Mediterranean Cruise by Moses and Cintra

We are pleased to say we have completed 10 exciting days on our Empires of the Mediterranean ocean cruise on Viking Sky. We began on April 17 in Athens and ended the cruise in Venice. The cruise included five countries and eight port stops. In Greece, we visited Athens, Santorini, Olympia and Corfu. Next we visited Kotor, Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Zadar in Croatia. We stopped at Koper, Slovenia and toured the country’s capital Ljubljana. We finally disembarked the ship in Venice, Italy. These stops and excursions were daily and made for a hectic pace. We toured by foot and coach and a bit by boat and saw and experience more than we ever imagined. These were not necessarily fun and entertaining stops, but rather visits to fascinating cities, some we never heard of before, and learning volumes about their history. They were not separate, unrelated countries. All are part of the Balkans and some - Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro - were previously part of the former Yugo...

As we approach the end of our 10-day cruise titled Empires of the Mediterranean, I already feel overwhelmed with how much we have seen and experienced in this short time. I have been keenly aware of many details that help me appreciate the attractions and understand their historical context. Today, we docked in Koper, Slovenia, but rather than touring Koper, we went by coach 2 1/2 h away to Ljubljana . Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is one of Europe's greenest and most livable cities. Designed largely by the visionary architect Jože Plečnik, the city feels like an open-air museum characterized by its emerald-green river, hilltop castle, and a vast pedestrian zone that keeps the centre peaceful and airy. In Prešeren Square we saw the iconic pink Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Part of the city’s charm are the bridges with interesting names and histories. Both on the walking tour and a boat tour on the Ljubljanica River, we saw the picturesque Triple Bridg...

For many passengers, one of the most memorable features of an Ocean cruise is the culinary adventure. Viking Sky is one of dozens of Viking cruises all offering the same high quality foods in three main dining rooms and several casual eating places. Two of the dining options need reservation and dress codes and the one main large restaurant with a wide ranging menu is called The Restaurant. One dining room featuring italian cuisine is Manfredis and the other is Chef's Table offering wine pairings and a set menu that changes every three days. The large buffet style restaurant is World Cafe with an amazing selection of just about every international foods. Aquavit TErrace offers specialty meals, Mamsens offers Norwegian pastries and treats, Pool Cafe is a barbecue and wings bar poolside. For a relatively small ship, these culinary options are more than enough and make our home away from home quite enjoyabke and memorable. The hosiptslity on the ship just adds to the excitement o...

Cruises conjure experiences of fun, excitement and pleasure. One does not usually value cruises for their educational opportunities. However, fully appreciating fascinating destinations like the Mediterranean is best accomplished with knowledge of the history of these places. Viking does an excellent job of hiring experts in the history of the region where the cruises visit. The ship’s crew also includes lecturers on a wide range of topics associated with the destinations. Each day, prior to the scheduled excursions, passengers meet in the main theatre to get as much background as possible about the places where the excursions will take place. Once on an excursion, especially in a place rich in history, a whole new educational journey begins. A good example of a mix of stunning beauty and educational sites is Dubrovnik , often called the "Pearl of the Adriatic,” This is a fascinating UNESCO World Heritage site on the southern coast of Croatia. It is famous for its wel...

Our dream adventure along the Adriatic Sea entered its seventh day as we we were treated to a breathtaking stop in Kotor, Montenegro. The photo shows the sunrise on the approach to Kotor . The cruise so far is a treasure of one glorious memory after another. So many of these memories are of the spectacular sights of the Mediterranean mixed with exciting memories served up on the ship itself. The cruise offers as much fun in its culinary treats as in the nightly entertainment in the Star Theatre. Passengers enjoy professional quality shows and concerts by guest performers as well as by the ship's in-house singers and musicians. The central gathering place known as the Living Room has nightly live background music and there is often a musician during afternoon tea in the Wintergarden lounge. At some stops, entertainment is enhanced by performances by local musicians. Our visit today was to Kotor, Montenegro, a breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site nestled at the end of t...

It is normal, and even expected, that relationships can be created with fellow passengers. We did not expect on previous cruises and on this vacation on the Viking Star that we would get to know so many of the staff and crew. At virtually every level of the ship’s crew, we are continually treated with respect and courtesy. Everyone from officers to cleaners and servers smiles with and greets passengers and are happy to engage in conversation. These acts of friendship and hospitality go a long way to creating an atmosphere of comfort and safety. We continued to enjoy this friendly customer service as we went on our tour of Corfu (or Kerkyra) the "Emerald Isle" of the Ionian Sea. Corfu is known for its lush greenery, Venetian charm, and a distinct blend of Italian, French, and British flair in its architecture and culture.  Our tour included the highlights of Corfu during a scenic drive and a guided walk of Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our motor coach to...

While on a cruise, be it ocean or river, making friends doesn’t take very long. Sometimes at the first meal, or on the coach or the tender, or in a cue or buffet line, it is normal to greet or exchange pleasantries with the persons or couple near you. These chance meetings have been the start of lasting friendships on other cruises. And it was the same on the Viking Star since we arrived. While we enjoy each other’s company, getting to know other passengers has become a major benefit of cruising. It helps the time go by quickly and improves the quality of our lives. Our visit to Olympia allowed us to enjoy a major Greek attraction in the company of interesting cruisers from various countries and backgrounds. Olympia is located in the Peloponnese peninsula and is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. It is also most famously as the birthplace and permanent home of the Olympic Games.  The first recorded Olympic Games took place here in 776 BCE in ho...

Reporting on an ocean or river cruise could easily miss the experience on the ship itself. Viking is known for the variety of opportunities to keep passengers occupied and entertained on the ship. Being a “small” ship compared to large carriers, our ship, the Viking Star, has four main restaurants and several smaller casual eating places and bars. As well, there are swimming pools, hot tub, gym, spa, lounges, cinemas, theatre for nightly concerts, walking tracks, swimming pool, hot tub, board games, library, museum, viewing decks and afternoon tea room. Because the vessel is relatively small, these services are easily accessible. Much of the enjoyment of a Viking cruise is available without stepping outside the ship. However, our excursion to Santorini today was an example of the enormous pleasure of seeing one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Mediterranean. Santorini, or Thira, is a crescent-shaped volcanic island in the Cyclades group of the Greek islands. Its...

Our Mediterranean cruise began on Sunday April 18 and gave us the pleasure of seeing some of the highlights of the ancient and glorious city of Athens. Before describing some of what we saw and experienced, it may be helpful for me to recap a bit of how the cruise excursions are designed. It basically is the same as what we experienced on our river cruise in Europe several years and and on our South Pacific cruise in 2024 and Southeast Asia cruise last year. Viking offers two main options to view the ports that we visit. In general, the ship spends a full day in a port where passengers may register for an included tour that is covered in the cost of the cruise or to book an optional excursion for additional cost. Of course, you can choose neither and opt to take a private tour by one of many tour operators in the city. This means that through the included tour you get an overview of the area that may take three or four hours. This may be a walking tour, a coach tour or a comb...

With the Mediterranean beckoning, we are finalizing preparations to join Viking Cruises on visits to five exciting countries from April 17 to 27. We will stop at several stops as shown on this map. We loook forward to sharing our experiences on the ocean and at the ports along the way. Please watch for updates on Facebook and other platforms. If you're not on Facebook, please follow this link for updates until the end of April. We welcome your comments and questions. Thanks for joining us on the cruise. Moses and Cintra