Finally Moving On!

 I should have posted this months ago!...But life intervened.

It is official! Our Viking cruise that was first booked for February of 2020 was the one where we gave up our cabin in exchange for a fabulous upgrade to an Explorer Suite with an aft wrap-around balcony. That was rescheduled at the time for a sailing in July of last year to enjoy the upgrade, no issue there.

I don't need to tell you what happened to that voyage to the Land of the Midnight Sun! We again rescheduled, after much discussion with Viking to maintain our upgrade, for July of this year. The Viking Star was totally refitted with a complete lab to meet daily testing requirements. The UV robots were onboard and the temperature cameras were in place. My flights were confirmed and then ---the next day---all June and July cruises were cancelled by Viking if they included multiple countries! Bye bye long awaited and greatly anticipated return to the high seas.

We have confirmation today that we will sail in July of 2023 on the brand new Viking Venus and the Midnight Sun will be shining! Why not in 2022 you ask? All the suites, at any level, are sold out! And that even before this year's cancellations!

My conclusion is that my friends and I are not the only ones anxious to get back to travel and meeting new friends and being pampered on a luxury cruise ship by the finest crew possible. All while enjoying the new experiences of exploring our world: it's history, it's cuisine, and, most importantly meeting its people!

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Next up is the cruise my friend Carol and I booked for January of '22.  It also involved lots of booking and cancelling, but this time from another cruise line.  Just confirmed - as much as anything can be in this 'current climate', that will be sailing as expected on January 5.  Round trip from Los Angeles to the long desired South Pacific!  We had been waiting for an itinerary confirmation of changes.  Hawaii is out - extra days in Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Rarotonga are replacing those stops.  Long week of sailing at the beginning and end to cover the distance but bonus of the South Pacific feeling.  And sea days on the new Viking Orion should be excellent.  No complaints with the shipboard experience I am sure.  Our suite accommodations should be as fantastic as the much anticipated ones that Ruth and I have awaited.

It will be a little challenging packing, getting ready, meeting the testing obligations during the already busy Christmas holidays.  Add in that I will be ushering many, many Atlanta Ballet Nutcracker performances and hosting an on-again off-again family Christmas Party.  Fingers crossed you will be hearing from me often in the next few weeks!