General Questions

[roothy123]

I know these questions may not have been answered by Viking yet, given that the ship has not headed out to sea yet. However, I just thought I'd ask my questions in case someone knows an answer. Does anyone know:

 

1. What kind of food is offered at The Chef's Table? Is it a typical steaks/chops/fish kind of place with a wide variety of food?

2. Info on the stateroom categories indicates you can make reservations at The Restaurant. Can I assume you can also just walk in any time you want without one? Are the reservations at The Restaurant mostly for large parties that want to sit together, or people who really want to dine at a particular time? How will Viking handle dining there if you don't make a reservation - like Oceania, i.e., just seat you with someone already at a table?

3. How does the air deviation work? Do you only pay when you accept something, with a choice of flights, some of which might be with an additional expense? If you get a deviation to go a day or two early, does the cost include a transfer to your hotel, or only if you buy their hotel package (or never)?

4. When might Viking nail down departure and arrival times at each port?

Edited November 3, 2014 by roothy123

[TERRIER1]

I am sailing on July 25th and have called Viking several times about some of the questions you posted. I am still somewhat confused. I will provide what I know to date to the best I understand Viking's answers to me.

 

 

 

1. What kind of food is offered at The Chef's Table? Is it a typical steaks/chops/fish kind of place with a wide variety of food?

 

The Chef's Table and Italian Grill are the ships signature restaurants. The Chef's Table has a tasting menu with wine pairings. I don't know and can't find anywhere what type of food they serve. Should be interesting.

 

2. Info on the stateroom categories indicates you can make reservations at The Restaurant. Can I assume you can also just walk in any time you want without one? Are the reservations at The Restaurant mostly for large parties that want to sit together, or people who really want to dine at a particular time? How will Viking handle dining there if you don't make a reservation - like Oceania, i.e., just seat you with someone already at a table?

 

The Restaurant is the main dining room. I was under the impression when we booked that the MDR (aka The Restaurant) is open dining so why would you need a reservation? Viking said it is to put our priorities in place (ie. two up versus eating with others). So if I don't want to eat at the same time every day I guess I am suppose to say that 60 days prior since I am in a DV category? I don't get it. I understand the specialty restaurants reservation but not the MDR. I was told that although I needed to do this I could walk in anytime without a reservation.

 

This was the response from Viking when another CC cruiser requested information:

 

"To clarify the dining experience based on your stateroom category, we have the following details to offer; you will have the opportunity to make reservations 60 days prior to your scheduled day of embarkation, all based on availability in each restaurant. You also have the option to walk in to any restaurant and wait to be seated. There are a total of 4 restaurants, 11 locations that also serve food plus the room service, all are listed below. Contact your personal travel agent for your specified date to call them to make said reservations as this request will come through your agent handling your booking "[/

 

I am still confused since I really don't think calling my TA for a restaurant restaurant makes any sense at all. I would have thought you can do this on line.

 

3. How does the air deviation work? Do you only pay when you accept something, with a choice of flights, some of which might be with an additional expense? If you get a deviation to go a day or two early, does the cost include a transfer to your hotel, or only if you buy their hotel package (or never)?

 

The deviation cost $50 pp or should I say the cost to use "custom air plus service" from Viking. Custom service service includes requesting specific flights and/or coming in early and/or staying late as well as using their other options of leaving from another airport with a stopover. If you come in early/late they do not provide the transfer. You need to transfer yourself. I believe if you you are using their hotel package then they transfer you but I did not ask specifically about this option. If you use their stopover option there is an additional charge depending on your plans. Each voyage has different options so you need to check. This website might clarify some of the options. The contracts for my July voyage are not available till December.

 

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/my-trip/viking-air-services.html

 

4. When might Viking nail down departure and arrival times at each port?

 

This is a bone of contention. We have all been asking for the schedule since we want make arrangements for private tours. I was actual given times when I booked over a year ago and now they are saying they won't have them until later.

 

This is the response I received from Viking regarding my request for port times. This response is ridiculous in my opinion. What if you booked directly with Viking?

 

"Nautical schedules are not released as they are subject to adjustment. We recommend using your personal travel agent for assistance roughly 90 days prior to your cruise tour. If your agent needs specific information we can only provide it to them on your behalf."

 

Hope this helps. I anyone else has additional information I would love to know. Thanks.

Edited November 3, 2014 by TERRIER1

[roothy123]

Thank you Terrier. That's more information than I knew, and it's helpful. I can understand why not all details are available. I'm sure with time Viking Oceans will get everything nailed down a year before sailing as other established ocean cruise liners do.

 

I guess the reservations for The Restaurant won't really be critical in our case as we like informal, outside dining and therefore if the buffet and the weather (late Sept.) are decent enough, I suppose we'll be eating at the buffet restaurant a lot. We don't eat in the MDR much now on our cruises, and when we do, don't feel the need for a reservation, so I'm assuming it will be the same on Viking. Yes, it's a little different having to go to your TA for dinner reservations, but hey, I say if they're getting a commission, it's fine for them to do it! I prefer doing stuff online, but I guess sending an email to my TA is just as easy - well, probably easier. I would think Viking needs their time to do other stuff until they get more established.

 

As to the port entry times, I can understand why they can't tell us yet, given that the ship is (I think, anyway) possibly not really a registered, ready to go ship that ports are set up to take. I suppose their new captain is tweaking arrival and departure times, but of course, ports do sometimes throw a monkey wrench in those plans. I would like to know if Viking Star will get the "small ship" berthing location in our embarkation port (Venice), as it is more convenient than the bigger one. However, I've read that Venice port doesn't assign berthing locations until way late in the game (sigh).

 

Thank you for the link to the custom air information. I had not found that yet.

 

Oh, I forgot to ask about staterooms. I believe I only have a category assigned for my late September cruise. Do you have your stateroom number yet? I know they're all the same in each category, except perhaps for a different deck, but I like to have as much info as possible beforehand.

 

As to tours, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised to read about the included tours, therefore, I'm not all that worried about exact berthing times as we seldom line up private tours. The distances seem to be small enough to arrive early morning, so I'm assuming we'll have a fairly typical cruise day of arriving 8 - 9 and, for the most part, departing 5- 7 - but who knows?

 

In any case, Viking is a class act, so I'm sure they'll provide a great trip. Thanks again for the information, as it is certainly more than I had before. I was planning to ask my travel agent for some answers, but I guess I'll wait a while. We have to be patient, I guess, with any new venture!

[TERRIER1]

I had my stateroom when I booked. Do you have a guarantee and not an actual cabin assigned?

[roothy123]

I had my stateroom when I booked. Do you have a guarantee and not an actual cabin assigned?

 

Oh, I'm sorry. I just looked again, and I do. I thought that would be weird if I didn't, but totally overlooked one piece of info on what the TA sent us.

[roothy123]

Hi Terrier 1. I just got the Viking Oceans booklet I requested a few days ago. It helps with some of my questions. I DID notice that it says that dining reservations can be made online. I don't know when the question about how to make those reservations was posed, but it sounds like now the reservations will be made online, and do not have to be filtered through the travel agents.

 

One thing I'm still fuzzy about is whether people in "regular" veranda staterooms get to eat in the 2 specialty restaurants. The wording isn't very precise - states "does not include reservations" whereas people in deluxe veranda staterooms get "guaranteed reservations" in the specialty restaurants and "priority reservations" in The Restaurant. So do the people in regular verandas just ask about availability when they board, or on a nightly basis, or nothing at all?!