Viking Experience Tweaked For Caribbean Cruising
Stopping in the British Virgin Islands on our West Indies Explorer sailing with Viking Ocean Cruises brought the second of included tours at every port of call. An interesting concept in a part of the world where ‘a day at the beach’ is a common activity, I had wondered how interesting a tour every day in the Caribbean would be. Two ports in on a nine port itinerary, we seem to be on our way to redefining Caribbean cruising already. At this point it’s a work in progress, one that has required the Viking experience to be tweaked a bit for the Caribbean.
Stopping at Road Town in Tortola, Viking Star was the only ship in port. That brought a much different scene than the previous day, when two comparatively gigantic ships were also visiting San Juan.
Arriving for the first time in Tortola, we received a special welcome complete with parade, marching band and music playing on the pier the entire time we were in port.
Described as an island drive that would take us high in the mountains, our three hour tour concerned us. By motorcoach, plentiful photo opportunities might be traded for an air conditioned ride. That concern was laid to rest rather quickly as we hopped on open but covered trucks that took 20 Viking travelers on tour.
Ascending Fort Hill to scenic Belle Vue we followed the Ridge Road to Great Mountain with Kitty, our guide narrating what we were seeing all along the way. Pausing several times on the driving tour provided plentiful opportunities to take photos or just consider the beauty of the place.
Descending Windy Hill Road to North shore of Tortola, we passed through the villages of Carrot Cay, Apple Bay and Carpoon’s Bay.
Heading back up into the mountains, we stopped at Zion Hill and explored the Western end of the island, stopping at Pusser’s Bay for some free time to roam around. Many Viking travelers chose to sample the local fare, browse the boutiques or just relax before returning to Viking Star along a coastal road.
Our tour ran from 12:30 to 3:30 in the afternoon, later than we normally take tours but intentional. We wanted to take it easy early in the day, allowing plenty of time to sleep and enjoy the ship while others might be on tour. Half of that thought worked.
Plenty of time to sleep happened but the thought of going later on tour, enjoying the ship while others are off on tour was rendered irrelevant: there are rarely times on Viking Star when crowding is an issue. When it is, that usually means there is some wonderful gathering happening for some reason and we are happy about that.
Not that plenty of time on board in the morning went to waste; Lisa is moving right along on her ‘read a book every day’ activity that defines a good cruise experience.
In anticipation of our time off the ship during lunch, we ordered room service to be delivered just before we planned to get off the ship. A Chef’s Selection of Premium Cold Cuts worked for me while Lisa enjoyed a Caesar Salad. That night would bring dinner in The Restaurant.
I’m finding plenty of time for photos of the places we are visiting as well as sunrise and sunset. Returning to the ship after touring, a cold towel awaits when walking back on the ship. Another comes our way on deck as attentive crew take good care of us. In other words, the life of sailing with Viking Ocean Cruises is adapting very well to the Caribbean, as we had hoped.
Follow Along On Our Viking Ocean Cruises West Indies Explorer sailing:
Viking Ocean Cruises In The Caribbean
- Viking Star Arrives In New York
- In New York, My Viking Story Begins
- Viking Star Ambiance Sets The Mood For First Caribbean Sailing
- Viking Day At Sea Brings Relaxation, Reflection, Dining Pleasure
- Viking In The Caribbean: Enjoyable Hardware
- Onboard Viking Art Guide Brings Personal Self-Guided Experience
- Easy Embarkation Starts Viking Caribbean Season
- First Impression: Included Viking Caribbean Tours
- Viking Experience Tweaked For Caribbean Cruising (this post)
Facebook Photo Albums-
- Viking Star Ambiance
- The Dawn Of A New Age In Cruise Travel
- Sailing Into San Juan At Sunrise
- San Juan Cruise Port
- San Juan Easy Embarkation
- San Juan Sunset
- Bonus San Juan Sunrise
- Vikings On Tour In San Juan
Flickr Photo Galleries
- Viking Star New York Sailaway
- New York By Day From The Deck Of Viking Star
- Viking Star Embarkation Ambiance
- Viking Star- Seen In New York City
- Viking Star World Cafe- First Look
- Viking Star Entertainment- First Look
- Viking Star Living Room- First Look
- Viking Star- Seen Around The Ship
- Alistar Miller- Viking Cruises Resident Photographer
- San Juan Sunrise
- San Juan Cruise Port
- San Juan Easy Embarkation
- San Juan Sunset
- Bonus San Juan Sunrise (because we were there for two days)
- San Juan Sunset Sailaway
- San Juan Touring With Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Caribbean: Pre-Cruise Countdown
- Coming Up: Viking West Indies Explorer, Epic Invasion
- Viking Cruises Caribbean: Island Connected Dining Like Never Before
- Viking Cruises Caribbean: Panoramic Island Hopping\
- Viking Cruises West Indies Explorer Countdown
- Viking Caribbean Shoreside Focus Different, Included
- Thinkable World Of Viking To Meet The Caribbean
- In The Viking Caribbean, No Smuggling Skills Needed, Door Wide Open
- Uniquely Different Viking Ocean Cruises: Specific Features That Caribbean Travel Will Like
- Follow Viking Star In Real Time Satellite View
- Flexibility Enables Surprise Viking Exploration, Again
- Coming To North America: Our Viking Adventure Begins
- Viking Introduces Previously Ignored Caribbean
- Viking Welcome Home: It Can Happen Anywhere
- Exploring Iceland Like Vikings: Thoughtfully
- Vikings Explore Prince Christian Sound, Very Carefully
- Spectacular Travel Moments With Viking Ocean Cruises
- Interesting Viking Tour Brings Global View In Very Simple Terms
- Viking Star Passes Ultimate Cruise Traveler Test
- Viking Caribbean: Something New For Someone New
- Aggressive Repositioning Itinerary Highlights Viking Commitment To Travelers
- Thoughtful Canadian Port Choice Typical Of Viking Destination Focus
- Features Not Part Of The Viking Caribbean Experience
- Viking Star Caribbean Dining: New Cuisine For Cruise Travelers
- Actually, Viking Star Is Designed For Caribbean Cruising
- Incomparable Viking Star
- Viking Star Base Features To Elevate Caribbean Cruise Experience
- In The Wake Of Vikings [PHOTOS]
- Viking Caribbean Preview: Your Questions Answered
- Viking Caribbean Preview: More Of Your Questions Answered
- Reader Question Highlights Viking Attention To Detail
- Slideshow: Favorite Viking Star Features I Can’t Wait To See
- Viking World Cruise: I Could Do That
- Viking Star Arrives In New York City
Flickr photo albums
- A Day In Reykjavik, Iceland
- Icelandic Air
- In The Steps Of Vikings: Cruising Prince Christian Sound
- Nanortalik, Greenland
- Qaqortoq, Greenland
- Viking Star Penthouse Verandah Staterooms
- Viking Star Ship Shots
- Viking Star At Sea
- Northern Lights
- Viking Star Culinary: Mamsens
- Viking Star Nordic Spa
- Viking Star Living Room Bar
- Viking Star Culinary Sampling
- Viking Star Explorer’s Lounge
- Viking Star Pool Grill
- Viking Star Past Guest Party
- Viking Star Living Room
- Saguenay, Quebec, Canada
- Viking Star Infinity Pool
- Sailing To Canada On Viking Star
- Viking Star Top Deck Spaces
- Viking Star Aquavit Bar
- Viking Star Crew
- Viking Star Main Pool Area
- Greenland From The Deck Of Viking Star
- Viking Documentation
- Al Fresco Seating Areas
Facebook Photo Albums
- Exploring Reykjavik: A Day In Iceland
- Scenic Cruising Like Vikings
- Nanortalik, Greenland With Viking Ocean Cruises
- Qaqortoq, Greenland With Viking Ocean Cruises.