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West Indies Explorer Questions


Cyber Kat
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I know this itinerary is kind of new for Viking, so there aren't a lot of people who have done it - thought I'd put these questions out there anyway. Perhaps as more people do it - the answers may come.

 

We did a Viking river cruise and like the experience a lot, so we thought we'd try Viking Ocean. The islands on this itinerary are some we've been considering so it made sense. We don't like the floating mega mall/hotel/theme park ships. The small size and all veranda ships of Viking appealed greatly.

 

We booked air through Viking because it was only $45. When we did our river cruise, we were able to pay for Viking Air Plus to pick flights and upgrade. This is not available for this itinerary, so question #1 is - what experience have any of you had with flying with Viking selecting flights to San Juan? Are we going to be stuck in the last row of standard coach on a budget airline with several stops between NY/NJ and San Juan?

 

I asked my Viking rep about Air Plus and she said flights are limited, so they are not doing it, but when I look, there are a lot of options from EWR or JFK to San Juan. We'd like to fly business/first (understanding that it will be more than $45 ;p ) - but again there doesn't seem to be that option. I'm trying to decide whether to just book on our own. I'm thinking that by the time Viking gets around to ticketing us without Air Plus, the options will, indeed, be limited.

 

We are flying down a day ahead (and already paid the deviation fee for that), so we will be coming from a hotel without the Viking transfer. I know access to the rooms is determined by the level of the room (we are in a DV4), but can you board the ship before like with the river cruises. They took our luggage on the river cruise and we could walk around the ship and have lunch before our room was ready. We will probably check out of the hotel around the check out time of noonish.

 

Someone else asked about the safety drill in another thread, but I'm not sure how they will handle it in San Juan. I know it's way too soon, but I'm research junkie and I like to know ahead. We are in San Juan over night and leave rather late in the day on that second day. I'm hoping it's before dinner and not just before we sail. Are the muster stations by the lifeboats or just other places around the ship?

 

On the river cruise we all just went up to the top deck, because the ships were higher than the water level in the river. The CD joked that we could actually meet in the lounge for a drink with dry feet!

 

I think that's it for now - but at least if I think of more, I can put them here and it's also available for anyone else with a question about this newish itinerary.

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A couple of answers when went on the West Indies cruise we booked our own flights but other times we took their air it was near in rear and they said they always give at least 1 aisle seat but you can change your seats after you are book on the flight in most cases. If you are staying in old San Juan the cab from the airport is about $25. You can probably walk to the cruise ship or a short taxis ride to port. The muster was done before we departed the port on the deck. Pretty much the same procedure as on any other cruise

We got on board about 2 had lunch and our room was ready. Luggage delivered to room no real wait Check in is very easy no long waits just needed credit card, passports and we were on. Take your time to explore the ship. We have been on similar itineraries to this one before but really enjoyed the ports talks the night before If you are shopping they have a person to help you and tell you where the deals are but not shopping focused

Viking treats you right. Enjoy[emoji3]

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We are sailing out of San Juan this December on the Amazon trip which includes some of the West Indies islands. Coming from CA we have no direct flights available. Some of the travelers who used Viking air for San Juan out of CA were on midnight departures.....flight schedules from here are either you can do that or arrive late at night......we would rather arrive at night than fly with connecting flights overnight. (If it's across the pond direct then fly me overnight). We generally use miles to upgrade.....so we decided to book our flights of choice in Business and just have that expense paid early. We are arriving early and staying over two nights at the end.

 

On our previous Oceans trip, We were able to board at 11:00, grab a bite to eat, and wander around the ship prior to our room availability. We enjoyed being able to do that.

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My wife and I completed the West Indies trip back in Dec. This was our second time on a Viking Ocean cruise (the first being the 'homelands' cruise). We have not been on a Viking (or any other) river cruise ......yet. We are booked on a river cruise through Viking leaving within 60 days!

 

As to your question, we LOVE the Viking Ocean ships. In our opinion it's just the right size. Can't say enough good things about these ships. How it compares to a river cruise I don't know.

 

We too let Viking book our flight to San Juan as it was incorporated into the 'package' this was sold to us. Normally we book our own flights, but for the price we let Viking handle it. They did an okay job of the flights. Basic economy seats, but leaving Houston they had us connecting through Charlotte! Of course if we had booked ourselves we would have gone direct. So our travel time was basically doubled.

 

With that said, IMO unless the cruise has the flight 'included' I would highly recommend arranging your our flight transport.

 

Hope that helps.

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A couple of answers when went on the West Indies cruise we booked our own flights but other times we took their air it was near in rear and they said they always give at least 1 aisle seat but you can change your seats after you are book on the flight in most cases. If you are staying in old San Juan the cab from the airport is about $25. You can probably walk to the cruise ship or a short taxis ride to port. The muster was done before we departed the port on the deck. Pretty much the same procedure as on any other cruise

We got on board about 2 had lunch and our room was ready. Luggage delivered to room no real wait Check in is very easy no long waits just needed credit card, passports and we were on. Take your time to explore the ship. We have been on similar itineraries to this one before but really enjoyed the ports talks the night before If you are shopping they have a person to help you and tell you where the deals are but not shopping focused

Viking treats you right. Enjoy[emoji3]

 

 

Still haven't decided what to do about the flights. I'd rather have more control. I may keep an eye on the prices over the next month or so.

 

We are looking at staying in Old San Juan for the night we are there before cruise. We'll take a cab to the ship.

 

Glad to hear embarkation is as easy as the river cruise

 

 

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Still haven't decided what to do about the flights. I'd rather have more control. I may keep an eye on the prices over the next month or so.

 

We are looking at staying in Old San Juan for the night we are there before cruise. We'll take a cab to the ship.

 

Glad to hear embarkation is as easy as the river cruise

 

 

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We are staying at the Sheraton old San Juan, it's across the street from our pier. Because we are going on the Sea on February 5, 2018, I was nervous about the weather and chose to arrive one day before. You need to pay for airport taxi to hotel which is about $25. There are lots of restaurants and there's a Starbucks close by. Enjoy

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FPacifico, we are staying at Sheraton Old San Juan as well......but boy are San Juan hotels pricey!! We chose it mostly for convenience to the ship.

Have you stayed there previously?

No, but you're right, the price is high . But it's across the street from the pier and in the central part of old San Juan . Trip advisor has very good reviews, some good and some not so good. The benefit is that we can be at the boat at 11 and leave our luggage on board and still relax. I just didn't want to stress the weather, you never know

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We are staying at the Sheraton old San Juan, it's across the street from our pier. Because we are going on the Sea on February 5, 2018, I was nervous about the weather and chose to arrive one day before. You need to pay for airport taxi to hotel which is about $25. There are lots of restaurants and there's a Starbucks close by. Enjoy

 

 

We are looking to stay at El Convento in old San Juan. I toured it with my sister a few years back and it was lovely. It's in an old convent - thus the name [emoji3]

 

They had a wonderful tapas bar and the best sangria I've ever had! I like quirky kind of hotels like this rather than a chain and it seems to get good reviews.

 

We are also sailing on the Viking Sea but March 17th. Flying in a day early as well. Even though the ship is in port over night I don't want to take chances. We can still have bad winter weather in March.

 

I'd thought the cab fare from the airport would be about $25-30 so that's good.

 

If we can check into the hotel around noon that gives us some time to explore. They have a nice rooftop pool so we can enjoy a dip before dinner, relax then in the morning check out and head over to the ship.

 

If the ship is docked where the other cruise ships dock, it's within walking distance, but we'll have luggage so we'll get a cab.

 

 

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We are looking to stay at El Convento in old San Juan. I toured it with my sister a few years back and it was lovely. It's in an old convent - thus the name [emoji3]

 

They had a wonderful tapas bar and the best sangria I've ever had! I like quirky kind of hotels like this rather than a chain and it seems to get good reviews.

 

We are also sailing on the Viking Sea but March 17th. Flying in a day early as well. Even though the ship is in port over night I don't want to take chances. We can still have bad winter weather in March.

 

I'd thought the cab fare from the airport would be about $25-30 so that's good.

 

If we can check into the hotel around noon that gives us some time to explore. They have a nice rooftop pool so we can enjoy a dip before dinner, relax then in the morning check out and head over to the ship.

 

If the ship is docked where the other cruise ships dock, it's within walking distance, but we'll have luggage so we'll get a cab.

 

 

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I heard about this hotel and it has a good reputation, enjoy

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I looked at El Convento - it truly looks lovely. Has great reviews and would be a pleasure to stay there. We most often stay at small hotels when we travel as well, but When I was looking a few months back, I found a great deal that was about $200 less per night at the Sheraton......and it was not their basic room....so I am taking the chance, after reading mostly good reviews on TA as well as other hotel booking sites, we decided $200 x 4 nights made it pretty attractive in spite of being a chain hotel. Plus the convenience to the ship cannot be beat.

I think that there is a win with either decision!

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We are staying two nights prior to and two after the cruise - both times at Sheraton. We will be there before you in Dec/Jan. Happy to give you honest feedback......if I can remember to. So don't hesitate to reach out to me!

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We are doing this cruise in November, and after much research, have booked a post-cruise night at the Decanter Hotel in Old San Juan. It is a small, boutique hotel -- only 20 rooms. The staff member who answered my e-mail querries was very nice and accommodating, and it got lots of good reviews on tripadvisor. El Convento was our first choice, but they did not allow one-night bookings on our date. We'd love to spend more nights, but we have to go back to work to earn more for a next trip!

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We are staying two nights prior to and two after the cruise - both times at Sheraton. We will be there before you in Dec/Jan. Happy to give you honest feedback......if I can remember to. So don't hesitate to reach out to me!

Thanks

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  • 1 month later...

For those who have done this cruise and used Viking Air, when did they book your flights?

 

What airlines did they use?

 

Were you able to get them to book earlier than usual?

 

Once you were booked could you change seats easily?

 

This is making me nuts. I don't want to fly basic coach and I'm afraid that the closer to the cruise I get seats will be limited. The flight through Viking is only $45 but I'm tempted to book my own

 

We will be flying out of Newark or JFK

 

 

 

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For those who have done this cruise and used Viking Air, when did they book your flights? What airlines did they use?

 

 

We sailed on the Star in Feb from San Juan. We elected to use Viking Air and arrived two days early so we had to pay a deviation fee. From Northwest AR, we were booked on Delta through Dallas.

 

We had our flights about 75 days out and I called our TA to get them to go ahead and ticket us, which they did.

 

We did not explore upgrading to business class because the longest flight was 4 hours. If you are interested in doing that, call and find out what your options are. We have done it both ways. We've booked on our own and we have used Viking Air

 

We stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan. There was a RCL and Carnival ship sailing the same day as the Viking Star and the hotel was rocking with excited cruisers. Our room was quiet but the hotel was busy. They have a dime sized pool if that is important to you.

 

The location is perfect for exploring Old Town. We walked to the ship with our rolling bags. Checkin began at 11:30 and was lightening fast. Security told us that no one could enter the area until 11:30 when we walked down at about 9 to check things out. I think cabins were ready at 2.

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Cause I am that way, I just looked at business class flights from JFK and Newark into San Juan. For that price, even if Viking won't do it, I would book business class. You will arrive rested and you won't end your vacation stuffed in row 32. Don't forget to buy Don Q rum at the duty free store.

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We sailed on the Star in Feb from San Juan. We elected to use Viking Air and arrived two days early so we had to pay a deviation fee. From Northwest AR, we were booked on Delta through Dallas.

 

We had our flights about 75 days out and I called our TA to get them to go ahead and ticket us, which they did.

 

We did not explore upgrading to business class because the longest flight was 4 hours. If you are interested in doing that, call and find out what your options are. We have done it both ways. We've booked on our own and we have used Viking Air

 

We stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan. There was a RCL and Carnival ship sailing the same day as the Viking Star and the hotel was rocking with excited cruisers. Our room was quiet but the hotel was busy. They have a dime sized pool if that is important to you.

 

The location is perfect for exploring Old Town. We walked to the ship with our rolling bags. Checkin began at 11:30 and was lightening fast. Security told us that no one could enter the area until 11:30 when we walked down at about 9 to check things out. I think cabins were ready at 2.

 

I am following your exact schedule come March 2018. My TA did rely to Viking the non stop flight MSP to San Juan for my first choice, second choice would be going through Atlanta . I want to fly on Delta and Viking does use Delta especially from MSP gateway city.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

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We did the WI cruse last December.

Air... Worry about the weather and transfer points more than seats. We had some issues with Viking Air and initial routes that were taking us from PHX to northern cities with midnight departures and long transfer times. Finally thought we resolved it with a flight through ATL but that was changed at the last minute to Newark. Weather and airline issues (United) delayed our departure from EWR by about 12 hours and we didn't get to the ship until 2AM, 36 hours after leaving the house. We missed Day 1, and slept through part of Day 2. The ripple effect from the weather caused about 80 people (rummer mill number) with north east connections to miss the cruise due to lack of available seats on other flights.Others didn't get their luggage until day 3 or 4 and some never got theirs. So unless it is your origination point, stay away from the northern hubs, especially near the holidays. It was a learning experience for Viking and by the time we got there they had figured out how to deal with unscheduled airport arrivals and shipboard in processing. Disembarkation was flawless.

Cruise.... The tours and ports will not impress you if you if you have been to the Carib before. The ship, crew and food were above expectation and our highlight. The uncrowded, relaxed atmosphere filters down to the passengers who seemed friendlier. You can always find a place to sit down and do nothing ! The entertainment was minimal but acceptable. We had the standard muster drill (in the theater for us) about 45 minutes before sailing. You didn't have to bring and put on your life vest.

 

We enjoyed the ship so much we ended up booking the July 15 Homeland cruise while on board and are planning to go back to San Juan on our own.

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I am following your exact schedule come March 2018. My TA did rely to Viking the non stop flight MSP to San Juan for my first choice, second choice would be going through Atlanta . I want to fly on Delta and Viking does use Delta especially from MSP gateway city.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Delta had the best connections for us. I did ask our TA to request early morning flights that would get us there by mid afternoon rather than the more humane flights that left mid-late morning that pushed our arrival to the evening. I wanted time to get to the hotel, explore a little and enjoy dinner. We had booked tours for both days and first full day had an early start.

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