Cisterna

13 hours ago, PasadenaDave said:

 $150 on board credit

$300 for the two of you ,that's nice if they would have told you before you selected your excursions! What the heck are you going to do with that!  Can you use them for massages or is that a private company not part of the OBC ?. Also have you seen any on board cooking classes scheduled during your sea days? We have done a few on Orion and they were really fun .

Dave -   I'm sure it might be too soon to answer this -  Hubbby needs to check in with the office - mostly emails ~ Ho Hum - it will be the start of tax season and he is a CPA -  How is the Wifi - and what is the best time of day to use it.  I would imagine New Zealand will be best since we will always be close to land  vs, when we make the ocean crossing to/from Australia. And I do know you are using it for this blog 🤣  

Thanks

Kristi

31 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

country like New Zealand I see it as a lack of respect.  

Exactly!  They must take it to a currendcy exchange,  lose some worth, and their time! Same with Australia 

10 hours ago, PasadenaDave said:

excursion

 Have you noticed if people are tipping the guides and drivers?

Well I'm going to beat a dead horse. We have been on 45+ cruises, Ocean,  River, Expedition,  as well as cattle ships. We are very flexible and understanding, can easily make lemonade out of lemons. My frustration  is not being  told , especially when the change in port is known at time of booking ,  months in advance and in fact when asked being told the port has not changed. Corporate, when pushed, admitted it is a different tinerary for our specific sailing. A notice to passengers of a planned itinerary change  is customary 

4 hours ago, Meander Ingwa said:

The train , every 30minutes is 6$

Train from Geelong to Melbourne?  

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You will find it here:

https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf

 

Advanced, Cancelled or Delayed; Acts of God; Strikes; Other Changes: VRC and the Carrier reserve the right to withdraw and/or cancel a tour or to make changes in the itinerary and hotel accommodations whenever, in their sole judgment, the conditions warrant it.

 

Here is a link to all of the legal documents.

https://www.vikingcruises.com/legal/index.html?CID=EML|RSP|999|vrc.54805742

Thanks  for trying - but I specifically said..  change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, strike etc... You just reiterated the safety protocol issue which does not apply  when a major port change is made as is is on our itinerary. 

 -  

1 hour ago, rmalbers said:

They look fairly close to each other.  Do most of the excursions head west? Are/were they both tender stops?  My sister lived there for years, it is a great area for sure. 

Melbourne is  basically 1.5 hours car drive and roughly 1.1/4 hr train ride  away from /Geelong. Not exactly close especially if on a cruise ship  without an economical way to get there.. No tender. 

Would someone  please show me where it specifically says Viking can change a major  PORT  on the itinerary that is NOT due to any cause, such as weather, war, famine, stick etc. months prior to the cruise beginning!   I know there is a caveat stating excursions may not all be offered  and subject to change, but cannot find anything that says a port can be changed (unless for circumstances beyond control) .  To change from a 15 hour port visit in MELBOURNE to GEELONG  is totally unacceptable, especially when Melbourne is one of the highlight ports of the tour.   

On 9/2/2023 at 8:03 AM, 1025cruise said:

Cruise Critic does not, nor has it ever to my knowledge, supported private messaging on the boards.

Not true - I have been using private messages for years! In 2016 we established a group of 40 people thru our roll call and set up many pre-cruise dinners and private tours. Same was done in 2019 with an Asia cruise and established a group of 50!    Now it seems cc is forcing us to disclose private information to connect to people!  This is ridiculous! 

On 4/12/2023 at 5:38 AM, loriva said:

The Viking website says "Our newly enhanced Silver Spirits Beverage Program is now $25 USD per night.  The package includes:
Any drinks up to $18.00 including premium wines by the glass, cocktails, & aperitifs
Now includes house champagne by the glass
Premium wines by the glass, cocktails and aperitifs
Selection of applicable wines change twice per cruise
30% discount on premium beverages above $50.00 USD
50% discount for premium tasting events
The Chefs Table premium wine pairing
Wide range of upgraded selection of whiskeys & whisky’s
Wide range of upgraded wines and spirits
Soft drinks & juices
--Both guests in a stateroom must purchase the package for the full length of the cruise for it to be valid.  A 15% service charge per person is included with the price."

 

Viking mentions "premium wines by the glass" three times (if you count the Chef's Table pairings) in their description of the SSBP.  But what I'm seeing on this thread is that premium wines by the glass no longer exist--there are only the ordinary wines by the glass.  Is that a correct conclusion?

 

The SSBP also notes a 30-percent discount on premium beverages above U.S. $50.  But all of the bottles of wine on the list have a notation that they are "not included" in the SSBP.  So, if you buy the French white for $51 it is that price (plus 15-percent gratuity?) not $35.70 (30-percent discount, again not sure if 15 percent is added to that as gratuity)?

 

Still trying to decide if the SSBP is for us or not.  We bought it on our Viking River cruise as it offered us a much-better selection of wines.  VO does things differently, however, and not sure the SSBP now offers the possibility of upgraded wines.  (Based on the photographs of the wine list, it doesn't even appear one can buy a premium wine by the glass independent of the SSBP.  I do understand Viking allows one to bring wine on board and enjoy it without a corkage fee.)  Would appreciate comments, please.
 

14 minutes ago, franski said:

Another issue is related to cancellation.  If the company gives you a credit for a cancelled cruise, you don't qualify for money from the insurance company.

 

Fran  

Correct ~  Ok ~ enough of this ... let's think happy thoughts and start making an excursion list!

4 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

The bottom line is travel insurance----too many folks got burned when Vantage went under recently---one should never be vulnerable to losing thousands of dollars in this way.

 

I feel safe depositing early with Viking because of travel insurance---I'd otherwise be a fool.

 

Yes and the caveat is you must read the fine print on the insurance.  Many have added a provision that bankruptcy or insolvency   is not covered!,  Chase sapphire recently added that exclusion to their trip insurance. City Bank dropped their travel insurance trip cancellation/interruption  years ago. 

Getting disgusted booked this cruise date to be able to arrange NYE in Sydney - that option sold old very fast and Viking no help in even suggesting the possibility of a waiting list , the other reason we booked this ship instead of others is that it was going to Melbourne ! It DOES NOT GO TO MELBOURNE !  We go to Geelong  !!!!   We are there 8am-11pm!   Taking a train is a possibility but the logistics of figuring all that out is not part of the experience I wanted, let alone the expense.  I wanted to experience Melbourne, especially food tours, and nightlife.  This is a BIG Asterick that should have been on our itinerary when this date was was one that could be selected. This is not an itinerary change~ the ports are booked at least 2 years in advance!    NZ to Sydney ports in Melbourne!!

Hi fellow cruisers. Has anyone looked at all the excursions being offered and the prices. I am very disappointed that a few of the tours I wanted to take are not listed, however they were listed in the  list of optional excursions... I know it always says excursions are subject to change ... Booooo

MELBOURNE CULINARY JOURNEY

" Vendors " in the UK  and EU countries also pay credit card fees. They don't charge the customer like they do in the US!   And they are not allowed to give discounts for paying in cash.  Consumer protections are much better in the UK and EU countries than in the US.

This is great information ~ If you  are taking a cruise Australia to New Zealand with pre Australia and Post New Zealand land trips - various cruise sites give you a link to a company that charges hundreds of dollars for a service to do this for you!    GenVisa charges $246 per person! Ridiculous -You can do it yourself on the Australian and New Zealand app for  $67  per person!  

Interesting topic ~ putting in my 2  - don't know if it is true but fellow European travelers on Viking Polaris  told me that in the UK and other countries,  cruise companies are not allowed to charge less for cash than for credit cards (ie. Viking gives a substantial  discount for ACH direct payments). Also they must keep  a huge percentage of passenger funds available until the ship actually sales, which results in their inability to use the funds for future builds and investors.  In the US they can charge big credit card fees, give cash discounts and use the money for future builds and debt payments. They also said their full payment schedule is not 12 months or more out. And they get better full payment refunds on cancellations, and more cash  rather than future cruise credits as we do in the U.S. 

On 6/21/2023 at 3:50 PM, bob brown said:

Just heard that AQV sold the two ships doing the Great Lakes, and will end at the end of this season…

Can you ask if they know whether another operator will continue the itineraries in 2024?

The AQV phone center rep did not know…

Viking Expedition ships operate  the great lakes  also

On 3/31/2023 at 10:46 AM, capecodollie said:

Along with another couple, my wife and I were about to book a Viking river cruise in France for April of 2025.  Our travel agent gave us all the particulars plus something new.  Viking wants final payment this December, 16 months before departure.  We've done 5 Viking cruises, 2 river and 3 ocean, and I believe final payment has always been about 6 to 12 months prior to departure.   Even that period of time is months earlier than other cruise lines I've sailed with.  We're doing Holland America this June and I made final payment earlier this month, a little over 3 months prior to departure.  

 

I was never overly concerned because interest rates were near zero for the last several years.   But now with interest rates hovering around 5% this is a significant policy change on Viking's part.  Simple math computes that the cruise will cost us about $800 in lost interest (assuming of course rates stay the same).   Not a huge deal, but significant.  Plus multiply that times all cruiser's final payments that Viking with be holding.  I have no idea what Viking will be doing with the money,  perhaps paying down debt from the covid years.  Or perhaps socking it away in treasuries.  

 

Either way this is a potential deal killer,  primarily because I have to wonder about the viability of their business.  Not to mention $800 out of my pocket.

 

Wondering if anyone else is troubled by this or am I just being cheap.

You are NOT being cheap. Viking is the worst!  Of course it is whatever the market will bear and as long as they "frighten" the US consumer with the price will go up or yo will not get this great offer later or cruises are sold out, they will continue to get their money up front so you will lose a tremendous amount if you cancel.  River cruises to France are a dime a dozen.  April is a very popular time weather wise, but look elsewhere. And as a side note, for cancelation policies and final payments you cannot compare Holland America or any other large cruse ships with river and small ocean size ships. The large ships can easily fill canceled reservations , many times people will pay a premium for a last minute trip

20 hours ago, CastleCritic said:

It not the cheapest way to do it for sure. But there is no reason you should have to pay for 2 people to do it when youre going alone...and I dont.

 

Generally I pay about 25% on amawaterways (but its a sliding scale depending on your room). This will be my third cruise with them and third solo.

 

Right now Im sitting at 50% for next years cruise (Egypt) but hoping my mother feels up to it in the end....

and we can let that ride because I dont have to pay them or add her until next February for a May cruise....not ...now?

I think you should double check that. Usually lines make you cancel and rebook ~ you face cancelation charges and  you' re not allowed to add an additional person to an existing reservation.  

On 3/2/2023 at 4:38 PM, LindaS272 said:

To each his own in terms of the drinkability of the included wines. I hate the misinformation about the SSP, though, so will once again report that all wines on SSP are available ala carte and are denied to no one.

Of course  to pay to upgrade per glass of wine is available to all.. It is so nice to just buy the package and not worry about paying more each time.  If you are one who enjoys cockails before and after dinner,  mimosas during your massage,  better wine pairings with your chef's dinner,  wine during your cooking classes etc, just buy the package ~ if you are spending quite a bit for these  trips , the extra amount shouldn't break the bank. 

I must say - if they didn't have a bottle of dark  rum and you were in the Caribbean why didn't you just buy one and bring it on board!  It's allowed and so such an inexpensive solution! 

On 3/2/2023 at 12:35 PM, rudychance said:

I would LOVE to hear about your French Polynesian cruise and was thinking about writing you a PM 😃. We're ( casually because of house and pets) looking at this 33 day itinerary on Neptune in 2024.  It would be more than twice as long as any cruise we've been on since our 3 and 4 day cruising in the 80's !

French Polynesia` WINDSTAR!!!!!

7 hours ago, eddieg07410 said:

While on the Viking Orion we booked a River cruise from North France to Southern France. The itinerary was perfect. However, the cheaper cabin sizes has me concerned. Unless we upgrade to a veranda at a couple of thousand more for the two of us the cabins seem very tiny and uncomfortable. We were wondering if there are River cruise lines that have a similar itinerary but offer larger cabins at more reasonable prices. Widow or veranda means less to us than cabin size. Also, we would like most of the perks Viking includes as well, great food, free Wi-Fi, lectures, etc.

Look at Scenic - room substantially bigger ,beer, wine  and  cocktails are included all day not just beer and wine with lunch dinner, gratuities are also included, and of course an included excusion per port.