Cisterna

On 9/17/2019 at 12:36 PM, knilor1961 said:

Wondering if any of you have been to Florence in November.  Not sure whether it’s worth it to do skip the line to see The David or any of the other attractions.  Also guided or not guided.

 

thanks in advance

I have been to Florence several times in November.  Florence is ALWAYS crowded, when you are there, paying the extra money to skip the lines is always beneficial! (the skip the line, lines are actually quite long)!. Actually I really suggest you book a private tour to make the most of your trip there.  My most recent trip was in May (during the OFF LOL season), which I know is not November, I brought 4 friends who  had not been there before, they were over whelmed by the crowds and so glad I talked them in to buying tours!  Honestly if this is your only time to go to Florence, make the most of it and see everything you can with a guide... you never know if you will ever make it back!

2 hours ago, Racdan said:

 Hope you experienced Viking cruisers can help with the following questions.

1.  What is the cost of the Silver drinks package (I cannot seem to find it on the Viking website)

2.  Has anyone got a photo of the drinks menu re cost

3.  Do Viking have a Happy Hour (my DH is twittering about this in my ear as I type)

Hope to be on a caribbean cruise this November left it until the last minute due to my husbands hip replacement problems haven't had a decent holiday for two years so badly in need of some R & R.

Thank you in anticipation of all your help

 

 

In my opinion, if you like a choice of wine ~ other than red or white, would like a morning cocktail, Bloody Mary, mimosa, screwdriver etc, Cocktail or beer poolside, before dinner or after dinner cocktail , evening nightcap ...You get my drift. It is worth it!   3 drinks ( a person) other than your beer or wine with your meals a day, including tips ~ it is a bargain!

1 hour ago, coloradocruiselover88 said:

Will Viking allow me to book excursions that only have 15 minutes in between? For instance if one of the included excursions ends at 12:15pm can I get on another one that starts at 12:30pm?

 

Thanks

It's a computer and it will let you book - but if it is an optional excursion that you are  paying for, I would advise against it. The tour operators are independent contractors and cannot guarantee you will return at the stated time for various reasons.  If you don't make it back in time for the next tour, I don't know what their policy would be as to a refund.

On 9/21/2019 at 7:45 AM, TayanaLorna said:

Has anyone used Tours by Locals for private excursions and what has been your experience?  Please comment on how your tour compared to its description on the guides website and how you would rate your tour experience compared to the reviews posted for that particular guide. Thanks.

Yes - I have used Tours by Locals for at least 10 years in UK, Italy, France, USA, Greece (all islands), Germany, Amsterdam, Brussels, Canada, Caribbean... I would honestly say I have been very satisfied 98% of the time. The communication is great,  the description is very true to the experience and the beauty of it is , that once you purchase your excursion , you are personally contacted by your guide and they have always been very accommodating. Since they are private tours, your guide is very able to alter your tour and tailor it to specifically what you want ~ albeit within reason. 

Excellent company , just make sure you understand the cancellation policy !  Unfortunately  there is absolutely no wiggle room there, as they set their schedule and that is their income for the time frame that you booked for. case in point, our cruise was altered, 6 days before departure, I obviously could not cancel within the 14 days required to get a refund, so I lost several hundred dollars. That's life...

Just now, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

Just curious, where are the Winemaker's Tables?  They are not in the special area with the light curtain in the Allegro dining room?

They are not a specific table or even dining room - they are in whatever room they decide to put them in on each ship!

22 minutes ago, Cisterna said:

It is my understanding that the night tour of Hong Kong has been cancelled and some have been altered for those on the Orion this coming weekend.  Those currently on board have relayed this info, but also said all the other tours are a go.

Apparently it is the Hong Kong Night Tram Tour that has been cancelled, which makes sense due to the street demonstrators blocking the area on the weekends. The Hong Kong at night tour has been amended and no longer includes the Market - same reasoning I assume. 

On 8/26/2019 at 5:24 PM, ClevelandKid said:

Thank you all - it relieves my mind greatly that doing nothing is actually our best course of action (at least until after the cruise).  Right now, everything for her is in her maiden name and based on what all of you have said, I am not going to touch it until after the cruise.

😀 That's the way to go!

It is my understanding that the night tour of Hong Kong has been cancelled and some have been altered for those on the Orion this coming weekend.  Those currently on board have relayed this info, but also said all the other tours are a go.

On 9/13/2019 at 1:10 PM, Jack E Dawson said:

I have a question about obtaining 3rd party travel insurance. I hope i am not breaking any CruiseCritic site rules with the details of my question. If I am, I apologize.

For an upcoming 2020 Viking Empires of the Mediterranean cruise I am looking at obtaining travel insurance through InsureMyTrip.com. Does anyone have any experience with this site, especially if you have filed a claim. The quote given me is underwritten by STARR Indemnity & Liability, Dallas, Texas. This will be my first Viking Ocean cruise so any help will be appreciated.

 

Thank

Jack

Before you spend a tremendous amount of money on travel insurance~ look at the credit card you used to purchase your trip! If you have a great credit card like Chase sapphire and used it you are covered 10K each ! Citibank just discontinued their travel insurance which was a shock!  Many of the charges which include travel insurance are retroactive to the date you made the charges.  It takes a lot of time but check your card benefits for each used and see if you are covered before you buy additional insurance!   My friends husband passed away unexpectedly two weeks prior to her cruise and she received a full refund from her credit card company. It took a lot of paperwork, but she got it.  Another friend's mother passed away (while she was traveling)  and her credit card included travel insurance paid for her to leave her trip (trip interruption), reimbursed her to change her flight plans to get to the funeral .The most important insurance to have is a supplemental medical insurance for travel  outside of the U.S.  Another friend's husband had to be evacuated ( air lifted) from a ship and hospitalized, with the med. supplement it only cost them  $50! The hospital bill was over $ 28K.  Most people don't realize they are not covered when they are in other countries!   The policy only cost them $184.00 for the two of them!  Look up Go Blue is you have Blue Cross or Blue Shield. 

blue

11 minutes ago, c-boy said:

wait... wait,  what wine pairing with the tenderloin ?

 Hi - I don't know what happened here - I was giving you my impression on the Chef's Table Lumiere - 

We did the Chefs table on Royal Princess with the wine pairing. I believe it was around $115.00 per per person. It was amazing! We had a really fun group - so that made it exceptional. Our group was very talkative and energetic. The Chef actually commented on how much fun we were vs. the group they had the night before.  I witnessed that group   and honestly they seemed boring!  Unfortunately you don't know who you will have in your group - but if you are doing this as a foodie experience it is very good. 

The person who showed all the pictures , was putting in some  information for the Winemasters dinner-  (which is not offered on all ships - but if it is do that also). That's what the tenderloin picture was about!

On 8/23/2019 at 5:54 AM, fatcattravel said:

Wanted to find out if anyone has done the chefs table dining experience on Princess? Thinking about doing it on the Sky Princess. Thanks for your input!

Hi - We did the Chefs table on Royal Princess with the wine pairing. I believe it was around $115.00 per per person. It was amazing! We had a really fun group - so that made it exceptional. Our group was very talkative and energetic. The Chef actually commented on how much fun we were vs. the group they had the night before.  I witnessed that  group ,  and honestly they seemed boring!  Unfortunately you don't know who you will have in your group - but if you are doing this as a foodie experience it is very good. 

If you really love exceptional food - I would highly recommend Curtis Stone Specialty experience. It was fantastic!

1 hour ago, MSEm said:

We are doing the 2 night extension in Bangkok.  I sent an email to Tellus @viking.com . I received a call back Lewis.  We depart the ship on Friday.  He told me that we will have a 1/2 day Included  City Tour on Saturday morning.  There will be a Viking rep at the hotel (usually limited hours) to help us book other tours or answer questions. That leaves Friday afternoon, evening free and Saturday afternoon and evening open for other tours, shopping, etc.  

We also have a 9 PM fight out on Sunday night, that gives us another "free" day in Bangkok.  We can have the hotel Hold our luggage on Sunday.

Any suggestions for things to do in Bangkok during our "free" time.

We may just sleep in on Sunday moring to prepare for the fights home.

Thanks for any info on Bangkok.

This is contrary to what Viking told me ! They said we do our 1/2 day tour after lunch at the hotel on Friday?! The printed  information on the extension says the same thing ! Very frustrating.  We are meeting my son and his friends Friday night for a Post Thanksgiving dinner

Thanks for your input! If I may indulge on your experience in Bangkok - On Sunday, we need to check-out of our hotel, Sangra-La Bangkok,  by noon and our flight transfer to the airport will not be until 4:00 pm.  I do not want to waste any of the time I have in Bangkok, so we were thinking of taking a taxi to the Khlong Lat Mayom floating market  for lunch and to walk around  and basically people watch.  Do you have an opinion as to if this would be a good idea. 

Thank you

TA's do not purchase the OBC they are giving you until approx. 2 weeks before the cruise departs - that is why it doesn't show up until you get on board ~ and obviously you can't spend it until you get on board .LOL It's smart to not pay your gratuities or spa treatments pre-cruise for that reason . They will be deducted from any OBC you have been given - unless your TA specified a particular purchase for yiur OBC. 

Viking assured me the two tour are completely different ~ It sounds like the "included " tour Panoramic Bangkok is  a bus ride through the various areas to give you a general feel of what Bangkok has to offer. It doesn't  sound like we actually get off the bus and walk around any of the areas.    Lunch is included on the tour. 

The tour that we take on the Bangkok extension is AFTER we check in to the hotel,  and have lunch on our own. We will be taken to the Grand Palace, where we will have a guided tour. After the Grand Palace we will continue on to Wat Pho, one of the most well-known temples . This is where the 150 tall reclining Buddha statue is . We will then stop at a flower market to browse.  

See you at the meet and mingle!  

Hi -  15% gratuity is automatically added to any beverage you purchase,( unless you have the drink package). The included beverages for lunch and dinner do not incur a gratuity  ~  that gratuity is incorporated in the daily $15.00 per person you are charged  during your cruise.    

Spring on the Rhine is Tulip Time so the prices go up considerably!  Same as the price hike for December for the Christmas Markets.  If you don't mind  possible heat and crowds you might consider  The Rhine in August! Prices really drop then.  Remember you get what you pay for so be careful of prices that are too low ! 

We were booked on Crystal Debussy for the October 27-November 6 Amsterdam to Basel Rhine cruise. (We privately booked 3 days Amsterdam pre-cruise and 2 days Basel post-cruise extension with Zurich by Train trip). I had been following the Rhine low water level situation for a couple of weeks prior to our departure date.  Crystal notified us the evening of October 19 that due to the low water levels the itinerary would be severely altered, in that the river boats cannot make it past basically, The Netherlands. The altered itinerary was not one that we wanted to take - basically in the same vicinity for 11-12 days.  Your hoping that Vantage can make it to Koblenz is not likely. Check out cruise mapper and you will see that all the river ships are "stuck" cruising in the Netherlands area.   The low levels on the Rhine has been a situation since August, and the hope of a lot of rain never happened. Crystal offered $1000 per person to enable us to change our flights  from Amsterdam back to the US, or to fly from Amsterdam to Basel to catch our original flights home from Basel. They also offered us 100% of our cruise fare if we chose to cancel, which we did.  We made our own flight arrangements, as well as booking and purchasing Ann Frank, Van Gogh, The Tub, and a private food tour upon our arrival October 24 in Amsterdam. Luckily we were able to cancel all our hotel accommodations both in Amsterdam and Basel, as well as all our transportation arrangements (7 in all - LAX, AMS BSL and Zurich).   All the museum tickets are non-refundable as was the private food tour (which had a 14 day refundable cancellation period - which we could not make when notified October 19) . The airlines cancellation (purchased thru a consolidator) cost us dearly. All in all we are out over $1600.. A big chunk of change, but we choose to lose this amount rather than spend $11+K on a river cruise that was not going to be what we planned. Crystal was amazing - received our $11K refund in two days!  Bottom line is GREAT communication and  service by Crystal.  We will book an Amsterdam to Basel cruise  with them again, but will wait until the drought situation in that part of Europe is over!

On 10/28/2018 at 7:42 AM, DaveinCharlotte said:

Re Vantage River Voyager:  Wouldn't another possibility be that Vantage concocts a bus-based itinerary from Basel to someplace above the Rhine Gorge (e.g., Koblenz) then continues the other 2/3 of your itinerary as planned?  (If this were possible, though, I wonder why they wouldn't have done that in reverse for the 10/18/2018 cruise.)  cruiser747 said refunds were offered for the cancelled cruise, and I'm hoping that will be true for ours too (the Nov 16 cruise). 

We , and another couple , were booked for the Debussy Amsterdam to Basel 10/27 - 11/06 . I was nervous about the low water level on the rivers and had been monitoring it for 2 weeks, but kept hoping the storm they were waiting for would happen.  Crystal notified us of the low water level situation  around 4:00 pm 10/19.  We were scheduled to leave for a pre-cruise stay in Amsterdam on Wed. 10/24. We also had booked an extended stay in Basel to included a train trip to Zurich and return to Basel for a flight home on 11/09.  The revised itinerary was extremely Netherlands heavy,  and not the Rhine cruise we dreamed of.  I do have to say that Crystal communications of the revised itinerary,  25% reduction in a future cruise (with a 2 year time frame) , very generous compensation to re-arrange our flight schedule, as well as transportation to and from the airport/dock, where outstanding!   We were also given the choice of receiving a full refund - which we ultimately chose.  We were shocked to receive our full refund in 2 days! Not the situation with the airlines that said 4-6 weeks (with HUGE cancellation fees), We also booked private food tours, Ann Frank, Van Gogh, etc., which are all not refundable - total loss per couple $1600!. 

This was to be our first Crystal River cruise ( we have done a few others with competing companies) and Crystal seemed to be a luxury choice.  I have to say after reading all the disastrous reconfigured trips on Viking - (extensive buss trips , rushed excursions, terrible customer service and sub par hotel accommodations), I am so happy we  chose Crystal and will definitely book with them again.    

Thanks for that but what I really need is passengers own real experience with airline booking through Windstar.

Book your own flights! Windstar Does not do anything for you - the prices are not discounted you can actually get them cheaper yourself, and you do not have any seat choice ! And if you want to change your dates you pay Windstar on top of the airline change fees.

I could bore you with horror stories but no point in that! Otherwise I really enjoy W.S.

Have researched this and learning all the ins and outs of laundry for WS. My question is, we are doing a 10 day and 8 day back to back, plus spending several days in Portugal before the cruise leaves. Can you purchase laundry just as one full bag like on the large cruise ships or only as a daily fee package? Was thinking of only purchasing for the second week... Thanks for your answers.

Hi - We have traveled on W.S. purchasing the laundry as needed is the way to go. Our friends purchased the package and even tho they used it almost every 2 days the cost did not justify the purchase. We used the pressing service several times, and they did an OK job, They do not have dry cleaning - so be very careful what you send out!. Ruined 2 of my husbands NEW $190.00 shirts that I told them had to be washed in cold water, hung up to dry and pressed. They were very upset they ruined the shirts , and told us to talk to the hotel manager, but we were leaving the next day for an extended land trip - so had to continue our travels without using the shirts!

Bottom line - if you are going to have basic laundry items such as underwear, socks, T-Shirts, work-out clothing, basically items that won't shrink or fade - you are safe!

Thanks everyone!

Appreciate all your responses to my question.

Looking forward to our cruise in a couple days. When back in town, I'll be sure to post 'must do's' for all concerned ;-)

Hello

Since you have sailed and returned - can you give us a current review? Also - can you get all snorkel equipment on the platform or just fins?

1. When you book Windstar excursions online, is your credit card billed immediately or when the excursion is complete? 2. What is the cancellation policy? 3. Do prices go up as it gets closer to the trip?

 

We’re first time with with Windstar, so any help would be appreciated.

Hi - Your credit card is booked immediately - cancellation policy is clearly listed for each excursion. The excursions fill up FAST - and this late in the game you might have a hard time booking what you wanted.

We booked most of our excursions 6 months ago because we know how fast excursions sell out on Wiindstar. Other passengers probably did the same and may be cancelling ,so check back often and there may be some cancellations that enable you to grab the spot!

We'll be on the Wind Spirit with you !

Did you have any people on your river cruise that used a walker during the tours? If so did it create a problem - trying to decide if my friend would be able to take a Danube cruise with a pre-cruise extension in Prague and post cruise extension Budapest. She wouldn't use the walker on the boat - possibly a cane.

Thanks