By Debora Ragland Buerk
The Write Stuff
Looking at life from a different point of view.

Getting There is Half the Fun.

When Larry retired, our wealth management company advised us that if we wanted to embark on a thrilling adventure, we should put it on track because time flies in retirement years. This was sound advice, and we decided to travel often for as long as we enjoyed it and could. 

After enduring a grueling twenty-hour flight in “Comfort Plus” from Cape Town, South Africa, to Atlanta, Georgia, we decided to indulge in comfort. So we switched to flying Business class, which now has those little bedroom suites. I still don’t sleep on these long-haul flights—I don’t want to miss witnessing my mortality over water—but I appreciate arriving at my destination without bruises on my kneecaps from the seat in front of me (I wouldn’t kid you about bruises.)

We enjoyed flying Delta Business Class from Seattle to Amsterdam, and then Air France, operating as Delta, flew us to Barcelona. Note: This Air France flight only had coach, but this rarely happens. We arrived in Barcelona and proceeded with Viking’s red polo’ed assistants to get through customs, claim our baggage, and board a Viking chartered bus to the cruise terminal. Our check-in with the ship was a breeze, and we were headed up the gangway in fifteen minutes. No kidding! What a relief! 

Viking changed their boarding process with pre-cruise paperwork. Long queues were no longer snaking through the cruise terminal like a switchback mountain. Hey, other cruise lines, take note of this new best practice; your passengers will thank you. And thank them I did.

Even the mandatory life jacket and emergency ship drill were tightened up to a quick demonstration by a crew member to “remind” us how to put on the life jacket and where our emergency muster station would be. Then, we were free to go up to our stateroom, which was ready and waiting for us.

On our last cruise to Antarctica, we had the opportunity to upgrade to a junior suite at the last minute. I thoroughly enjoyed our royal treatment. This time, we’re in one of their standard staterooms, and while European-cozy likes a pair of too-tight Spanx jeans after Christmas dinner, we were quickly unpacked, and everything stowed. During our recent cruise to Antarctica, we were offered an upgrade to a junior suite, which we decided to take. It was a fantastic experience, and we were treated like royalty. This time, we are staying in a standard stateroom, smaller than the junior suite. Still, we managed to unpack and stow everything away comfortably. Despite the limited space, the room is cozy and comfortable, like a pair of snug jeans after Thanksgiving.

Viking boasts a fleet of small, all-veranda, modern ocean ships. Each ship is engineered at a scale that allows direct access to most ports. Cruise Critic classified the fleet as “small ships,” which feature understated elegance and Scandinavian design. We are sailing on the Viking Jupiter, Viking’s sixth ocean ship built in 2019, with all-veranda ocean view staterooms for 930 guests. After sailing aboard one of the large 3,000-passenger ships, you quickly fall in love with cruising with a smaller crowd.

Our Veranda stateroom is a compact 270 square feet plus a private veranda balcony. I have a desk that I’m writing to you from as well as club chairs. I like my creature comforts—ask my husband—and each stateroom comes with:

• King-size “Viking Explorer Bed” (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens and pillows
• Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
• 42″ flat-screen TV featuring MSNBC, FOX News, National Geographic and more
• 110/220-volt outlets & USB ports
• Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer
• Direct-dial satellite phone & cell service
• Security safe
• Purified water refilled daily
• Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks (replenished once daily)
• Binoculars
• Traditional Norwegian Marius-weave blanket
• Personal coffee machine with premium coffee & tea selections
• Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping
• 24-hour room service

They had me a Traditional Norwegian Marius-weave blanket and a personal coffee maker.

And bathrooms are important! Here’s a 360-degree view. (See nothing up my sleeve.)

I found this 360 tour of the ship:
https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/content/oceans-360/start.html

My friends all know I cherish traditional decorating and Southern grace and charm. Norwegian ships have an elegant decorating style. The ship is one giant, floating library with cozy chairs and fireplaces throughout the vessel and books everywhere, from London bookseller Heywood Hill, the official curator of Viking ships’ onboard libraries. 

That’s enough for tonight. I have an early morning appointment at the onboard spa and can’t appear red-eyed. In my next post, I’ll describe our tour of Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey in Spain.

Hasta la próxima,

Debora