ShopperfiendTO

Can anyone provide insight on how Viking requires only one sea day to cross the Drake Passage (each direction) from/to Ushuaia when it seems every other cruise line that uses the same port states two sea days each way? I looked at departure times and Viking doesn’t leave that much earlier, maybe 3-4 hours earlier only. 🤔

Sorry if this is obvious but could someone who’s been on Atlas this past Antarctic season confirm that the boot size we should select is what we would normally wear? I.e., we aren’t wearing any other shoe or bootie inside the boot, just our socks? Also, for the parka, it’s unisex so is a medium a men’s medium or a women’s medium or something in between? Thanks!

Hello, Could you provide details on what, if anything, has been or will be done to World Voyager as part of her migration from Nicko Cruises to Atlas before she sails under the Atlas banner (your website indicates her inaugural season begins November 2023) please? Wondering what differences there will be on World Voyager than on World Navigator and World Traveller (other than the number of hot tubs). Thank you!

The premium economy upgrade is a promotion; it is not a standard indefinite offering available for all cruises. Your cruise has to have this as an offer (I think it only applies to European cruises and even then only for the transatlantic portion of the itinerary) and it may not be combinable with other promotions you might have for the booking.

That's going to be hard given that the current Atlas ships are about 200 pax and boats in the Galápagos Islands are limited to a maximum of about 100 pax: https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/adventure-travel/how-to-travel-to-galapagos-islands

Sorry to (hopefully only slightly) highjack your thread, but was your impression that lunch was better than dinner on your Antarctic expedition? I think I have seen you on the Oceania board - how would you compare the food on O to your Antarctic expedition?

For people who have sailed on both the Expedition ships (especially for Antarctica sailings) and Ocean ships, could you comment on the food quality between the two types of ships for the same venues? I understand that the menus are the same on Ocean and Expedition but I wonder if the quality and the offerings (for the buffets) is the same as well. Thanks in advance!

Hi, Can anyone advise how the Double Quarterly Savings works when trying to book online? Where does one see the discount being applied? Trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong or if it's a case of the changeover SNAFU. We have sailed Azamara a handful of times before the changeover. When I log in, I see my Azamara Circle number, Tier and points being correct(!) (this webpage starts with azamara.com) Still logged in, I go to the home screen and click on the Double Quarterly Savings promotion that brings up a page with the eligible cruises. I select a cruise I'm interested in with that promotion, but when I click the button to book, it only asks how may guests, when before the changeover it would ask for the Azamara Circle number to register any loyalty promotion to the booking. So the result is that the promotion is not applied (I checked this by pricing the same cruise when I am logged out as when I am logged in and the pricing is the same for both and the booking price summary doesn't indicate any promotion having been applied). I wonder if it has to do with the booking taking information from a different screen (this webpage starts with seaware.azamara.com instead of just azamara.com) that shows different information: - It states "Account #" instead of "Azamara Circle #" and the "Account" number is different (shorter) than the Azamara Circle # - 0 Base Points - Level: PREVIEW - Member Since: [last week when I first signed in after the website changeover] Appreciate any insight anyone may have and how to fix this because the promotion expires tomorrow!

I think the $600 excursion credit you're talking about is 6 free excursions which may be worth more than the $600 excursion credit that you would be getting under SM. I guess it depends on the price drop if it's worth switching.

We were in the exact same scenario as you last summer (overnight embarkation port stay in Reykjavik with a desire to check-in well into the evening of embarkation) but it was with Azamara. I thought it would be no problem but apparently it can be. It was really surprising to me, but I was told that even though I *knew* that we would be arriving late that day (well, at least that we wanted to), I could not get pre-approval to arrive after the latest check-in time. I was told that I had to wait until the morning of the scheduled embarkation day and then to call the cruise line emergency number (at the time Azamara was still owned by RCCL so it was actually the RCCL contact number) and let them know that I would be arriving late, and only then would the decision be made if I could board late. Basically, they had to treat it as a delayed plane arrival the day of the cruise and I may or I may not be allowed to board!?! I'm not sure if it was because of RCCL bureaucracy or protocol, or if it is dependent on the particular port, but what I thought was a non-issue became a very real issue for us. So I guess what I'm trying to say is given the risk involved, you may want to ask Viking directly and if the answer is favourable to you, to get it in writing.

I think it is up to the TA to decide, based on if the cruise line itself allows those bookings to be made in CAD or not. If the TA you are asking about is the one I think it is, I know for certain that it offered CAD or USD pricing and payment for a specific cruise line (but you could not book it in CAD through the online booking system which was only in USD). On the other hand, another large US-based TA simply didn't have CAD pricing/payment for the same specific cruise line. Based on my above experience, assuming that CAD pricing is permitted by the cruise line itself, I think it just depends on whether the specific US-based TA will "offer" it as well. Unfortunately, I don't think that there is a blanket statement that can apply (e.g., if it does CAD pricing for one cruise line, then it will do for all cruise lines it sells). I think you will have to ask that specific US-based TA about that specific cruise line.

Sorry if this has been posted/addressed before, but does anyone know how the cash payment discount works when you use a travel agent to book the cruise (to get perks/OBCs from the travel agent)? I'm assuming that this is possible?

The staff don’t make it uncomfortable for the non-drinkers or those who aren’t on a drinks package. It’s the “sommeliers” who come to the table near the end of the meal to settle up with those that ordered and were served chargeable beverages by asking for their room cards, and in my experience they’ve been equally pleasant and respectful to everyone at the table regardless of whether they’re on a drink package or not (or not imbibing).

Thanks very much for the information. So to confirm, lunch is buffet only (the World Cafe Frill aside)?

Could you let us know what the set-up is for lunch and dinner at the Restaurant and Manfredi (and any other "sit-down table service" restaurant, e.g., Mamsen?)? Are they buffet or menu for lunch? How is the quality of the food in Antarctica? Also, do you recall how many landings there are a day in Antarctica? Is it one or two, not sure because the size is 400 pax which is getting up there for landing logistics in that region...

How was the food compared to O? Is it somewhat close or not even in the same hemisphere? I looked at some YouTube videos and they seem to be buffet style for lunch and not sure what the dinners are like in terms of offerings? Wondering if Atlas is worth splurge for Antarctica coming from people who sail and like O.

What ship class do you like on O, the Vista/O-class ships or the smaller R ships? That may be a factor on which other line is a close comparable. Viking ships are similar to the O-class ships and the cruise line has included excursions and included beer and wine at lunch and dinner.

I am pretty sure that the ship will not provide any special shoes or clothes (or anything for any excursion) - it is not an expedition ship. They just book the excursion operator so it will be whether the operator would provide them. Your 2 medium and 1 carry-on should fit under the bed. If not, I think the room steward would store any too-large-to-fit luggage for you until near the end of the cruise.

Sorrento is a tender port. If the water is too rough to tender, you will most likely dock in Naples. If the focus of this port is going to Pompeii, then docking in Naples instead of tendering in Sorrento isn't really going to impact your Pompeii excursion as it is about the same from either Sorrento or Naples. In fact, with Naples, if your port day is long, you could also make a stop at Herculaneum on your way back, which is much closer to Naples.

I think your experience could depend on what cruise you’re going on (location and duration, and possibly time of year). The South Pacific is generally a more mellow cruise clientele and probably more filled with couples than party groups. For example, if you’re going on a 7-night Caribbean cruise, there is probably a higher chance that you are going to encounter more partying groups and a crowded pool area.

At least he didn't shout at your husband and threaten to “take [his] face off".

Health insurance is one thing, but emergency travel health medical insurance outside of the province lasting the entire length of a typical world cruise that is the subject of this thread?

How does one know that one has booked a "group rate"? Where does one find a "group rate" for a given cruise?

I would be very very surprised if there is anyone in Canada who would have insurance through an employer that would cover the length of a world cruise. 😮

The only thing that might be of interest to us on this list is Olvera Street. 😅 San Diego is for the naval museums and downtown area stuff, not the Zoo or beaches.