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Viking World Cruise 2026
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Viking World Cruise 2026

We are grateful and fortunate to be circling the globe again with Viking. This time on the Sky, one of the first group of ocean ships launched by Viking in 2015 (Star), 2016 ( Sea) and 2017 (Sky). Read more
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    🌊 Indian Ocean
    GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1
    The tender pier in MaleWe are here!1Let's Go!"Go that way, Kids"Look who is first to the beach!Resort MapA beach bungalowNeedle Nose FishOMG NAKED FEETAnd then those feet got in the water!Me and the girlsBeautiful Indian and Western Buffet1Yummy Cool Salad selections1Resort infinity pool down the beachA golf cart ride around the lagoon surrounded with over the water rooms

    The Maldives

    March 12 on the Maldives ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    We tendered to shore in the Maldives capital of Male and jumped in a little speedboat for a fast ride to our beach day excursion.
    Then we spent the next 7 hours at a lovely beach resort island in the archipelago of The Maldives.
    The Maldives is one of the most dramatic examples of an archipelago with 1,190 islands, 200 are inhabited. We spent the day at one of the 160 resort islands, the 5 star Taj Erotica.
    We enjoyed calm, clear, warm water, soft sand, a most tasty buffet lunch served on the beach, cold Kingfisher beers and Sprites and quiet. It was so quiet. And most lovely. Today was everything a dreamy beach day should be.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    Rubber tree tappersRubber harvesting is just like taping a maple tree for syrupHarvest coming to the factoryTea leaf leysWe climbed around a very old factory in disrepairFeeding the leaves into the roasterThe roaster tablesWe were not allowed to take pictures in the factory of the sorting and bagging process.

    Rayigam Tea and Rubber Plantation

    March 9 in Sri Lanka ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    After a very long bus ride through the Sri Lankan countryside, we arrived in the “low mountains” where Sri Lankan black tea is grown. Sri Lanka also grows in the Middle and High Mountains, different types in each elevation.
    We first went to the plantation owners home and were served tea and had an opportunity to purchase some direct. Then we went to the factory and saw women picking the tea. It is harvested every two weeks. The trees are kept at chest height so they can easily harvest new leaves. They can only pick the top two or three leaves.
    Each woman harvests 2.2 kg a day for a payment of $6. They work every day and are paid monthly, live in terrible conditions on the plantation and keep what is left of the $2,000 annual income after they pay the owner rent and healthcare costs. Our guide told us most of the women are in debt to the plantation owner, meaning it costs them more to live and work there then they make. They looked so sad.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    Morning in Phuket, Thailand as we leave the ship to go to shore on our excursion.1Hello Flipper!Approaching the islands after a 45 minute speed boat ride111Heading to this floating village for lunchTime to head back to the ship1Honorable mention for our Merlion snap in Singapore

    James Bond Island Adventure

    March 6 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    We boarded a fast boat and speed off thru beautiful waters to the islands of Ko Yao off Phuket where the James Bond film Man With The Golden Gun in 1974. The islands of Ko Yao are very popular with tourists and are very busy with lots of charter boats. Too many as you can see in the photos. But the limestone cliffs carved out by the water over thousands of years were very unusual and beautiful. The actual “James Bond Island” was a very small but tall island that is really just a Kodak moment opportunity.
    We had a lovely lunch on a floating village after visiting the island.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1See the resemblance? They are both so cute!Inside our cage1A nice cool gulp of Crysanthumum Tea

    Orang Utan (or Forest Human)

    March 5 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Today we traveled by bus and boat to the Malaysian Orangutan Preserve. On this preserve, city humans are the ones in the cage, not the Forest Humans.
    We took a slow boat to the island and watched the orangutan’s watch us. It was SO HOT! They have 29 orangutans at the preserve and also care for injured or sick animals.
    Did you know we share 97% of our DNA with Forest Humans? Ancient Malaysians didn’t know how right they were when they gave them this name.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    3The Central Business District of Singapore on Lake Singapore
    A Chinese Medicine Shop in ChinatownNot really sure what this is all about and don't want to knowNasty Durian is everywhereThe colorful shop houses of China TownCustom clothes made in the back3Beautiful handmade silk fans3Checking out the view before dinnerThe famous meatball appetizer revisitedGreat Italian at LavoNone of us had ever seen this before!1Light show below at Bay Garden Tree TowersWe had a great evening none of us will ever forget1By day, you can see the "trees" are steel frame filled with living succulents

    Chinatown and Date Night at Lavo

    March 1 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Chinatown is another place we could definitely spend more time. It’s alive and wonderful.

    Sunday night we boarded the shuttle bus all fancied up to go to dinner at the Italian Restaurant, Lavo, at the top of Marina Bay Sands.
    Bryan, Nanci, Keith and Gayle joined us for dinner on the 57th floor and the views after dark and light shows.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    Sailing in to this very busy port at sunrise
    Still my favorite high rise buildings I have seen anywhere. Like Dr Suess built themWe will head here for dinner tomorrow night with friendsChinese New Year decorations still up in the city until March 3We walked the waterfront Saturday morningSingapore Lake, the cities fresh water supplySee the people down at the base of the waterfall?The Bay Sands where we wlll have dinner tomorrow nightA glimpse of the tree garden we will see tomorrow nightNight safari at the Mandai Wildlife Reserve

    Singapore, We’re Back!

    February 28 in Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We are excited to be back in Singapore for another visit.
    We docked early Saturday morning and headed to Gardens by the Bay so I could share the Cloud Forest with Jim because I visited last time we were here. This is one of two giant greenhouses you can walk through to see different horticulture ecosystems in the Garden by the Bay. They had a Jurassic Park exhibit in place this time. We climbed it all and enjoyed the cool, misty air. (Because it is very very hot here)
    They have two seasons in Singapore, hot and wet, or hot and dry. Average temp is 33C or 92F.
    We love this city. Singapore is comprised of one large island, the city of Singapore, and 63 small ones. This is a very contemporary city that is firmly committed to environmental kindness. They create energy and drinking water using clean processes. Caping is as illegal as street drugs here and prohibited everywhere.
    Singapore considers themselves a Garden with a city. 6 million people live in Singapore on the main island that is just 280 square miles.
    Saturday night we took a tram through the zoo to see the animals at night.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
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    1Fruit on a stick

    Brunch At Sea

    February 27 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    We are on our way to Singapore today, crossing back into the Northern Hemisphere.
    Jim took these pictures of today’s culinary spread on the pool deck. . Can you tell? (There was also savory food that didn’t apparently attract Jim like the sweet stuff. He was a kid in a candy store! )Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1Our 22/23 Steward, Asep, met us on the terminal. He resides here.
    Cobra cooked your way!2Pick yours from this cage of live cobra and they will decapitate it, skin it, and grill it to order!The durian fruit is known for its extremely strong and pungent smell often compared to raw sewage1More Stinky Durian. You are not allowed to take this fruit on a plane or in a hotel. Smells that badThese girls seem to love the Durian. You wear gloves so your hands don't stink after.You can buy a liter of gasoline in a bottle on the street!Sue and Tom from Door CountyRoasting corn with palm sugar, butter and a mild cheese. So good1She enjoyed posing for JimThis was street grilled chicken satay.1Jimmy Liked It!!!More CobraWhat's your mood? Hedgehog, monkey, lizard, bat, gecko, turtle or pigeon?11

    Jakarta Night Walk

    February 25 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Ok, the Night Walk. Wow. Busy. Noisy. Happy. (It’s Ramadan so Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.) We were there right after sunset so lots of enthusiastic eating around us.
    9 of us walked with our guide and tasted street food. Then we took a trip up to the 49th floor of a hotel to see the city while relaxing with drinks and a buffet.Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    A little submarine!These sisters were so cute on their scooter.There are 170 malls in Jakarta.From the Atrium slide show in Jakarta

    Hello Jakarrrrrrta!

    February 25 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 88 °F

    Jakarta is the Indonesian Big Apple. Except it’s REALLY big.
    The city is 22 Sq miles and has 11 million residents. Smaller than Los Angeles.
    The greater Jakartan metropolitan area has 34 million people. (NYC Metro area has 20 million and Charlotte Metro area 3 million)
    The port we are docked in, Tanjung Priok, is Indonesias busiest.
    We docked at the end of a narrow port finger behind commercial ships. It kinda feels like being in a video game. So much activity all around us moving containers here and there.
    We arrived on Wednesday at noon and took the shuttle to the mall to get me some meds I forgot to pack. Then we went on a Jakarta Night Walk excursion. It was great. A group of 9 of us walked about a mile of a city street filled with food trucks. Well not trucks, more like carts. It was very interesting. Crowded, noisy, lots of moving parts. The smells were, well, interesting. I’ll explain in the photo captions. After the street walk, we boarded the bus to go to the center of downtown to what is essentially Jakarta’s Time Square. We had a buffet available and drinks while enjoying the open air lounge with music and dancing on the 49th floor.
    Jakarta is a great city. Very different from other Indonesian stops. Very clean, modern, obviously economically successful. They are currently constructing a subway which, in a city below sea level, poses challenges and roads are a mess. The drivers here are all very patient and understand each other. Not a lot of traffic lights, mostly just gentle merges and compromise.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    A photo from 1946 of this station and train car1MesaStila Resort and SpaThe coffee flowersGardenias are wild and native herePrecious Lilly'sStoking the fire to roast the beans1Lots of smoke in there guys!

    Semarang, Indonesia

    February 24 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Semarang is a city with lots of shipping and manufacturing (rubber, teak, textiles).
    This is a tropical climate for sure with banana, coconut and palm trees everywhere. The low costal land leads up to the mountains, which is where we spent our day.
    After a 90 minute bus ride out of the city, we visited a steam locomotive museum and boarded a train built in 1869 for a ride through the countryside along the foot of the volcanic mountains. We rode on the open air train car through rice fields, small villages, fishing grounds and the tropical forest. The sun was behind clouds so the temp was very reasonable, especially in the mountains.
    After leaving the train, we rode to a coffee plantation called MesaStila. It was a 55 acre plantation planted by the Dutch government during their rule and is not a resort and spa. Learning about coffee plants was very interesting, walking the gardens was fun, and we also watched the roasting process after walking the plantation.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    The meal was pure Balinease and the crew really made it real.Cruise Director, Cornelia and her husband, Marcel, the General Manager. So cuteBalicoladas1The crew calling Bali home creates blessing offerings to grace the tables around the dinner venue.This is a daily ritual in Bali for all Hindu families.1Why don't we practice gratitude daily?11

    Bali, Indonesia

    February 22 in Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    The Bali forecast was not good, torrential severe storms, so we cancelled our stay at the St Regis and enjoyed a port weekend on the ship.

    A Balinese dinner was served and a dance group brought on the ship after dinner for a show. We sat with Tom and Sue from Door County and it was a very nice evening.

    The Bali-based crew were allowed to bring their families on board for a tour and meal while we were in port. They were so proud to show their family where they worked. The management took family tour groups around the ship. 350 family members came on board throughout the day in prearranged groups. It was great fun to watch.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1Everywhere

    Lombok, Indonesia

    February 20 in Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Lombok, Indonesia was a new stop for us. They obviously were very glad to see us as the Mayor presented a trophy to the Captain! (Guess they have heard about the new way to encourage Americans to contribute to your business)
    Lombok is home to Indonesias second highest volcano, Mt Rinjani. Industry consists of agriculture (rice, tobacco, seaweed) and tourism. Although I don’t know how tourism can be a real thing here. The poverty was significant, even by Indonesian standards. The small village we visited was so sad. We saw women and girls weave as they have for hundreds of years. Growing and selling rice is about all there is to do to make a living. The government only allows the residents to sell their rice to their own country so they can fix the price. It is essentially how they earn their government subsidy.
    I’m not sure why we stopped here. It was not a good day. Between the heat and the poverty and the trash, it was actually depressing. But again, it made us again even more grateful for our blessings in our (hopefully lot for much longer) screwed up country.
    I believe the crew knew we may be a bit hot and tired when we returned and they greeted us with a cool drink and a dancing welcome.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    The Torres StraitsRose colored Fruit DoveA Blue-Faced HoneyeaterSo many species of parrots in AustraliaBirds of PreyMining rare earths, precious gems, metals is Darwin's largest industry in Darwin.I do love this stuffA Bee Eater birdAboriginal rock paintingA very famous saltwater crocodile named Sweetheart. 17 ft and 1800 lbsA depiction of the artists ancestors visiting in the eye of Cyclone Tracy1Jim and I took a trip down to the laundry with the General Manager to say thanks for saving my shirt

    The Torres Strait and Darwin

    February 16 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Darwin is the largest city in the Northern Territory of Australia. We sailed through the Torres Straits in the Coral and Australian Sea to get over the top of Australia to this northern city. The Torres Straits sits between Papua New Guinea and Australia and was once a land bridge between the 2 countries.
    You can see in the snap below the size of this territory as compared to our US. But very unlike our 350m population, only 250,000 people live here.
    I spent the day shopping on King Street after a morning visit to the Northern Territory Nature and Art Museum. Very interesting, exhibits about Cyclone Tracy and a High School Artist Senior Exit Project Gallery. Of course I loved the animals.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1
    112Whitehaven Beach1Hamilton IslandRichard Lovelock, photographer and naturalist

    The Whitsunday Islands

    February 10 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    The Whitsunday Islands is a group of 74 tropical climate islands in the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. They are mainly uninhabited with exception of a couple. Whitehaven beach is the most visited and Hamilton Island the most coveted. The beaches are beautiful white sand made of silica, very fine and almost translucent. Let’s talk about this:
    Millions of years ago when Australia broke away from Antartica the quartz it rests on what exposed. Over years the quartz was worn down to a fine, white, powdery silica or acrylic sand. This sand was carried north from rivers and ocean currents and settled in the Whitsundays. The sand does not get hot, but reflects the sun beautifully and is brilliant white.
    A ferry picked us up shipside and we cruised the beautiful green waters weaving through the islands.
    Hamilton Island is an ultra luxury self contained resort with its own airport that can accommodate a commercial size plane. The resort has just been purchased this year by the Blackstone company. (Sound familiar?)
    In 2007 there was a severe cyclone which ruined the only other large resort. It will be reopening next year.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    The Noosa RiverA creepy boat2Noosa Beach is gorgeous1This place definitely has a California vibeA fuzzy frenchie named Rocco1How beautiful is this white on greens garden?12Another beautiful sunset

    Mooloolaba and Noosa Beach

    February 8 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    The Sunshine Coast of Australia used to be called the Near North Coast, but it was changed to make it more attractive to tourists.
    We love the Sunshine Coast and Mooloolaba. Such a cool word and place.
    We took a boat ride on the Noosa River to Noose Beach. There we shopped a bit, had a cool drink, and then hopped on a bus for a ride back to the ship along the coast line. It’s beautiful.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    1Bottom of the train rideAn abandoned coal mine1I just love these fern treesSandstone mountainsWentworth FallsCan you tell how much I love these fern treesThe Three Sisters rock formation"Breathe Deeply, Tread LightlyThe top of the Cable WayNot sure what this is but it's creepy3

    The Blue Mountains, Australia

    February 5 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    Today we boarded a bus with our very verbose guide, John, and drove about 90 minutes north of Sydney to the Blue Mountains.
    The Blue Mountains get their name from eucalyptus trees oils that hang in the air. The oils turn the horizon blue.
    We had a beautiful day seeing the forest close up at a place called Scenic World and rode three different types of transportation to see the different forest and mountain views:
    Train
    Sky way and
    Cable way.
    We also walked some very nice boardwalks.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    Yep, we went right through the center
    We watched movies and slept most of the next afternoonThe Crew wrapped up this ship model before the stormThe storm pitching crushed the model anyway

    Wow. The Tasman Sea

    February 3, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌬 63 °F

    Tuesday was quite a night. The Captain told us to expect weather as we were going to encounter a storm heading from NZ to Australia.
    And did we ever.
    Winds sustained at 60 MPH with gusts to 150 starting at midnight and continuing until after noon the next day. Nobody on this ship slept a wink. We were told to stay on our cabins and breakfast and lunch were brought to us.
    The rocking and rolling was impressive. And the anchor and anchor chain, which go up the inside of the ship behind our cabin since we are up front now, banged fiercely against the ship all night long. Waves were 9 meters high (30 feet).
    We haven’t experienced anything like this before.
    The crew had plenty to clean up when things calmed down as a lot of things were falling and breaking. Luckily, just 2 minor injuries, one to a crew member and one to a passenger.
    The General Manager told us in his 18 years with Viking they had never made passengers stay in the cabin or had a 100% room service meal, let alone 2 back to back.
    The Viking Sky has another story to tell and we will always remember this crossing of the Tasman Sea.    Read more

  • GratefulViking World Cruise 2026Traveler
    PaellaBest fresh doughnutsChef McAlister is an Englishman with stylePasta StationYogurt parfaitsGreen pistachio doughnuts so good!Signs of bread on the bakery tableHead Pastry ChefFocaccia sandwichesSo many cupcakesBest lemon cake everFruits and cheeseThe Omelet Station

    The One Big Beautiful Brunch

    February 2, Tasman Sea ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    To mark our upcoming one month at sea, the Chefs served an amazing brunch on the pool deck. You can tell from the photos that Jim and I preferred the sweets and breakfast foods, but they also had a fresh pasta bar, so many fruits and cheeses and grill station with seafood and meats. I love to see their creativity. It’s like they have fun as the super students in art class. So talented. And proud of their work, as they should be.
    After the brunch the seas started to roll and the wind to blow. We had a crazy night.    Read more

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