Gail Boertzel

Today, excursion booking opened precisely at 12 pm PT. All went smoothly with using some onboard credit, then switched to paying through bank account we had registered. About halfway through (I had 9 excursions to book) payment was declined using the bank account, even though there were ample funds in the account. So I had to switch to a credit card which was a bit of a pain entering all the info each time. No idea why this happened and I didn't want to stop booking excursions to try and figure it out. So just be aware if you plan on using a bank account.

Just inquiring of anyone who has booked excursions recently, is the opening booking time of 12:00 pm PT holding true? Any experience where it was earlier? Thanks!

Trying to decide between these two tours. Neither is a true Diamond Circle tour. I have looked at private tours, but either the time constraints of the time in port or it being a large coach bus (trying to avoid) or the expensive cost of a truly private tour make them unworkable. I realize the ship tours will be on a big bus. So based on the difference in the sites, any preferences for one tour over the other? Iceland has so many beautiful natural attractions. I hate to eliminate any, but have come to realize that choices must be made. Thanks for any help! Tour #1: Explore the Diamond Circle and see the region’s natural attractions during a full-day excursion. Meet your guide and embark on a scenic drive to the Dimmuborgir lava fields, known for their dramatic rock formations, with some reaching up to 65 feet high. Continue to Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall, and admire its cascade of water as it tumbles into the Jökulsárgljúfur. At the Hljóðaklettar—or Whispering Cliffs—marvel at the craters and basalt columns, formed by the flood waves of the Vatnajökull ice cap. After a delicious two-course lunch, head to Húsavík on the shores of Skjálfandi. This charming fishing town, a popular sight for whale watching, was the backdrop of the 2020 movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. After your tour, return to your awaiting ship. OR Tour #2: Discover the stunning landscape and natural treasures of northern Iceland. Travel by motor coach along the coast of Eyjafjördur—Iceland’s longest fjord—and take in stunning views of Akureyri and the surrounding mountains. Journey through the Fnjóskadalur Valley to the majestic Godafoss waterfall, named after a pagan priest and chieftain who threw the statues of the pagan gods he once worshipped after converting to Christianity in the year 1000 AD. Your next stop is the Mývatn volcanic lake area, pausing by the impressive craters at Skútustadir along the way. You will also visit the towering lava castles and grottoes of the Dimmuborgir lava labyrinth, and experience the geothermal wonder of hot sulfuric mud springs and gurgling sulphur cauldrons at Námaskard. After a wonderful day in nature, return to your awaiting ship.

This is the information I received in April 2023 when I inquired why Vigur Island was not open for tours on June 13, 2024: Thanks for your message - the reason for the closure is that this is the period the eider are nesting and the eiderdown harvest takes place. Too many visitors would disturb the nesting eider. We are sorry that this closure coincides with your visit - but yes, it is the same period every year. With best wishes, Felicity

I think Viking should have planned this change better. For a June cruise, owner's suite can book excursions tomorrow and the excursions being offered are still not posted on line. This is an Iceland cruise that is port intensive. You need time and information in order to figure things out.

I will also report that I used ACH (previously signed up for) and I did not have to input the account information in order to pay for an excursion. Happily, the information on this Board was correct, as opposed to what I was told on Live Chat. I have now sorted everything out with the help of a Live Chat person so that confirmed reservations now appear on my calendar, which was not the case initially, which left me wondering if I really had a reservation or not.

Well, my excursion reservations time just opened up 3ET). What a disaster. The system is obviously overloaded. Messages like page not found, some confirmed reservations showing up on calendar others not, long time to process payments and reservations. And right before 3 Live Chat was available, but disappeared right after, since no doubt everyone was having issues. This was the day that deluxe veranda reservations opened, so over 260 cabins. Viking needs to tweak this!

Today in Live Chat I was told in spite of having signed up for ACH bank draft that I would have to enter the account information for every excursion I will be trying to book. I thought one benefit of ACH bank draft was to avoid having to do this. Does anyone know from experience whether I was given incorrect information? Thanks!

Thanks for all your eye-opening info. Guess I'll be packing for a wide range of weather. Is there any weather website that gives info for mid-Atlantic?

Just wondering if anyone with experience can advise whether it will likely be bathing suit, sit by the pool weather early in September or will we be indoors most of the time? Thanks!

Just wondering if anyone with experience can advise whether it will likely be bathing suit, sit by the pool weather early in September or will be indoors most of the time? Thanks!

This would be for a 3 hour snorkel and kayak excursion to West End for $80 per person with pick up at Coxen Hole. How does that sound?

Thinking of booking an excursion with this group. I realize they have many individuals who are part of the group, but wondering if anyone has had any experience in booking something with them. Thanks!

If you are using a voucher to pay for an excursion, how does that work? I have been told that excess on voucher after paying for cruise can be used for excursions.

Thanks for the info. I was thinking we wouldn't need e-bikes because the island is pretty flat?? We are on a Viking ship which I think may dock at Punta Langosta (will that be a tender)? If so, which bike shop would be the closest? We are recreational cyclists and would do it independently. We would just use the bikes as are means of transportation for the day, getting out of town as quickly as possible.

Anyone had any experience with renting bikes on Cozumel and exploring on your own? Is it safe? I know there are lots of bike paths which would be nice not to have to ride on same roadway as car traffic. Hoping to escape the thousands of people that will be in port the day we are there in October. Thanks

Thanks Bill. Radisson gets very mixed reviews, but is good location for cruise terminal and probably ok for an overnight stay. The other threads that I looked at go back about a year so was looking for more recent information.

Our flight gets in early evening and we will board the ship the next day so we just need a safe, clean hotel. A big plus would be if the hotel provides transportation either from the airport or to Fuerte Amador port. Looking for suggestions...thank you...

As I understand it from my conversations with Viking reps, Viking seems to refer to CFAR (Cancel for any reason) vouchers as "TripMate," maybe because they are processed by TripMate? Viking seems to distinguish CFAR vouchers from vouchers it issues, e.g. for a cruise that misses ports (recently Australia/New Zealand or Mississippi River). I always understood that if we used the CFAR portion of the policy that we would be receiving a voucher. What I did not understand and it was never in any printed material from Viking was that the voucher could in essence only be used for one trip unless an exception was made. I have spoken to quite a few people at Viking with no success in getting them to "split" the voucher. Any suggestions appreciated!

I was told today that they will only split vouchers if it is a Viking voucher and not a TripMate voucher. Who knows if that is accurate. It was a very long day of being on Hold with phone calls to both TripMate and Viking with little satisfaction. Apparently it is the language in the fine print that comes with the voucher that says: “If credit is applied to a booking of lesser value, the difference will not be carried to another booking and the travel voucher will be considered as used.” So this in essence becomes one voucher for one trip. I think a strong argument could be made that this language is unenforceable since it is not spelled out in the TripMate policy and first knowledge of it is when it is too late. But Viking well knows it is not worth suing (if you even could) for such a relatively small amount. So I guess we will pad one cruise with extras that we really don't want or care about. I am determined not to leave any $$ in Viking's pocket.

Yes, it is large because it was an Antarctica cruise. So do you talk to Viking, not Tripmate?

We canceled a cruise and are receiving vouchers through Tripmate. We would like to use part of the vouchers for one cruise and the remainder for another cruise. Our travel agent is hearing rumblings that this is not allowed, that you can only use the voucher for one cruise. Any experience with this???