FlyerTalker

4 hours ago, gymfreak said:

Great news for Silversea, a loss indeed for Explora .

No loss for Explora.  They weren't utilizing her talents, as management onboard did nothing without the approval and direction of corporate HQ.

5 minutes ago, zalusky said:

I am definitely aware and have in both cases made sure the airline allowed it and pre-requested that I can use my CPAP machine.  I specifically gave them the make and model of the machine.  I did not use the humidifier chamber and use the special cap to run without it.  I also used a special rebreather sponge to capture my exhaust moisture to maintain humidity.  Neither myself or or my wife have ever been given a hard time.  United, Singapore Air, and Air New Zealand were all accommodating in the long haul connections.

Just making it clear....your original statement made it sound as if you could just use a CPAP with no issues anywhere.  There are most assuredly both airlines and machines that are not approved for inflight CPAP usage.

3 hours ago, zalusky said:

CPAPs!!!  In business class there is plenty of room and outlets to run your CPAPs.  Try that in the middle seat of economy.  Saying you could skip a night is not always the healthiest thing to do.  There are a number of people who have died during apnea attacks.

I hope you are aware that a number of airlines prohibit the use of a CPAP machine inflight.  And that others will only allow it with prior permission and approval of your machine and your power situation. The power outlets on an aircraft are not designed to handle the requirements of some machines - they provide power at 400 Hz, far different than the typical 50/60 Hz you find at home.

This is an aircraft safety issue, so I do not want anyone flaunting rules.

28 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

I'll leave my comments towards you on the point above, that I would be surprised and honestly proud if any significant amount of flyers did this level of due diligence when buying airfare for this length of travel. (assuming domestic USA to AU/NZ) I am unable to define significant.

Folks think one airplane is just like another.  Which can't be farther from the truth.

For example, let me pose this question to the group:  Which US airline has the greatest seat pitch between rows for coach?  

28 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I always check seat guru to see what type of aircraft is on the route.

SeatGuru has been abandoned by its owner, Trip Advisor.

They still have aircraft listed that are no longer operated by that airline.  And even airlines that don't exist anymore.

Beware.

One important thing to remember is that air travel is NOT a commodity product, in spite of what many think.  Interior cabin configurations can vary widely, even within the same airline.  For example, while many carriers put 10 abreast in a 777 for coach, ANA has only 9 seats across.  That little difference can be quite significant over a 10+ hour flight.  Same with differences in pitch - an additional inch can mean the difference between knees rubbing the seat in front and being able to relax a bit.  So researching cabin configurations can be quite worth the time and effort.  Try www.aerolopa.com

Another consideration -- fares are often higher for a non-stop to Australia as opposed to a connection.  Yes, you have a longer travel time, but you also break up the journey with an airport stop.

Finally, there are options to get a free stopover on the way to Australia, to be able to stretch your travel dollar.  Free stopover opportunities include Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Singapore, Fiji and Honolulu.

Whether or not business or PE are "worth it" is 100% a personal choice.  I know my choice.

Tienda Leon had a booth as you are leaving the terminal building.  I never pre-booked from the airport, but my last time using them FROM was a couple years back.  I did pre-book TO the airport.

54 minutes ago, MMMCruiser said:

Do you think this would work in Venice as well?  Don't want to book air through Viking because I'd like to be in Europe for a while before the cruise, but it seems complicated to get to the port in Chioggia.

Haven't flown into VCE, so don't know if the Viking reps are in the baggage area or not.  The trick works when they are out in the public area, so there's no way to have them be looking for you in an area you can't reach.  I'll defer to anyone else who knows about Viking reps at VCE.

On 9/18/2024 at 12:36 PM, CCWineLover said:

As for South America, we did that cruise and our own air and our own pre and post travel in Santiago and Buenos Aires.  It was quite easy for us, but we are used to doing our own thing and not needing hand holding from Viking.   We took a relatively inexpensive taxi to Santiago from the airport, stayed at the Doubletree.  From Santiago to Valparaiso we booked one of the many wine tours offered that pick you up in Santiago and drop you in Valpo and do wine tasting along the way.  From our Valparaiso Airbnb we took an inexpensive taxi to the port.  In Buenos Aires, we stayed on our own at the Hilton for 5 nights, among other places, and the hotel helped us arrange a very reasonable ride to the airport for our return.  All WAY cheaper than Viking and no hassles at all.  However, you have to decide if you feel up to it.  I totally understand if people need the handholding and "reassurance" and are willing to pay the bucks for it.

Buenos Aires is quite easy for transport.  You want to get a "remis" to/from the airport, with Tienda Leon being a very reputable supplier.  Don't take a taxi there, but feel free to use them in town.

At Santiago, we've used TransVIP to/from the airport and hotel.  Excellent service every time.

One trick you can use at SCL.  Even if you come in a day or more early, you can fake your way into buying a Viking transfer to the port.  All you need to do is give Viking a fake airline itinerary with an arrival that is convenient for you.  Come back to the airport that morning, find the Viking reps, and hand over your luggage.  Viking does not have access to the flight manifest, so they only know that you are "supposedly" coming in on that flight.  The agents are outside of customs, so they aren't picking up your bags off the belt.  You get your name checked off a list and wait for your bus to the port.  Or as noted above, there are many companies that will take you to the port and do a tour along the way -- or just transport you.

The food in the Al Mourjan lounge is quite good in my experience.  Just enjoy that.  There are several dining areas with different menu options.

As a short note...depending on where you are connecting to, you might have a ticket that is coded as F, as QR uses that for its short-haul "business" flights.  For example, flying USA-DOH-AUH, the short leg was coded as F, which allowed use of the Al Safwa first class lounge which is a sensational place.

17 minutes ago, Zach1213 said:

It's a bit of a squeeze to get in/out, but unless you're overly big or have mobility issues, you should be fine. They do feel a bit narrow and claustrophobic to me, so I pretty much avoid the window and stick to the aisle as much as I can. 

Definitely a squeeze.  I haven't seen actual dimensions, but I would put it at about 10 inches by my eyeballs.  Good fit for small Asian frames, not so much for full size Americans.  I too have stuck to the aisle seats and found them to be fine.

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

DOJ also has a say, but it seems unlikely they will hold it up.

DoJ already blessed the deal a few weeks back.

You've also got 5000+ people leaving the ship.

Haven't cruised out of Galveston but this just seems like asking for stress.

7 hours ago, BWIVince said:

My point wasn’t that they didn’t know how to put out an RFP, just that they were unlikely to break an existing agreement over it. 

My point is that someone didn't do their due diligence by actually trying the product - as used by the consumer.  Not just smelling a sample or looking at the package.

Sorta like the Seabourn app when actually on the ship.

5 hours ago, BWIVince said:

in the short term they have to pick from the options from La Bottega that are currently available, which all have significant downsides.

Disagree with the premise.  There are plenty of suppliers they could use....if they chose to.

La Bottega isn't a monopoly.

1 hour ago, rljan said:

New Crystal is listening to the comments from their guests and constantly making adjustments when needed to improve their product.

They sure haven't listened to the complaints about the pump bottles of the Ortigia product.  My dollar softsoap pumps at home work better.

Otherwise, quite good.

8 hours ago, jmknife said:

Apparently, Vietnam no longer requires visas for people arriving on cruise boats. Still working on Indonesia.  They are asking for 3 months of bank statements with a minimum of $2000 or $2500 dollars (I can’t remember right now). I would think arriving  on Oceania would indicate a basic bank balance. 

Since you don't say what country you are a citizen of, let's assume USA.  If so, you are going about this all wrong.  You want a B1 tourist visa.  Here are the requirements from the Indonesian govt website:

-=-=-=-=

1. Stay

• Up to 30 days (extendable for another 30 days)

2. Cost

• Rp500.000

3. With this visa you can
   1. Conducting activities related to tourism, and visiting friends or family.
   2. Participate in meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions as an attendee.
   3. Traveling in Indonesia on a yacht (yachter).
   
   
4. You must
   1. Comply with laws and regulations.
   2. Respect local customs, culture, and wisdom.
   3. Have sufficient living expenses while in Indonesia.
   
   
5. Other information
   1. Staying in Indonesia over the period of your stay permit, engaging in prohibited activities, not complying with visa conditions,
      and/or not complying with Indonesian laws may result in you paying fines, being deported, and/or other legal charges.
   2. You are prohibited from selling goods or services.
   3. You are prohibited from receiving rewards or wages from individuals or companies in Indonesia.
   
   
6. Document Requirement
   Present the following documents to the immigration officer upon arrival for immigration inspection:
   1. Passport valid for at least 6 months.
   2. Outbound ticket from Indonesia.
   
   
7. Visa Validity
          90 day

-=-=-=-=-=

No requirement for bank balances, no large fees (500,000 is about USD32). 

Try again.

And if all else fails, why not just send an email to their address listed on the website.  Or use their chat feature.

Don't know your itinerary and start/end points.  In any case, Indonesia has a fairly simple electronic visa system if you are flying into DPS.  VN also has visa on arrival through an online application.

Just take it step by step and do not have any ad blockers or other similar features on your browser.  That can often hang up processes that use them.

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I have friends looking at the day early for an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver Canada, and the hotel rates for one night in downtown Vancouver (for a decent hotel) are $800 + and some people are not willing to pay that.  In fact the one night hotel is equivalent to one person round trip air from Toronto to Vancouver.

If only staying the night, just get a hotel near YVR airport and head into town the following morning.  That should cut the cost by about 75%.

No need to be down there if the main reason for the overnight stay is just to get in early.  I never understand the folks that want to be right next to the port, because you make the trip from the airport to the cruiseship one way or the other.  For example, if flying into MIA the day before, I just hop a hotel shuttle and stay at the airport area, then go to the port the next day.

Remember the limitation of only one partner carrier per award ticket with AS Mileage Plan.

Pro tip:  Work backwards towards the USA.  Hardest segments first, then worry about positioning to them.

And if you aren't searching at least a dozen cities and at least five dates, you aren't really trying.  Make a matrix, print it out, and just go through box after box after box.  Same with revenue tickets - you can't believe the thousands of dollars and hundreds of thousands of miles I've saved by using positioning flights.  Even adding in the cost of those flights.

39 minutes ago, SM77 said:

If they had automatically rebooked us through their computer systems, then they would have sent us the new itinerary by email which they didn't. 

No.  If you had bulk contract tickets, you are subject to the specific fare rules of those tickets.  And they may or may not be applicable for auto rebooking.  And thus, it again is a factor of having Viking tickets, as opposed to AA (or any airline's) tickets.

Viking got your tickets changed.....because that was the only way they could have.  By your own admission up above, AA told you to go to your TA.  Which shows that they could not do the change themselves, but it had to be with Viking.  Thanks for proving my point.

I don't care whether you agree or disagree.  Nor do I care what you do.  What I do care about is other people reading this thread who will take away incorrect assumptions and information regarding what Viking, or any cruiseline, can and cannot do for the passenger.

Caveat emptor.  TANSTAAFL.

1 hour ago, SM77 said:

I'm not sure how well AA would have handled it - it was when all the Boeing MAX planes were grounded so a number of AA flights were canceled.  Don't know if AA would have booked us on another carrier right away.

AA most likely would have automatically rebooked you though their computer systems.

1 hour ago, SM77 said:

Additionally we were in Bali, not sure if we would have gotten through by calling - I would have had to wait until we got to the Hong Kong airport to try to make flight arrangements through AA.  I view that as more complicated.

Why wait til HKG?  You can easily call AA call centers in the USA by a quick Skype call to them.  You do keep airline phone numbers with you?

So it was a less complicated process to contact your TA, who contacted Viking, who worked with the airline, to get back to your TA, who got back to you?  Rather than one call to AA?  Which is more complicated?

3 hours ago, SM77 said:

Two issues that we had experienced which makes us a fan of Viking air is that coming home from Bali, American Airlines sent me an email canceling our flight home two days before we were to fly and told us to work with our travel agent.  I emailed our travel agent & then was able to email the Viking Air folks to get re-booked on much better flight back to the US.

And had you bought your ticket directly, AA would have handled it directly without involving a third party.  But because you bought the ticket through Viking, you had to make the changes through Viking.  Don't give them credit for something that they HAD to do since it was their ticket.  In fact, getting it through Viking just made it more complicated.

3 hours ago, waggie said:

The primary reason is the security of a plan B should things go wrong with the flights and Viking sorting it.

Take a look at the terms and conditions.  That "security" of your Plan B isn't what you think it is.

Far far more often, you will get faster and better resolutions with the airline handling things directly.

4 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

 

I could be wrong, but I think George Burns has rights of authorship.

George is one of many who have used it.  As noted, I acknowledged that others preceded my use.

48 minutes ago, Breckski said:

In our life, time spent at the airport is likely the worst experience we have. 

You've been flying through the wrong airports.

There are a number where I WANT to spend time and enjoy myself.  Singapore.  Hong Kong. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Virgin's Clubhouse at LHR.   Doha.   And others.