07-08-2026 Newfoundland From the Ship

We sailed all night on gentle seas, with just enough motion to lull us to sleep.

We opened our curtains this morning to a view of the wild coast of Newfoundland

The night had gone much better. I had requested a foam pad for my side of the mattress along with an extra comforter. The stewards had a difficult time understanding that I really wanted two separate comforters rather than two inside one duvet. I like one for sleeping, another for afternoon naps, and sometimes both during the night if I get chilly. Prima donna? Maybe a little. Whatever the reason, I slept wonderfully.

The skies were still hazy with smoke drifting eastward from the Canadian wildfires. Beneath them, Newfoundland's dark, rocky coastline felt rugged, remote, and almost forbidding. Watching that dramatic shoreline slip past our veranda, I felt surprisingly at peace with the decision we had made the day before.

The skies were still murky from the smoke coming from the Canadian fires

The previous afternoon I had stopped at the Excursion Desk to ask whether I could take my walker ashore to visit L'Anse aux Meadows, one of the most important archaeological sites in North America. This UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves the remains of the first known Norse settlement in the Americas, founded by Leif Eriksson and his companions nearly five centuries before Columbus. 

Melody was especially excited that I might have the chance to stand where those early Vikings once lived. But after showing us photographs and videos of the site, the excursion staff explained that the rough trails, uneven stone steps, and slippery grass would make it unsafe with my walker. They were far more concerned about my safety than I had been.

In the end, I let it go. There comes a point when experience begins to outweigh ambition. Mo and I have explored remarkable ancient places over the years, from Malta and Turkey to Thailand and beyond. I realized I didn't need to struggle over difficult terrain simply to say I'd been there. This trip was about experiencing what I could, not mourning what I couldn't.

Although far away and a bit fuzzy, we were delighted to see our first iceberg

Far off in the distance we caught our first glimpse of an iceberg. It was tiny against the vast North Atlantic, but exciting just the same. With that, any lingering disappointment quietly disappeared.

we meandered up to the World Cafe for a delicious breakfast

Instead of boarding a tender, we headed upstairs for breakfast and planned a leisurely day aboard Viking Neptune.

By 1030  AM the first tenders were returning to the ship

The Explorer's Lounge was almost empty while most passengers were ashore. We carried our dominoes and a deck of cards forward and settled into one of our favorite places on the ship.

We wandered through the Explorer's Library, admired the Scandinavian design, and photographed details that we had been too busy to notice earlier in the voyage. It was one of those rare mornings when the ship itself became the destination.

We decided to spend our day relaxing in the Explorer Lounge

The stairs leading to Sports Deck 9 looked inviting, but I knew better than to spend precious strength climbing them. Years ago I would have raced to the highest deck on the ship just to feel the wind and watch the sea stretch to the horizon. This time I made a different choice. One of the quiet lessons IBM keeps teaching me is that there is wisdom in saving my energy for the experiences that matter most.

We never found an elevator to the 9th and top deck

We spent some time in the Explorer's library

With the Explorer's Lounge very nearly empty, we had time to wander about and take photos of some of the details that gave it it's particular character.

The fireplace was an illusion but still felt nice on a chilly day

Another understated Scandinavian place for relaxation and conversation

One observation people often ask me about is how Viking compares with Oceania. The public spaces aboard Neptune were beautifully designed and wonderfully inviting, but they encouraged conversation and activity more than quiet solitude. We found ourselves missing some of the secluded little corners aboard Insignia where it was easy to disappear with a book for an hour or two. Both ships are wonderful, they simply have different personalities.

Room service lunch.  Do I look happy??

We decided to have lunch in our stateroom. Viking truly excelled here. Lunch was available twenty-four hours a day and almost always arrived within fifteen minutes. I ordered this same combination more than once. The lettuce was unbelievably fresh, the chicken consommé with vegetables quickly became one of my favorite comfort meals, and there was something wonderfully indulgent about eating lunch while watching the sea roll past our veranda.

The seas got rougher as we sailed beyond Newfoundland into the Labrador Sea

As we sailed beyond Newfoundland and entered the Labrador Sea, the water became noticeably rougher.That afternoon I left Mo relaxing in our cabin while I went downstairs for a scheduled ninety-minute massage. It was heavenly.

My therapist was both exceptionally skilled and genuinely kind. After weeks of preparing for the trip and several busy days of touring, it felt like giving my tired body permission to simply rest. Oddly enough, I never took a single photograph of the spa, even though I visited it more than once. Perhaps that is because I wasn't thinking about documenting it. I was simply enjoying it.

The Viking Spa is a beautiful Scandinavian retreat. It includes a warm relaxation pool beside an exceptionally hot whirlpool, heated stone loungers perfect for resting between treatments, a large sauna, a steam room, and the traditional Nordic bucket shower that dumps an entire bucket of ice water over your head. I tried that exactly once! The snow grotto was another experience I admired more than I participated in. Opening the door was enough for me. I had absolutely no desire to roll around in the snow. Later I also discovered the private women's sauna, another peaceful corner that quickly became a favorite.

It was time to enjoy a lovely dinner in The Restaurant

That evening we enjoyed another wonderful dinner in The Restaurant. We never purchased Viking's Silver Spirits beverage package because it simply wasn't necessary for us. Wine was included with both lunch and dinner, our glasses were always kept full, and no one minded if we carried them with us to another lounge afterward. Judging from the photographs, I was thoroughly enjoying both dinner...and the wine.

Can you tell I was thrilled with our meal?

The day ended exactly as it should have. Barefoot on our veranda. Watching the sun slowly settle over the Labrador Sea. Raising one last quiet toast to another unforgettable day.

A toast to our evening

07-07-2026 A Quiet Day on the Gulf of St. Lawrence

A quiet day in the Explorer Lounge as we sail the Gulg nof St. Lawrence

One of the unexpected pleasures of cruising is that not every day needs a destination. After yesterday's wonderful visit to Halifax, today belonged entirely to the sea.

We both slept later than usual, waking to the gentle motion of Viking Neptune as she continued north across the Gulf of St. Lawrence head toward Newfoundland. The swells were moderate, just enough to remind us we were traveling, and the air had definitely turned cooler. At last, the Woolx layers and hoodies we had packed so carefully were beginning to earn their place in the suitcase.

Rather than rush to breakfast, we ordered room service and enjoyed a leisurely meal in our stateroom. Real coffee, smoked salmon with capers and onions, and one of Viking's wonderful blueberry muffins made the perfect beginning to an unhurried day.

super comfy pairs of chairs at the front of the Explorer's Lounge

Later we wandered up to the Explorer's Lounge, quickly discovering that everyone else had the same idea. It was surprisingly busy, but just as we were settling into a pair of less-than-ideal chairs, Mo noticed another couple gathering their things. They happened to be leaving what I now consider the best seats on the ship.

From there we watched the gray Gulf of St Lawrence stretching endlessly toward the horizon while sipping coffee from charming Norwegian mugs. I settled in, determined to write while the memories of the voyage were still fresh.

The ship tracker on our TV in our bedroom

Looking out across that vast gray ocean, I found myself thinking less about what I could see than about what lay beneath us. As we sailed north, we had already crossed from the ancient continental rocks of Nova Scotia over a huge underwater valley carved by glaciers during the Ice Age. Soon we would reach Newfoundland, where the edge of the Appalachian Mountains meets the sea. Not long after that would come Iceland, where entirely new crust is still being created as the Earth's tectonic plates slowly pull apart. It struck me that this voyage wasn't simply taking us from one country to another. It was carrying us through hundreds of millions of years of Earth's history.

The water around us had a murky gray-green color that some people might mistake for dirty water. In reality, it was exactly the opposite. The Gulf of St. Lawrence receives enormous amounts of freshwater from both the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Those rivers carry fine sediments and nutrients that feed immense blooms of plankton. Those tiny organisms become food for fish, seabirds, and eventually the whales we all hoped to see during the next few days.

Sometimes the richest ecosystems don't announce themselves with crystal-clear water. They hide their abundance beneath the surface.

Nice to have the pool to myself

By afternoon I decided it was finally time to try the pool and hot tub. That simple decision turned into one of the highlights of the day.

The hot tub was HOT and the bubbles were STRONG!

Twenty minutes floating in warm water cut my pain nearly in half. For a little while I wasn't thinking about Inclusion Body Myositis, aching muscles, or balance. I was simply floating in warm water in the middle of the North Atlantic, watching the ship gently rise and fall with the swells.

Sometimes the smallest victories become the memories that stay with you the longest.

1000 piece puzzles are the sweet spot for us

Sea days have always been puzzle days for Mo and me, so we borrowed one from the ship's library and found a quiet table where we happily spent an hour assembling the border. After dinner we returned, eager to continue. The puzzle had vanished. Someone had thoughtfully cleaned off the table and put every piece back into the box.

Puzzle gone, and this space wasn't very private

I suppose we'll save our puzzling for home.

As evening settled over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the horizon blurred into a soft gray haze. Whether it was distant wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere or simply the northern weather, the sea and sky seemed to melt together into one endless landscape.

A glass of wine at the pool bar where we could see the coast of Canada through the haze

Somewhere beneath us lay that hidden glacial valley, carrying cold Atlantic water deep into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and supporting an extraordinary web of marine life. If we happened to see a whale over the next day or two, there was a good chance it would be there because of everything happening hundreds of feet below our ship in that unseen underwater world.

The pianist was spectacular, and played every evening in the Atrium before the dinner hour

It was a quiet day. No ports. No excursions. No dramatic adventures.

Good coffee in cute little cups with a cookie as we played dominoes

Just a comfortable chair in the Explorer's Lounge, good coffee, a little relief from aching muscles, and the deep satisfaction of knowing we were slowly making our way toward Newfoundland, Greenland,  and Iceland.

07-06-2026 Visiting Halifax Nova Scotia

Our first view of Halifax at 6:30 AM

We both slept well as Viking Neptune sailed toward Nova Scotia and Halifax. When we opened the curtains of our stateroom around 6:30 that morning, we were thrilled to see the ship approaching our first port of the voyage.

Fort Charlotte on Georges Island in Halifax Harbor

As Viking Neptune glided into Halifax Harbour, the first landmark to greet us was Georges Island. Beneath its peaceful green slopes lies Fort Charlotte, built by the British more than two centuries ago to defend one of the finest natural harbors in the world. It was hard to imagine cannons once pointed from those grassy hills as the morning sun reflected quietly across the water.

As a soil scientist, addicted to studying landscapes and trying to figure out their origin, I couldn't resist one more observation. The island's smooth, rounded profile almost looks natural at first glance, but much of what you're seeing is actually engineered earthworks. The thick blanket of soil and sod wasn't just for appearances; it absorbed cannon fire far better than exposed stone walls. It's one of those places where geology, engineering, and history all come together.

The lighthouse on the right captured my imagination

Then, as we rounded the island, we saw the lighthouse. Of course, I had to look up its history for myself and all the lighthouse lovers I know. Halifax merchants pushed for a light as early as 1856 after multiple ship collisions near the island in fog and darkness. Built by Thomas Halliwell on the west side of the island, it began operation on January 15, 1876, as a square wooden building standing 21 feet high with an attached keeper's dwelling. It served for forty years until a devastating fire destroyed the wooden structure in 1916.

It was replaced around 1919 by the sturdy octagonal concrete lighthouse that still stands today. A separate keeper's house was built nearby. The station remained staffed until David Barkhouse, the final keeper, left in 1972 when the light was automated. Today, the Canadian Coast Guard maintains the light, while the island and Fort Charlotte are preserved as part of Georges Island National Historic Site.

I am feeling happy and energetic this morning.  Sunshine does that for me.

The weather was perfect, with brilliant blue skies, a light breeze, and temperatures in the mid-60s. Mo had visited Halifax many years ago on a Maritime Provinces land tour, but I had never been there. We came close in 2015 during a Princess cruise to New England, but rough weather kept us from docking. I was looking forward to finally seeing the city.

Mo is happy too as we enjoy a great breakfast

We had plenty of time for breakfast in the World Café before our 10:30 disembarkation. Afterwards we explored parts of the ship we hadn't yet visited and discovered several lovely places that would call us back again and again throughout the cruise.

The pool deck with the roof open to the beautiful sunny morning

The lovely Aquavit Terrace for al fresco dining in good weather

A lovely room for quiet relaxation on the way to the Pool Deck

The pink hop-on, hop-off bus tour turned out to be the perfect excursion. There wasn't much hopping involved, which suited me just fine. Halifax basked in warm sunshine while my carefully packed cold-weather clothes continued to languish in the closet. Our bus wasn't actually pink, but it was delightfully old and rickety. A double-decker bus with surprisingly comfortable bench seats, it had plenty of character. 

Our converted double decker pink school bus was white

I turned on my talk-to-text microphone and managed to "mostly" capture the guide's narration. Fortunately, he had the perfect voice for the job.The tour lasted about an hour and a half. As expected, there wasn't going to be any hopping off for me. 

Trying to see through the bus windows was sometimes challenging

We crawled through traffic while the diesel engine idled, giving us extra time to hear the stories. Halifax was founded in 1749 as a British military garrison, and even today the military remains one of the city's largest employers, with a strong Navy, Army, and Air Force presence.One of Halifax's defining moments came on December 6, 1917, when two ships collided in the Narrows. One was carrying explosives, and the resulting Halifax Explosion devastated much of the city. The people of Boston immediately sent doctors, nurses, and supplies to help, a kindness Halifax still remembers every year by sending Boston a magnificent Christmas tree from Nova Scotia.

A view of the Fairview Lawn Cemetery but no chance to walk to the graves of Titanic victims

The guide pointed out Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where more than one hundred victims of the Titanic are buried. Among them is the famous grave marked "J. Dawson." Despite what many people believe, it does not belong to Leonardo DiCaprio's Jack Dawson, but to Joseph Dawson, a member of Titanic's crew whose grave became famous after the movie was released.

Just for fun, here is the actual camera shot, had to pretend the fence wasn't there with editing

Lots of brick and Scottish stone reminded us of Edinburgh

The city is built of handsome Victorian brick and Scottish stone, with colorful cottages, English-style perennial gardens, and, of course, plenty of Tim Hortons coffee shops. We passed the large Canadian Coast Guard base, responsible for the safety of ships throughout Canadian waters, and nearby the Irving Shipyard, one of Canada's largest shipbuilders. Its location beside the naval base makes it ideal for constructing and servicing naval vessels.From a distance we could see the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge spanning the harbor. Opened in 1955, it has its own colorful legend. Our guide told us that two earlier bridges supposedly collapsed because of a jealous husband who cursed the crossing after discovering his wife meeting a British soldier. Fortunately, the present bridge has survived just fine.

We passed several lovely parks and gardens with folks enjoying the gorgeous day outdoors

Much of the road construction we saw is part of the Cogswell District redevelopment project, replacing an aging maze of overpasses with streets, parks, and roundabouts that reconnect Halifax's north end with downtown.Returning toward downtown, we passed one of Halifax's busiest transit hubs, surrounded by office towers, shops, and restaurants. A clock on one building remains permanently stopped at 9:04 a.m., the exact moment of the Halifax Explosion, serving as a quiet memorial to that tragic day.

Looking back down toward the harbor as we approach Citidel Hill

The guide pointed out the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, home to the restored house of folk artist Maud Lewis. Confined to her tiny home for much of her life, she filled both the house and her paintings with cheerful colors. After her death, the entire house was carefully preserved inside the museum. Nearby stands a statue of Joseph Howe, journalist, politician, and champion of Nova Scotia during the years leading up to Canadian Confederation in 1867.

Province House with sentries on duty

We also passed Province House, where the Nova Scotia Legislature still meets, and Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor. Our guide made sure we knew the Lieutenant Governor was home because sentries were posted at the entrance.

Near the waterfront sits Halifax's historic VIA Rail station, where travelers can still board a train for the long journey across Canada. The guide joked that it takes about a week to reach Vancouver, but the scenery through the Rocky Mountains makes the trip worthwhile.I wasn't particularly interested in the Halifax stop before we arrived, but after the tour I came away with a genuine appreciation for both the city and its remarkable history.

The driver took us to the 

Our final stop was Citadel Hill, the great fortress overlooking the city. 

We were not able to hike to the top of Citadel Hill since I wasn't in the mood to Hop Off

Sailing out of Halifax Harbor by 4 PM

The ship set sail earlier than we expected beneath clear blue skies, bright sunshine, and a lovely breeze. That evening we enjoyed Canada Night in the World Café, and our meal was memorable, easily ten times better than the specialty restaurant the previous evening.

We began with perfectly fried goat cheese drizzled with silky dill sauce, 

followed by succulent shrimp and crab, fresh greens with balsamic dressing, 

and a poke salad almost as good as the one Deb and I enjoyed during our Viking Rhine River cruise. 

Then came the star of the evening: perfectly cooked maple-glazed salmon, green beans that tasted as though they'd just come from someone's garden, roast duck with duck sauce, and roasted walnut butternut squash. Every bite was wonderful.

Then something Mo and I usually dread turned out to be one of the highlights of the evening.A couple asked if they could share our table.Of course. Lucille and Bob from Connecticut turned out to be delightful companions. They were charming, easy to talk with, genuinely interested in other people, and just as willing to listen as to tell their own stories. We laughed together throughout dinner, and by the end of the evening we had exchanged phone numbers. Perhaps one of those rare travel friendships will continue long after the voyage has ended.

No photo of our friends but this shows how lovely and uncrowded the World Cafe is at dinner

We finished dinner with wine and our complimentary Crown Royal whiskey sours before wandering down to the Star Theater on Deck 2. There we enjoyed the Viking Band and vocalists in the first of several outstanding performances we would see during the cruise. 

The Star Theater was full every night for great entertainmaent

The evening featured Southern rock but wandered happily through older country favorites as well, from Patsy Cline to Johnny Cash. We were both amazed by the quality of the entertainment throughout the ship.

smoke from the fires in Canada was visible into much of the North Atlantic

We ended our first full port day standing on our veranda, watching the sun slowly sink toward the horizon shortly after 9:30 that evening. Halifax had been far more interesting than I ever expected, and as Viking Neptune slipped quietly back out to sea, I found myself looking forward to whatever tomorrow might bring.