PasadenaDave

While I have compassion for someone who planned to go on a cruise with a partner and when the partner backed out, they then were subject to the single supplement. As another poster mentioned, that is how the system works. I did not read the article, however if he received a 125% voucher, that would somewhat offset the single supplement. Many people today, too many in my opinion have a sense of entitlement and a skewed sense of fairness. I seem to hear this more from young people rather than the Viking Crowd, but then again I have had my comments deleted from the site that should not be mentioned. The good life is expensive and many including my wife and I are thrifty in other areas so that we can enjoy things such as international travel including Viking and other cruise line offerings. This includes using airline miles to stay in the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City before a cruise next month! I have always wanted to stay there and after my wife read the Louise Penny books, she is also looking forward to it.

Good to hear of a great experience. I think elsewhere on these boards I read the phrase, If you don't travel first class, your children will when you are gone. I think of that often. My parents traveled extensively until their late 70's when health intervened. To provide some background, my great grandmother traveled to Moscow down to Istanbul from her Paris and Boston homes in the 1880's. She also survived a U-boat attack which sunk her ship off Ireland in 1939. She instilled that travel bug in her granddaughter my late mother. My mother met my dad when he was "off season" from an engineering job building air bases in Greenland in the early 50's. My parents took trips all over including Australia and Singapore flying coach when they could afford business class. When my wife and I went to Europe in May, it was lie flat business. Yes, my parents children fly a higher class than they did.

DA346, thanks for the information. We are doing Quebec to Boston 10 days in September . I think it is $196. We will have plenty of opportunity to use it so might buy it. We had it included on a package with Princess last fall and on Viking there is no charge and I used it there in May five times in two weeks, but that was a port intensive cruise in hot weather

Agree with you for length of cruise. We did Istanbul to Venice in May. We found it to be one day longer than we would have preferred, but we couldn’t find a port we would have skipped. Three weeks would be way too long

I understand what the poster in rural areas was talking about. Historically rural areas were challenged with air service. Agreed that some rural places are experiencing a boom with air service but others are losing out. I had occasion to go to Elko Nevada a few times in 1990 and 1991. This was before the big era of Indian Casinos and there was a charter that would fly people from casino less areas to Elko for 2-3 days and then fly home, the plane sat there while passengers enjoyed the town. I flew there last June last minute during the pandemic and the flight was full. I read not long ago that the airline was planning to stop service and the local government stepped in to subsidize continued flights. If I recall, the same article, i think it was the WSJ also mentioned airlines threatening to pull out of Cedar City Utah so residents would need to drive to Salt Lake or Vegas. Living in rural areas has its challenges, one is flights.

Correct, the opportunities for travel have increased exponentially while the price to fly has dropped, often in real terms not just inflated terms over the decades. I flew round trip JFK to Athens in 1986 for $650 when my salary was less than $20,000 and the job today pays $75,000. In 1988 I generally paid $400 round trip LAX to Boston, today more, but not much more. Next week I fly Burbank to Sacramento round trip same day $59 each way, that might be cheaper than Greyhound

Not really concerned

It’s not a problem we arrive Saturday evening for a Wednesday boarding

Thanks for this, we did Istanbul to Venice in May and I enjoyed your photos bringing back memories. We had same experience at Plaka District but without the heat. Someone asked about Thermal Spa appointments. In May there was no need to schedule.

Garry has posted day one of his current cruise on his blog. WARNING it is not Viking and service is not the same. Having said that I do enjoy his writing

Correct it doesn’t, but it is another example of the coddling of people and businesses with the excuse of pandemic. It seems like many businesses and people are using the excuse of the pandemic to explain away their own failings. The free money train doesn’t stop and I agree that I have exceeded my point of this thread

Poor management plain and simple. Too many businesses are blaming the pandemic. At what point do you consider that the excuse doesn’t “fly”? Yes, it depends on the industry. Here in California for a long time one could not evict tenants even though extended unemployment benefits and stimulus payments were made. at some point people and private businesses need to be held accountable

Dole, finally someone who understands my point. It would be one thing if I had booked this flight six months ago, but this was mid June less than 90 days out. Saturday is a slow flight day. You are correct that staffing was an issue pre pandemic and yes it was exacerbated but 90 days out, I find blaming the pandemic to be rather weak. I would have no problem if they said, due to passenger loads on this route on your day of flight, we have combined flights so that our systemwide flights operate efficiently during this busy season.

We are cruising Quebec City to Boston in September and received the following notice of a flight change from Air Canada. We're sorry as a part of your itinerary has changed due to pandemic-related factors beyond our control such as industry-wide labour shortages and government entry requirements. and we have automatically rebooked you on another flight. The staffing shortage isn't due to pandemic related factors. We booked this flight ten days ago. What is clear what happened is they cancelled our flight, Saturday at 11:16 and moved us to the 0700 flight due to few passengers on the 11:16. I'm not complaining, but rather pointing out that they blame this on the pandemic! Labor shortages have been predicted for decades due to the aging population and will only get worse. This change was fully in control by Air Canada who is no worse or better than any other airline/commodity based service provider

We ended a cruise in Fusina/Maghera last month. The last shuttle back from the Venice Cruise Terminal to the ship was if I recall 10:30. But remember that the Venice Cruise Terminal is still a distance from St Marks Square. A recent cruise with a start from Venice boarded at Chioggia which is at the southern end of the Lagoon and one that started in April actually boarded in Ravenna. I noted that Holland America boards "Venice" Cruises in Trieste. Cruise ships docking in Fusina/Maghera is clearly a short term option as they are not equipped for passenger screening/security. Mr Longterm is correct in that one needs to be on a Viking Bus to access Fusina dock. We spent a post excursion in Venice which was fabulous. Even if a ship utilized the Venice Cruise Terminal, I would find a visit to Venice to be preferable as a pre or post cruise holiday or separate and distinct from a cruise vacation. It is a wonderful place and one could spend many days enjoying the islands

Thanks to wonderful photos on the blogs of the current World Cruise, we have Buenos Aries to Santiago in our sights, possibly 2024. What do you recommend, east to west or west to east?