Viking Optional Shore Excursions

I accidentally posted this in the roll call section, so I'm re-posting it here.

We're doing some research before booking a 2018 European Sojourn (Bucharest to Amsterdam). Our TA is offering $600 OBC. We're trying to figure out what we'd use the money on. Instead of the OBC, they'll send a check after the cruise.

1. Optional excursions - are there many worthwhile excursions that would be additional money?

2. Tips - can we charge tips to our on-board account?

3. Drinks - We don't drink very much. How is the house wine with meals?

I'd appreciate any words of wisdom from former Viking cruisers. Thanks

1. Optional excursions - are there many worthwhile excursions that would be additional money?

very subjective question ... we took one .... we liked it .... but sometimes the optional excursions happened while the boat moved. And IMO ..... those times were worth being on the boat.

2. Tips - can we charge tips to our on-board account?

yes but as I recall there is a restriction that say OBC can not be applied to tips .... and isn't VIKING also a 'no tip' line. I tipped and had no issues about it ....

3. Drinks - We don't drink very much. How is the house wine with meals?

no complaints here, and here's a tip .... as you leave the dining room ask for a fill up ..... all the half empties are gonna be dumped ...... dw left the dining room with 2 glasses frequently

I'd appreciate any words of wisdom from former Viking cruisers. Thanks

I would always take the CASH!!! Then you would have no worries and the best of both worlds.

I accidentally posted this in the roll call section, so I'm re-posting it here.

 

We're doing some research before booking a 2018 European Sojourn (Bucharest to Amsterdam). Our TA is offering $600 OBC. We're trying to figure out what we'd use the money on. Instead of the OBC, they'll send a check after the cruise.

 

1. Optional excursions - are there many worthwhile excursions that would be additional money?

 

2. Tips - can we charge tips to our on-board account?

 

3. Drinks - We don't drink very much. How is the house wine with meals?

 

I'd appreciate any words of wisdom from former Viking cruisers. Thanks

1. You haven't said where you've been or what you've seen. What I do is look at what they're offering as the included tour. If I've already been to that particular place and have seen what's on the tour, I then look to see what's on offer for extra $$. I think Viking does a nice job of selecting extra "for pay" tours.

2. As already mentioned, no. Viking tips are pretty much industry standard though. They're what we pay on other cruise lines.

3. We thought the offerings were fine but we're not very fussy about that, particularly when Viking doesn't care if you bring your own bottle on board and doesn't charge a corkage fee.

You're very fortunate to have $600 OBC! Look at the "for pay" tours and if any take your fancy, go for it but honestly, you'd be hard-pressed otherwise to spend it all. I foresee a nice little $$ after your cruise!

I would take the cash, too. As far as I know OBC cannot be used towards the tips.

I pretty much agree with everyone else. 1. You have to look at the tours and compare them with your interests. On our recent Rhine cruise (7 days), we opted for two, and we were pleased with them. We also decided to opt out on some included tours, as we found more interesting things to do. 2. While you can charge your Viking tips to your account, if you want to tip particular people, you should tip them directly. You will also want to have some cash to tip the tour guides and bus drivers. 3. We don't drink much either--during meals and maybe a beer once in a while (not every day). We found the house wines acceptable. $600 sounds like a lot of credit. I don't think you would spend that much, although you might want to do the math for how much the tips for the staff would add up to. --Dav

You cannot use OBC to pay for gratuities or tips on Viking. If you agree to tip and charge it to your account, that amount will be billed to your credit card even if there is OBC left on your account. Tipping is optional and will not automatically be added to your bill. You will be asked to include the tips when you settle your account. I assume a "no" would be honored but have no experience as such since we always agreed to add the recommended amount for staff and the program director.

I wonder what would happen if I explained to the desk attendant, who is presumably part of the tip pool, that if I can't use my remaining OBC for tips I will just deduct that amount from the total? Nothing like giving someone a personal incentive to say 'yes'!

Take the CASH! The ONLY reasons to not take CASH are:

1) you have a severe cash flow problem, and would not be able to take the optional tour or have that drink unless the OBC was sitting there (in which case if it was me i wouldn't be on the trip), OR

2) you question whether the TA will actually come through with a check after the fact (in which case I'd be using a different TA).

Then you can separately judge if you think the optional tour or the drink is what you WANT to do, not "well I have to spend the money on something."

I have done a number of river cruises, and have cruised from the Black Sea to the North Sea, and would gladly go again. BUT Have you done river boats before? Have you done 3 week cruises before? Some people (not me) would find 3 weeks on a river boat a bit much.

Happy Sails

Thom