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Hi there,

We are thinking about taking a fall cruise on the Zaandam.   Do you know if the cabins have been refurbished lately?  We were looking at the Oceanview cabins but when I looked at a few YouTube videos of the ocean view cabins on the Zaandam the cabins looked a little worn out and in need of refurbishment.   Thanks for your help! 

Hello,

We are thinking about taking the 28 Day Southern Japan Collector Cruise in March of next year.  I was wondering if anyone has taken this cruise and what your thoughts were.  This will be our first time on HAL.  The ship will be the Westerdam.  Thanks! 

We just booked at the Sheraton Old San Juan and the cost was $345.86 for a King Deluxe.   We booked here to be close to the port and will only be here 1 night.   We decided to fly in one day early to try and avoid any flight delay issues.  Hopefully it will be clean and quiet. 

We are looking into a Viking World Cruise and was wondering about the size of the cabin.  We usually book a PV3 Cabin but noticed we are not in the cabin much.  If we book a DV5 we will not have as much storage which may be an issue on a world cruise, and we will be at the end of the line for excursion bookings and restaurant bookings.  What are your thoughts for those that have taken a world cruise about the space and later bookings opportunities?  Thanks a bunch!  Barbara 

Fantastic Idea!  Following😎

Following.

Has anyone has the Long in Failed on the app?  The error message is SSO error 2.  Thanks so much for your help.

Thank you!

Hi All,

I am looking for cool weather clothing tips.  The weather will probably be in the 50's & 60's for the trip & I imagine this time of year we will have rain.   Do y'all take along rain boots?  Any ideas for "smart dressing" in the rain?  I am putting together what I want to take now and plan on layering.  How dressy is it on the Viking Ships for dinner?  I have read dressy to Lands End type attire for dinner it looks like mostly it depends on personal choice.  Thanks in advance for your ideas!  

Hello,

Have any of you done the "Kitchen Table" excursion? I am trying to find out more about it I called Viking and the representative I spoke with was not very helpful. The representative would not even hang up the call so I could take the survey she just kept the line open until I hung up.

The cost is $249.00 per person. The time listed on the Viking site is 1 hour & 45 minutes. It seems like the description below would take longer than 1hr & 45 minutes. I put a brief description below of what is listed on the Viking site. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks everyone for responding!

Thank you for the info! What did you think of the food and service? I’ve seen mixed reviews on line.

Hello,

I'm thinking about taking a river cruise on the American Queen. I was wondering if any of you had stayed in rooms near the paddle wheel. If so did you notice any noise or vibrations that made it uncomfortable to sleep?

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for all of the great tips! Any recommendations for how many tops, slacks, shoes, to take for such a long trip? I plan on layering as suggested and will try to make different outfits by accessorizing differently. We did France and Italy (land trip -no cruise) a few years ago for a little longer time frame and the layering worked out great! Hot Chillys for a thermal base layer, blouse, vest, blazer, scarf , hat, gloves and water resistant coat. I would wear a different combination each day depending on the weather. Keep the tips coming I sure do appreciate the different ideas!

I am hoping to get a few tips on packing for a COLD weather cruise. We will be gone 21 days in total. The cruise is the Viking Mediterranean Odyssey late November. We plan on spending a few extra days in Venice prior to the cruise and additional week in Barcelona after the cruise. Any tips on packing "winter" clothing for a long period of time would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Thank you for sharing the pictures. I have really enjoyed reading about all of the adventures!

We booked at the Majestic Hotel via the American Express Fine Hotels program for a Nov/Dec stay. Hopefully the hotel is in a safe place.

I called Viking Ocean right after I read the the post from the lady of the Azamara and shared what she was going through with a last minute cancellation and she was at the airport ready to board the plane. Viking Ocean advised "we do not do this" I did read the contract with the paragraph posted above however Viking Ocean assured me this will not happen. Just thought I would pass this along. I do have a guaranteed cabin booked and they have already given me a cabin number. I was so impress with the folks on the Cruise Critic sight that immediately jumped in to help the lady on the Azamara. Well done!

Good info. Thank you

After reading all of your posts I decided to call a travel agent we have used in the past for river cruises. I have already booked direct with Viking Ocean for cruise this fall. I asked the TA if they could offer any additional OBC or % back. He said I would have to transfer the reservation to him first before he could tell me what they could offer me. Is this the normal procedure? Thx

I just got off the phone with Viking Ocean. The rep I spoke with was very helpful and bottom line according to Viking Ocean is that when you book you need to negotiate payment at that time. You Viking Rep is supposed to offer this as an option, some do and some don't. Ours did not. The minimum time they will offer is 6 months. CC is a great place to pick up information and tips on cruising. Now we know to negotiate at time of booking. Thx

Hi All,

We use our American Express platinum card as our main card for purchases. When there is an issue AMEX is been outstanding in the resolution process. I believe SilverSea is part of their Cruise Privileges Program. I have read on CC that Chase Sapphire also has a similar program. Perhaps calling or sending a letter to the credit card company that you purchased the cruise through may able to be of assistance. Just a thought. Wishing you the best in trying to resolve this unfortunate issue.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

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Are there certain cruise lines that tend to stay in port overnight to where you would get two full days in a port to see more while you are there? I have noticed on 12 to 15 cruises you can sometimes get the first port and the last port with two days but not other ports during the cruise. Some of the ports are so appealing and interesting it seems there would be plenty to explore spending two days there. Thanks for you input.

Hello,

The American Express Platinum card does not have foreign transaction fees. Its a great card for travelers but it does have a rather high annual membership fee. I seem to remember when we lived overseas that Citibank did not have any foreign transaction fees as well. You may want to check them both out.