Ktwofish

22 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Oof... that's rough a worst than I thought. I would have been disappointed if that happened to us.

There was a whole ship of disappointed passengers.  Of course, we all understood it was necessary to return to Ushuaia.  Still, it was a big disappointment after traveling to the “end of the world.”

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Oof.. that's rough. TBH, we had generally fantastic weather for our Antarctica trip. I know there is absolutely nothing Viking, or any other operator, can do about the weather other than monitor and find somewhere safe to sail. I think I heard of your trip, and I think Viking was decent with future cruise credits. While I thought it was lame to have to fill out that Viking medical questionnaire, I did understand why it was necessary after my first Viking river cruise.

Apparently there were 3 trips total last season that had medical emergencies (based on FB posts.) Unfortunately, we could not reach a nearby island with an airstrip, so we had to make the trip back across the Drake at high speed.  Two sea days and a day in Port Stanley, Falklands, was not a good substitute for 3 days in Antarctica.  Viking gave us 25 percent of our paid cruise fare, which is OK, I guess.  I called Viking because there was a discrepancy with my 25 percent calculation.  They deducted $500 from our paid cruise fare for the one night in Buenos Aires, which I thought was lame.  

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

It's generally always packed (kayaking). If you want to kayak every day, it might be possible, but it'll be a PITA.

 

I very much valued my first time to Antarctica with Viking, and I will always look upon it with fond memories. However, I probably would not go with Viking ever again. I say that as I absolutely would do itineraries on the expedition ships again.

 

BTW --- that "other group"... outright frauds... you can't have honest discussions about concerns with Viking and Antarctica in that space.

I would love to go back to Antarctica, and I would go with Viking…I think.  We lost 3 out of 4 days in Antarctica due to a medical emergency onboard.

The FB group has very stringent rules, and the administrators take them very seriously.  That being said, I did get good information from the group even though I had to endure “look at our lists” and “use the search feature” a few times, ha, ha.

6 hours ago, chirk said:

@Ktwofish Thank you! Was your impression people got to kayak as much as they wanted or was it always packed? 

I read somewhere you could only sign up for one excursion per day? We would want to kayak and go on shore if possible (weather permitting). What was your experience?

(Awaiting acceptance by the FB group. 😁)

@chirk  Kayaks are limited and they always seemed full.  I don’t know if you can go as many times you want, but I’m guessing you might be able to go more than once.

2 hours ago, chirk said:

Hey Wallace: did you ever get an answer on this? Thanks.

@chirk I’ll chime in.  When we went last February, you were able to sign up for additional zodiac and special op boats when you were on board.  You could do it on the Viking app or at the customer service desk.  Others would go and wait in the hangar area to see if they could fill in if someone didn’t show up.  We did not kayak, but on our cruise they had a meeting for everyone who wanted to kayak.  There is a test to see if you are able to get in and out of the kayak safely.  I wouldn’t worry if kayaking is sold out now.  Just check with customer service as soon as you get on board for all the details.  P.S. Sign up for a FB group just for Viking Antarctic Expedition Cruises.  Lots of info there.

@Hanoj @mimijes  You do not have to use the verification code process.  Just ignore the verification code and click on Sign In With Password. 😊

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Don’t you think a lot of that price drop was driven by people canceling after the unrest in the Mideast?  Hopefully by the time of the eclipse, things will have calmed down?

@Clay Clayton I think the post was about a different cruise and not about the Egypt trip. 

9 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

We looked at booking this but the 5 days in Cairo are about 4 too many for us.  The only thing that wanted us to make it back was to see the new Museun which maybe will be open by then. But we decided that we didn’t want to spend four other days there. 

I looked at the itinerary for each sailing date, and they were each slightly different.  I could only see the cities listed for each day, and all were designed to get you to the Luxor area for the August 2nd eclipse.  I definitely understand not wanting to spend more days in Cairo.  IF we decided to go on this trip, I might look into private tours in Cairo.  Hopefully the Grand Egyptian Museum will be open by then, which would be a big bonus for us. When we were there in March 2022, we were told the GEM would open by the end of 2022…not.

Interesting fact… This morning, in Total Eclipse on the Nile cruises are showing as sold out.  Do you think that could be the case?  Wondering if Viking was just testing the waters with this trip?

11 minutes ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

We went to Israel, Egypt and Jordan last August on the Aton with Viking.

Was it hot? Absolutely

Was it worth it? Absolutely

Are you going to have an amazing time? Absolutely

Cheers! 🥂

Thank you for your insight!  Living in Florida, I’m not a fan of hot weather vacations.  We went with Viking 2 years ago in March, and it was amazing.  The total solar eclipse is driving the decision to book this trip (and the fact we have 2.5 years to make a decision. 😜)

5 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

We watched the April 8 TSE from the top deck of a cruise ship off the coast of Mazatlan, Mexico, and it was utterly delightful!  Of course, it was early spring, and out on the ocean, so we didn't have excessive heat, but the experience made 10 days on a WAY TOO BIG ship worth it. I sincerely hope that your experience is just as special. 

Thanks for sharing your experience!  My husband has experienced a total solar eclipse, but I have not.  Egypt AND a TSE just sound fabulous.  Maybe it will make the heat tolerable.  At least we have 2.5 years to make our decision about the trip. 😉

3 hours ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

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We decided to book this because of the $25 deposit and the ability to postpone final payment until January 2027 due to another cruise on the books.  I agree with @PasadenaDave though.  July/August is not an ideal time to visit Egypt, but viewing the total eclipse from the Nile and 6 minutes plus of totality will be amazing!

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Not necessarily. Our sailing (both ways) was quite smooth. No rocking and rolling whatsoever, although that was on a much bigger ship than Viking expedition. I was so thankful cause I'd been wanting to go down there for literally decades but always pushed it off for fear of the possibility (or even likelihood) of encountering really bad conditions. Another thing that was amazing was that our weather was much warmer at times than anticipated. In Port Stanley I only had on a sweatshirt. Weather is so unpredictable down there though. We were told that had we tried to call at Port Stanley the day before, we wouldn't have been able to do it.

 

That was all back in '17, so then breathing a sigh of relief from having had that unexpectedly calm - but most welcomed - experience, the Viking Sky episode of '19 came along!!!! More than made up for it I suppose.

You were very lucky!  I guess we were lucky as well.  We just proceeded around the ship with care.  We also ordered room service one night.  So glad Viking will provide room service for no extra charge.

49 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

We have friends who we are trying to convince to take Viking to Antartica with us but they are worried about not actually landing.  They are looking at the NatGeo cruises that start with an expensive flight to Antartica which is beyond our budget.  
 

Other than diversions due to medical evacuations, I don’t recall any cruises that didn’t make a landing on Antartica-can others confirm? 
 

TIA!

The FB group has posts about these concerns. Weather can affect landings but we did not have an issue with weather. (We had the medical evacuation and lost 3 full days in Antarctica.) Also at one location, we just did zodiacs and/or special op boats because researchers were on location. If researchers are not in residence, then you can land. 

2 hours ago, deec said:

has anyone compared regular fares to  "special fares"

 

free air is nice but last time we did FREE it was not very good connections or our choice of airline even with the Air Plus the up charges were very high!

I always look at the fare without the offer code.  Sometimes there’s a big difference and sometimes not that much.  I personally don’t like free air because I like to control my own airfare.  I will also compare Viking’s airfare upgrade options to what I can book on my own to see if it is a good deal or not.  On our last cruise, we upgraded to Viking’s premium economy but had to pay air deviation ($100 each,) air plus ($150 each,) AND $110 air differential each to get the nonstop flight I wanted.  With all the add ons, Viking’s price save us about $200 total.

On our next cruise, we used an offer code that had free air and free Silver Spirits.  We just don’t want to do economy any more, so we looked at the air upgrade costs.  Viking’s business fare was the same as what I could book on my own (before all the extra fees,) so I’m booking my own airfare with great connections, etc.. 😊

On 5/17/2024 at 3:09 PM, CKing111 said:

I understand that the Medical Assessment form needs to be submitted at least 45 days prior to our upcoming Expedition embarkation, however is there a restriction on how ‘early’ you can submit the form?

 

We booked just 60 days from sailing. I had to contact Viking for the medical assessment form as I was concerned about getting it completed in time. Viking told me not to worry if we did not meet the 45 day requirement. That being said, we got the medical assessments to Viking fairly quickly. They were processed and approved very quickly, too. 

On 3/3/2024 at 2:15 PM, Mike07 said:

Napkin math

3 lost days, 300 people, $1,000 per person

 

$900,000 lost.

 

Granted, if it were us or our Loved one, we'd feel differently. But, lost time for an itinerary most would not have chosen if given the choice or compensated for it thru a lower fare. Yes, Viking, and all the ships, reserve the right to alter any itinerary, but then it becomes a matter of why not just do surprise trips?

Viking gave everyone on our trip 25 percent of cruise fare paid as a future cruise voucher.  We must book within one year, but we can sail any time in the future.  An interesting fact…. When I received the voucher (by email) it was slightly less than the cruise fare indicated on my invoice.  I called Viking and they said they deducted $500 for the hotel night in Buenos Aires from the cruise fare on the invoice.  The rep stated the hotel night was not technically cruise fare.  I was surprised that Viking did this without any explanation.  I had to call to determine the discrepancy.

2 hours ago, BradDFWTX said:

 

We were on the Viking Polaris at the same time...I swear that I saw you (the Octantis) crossing / coming back, not too far off our starboard side (which would also have been your starboard side), the cruise sales guy was like "no, that can't be, they're scheduled to be xxxx" (I couldn't remember where he said y'all where).

That could have been the Octantis.  I used CruiseMapper app to see our journey and to see the other ships in our area.

9 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

Interesting comments from all.   I was thinking the average may have been a bit lower, because of the location or at least only the fit would get off the ship!  Guess we need to roll the dice! 

The trip is definitely a roll of the dice.  Weather and medical emergencies can affect where you go, what you can do, and how long your trip in Antarctica will last.  The positives from our Feb. 18 - Feb. 29 trip:  We had great weather.  The trip across the Drake was smooth (so they say, but the ship still rolls and you will hold onto walls and rails.) We had sunshine for 3 of 4 days in Antarctica, which means beautiful photos. The ship and crew are fabulous and so is the food.  The negatives from our trip:  We lost 3 full days in Antarctica due to the medical emergency (and the fact we had to return to Ushuaia and not King George Island where evacuation was not an option due to weather prohibiting flights in or out.)  Our 3 days was substituted with 2 sea days (getting to and from Port Stanley, Falklands) and 1 day in Port Stanley.  Port Stanley was nothing special and due to Viking’s pre-scheduling of zodiac cruises, we did not have much to see or do.  FYI…we did not get a continental landing in Antarctica (that was to happen the morning the medical emergency was announced.)  It was definitely a long journey for 4 days in Antarctica.  Despite Viking doing all they could to make our trip amazing, I’m still disappointed at missing those 3 days.  
 

Just know what you are getting into and what could happen.  Medical evacuations occurred 4 times this 2023-2024 season, and weather has affected other trips this year, too.  Oh well…enough of my complaining LOL

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

For me, the medical questionnaire was a complete waste of time, and a buddy signed off on it. Though, I understand the integrity of the process such that people don't bamboozle Viking into taking them to Antarctica and then negatively affecting the rest of the passengers onboard.

 

You go to your average Costco on a weekend and you realize how inconsiderate people are about others around them.

I was concerned about the medical evaluation form, but it was no big deal once our doctors signed the form. Viking’s service approved within hours.  I think Viking just wants a doctor to sign off for liability reasons.

1 hour ago, cmason said:

The average age aboard the Viking is 60s-70s, with the more expensive itineraries trending higher age. I have no data of course, but I would expect health issues to be more prevalent among Viking than say Carnival on a caribbean itinerary.

You are exactly correct regarding the Viking average age, and the higher priced expedition itinerary attracted the higher end of the age range.  On our cruise, there were many passengers over the age of 70, and I am guessing a number were over 80. Of course age and fitness vary. There were plenty in their 60s and 70s that were perfectly fit for the trip.)  But, there were a number of passengers that did NOT appear to be “fit” enough for the Antarctic expedition cruise.  I witnessed one woman (about 80-ish) who tried to make the first landing (wet landing in water walking on stones, climbing cutout ice steps, walking about 200-300+ feet through snow on a path made by the expedition team.) The woman walked about 20 feet with the help of 2 people, and turned around and got back on the zodiac.  At least she realized her limitations and didn’t hurt herself trying to do something that was not safe for her.

25 minutes ago, irishwitchy said:

Emergencies do happen, but I’m curious do you know what the issue was?   It seems like this Scenario has happen frequently and causes the cruise to divert.   Since,  there is an extensive medical forms to be filled out, are the emergencies  more of the broken bone or heart attack or something else?   

The emergency situation was never divulged as it shouldn’t be.  The captain did say the Ushuaia hospital commended the ship’s medical staff on their care of the passenger.  Apparently this is the third medical emergency this season on the Octantis, and there was one on Polaris.  I understand one of these four emergencies was a crew member.  As you mentioned, the medical evaluation would have had no impact on an emergency like a broken bone or heart attack or ruptured appendix, etc.

We ended up going to Port Stanley, Falklands, after one sea day to get there and a final sea day return to Ushuaia.  

We are currently on the Viking Octantis.  Just as everyone was getting ready for the morning landings, the captain announced there was an emergency and the ship would be loaded back up and headed for King George Island.  About an hour later, the expedition leader announce that we could not go to King George Island due to weather conditions preventing a plane from landing there (presumably to pick up the medical emergency.)  We are now headed back to Ushuaia cutting our time in Antarctica by 3 days.  It will be a 36+ hour trip back to Ushuaia.  We are disappointed but hopefully whomever is experiencing the medical emergency will be OK.  I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had to return early to Ushuaia.

7 hours ago, wp bob said:

On board Polaris. Excellent Wi-Fi service. Had to deviate today to king George island for med evac by plane for a passenger. Excursion choices are automatically rebooked to re accommodate as necessary as space allows. Weather low to mid 30’s, great food

 

 

@wp bob Sorry to hear about the medical emergency.  I hope they will be OK.  Seems like the last couple cruises have dealt with this issue.  It’s good to know Viking has an option with King George Island and can adjust the trip for the remaining passengers.  Good luck with the rest of your trip.  We leave in 2 weeks!

4 hours ago, deec said:

More than a "liitle" particular but the information has always been great!  It was an awesome trip.. we also really enjoyed the Iguasu Falls if that is an option for you.

Unfortunately, we cannot visit Iguasu Falls on this trip. It looks amazing online!  We are squeezing this Antarctica trip in before another long-planned March trip.  The Viking promo code in December was just too good to pass up!

5 hours ago, deec said:

we were in the lowest category ( 2037) and had plenty of room for storage.  My husband is tall enough to use the top shelf.  You will have more drawers.  All cabins are convenient for moving about the ship.  We liked being low and mid ship better for the Drake Shake!  We felt that these staterooms were a bit bigger than Ocean Ships.

 

You will have a great time I am sure.  There are great discussions specific to Viking on the other Social Media page.

Thank you, @deec  I am part of a group on the other social media.  I have received lots of great info from that group, too.  The other group is a little particular about posting, though.  Recently, my post was deleted because I used a colored background for my post.  I reposted with no colored background 🤪