KruiserKat

On 2/2/2019 at 12:17 PM, 1threadshort said:

does this completely fold or do you have to take the seat off. what is the speed

Just the back part of the seat folds down and the steering part ( you can loosen the side to bring it down to fit into a car and such) Other than that, it's just one big piece. 

38 minutes ago, Gnoelj said:

We are going on the Viking Sea on one of their West Indies Explorer cruises - this one starting from San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 9th , 2019.

 

We heard a lot about the beauty of the Andromeda Gardens in Barbados, and as Viking does not provide any excursions there, we had thought of taking an excursion from another tour provider. We have the details and timings of that excursion,  the tour excursion starts at 8.00-8.15am and it lasts for five and a half hours. The agent we spoke to on the phone said a pick-up at the  cruise port could be arranged but she has to be sure that the ship docks in time for  us to catch the excursion.

 

The problem is finding the time Viking Sea docks at  Bridgetown, Barbados on March 14th. We went onto port information websites like www.cruisemapper.com , and although we found that the Viking Sea is listed as docking there on that particular day, unlike other ships listed,  there is no arrival and departure times mentioned. That seems rather odd. Surely, Viking would have known its schedule, especially when they have been plying this route so regularly for a couple of years.

 

We dare not book the excursion until we know that the Viking Sea is docked at Bridgetown in time for us to go on it.

 

It would be appreciated if anyone of you have any information about this (Viking Sea arrival/departure schedule on March 14th). Also, as this is a regular Viking cruise, if you have been on this cruise in the past, perhaps you might recall what time Viking docks and what time it leaves.

 

We looked for the Viking Rollcall for the West Indies Explorer cruise starting March 9th,  2019, but it does not appear to be there yet. So we could not ask anyone in the roll call.

 

May we take the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Suggest you contact Viking directly!!! Happy New Year!

2 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sorry but, if you are a US resident, I think it's you who needs to read the T&Cs of both your regular health insurance and any optional travel medical insurance you may purchase. This includes any Medicare supplement that converts to the company's "basic" (or similarly named) plan whenever you travel abroad. 

 

The key phrase that many (if not most) of these plans use when referring to covered treatment outside of the United States is "critical or emergency care" (i.e., NO unnecessary nor elective procedures). Your perusal of those T&Cs may also find the term "normal and reasonable charges." And don't get me started on the often misunderstood insurance label called "preexisting conditions," a waiver of which may or may not be included in your travel policy.

 

That said, and while a ship's doctor should/would not turn you away from a request for anything within his/her reasonable scope of practice, insurance companies use that CYA language for all of the obvious reasons. So, technically, there always does exist the possibility that your regular health insurance or supplemental travel medical insurance carrier could deny a claim for treatment by a ship's doctor, the purpose of which was deemed to be not critical or emergency care.

 

You also mentioned the magic word "evacuation." Again, your regular health insurance, if it covers critical/emergency care abroad, will pay the normal and reasonable charges for an air ambulance (deemed necessary by ship AND CG medical personnel) from the "emergency" ship setting to the emergency shore side setting where first intensive/acute care may progress. What many folks, don't realize is that the "coast guards" of most developed countries do not charge anything for a medically necessary emergency transfer to a shoreside facility of its choosing. OTOH, "evacuation" is a transfer from that first shoreside emergency facility to an appropriate secondary acute care facility (e.g., home to the U.S.) and few, if any, regular medical policies cover this when you're traveling internationally. That's one of the reasons it's important to have travel medical insurance with adequate evacuation limits and, in the ideal world, inclusion of those all important words: "to a facility of YOUR choice." 

BTW, let's never forget the importance of those PEC waivers!

 

But, I digress.

 

The true positive of Oceania's onboard medical perk for RTW cruisers is that, for critical care/emergency (and perhaps some occasional "hand holding") treatment onboard, there is no charge, which translates to no co-pays, no deductibles, no up front payments, no claim forms, no primary/secondary insurers, etc. And when you are away from home for many months at a time, that "one less thing to worry about" can be a true value.

 

When you cite the benefit of the Oceania Plan is to cut red tape-of course I agree!! It makes life a lot simpler. But unfortunately not all lines have this plan. In that case you may have to bill your regular and secondary insurers to get denials which must then be forwarded to your travel insurance. They will then pay the ships Doc along with any other claims as specified by the insurer. But the bottom line is they WILL pay (unless the claim is totally arbitrary and capricious) for any emergency/critical treatment. This was my only point as I specified earlier. If people go to the ships Doc for elective procedures-lots of luck! Having been in the medical field I doubt that 95% of the cases fall into that category!!!

2 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

Again, I would encourage you to read the terms and conditions of the policies which you buy, but most that I have been offered give the Insurance company the choice of where the patient will be treated.  There are some circumstances where that would make the ship's doctor the only game in town, but you just can't count on that.

Any services performed by the ship would be the primary treatment. If evacuation to a hospital is required, that would also be reimbursable, but in no event would the on board treatment (not drugs) be denied. I suggest you review your plan and perhaps choose one which does not exclude ship treatment! By the way, which plan do you use that excludes treatment by the ships Doc?

11 minutes ago, StanandJim said:

I would guesstimate that that statement is untrue for 95% of,  pardon the pun, "real World scenarios"-

Read your terms and conditions extremely carefully ...

 

 

Could you please cite problem with my statement. I've always claimed and received payment  when Doc is not covered!

2 hours ago, cbb said:

be sure and notice the "freebies" that come with ATW--medical, gratuities, laundry, etc.    For some people that free medical was wonderful. 

 

If you have trip insurance it will reimburse you for the ship"s Doc-even if not free!!!

Thanks Trinicruisegyal:

Your pictures answered my questions perfectly! 

Thanks again!!!

Does anyone have any info/photos on cabins #6020 and #6021 on Viking Ocean? How do they differ from "regular" PH Jr suites?

Would greatly appreciate any responses! 

LADUREE MACARONS

For those lusting for the above, if you go to the website goldbelly.com, I believe you can order a large variety of the above shipped to the USA and perhaps elsewhere. Give it a try...

Macarons/Macaroons:

Amazon has a large selection of both! Take your choice!!!

A TA, assuming you have a good one, can often give you cash or OBC from their commission!!! If a long voyage, this could be major! 

We are booked on the Sept 21, 2020 Viking Sea, Venice to Athens cruise. We are trying to get our best friends to go with us. They are experienced Oceania cruisers and swear by them. Oceania has a similar itinerary but it is in July 2020. I need some help from those who have cruised with both Viking Ocean and Oceania for comparisons we can show our friends. Thank you for any help.

You might choose to pose the same question on the Viking Ocean website. Answers may be very different!!!

I think in all honesty that it would be nice if this tedious thread could be brought to a halt.

 

If people don't like the hours that the options for booking things opens up, then why don't those people either book with a different cruise line or simply move house? Alternatively, why don't the people involved ask their 'leader' to get the entire world to revolve around them, or to change the worldwide time zones? Maybe they could go one step further and make time go metric (not)!

Just think of the sheer joy of having constant blitzes about it on the tv, the not-stop email stuff about it, not to mention tonnes of printed trash through your letter box about it!!!

It doesn't stop there (could be worse than an election!) - where would it all be centred on? I'd vote for Greenwich (UK). So, there we have it, world wide elections, with all the attendant mountains of media coverage; 10 months per year, 10 weeks per month and 10 days per week, and 10 hours per day!

 

IF you couldn't face that, then why not accept the situation as it is, be grateful that there is something out there to plan for, look forward to it and embrace any inconvenience. Try turning a negative (if that is how you view it) into a positive, look on the bright side and stop complaining about something so trivial.

All this from a person who removes the auto-tipping and tips discretely when deserved!!!

It's a steal!!!

Thanks very much for the info!!!

My invoice for the above is marked "partially obstructed view". Has anyone stayed in this Suite or, even better, has pictures of the view?

 

Any info would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

Sorry, I should have indicated that this is on the Insignia!

My invoice for the above is marked "partially obstructed view". Has anyone stayed in this Suite or, even better, has pictures of the view?

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

This might possibly be the first question here about binoculars! It might also not get answered, but if so, that's OK. I'll google.

 

We don't own binoculars. I know Viking has a pair in the room (or perhaps only some rooms). In the past, I've either used those binoculars or just used the 200 mm lens on my camera to look at lighthouses and other things that are "way out there." Would anyone like to offer guesses/opinions on whether I should buy a pair of binoculars that are better than what Viking offers, or better than what a 200 mm camera lens offers? We do cruise a lot (but about half the time on a cruise line that doesn't provide binoculars), and I am always looking out at things. Therefore, I'm thinking it might be time to consider binoculars. However, I don't want to spend a whole lot of money on them, or have to pack something that takes up a lot of space, particularly if it's only to find that what I purchased was no better than what I'll find in my Viking room.

 

Anybody have suggestions/opinions?

We travel with a pair of Nikon EX Action 8x40 binoculars & love them. They are not the lightest, but they are waterproof & fogproof. Look them up on the internet and then try them!

What is the weight limit?

 

Sent from my LG-TP450 using Forums mobile app

I believe 250 lbs, but check it out online!

If price is a consideration, I would look at the Shoprider Hero. It sells on the internet for under $600.00, has a very tight turning radius, and is only 20" wide. We've loved ours!!!

Is anyone else covered up with binocular ads????:eek:

We've enjoyed our Nikon Action EX 8x40 binoculars. While heavier than some (Nikon Acuron), they're fogproof and waterproof. Sold by Amazon, although I don't know that they are the cheapest site.

Having had some experience in a tourist related business in the U.S., I realize that some visitors from other countries do not have the same tipping policies in their countries as here in the U.S. That is no excuse to not be familiar with the tipping norm of the country or the cruise ship one books. . . and to follow accordingly. Personally I feel the tipping policies on Viking cruises are entirely in line with services given and in keeping with what one would expect to pay on a cruise of this caliber. Certainly, anyone is entitled to reward exceptional service with additional tips, but the recommended amount should be the minimum.

I agree with you fully!!! Unfortunately there are some passengers who as a matter of course, remove the gratuities either because they don't want to pay "up front" or they don't believe in gratuities. They are usually fully armed with excuses as to why the crew should be stiffed! They may hand out a few "discrete" gratuities, but you may be very sure they do not equal the suggested $15/day. You may review their reasoning in the preceding passages!

Ok, all well and good, but to begin with there is always the possibility that whatever the crew are paid, it's firstly better than what they might have got back in their own countries, and secondly they knew what they were in for when they joined the employment. Don't let us forget that they have their accommodation and food etc paid for.

You might ask why this 'hard' line - well, if somebody provides me with outstanding service (bearing in mind that we have free grats on our next cruise, qed we understand that the cruiseline will hopefully pay what would have been the grats levied on our accommodation level) then a discreet (and I mean discreet) tip is given. I really can't stand people who make a brash show of tipping.

We thoroughly abhor being forced to pay up front for tips/grats before I receive the 'service'; and having been left feeling used, abused and generally stabbed in the back on other cruise lines we've (or taken for a mug/fool) stopped doing auto-tips, and ensure on embarkation day that auto-tips don't happen.

Sure, the crew are entitled to respect, but so are we, and if good service is not provided then it's their own fault, they can go without. All we are looking for is timely provision of pleasant and professional service, clean and comfortable surroundings, not being overly fussed over, and not being ignored. If we get that sort of service, then discreet tipping is the order of the day.

Sounds like you're fully armed with excuses to stiff the crew re tips!!!

The Polo Lounge post took me back, being from Los Angeles. In the 50s when I was just a child, my grandparents would take the whole family out for a fancy dinner from time to time. In those days, if men weren't wearing a jacket and tie, the restaurant would loan you one. It wasn't until the 70s, when I was out on my own and they were still doing this in certain that I realized how truly disgusting these "used" jackets and ties were. I'd prefer clean jeans any time! At some point common sense just has to prevail.

"Common Sense" is to follow the rules set by Viking, or alternatively select another line!!!

i care! 'elegant casual' could never be interpreted to include jeans. It would take one minute to change out of jeans and into a smart pair of trousers. If passengers can't do this then they must be really tired and should consider dining in their suite. Viking have stated what the dress code is and i hope they enforce it.

bravo!!!!