tocruiseguy

On 12/27/2023 at 2:14 PM, travel4b said:

We are currently on the Mars Ft. Lauderdale to LA Panama Canal cruise - our first on Viking.  The ship really is gorgeous and service very good as expected. One thing that has surprised us though is the average age, health status and dress of our fellow passengers.  I mean no disrespect whatsoever; I’m just wondering if this is the norm or a one off with this cruise. Any veteran Viking travelers aboard who care to comment?

We did a long Viking Ocean cruise last spring and were surprised about the same thing.  The worst part was the ship's activities seemed to be aimed at the 80 year old plus demographic...sea days which we had a lot of, has almost no activities unless you like playing bridge.  Entertainment was equally "old", I think I might had heard songs newer than 1979 maybe half a dozen times.  Even my 92 year old dad likes newer music than that.  The "free" excursions were generally, pile on a bus, drive for a hour, get out, take a picture, pile back into the bus.  Staff and food was good not great and was much better, including the food quality on the Celebrity Cruise we took in the fall last year and at about 60% of the daily cost of the Viking cruise.  

Bottom line, if you want to pay $700 per person a day to sit around and read a book on sea days or listen to music from the 60's Viking Ocean is your thing.  If you like even a modest amount of entertainment on a cruise, my recommendation is to try another line. 

21 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

They don't.

Used to be served on lobster night.

No longer on the menu (solstice, last week).

And 2nd lobster tail is same upcharge as other nights. 😞

 

Was just on the Apex, had the filet and two lobster tails on "lobster" night, there was no uncharge.  Food was excellent on the cruise as was the service.  

On 5/3/2023 at 2:10 PM, lackcreativity said:

Why does a show have to be devoted to one group exclusively? Couldn't they do a whole decade at a time? They could then update a given show over time by adding and removing individual songs while not having to revamp the entire program. At least it would keep things a bit fresher as time goes by.  

Agreed and maybe the braintrust at Viking will someday realize there have been 4 decades of music since the 1970's.  Even my 92 year old father likes some music from the 80's, 90's, etc.  The music on our Viking cruise was brutal, how many times do they have to play "Celebration" on a Viking Cruise?  

Recently sailed on the Mars, internet was very glitchy and slow, at times I could not even access my Bank's internet banking website.  I don't expect to stream 4K movies on a ship's internet but being able to payi the odd bill is a pretty minimal ask.  Viking needs to do better.  

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

No need to be snarky. You yourself said you didn’t like it so I responded that you just don’t seem cut out for it. I’ve had a completely different experience on my Viking cruises.

Snarky is saying someone isn't "cut out" for something.  I really don't get why people take other peoples opinions about a company so personally, but carry on.  

4 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Oh well. Just sounds like you were not cut out for Viking.

Cut out?  I'm not cut out to spend $1200 a day so I can read a book on a lounger on a sea day and go to bed at 9 pm, not cut out for that?  😀

4 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Many, many postings here about folks who order up a room service breakfast; I believe Mamsen’s is serving waffles until about 10:30-11:00 a.m.; afternoons have tea in the Winter Garden from 4-5 pm; & room service cheese/fruit plate in late afternoon after excursions.

Well aware of the options.  Having a desert like waffle in the morning or fighting room service trays in our room isn't our thing.   We tried those "sandwiches" and frankly most were not great, but not a high tea person....Celebrity's cafe is pretty well open at least partially, all day until late.  Plus having split pea soup for a midnight snack isn't very appealing...

2 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

So are you voting with your wallet and words and just doing Celebrity from now on?   And leaving Viking?

We aren't voting or leaving anything, not sure what you mean by that as we were never "with" Viking or Celebrity for that matter.  More than willing to try any cruise line and we also don't just cruise for travel, we like a variety.  Based on our recent Viking cruise, we just wouldn't rush back to Viking, it's just a little too sedate for us.  Again thats how we feel, if you don't feel the same same, perfectly fine. 

On 5/18/2023 at 8:45 AM, Relaxinginthesun said:

My DW and I have sailed exclusively in Suites on Celebrity and RCCL for many cruises. While we enjoyed our last two cruises on Celebrity, which were both in Royal Suites we were disappointed with level of service in what they now call the Retreat area and the quality of the dining.  Therefore, we are considering trying a new line for our next cruise.  We sail in suites not so much for the extra space, while that is nice, but we like the all inclusive aspect of it.  I would just rather pay for everything up front and from my research so far it seems Viking is pretty much all inclusive. Also, we are used to having a dedicated butler  or a genie on RCCL who provides a high level of personalized service. So I am hoping to hear from others who have sailed on Celebrity and or RCCL,  if the Viking concept really is all inclusive and if not, what am I missing.  Second, is the level of service on-board comparable given there are no butlers.  Finally, I would appreciate anyone who has sailed on both lines providing their opinions on advantages and disadvantages of one line compared to the other.  

Most of the cruises we have taken to date have been on Celebrity, recently did a longer Viking Cruise, our first one.  Firstly the entertainment on Celebrity is significantly better and sea days on Viking were devoid of activities, unless you want to learn to play bridge or other rather sedate activities.  The age demographic, at least on the Viking cruise we took, I would guess was 75 plus and Viking really caters to that age group.  Almost all the music played was from the 1970's and older, not sure why Viking doesn't realize there have been 4 decades of music since 1979....

The staff on Viking were excellent and the food was generally very good, although repetitive at times and strangely the hours were somewhat limited in the World Cafe.  Viking did a good job of providing "local" cuisine in the World Cafe.  We find the staff on Celebrity equally good (and we are usually in a regular state room). but there seems to more Viking staff around so I am guessing Viking has a better staff to passenger ratio.  If you like to sleep in, forget about breakfast due to the world cafe hours, and there was really nowhere to grab a snack late afternoon when we returned from excursions.   Ship was very nice/clean and our stateroom was good.  Gym was good, as it wasn't busy, not really any gym classes though.  Spa was good, much of it included.  A few of the bar staff were excellent, went above and beyond, although at times in The Restaurant and Manfredi's we found almost too many staff were servicing our table which resulted in confusion. 

Viking's included excursions are basically, pile into a bus, drive around for an hour, get out, take a picture, get back in, rinse and repeat.  The included excursions seemed to be catered towards people who don't really want to move a lot (not us).  Some of the paid excursions weren't much better.  Our best days were either self guided stuff or private tours we arranged ourselves. 

Bottom line for us, even though the ship and staff were very good, we find Viking too sedate and even though there are some great Viking itineraries the excursions provided and sold do not live up to the potential of some of the ports, at least on the cruise we were on.  Based on the additional daily cost on Viking we don't think it's worth it, but that is subjective and our opinion.  

12 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

Ibut I must admit to being a bit suspicious of anyone (of any age) who can't enjoy the Beatles. I know I shouldn't judge, but so it goes.

 

 

Really?  You judge others based on their musical taste?  Of any age no less....wow....

3 hours ago, bookbabe said:

 

 

I’ve seen a number of complaints about Viking moving away from its original demographic in terms of entertainment choices, but I personally think that’s a smart business move on their part.  They won’t be able to survive forever on the current 60-70+ crowd, and future 60-70+ cruisers won’t have grown up in the same decades.  Maybe The Beatles will get replaced by Rolling Stones cover bands at some point?

 

Rolling Stones?  Thats pretty old stuff too. 😀 The Beatles and Abba though, thats absurdly old. I was in single digits in age when the Beatles broke up, yeah I have heard their songs but not a fan at all.  Those in their late 50's and early 60's would have "grown up" musically in the 80's and even 90's, which is still 30 to 40 years ago so Viking's entertainment is actually targeting the 70 to 80 year old demographic, an age range which at the upper end some people stop travelling.  God forbid, some of us actually like some current music hits!  Even my 92 year old Dad likes music like the Back Street Boys (which isn't new at all) and pop stuff like that.  Just because we get old doesn't mean we need to live in the past.  I think the older people get the more entitled we get and expect the world to revolve our tastes and likes.....

5 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

The other thing is...the ship felt louder than usual. Larger groups would come in for dinner (table of 6) and became quite noisy every night. Too much alcohol? In general, a louder, more boisterous feel to it at times. Goes along with another thread here on CC about a decline in behavioral standards I suppose. 

OMG, passengers having fun on a cruise vacation that doesn't fit with your standards......this is madness and must be stopped....😀  

17 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

As many as you want.  We have been known to buy a bottle of vodka and one of gin at the first duty free we see.  Then we use the inroom mixers and ask room service or the bar for some limes and then we are ready to go. 

Maybe I will need to detox after our upcoming 27 day Viking cruise, after all....😀   PS thats more than twice as long as our longest cruise ever to date....

3 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

 

 

CDN and Linda are of course correct. PV and above staterooms come with Mini bottles of liquor in the stateroom fridge which are replenished daily whether you have SS or not.  If you have SS you can order an alcoholic beverage from room service so for those of us who stay in DVs and below, this is an option just as is carrying aboard a bottle of our preferred liquor and making our own cocktail. 

So I can bring a bottle of hard liquor on board??  Wow.  

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.  

11 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

They don't have included wine/beer as a starting point so that must be factored in.

Celebrity also doesn't include the "fancy" coffees like Latte's "free" but even so, thats an awful lot of wine and beer at supper.  I would have to detox after our upcoming 27 day Viking cruise to drink enough for the equivalent of $135 a day😂 

Thanks for the info everyone.  BTW, we have a Celebrity Med Cruise booked for later this year.  I checked how much the Premium Drink Package is a day.....sit down..... $135 CDN per day!!!!  Yikes.  

Hi, a few questions.   Maybe I missed it, but I scoured the Viking website and I can't find an answer to the questions.   

I presume we can purchase the Silver Spirits package onboard rather than pre-cruise if we wish? (we have an onboard only credit)  

If we purchase it pre-cruise we can purchase it in Canadian Dollars, if we purchase it on the ship will it still be priced in Canadian or will it be priced in USD (and my credit card will convert to CDN $s)?

Can you purchase the package mid-cruise, for example, on a pro-rated basis? 

Thanks

6 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Too many newly retired travelers with too much time on their handds!

I totally agree with you.  For me, half the fun is the adventure and seeing/doing/experiencing things I had no idea about before they happened.   Love to go with the flow.

Sadly, post-COVID that has not always been possible as far as booking trips, as with the pent-up demand, everyone is booking up cruises, hotels, planes, national parks, and more way ahead of time.  I miss those times when you could just "wing it" on a trip.  Not so anymore.

Agree, for example, I really don't get why people look at online menu's and figure out what they want to eat before going to any restaurant much less months before you are on a cruise ship.  I note that on our upcoming cruise the speciality restaurants were completely booked on all the sea days when I happened to look.  How do you know you won't just feel like heading to the buffet that day?  Isn't half the fun, eating with people you enjoy being with and picking something you feel like eating at that moment ? Although we do research on ports we do like to just walk off the ship and wing it where we can.  I get not wanting to miss anything but a vacation where you plan every moment doesn't seem like much of a vacation, seems more like a day at the office. 

1 hour ago, oskidunker said:

9 ports in 15 days?  Overnight in two ports. This is not a cruise I would take. Too many sea days for what they are charging, especially with the cancelled port. Oceania is more port  intensive ,suits me better, although they are shortening port time claiming they are reducing their foot print.  After my March Viking cruise I am not booking any more cruise's until I see all this shakes out. Cruising looks less attractive as the months pass .

 

its kind of like your favorite restaurants who decide to increase costs AND reduce quality.i am eating out less.  Just not enjoyable anymore.  

 

 

 

It seems Australia and NZ aren’t exactly welcoming the cruise industry with open arms.  We are on a cruise out of Sydney in a few months and we still need to be tested before boarding while how many thousands of international air passengers land in Sydney daily with no testing requirements?  Seems a little strange to me.

Didn't NZ get hit by a cyclone a few weeks ago?

7 hours ago, Hockeyump said:

Nothing added so what you see is what you pay.

Just noticed it says that right on the menu...duuh...😀...thanks. 

23 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Tips are included on all drinks, but people have been know to tip there favorite server near the end of the cruise.

I guess what I am asking is....is there a 15% or 18% gratuity added to the cost on the menus?  We also have to convert to Canadian as the package is priced in Canadian $'s while the menus are in US$s. Thanks. 

On 1/21/2023 at 4:11 AM, OneSixtyToOne said:

Gin and vodka 

Hi, trying to do the math on getting the booze package, what is the added tip amount?  

PS I don't think we would ever drink enough to justify it, just like the convenience but don't want to overpay excessively for the convenience.......

9 hours ago, Haqdeluxe said:

Looked up the wrong cruise so... The DV cabins top out at under $13,500.00pp... Explorer Suite on this cruise was around $40,000.00pp. My mistake. Apologies. 

Why would I lie????