Peregrina651

I just checked the Viking US website -- There are only two sailings prior to the Feb 22, 2025 -- Nov 16, 2024 has one PS3 left. Dec 1 has one DV2 left -- and that is only if the data on the website is up to date. I also believe that these are the first two sailings of the itinerary. Or, do you mean Feb, 2026? In which case, never mind. BTW, my sister and I, and our respective DH, are booked for January 19, 2026 and the roll call is up and running: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2985821-january-19-2026-malta-morocco-the-mediterranean/

I just want to point out to readers that it is possible to use Viking Air AND do a pre or post stay on your own. Viking calls it a "deviation"; there is a fee involved and you do lose transfers for any deviated arrival or departure (i.e. if you arrive early but go from ship to airport on departure day, no transfer on arrival but yes transfer on departure). Why am I point this out? Because sometimes the VikingAir fare (if it allows deviations) is a significant savings over what you would pay on your own even with the deviation fee and paid transfers. You just need to do the math before you decide how you want to handle it because each case is different. Also note that arranging your own extension can usually get your more nights for the same cost as a Viking extension.

Agreed but start with post #1115 on page 45. Anything earlier is stale information and will just confuse things. Sounds very much like what we do. Viking is not a party ship and many folks follow the same plan. Viking is our floating hotel -- unpack once and see a lot of places. I say, so what if you are among the youngest. Age is just a number. It is attitude that counts. First questions to ask yourselves: What part of the Med do you want to see first and how long do you want to be away? For the most part, Viking divides the Med in to four segments: Barcelona to Rome, Rome to Venice, Venice to Athens and Athens to Istanbul-- and you can do as many contiguous one week segments as you want. Each1, 2, 3 and 4 week combination has a name. Then there are the rest Med of the itineraries. If you want a more intensive stay in one of the cities named, consider a one week cruise bookended with 3 or 4 nights in the embarkation and disembarkation ports (which can be done with a Viking extension or on your own -- and in the Med "on your own" can usually get you more nights than a Viking extension). BTW, even if you choose a one-week cruise, plan to arrive at least a day early just in case there are snafus with the airlines.

Please list the ports you are visiting. Viking has many named itineraries in the Med all going to basically the same ports and anyone who was been to a port with Viking can answer your questions.

If your day in Civitavecchia is a turn-around day (with guests departing and arriving) , then you will have to wait until you board to find out what tours will be available for continuing passengers. Yes, imho, it will be crazy to go to Trevi Fountain. Summer time is no time to visit Rome. Have a relaxing day instead; choose a tour that stays local or book an independent tour to take you to see Etruscan Necropolis outside of Tarquinia and the Archeology Museum in Tarquinia OR to Ostia.

No cooler needed, though you might want a carryall. There is plenty of space in the mini-bar to keep it chilled until meal time. Then hand it/them to your waiter or the maitre'd and ask them to keep it chilled for you until you are ready to drink it. BYO can be consumed anywhere on the ship. Bartenders will supply any needed glassware and they will keep things cold for you. Viking actually encourages guests to shop on shore for wines, beers and other local specialties. There is no corkage fee in the dining rooms. Chef's Table might be a challenge, since the meal is about the wine pairings. (I wonder if it would freak out the chef were one to ask him to consult on which beers one should choose to go with the evening's courses?) No. If we don't want any of the complimentary choices, we may purchase off the bar menu and pay list price.

I just booked our reservations for our upcoming cruise. To make your reservation you started by choosing one of three options: table for 2, shared table and shared with specific booking number. I did not check out the shared table option, so I can't tell you exactly what they were offering.

You have asked some of those "no definitive answer" questions. Each port is different. Every time of year is different. Each sailing has its own vibe. You can find out how many ships will be in a given port on a given day on the port/harbormaster's website. There are third-party websites that do similar but they aren't always reliable. As to how many Viking pax take tours, again, no way of knowing. But the ship is pretty much deserted on port days. The included tours are a draw for many and the optional tours are a draw for those who would rather let the cruiseline handle the research and logistics. On the other hand, there are others who just want to explore on their own. As you said, "whopping logistics effort" no matter what port you visit.

You will be fine. If you don't get what you want on the first go-round. Keep checking. People change their minds right up to the last minute (which is 7 days prior to Day 1 of your cruise, when all transactions are halted until you board the ship).

Bars and restaurants will be open and busy. Most museums and tourist attraction are closed on Christmas and New Year's day. In Spain, the ship will be docked in Cadiz and Malaga, with Sevilla and Granada (both inland cities) being an hour or so drive away. Sevilla will be open for business on NYE but Granada will be closed on Jan 1. IMHO, as much as I love Granada, there is plenty to see (but not visit) in wandering distance of the Viking shuttle in Malaga, which will also be warmer than Granada (which is nestled in the Sierra Nevada).

Exactly, a seat on the bus isn't your seat on the bus until you have paid for it. A really popular tour can sell out in the first few minutes. That is why Viking veterans, especially those who travel in DV &V cabins, suggest working with a prioritized list of tours that you are interested in and at booking time (noon PT) paying after you have selected one or two tours, then repeat until you have everything you want.

I just booked excursions. As CCWineLover said, I did not have to go to the cart to confirm our choices for the included tours; they were confirmed as we chose them. When I did the paid excursions, I grabbed them two or three at a time and checked out. I did the ones I wanted the most, first. Then I came back and did more until I had booked everything I wanted. Since I wasn't picky about times for any of the included excursion, I reserved them last. However, if you are trying to book two tours in one day, book your included at the same time you do the paid, to make sure you have enough time between the two.

The same HOHO bus stops at Newhaven before it reaches the Britannia stop.

Also note that 1) pre-registration is available only for VISA cards and 2) is not required even if you have a VISA card (it is pushed as convenience, nothing more).

The same HOHO bus stops at Newhaven before it reaches the Britannia stop.

Definitely a tender port.

Cruisemapper is a third-party source of information and isn't always accurate. Better to go to the harbormaster's website for the ports your are interested in..

Save yourself the frustration; the call center agents were wrong. Viking Air only books flights; it has nothing to do with transfers.

A lot depends on the port where you are disembarking. Some ports require that the ship be completely cleared of departing pax before arriving pax can board. Sometimes, you can arrange to stay on-board. Sometimes, it depends on how many people have late flights. Viking has a number of ways of dealing with evening departures. Hopefully, those who have done Buenos Aires with Viking will see this thread and share their experiences with you. If the e-mail above doesn't have the information you need, try tellus@vikingcruises.com. Also, consider arranging a day tour plus transfer to the airport (there is definitely plenty to see in Buenos Aires). You could use the roll call for your sailing to arrange such for a small group.

There is space on the laundry slip for special requests. If you are concerned that written instructions might not be enough or that they might not be understood, you could also explain it to your cabin steward and ask that the explanation be passed along to the laundry room. You could even put the above picture on your phone/tablet to aid in the description.

While the information is helpful, smaller denominations than 10 are used for tipping tourguides and bus drivers and thus we ask if can rely on the ship to supply us with smaller notes.

Perhaps the issue on the WC is that there are so many currencies to deal with that they choose to deal with none except the onboard currency.

Just to change the topic again. To those who have already done this itinerary, for which currencies will Viking break larger bills into smaller bills. I know that they do not do currency exchange and I know that they usually will break US$ but will they also break € and/or £? Thanks in advance!

Jim says only US$, but that is when you are in the US. In Europe, you can break €. I fully expect that we will also be able to break £ while in the British Islands.

Viking shuttle runs from the ship to the Columbus statue at the foot of La Ramblas. Every half hour.