Bill'sBride

We end our Med Odyssey cruise in Venice this coming October and they have us at Hilton Molino Stucky as others have mentioned. We were told that would be confirmed about 1 mos out.

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Azulann, the post extension was $799pp for the standard extension or $999 pp for the upgrade. Both options are 2 nights.

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I called Viking today that see if they had the name of the upgrade hotel for Venice and was told we were booked at the Molina Stuckey Hilton, which is the regular hotel for the post cruise extension. Because some reviews said that this hotel can be a bit out of the way of most attractions, and some said the boat rides to get there could have lines or take a while, we wanted to book something more centrally located. I was told today that this sailing does not have another hotel option so they have put us in an upgraded room. I think I will cancel the upgrade. It was $400 for both for the two nights which is not a lot, but the hotel looks nice and I don't think I will be disappointed in whatever room we get. Have not been disappointed in the rooms through Viking yet. They said that they have the pre-cruise extension at the Barcelona Hilton. Just over 6 mos, can't wait! We leave next week on a Viking river cruise- looking forward another great Viking trip! [emoji3]

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I booked the March 2017 sailing on 6/1/16. I saw on 10/15/16 that an October 2017 sailing was added, so I called and had our reservation changed over. When I first booked the rep suggested that I look online to see new sailing dates.

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I would book it. We were only able to get March for 2017, and then they opened up October about 5 months later. We called and they had no trouble moving us to he call date we really wanted. Can't wait to do this itinerary.

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Sorry for the late reply, but here us my experience. I have booked 3 times with Air Plus, and glad I do it that way. When I call to book I tell them exactly what flights I want (I research what works best for me, and I always prefer KLM or Air France). They tell you on the phone when you give them your preferred flights if they are within the cost you paid.

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I called the rep we have been using at Viking for booking our cruises. We have 3 sailings coming up that he has helped us with, and he has been amazing to deal with and is so nice! They no longer list the hotels like they used to on their sites and in brochures, which I liked.

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Viking has opened a second pre-cruise extension in Barcelona so we were able to book that last night. They will be using the Hilton Barcelona. Still no information on the upgrade hotel for the Venice post extension. They are still using he Hilton Molina-Stuckey for the standard extension.

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Thanks for all the help, and I will gladly share the name of the Venice upgrade when they tell me. I did arrange that through Viking. I can't wait!!

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For men, is a polo considered a shirt with collar at dinner? My husband likes to wear a polo with trousers instead of a button down down every night.

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We are booked on Med Odyssey 10/7 of next year and I think I'm going to add the Barcelona pre-cruise. Has anyone done a Barcelona stay through Viking and if so what hotel did they use? We have booked the post cruise in Venice and did the hotel upgrade since I read the standard hotel ( Hilton Molino Stucky) was nice but took a lot of your time getting to and from it. Thanks for your help!

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Thank you so much, that is so helpful! And I love your photos [emoji3]

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Did Grey Goose fall outside of the $9 limit? We are trying to decide about the package for our Med Odyssey cruise, my husband drinks Sapphire or a single malt and now I wonder if those would not be included. Any gin or scotch drinkers out there who know the answer?

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Not with Viking, but we did a Baltic cruise the first two weeks of June a number of years ago. It was warm and the waters were calm. Only one day of light rain.

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I have stayed at the Singapore Marriott on Orchard Rd and loved it. Great location with a subway stop right at the door. The hotel is very nice. Singapore was so much more than I thought it would be. Enjoy!

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I booked for an October 2017 sailing in May, paid the deposit at that time and just paid the balance in full (including airfare). The same as when I booked a Viking river cruise 18 mos in advance.

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At the check out line on Viking, many people would tip on their credit cards and you would hear some do the full suggested amount, some less and some more. I think it all depends on your level of experience. We tipped a bit more than the suggested for the Director, as he was always there for every thing we needed or wanted to know and earned his pay. We did the suggested amount for the rest of the staff. I once saw a post that said to consider what you would be tipping for 3 meals at restaurants were you on a land based trip and eating out on your own in restaurants. Once I did that math in my head I thought the tips were a bargain. We never had poor service in the dining rooms, the bar and our room was always immaculate! Not once did I return from breakfast to find the room as messy as I left it. I was not sure about the suggested rates before I went on the cruise, but changed my mind by the time it was over.

Thank you so much for the great replies and your posts to enjoy!

I used my iphone (Verizon service) on the Viking Cities of Light in October and had great service. I paid $29 for international service for the month (be sure to call and cancel when you get home)_ and about $1 per minute for calls. I also used my ipad to facetime back home using ship WiFi. Facetime was spotty but calls were crystal clear!

After taking the Cities of Lights cruise with Viking last year, I am actively looking for another cruise with them. I am strongly considering the Portraits of Southern France and I am looking for any comments from others who have taken this cruise. It seems like there are number of ports where you can walk to town from the boat. Any comments or suggestions about this itinerary? Thanks!!

We visited Luxembourg while on a Viking cruise in October. The first half of the tour was the American cemetery which was really nice to see. Of course the worst 1 hour of weather in our 2 week trip was while we were there,but I didn't mind. When we got to the city, we skipped the guided walk to get some lunch on our own. It had turned into a great sunny day so we took a short walk and just enjoyed sitting in the square.

Check in was easy on Viking. We knew our cabin number in advance and on sailing day we were taken to the ship and the doors to the cabins were open - you went to your cabin and your keys and information were there for you. About 15 minutes later our bags were brought to us. They use the credit card style of keys, and we just carried ours with us. Check out night there was a short line but it moved along as guests paid for their extras. I was expecting the long nightmarish check in lines like on an ocean cruise, but there were none! When we were picked up at the airport, the Viking rep was there as we exited baggage claim and asked our names - that was the extent of check in! They did not take any credit card info in advance and we just signed a slip each time we made a purchase - bar/stamps/extra excursion, etc. Enjoy your cruise!

We were on the Viking Prestige last month, and the pillows were great, i think they were either down or a great fake down!

Hi OnWe Go-

I think the Prague extension is a good call. I am 47 (on the younger end of the boat's age for my trip) and loved Prague. It is really a neat place, and the Old Town Square area is so much fun, lots of restaurants and cafes, stores, etc. The main square and all surrounding areas have so many options for food and drink, so whatever interests you than they should have it. If you like ham, they have a place in the center of the square that spins ham over a wood fire and it is sooo yummy! Makes a great snack - but tell them if you want just a little or you get a big plate and pay by the weight. I wish we had extended there. We did the Paris extension, and loved it, but as you said we will probably go there again.

In Prague you will get the city tour, and you can add the Lokowicz Palace tour and they will take up the entire day. The Palace tour is nice because they take you on the town tour first and the streets are very quiet at that time of day and it is very peaceful. There were more things I wanted to do on my own, stroll the Charles Bridge and spend more time looking at all the art/vendors, peek into more little shops and alleys. In the evenings the performers on the square are really fun, and while we were there they were having a city-wide light show at night but I understand they regularly do neat things like that in town. We were 2 couples and never felt uneasy walking home to the hotel at night, although on the edges of Old Town Square there are plenty of cabs. They also have great antique car tours around town that look like a blast. I would do that the next time. We did a ghost tour (McGee tours) that takes you under the old town hall where the clock is - you take lanterns and see where there used to be homes, turned torture chambers, but they used to be street level years ago. Great English speaking guides and really fun. I think the tour was like 8-9 pm, and it was a fun thing to do. Then time for more drinks!

There was only one night that we were docked overnight in an area that was not walking distance to the town. Viking should be able to call a car for you if you want. But most evenings you are cruising once you get in from the day touring. I too thought most towns were walking distance. Sometimes you will get off the boat, and while they bus you to the tour area, the boat moves up the river to a pick up point. That appears to be necessary to make it through the locks on time.

On the tours, they do have leisurely walking option which is not as brisk and skips the big hills. But most of these passengers had no problem keeping up at all. I was really impressed at the fitness level of these older passengers. Bring sturdy walking shoes, the majority of the time you are on cobblestones and my ankles took a small beating. They never hurt, but would swell at night from trying to balance all day. Here is my tip for that, I packed a refillable ice bag (ice machines in the hallway!) and an ace bandage. I found that if I wrapped my ankles a bit for a couple hours when I first went to sleep, they were good in the AM.

For shopping - Prague has great places. I also think that the little shops in Rothenberg, Heidelberg and Chochem were really good. Nice stores, but like normal shopping in Trier. Most stores are closed on Sunday, so those towns you hit on a Sunday will have limited shopping.

In the lounge, they had a few acts come on in the evening, and they had an on-board piano player who was really good. I missed it, but heard one night the staff was singing with the piano player and it was really fun. They have a normal bar to sit at and lots of comfy chairs with cocktail tables and you can enjoy the view as you go along and see the lights of the towns.

Let me know if you have more questions, I am always happy to help!

Lisa

We did the Air Plus for our first Viking cruise, which was last month and we booked in Aug 2012. I think it was well worth the money. I told them what specific flights I wanted and got them. Then when an airline canceled a flight 6 mos out, they dropped that non-stop run, we were able to tell them what we wanted as an alternative. When I looked to see what the flights would have been had I booked directly, I still saved over $300 per ticket - even after the Air Plus fee. They were great to deal with and I will do that again, especially with scrambling to find a new flight.