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Viking Ocean newbie drink/drink program questions.


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DW and I are long time mass line cruisers. (Carnival, Norwiegen, etc)

So most of the basics that are similar across all cruise lines are familiar to us.

 

Many of the differences that people seem to miss on Viking Ocean actually are extremely appealing to us.

No casino, no bingo, no irritating port photographers, no crap sales tables clogging the atrium walkways, etc.

 

We were looking at a port intensive cruise from Amsterdam around the coast of Norway in September 2019. (so much chillier than our usual winter Caribbean cruises.;))

 

Looking through many threads on this board before posting, it seems the only difference between the various DV class and V class cabins, literally, is location. (and lack of coffee maker and binoculars, between DV and V)

 

Neither of us is a wine drinker.

We both enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink or a beer. (probably 1-2 a day, tops)

We mostly drink soda or bottled water. A lot of water and soda. (for example, I usually drink seven 12 oz. bottles of water and a 12 oz. soda per day at work.)

 

If I am understanding correctly, both DV and V cabins have a mini fridge with drinks and snacks inside.

The DV cabins get refilled for free, once a day.

The V cabins do not and you have to pay to have them refilled daily, unless you buy the drink package.

 

We are trying to evaluate whether upgrading to a DV cabin or a V cabin with the drink package would be more conducive for our personal drinking habits.

 

So here are the questions I have so far to help our evaluation.

 

1) Are the sodas in the cabin fridge cans or bottles? (I'm assuming cans, for disposing purposes)

 

2) Is there bottled water in the cabin and is it replenished? (with or without the drink package?)

 

3) How many sodas and bottles of water do you get daily in your fridge in a DV or in V with drink package? (since it seems they only refill once a day)

 

4a) Are we allowed to buy sodas or water in port and bring back aboard the ship?

4b) And if we are allowed, can we bring 16 oz, plastic bottles instead of cans of soda? ( DW never finishes a soda and usually recaps and puts in the fridge for later.) I know most of the mass lines no longer allow bottles onboard anymore.

 

5) As far as the included beer or soda during lunch and dinner: Is the free beer or soda, only offered in the actual dining venue, or also at bars during the meal hours?

 

Thank you in advance for any help you can give with these questions, so we can make the best choices to fully enjoy our Viking Ocean cruise.

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We had a DV cabin. There are about 6 cans of soft drink in the fridge as I recall and some mini chocolate bars. These are replaced daily. The water is provided in your cabin in a carafe and is changed every day. Your steward will also provide an ice bucket if you ask, we asked once and he did it every day thereafter. In the world cafe they have a water station with both still and sparking and you can help yourself whenever you like.

On our cruise as you left for excursions there was a big cooler by the exit filled with bottles of water which the staff handed out freely, if you wanted to pick one up on your return they didn’t mind at all.

From our experience the drinks are provided free if you are actually eating not just because it’s lunch or dinner time. On one occasion we went up to the terrace at the back of the ship, we were not ready to eat but wanted a glass of wine. We sat at one of the tables and a waiter came to us, we asked for two glasses of wine and he said “will you be dining?” so we said we would in a little while so he brought us some cutlery and two glasses of wine, no charge. So there is a bit of flexibility in the dining areas. When we had pre dinner drinks in the bar they were charged for.

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DW and I are long time mass line cruisers. (Carnival, Norwiegen, etc)

So most of the basics that are similar across all cruise lines are familiar to us.

 

Many of the differences that people seem to miss on Viking Ocean actually are extremely appealing to us.

No casino, no bingo, no irritating port photographers, no crap sales tables clogging the atrium walkways, etc.

 

We were looking at a port intensive cruise from Amsterdam around the coast of Norway in September 2019. (so much chillier than our usual winter Caribbean cruises.;))

 

Looking through many threads on this board before posting, it seems the only difference between the various DV class and V class cabins, literally, is location. (and lack of coffee maker and binoculars, between DV and V)

 

Neither of us is a wine drinker.

We both enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink or a beer. (probably 1-2 a day, tops)

We mostly drink soda or bottled water. A lot of water and soda. (for example, I usually drink seven 12 oz. bottles of water and a 12 oz. soda per day at work.)

 

If I am understanding correctly, both DV and V cabins have a mini fridge with drinks and snacks inside.

The DV cabins get refilled for free, once a day.

The V cabins do not and you have to pay to have them refilled daily, unless you buy the drink package.

 

We are trying to evaluate whether upgrading to a DV cabin or a V cabin with the drink package would be more conducive for our personal drinking habits.

 

So here are the questions I have so far to help our evaluation.

 

1) Are the sodas in the cabin fridge cans or bottles? (I'm assuming cans, for disposing purposes)

 

 

Yes, they are cans. I swapped my Coke for cans if iced tea.

 

2) Is there bottled water in the cabin and is it replenished? (with or without the drink package?)

 

There is a carafe of fresh water and two bottles.

3) How many sodas and bottles of water do you get daily in your fridge in a DV or in V with drink package? (since it seems they only refill once a day)

 

There are either 6 or 8 cans of sodas. The water is on the counter, not in the fridge.

4a) Are we allowed to buy sodas or water in port and bring back aboard the ship?

 

Yes, you can buy anything you want to bring back to your room.

 

4b) And if we are allowed, can we bring 16 oz, plastic bottles instead of cans of soda? ( DW never finishes a soda and usually recaps and puts in the fridge for later.) I know most of the mass lines no longer allow bottles onboard anymore.

 

Yes.

 

5) As far as the included beer or soda during lunch and dinner: Is the free beer or soda, only offered in the actual dining venue, or also at bars during the meal hours?

 

Can't answer that one. We dined every day at lunch on the Aquavit Terrace and had their included draft beer (Carlsberg). Sodas and iced tea (sweet or unsweet) were offered.

 

Thank you in advance for any help you can give with these questions, so we can make the best choices to fully enjoy our Viking Ocean cruise.

 

See above in red.

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just off sky a couple of weeks ago ... some points .. we were in a DV

 

all the soda I saw served was in cans or bottles .. never saw a bartender use a 'soda gun' .. in the World Cafe there were table with cans of soda the servers would get from. Also saw MANY folks just help themself to cans as they left .. never saw anyone stopped. Not saying this was right .. but saw it done

 

draft beer was Carlsberg as mentioned (it is what you get if you ask for light beer in most cases). At lunch was asked if I wanted light or dark beer. Asking for dark I saw them open a can, pour to a glass and serve me ... no one asked for a room number (Vik' never asks for a card or a sig' ... just your room number).

 

DV minifridge held cans of coke, diet coke and sprite and 2 bottles of tonic as I recall. Refilled once a day (also had some mini chocolate bars and a corkscrew.) The fridge is not very big. We'd brought tervis glasses (tall) and with some re-arranging they just fit.

 

Water (still and sparkling) is available "all over" but is not bottled. It is purified on board and comes from a tap and carafes are filled in your room and rest's and bars. Bottled IS provided freely as you leave the ship at ports ... it is also there when you return as is often: OJ, hot chocolate and hot towels.

 

Wine/beer is not free at a bar during meal hours ... only in an actual eating venue. (altho Mamsens is immediately adjacent to Explorer lounge I did not see wine given for free here ... perhaps because that place is considered more of a 'snack' than a meal .... saw folks ask and told no.)

 

As mentioned you are free to carry "anything" back on board and consume as you wish ... never saw anyone with a BYOB in a public space tho.

 

One item 'confused' me but not complaining. We had 'the package' and at dinner usually ordered a glass of other wine from what was the daily included pour. With the package you get a discount on a whole bottle .... usually the opened a bottle for us with our first glass ... and if we each had a second that killed the bottle! (it is a nice pour!) ... We were never charged the bottle price ..... In general I'd say Vik' is pretty liberal with the rules about alc' sales.

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We had 'the package' and at dinner usually ordered a glass of other wine from what was the daily included pour. With the package you get a discount on a whole bottle .... usually the opened a bottle for us with our first glass ... and if we each had a second that killed the bottle! (it is a nice pour!) ... We were never charged the bottle price ..... In general I'd say Vik' is pretty liberal with the rules about alc' sales.

 

That's interesting. My wife & I will be on Viking in January and had not considered this happening.

 

We are purchasing the beverage package and will be in a DV cabin. If we order room service, can we ask that a glass of the included sparkling wine and red wine be included with the food at no additional cost?

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yes that should work. sounds silly but Viking would rather serve something from room service than stocking the mini-bar if you are in a v category room with the drink package....oh to have the perks from the Wold Cruise going forward would be wonderful! The WC truly has spoiled me forever!!

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And on the subject of sodas in the room fridge, they will give you any combination of sodas that you want, provided they have what you want on board. If we don't see the minibar person on the first day, we just leave a note in the fridge to let them know which specific sodas we want, usually three Cokes and three Diet Cokes. One disappointment from our last cruise -- they replaced the potato chips with peanuts and put them in the fridge. The peanuts were really bad, to the point where I checked the expiration date. They were not out of date, and it wasn't an isolated bag of peanuts, but they sure tasted rancid. Maybe it was just from refrigerating them. I say bring back the potato chips! :)

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Looking through many threads on this board before posting, it seems the only difference between the various DV class and V class cabins, literally, is location. (and lack of coffee maker and binoculars, between DV and V)

 

Deck 3 is a combination of DV and V cabins. Our first cruise was in a DV on Deck 3 right next to a V. No complaints. No noise from the dining room below us. However, you do need to be wary of the cabins that are over the Theatre and the couple that are over the Torshavn disco (because it keeps late hours). I would also avoid the couple of cabins that are right next to the lifeboats.

 

 

Neither of us is a wine drinker.

We both enjoy an occasional alcoholic drink or a beer. (probably 1-2 a day, tops)

We mostly drink soda or bottled water. A lot of water and soda. (for example, I usually drink seven 12 oz. bottles of water and a 12 oz. soda per day at work.)

 

There is a charge for the fancy bottled waters--Pellegrino, Evian (that is naive spelled backwards), etc. However, filtered water is quite easy to come by on the ship and there is no charge for it. You can walk up to any bar and ask for a glass. If you are sitting in the Explorer's Lounge or the Living Room bar area, a server will bring it to you. There will be a carafe in your cabin with water, refreshed twice daily. You may ask for plain or sparkling or both and you may ask for multiple carafes.

 

 

Beer is free at lunch and dinner. Soda is free at meals and you may have as much of it as you wish. You may leave the meal with a glass of beer in your hand or a can or two of soda.

 

 

Also, all coffees (except those with spirits), tea and hot chocolate are free at all times.

 

 

If I am understanding correctly, both DV and V cabins have a mini fridge with drinks and snacks inside.

The DV cabins get refilled for free, once a day.

The V cabins do not and you have to pay to have them refilled daily, unless you buy the drink package.

No alcohol in the DV and V cabins, however, just 6 cans of soda. Plenty of room in the fridge to BYO, prices won't be too bad in Amsterdam but they may be outrageous in Norway (everything is more expensive than we are accustomed to paying in the US).

The thing with the refills in the V cabins is that you don't have to refill on a daily basis; you buy by the can, so you only pay for what you think you are going to drink.

 

We are trying to evaluate whether upgrading to a DV cabin or a V cabin with the drink package would be more conducive for our personal drinking habits.

The drinks package is around $20 per day per person--which is like 2-3 cocktails or 6 glasses of soda (or some combination thereof) per day. Considering how much you are already getting for free and considering that the mini-bar is not covered in the drinks package (much confusion over this fact; double check directly with Viking), the drinks package might not be worth it no matter which cabin category you choose. You might make out better in the long run just buying your drinks a la carte.

1) Are the sodas in the cabin fridge cans or bottles? (I'm assuming cans, for disposing purposes)

Mostly cans (Coke products) and a bottle or two of Schweppes tonic.

3) How many sodas and bottles of water do you get daily in your fridge in a DV or in V with drink package? (since it seems they only refill once a day)

 

There 6 cans of soda/pop and a bottle or two of tonic

4a) Are we allowed to buy sodas or water in port and bring back aboard the ship?

You can bring any potable, potent or otherwise, on board as long as it is legal. You may drink it anywhere on the ship that wish you. You may ask at the bar for glasses to drink from. You do not have to hide your BYO in a brown paper sack or a sippy cup when you drink it outside of your cabin.

 

4b) And if we are allowed, can we bring 16 oz, plastic bottles instead of cans of soda? ( DW never finishes a soda and usually recaps and puts in the fridge for later.) I know most of the mass lines no longer allow bottles onboard anymore.

Hmm. Never thought about it before. Knowing local prices will help with the decision making. Here's a link to the Albert Heijn Supermarket.
(Bring your own shopping bags or else pay for them in the supermarket).

 

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Peregrina651, you seem to know your Viking stuff.

 

 

We are cruising Viking for the first time this coming January, after sailing SS, Crystal, Regent, Paul Gauguin and WS. We love using our verandah every day and having several drinks there (mainly sparkling wine/champagne). What is the best way to do this in a DV on deck 3? Seeing how we are purchasing the beverage package, paying for bottles off the ship to bring on rubs us the wrong way. Can we call room service multiple times for drink(s)? Do I plan on going to a bar and bringing it to the suite? If I do that, will they serve me one and one for my wife or will she have to be there with me?

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Peregrina651, you seem to know your Viking stuff.

 

 

We are cruising Viking for the first time this coming January, after sailing SS, Crystal, Regent, Paul Gauguin and WS. We love using our verandah every day and having several drinks there (mainly sparkling wine/champagne). What is the best way to do this in a DV on deck 3? Seeing how we are purchasing the beverage package, paying for bottles off the ship to bring on rubs us the wrong way. Can we call room service multiple times for drink(s)? Do I plan on going to a bar and bringing it to the suite? If I do that, will they serve me one and one for my wife or will she have to be there with me?

 

For sure, I don't know everything and much of what I have learned comes from these board not from personal experience. From what I understand, all you have to do is call room service and drinks will be delivered to your cabin. I don't know about going to the bar to fetch them yourself (closest bar is on Deck 1 aft) but someone with experience is sure to answer.

 

 

As for bringing your own on board, it goes back to their roots on the rivers. Viking always encouraged pax to sample the local beers and wines, etc. and thus made it easy for us to do so. This philosophy has carried over to their ocean division. Thus, no corkage fees and a staff that is as happy to serve you from your own bottle as it is to sell you a glass.

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Thanks Peregrina651 and deec.

 

We are definitely excited about our upcoming trip. We will give up a casino for no kids (guaranteed) any day of the week. We have not done a river cruise yet, but am getting more and more intrigued.

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Thanks Peregrina651 and deec.

 

We are definitely excited about our upcoming trip. We will give up a casino for no kids (guaranteed) any day of the week. We have not done a river cruise yet, but am getting more and more intrigued.

 

Just note that "no kids" means no rugrats and denizens of the elementary schools; it does not mean no teenagers and while the guidelines say no one under 16, I have seen a few younger than that. However, the number of youths is limited and most of the youths I have seen on board have been better behaved than some of the adults.

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Clarifying simple request …..In V2 cabin ...no beverage package.

 

 

Just need to get tonics to go with gin we bring onboard. Resturant when leaving..... World Café....... Can I only get this when meal hours are running..

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Just note that "no kids" means no rugrats and denizens of the elementary schools; it does not mean no teenagers and while the guidelines say no one under 16, I have seen a few younger than that. However, the number of youths is limited and most of the youths I have seen on board have been better behaved than some of the adults.

 

I've seen 16 year olds on Ocean but none younger. River's policy was 12 and up with Viking right of refusal. Never saw young kids on River but that's because unlike Ocean all my Viking River cruises were during school.

 

Just this August 1st Viking CHANGED their complete policy. Nobody under 18 @ the time of the cruise.

If you've already booked a river cruise for someone under 18, it's OK, but no more bookings starting Aug 1, 2018.

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Dear Fellow Cruisers:

 

I have another "beverage" question. We rarely drink wine or beer (never liquor). At lunch and dinner (home and away) we consume water. I prefer San Pellegrino sparkling water. I understand that wine, beer and soda are available without charge at lunch and dinner. Is bottled water such as San Pellegrino available without an additional charge at lunch and dinner? I know that the brilliant Peregrina knows the answer. I await a reply. Thank you.

Joel Barry

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Dear Fellow Cruisers:

 

I have another "beverage" question. We rarely drink wine or beer (never liquor). At lunch and dinner (home and away) we consume water. I prefer San Pellegrino sparkling water. I understand that wine, beer and soda are available without charge at lunch and dinner. Is bottled water such as San Pellegrino available without an additional charge at lunch and dinner? I know that the brilliant Peregrina knows the answer. I await a reply. Thank you.

Joel Barry

 

JB, I'm going to fail you on this one. I have no idea. I can't remember if it has ever been mentioned here and I have no personal experience to draw on. Hopefully, someone else will have an answer.

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Cape Hernlopen

 

On our first Viking cruise (Into the midnight sun) San Pelligrino was widely available in all bars/restaurants on the ship and included in the silver spirits drinks package. Fast forward to March this year no San Pelligrino at all! First "story" (told in Manfredi's on the first evening and where you would expect to get an Italian sparkling water!) "not loaded in San Juan, will be loaded in St Maarten". (We missed that port due to sea swells), second "story", the first "story" was "inaccurate" or words to that effect! Asked to speak to the F and B manager who just shrugged his shoulders and said "first and second story wrong" - "none on board but we might have some Perrier (well if you drink San Pelligrino you probably don't drink/like Perrier). Turned up with, I kid you not, 6 small bottles of Perrier and said that was it - for a 13 day transatlantic, but if they found anymore they would keep it for us - they didn't.

 

Third "story" or maybe that should be "fourth", speaking to a senior crew member (position withheld for obvious reasons) that they were no longer going to have San Pell on board. That is a huge disappointment as not only is it our preferred water (and we have been told a certain Chairman's preferred water too) and a reason we took the ss package (in addition to the prosecco of course!) but the ship's water they freely pour is quite revolting (to us but some don't mind it) and not good for you at all. The ship's crew are not allowed to drink it for any length of time so they drink the bottled water (I imagine similar to the stuff they hand out when going out on excursions). So we resorted to drinking the pink topped bottled water - and of course our intake of prosecco increased so I guess we got our sparkles that way! HAHA! :'):halo:

 

Anyway, I did ask the question of Viking Sales about the future supply of San Pelligrino when we booked our next Viking cruise and that was maybe 2 months ago and I'm still waiting for an answer. Your post has reminded me to chase that up.

 

However, there was a glimmer of hope in that I did ask someone on board one of the ships and they said it was only available in Manfredi's at that time but last time I looked it was still on the bar drinks list on their website. So there is hope.

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The ship's crew are not allowed to drink it for any length of time so they drink the bottled water (I imagine similar to the stuff they hand out when going out on excursions). So we resorted to drinking the pink topped bottled water - and of course our intake of prosecco increased so I guess we got our sparkles that way! HAHA! :'):halo:.

 

I am quite surprised at this information. Can we hear more from some of you who know about this. This is the first time I have heard about drinking water being unsafe onboard. What are the safety issues?

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