TayanaLorna

MVJ got an overhaul in the winter of 2021. The Health & Safety stuff was added, has the list of requirements in order to sail a particular cruise, Comfort Check In, the increased functionality of Air was added earlier this year...

Yes each South American country will have different protocols. They could even be different for land and cruise visitors. Each cruise line could have different requirements too.

She traveled to BA in mid December and was supposed to be on a BA to Santiago cruise over the holidays but i don't know which line.

Many people say do not pre pay gratuities IF you are thinking of booking your next Viking cruise on board. Booking on board often offers perks that you cannot get booking elsewhere. They could include a more favorable final payment date, on board credit for current cruise, on board credit for your future cruise and double the Explorers Club discount. They use that new on board credit for the gratuity.

Pack for upper 30's to 90 F. In Santiago, Buenos Aires and Montevideo to could be hot. If you do scenic cruising up to glaciers in Patagonia it could be the upper 30's and you will want to be outside on deck. It could pour rain or be misty rainy. Suggest 2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes that way you still have a dry pair to wear. Have a jacket that is water and wind resistent with a hood. Wear multiple layers underneath depending on the temperature and wind. I wore a sundress or shorts/t-shirt up North. As we traveled South we wore long pants, shoes and socks and layered long underwear tops, long sleeved shirt, fleece zip up or down vest under water/wind resistent hooded jacket. The only item i only wore once was sandals with a sundress to dinner. I find full shoes more comfortable for walking whether it is warm or cold. We loved our trip in January-February 2020.

Well I am glad I keep everything ha ha. Black Beach by ATV was $299 and it sold out. FYI people were saying it was meh. They barely got out of Reykjavik and went in awful weather Isafjordur by kayak was $129, by ATV it cost $219 and Vigur Island was $119. All sold out. Whale watching in Akureyri was $179. Seydisfjordur Vok Baths cost $179. We did this and Skalanes Nature & Heritage Center $139 and loved them both. Even had time to walk through town. Djupivogur Kayaking was $129 and the Halsar Hike $79 which sold out Heimaey Coastal by RIB was $179 and Volcanic by ATV was $139. Both sold out. We spent a fortune on excursions, were out for 8-9 hours most days and it was well worth it!

Yes on page 2 of the Guest Invoice that we request through MVJ shows each payment with corresponding dates.

I saw a Living Room Bar Menu that someone posted when on a cruise in the last couple of months and thought the cost of drinks had increased. Then saw postings of the wine list and wine by the glass went from $6 to $8 and those same wines by the bottle went from $25 to $30. I figured the SSBP would soon increase.

Ah so River gratuities are more. We are on an ocean.

No notice from Viking. Why would they really? Yes MVJ shows $25 pp per day for drinks package and the recommended gratuities went from $15 to $18. Viking drinks package is still about the lowest in the cruise industry.

Me too re going to and from spa in robe. Meant to put that in.

Only if you have a suitable cover up. T-shirt for a man. Some sort of dress or shorts/top cover up for a woman. I always have a dress or caftan cover up to walk from my stateroom to pools, spa, Pool Grill, World Cafe etc. Stateroom robes are not acceptable.

Well excursions do not work the same on Ocean as they do on River. River has maybe 190 people going on an excursion at the same time. Ocean has 930 people and they cannot all get off at the same time to do an included or optional excursion. On Ocean the ship is at the same location the entire day thus timed excursions throughout the day. Once you get your excursion reservations you will have tickets for each in your stateroom. Pay attention to the ticket number and check it against the Viking Daily delivered to your stateroom early each evening. We dont just waltz to the exit at the excursion time. Each tour number has a meeting location on the ship or on shore at a specific time and it is often earlier then the excursion time. Everyone will get on an included excursion. We may just not get the time we want. Actually afternoon ones are less crowded.

Have a friend who went to BA for 5 days prior to a cruise. She had to test before boarding the ship. Tested positive and was denied boarding. Quanantined in BA and then flew home. The testing requirement is not to arrive in BA via air but to board any cruise ship. You won't find a website outlining rules for cruise ships. Often they are more strict then for land visitors.

If a ship is docked overnight in a port, passengers can go out in the evening or during the day whenever they wish. Just heed the all aboard time in the Viking Daily which is earlier then the posted departure time.

If you look closely at the Trip Mate policy through Viking, it CLEARLY states that Part A is provided by Viking and it is Cancel for Any Reason coverage with reimbursement by voucher from Viking to be applied to a future cruise. Part B is provided by the Underwriter totally separate from Viking. A refund is given IF the reason for cancellation is a covered reason and IF the required documentation is provided to the Underwriter within their stated time frame. We choose Part A or Part B. Once we make that choice it is final. Emergency surgery should be a covered reason to cancel. It sounds like you provided the documentation, it was received and approved. Your follow up for payment should be made with the insurance company. Viking was out of the picture once the Part B claim was made and they are not a liaison with the insurance underwriter for you.

I have not figured it out either.

Wow someone as detailed as me in preparing for a cruise.

Yes thank you also Mr. Feta.

We heard the same when visiting there but it was impossible to get $100 or anything larger the $20's. It is not the denomination but the condition of the bills:. No creases, no tears, no dog ears, no markings of any kind - basically crisp new bills otherwise their banks will not accept them for exchange.

Use of a very nice gym is free. Use of the amazing thermal spa is free whereas other cruise lines charge buco dollars. What do you want free manicures and pressing service too?

Then it sounds like John began his contract with the TA.

Was wondering what the guitarist's name was. Thanks. As your sea days wind down, would like to hear if you have any favorite bar tenders or wait staff. Do you know if much of the crew are staying on for the Caribbean season or will some change in San Juan? Last year we had many staff change in St. Martin because our next stop was PR and Viking could not get enough Visa's for the staff last year.

It is unpredictable. Not all cruises have heavy weather. I followed all the cruises on our cruise line of choice for the year in which we traveled. I'd say half missed the Falklands due to wind and nd half did not go around Cape Horn only sailing as close as they could get in the weather conditions and then turning around. One missed Puerto Montt in protected waters because the wind was too strong for docking. Our stop in Punta Arenas, again protected waters, had 100 km wind gusts and we had to hang on to the permanently installed sidewalk railings in town or get blown over. It's an adventure.

I don't think it would be a good idea to put a patch on children that young. That said, the southern oceans whether Pacific or Atlantic can be rough any time of year but earlier in the season (November-December) is the historically the worst. Another consideration traveling with children is do you want them to see the penguins with young? The penguins are no longer raising their young on land at the end of March or April. Most will be out to sea. I traveled on a smaller Viking ship from Santiago (Valparaiso) to Buenas Aires from end of January to mid February. I was concerned about the Pacific but it was fine. Our scenic cruising around cape horn was so calm that smaller expedition ships were able to launch their inflatables for their guests to land and hike on the island. However our visit to the Falklands was cancelled because it was too windy for the tenders to safely land. Then our first sea day to Puerto Madryn gave us 50 knot winds and 25+ foot seas in the Atlantic. All the outer decks were closed as were the pools due to the water sloshing out from the ship motion. Surprisingly nothing slid off cabin counters or tables. We really loved the Patagonia area the most and would go back by sea. There are several ships that ply these protected waters only and visit areas where the larger ones cannot. If you are into wildlife, small settlements and scenic natural beauty, you may wish to look into these. And you get calm waters to boot.