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Viking World Cruise

Disember 2017 - Mei 2018
We had the privilege of participating in the innaugural round-the-world cruise for Viking Ocean Cruises onboard the Viking Sun. Baca lagi
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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 61

    Brisbane

    13 Februari 2018, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Today was a wonderful day in Brisbane. After a tour of the city we headed out to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Kangaroos and emus roam freely and koalas were everywhere . The temperature was 96 degrees with 99% humidity and a cloud free day. The weather reminded us of NC in August. One of Glenda’s dreams came true today when she got to pet a Koala. They smell so good because they only eat eucalyptus leaves. They sleep 20 hours a day and are prone to pee on you when you hold them. But really think about it. They have lots to do in 4 hours every day. Koalas have a very strong union and a koala may only work for 20 minutes three days a week. We also got to see a Tasmanian devil and a variety of birds and reptiles. I spent time trying to get a photo of a duckbill platypus. They swim so fast in very dark waters that photos are difficult. I saw a mosquito almost an inch long. Most of the spiders, insects and snakes in Australia are venomous. Some can kill a man. Yet surprisingly, the bees here do not have stingers. After the time at the animal sanctuary we headed out to two vista points for photos of Brisbane.

    A quick comment about the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. A Brisbane couple began it on their own property in 1927 to care for two injured koalas, named Jack and Jill, that could not survive in the wild. Over time other wild Australian animals such as kangaroos and wallabies were brought to the rescue sanctuary. In WW2 some US servicemen suffering from “shell shock,” what we call PTSD, were allowed to come to Lone Pine as part of their therapy. They were allowed to pet the koalas and to care for the other animals. The result was that the animals proved to be almost miraculous in helping these combat veterans to overcome their trauma and to resume normal, productive lives. While the sanctuary’s practice of allowing frequent human contact with these rescued wild animals remains controversial, the owners of Lone Pine feel that on the whole their policy is beneficial.

    Tonight we set sail for Whitsunday Island in Australia.    Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 63

    Friends With the Pastry Chef

    15 Februari 2018, Coral Sea ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    As we are sailing up the Sunshine Coast, we are developing a relationship with Chef Mathur, an Indian who is the Executive Pastry Chef for Viking Ocean Cruises. We offered some information about graduate programs in information technology for the Chef's son. Since then room service has brought us cream-filled doughnuts, Danish pastry, and other delights, compliments of Chef Mathur. We will both weigh much more at the end of this cruise.

    We just got news about Cyclone Gita that damaged Tonga severely in the last few days. Winds of 125 mph flattened the parliament building. About 40% of the homes were either damaged or destroyed. Our prayers are with those lovely people we visited last month. May we use all the means at our disposal to help them to recover from this disaster.    Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 63

    Hamilton Island

    15 Februari 2018, Australia ⋅ 🌙 81 °F

    We spent today on Hamilton Island, the commercial center of the Whitsunday Island group, an archipelago of about 70 islands in the Great Barrier Reef. Until 2003 the island was owned by Australian yachtsman Keith Williams. He was the third owner to go bankrupt trying to develop the property. He sold it to fellow yachtsman Bob Oatley, who saw potential in its development. Of Oatley it is said, “He bought coffee plantations when everyone was drinking tea, and he bought vineyards when everyone was drinking beer.” Oatley was the entrepreneur who started Rosemont Wines. He developed the company into a multi-billion dollar enterprise, then sold it to the company that brews Foster’s beer. Similarly, he created the ground floor of Australia’s coffee industry, and now Aussies drink more coffee than tea. Oatley became, on and off, the wealthiest man in Australia and one of the wealthiest in the world. Though he died three years ago, Oatley’s estate still owns the whole island and the dozen or so five-star hotels that operate here. These hotels are the only ones in the world that have repeatedly earned a perfect score in all five of the categories by which Condé Nast Traveler rates resorts. The water is a lovely aquamarine color. Like Bald Head Island, transportation is by golf cart, except for official vehicles. Some of our shipmates swam on the lovely beach that rivals ours on the Grand Strand. We had a delightful time touring the island and wandering through the local IGA grocery store. We can certainly see why so many folks from Australia and Asia consider the Whitsunday Islands as a dream destination.Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 64

    Great Barrier Reef SCUBA

    16 Februari 2018, Australia ⋅ 🌙 79 °F

    The Australian port of Cairns was our jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef. I just had one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I went SCUBA diving in the reef. I have never been diving before so I signed up for the rookie SCUBA diving class aboard the Sunseeker. I was a wee bit nervous, but very quickly my instructor Iris put me at ease. She was patient and kind, and for much of the 30-minute swim she even held my hand. It was like flying under the sea. We saw giant clams, iridescent fish, a deep indigo-colored starfish, and a hundred other wonders too beautiful to describe. At one point a dark cloud covered us. I looked up and saw a densely opaque school of a million finger-length, metallic silver fish above us blocking the sun. We swam slightly upward, and, very gradually and gently, the fish made way for us as we ascended through the school. In a moment I was completely surrounded on all sides, and above and below, by sparkling flecks of silver as far as I could see. While I was doing this Glenda was on a guided snorkeling adventure with her instructor, a young lady named Taylor. Before that, Glenda and I went snorkeling together and found other wonderful views. I was not able to take photos under the water, but I was so absorbed by the kaleidoscopic wonders under the sea that a camera would have been a distraction. So go to Google and find the most colorful photos of all of the most beautiful aquatic life you can imagine, exaggerate the colors tenfold, put it in 3-D, illuminate it with shimmering light, and you may have some idea of what I saw today. It was magnificent—literally beyond words. Today is one of those rare days one remembers forever—a genuinely spiritual moment.Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 65

    Milo Backus

    17 Februari 2018, Coral Sea

    There is an elderly man on our cruise who is wheelchair bound and can only move two steps to get from the wheelchair to a regular chair. He is traveling with his young caregiver Norma. Norma is with him 24 hours a day. His family is not on this trip so these two unlikely companions are off on a world cruise. It would be easy for Norma to leave him parked in his room or in the atrium while she explored the ship or a port for a few hours but she does not. A few days out of Miami, I found them at the shore excursions desk. She was going over each port and the excursions offered at each. He said he wanted to see the pyramids but was afraid he could not go. Norma said they could make it work and they booked an overnight land excursion to Cairo. He said he used to be a scuba diver and loved the water so they booked boat trips. He and Norma have been on both of our snorkeling trips. Yesterday they were on our Great Barrier Reef excursion. She was going to take an hour to learn to scuba dive when he told her to do it but before she did, she made sure he had lunch and then, by golly, she got him in swim trunks and a life jacket and with the help of some of the ship’s crew they got him to the diving platform and he got to sit on the platform in the water and watch folks snorkel. Then she got him out and secured in a place where he could watch all the action before she had her 1 hour adventure. After that he was back in the water with her. At night, he is dressed for dinner and they eat in the restaurant. You can find them all over the ship looking at the world go by. She also sends daily photos to his family of their adventures.

    The cynic would say that she found a way to get a free world cruise but the beautiful reality is that she is giving 141 days of her life so that he can have a wonderful adventure at age 94. May God bless them both as they continue on with their adventure of a lifetime.    Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 66

    Thursday Island

    18 Februari 2018, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Thursday Island, in the Whitsunday Island group, was the only part of the Australian homeland to see action in World War II. Now it is a lovely, sleepy town, most of whose inhabitants work for the Australian government. They come here seasonally, and are rotated as needed. The native inhabitants put on a folkloric dance. Glenda was surprised at the extremely high prices in the small grocery store here. There is a museum in the basement of the fort. The woman at the counter told us the amount for the entry fee. However, we didn't have any Australian currency with us. Then she said, "Oh, come on in anyhow." How accommodating! It was really a very good museum, showing the fort's usage from colonial to modern times.Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 67

    Cooking Classes in the Arafura Sea

    19 Februari 2018, Arafura Sea

    After my buddy Mike and I went SCUBA diving yesterday he had a chance to snorkel with a small underwater camera. Here are some of the shots he got. We also learned today that there is a cyclone, what we would call a hurricane, following us up the east coast of Australia. A Carnival Cruise ship sailing between Tasmania and Australia was so buffeted that 27 passengers were injured. The storm was so severe in Cairns, where we were yesterday, that all swimming, snorkeling, and diving in the Great Barrier Reef has been discontinued for at least 5 days. On a day at sea Chef Mathur led us in a cooking class. He showed us how he made his Valentines Day dessert, Raspberry Coeur d’Amour on Chocolate Plougastel. It’s a sea day as we are sailing in perfect weather and calm seas from Thursday Island to Darwin. Pastry Chef Mathur heard that I always have chocolate cream filled doughnuts instead of a birthday cake. He said, “I know it’s not your birthday, but I’m experimenting with a new doughnut recipe. I will send some to your room.” Room service just brought these little beauties. Good thing I spent an hour early this morning at the gym.Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 68

    Mexican Mutiny

    20 Februari 2018, Arafura Sea ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    Well, glory hallelujah in a taco shell! All this lovely French cooking has been wonderful, but a few of the passengers got a wee bit weary of food whose names they cannot pronounce, so just yesterday they asked Viking for some good old Mexican food like we have on every other street corner in ‘Murka. I imagine the conversation went something like this:

    Viking Boss says, “Let’s give them a Mexican meal.”

    Chef says, “Oh, we have served ceviche several weeks ago.”

    Viking Boss says, “No, I mean tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, burritos. The good stuff. You’re French, but you live in California now, so you can pull it off.”

    Boy howdy! Did he ever pull it off! With only one day to prepare, tonight for supper chef served us nachos, chicken burritos, chicken tortilla soup, salsa verde, guacamole, chiles rellenos, several different kinds of cheese and pepper sauces, and shrimp tacos with red pepper sauce. And it was all fabulous! We even had real Mexican flan and churros for dessert. We got in line at 6 pm when the serving line opened to the sound of norteño Mexican music. There were about 60 people in line. It’s now 7:20 pm and the line hasn’t diminished. I think we have a winner here. Viking Boss told Glenda that they are thinking they may do this again. These folks at Viking really are the consummate hosts. They listen to us passengers and they do their absolute best to give us what we want. They even passed out margaritas to the folks waiting in line! Viking is really a class act.

    I wonder how you say “Olé” in Norwegian.    Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 69

    Darwin City

    21 Februari 2018, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    We spent the morning in Darwin, the northernmost town in Australia. Named for Charles Darwin, who studied the local animal life on a voyage here, Darwin was our last English speaking port for a while. The temperature here today was in the 90’s, it was as humid as a Columbus County picnic, and the UV index was in the low teens. It’s hot here, children. Darwin has been rebuilt 4 times because of cyclone damage, most recently after Cyclone Tracy leveled the town in 1974. The Northern Territory is interesting. According to Bill Bryson, the NT has never ratified the federal constitution of Australia. It is a territory, not a state like Victoria or Queensland. NT sends observers, not delegates, to the national capital in Canberra. Federal Australian police must obtain permission from the NT government to pursue an investigation here. Sometimes permission is given; sometimes it isn’t. Add to all of this the fact that outside of Darwin there is nothing but a desert full of lethal creepie crawlies between here and the center of the continent, and you can see why Darwin and the NT still have something of the character of America’s wild, wild West. Except for the people, everything in Australia is trying hard to kill you. The local territorial police may choose to enforce Australian federal law, but they are free not to. In small towns local custom is the law. In the outback you can find folks who contend that the NT is not, technically and legally, part of the nation of Australia. There is the most complete outdoor store I’ve ever seen here—even bigger than the one in Alaska’s Tongass National Park. But you need such a store here. Once you get outside of town you’re on your own for about 800 miles to Alice Springs. You get the idea. Still, we found the people here to be very kind. They are quite nice and very helpful to visitors. One does not last long in this harsh environment without depending upon one’s “mates” for mutual aid. Quite traditional, they are no-nonsense, practical, conservative Anglicans who believe in God and in helping one’s neighbor. Just don’t cross ‘em. They are kind, but they are also very tough and independent.Baca lagi

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  • Viking World Cruise
    Hari 70

    Admiral John Lippiett

    22 Februari 2018, Arafura Sea

    Today we cruise from Darwin, Australia to Komodo, Indonesia. One of the guest lecturers onboard is retired British Rear Admiral John Lipiett. He impresses me as a man who is highly experienced and absolutely brilliant. He gave an analysis of the activity of the Chinese Navy in the South China Sea. He also told us about the restoration of the Mary Rose, an English vessel that sank in the sixteenth century. He and his wife made a presentation about his service in the Falkland Islands when he was a young officer. On a few occasions during the trip he would host a coffee for veterans onboard.

    One of the photos shows our next-door neighbor, Bill Mellor. He is a retired Australian one-star general who specialized in helicopter operations.

    Glenda writes: Oh what a blessing I just had. Chuck wanted a cookie so I scooted up to the world cafe to get a cookie from the coffee area. The chef was giving a party for the crew. They were dressed in their regular clothes instead of uniforms and music was playing. Thank you Viking for letting the crew know that they are a vital and important part of this world cruise. Viking not only makes the guests feel special but it also lets the crew know they are appreciated. And by the way, I also got fabulous cookies for Chuck. I would post a picture but they are already gone. It’s a sea day today with a few lectures and a port talk to keep us busy. Tomorrow we are in Komodo, Indonesia to see the Komodo Dragons. If we have any open wounds or small cuts, we have to tell the guide and stay close to him/her because the Komodo dragons have a keen sense of smell and will come after the blood. I am staying close to the guide anyway just to be safe. Sunset last night was lovely.    Baca lagi

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