zitsky

Generally 'see' is code for drive or walk past.

 

Tour or visit are the words you need if you expect to go inside...

Yes, that's what I was thinking.

Enjoy a walking tour through the heart of the medieval quarter of Monaco, known as The Rock, with the spectacular Mediterranean as your backdrop. Drive with your guide along a picturesque coastal road, passing through Villefranche, Beaulieu and Cap d’Ail. Upon arrival, you will visit St. Nicholas Cathedral (if the mass schedule permits). A young church by European standards, it was consecrated in 1875. This is the burial site of the royal family, including American actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly. In Monaco’s main square, the Place du Palais, you can see the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, home to the House of Grimaldi since 1297. Continue by coach to Monte Carlo. Enjoy a walking tour here, followed by an elegant dinner at the Café de Paris. After, you will have some free time. If you wish, you may step inside the world-famous Monte Carlo Casino. Return to Nice via the breathtaking Middle Corniche.

I'm going on Viking Avignon to Lyon with 3 days pre-cruise in Nice.

This just popped up on the Viking website. Before it recognized we had a pre-cruise package but it wasn't presented in the same way as activities for the other days. Now the 2nd day city tour shows up as an activity, and also an optional package "A Night in Monaco" that includes a tour and dinner. Has anyone done this, or is this a new package?

In Monaco’s main square, the Place du Palais, you can see the Prince’s Palace of Monaco, home to the House of Grimaldi since 1297.

It doesn't say that you actually tour the Palace, it suggests you just get to see it. I know that seems strange but I don't want to assume anything. I plan to ask Viking and my travel agent to clarify before I sign up.

Thank you for the wine list Sue!!! :)

I don't believe that there is a by the glass wine list...

 

Which cruise are you taking? I didn't think that the standard wines were terrible at all, and I too am a bit of a wino. The wines on the Bordeaux cruise were better than our Danube cruise, but I like wines from the Bordeaux region better that I like the wines from Wachau Valley. I believe that they use wines from the cruise region, and on both cruises they changed depending on the country/region we were visiting that day.

 

Don't forget that you are free to purchase local wines and enjoy them with your meal.

 

Jeff

I'm on Viking, southern France, Avignon to Lyon. Found the answer, I think. The bar menu says "For a larger selection of wine, we will be delighted to present you our international wine list." It doesn't say anything about wines by the glass though. It could mean bottles only.

If you don't like the standard wines and you don't buy the beverage package, is it easy to ask for the by the glass list and just pay one at a time? I am a bit of a wine snob so now I'm a little worried about Viking quality. :confused:

Sounds like anyone doing transfers has to wait for a busload of other people. I don't mind waiting. I just hope they have a bathroom on that bus! :p

Aren't there some small snacks, maybe cookies at the coffee/tea station? I haven't gone yet but I recall reading that somewhere.

OK, y'all have convinced me. It's the aqueduct. I canceled the wine tour and added the aqueduct. My credit card shows a charge for the (new) aqueduct tour but no credit for the canceled wine tour. I guess I'll have to call Viking!

Not too excited about the included Beaujolais tour later. Sounds like Viking takes you to the bottom of the barrel places. Oh well!

Thanks for the replies. Based on your comments I'm leaning towards doing the aqueduct instead. There's an included wine tour later in Macon.

These are in Avignon. Hard to compare these two, but maybe someone has an opinion? Is the aqueduct interesting enough? Right now I have us booked on the wine tour/tasting.

Our TA checked with Viking and told us which hotel we will be staying at in Amsterdam but it isn't the one that is mentioned on the Viking page advertising the pre-cruise package.

 

Could that still change? We have looking at the map and planning our trips from the hotel we were told we would be staying at.

Hi Kylie. Two people on this thread did say that their hotel changed. So it's possible. I expect mine could change too.

You should get final confirmation a few weeks before your cruise.

It is listed on your booking confirmation on your original invoice. But they will tell you that could change.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I've been working with a TA so I don't recall getting an invoice from Viking. But she did tell me in an email. If I search my mailbox, I don't find an invoice that lists the hotel. I'll search when I'm at home later.

No problem. I have enough info. I only remember receiving an invoice for the flight but not the cruise. I will check with the TA.

There is no such thing as a stupid question. I will do my first Viking River Cruise this September. I've already asked quite a few questions. People have been very nice about replying. I thought some of mine were kind of silly, especially the one about finding bathrooms, but it was something I worried about. :)

I have confirmed with my travel agent that I paid for the pre-package (Nice) that includes Le Meridien hotel. But I cannot find confirmation of this either on my travel agent website or the Viking website. I just called Viking and they said hotel information doesn't show on their website. Is this normal for a Viking package? I understand I won't get confirmation of everything, documents, etc until 3 weeks before cruise date.

What's bothering me is that I swear I saw this on one of the sites a few days ago, but it's gone now. Maybe it was never really there.

What cruise are you on? I'm on a France cruise in October and don't see that as an option. Probably too late in the year.

I'm more than a month after my deposit date, and most insurance I've seen does not cover "cancel for any reason".

So, originally I was looking for trip insurance mostly to cover medical expenses for my partner and I during the trip. But after talking to my partner, he pointed out that both of us have elderly parents, and we could possibly need to cancel our trip to deal with *their* medical issues.

I can't seem to find an insurer that will cover for CFAR. I've looked at Travel Guard and CSA. Allianz from Viking seems to cover it, but they want about $1,000 for insurance versus $600 for the other ones.

Has anyone done any investigation on insurance that will cover your trip cost? I have a headache trying to read all the fine print on these contracts. :confused:

Hi zitsky,

 

There are likely plans you can get. May I get this info?

- Are you currently able to travel (YES)

- what was the exact date of your intial deposit? (Feb 3, 2016)

- what's your age? (49)

- what date is your final payment? (Mar 25, 2016)

 

If you don't want to answer that's OK. However this is what's needed to tell you if you can get coverage.

 

Steve

See answers above. And BTW, this is for two people both who have pre-existing conditions. But those aren't anything that we expect to impact our travel. It's nothing that will keep us from getting around. It just could be an issue if we end up in a hospital somewhere for treatment.

My deposit date was maybe 3-4 weeks ago. I have a pre-existing condition. Am I out of luck for getting good insurance at this point? I am trying to read everything I can on this website, but I have never bought insurance before.

I feel pretty comfortable with the website but I'm a techie and used to things like that. I really think anyone could use it, it seems pretty straightforward. I'm definitely going to book my optional excursions way in advance. I'll probably do about 75% of the option excursions that I see in the book or on the website. I don't mind using a credit card because it's all points for me. I paid the deposit by CC, the final payment and the excursions too.

If you poke around Viking's website you can find a pdf of the laundry price list. Prices seemed reasonable, to be honest.

I found it under the FAQ section, under "Will we be able to have laundry done on the ship?"

Could a mod please remove the TA reference in my previous post? Thanks.

Sounds like I have nothing to worry about, then. Thanks for the info.

I just want to compare notes with some of you who might have used a travel agent for your flights like I am doing. I was told that my TA only books tickets 30 days before the flights, but that we did have seats assigned, unless the airline changes them (which should probably not happen). If we wanted tickets to be booked early, then we would be responsible to deal with any flight changes, cancellations, etc. The seats we have are good, not the best, but we're in coach and it doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

I like knowing that the travel agent will back us up if the schedule is changed or flights are cancelled. But it might be nice to know that our seat assignments are really locked in and won't change. Yes, the airline could always change seats, but it's less likely with tickets in hand.

[TA name removed at OP's request]

We basically just walked around and enjoyed the scenery. We had thought about trying to visit the palace, but didn't really have time.

 

It is not a big place. If anyone is an F1 fan, it is nice to see the curve in front of the Fairmont Hotel. The shoreline is beautiful. But everything is *VERY* expensive.

 

Fran

You've given me an idea. Lunch at the Fairmont and a visit to the palace sounds like fun to me.

The painting class/tour was not offered on my recent Viking cruise (which was in the reverse direction) but it does sound a little expensive.

 

We docked in Tarascon and were bussed to Arles for the walking tour. We did see a few Van Gogh sights there, like the café and another place. I want to say it was a hospital/sanitarium but I can't remember. It wasn't the same one that you see on the optional tour. Do make sure you go on the walking tour with Viking. There is a coliseum that is in better condition that the Rome coliseum. We got free entrance with the Viking tour. My mother didn't go on the tour but went later on her own and admittance was not free to her.

 

I did do the optional tour to Les Baux and St Remy. It was great. The Van Gogh sights all have signs with his painting with the subject right behind it. We did the France's Finest combo cruises with Viking so we went to Auvers sur Oise where Van Gogh lived just before he killed himself. Our guide there was very passionate about Van Gogh and made the tour so interesting that it encouraged me to take this optional tour of Les Baux/St Remy. I really think that Arles and St Remy (and Auvers) do the Van Gogh sights well. One can take a picture of the sign with the painting and the subject in the background in one shot. Also, watch for the golden disks embedded in the streets that are marked Vincent. I don't think the guide on the optional tour to St Remy mentioned them but I knew about them from the Auvers tour. It's a lovely area of France.

Thanks very much! When you're bused in like that, do they give you the impression that you can linger and come back later? Meaning, do they bundle you up at the end, put you back on the bus and drop you back at the ship? Or is it more like a shuttle service where you could stay until 1pm, 2pm etc? Would it be too far to walk back to the ship?

In your experience, how often are you moored *in* the city versus times when you have to take the bus to get into town?