MICHE99

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

As others have said, the answer is no. But you can pick up some smaller ships that are going through. Seabourn, Regent, and Silver Sea have often had cruises running through the Hawaiian Islands coming back from Asia or French Polynesia that you can book segments that start/end in Hawaii. 

 

That being said most of those only have like 2-3 days at most on the Islands and are not a great way to see Hawaii if that's the goal. 

z

Thanks. I’ll continue searching. 👍🏻

42 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

If you are not using wireless connectivity (WiFi), then you will be using cellular data services to send/receive emails - using cellular data triggers the daily charge - so, yes to your question. 🍺🥌

Yes. I agree. 

Everything should work as well as Cruise Critic 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

Having been part of the hospitality industry my whole life I understand the controversy. I’d prefer all gratuities be included in my cruise price. I also enjoy adding to the gratuity for the extra effort some provide. 

41 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

Not stressing, just learning about VO to decide what works best for us.   This is what CC.com has always been about for me--know before you go.

 

We only have $500 OBC to spend.  After we pay the suggested gratuities for our cruise ($476), we'll only have $24 left.  (Maybe a bit more if we decide to book a new cruise onboard--thanks again to all here for the tips on not to pre-pay gratuities or the SSBP for that reason.)  The SSBP would put us $676 in the hole from day one otherwise.  We drink spirits, wine, and beer but do not think we've ever ended up with a bar bill that high after any two-week cruise.  If there were truly a "premium" wine by the glass--say $15 instead of $8--it might tip the scale toward the SSBP.  (And, yes, I realize we can buy any alcohol at any time on a VO ship regardless of whether we have SSBP or not.)

 

Thanks again to all for the information,

Forgive me. 🙏🏻  I’m the one stressing. Reservations for the specialty restaurants, excursions and the SSBP package. It’s my nature. I’m in agreement. I’m so thankful for all the help here. It has allowed us to make an informed decision and now that we have, I’m going to stop. I’m not going to second guess myself. 
Have a wonderful cruise. 

I’ve decided that I’m not going to stress about anything. If I decide to buy a top end bottle on board I’ll do it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ We’ll need to spend $750 to break even. I doubt we will but…… If I spend a little more or a little less it will be fine. Serenity now!!! 😅

I’m going to need re-read this entire thread when I get to a desktop. 🤔

30 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Uber or Bolt will probably be cheapest. They pick up in a designated place in one of the short stay car parks opposite the terminal.
 

Taxis (or black cabs, as they’re known in London) and pre-booked limos will be more expensive but may be more convenient.

Thank you. Can I assume there are designated areas for each terminal?

If one is in their 70’s and feels that navigating the train system with luggage after an overnight flight would be terribly difficult……. What are the alternatives? Taxi? Car service? Shuttle? Uber? 

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

It will be in a carafe on the desk if you request it. When we sail, we request one sparkling and one still. I may be mistaken but I think I tried and the carafes won’t fit in the fridge😢

Hmmm. Wondering if I should buy some to bring on board. 

On 3/5/2023 at 12:44 PM, tocruiseguy said:

Interesting discussion......if anyone cares, I did the math and by the time we have a few sparkling waters, a diet coke or two plus highballs etc, I think it makes sense even if we don't hit $25 a day.  Like many have posted, the convenience is great, if I feel like a fru fru cocktail with an umbrella in it, I can order it or if I feel like a decent scotch I can do the same.  One more thing for Canadians.  I think it is best to purchase the package pre-cruise, as the everything on the ship is priced in USD you will avoid any exchange charge on your credit card.  

Sparkling water isn’t included?  🙄  Is it in the room fridge?

4 hours ago, sfocruiser said:

standard business attire in Bermuda

 

 

Called Annapolis “formal” in that sailing town. 

6 hours ago, Vagabond51 said:

Probably the most bizarre behavior I've seen at a cruise table was a gentleman with a baseball cap that brought plastic action figures, super heros and dinosaurs to dinner and set them up in front of his dinner plate. He had to be 65. Disney Panama Canal cruise where you sit with same guests every night. By the end half of the 10 person table was absent from seating.

Sad actually.

Thanks 

What is typical these days for dinner attire on Viking? 

On 8/30/2022 at 12:13 PM, JerryInIL said:

Miche99. The excursion price list isn’t mine.  I stole it from FB.  We sail August 2023.

Well then I guess I will be reporting back to you. We sail in May. 👍

14 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

Copied from FB Viking Cruises Travelers group.

BRITISH ISLES EXPLORER EXCURSIONS PRICES
Since there's interest in the costs for the optional excursions, here's a price list. We leave for this cruise tomorrow. If an excursion is NOT listed, then it is not being offered on our particular cruise. All prices are in American dollars. Hope this helps in your planning!

BERGEN:
Norwegian Gold & Silversmiths - $109 
19th Century Knitting Factory - $129
Bergen at War - $149
Ascent of Mt. Ulriken - $119
A Snapshot of Bergen - $119
A Taste of Norwegian Farm Life - $139
Flightseeing over Fjords & Glaciers - $479
Dale of Norway - $99
Nordic Walking in Bergen - $89
Mt. Floien Hike - $109
Griegs House & Recital & Fantoft Stave Church - $139

SHETLAND ISLANDS:
Ninian's Shetland Knitwear Experience - $299
Northmavine & Shetland Jewelry - $129
Walking the Nature Trails of Mouse Island - $119
Shetland Seabirds Experience by Boat - $299
The Shetland Pony Experience - $239
Crofting Shetland - $159
Lerwick by Foot & Shetland Museum - $79
THE HIGHLANDS:
Cawdor Castle & Culloden Battlefield - $179
Please note that our port stop for this was moved to Rosyth so we are overnighting there instead.
EDINBURGH: (Rosyth):
Royal Yacht Britannia & Ultimate Edinburgh - $239
Glenmorangle Distillery - $139
Magnificent History of Scone Palace - $159
Bagpipe Workshop & Whiskey Tasting - $239
Walking Tour of Edinburgh's Historic Royal Mile - $119
The Da Vinci's Code's Roselyn Chapel - $119
Broomhall Home of the Family Bruce - $319
ORKNEY ISLANDS:
Orkney's Stone Age - $139
Viking History & Ancient Pastimes - $199
Yesnaby to Skara Brae a Scenic Coastal Walk - $139
Orkney's Wartime Legacy - $149
THE HIGHLANDS (ULLAPOOL):
Castle Leod - $319
Inverewe Garden - $179
Scenic Assynt - $149
Knocken Crag Hike - $169
BELFAST:
A Day in St. Patrick's County - $179
Belfast Food Trail - $189
City Drive, Crumlin Road Jail & birthplace of the RMS Titanic - $199
Colebrooke Park, Sear of Viscount Brookeborough - $399
Mount Stewart House & Gardens - $109
Coastal Drive & Glens of Antrim - $99
Titanic Belfast Walk - $99
Irish Whiskey Walk & Tasting - $179
HOLYHEAD:
Flestiniog Railway & Lunch - $179
Castles of Wales - $219
Gwydir Castle - $129
Bodnant Garden - $129
Snowdonia Hike & the Ugly House - $299
Beaumaris on Foot - $149
Menai Strait by RIB - $219
South Stack Bird Reserve - $99
Caernarfon Castle - $99
LIVERPOOL:
Horseshoe Pass & Steam Railway - $229
Roman City of Chester - $179
Arley Hall - $199
The Beatles Experience - $129
Port Sunlight & Ness Botanic Gardens - $99
Maritime City of Liverpool - $79
The Athenaeum - $209
Western Approaches & Maritime Museum - $99
Knowsley Hall - $199
Afternoon Tea with Lord Mayor - $219
DUBLIN:
Ballyknocken Farmhouse Baking - $129
Guinness Connoisseur Experience - $239
Water of Life at Jameson Distillery - $129
Historic Dublin on Foot - $119
Experience Traditional Irish Entertainment - $119
DOVER:
Canterbury Cathedral & Leeds Castle - $199
Vintage Railway & Bodiam Castle - $209
Britain at War - $209
Vineyard & Wine Tasting with Lunch - $279
Sissinghurst Castle Gardens - $139
Walmer Castle & Sandwich - $119
LONDON (GREENWICH):
Thames River Cruise - $99
Ceremony of the Keys at London Tower - $219

I'll try to post our impressions of the actual excursions we take.

WOW!!! This is very nice of you. I can't wait to hear about your experience. I sure hope you share your thoughts. Bon Voyage!!!

On 8/22/2022 at 1:14 PM, Twitchly said:

There are about 90 excursions for this cruise. I’m afraid printing each one to a PDF and posting or emailing them isn’t feasible. 
 

Why don’t you try tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them for a list? I hear that has worked for others.

FYI. Thanks for the suggestion.  I emailed Viking to ask for a list of the excursions. They directed me to the itinerary on the website. I checked and there are lots of excursions listed. They may change and there are no prices but for my needs it is a start. 

3 hours ago, FlaGirl13 said:

On my payment receipt the itinerary was listed on the last page, including each port and the time there. 

Got it! 😃 Thank you 👍🏻

When can we see the details of the itinerary on the Viking website? Wanting to understand how much time we have at each port while I’m researching activities. Does anyone who did the London to Bergen route have that information?

On 8/7/2022 at 3:09 PM, Twitchly said:

Then you might consider heading up to the Explorer’s Lounge in the wee hours. The view should be wonderful from there.

Great idea. Thanks for the tip. 

42 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

What the heck? Are you serious? 

 

This is a comment for everyone else who replied about getting OBC or a cheaper price. I have a question for you. When you go to a store and buy something, do you ask the person who helped you to put their hand in their own pocket and give you some money back?

 

For instance, when you buy a pair of shoes at a shoe store, a nice person who works on commission helps you find just the pair you want. He or she brings you a number of pairs of shoes. When you find the pair you want, you go to check out and pay for them. Then, would you turn to the salesperson who helped you and say, “Could you please give me $10 out of your own pocket since I bought the shoes from you?” Not the shoe store’s money, the sales rep's money who just spent the last half hour finding you shoes that you love.A half-hour he could have been helping others who bought 10 pairs of shoes or sometimes he shows a person 10 pairs of shoes and they buy nothing.

 

Expecting refundable OBC from a TA is pretty much the same thing. TAs (not the online booking agents) make commissions from the cruise line, not from you. And unlike that shoe salesperson, TAs don’t get paid an hourly wage. They work on commission only. If you ask them to do a ton of work, then book with someone else, they don’t get paid for any of that time. You are charged the same price whether you book through them or not. When they give you OBC, it comes out of their own pocket. Why would you expect them to do that? They are doing a bunch of work for you for free and yet you still think that a “good” TA will give you OBC out of their own pocket. I don't get that.

 

Now if they give it to you without asking...that's awesome. But I just have a problem with new cruisers who have heard that their friends get x-amount of freebies. That's their first question (even before they book the cruise)..".how much are you going to give me?"

 

My TA gives us lots of great stuff but I also never ask for it, I come to her with just about everything finished (or, maybe we booked on board) so she has little work to do other than a single phone call or computer booking. And believe me, there are lots of small moms and pops everywhere. We accompanied our TA on a ship visit last summer here in Seattle. She and about 100 other travel agents got to tour and have lunch on the NCL Bliss (quite a ship) and I would say that more than 80% of the agents were either booking from home, or working with a franchise (which means they make at most 7.5%) or working for another small agency. None of those people get paid by the hour. They get paid when they sell a cruise and every penny that they give back, is one they don't get to feed their families, take their cruises or whatever they do with their money.

 

And I totally understand the sales job thing having been in sales and marketing for more than 38 years. I can't count the number of presentations I have done where the client has gone another way. I have no problem with that (yes I do, but I get it--they like something that someone else has better than what I have) but when they go into the sales process having already decided that no matter what this person does for me, I am buying from the absolute cheapest I can find, that's wrong. If you want the cheapest, go to Costco. You will get the service you deserve (God help you if you have a problem) but you will cruise cheaply.

 

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

I totally appreciate my TA and use her for every single cruise I have ever taken. I’ve never asked for anything but her company always has a plan to give OBC. According to many people I’ve spoken to it seems to be common practice. 🤷🏼‍♀️

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Is that the invoice received from your TA, or the Guest Statement from Viking. We have it listed on the invoice from our TA, but we have never seen the OBC received from our TA included on Viking's Guest Statement.

From the TA. 

11 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

When booking a cruise with a TA, the cruise line pays them a commission. Some TA's will share a portion of the commission with the customer - OBC, bottles of wine, shore-ex, etc.

 

Viking has a policy that states the maximum "Gift" a TA may provide. As you noted for cruises of 15 days or longer, this is $500 pp in the currency used to pay for the cruise. It is purely voluntary and if the TA provides OBC, the TA will send the money to Viking shortly prior to embarkation.

 

This OBC does NOT show in MVJ and is only visible in your on-board account once you board the vessel.

The amount is clearly listed on my invoice.