While we are waiting for the expert cruisers, I just want to say that I commiserate with you. I am not a fan of cruises. In theory, they seem ideal. Unpack once! Relax and enjoy the scenery as you go from port to port. Tons of activities to do while traveling from said port to port.

I think, that you need advise from those who went on Viking. All ships and the way they handle things are not equal. Viking has a very good reputation.

I think your husband's mindset is similar to my DH's. When he goes on vacation, there needs to be lots of down time along with being able to exercise if he chooses. No "forced marches" and "trying to get it all in." My DH loves to get out of the cold winters, is this the same for yours?

What ports will you be seeing? For me, being on a ship always feels longer than when I am staying in a regular hotel room on land. This could be a good thing for those really in need of a vacation.

Since you don’t like the hot sun, I would probably go with full coverup, flowing light clothing (long sleeve white shirts and long pants) with a sun hat. In most of the ports you would have a choice to do an excursion away from the beach, for example a walk through a historic town. Where possible I like to get into the jungle, see waterfalls, etc

This tunic from Travelsmith is a favorite of mine. I wear and wash new ones a few times before a trip. It gets softer and less wrinkle - ly making it more packable.

I happen to think the photos posted above are beautiful! The ships sail overnight so that you have days in port. It won’t be too hot in February, maybe 80s. If you have days at sea, there are many activities on board if you don’t want to hang out by the pool. The ships all have covered areas on deck if you do want to hang out by the pool, but be out of the sun.

Donna

Check out the site Cruise Critic, you can read general tips about cruising but also get advice about your specific ship and itinerary. Don‘t let the over jealous there scare you off, there is a wealth of useful info. But my word, some of the crazy stuff people haul on board with them (cases of water, a foam mattress pad, Tupperware to bring food back to their room). I read there last year before my cruise and it helped me feel prepared.

We were on a Celebrity cruise. My favorite thing was the back stage/below deck tour of the ship. It was an upcharge excursion (not the basic, free tour), for 2+ hours, and we were all over the ship, including the bridge. I would highly recommend that if it’s an option on Viking (and I think all their excursions are included?).

That said, I don‘t have any interest in cruising again. I felt like I was trapped in a shopping mall, promenading around the ship in a circle, which is decorated like a glitzy mall, waiting for a cheesy evening show.

Millions of people love cruising, everyone brags about how many cruises they’ve done, and you may be one of them. You won’t know until you try it. I’ve only heard good things about Viking so I’m sure it will be a great experience.

It's been many many years since I've been on a cruise. When we were in our cruising phase, I loved them. If I were to do it again now, I'd be on a Viking ship - they are smaller, single seating dining, activities that appeal to a quieter passenger. In fact, our son and DIL chose Viking for their honeymoon (sailing out of Puerto Rico so perhaps the same itinerary) because it would be an 'older' less obnoxious crowd, no kids, and none of the drunk party atmosphere of some ships. The above advice about clothing is perfect and with the myriad of activities I do not think you'll be bored. As for balance issues, that's a tough one. There is a 'roll' to a ship even in the calmest of seas as it moves. You'll particularly notice it the first time you walk off the ship onto a dock or street - your body will continue to want to walk as if needing to accommodate the roll but you adjust quickly. Hard to know if that will be troublesome for you - I hope not. Warm waters are generally much calmer than cold (I once sailed out of NY in Jan. and THAT was a rolling ship) so you're likely to have smooth sailing. As for your non beach body, given the expected age range of this cruise, there will be every variety of cover-up for every imaginable reason. You will not look or feel out of place, I'm sure. And I agree with msmeow about the view - there is a great deal of beauty in simply standing at the rail and watching the waves, the sun and clouds - very peaceful. I don't need or want hot and cold running excitement for every minute of a vacation. I want to recharge as well as see and do new things.

You mentioned being a little claustrophobic, I am not, but I see that Viking has nothing but veranda rooms or suites and I think that will help a lot. It’s great just to be able to go out on the deck and get out of the state room without having to be “in public.” Personally I went into my first cruise very skeptical, but I absolutely love being on the ocean and escaping from the Canadian winters.

I have only been on two Caribbean cruises with a limited number of ports, none of the ports you are going to. I think the best way to set yourself up for success is to research each of the ports to know what the strong points are and what might interest you. Viking has a resident historian who gives talks before each of the ports and I have always enjoyed these kind of talks on other ships. For me, not a shopper, so I try to stay away from the markets and shopping excursions. For packing, my advice would be similar to any other trip to hot weather areas: bring stuff that you love and feel comfortable in, realize that there is laundry on the ship but it might be expensive, bring a couple of slightly nicer outfits for any dressy evenings, and absolutely bring very comfortable walking shoes or sandals for your excursions. If you enjoy swimming, the demographic on a Viking ship is going to swing older just because it’s more expensive, and no one will be taken aback by how you look at all. Everyone’s there for the same reason.

Most ship excursions are very accessible for people with mobility limitations, if you read through the description of the excursion it will usually outline the physical demands.

There are no formal nights on your ship, in fact they’re pretty much being phased out everywhere, and I did find the dress code here: https://www.vikingcruisescanada.com/oceans/frequently-asked-questions.html

Thanks to each of you for your responses. I/we have never travelled in a group before. We live on Cape Cod and are a 5 minute walk to a bay beach. This is my husband's adventure. He won't have to drive anywhere. I'm underwhelmed at the thought of it. I want to be comfortable and feel safe. I'm not interested in gorging myself on food on the ship - I have a poor appetite. The Islands took a big hit with the hurricane in 2017. Have any of you been there since??

Viking is a different than the usual large cruise ship. Generally, it carries about 900 passengers. The usual things on a big cruise ship such as a casino are not there. It's a very low key trip. The food is good, the service is very good. Staff is very friendly and helpful The Caribbean is very nice in February. We just returned from 10 day Med. crujise from Venice to Athens and had a marvelous time. One very big difference is that there are no formal nights, no photographers all over the place, no loud music and pool games and there is usually one included tour in each port. There are other tours available also for a fee. If you don't want to do anything but find a nice corner and read your book and watch the water, it can be very relaxing. Hope you enjoy it.

"Have any of you been there since??"

We were there a year or so ago and saw very little evidence of the storm. The airport in San Juan had some evidence but, IIRC, that was about it. Our itinerary was changed due to the storm though.

We just returned from a cruise on Celebrity's newest ship, The Edge. As mentioned above, everything is much more relaxed now. No photographers in your face though available if you want pix taken, no formal nights, excellent entertainment. There is a casino available but is of no interest to us and we didn't have to walk through it. We aren't big cruisers but enjoy it once in awhile.

I suggest wearing whatever you feel comfortable in and don't go overboard on evening clothes. For the next cruise I'll pack a couple of dressier tops and accessories to pair with leggings/nice jeans, a couple pair of nicer shoes and call it done.

It makes me really sad that formal nights are being phased out. One of the things my DH and I loved the most when we started cruising was dressing for dinner. Back then ladies wore cocktail dresses most nights, and men were in suits. It had a feeling of elegance and a different way of life than we normally live. Now they don’t event enforce their own dress codes, and the dining rooms are full of people in shorts and flip flops.

Donna

Msmeow, my cousin loves the QE2 for that reason. Very formal, long gowns, suits and tuxes for the men.

I agree with you. Ten years ago I went on a weekend cruise out of Florida. There was a formal night and it was only a three day cruise!

Last year we took a week long cruise out of NYC. It was called free style, which means dress as you like. The outfits of course ran the gamut with the majority in casual attire. It just didn't pay for me to wear my better clothing (Ie those that would have to be dry cleaned after the trip.)

DH actually prefers casual so it was a win for him.

I do think that upscale ships will have people that are better dressed.

Wearing formal clothes holds no interest for me, but I do have a very expensive string of pearls I get out of the safe deposit box at our bank to wear at funerals.