hehny

First come, first serve with sign up. Tends to close out quickly. 

Long overdue. We were surprised quite frankly that it was limited to one person.

It was excruciatingly slow, even for a cruise ship.  We bought service through our cell provider (cellular at sea) and it was better. Refused to pay extra for another person when it was so poor to begin with. 

Off of the same cruise I think. The number of people coughing, deep hacking coughs , was worst than previous cruises I took this year on far bigger ships.  They actually Saran wrapped parts of the buffet because people kept grabbing things w their hands.  Two couples, all of us got ill.  Happened well into  the sailing and we had been land based before , so I do attribute it to ship and not airlines. Mask wearing almost non existent. 
 

Ty all!

Do the concierge level verandas come w walk in showers? Can’t find anything on the site to confirm it,

TyIA 

Simply being on a bus with a positive passenger does not mean quarantine in Iceland.  Both Sky and Jupiter had positive cases reported this past week. Only one ship required every bus passenger that toured with the positive person to quarantine regardless of status.  This was because the bus stopped for a long lunch indoors where social distancing was not possible.  Indeed, passengers reported being nearly on top of each other without masks.  Both Viking’s Chief Medical Officer and the Icelandic authorities agreed on quarantine.

 Keep in mind this was on Thursday and the cruise ended that Tuesday.   You need to have time to account for the transmission time before you test due to an exposure. There was a far greater likelihood of transmission under these circumstances than on the other ship’s bus ride where everyone was masked inside at all times. 

Viking advertises itself as the only cruise line with onboard PCR testing facilities.  Oceania vaguely refers to onboard viral testing but I can’t get any specifics.  They are offering it for disembarkation, but they may send it out.  I am sure we’ll get more reports once cruises reopen next month.

This is a sample daily from our Rhine cruise.  River is very different from Ocean! Generally, overnights are rare. At most you are in ports for a few hours, so you try to pack everything in.  The availability of food is limited.  We loved our river cruise but I did miss open meal times and  dining choices.  There were times when I would have enjoyed the chance to eat dinner in port but we usually sailed by then.  There isn’t much to do onboard but the purpose is the ports.  Just be aware the boat often dropped you off at one port and picked you up at a different one.  So if you were not on an excursion, be sure you confirm pick up with the concierge. The port talks are invaluable. 

The truth is legal questions should never be addressed on a social media board.  I can only imagine being questioned by the authorities and claiming, “cruise critic said it was fine!” 🙂

They cut the free Michelin experience for all of their customers.  It only applies for ph and suites. 

Depends what cruise you are on (countries/length)  Suggest you check their FAQ here:

https://www.amawaterways.com/river-cruise-frequently-asked-questions

River cruises don’t generally lend themselves to children. You will  likely not be able to have three in one room on a river cruise, unless you are in a suite . There are no interconnecting rooms. There are no pools or kids clubs.  Activities are almost nonexistent.  The attraction is the ports. There are no babysitting services, high chairs etc.

Only you know your grandchildren and it’s possible that they would enjoy a river cruise. However, Many have age limits, Viking will only allow passengers 18 and older. AMA is 12 and over except on select voyages (they partner with Disney to offer a family vacation once or twice a year for children four and up).  Uniworld is four and over. Tauck is five. Crystal  is six months but very explicit in that it does not offer any child friendly features nor encourage children. 

Your best bet is a cruise designated specifically for families.  

Cruise critic has a great article to get you started here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=2301

good luck!

I should add my statements apply to the American market.  You can get far better discounts in the UK, where they are more aggressively targeting customers and the same rules don’t apply. 

You spend almost no time in Salzburg it is basically a long bus trip.  If you are a huge Sound of Music fan it’s worth it visit on a land based trip.  Passau is beautiful! 

Viking seems to be the only river cruise line not doing evening sails again in Budapest.  You can try this company. https://legenda.hu/en just be aware you generally need reservations in advance for dinner, as they do sell out.

39 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

Can a TA delay the final payment until 6 months before embarkation?

If so, can the TA then offer additional OBC if you want to pay in full within the month or next month?

There was a lot of backlash to Vikings requirement pay in full 12 months in advance. They are becoming more lenient.  If you ask, they will usually extend it.   We have dealt directly with Viking several times and never had to pay in full a year before.  

As I said, there is a max amount of OBC TAs can offer. That doesn’t mean they will offer it.  What they choose to offer is up to them.  They can’t extend it simply because you pay in full immediately. There was a big box co that used to offer discounts and additional OBC on Viking and you can no longer book with them... Viking found out and cut them off.  More so than any other cruise line they are very strict as to what a ta can offer.  That’s why it is so minimal and the question of using a ta, is more a personal choice than an automatic monetary advantage. By the time you’ve paid what could be tens of thousands, a few hundred on board, while appreciated, is not going to make a huge difference.  

9 hours ago, KathyK13 said:

Does Viking only allow the TA discount to be given as OBC?  Discounts we have received from our TA were deducted from her commission and applied directly to the Avalon invoice; at 15% of the cost it was a great discount!

Yes, Viking only allows OBC. TAs can not lower the cruise fare. 

River or Ocean, doesn’t make a difference.

Viking limits the amount of OBC travel agents can offer. It is taken out of the TAs commission.  So you could spend thousands on a cruise but the max you could get in OBC would be a few hundred (I think it’s capped at 500, but again it’s coming out of your TAs pocket). I believe you only have 60 days after your deposit to transfer your booking but double check. 

 Once you link your reservation with a ta, you are no longer allowed to work with Viking directly.  Personally, I don’t see the need. I just keep calling Viking until I find someone able to answer my questions. I can’t promise everyone at Viking is great but I like knowing I can advocate for myself.  

Just off the Rhine.  Weather was perfect, which may have been a factor but people were lined up way before dinner was served.  It was completely booked every night. Easier to find spots for breakfast or lunch.  Viking really doesn’t lend itself to dining alone as a couple.  We had some success at lunch and breakfast but never dinner.  

Crystal is the only river cruise line that offers tables for two with open seating (arrive when you want between certain hours). There are very few tables for two on the other lines and they are difficult to get.  The Viking aquavit was routinely booked for dinner on our last voyage at least an hour before it officially opened.  If you aren’t interested in dining with others, Crystal is the only line that can guarantee it for all meals.  But you will pay a premium for it. 

I appreciate the thoughtful review.  I am not a Viking cheerleader by any means but I think you were under a major misconception.  Among river  cruise lines, Viking is not considered luxury.  It’s a premium line but it doesn’t offer the amenities of a true luxury line Uniworld, Crystal or Scenic. The longships carry about 40 passengers more.  Hence the lower price point. Many of the Con’s you pointed out...limited meal times and offerings, bikes etc would have been included on a luxury line and shouldn’t be a negative for Viking as its not promised.  By all means critique the food quality and the beds...food ranged from average to very good and our beds were lumpy. 

We did a Viking River cruise and decided, like you, that we would like a higher end experience.  But for the price point, Viking offers a good option for river cruisers. 

Thank you!

Has anyone had any experience with turning the Haven King bed into two twins? TIA 

Crystal was ahead of the curve with dining:  multiple dining venues, true open seating(most lines still have a 7pm dinner including Ama) and abundant tables for two plus room service.  If you enjoyed these aspects of Crystal look very carefully at the other lines.  They are starting to introduce some of these features (see the new AmaMagna) on other lines but mostly the newer ships. Check the details carefully.  

It’s not the children that are a problem, it’s the parenting.  Admittedly, Oceania does not cater to children but the (rare) ones we’ve seen have always been well behaved. I was an old soul as a child and would have loved it. 

The only line I have seen that truly caters to infants is Disney.

But it is disheartening that so many people slammed the OP for asking simple questions and trying to be prepared.  I would suggest some of these posters book with Viking, which has banned children under 18. Oceania may not be child friendly but it is not child free.  If you are willing to pay, you are able to travel.  

On 1/17/2019 at 6:16 PM, gma rae said:

Does anyone know the current process for cruisers with private tours getting off the ship in St Petersburg?

 

We have booked a tour with TJ tours. I have read on the Baltic thread that some cruise lines allow those taking a ships tour to leave first before allowing cruisers with private tours off.

Is this the case with Princess?

 

The port requires ships tours to depart first.  This to alleviate strain in customs and process people more efficiently. Private tour operators are aware of this and configure their meeting times to be in compliance.