Aug 16

Aug 16 Day 11 Halifax, Nova Scotia

Once again, I am up before the sun and working at World Cafe, enjoying an excellent cup of coffee. I really like the coffee that comes out of the machines at World Cafe (and throughout the ship).

I am only a few steps from a door that allows me access to the outer deck to capture some beautiful sunrise photos and video.

By 8am, Viking Polaris is docking in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It looks like it is shaping up to be another beautiful, sunny day (photo above).

We have been to Halifax at least a couple of times and have done many of the excursions on offer here. Therefore, today we decided to just disembark and do some exploring on our own. However, if you have never been to Peggy’s Cove or Lunenburg, both are worthy excursions and both are offered by Viking.

As we disembark the ship and walk down the gangway, we see the sign that informs guests of when they need to be back on board. Viking posts this sign at every port as a reminder for those who like to explore on their own. Believe it or not, not all cruise lines provide this simple reminder for their guests.

A sign Reminds Guests When They Need To Be Back Onboard

As we exit the cruise terminal, we find ourselves on a very nice boardwalk with lots to see and do along the way. Large easy to read maps are positioned along the boardwalk to show where you are currently standing and all of the sights along the way. And, unlike in Quebec, all of the signs are in English!

These maps are located along the boardwalk

Just a few hundred yards from Viking Polaris, we come across a Columbian Naval sailing ship. Earlier this morning, the Captain made an announcement from the bridge that this ship was sailing into port and it was a pretty amazing sight. We saw a lot of people walking up and down the gangway to the sailing ship, so we assume it was open to the public for tours. We saw many uniformed naval officers near the ship as well.

All along the boardwalk, there are placards to explain the history of whatever you are viewing.

Historical information along the boardwalk

Near the opposite end of the boardwalk from where Viking Polaris is docked, there is a Marriott hotel that has provided several colorful Adirondack chairs where you can relax and enjoy views of the harbor.

After walking the 1.5 miles of the boardwalk, we enjoyed the Adirondack chairs and watched the local ferry cross back and forth.

There are many souvenir shops and local restaurants along the boardwalk and plenty of things to see. There is also a very nice Maritime Museum, for those who are interested. Of course, there are many other sights within walking distance of the ship, but the three miles we walked up and down the boardwalk was great exercise for us and we are glad we did it.

We are back onboard Viking Polaris in plenty of time to get ready for the Captain’s Farewell Reception in The Aula. Guests are handed glasses of sparkling wine as they enter The Aula tonight. The Captain invited the entire crew and officers on stage to receive the recognition they wholeheartedly deserve from the guests.

After the Captain’s Reception, we decided to visit Paps The Explorers Bar for a cocktail. This bar offers seating on Deck 4 and Deck 5 forward, but the bar itself is located on Deck 4. While Deck 5 offers more privacy, we have found that it can take more time for the wait staff to take orders on Deck 5, so we usually try to find a place to sit on Deck 4. However, if we do sit on Deck 5, we will stop by the bar on Deck 4 first to place our order and let them know we will be seated on Deck 5.

Looking over the bar menu reveals that Viking’s bar prices are very competitively priced compared to other cruise lines. Their Viking Sparkling Wine, which is one of the best in our opinion, is $7.50 per glass. That is a 50% increase from a few years ago when we remember it being $5 per glass. Inflation.

As you can see below, the drinks for which Viking charges $9.50 would easily be $12 to $15 on many cruise lines. This pricing begs the question: Is the $25 per day for the Silver Spirits drink package really worth it? That is a topic I will cover in my YouTube review, so make sure you subscribe to our channel and request notification of future videos.

Throughout this cruise, we have wondered what happened to the nuts we used to see on the tables at Explorers’ Bar on the Viking Ocean ships. Turns out that they are available upon request. And, gluten-free snacks are also available for those with gluten allergies.

One practice we really appreciate is that Viking delivers the snacks in a carafe to prevent cross-contamination. Back in the day, pre-Covid, snacks would be served in bowls where multiple people at the table could just reach in with their hands and grab the snacks. The carafe is a much more sanitary delivery mechanism that we really appreciate.

We had a nice lunch at World Cafe today and we have dinner reservations tomorrow night at Manfredi’s, so we decided to skip dinner this evening. I know, that is a sin in some people’s minds. But we often will skip one meal per day (usually breakfast) while cruising.

We decide to head back to our stateroom where we are reminded that we must turn our clocks back one hour tonight as we are sailing to New York City (Eastern Standard Time). This is a good night to try out the excellent selection of in-room movies on the television.