jc522

12 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Travel insurance is generally a very competitive market. A price difference that large would have me reading the two policies very carefully to see if they were actually equivalent in coverages and provisions. If they are the same, you've found a good deal. 

The coverages are not the same, but the TIS plan has all that we need. I do not think Viking's insurance has the flexibility to tailor the coverage to what think is sufficient.

I just spoke to the Trip Insurance Store (TIS). I think I've got this right.

Viking wants $2198 to insure the 2 of us. Travel Guard Essential through TIS will cost $1250.30. That settles that.

Viking's cancellation penalty is $100 per person up to 120 days prior to the trip. I thought I'd wait until then to buy the insurance, but TIS recommends purchasing $500 of insurance coverage now for about $125. At 120 days prior we would increase the coverage to the full price of the cruise (or a lesser amount if we prefer). This way any new medical conditions from this date forward will be included in our coverage and not considered pre-existing. Also, our rate schedule would be locked in. The new cost is reduced by the $125 that we already paid.   

We weren't sure how the pot is split, but we were comfortable with the total amount. We did want to give a bigger portion of that to our cabin attendant, so we reduced the pot by 25% and gave that amount directly to him. I'd be surprised if the included tip does not go to the crew, but if that is the case we'll make another adjustment next time. I'll ask our Viking travel assistant before we go next year.

On 5/2/2023 at 10:58 AM, ajtaylor29 said:

What i'm also looking for is whether my idea in Split will work - to spend the first part of the day on the water (sounds like several hour tours) then return to town and have plenty of time to walk around and see some of the city sights.

We're very excited for our introductory visit to both Greece and Croatia on this cruise!

 

Maybe someone else can advise on this, but I don't know that you will see much of interest from the water. Tripadvisor.com lists a couple of on-water sites that don't look much different than things you can see in the Caribbean. The interior of Diocletian's Palace and the waterfront are the main attractions. You can easily spend most of a day exploring the shops and relaxing at cafes on the palace's side streets and on the waterfront.

The first time you visit these cities you will have a much greater appreciation of what you are seeing if you have the time to read some books that explain the history of the place, or take a guided tour. Without that, you won't know what you are looking at. We aren't taught much about European history in US schools. The guided tours taught me at least a little bit about how the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires shaped these and other Mediterranean cities and their fortifications. 19th and 20th century wars had a big impact on Croatian cities, too.

On subsequent visits you can have a more leisurely and possibly more enjoyable experience if you go on your own and explore all the shops and restaurants on the side streets of the ancient walled city centers. The excursions don't usually allow enough time for that. We plan to repeat the Viking cruise, "Italy, the Adriatic, and Greece", to explore on our own.

54 minutes ago, Fieldofdreams said:

Question about Taormina,

Unfortunately, high winds prevented the ship from going to Messina. Instead, we had a very very mellow At Sea day. After complaining long and hard about the late arrival in Naples, the undisclosed 45 minute water taxi ride to Venice, and missing out on Sicily (land of my ancestors), Viking gave us an apology and some future cruise money. Win-win. We booked another med cruise for next year; Ancient Adriatic Treasures, Venice to Istanbul.

We took this cruise in March of 2023.

Naples - We docked in Naples at noon, so time was short and few excursions were offered. We hired a private driver from AP Tours to see the Amalfi Coast, but we did not have enough time to enjoy it. If you have time, Positano is the most picturesque city to see on the Amalfi Coast.

Bari - Bari Walking Tour

Sibenik - Sibenik Promenade

Split - Split Walking Tour

Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Walking Tour

Kotor - Highlights of Montenegro

Corfu - Panoramic Corfu & Old Town Walking Tour

If you don't need the history lesson that you get on a guided tour, you might prefer to go into these towns on your own. Take a leisurely walk around the charming old walled city, and relax at an outdoor cafe while enjoying some of the local food and drinks. The excursions usually don't give you enough time to relax and explore on your own. We might repeat this cruise without guided excursions.

Crotone - Charming Santa Severinas Hilltop Village. Not very interesting.

Katakolon - Ancient Olympia

Day 1 Chioggia/Venice - Venice On Your Own. Give yourself plenty of time. Go on the earliest excursion. You don't have to return on your excursion's water taxi, so come back on the last Viking excursion water taxi of the day. We had time to tour the Doge's Palace, walk thru Saint Marks, and walk around and have a (mediocre) meal at a very touristy restaurant at the Rialto bridge.

Day 2 Chioggia/Venice - Scenic Chioggia by Foot. This town was the highlight of our cruise. Do a search on this forum for more information.

Day 3 Chioggia/Venice - The ship left port at 8pm. You'll have time to go back to Chioggia on day 3 to explore and have another great meal. Or you can just sit outside a cafe and have some local pizza and ice cream.

Enjoy!

1) Has anyone had problems (check-in lines, security, customs, etc) flying home from Istanbul New Airport? We have the option of reversing our cruise and flying into Istanbul and out from Venice.

2) Does anyone have experience with Turkish Airlines? Should we fly a major airline (Lufthansa, Delta or Air France) instead?

Istanbul looks like a fascinating place to visit. We were supposed to stop there on an Azamara cruise a few years ago, but there was some civil unrest or threat of terrorism, and our ship had to divert.

We recently put a small deposit down on a Viking "Ancient Adriatic Treasures" cruise in February of 2024. It ends with 2 days in Istanbul. Then we read the following on travel.state.gov. How seriously do you think we should we take these warnings?

Terrorism: The potential for terrorist attacks in Turkey, including against U.S. citizens and interests, remains high.

• Terrorists have previously attacked U.S. interests in Turkey, including the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, and the U.S. Consulate in Adana.
• Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Turkey. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Terrorists have also previously targeted Western tourists and expatriates.

Under laws passed in 2018, Turkish security forces have an expanded legal ability to stop and search individuals and to detain individuals without charge.

You are correct. We experienced that on our previous Viking cruise. I'm not sure why they wait until we are onboard to list their excursions for the day prior to changeover. They do list them on their web site in the generic description of the cruise, but not in the Guest Statement. On the previous cruise, the list (almost exactly the same as the generic list) was in our stateroom when we boarded the ship. That created a rush to research the choices and sign up, at a point when we would have preferred to just relax onboard after a very long flight. This time, before we leave for the cruise, we will study the excursions that are listed on their site so we aren't as rushed upon boarding.

I received our Guest Statement. It shows us arriving in Istanbul at 7am and disembarking the next day. I'm sure there will be an opportunity to see the sites.

Thanks to all for the responses.

3 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

We are booked on this itinerary departing on October 13, 2023. My invoice shows us arriving in Istanbul at 7:00 AM on October 26 and departing the ship the morning of October 27. When I booked the cruise, I asked the agent this same question, and was told there would be daytime excursions. I am not completely trusting that claim, as often the agents are not as informed as they should be. However, I am counting on the arrival time giving us a full day in Istanbul, and will book a private tour if necessary. 

Thanks! That's the information I needed.

36 minutes ago, Azulann said:

As others have said, one can always  do a private tour.

If Viking doesn't offer the excursions, I might do that. First, I need to determine whether the ship gets there early enough, and so far it doesn't look good. Looking for someone with first-hand experience.

29 minutes ago, Azulann said:

I  would  think the ship is in port for a full day...

 

Why? If so, wouldn't they have excursions during the day? There are none listed.

Why would a cruise ship go to Istanbul and not give their passengers an opportunity to visit the 2 biggest attractions in that city, the Grand Bazaar and the Hagia Sophia? Is viking doing this on purpose to generating extra revenue by selling Extensions?

2 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

I didn’t realize you were only there at night.

That's my guess, but I'm hoping someone who has taken this cruise can verify that.

Just now, JM0115 said:

Try getting a private tour.

At night?

We might book this cruise for February of 2024. The highlights for us would be the Grand Bazaar and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. I'm doing some guessing because Viking's phone staff are no help, but it doesn't look like we can see those sites. On the first day there, the only (3) excursions are all at night. So, I guess the ship gets to Istanbul late in the day. The second day is disembarkation. If someone has done this cruise, can you tell me if it is possible to see the Grand Bazaar and Hagia Sophia without booking an extension?

Yes. It was a perfect day, and it was the most authentic old-world town on the cruise. A very pleasant surprise.

8 hours ago, shmabbies said:

 We had the opposite experience...

No, it was pretty much the same experience. Initially the Guest Services staff were not very flexible. Finally, one of the more senior Guest Services staff told us to speak with the dock coordinator in Venice. Like you, we were told to come back on any taxi that fit our schedule. We did. No problem.

9 minutes ago, Vagabond51 said:

Not to belabor the point, but could I please ask for a bit more detail about the dock in Chioggia. You mentioned a 5 minute water taxi ride to the city dock at the foot of Corso Del Popolo or a 15 minute walk. Where is the cruise terminal in relation to this? I'll assume a person could walk off the gangplank and walk to the cruise terminal building, if so how long a walk would it have been for you. From looking at Google maps it appears there is a single bridge from the docking area to most everything else. Is it a security checkpoint or can you walk freely off the boat and into the terminal or town. Thanks!!

 

Also... Odd question I know, but do you remember your orientation to the dock when tied off. Was port inland or seaward? Thanks again!!

 

 

The boat was docked maybe 50 or 100 feet from the terminal.

There is a bridge at Calle Airoldi. It's just a bridge, no security there. There is a guard at the entrance gate to the docks. When walking back from town just show the guard your stateroom key card.

Our starboard side was tied to the dock and looking out toward the city. Nice sunrise photos.

v

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

@jc522...  

1 hour ago, -Lew- said:

@jc522...   Thank you for the detailed instructions.  We'll be in Venice on the Sky October 12, 13, & 14.  It's anybody's guess whether your suggestions will work at that time, but they're a good starting point.

You are welcome.

As stated earlier, go to Chioggia during the day and at night for 2 very different and authentic old-world Italian experiences. It was the highlight of our cruise.

50 minutes ago, jc522 said:

Note that a 4:45pm return means you are back at the ship at 4:45pm. The taxi leaves Venice at about 3pm. That does not leave a lot of time to tour Venice. Taking the last taxi instead of the one for our excursion gave us an extra hour or so in Venice.

We were able to visit St. Marks Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the Rialto Bridge and have some vino and pasta at a touristy cafe near the Rialto along the Grand Canal. If we rushed we probably could have also visited the Gallerie dell'Accademia or the Scuola Grande Di San Rocco.