tea drinkers. Nobody of the assembled staff took any action, so I flagged a jr. Maitre d’hotel over. He agreed that is was less than convivial for the high tea ambiance and moved the trolley out of view. He then left. So it did not deter our trolley waiter from continuing to load his trolley behind the bar, and when full, came rattling through whole lounge on his way to a lift. Well, they could have planned that better. Imagine you are having a wedding and straight through the wedding there is a gardener with a wheelbarrow pushing through. So we thought that , that was it, but no, now the Deck department showed up, in coveralls, and started checking fire extinguishers. Not in the slightest bothered by the stylish tea gathering around them. Planning is not easy sometimes, even with (lower) management being present to take corrective action…………………………………………………….

But something that did impress me, were the teapots used. Look at the table above and you see that the tea is served as leaves in a sieve. That sieve fits in a teapot and then, once the tea has brewed, you lift it out and put it in a cup provided. Very nice for high tea and never seen before. Then in the regular restaurants you get a tea bag, but the tea bag can go on top of the lid once used instead having to put it on the side of your saucer or somewhere else. I like these sorts of small great details.

pot without bag

pot with tea bag

We found on Deck 1, the panel with all the photos of the high and mighty on board and our captain this cruise is Arild Jernass. There has been no write up in the daily program yet (The Viking Daily) about him and also there has been no announcement from him yet as we sailed late from Civittavechia where he joined. Although The Viking Saturn flies the Norwegian flag, the crew is very multi national and I have not seen any other Norwegian officers or crew around the ship.

Came on board yesterday in Civittavehcia.

Although we are in port everyday, there are still lectures everyday, around 18.30 to 21.00 hrs. which is when the show starts. For this there are 2 Resident lectures on board, one is an american Colonel who is doing world war II stuff and a lady who is into food and drink. Problem is that you have to decide where your priorities lie, early dinner, cocktails, making the show on time, or going to the lectures. Our focus is cocktails followed by a 19.00 dinner, so we make the show on time. In this case I feel that I do not miss that much as there are excellent movies and clips on U-tube that cover the same topics.

The Atrium bar, alhtough they call the area around here not the Atrium but The “Living Room”.

We went to deck 1 bar again in the atrium, and I found out that they have Norwegian beer (in cans) on board, so it was time to investigate that. $ 8,– for a 330 ml. can but we have a package and it is all included. Lesley is still lamenting the lack of pink Gin, and the waiters are commiserating with her, because it is a very frequent request. There is a grand piano in the Atrium (a real top of the range Steinway) and between 18.00 and 18.45 there is first the “Munch moment” where the tunes are Norwegian while on top of the staircase the video wall shows Munch paintings. (most famous one known is “The Scream”, but Edvard Munch painted a lot of other good stuff as well, without being exactly locked into one particular sort of school). Then the piano player returns later in the evening, alternating with a classical duo.

The second place which is good for cocktails is the two level crowsnest on deck 7 & 8, called “The Explorers Lounge”. When there is no live music there is background music (musac??) but it is nice, soft and laid back and creates a relaxing atmosphere everywhere not only in the bars but in the whole the ship.

Dinner was good again, word is spreading of what my background is, and now we learn how far the Holland America family extends. Our waiter tonight wanted to sail with Holland America (his brother is there) but had to wait too long as HAL had sold 6 ships. He is now happy with Viking but was not so excited about the food in the crew mess.

David Righeschi and Alessandara Tanzi. This photo was lifted from the Internet when they performed the Opera Tosca together in Firenze (?)

The show at 21.00 hrs. was performed by two local artists, opera singers, who come on board each Viking ship that docks in Liverrno. And they were VERY good, with a nice mixture of popoular opera and some more unknown pieces all backed up with a multi media video background.. David Righeschi and Alessandara Tanzi received a well deserved standing ovation. If the rest of the week has the same high standard, then we are in for a treat. Tomorrow night we have the Cast Show with musical songs so we are hoping for the best.

Weather tomorrow: overcast with showers in the afternoon. Temperatures anywhere between 13 oC. (54oF) and 16oC (61 oF)

2026 Feb 12, Day 0, Civittavechia, joining the Viking Saturn.

February 13, 2026 / Captain Albert / 5 Comments

Today we started on our next cruise, 7 days from Civittacechia to Barcelona with the ms Viking Saturn. This is one of nearly identical series of cruise ships that Viking cruises have been launching in the last 15 years and the process is still going on. The Viking Saturn came in into service in 2023 and is thus a fairly new ship. We saw her last year when we were on board the Azamara Journey, being in the same port and now we are on board.

The MS Viking Saturn is a 47,842-ton, 983-guest ocean cruise ship delivered to Viking in 2023 by Fincantieri. The 228-meter-long vessel is designed for small-ship, It has a space ration of 49, which is very high for a middle class ship.Scandinavian-style luxury with 465 all-veranda staterooms. Elegantly casual and no childeren (Photo courtesy, internet google)

Going from England is always quite a journey as we have to fly from our local airport Norwich with the 6 am flight to Amsterdam to make the connecting flight to Rome. Thus we stay in a hotel outside this small airport the night before so we can walk over the next morning at 05.00 hrs. for check in. Flying KLM has at least the advantage that our luggage will make between flights even if the connection time is short. Hence we try to avoid Heathrow in London as much as possible. Then there is for Lesley the additional check in challenge at Schiphol as the British are now outside the EU. Luckily it was quiet at immigration and the new check in machines (photo, finger prints, passport check) were not working yet.

Viking had booked our flights and on arrival Fumencino airport in Rome, there was a rep waiting. Then with a few others we were walked through the whole airport to an obscure exit one where a few more guests were waiting. Apart from the Italians reps creating chaos where there wasn’t any (like being checked off 5 times in a row) we were speedily put on a large coach for the 1 hour journey to Civittavechia. Viking sends a nice boarding pre package before leaving. Upscale leatherette address tags, seperate luggage tags (to put on after arrival at the Rome air port), then when gathered together & checked in (5 times), the luggage is taken away, loaded on the coach, and then you find your suitcases back in your cabin about 2 hours later. All very smooth. I think that Viking is sending a coach each hour from the airport so that nobody has to wait very long for the connecting transport. Fast check in, at the cruise terminal, with plenty check instaff and then via shore security on board. It always amazes me, how few people are ready for the security check and have to create an almighty fuss and bother and delay. All ahead of us were experienced cruisers and still it looked as if they were re-venting the wheel when going through.

Coming on board we had our first laugh as we were greeted by a nice philipinna Lady in a Norwegian traditional costume. Somehow it did not gell, same as it would look strange, if we would see a blond goddess in a philipine national costume. Nice touch but it just did not look the part. Later on she was relieved by a man in traditional costume and as he was of italian / roumanian complexion, he looked more like a cossack then an axe throwing, maurading Viking. But it is all good fun.

Our cabin portside aft, on deck 3, but all cabins are outside and all have a balcony

As we had no idea what Viking was going to be like, so we had booked the cheapest cabin with a balcony (3084) on Deck 3 aft. As the ship was built in 2023 the cabin still looked brand new and everything was in working order. Our suitcases were not there of course so we went for a bit to eat in the Lido, called here “The World Cafe” which is a U-shape place on deck 7 aft. They were closing at 15.00 hrs. but then the Pool Grill, more forward and aft of the swimming pool remains open unti 17.00 hrs. It has a slighly smaller buffet but also serves hamburgers. Interesting thing here is, that the World Cafe -kitchen, is an open space in the middle, so you can see the cooks cooking. Nice to see but for the cooks more of a challenge, as they are on permanent view and cannot leave anything “floating around” as it would make the place look messy.

Most public rooms are on deck 1,2, and 7 with cabins in between on deck 3,4,5,6, and a few on 7. This is deck 1.

As we are in a cabin of the lowest pecking order, we could not pre book our speciality restaurants, so we had to visit them to make reservations. But it worked well. More about that in the coming days. Then unpacking and we found that the cabin has sufficient storage space for a 7 day cruise but for a longer cruise, I think we would have to upgrade. But we have to check if the larger cabins do have more wardrobe space. But for 7 days this was more than ample. There are no formal nights with Viking which saves hanging space. Everything is elegantly casual but we have to see what that exactly is, as a large number of guests still translated “elegantly” into jeans and a T shirt.

The Viking Atrium with the grand staircase, Scandinavian style. More about this in the coming days.

We had cocktails in the Atrium lounge which goes 3 decks high. Cocktails are served on deck 1 around the bar and level 2 and 3 are mainly for sitting during daytime. The bar output is somewhat limited as there is only 1 draft beer (carlsberg) and no Pink Gin or low calorie mixes, which so far on each 5 star ship that we have sailed on, has had in ample quantities and variation. Dinner in the main diningroom was good with friendly and un-rushed service. We had bought a drinks package ($ 27,– a person a day, with Cunard charging about $ 75 or so) which turned out to be very good value) and then came across the peculiar situation that our favored glass of wine was included but a full bottle was not. So we solved the problem by having our class filled “by the glass” and when the bottle was empty, somebody else must like it, so the wine steward produced another one……………………

Shows and related are round 21.00 and later but we went to bed as having started at 0.400 hrs. it had been a long day. Tomorrow we are in Livorno, for a two day stop to visit Florence and Pisa. If you want to go into Livorno itself (the small downtown area is quite cute) then you can take the port shuttle.We are going to stay on board the first day, to see the ship and enjoy its amenities and then take the tour on the 2nd day.

The layout of Deck 2 with the main restaurant, Atrium, the night club, shops, two cinema’s (which can be combined with the Theatre in the evening.

Weather for tomrrow, partly cloudy with a chance of showers in the late afternoon, temperature between 13 – 16oC (56 – 61oF) and little wind, so it should not feel that chilly.

2025 Sep. 22; Split, Croatia

September 23, 2025 / Captain Albert / 4 Comments

Today we are in Split, also Croatia. That meant sailing “backwards” with the ship during the night as Hvar is very close to Split only 61 kilometers as the Crow flies and an estimated 100 miles depending on how far the captain decided to go away from the coast. Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia after the capital Zagreb and was in the days of Tito and a united Yugoslavia a major industrial port. With the competition of the Far East most of the heavy industry is now gone and the city is transforming into a service hub with a big focus on tourism. I had not been to Split since 2010 and then we docked with the ship almost into the streets of the old city. Since then they have revamped the ferry port and also put a dedicated cruise terminal next to it with ample space for tour buses etc. But it means that it is now a 10 minute walk to “down town”, but it is a lot easier for the tour buses to get out of the city. Something the operators really like as each bus is charged 90 euro’s if it would drive into, or through the old city.

The view over the port from the ship. Going into th harbour area is now limited to the smaller ships as the new ferry port has expanded considerably into a much more spacious and effective set-up.

We had booked a tour here made up of a scenic tour around the larger part of the city and then a visit to Trogir which is a very small island about 40 minutes outside Split but which has been inhabited since times immemorial. It is only 240 meters wide and about 1500 meters long, but they managed to built 15 churches on it, plus one or two palaces and a lot of regular houses in this space, and a Venetian fortress, which (according to the guide) is the best one preserved in Europe. Most of the regular houses now double up as restaurants and pubs.

Air drone photo of Trogir from an unknown location on the internet. The Venetian Fortress is on the lower right off the photo.

And thus we marched off the gangway at 08.30 and were loaded with 16 others onto a 50 seater bus so nobody had anything to complain about of not having a good window seat. Our host was Ariana Grande, and she was very proud that this was also the name of one of the main actors in the movie “Wicked”. And then she rattled on constantly for the next 3 hours. By the end we knew a lot of about the local history but even more about her family, her personal life and what she thought about the break up of Yugoslavia and how the future should go. (No Putin, No Trump, plenty Nato and long live the European Union).

Small streets as in all the old ports in Croatia.

Forty minutes later and we were in Trogir. There is only limited space for vehicles on the island (served by two bridges, of which one dates back to the 12th. century when it replaced an even older bridge) Thus all the buses, tour & local had to park at the bus station just outside the island. This bus was equipped with “bla-bla boxes” which meant the tour guide could use a microphone and we had a little box with a ear piece to understand her. It is becoming more and more standard on tours, so that the escort does not have to shout and the participants do not have to huddle close together (often in warm weather). An additional advantage is that when the escort walks away, the sound gets fainter and you are alerted to catch up before you get lost.

Cathedral of St Lawrence, which took several centuries to complete and is thus is a real mixture of various styles from Romanesque to Gothic and a bit more. As can be seen from this photo also the inside it is a mixture of styles and designs inspired by ideas of the various ages.

We had a walk through the narrows streets and visited the Cathedral of St. Lawrence. It seems that nearly every town has a cathedral, which you can only have, if you have a Bishop in situ, so the whole of Croatia must be absolutely crammed with them. The tour guide had to buy tickets of course, all for the upkeep of the church, and then we got the explanation about the interior all done by local Croatian sculpturs which were basically on par with the great Italians but whose names never made it to Northern Europe.

In one corner was a chapel with an effigy of Saint Lawrence, (his bones are supposed to be somewhere buried in the church) surrounded with disciples and other figures out of Christian history. The designer, builder, and sculptor “Radovan” had his own ideas about serving the church. So he put God in the ceiling, looking down as if he had opened a hatch and with a globe in his hand. And that was a “hint with a hammer” for the church, because when the chapel was built, the church dogma was still that the earth was flat and located the middle of the universe. Somehow the artist got away with it and God kept his globe and finally got in synch with the church teachings in the 16th. century.

God looking down from the ceiling. I do not have the photo upside down, this is really how it looks like.

After Trogir we stopped at a small restaurant / olive farm situated in a defucnt water miil, for a nibble made up of local ham & cheese sandwiches and local wine. The wine was a dry land wine, not that great, but it did pack a punch with an alcohol percentage that must have well been over the regular 12% .. Music was provided by two locals with an accordion and a mandoline. By 12.30 pm we were back again. By now the sun was beating on the down town area and even the locals were complaining that it was getter warmer every year. Climate change is hitting the Tyrhennian Sea very hard (water level is about 30 centimeters higher then 20 years ago and part of the beach areas in use in the old days are now permanently submerged. Luckily the then time government had declared in 1964 that no houses were allowed to be built on beach area, but they all had to be higher up and so no Croatians are of yet affected by the rising water levels but the heat and humidity does have an impact and also the increasing irregularity of the weather patterns.

The empty Patio Cafe. The food did not taste worse because of it. In contrary, it tasted very good, maybe even more because the cook could fully concentrate on only two customers.

For dinner we went to “The Patio” on deck 10 starboard aft of the pool area. This turned out to be a hidden gem and was nearly empty. During lunch time it is the hamburger bar and well attended and in the evening it is a full restaurant with its own menu. And there was nobody there. For the next 90 minutes we had the place to ourselves and thus had a dedicated waiter and a dedicated cook. The food was really, really good, and of course the one-on-one service as well. Near the end of the dinner, the F&B manager, Laze, came by who had already been with the company and the one before, for 18 years. When he found out that we had worked inside the industry, he was very happy to talk shop and remained for about 20 minutes. Then a telephone call from the Exe. Chef called him away.

By now it was too late for the show, so her ladyship wanted coffee and thus we went to the Mozaic Cafe on Deck 5. Here we started talking to other guests and before we knew it, it was close to midnight. Tomorrow we are in Kotor Montenegro. The Azamara Onward will be docking as she is a small ship, while the big boy, Mein Schiff 6 (2534 lower beds) will be far out at anchor. I want to be sitting on my balcony by 08.30 as that is when we go through the narrow and most scenic part of the fjord at which end Kotor is located. Weather for tomorrow: sun, temperatures 28oC /82oF no wind, no clouds.

I am not in agreement with myself yet, of what is better, docked in the chaos of downtownand be close or dock at a nice terminal on the outside (this cruise pier sticks directly into the open sea) and have safe and spacious area to serve the guests. The little carts with the canope’s are tuk-tuk, regular transport in the far East but are now more and more showing up all over Europe. They can be a rip-off & scam, but these were booked as regular ships tours.

2025 Sep. 19, Opatija; Croatia.

September 20, 2025 / Captain Albert / 2 Comments

Our overnight route from Venice/Fusina to Opatija in Croatia.

Opatija in Croatia is our first port of call during this very port intensive cruise of one port each day, in the 9 day cruise. I always like some sea days in between but this was the only cruise out there that called at all these small ports in Croatia without having to go on five separate cruises to have one each cruise. Not that I mind 5 extra cruises (and my wife is taking care of that with great alacrity) but those cruises can go then to different parts of the world.

Breakfast on the balcony with a nice view. Life ain’t that bad.

We had Breakfast in the cabin and this is very nice with Azamara. There is a very extensive Room service menu, setup with various “menu breakfast options” and then you can also add extra things to it at the bottom. So get a bagel with the standard salmon and cream cheese and capers, and then add (I am Dutch after all) extra cheese to it. Etc. Etc, Options so elaborate which were missing when on board Silver Seas and they claim that they are the best. Very nice also: Room service calls a few minutes before they knock on the door so you can get out of bed or get decent or both. Then 2 stewards come in and set the table. As it was nice weather they set the table on the balcony which was even nicer. So that was a good way to start the day.

Opatija from the ship. The coast of the whole bay is full of hotels and other holiday venues.

Then before going ashore came the hard work. We had downloaded all the relevant information from the Azamara website of what was included in the cruise and our cabin. When arriving on board it turned out that Azamara had stopped quite a bit of the amenities but we booked our Verandah Plus cabin based on what was listed on the Azamara website. So in principle we paid too much as the amenities on board were not that comprehensive. Fresh Flowers gone, slippers “upon request”, fresh fruit “upon request”, daily newspaper gone (It is still on the letter that you get when boarding and still on the website) Wrong name on the welcome letter which listed all these “upon request things”. The website lists “plural” for the free bottle of booze given but this is only one per cabin. (so if there is one person in the cabin, or two, or four, still only one bottle). And then there was yesterday the priority boarding issue. Plus an international newspaper should be delivered to the cabin each day but we have not seen anything yet, as it is also “gone” according to those on board.

Tender dock in Opatija. From here it is a bit of a steep walk up the hill for about 5 minutes to the main street.

The cabin is a Verandah + (plus) but the settee /couch is a 1.5 size and not a full 2, as in some of the regular cabins (there is the space for it, so something happened in the past) and no light above the desk / make up table. The other cabins have 2 spotlights in the ceiling but nothing here. It looks like that somebody decided that only the larger suites on this deck where entitled to a desk lamp and ours was taken away as the plug & switch are still there.

So we requested a meeting with the Guest Relation Manager, which turned out to be a very lovely lady, but of course she could not do anything but promised to look into the website issue and hopefully she will come back to us. The Hotel Manager said during his welcome speech that he and his team were there to ” deal with any issues that the guests might have” so we will see. The Housekeeping supervisor was called out and re-instructed the cabin steward about making sure we had the right welcome letter, that he explained everything and yes that with the free drinks (more about that tomorrow) this also included beer etc. (He claimed yesterday it did not) So suddenly the slippers popped up and the fresh fruit and the free beer. All this stuff sort of make you start the cruise off on the wrong foot.

Then it was time to go ashore, which worked very well. The cruise Director had advised that the first hour would be tender tickets as the tours had to get off, but with 4 tenders for 624 guests it was “open tenders” after only 50 minutes. The distance to the shore was a “3 tender” distance and for most of the day there were three in operation.

The ms Azamara Onward at anchor off the coast.

Opatija was already a tourist place around 1900 and many large villa’s allude to it. Some have been converted to hotels and some to apartments. One or two might still be privately owned. The whole coastal area is holiday hotel area and we saw Croatian cars but also cars from Germany, Poland, Italy and of course a Dutch one. The Dutch will drive all over Europe so they pop up everywhere. (we once saw 5 at the North Cape at the same time). Looking at the shops in the main street, a lot of them were upscale, so Opatiija it is not a Beer & Chips resort.

The main street in Opatija. No pedestrian area as it is a sort of main route, but plenty of shops and restaurants at each side.

Thus after a walk along the beach and then into town, through the main street, we were back at the tender dock 1.5 hours later. Once the tender left , it suddenly was called back because the captain was on the dock. It looked like he had gone for run and did not want to wait for the next tender. Calling a tender back with a Far Eastern tender driver is always fraught with challenges, as a break in routine seems to startle them. In this case it was no different and instead of sliding back along the dock, the driver managed to maneuver himself 2 feet off the dock. Thus the next plan was going astern and bring the bow along the dock and then the captain jumped on and dived into the tender via the front window that is used by the tender sailor to secure the forward mooring rope. And it is a situation like this that makes me angry, very angry…. WHY? Safety and Leadership.

The captain should set the example for everybody to follow the rules, and thus wait for the tender to be safely docked and once the tender sailor says it is safe, to step on board.
Now he jumped on the bow, where only the tender sailor is allowed to be because he wears a lifejacket. Apart from not having a lifejacket, the captain jumped. Jumping is never allowed.
By doing so, he breached at least 2 regulations of the safety protocols (as listed in the SMS (safety Management System) of the company.

Basically this show that the captain thinks he is above everybody else by calling a tender back full of guests who had already been sitting in a warm tender for 10 minutes, as “Master of the Vessel” he did not set the correct example for the rest of the crew by following the rules and regulations and he endangered himself as he could have slipped on the forward deck and have fallen in the water. (One of the reasons that the tender sailor has to wear a lifejacket when handling the mooring ropes). I made Captain Jonas a compliment yesterday because of showing up for the afternoon presentation but in my eyes this behavior is not acceptable. So today he really disappointed me.

Back on board we scrutinized the daily program to see how it went with the food. The Windows Cafe (Lido) is open to 14.30. For those who missed lunch, the Patio (that is the outside part of the Windows Cafe over the stern) stays open to 16.30 Same goes for the Hamburger and Ice cream restaurant (Swirl & Top) also to 16.30. Then on most ships there is a sort of gap until dinner. Not here, as from 14.30 to 19.00 there are Tapas and Sandwiches in the Living room (Crows nest ), so there is a food all the time. Then (also free of charge) is the Mosaic Cafe from 07.00 to 22.00. Then at 22.00 there is a late night snack in the Living Room. So food, in various quantities, rolls on all day long. (And then of course there is room service)

The show, made up of well known crooner and dance songs.

We went for cocktails in the Living Room and then for dinner in the Main Dining room called “Discoveries” on this ship. We came in at 18.30 (moderate traffic) but the whole place was nearly empty. By 20.00 it was full but with still some empty spaces. So no waiting lines at any time. When coming in, they ask you if you want to share a table which we did and we had a wonderful conversation with a Canadian Couple from Toronto who were very busy with spending their children’s inheritance as they had booked 17 cruises in the next 3 years. After this one, their next cruise was on the Amazon with the Volendam of Holland America.

By 20.45 the doors to the show lounge opened with a the ships staff lined up for meet and great. Then the Captains introductions, followed by a full show by the same people as last night. And they were very good again. There are no guest entertainers on board. So the whole cruise we will get a mixture of this cast and cruise staff talents. Something to look forward to.

Tomorrow we are in Zadar, also Croatia, some 100 miles to the south. Weather is expected to be the same, no clouds, sun all day, no wind, temperatures around 27oC / 81oF. Who needs the Caribbean with this sort of weather………………..

2021 Sep. 09; HAL press release. More ships to return to service.

September 9, 2021 / Captain Albert / 10 Comments

Dear Readers,

I just found out that these releases – which are in the public domain do not always reach the general public. so here a little help from my side. Good news. It might take awhile but more ships are coming back.

The following press release will go to North America consumer and trade media this morning.

Holland America Line Announces Spring 2022 Return-to-Service Dates for Final Three Ships in the Fleet

Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam to resume cruising with plans for Japan, the Mediterranean and Alaska, respectively

Seattle, Wash., Sept. 8, 2021 — By late spring 2022, Holland America Line will have a complete fleet back to cruising with the restart of operations for Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam. Noordam will restart with a March 14, 2022, cruise in Japan; Oosterdam will begin cruising May 1 in the Mediterranean, and Westerdam will return to service May 8 in Alaska.

The ships will join Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam and Zuiderdam, which have returned to service or are slated to restart cruising by December 2021. Volendam and Zaandam will return in May 2022.

“We’ve been working intensely to get all of our ships back into service, and to have final restart dates that will complete the fleet is rewarding for everyone who has put their all into making this happen,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. “Our progressive rollout plan allows us to be back in full service over the next several months, and we look forward to welcoming guests on all 11 ships cruising in different regions around the world.”

Noordam Plans Return to Service in Japan

Holland America Line is working with Japanese authorities to begin cruising for Noordam next spring in Japan with four sailings scheduled.

When Noordam sets sail in March, the ship plans to offer three 14-day cruises that deeply explore Japan. Sailing roundtrip from Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan, the ship makes several calls around the exotic country and with a one- or two-day visit on each itinerary to South Korea, Taiwan or Russia. The 14-day journeys can be combined to form 28-day Collectors’ Voyages.

In April, Noordam will cross the Pacific Ocean and sail a season in Alaska with cruises between Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Whittier, Alaska.

Oosterdam Returns to the Mediterranean

Guests eager to visit the Med next year can embark Oosterdam beginning with the May 1 departure. The ship will sail the season in the region, cruising between Civitavecchia (Rome) and Venice, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain, and Venice; or roundtrip from Venice on seven- and 12-day itineraries. Oosterdam will explore ports in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Montenegro, Croatia, Albania, France, Malta and Israel.

Following a transatlantic crossing in November 2022, the ship will transit the Panama Canal and take a southerly route to offer a series of South America and Antarctica expeditions ranging from 14 to 22 days between Buenos Aires, Argentina, and San Antonio (Santiago), Chile.

Westerdam Sets Sail for Alaska

When Westerdam returns on May 8, the ship will embark on a season of seven-day Alaska cruises roundtrip from Seattle, Washington. Come September, the ship will cross the Pacific Ocean and begin a season in the Far East offering a variety of 14-day itineraries from Singapore; Hong Kong, China; and Yokohama (Tokyo).

Guests on January to May 2022 Cruises Will Move to 2023

With these restart dates for Noordam, Oosterdam and Westerdam, cruises in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and South America and Antarctica from January 2022 through the return-to-service departures will be cancelled.

Guests on Westerdam’s cancelled transatlantic crossing departing April 18, 2022, will be moved to a comparable crossing on Nieuw Statendam departing April 17.

Guests on Noordam’s affected Asia departures in 2022 will be moved to the same itinerary in 2023 aboard Westerdam; guests on Oosterdam’s cancelled Australia and New Zealand voyages will be moved to the same itinerary in 2023 aboard Noordam; and guests on Westerdam’s cancelled South America and Antarctica Voyages will be moved to the same itinerary aboard Oosterdam in 2023. Guests also may choose to receive a 100% refund of monies paid to Holland America Line.

The above options are not applicable to guests booked on a charter sailing. Other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply if the cruise was not booked through Holland America Line.

— # # # —

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]
Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, joined the fleet in July 2021.

The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line’s ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line’s esteemed Culinary Council of world-famous chefs.

In light of COVID-19, Holland America Line is currently enhancing health and safety protocols and how they may impact future cruises. Our actual offerings may vary from what is displayed or described in marketing materials. Review our current Cruise Updates, Health & Safety Protocols and CDC Travel Advisories.

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- Captain Albert's Website and Blog -

Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

Category: Mediterranean (page 1 of 3)

2026 Feb. 18, Day 07 Barcelona Day 1, Spain.

2026 Feb 17; Day 05, Sete, France.

2026 Feb 16; Day 04, Marseille, France.

2026 Feb 15; Day 3 VilleFranche, France, for Monaco.

2026 Feb.14, Day 2, Livorno Italy.

2026 Feb 13; Day 1, Livorno Italy

2026 Feb 12, Day 0, Civittavechia, joining the Viking Saturn.

2025 Sep. 22; Split, Croatia

2025 Sep. 19, Opatija; Croatia.

2021 Sep. 09; HAL press release. More ships to return to service.

Captain Albert

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