SantaFe1

Yes, yes, yes! There are so many wonderful things to embrace. And sometimes the disappointments brought new joys. I wish I was with you again, on the Neptune!

Well, it’s funny. Yesterday, for Manfredis it said that I had no reservations remaining. But for Chef’s Table it said reservations could be made on board. Today it had the “contact us” language. I this all this is changing rapidly.

I made our dining reservations ten days ago and was able to get pretty much what we wanted (PV1). But today, just for the heck of it, I went in to the dining reservations page on MVJ. Instead of saying I had no more reservations remaining, or saying I couldn’t make any reservations at this time it said: Reservations for two are sold out, please contact us for other available options. This is new and may be in response to so many disgruntled people on this topic. I hope so, and hope all the DV and V folks get what they want!

Well, if these are the only choices, we will enjoy a “sea day” in Rome, or book something ourselves. As to restaurants, we are a PV1, and I was able to make all our reservations in the specialty restaurants when our window opened, with reasonable times, for us, anyway (6:30-7:30). In fact we have a reservation at Chef’s Table the night we are in/leaving Rome.

We are doing Med Antiquities, Athens to Barcelona, in Feb., with the turn around day in Rome. When I asked the chat person, she said that the first day of the cruise Viking would make available tours for those on the 15 day cruise to choose from for Rome. She sent me a page with the usual, listed tours for Rome, so I could get a feel for what was there. Having been to Rome many times, we are not interested in an 8-10 hour tour, being bussed into the city. We hope to visit Ostia. She said that was on the usual menu of shore ex and we should be able to get it. Hope this helps.

Well, I used to get up and book at 1 am when they opened at midnight Pacific time. And now that they open at noon, it’s easy to book at 1pm, but then I’m retired! Our next cruise, Med. Antiquities, is sold out. I still had no problem getting everything. And I just looked at the listed excursions and although all the DV cabins got to select today, there are still only about five things marked sold out—and they all involve food! So maybe the cruise also influences things. I think Viking is able to get a lot more excursions in the Mediterranean then, perhaps, in other places where tourism is still struggling.

I think the way you go about this depends a bit on cabin category. The DV and V cabins seem to have been having problems with shore ex selling out before they could check out. We always book a PV cabin, and I have never done anything other than choose all my excursions, included and optional, put them in my cart, and then just check out and pay once. I have always gotten everything. However, if you are going to use a credit card, registering the card on MVJ will not pull that card up for payment of your cart items. You will have to enter all the information. However, if you want to pay by bank draft, and save 3.3%, register the bank routing number ahead of time, and when selecting that form of payment upon check out it WILL put in that number for you. At least this is how it worked for me two weeks ago.