This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November-December 2023. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Cloudy 75° F" and "Sunrise: 5:43 AM."
We both woke at 6:00 am.
MT Thursday, December 8, 2023, 6:40 AM Viking Star: morning on the Pacific.
Around 7:00, we went to the World Café (Deck 7) for the breakfast buffet, which included a Tropical Smoothie Station at the aft end, and we ate on the adjacent Aquavit Terrace. Noticing that there were no pineapple smoothies or pineapple slices on the buffet, MT got Executive Chef Joseph to have some of the pineapples used to decorate the station cut up for us.
Around 9:00, we still had to turn in our menus for pre-ordering dinner that evening in The Restaurant (Deck 2). In this case we ordered only from the options on the back side of the menu.
9:16 AM Viking Star: back side of menu on which we indicated our choices for dinner in The Restaurant.
For Starters, we chose "Shrimp & Crab Soufflé (tarragon red pepper coulis)."
For Main Course, we chose "Traditional Chicken Kiev (coated in breadcrumbs & stuffed with garlic butter, sautéed cabbage)."
For Dessert, we chose "Pavlova (meringue, tropical Chantilly, fresh fruit.)"
The Viking Daily newsletter for 8 Dec had the following "Reminder": "The clocks go ONE HOUR FORWARD at 10:00 AM this morning: Friday, December 8." This caused come confusion regarding the times of our Bridge Tour, which began around the hour of the time change. It was unclear whether the 10 am was before or after the time change.
At 9:00 (by whose clock?), we went to the upper level of the Explorers' Lounge (at the forward end of Deck 8), which was the meeting place for the Bridge Tour at the forward end of Deck 6.
10:04 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - overview.
MT 9:36 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - overview.
(At this point, the time on Don's camera was half an hour ahead of that on MT's iPhone. Having seen the "Reminder" in the Viking Daily, which arrived the previous evening, Don may have moved the time on his camera ahead, while MT's iPhone had not done so.)
10:05 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - guide showing us the place for steering the ship.
MT 9:37 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - device for steering ship (mild telephoto 56 mm).
10:05 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - control panel with radar screen at right.
MT 9:38 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - control panel near device for steering ship, with radar screen (mild telephoto 56 mm).
MT 9:37 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - control panel near device for steering ship with screen showing data about the ship (telephoto 70 mm).
10:06 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - control panel.
10:06 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - guide standing over window in floor by equipment for docking.
10:10 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - window in floor for looking down at dock.
MT 9:41 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - view from that window down into the sea (since we were not at a dock).
10:09 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - equipment for docking and main engine with screens.
10:10 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - controls for thrusters.
10:11 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - controls for main engine.
10:12 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - MT (at right) and others listening to guide by controls for thrusters.
MT 9:45 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - Guide talking about controls for engine and pointing to two screens.
MT 9:48 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - view of those two screens; screen at top shows data about ship and one below shows position of Viking Star at bottom and coast of Baja California at top right (telephoto 79 mm).
10:15 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - lower screen near controls for engine, showing position of Viking Star at bottom and coast of Baja California at top right (telephoto 130 mm).
10:15 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - those screens and engine controls, with MT and others in foreground and big control panel in background on other side of bridge.
10:17 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - view from bridge down the starboard side of the ship toward the aft, with orange lifeboat.
10:19 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - guide telling us about the screens (MT in right foreground).
10:20 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - same scene with Cruise Director Kate Syrett arriving in the bridge.
10:21 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - Kate asked our guide to button her collar.
MT 9:57 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - large screen with multiple videos of various parts of the ship.
10:28 AM Viking Star: Bridge Tour - Kate at microphone ready to make an announcement over the ship's PA system about the time change, to the "LA time zone."
From 9:59 (or 10:59) to 12:19, we went for a walk on Decks 8 and 9, where it was very windy.
MT 11:30 AM Viking Star: Don trying to run on Deck 8 in strong wind (telephoto 62 mm).
12:26 PM Viking Star: weather report on the TV in our stateroom showed the temperature "now" as 74° F with northeast wind 23 mph, gusting to 28 mph). It also showed the hourly forecast, above 2 more days "At Sea" and the weather in San Diego and Los Angeles for the last 2 days of our cruise.
(The fact that this screen showed the hourly forecast starting at 1 PM indicates that Don's camera had the correct time for "Now.")
At 3:00, MT went to Torshavn (Deck 2) for Salsa Dance Class.
At 4:15, we went to the Star Theater (Deck 2) for "Port Talk - San Diego."
At 6:30, we went to The Restaurant (Deck 2) for our pre-ordered dinner.
7:03 PM Viking Star: The Restaurant - Don's Chicken Kiev.
7:07 PM Viking Star: The Restaurant - cross section of Don's Chicken Kiev.
From 7:30 to 7:45, we sent to hear "Steinway Melodies" by the Resident Pianist Simina, playing in the Atrium (Deck 1), as we watched from the balcony on the second floor of the Atrium.
7:34 PM Viking Star: Simina playing in Atrium (Deck 1) by Christmas Gingerbread Village, viewed from Deck 2.
MT 7:34 PM Viking Star: Simina playing in Atrium (Deck 1) by Christmas Gingerbread Village, viewed from Deck 2 (mild telephoto 50 mm).
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