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You might find the following CC thread of interest: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2881176-explorer-suite/#comment-63962382

@CharTrav Thank you for the updates. Looks like we already need another update. @CurlerRob pointed out that Viking posted some extensions of the Viking Sky World Cruise and World Journeys cruises continuing for an additional 42 days to New York. These extensions are referred to as the Viking World Voyages I & II depending upon whether embarkation was in Fort Lauderdale or Los Angeles. Viking World Cruise Ft. Dec 19, 2024 - May 6, 2025 (138 days) Fort Lauderdale, Florida to London (Greenwich)https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-cruise/index.html Viking World Journeys Jan 5 - May 6, 2025 (121 days) Los Angeles, California to London (Greenwich)https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-journeys/index.html Viking World Voyage I Dec 19, 2024 - Jun 17, 2025 (180 days) Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to New York City, New York https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-i/index.html Viking World Voyage II (163 days) Jan 5 - Jun 17, 2025 (163 days) Los Angeles, California to New York City, New Yorkhttps://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-ii/index.html

Viking World Cruise Ft. Dec 19, 2024 - May 6, 2025 (138 days) Fort Lauderdale, Florida to London (Greenwich) https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-cruise/index.html Viking World Journeys Jan 5 - May 6, 2025 (121 days) Los Angeles, California to London (Greenwich) https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-journeys/index.html Viking World Voyage I Dec 19, 2024 - Jun 17, 2025 (180 days) Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to New York City, New York https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-i/index.html Viking World Voyage II (163 days) Jan 5 - Jun 17, 2025 (163 days) Los Angeles, California to New York City, New York https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-ii/index.html I believe that the Viking World Cruise and Viking World Journeys cruises were posted late 12/31/22 PT and the Viking World Voyage I and Viking World Voyage II cruises were posted later on 1/1/23.

Interesting. They hadn't posted the World Voyage I & II when I looked earlier today. Definitely helps fill the bill of having a World Cruise that circumnavigates the world. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-i/index.html https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-voyage-ii/index.html For a DV4, the cost for the 163 day World Voyage II is $22k more per person than the 121 day World Journey cruise or an average cost $524 per day for each of the additional 42 days. I guess that isn't that much more than the $504 average per person per day for the World Journey cruise. I'll have to contemplate the additional itinerary and whether deferring our next WC for a year... it is tempting.

We’ve already discussed inflation in the Silver Spirits Package and recommended gratuity/service fees. Other benefits for which the cost/value likely increased include:  Airfare  Visa service  Luggage Forwarding service  Excursion costs  Internet costs [upgrade to SpaceX's Starlink?]  Port taxes and fees  Food costs and dining service I imagine that inflation in fuel costs account for a significant amount of the costs that Viking has absorbed or attributed to the increased value of “benefits.” Per the following web site, diesel fuel prices have increased 25% in in 2022 from $3.613/gal on 1/3/2022 to $4.537/gal on 12/26/22 https://www.ttnews.com/2022-doe-regional-diesel-fuel-prices

For the 21/22 WC, once we were aboard shore excursions updates and the opportunity revise or make new selections or revise your pre-embarkation selections were rolled out by segment typically a couple of weeks in advance of the segment. 21/22 WC Segments: 01 Los Angeles 02 Cabo PV CostaRica Panama 03 Chile Uruguay 04 Mindelo Funchal Cadiz Gibraltar Malaga 05 Palma de Mallorca Cagliari Malta Corfu Kotor Split 06 Venice Zadar Dubrovnik Katakolon Nafplion Heraklion 07 Souda Bay Chania Crete 08 Jeddah Yanbu al-Bahr Saudi Arabia 09 Jordan Egypt Israel 10 Haifa Israel Nazareth Sea of Galilee 11 Rhodes Kusadasi-Ephesus Istanbul Athens 12 Naples Civiteccchia-Rome Livorno Monte Carlo Barcelona Cartagena Porto Portsmouth London [Obviously the 22/23 WC will have a different collection of segments than we had on the 21/22 WC] Paper copies of an updated shore excursion selection form and excursion descriptions were delivered to the stateroom by the room stewards/housekeeping. The forms were delivered in order of stateroom category. I seem to recall the ES’s received their forms in the morning or afternoon. We were in a DV cabin and our excursion selection forms were generally delivered in the early evening in conjunction with the evening turndown service. PS cabins received their forms sometime before us. The marked-up forms were then to be delivered to guest services, where you could either turn them in to an excursion consultant, who would date and time stamp the form, or submit the form by placing it into a submission box. It is my understanding that pre-cruise selections received highest priority in excursion assignments, then excursion allocations were based on submission order, but there may have been some stateroom category prioritization as well… but it seems that the delivery of the forms in order of stateroom category may have provided sufficient advantage to upper-level cabins because they had the opportunity to submit their updated forms hours before us. Shore excursion tickets were delivered to the cabins a few days later. We could then attempt to update our selections either by going to Guest Services or through the stateroom TV menu. Only the current segment and the next upcoming segment, for which excursion updates were "open" were available for viewing/ updating on stateroom TV menu. They did maintain a waiting list for shore excursions. Anytime I didn’t initially get my first choice, eventually (generally within a few days) updated tickets were delivered to our cabin with my first choice selection. [I previously posted most of this information under the pre-cruise planning forum #7258.]

2024/25 Viking World Cruise posted. Viking often makes pricing changes as of the first of the month so I wanted to check the prices for the upcoming 2023/24 World Cruise before the end of the month and as of the first of the month/year. When I checked I noticed that Viking has posted the 2024/25 World Cruise. Unfortunately, it appears that the 2024/25 WC will have the same itinerary as the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Viking World Cruises. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-cruise/index.html https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-journeys/index.html

2024/25 Viking World Cruise posted. Viking often makes pricing changes as of the first of the month so I wanted to check the prices for the upcoming 2023/24 World Cruise before the end of the month and as of the first of the month/year. When I checked I noticed that Viking has posted the 2024/25 World Cruise. Unfortunately, it appears that the 2024/25 WC will have the same itinerary as the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Viking World Cruises. Stateroom prices are unchanged. I noticed one change to the benefits package: The shore excursions credit was restored to $2000 per person; if I recall correctly, back on 10/1/2022 they had dropped the shore excursion credit from $2000 per person to $1000 per person. The current offer is identified as expiring March 31, 2023. Additionally, they increased the estimated value of the benefits package to $60,000 per couple, where it had previously been estimated to be up to $50,000 per couple. https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-cruise/index.html https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/world-grand/viking-world-journeys/index.html

Thank you @Mcobean I really enjoyed the photos you posted of the birds and other wildlife from your excursion to Columbia's National Aviary... so varied and colorful! The photos taken from the bus also gave a sense of local life and it reminded me of how lucky we are to be able to experience the different cultures... they are as varied and colorful as the birds.

2022/2023 Viking World Cruise Blogs Here is the list I’ve collected of planned travel blogs for the 22/23 World Cruise aboard the Viking Neptune: @Mcobean. https://www.viking23.com/ @RPapaMarshall https://www.traveling-light.online/category/travel/world-cruise-22-23/ @lswankel https://desertwandererswankels.blogspot.com/ @Travelerstory https://storysworldcruise22-23.blogspot.com/ @Mica/Jeff https://www.journohq.com/journo/2022-2023-world-cruise---our-fantastic-adventure-30436 @mbviking2023 https://mbviking23.blogspot.com/ @Golferprincess https://www.checkthisoffourbucketlist.com/

My observation is that when Viking increases fares they typically do so on the first of the month. So independent of any promotion, I'd suggest making a tentative booking shortly before the end of the month and then taking advantage of the few days grace period to make the actual commitment. In those few days, if a new promotion comes to light as of the first of the month, then you might be able to shift to that offer, otherwise you can stick with the original quote under prior month prices. However, as @Peregrina651 and others have suggested, "If you see a deal that works for you, grab it and don't look back."

FYI... I came across the same VHT22 offer in an Instagram advertisement this afternoon. Clicking on the ad redirected me to the viking site identifying the VHT22 offer only on the Canadian site. https://www.viking.com/promotions/ca/river/VHT22/20221215 So just another example of Viking using different social media sites to target different audiences.

Just an FYI.... While I was emailed the same PAT22 offer via a 12/14/22 email the same day that @Selion made his post #363, my wife received in the U.S. Post today (12/19/22) two separate Viking postcards with the same PAT22 offer. It was interesting that the postcards were similar, but not identical and each identified a different "Source Code" accompanying her Customer #. One source code was 45GY3H and the other source code was YH0YSL. Postcard #1 Postcard #2 The postcards stated "For additional details, visit viking.com/Patagonia" viking.com/Patagonia in turn re-directs to https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/expedition/PAT22/20221214 which in turn has additional voyages as @Selion previously posted. So my post here doesn't provide any new information, per se, but is only intended to demonstrate how Viking is using different media types, targeted to different audiences, at different times. Trying to figure out how Viking determines how, when and to whom to send out promotional offers remains a mystery to me.

Interesting... Offers EHT22 and OML appear to have essentially the same description. EHT22: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/ocean/EHT22/20221019 OML: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/ocean/OML/20221019

As an example of the routes @Heidi13 describes, during the 21/22 World Cruise, the Viking Star sailed parts of the Magellan Straits, before traversing the Beagle Channel and then, diverting down and circumnavigate Hornos Island so that the World Cruisers could say that they rounded Cape Horn. Below are some images I captured of our route along with a photo I took looking north as we rounded Cape Horn. I've also included a snippet from the Captains log/scrapbook. I recall being told that if the seas were too rough we would have to forgo rounding the horn. Viking Star cruised Beagle Channel early morning toward Cape Horn. Weather around the Isle Hornos was with gale force 8 winds from the North. Viking Star navigated around the Cape Horn at 10:00 hrs. Southernmost pos: S 55” 59’7 W 069” 14’1 As you can see, during our passage the seas were fairly calm. I am thankful that the Captain Olav was able to find a window and time our passage between storms. After the events of this past week and reading the notes in this forum, I now realize how very lucky we were to have such calm seas. A few days earlier I recall during the Captain's noontime announcements him commenting how we were trying to avoid the storm passing through the Drake Passage which had hurricane-force winds.

NEW OFFER DTR22 on select Viking River cruises Reduced Fares FREE International Airfare* https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/river/DTR22/20221201 Offer ends Dec 31, 2022 Offer DTR22: Offer valid on bookings made from Dec 1 to Dec 31, 2022. Free international airfare valid on Mar-Aug 2023 departures of • Rhine Getaway; • Romantic Danube; • Danube Waltz; • Paris & the Heart of Normandy; • Cities of Light; • Paris to the Swiss Alps; • Holland & Belgium; • Passage to Eastern Europe; Mar-Jul 2023 departures of • Elegant Elbe; 2023 departures of • Grand European Tour; • Capitals of Eastern Europe. $499 per person international airfare valid on Jun-Aug 2023 departures of • Lyon & Provence. Air pricing varies per itinerary/departure. For additional itineraries, call for details. Prices are in US dollars and for US residents only. Air does not have to be purchased to get cruise/tour offer. All fares reflect cruise taxes, port taxes and fees. Additional restrictions may apply. Airfares vary on other itineraries, gateways and departures. Air offers not valid on Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City; call for details. Book by Dec 31, 2022; pay in full by Jan 31, 2023. Offer expires Dec 31, 2022. The above offer was referenced in a "2023 & 2024 Rivers" physical brochure mailed to my wife. I followed the referenced link to find the online offer.

Correct. No one can stand OUTSIDE on the bow (front) side of the windows on deck 8. As mentioned by others there are external doors on both the starboard and port sides which open to a relatively small platform. A few people can stand on the platform and look out to that side... it is about the length of your stateroom veranda. From those platforms there are stairs leading up to deck 9 sports deck. I seem to recall that there were also internal doors to the deck 8 hallways on both the port and starboard sides of the Explorers' Lounge.

You probably ought to tell MessyBill to leave the handcuffs at home too, even if they are fur-lined.

During the 21/22 WC on the Star, the electrical outlet in our DV cabin bathroom allowed only plugs with 2 narrow prongs, so it would not accommodate my hair clippers which had a two prong plug with one prong wider than the other. I’d bet that your curling iron(s) have the newer plugs with one prong wider than the other, so you wouldn’t be able to use in the cabin bathroom. However, the outlet at the desk (with makeup mirror) did have an outlet that allowed the wide/narrow 2-prong outlet. Just something to keep in mind.

FYI... @Clay Clayton previously posted Viking River offer THX22 under 11/17/22 post #285 https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/river/THX22/20221119

During our last cruise the couple in the Owners Suite were non-drinkers. Viking accommodated them with Martinelli's Sparkling [apple] Cider. I recall hearing one of them say that instead of ordering 60 bottles, 60 cases were mistakenly ordered, so there was plenty to go around.

Per https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/viking-neptune.html Each stateroom is equipped with: 42" flat-screen TV featuring CNN, CBC, MBC2, beIN Sports This doesn't match my recollection of channel offerings. I seem to recall MSNBC and a Fox news channel plus an Aussie news channel being included. In addition there were a collection of recordings from onboard destination lectures, Ted Talks, Viking TV recordings, and other destination information programs. For the 21/22 World Cruise on the Viking Star, there was a wide selection of on-demand movies... maybe 50 or more... which seemed to be curated towards our planned destinations. I'm not sure a shorter cruise will have as many movie selections. See the following previous thread for more discussion as to available channels and programs https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2879904-television-and-in-house-movies/?do=findComment&comment=63922818

Here is the link for Viking Expeditions Thanksgiving sale Offer EHT22 https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/expedition/EHT22/20221019 Which @Clay Clayton posted #308 earlier today versus the Viking Oceans Thanksgiving sale Offer EHT22 which @SBR2022 posted #287 on Friday https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/ocean/EHT22/20221019 And here are details and restrictions on Expeditions Offer EHT22 : THANKSGIVING SALE FREE Roundtrip Airfare plus Prepaid Gratuities Offer ends Nov 30, 2022 Call 1-844-659-1115 for details. Ask for Offer "EHT22 " Offer EHT22 : Offer valid on bookings made from Nov 1 to Nov 30, 2022. Free roundtrip airfare and prepaid gratuities valid on Apr - Jul & Sep 2023 departures of Niagara & the Great Lakes; Jun - Sep 2023 departures of Great Lakes Collection; May & Aug 2023 departures of Canadian Discovery; May - Jun 2023 departures of Great Lakes Explorer; May – Jul 2023 departures of Undiscovered Great Lakes; Apr & Sep 2023 departures of Canada & the Atlantic Coastline. Call for details. Prices are in US dollars and for US residents only. Air does not have to be purchased to get cruise/tour offer. All fares reflect cruise taxes, port taxes and fees. Additional restrictions may apply. Airfares vary on other itineraries, gateways and departures. Air offers not valid on Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City; call for details. Book by Nov 30, 2022; pay in full by Dec 15, 2022 or at time of booking if within 90 days of departure. Offer expires Nov 30, 2022.

Here is a link to the MST22 Mississippi Promo offer that @Clay Clayton posted above: https://www.viking.com/promotions/us/river/MST22/20221101 FREE Airfare Save up to $1,700 per couple FREE Stateroom Upgrade Offer ends Nov 26, 2022 Call 1-866-910-0556 for details Ask for Offer "MST22" Offer MST22: Offer valid on bookings made from Nov 16 to Nov 26, 2022. Complimentary category upgrade up to Deluxe Veranda (DV1) plus free roundtrip airfare valid on select Jan-Feb 2023 departures of Heart of Delta; select Jan 2023 departures of New Orleans & Southern Charms. Savings up to $1,700 per couple based on Feb 18, 2023 departure of Heart of Delta in category DV1. Call for details. Prices are in US dollars and for US residents only. Air does not have to be purchased to get cruise/tour offer. All fares reflect cruise taxes, port taxes and fees. Additional restrictions may apply. Airfares vary on other itineraries, gateways and departures. Air offers not valid on Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City; call for details. Book by Nov 26, 2022; pay in full at time of booking. Offer expires Nov 26, 2022.