Like most travelers, we were stuck in limbo since everything shut down all over the world due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Although we were able to do a long drive last year in August which gave us the opportunity in visiting the national parks like, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, etc, we felt that this is very different to visiting other countries, especially when you’re cruising.
My wife, Trini, and I will be flying to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina (South America) to catch the Viking Ocean liner. This will be our third time to cruise with Viking and we really enjoyed our previous ones. We love that there is NO casino on the ship; no rowdy teenagers; and no kids running around bumping to you while trying to balance your tray in the food line! And there are only about 900 cruisers compared to the thousands in other cruise liners which makes it much less crowded. But the best part of this cruise is – drum roll please – wine and beer and sodas are included with your meals. There is also a free excursion included in every port visited.
There is one issue that was really disappointing with this cruise itinerary. Originally, we were scheduled to visit Rio de Janeiro and Recife in Brazil. It also included Senegal, Africa and Morocco, also in Africa. However, all these ports were cancelled and replaced with Madeira Island, Cape Verde and Valencia, Spain. I called our booking agent and complained but all I got was a half-hearted apology. I couldn’t cancel as it was less than ten days before our embarkation date and we would lose all our money! I checked the contract and there was nothing we can do! Oh well….c’est la vie.
Speaking of cancellation, we were scheduled for another Viking River Cruise next year starting in Moscow, Russia and ending in St Petersburg, Russia. However, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we felt that it was morally wrong to continue with the cruise and spend money in a country that would not respect another country’s sovereignty!
I will keep you posted of our cruise and update my post upon arrival in Buenos Aires!
Stay safe y’all!
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