Excursions for Our Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing Cruise

Excursions for our Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing cruise opened for booking today. I brought my computer to the AGFO visitor center so I could hop online at exactly 1:00 pm. 

Excursions for Viking ocean cruises fill up quickly, and I was prepared with the choices that Tim and I had selected. Although I was quick, I was nevertheless surprised that I was able to book all of our first choices. As usual, we will be taking a mixture of included and optional excursions, and we have tried to be at least somewhat realistic about how much touring we really want to do. We are trying to heed our own advice from our last cruise! 

Although Tim and I will likely make changes to our selections, these are the excursions that we have booked. We’re still working on arranging private tour(s) in Barcelona.

Our Excursions

Canadian Rail Adventure - Booked

After we return from our Mediterranean Explorer and Crossing cruise on Christmas day, Tim and I have no travel plans scheduled until embarking on our Viking World Voyage in December 2024. How can I possibly go for almost an entire year without a trip?

During our last few weekends at home, we discussed several options, including a European Sojourn river cruise from Amsterdam to Bucharest and a Chilean Fjords and Patagonia Explorer cruise in South America, but nixed those ideas for the time being.

Since I love scenic train rides, I have always wanted to take the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff. I noticed a trip on Vacations by Rail that included the Rocky Mountaineer, plus travel on VIA Rail’s Canadian all the way to Toronto. Here’s the description:

Discover the romance of two rail journeys plus the tales of experienced driver-guides in a luxury motorcoach. Meander through the Canadian Rockies aboard the all-daylight Rocky Mountaineer train. Spend a few days exploring Banff and Jasper National Parks, then board VIA Rail's Canadian for a rail adventure across Canada.

A train trip across Canada with time to explore the Canadian Rockies? Sign me up!

Although I had figured we would save this adventure for a much later date, Tim thought this would be the perfect trip for 2024. We settled on dates from mid-September to early-October, and our travel agent booked our trip today.

Not only do we get to travel by train, but we get to stay in four of the fabulous historic hotels constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in the late 1800s. Cornelius Van Horne, the president of the railway, had envisioned a string of grand hotels across Canada that would draw visitors to his railway. He remarked, "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists." Tim and I will be happy to be imported tourists!

Our Canadian Rail Adventure (image courtesy of Vacations by Rail)