Cathyvee

We just came off 140-day sailing on Viking Neptune (World Cruise and British Isles).

We loved our Penthouse Veranda cabin and the nice bathroom. However, in past we had a Penthouse Jr. Suite (on Saturn) which was even nicer.

The ship is beautiful; loved the lay out. Officers and crew were overall terrific.

Guest services? Not so good. Poor communication and much misinformation. 

Included shore excursions? Very few were worth the time, IMO. 

The optional (for fee) ones were mostly good, but always very crowded - up to 32-36 in a group. 

For me personally, the food on Viking Neptune was very good at times to just okay. Mostly ate in restaurant or world cafe. They did accommodate my 'low sodium' requirements.

Room service was mostly on time, and though my order for breakfast was always the same, I would never know what to expect. Some mornings I got 2 pieces of toast; some mornings 4 and scrambled eggs inconsistent as to amount. (Not the biggest deal.)

A year ago, we sailed inaugural sailing of Viking Saturn. On that ship, we liked Manfredi's.

On Viking Neptune, we found Manfredi's food to be not much better than the main dining room and we were disappointed with service in Manfredi's. Very rushed and often the servers had to be reminded of part of our order that they missed.

For us, Chef Table (fixed menu) is foo-foo food - much to do about nothing. Not for us.

As the OP said, the food on Oceania is (in our experience) the #1 edge that they have over Viking.

Both lines are very good and we would not hesitate to book on either in future.

We have Eastern Shore booked on Viking Mars and a South American cruise booked on Oceania Vista.

Thank you.

14 hours ago, no fuss travel said:

2026 is definitely on the Vista.  Ray Carr, the Cruise Director confirmed while we were aboard Vista.  Itinerary is not coming out until February 2024

Thank you.

I would love to know this, too. Itinerary and ship.

27 minutes ago, Penspack said:

To confirm it is the Great Adventure tour, the contact info will probably have The Quicksilver Group listed which Great Adventures is a part of...

Thank you.

50 minutes ago, Penspack said:

I believe it was: This one

Thank you. Less expensive than Viking tour. Looks good.

4 hours ago, Penspack said:

The great adventure tours can be booked directly through them or also with Viator. Prices are about the same. With Viator you can book and pay later, directly with Great Adventure will require payment right away. With Viator the optional add ins must be booked (if still available) at the tour, with Great Adventures site, you can do it while booking. We wanted the guided snorkeling so we went with the direct through Great adventure since we heard the guided snorkeling can sell out. Note also that Viator is in US dollars while the Great Adventure site is in Aus Dollars.

There are many tours on Viator for Great Barrier. Do you know which one is the Great Adventure tour?

New Topic: What tour company is best to book Great Barrier Reef / Green Island tour from Cairns? 

17 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

Sadly, yes.  I got to look out on everything going on in Monaco from our cabin while I was on Covid arrest.  It was the most painful port for me to miss because we were not docked in a shipping harbor, but in the middle of things.

Oh so sorry.

19 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Same with us - we docked in Monaco on Iconic Med. in May. Very easy to walk.

 

19 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Out last cruise listed Monaco as a tender port but we actually docked there. 

We walked back and forth to the ship twice.

It's a great port.

 

Here is my write-up

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2927474-almost-live-viking-sky-mediterranean-odyssey-april-2023/page/2/#comment-65245954

 

1 hour ago, Moonlion said:

I don't think Viking has much choice. With 900+ passengers on board - most choosing included or optional excursions offered by Viking - the best they can do is to offer excursions with 35+ people. There are just so many tour operators they can find at a price that people are willing to pay.   Most Viking passengers seem reluctant to book independent excursions - either because they fear they may miss the sail away if the tour doesn't return on time or they don't want to go through the hassle of researching independent tours. If the majority of Viking passengers started to book independent tours, the prices would sky rocket and/or the number of passenger on these independent tours would substantially increase. For those of us willing to take the "risk" of going on independent excursions, we reap the benefits of low prices and fewer passengers. It's simple supply and demand. 

Makes sense. I am not blaming Viking. It's just we have this British cruise tacked on to a 121 day world cruise. I have followed 3 people who just got off the 2022-2023 and I get the idea that people get tired of the overcrowded tours for a multitude of reasons. 

5 minutes ago, Moonlion said:

Yes, all of our independent tours ranged from 4 to 10 passengers at most. However, you will need to check carefully with the tour operators for the number of passengers expected on your tour   We went in May and the numbers could be higher in peak season.  All of the Viking included and optional excursions we took were more than 30 passengers and some close to 50. Others have reported that some of the Viking optional excursions may have as few as 10 passengers but this wasn't our experience unfortunately. 

Thank you. Way too many people on the Viking tours - especially the included ones.

On 6/2/2023 at 12:15 PM, Moonlion said:

Hi deec,

We booked 5 independent excursions (all excellent to outstanding in our opinion) and did Edinburgh completely on our own (no Viking or independent tours - booked a tour of the Royal Yacht Britannia and then walked down the Royal Mile).

 

Here are the independent tours that we booked, mostly through TripAdvisor but you can book directly with the tour operator (see my post #123 on why we booked via TripAdvisor):

 

Holyhead: Busy Bus Tours: Sightseeing Day Tour to North Wales from Holyhead Cruise Terminal; www.busybus.co.uk/north-wales-trip-from-holyhead/; this tour is also available through TripAdvisor. Note: there were only 8 of us on this tour in May, all Neptune passengers, but could be larger groups in high season.

 

Liverpool: Mad Day Out Beatles Taxi Tours (with Ian Doyle); https://mad-dayouttaxitours.co.uk/; can book through TripAdvisor.  The price is per cab (up to 6 persons), not per person.  This tour was outstanding!  You need to book months in advance since he sells out fast. 

 

Belfast: Odyssey Coach Tours – Shore Excursion: Giants Causeway Tour (Small Group)

https://odysseycoachtours.co.uk/giants_causeway_tour/shore-excursion-giants-causeway-tour-small-group/; can book through TripAdvisor. Note: there were only 10 of us on this tour in May, all Neptune passengers, but again could be a larger group in high season. 

 

Orkneys: Craigie’s Taxi, LTD  http://www.craigiestaxis.co.uk/; Note: the cab drivers are not official tour guides but they know the islands well and will take you to wherever you want to go (£50 per hour for up to 4 passengers in a car; you can pay by cash or credit card after the tour is completed); see my post on the Orkneys for the sites we visited. 

 

Invergordon: Thistle Excursions https://www.thistleexcursions.co.uk/; can book through TripAdvisor (Tour 2: Cawdor Castle, Inverness, Culloden Battlefield and Loch Ness).  Note: there were only 6 of us on this tour in May, all Neptune passengers, but again could be a larger group in high season.

 

We took two Viking optional excursions ("Scenic Assynt" in Ullapool and "Walking the Nature Trails of Mousa Island" in the Shetlands).  However, to be honest, I can't wholeheartedly recommend either of these (see my posts above).  Other passengers we met on the cruise took the "Ancient Civilizations" optional excursion in the Shetlands and all said it was great. 

 

We took 5 included Viking excursions and can recommend Historic Canterbury in Dover and Royal Greenwich by Foot (Greenwich of course) - both are walking tours. The rest (City Views of Dublin, Shetland Panorama & Ponies, and Panoramic Bergen) were "just OK" in my opinion, and are pretty much bus tours. 

 

Hope this helps.

Were your independent tours smaller groups than what Viking tends to get? On our recent Iconic Med, we got weary of the 30+ on the tours. Hopefully, independent tours = smaller groups?

On 5/19/2023 at 11:31 AM, CCWineLover said:

Oh I'm so so sorry Cathy.

It is just a shame that there are so many selfish, inconsiderate people traveling on Viking cruises these days.   We are getting on the Saturn in NYC in a couple weeks - and that is our biggest fear - namely, all those coughing, hacking people on buses.   We've seen it before on post-COVID cruises, but have somehow been lucky and managed to avoid COVID (and we are fully (6) vaccinated/boosted even).

But - we do want to see things, so we'll just do our best to avoid those people!

Best of luck to you. If you do go on bus tours, double mask. 

I asked a woman who did world cruise on Viking not this past one but the year before how she managed to avoid COVID. She said they did a lot of self exploring and avoided any tours that involved buses. I know that's hard.

On 5/19/2023 at 1:29 PM, mbviking2023 said:

 

That's not true.  Viking does have COVID tests on board.  Anyone who went down to the med bay for any reason was given a test first thing.  We weren't charged for them, but everyone got a test.  they didn't test everyone, only those who went down to the bay.

That's good to know. I may have been given the wrong information. Thank you for clarifying. I was on brand new Viking Saturn first public sailing. 

On 5/19/2023 at 1:24 PM, annxstitch said:

I hope you both  feel better very soon. We cannot forget that covid is still all around. I do hope you decide to take the cruise.

He is still in hospital. Very unlikely that we will be taking the cruise.

9 minutes ago, Mich3554 said:

Huh?  I tested positive for Covid on the WC.  I missed 5 days of ports, despite the fact that I was barely sick (no cough).  I was tested in the medical center, and DH was also tested in the medical center for the 5 days I was in quarantine.  He also caught bronchitis earlier, and was also tested for Covid at that point too.  
 

Viking most certainly has test kits on their ships.  

Thank you for quarantining and protecting the other passengers.

Just now, stretchcruz said:

I'm sorry. Our last Viking March/April 2022 they tested every day and I liked it. My husband has acute myelogenous leukemia now so we can't cruise.

I liked it too. Last April we did Paris to Swiss Alps. Had to test before cruise, everyday on cruise, if you tested positive, you were quarantined and then sent to a hotel. And people had to wear masks on the buses.

If we do go on the wc - which is doubtful at this point - I will be the woman handing out masks to the hackers.

PS - So sorry about your husband.

1 hour ago, stretchcruz said:

Were you recently on a cruise and caught it? I hope that you both feel better soon.

Yes. We just returned from Iconic Med. on Viking Saturn last Friday.

48 minutes ago, bwknsf said:

I'm so sorry you're going through this.  Did you originally book this world cruise on the Risk Free Guarantee?  If so, you may be able to wait to cancel without the full cancellation penalties.  Hopefully you'll feel better and be able to travel.  Worst case, you don't get a cash refund, but future cruise voucher based on the Risk Free Guarantee.  I hope you're feeling better soon.

Thank you. I'm not sure. But I'm pretty sure we will cancel. 

2 hours ago, mbviking2023 said:

 

Yep.  So sorry about that.  I had it last January (2022) and was in the H for 8 days.  Not fun.  And yes, the busses were the worst!  People hacking up lungs and refusing to wear a mask or stay home.  Thankfully enough people did.  My wife and I, despite bad colds, didn't catch it on the cruise.  Lots of other people did though and were quarantined.  

I wouldn't be quick to cancel the world cruise though.  Another year from now things will improve again,  And there are plenty of open spaces on the ship.  And lots of people did wear masks throughout.

 

 

I am sorry for what you went through. 

Things have changed. Viking didn't even have COVID tests on the ship, I was told. I'm not sure.

On 5/16/2023 at 6:42 AM, mbviking2023 said:

 

Viking won't do that for you.  But there are endless ways to book small groups on your own.  We prefer small groups as well - for ALL those reasons you outlined.  Couple all of those points with two or three busses going to the same destinations and now you're in a mob.

 

• The most popular is Viator, but it's my least favorite. Not great customer service.
• Tours By Locals is another good one and you have more flexibility that way.
• In the Middle East - Memphis Tours does a great job in various countries.  We went to Luxor with @BeckySt and Memphis.  She and Bill did a lot of private tours.
• In Jordan we had great success with Jordan Horizons Travel.
• In Israel we used Guided Tours Israel.
• In New Zealand there are many, we booked a private with Hawkes Bay Scenic Tours
• We did a private tour in Rome with @Aspen&Birch but I don't know the company.  Rome was so crowded by itself - couldn't begin to imagine how miserable it would have been in a mob of Vikings.

 

The best solution we found was to google "Shore Excursions CityNameHere" to find a list of providers specializing in that region.  They are usually professionals, having done it for many years.

 

We found 6 - 8 was ideal, but @mstadleraz booked a great Israel tour with about 20, split into two busses for the two days.  We had 12 in our group and it was one of the best tours ever.

 

We couldn't imagine visiting Luxor or Petra or Israel with mobs of people in a group.  

 

Once you book something, put a blurb here and you'll fill out the 6 or 8 that you need.

 

And another pro-tip for the future.  Pick up a Mee Audio Connect Air device and a pair of ear buds.  You'll never need to carry that nasty cord for the QuietVox again!  Freedom!

Thank you. Since I posted this, my husband tested POSITIVE for COVID (LAST SATURDAY). Me - on Monday. He has been hospitalized. We are (were) both very healthy, no comorbids, fully vaxed and boosted, sanitized, washed our hands. Just could not overcome the people who insisted in getting on overcrowded tour buses hacking and hacking (no masks). I could tell you some crazy stories but I will refrain from doing so.

We managed to go this whole time without getting COVID and I have been to 3 business conferences all over the USA from Vegas to Austin to Miami and never stopped traveling. Last April, we did Paris to Swiss Alps and had to have tests before getting on the cruise, tests everyday and quarantines with those who test positive. 

Now they are treated COVID like a 'bad cold' but unfortunately, for some of us, it is much more than a bad cold.

We are considering cancelling the world cruise.

I would tell everyone - please know that with the new "don't ask, don't tell" policy - no testing - and people who feel that they are not going to stop going on tours even if sick - please take great precautions, bring test kits, paxlovid, plenty of cold and flu meds, etc. and hope for the best.

Question: What is the best way to book private tours IN GENERAL or small group tours that do not have large number of people particularly on a bus? I know that for our Silversea WC in 2025 they will book private tours for you. Does Viking do that as well? 

We just returned from Iconic Med. on the brand new Viking Saturn. Wonderful experience, beautiful ship. The only negative for us was the large number of people on the various excursions - particularly those involving buses. Sometimes we had up to 30-32 people. Not only was it tiring to follow the RED sign for long periods of time, we had people who had different thoughts about how slow or fast to walk. And then we had several people on the buses who were quite sick with bad colds or who knows what else - which we were not too crazy about. 

11 minutes ago, bwknsf said:

Hi flowsue - We’re very interested in this day trip to Taj Mahal/Agra from Mumbai. It sounds nearly perfect to see the Taj without missing the other ports and WC experience.  Would you please share the tour group you used, cost, and number of other Viking passengers who joined you?  If you’d prefer, please email me at bwknsf@gmail.com.  Thank you!  Brian

I like this idea, too.

11 hours ago, Mcobean said:

No, it was a Viking optional excursion.

 

We wanted the addition of the Luxor museum and temple 

Thank you.

7 minutes ago, cruising denise said:

@Jim Avery  and @Heidi13 and any others who have knowledge on this topic.  I've never been seasick in my life, and have experienced the ocean when it was not calm.  However I've also never been on the Pacific Ocean, which I think can be much rougher than anything I've experienced.  I've heard that even people who have never been seasick might still get seasick at some point.  As we will be on the 23/24 world cruise, do you recommend that I come prepared with some of those seasickness patches or something?  Thanks for any recommendations!

I have never gotten seasick either but I will go on WC prepared. Bringing sea bands, ginger drops and bonine. But remember if things get very bad for you, you can go to Medical Office and get treatment - even a shot. What I noticed is that the people who book lower deck midship seem to be okay overall. We originally had a DV midship on Deck 5 but switched to a PV on Deck 5 towards the front/bow. Those who are currently on WC, did you find that being on lower deck midship helped? How did you fare if you were in a PV on Deck 5 toward bow?