2 day extension -Oslo & Bergen Rail...problems

[Vikingm0mma]

VIKING probably expected the two day, two night, two hotels tour covering two

cities to appeal strongly to its passengers. We were initially attracted to it, but it was

expensive and we were already required to pay a steep fee to SAS to change our return to leave from Oslo. (Our air was already ticketed when we added this excursion in April.)

I am waiting to receive fresh documents that will have the confirmed hotel, train and tour

details in writing.

I'm confident that it is only a glitch that Viking will do all possible to rectify.

Hey! Don't we sail one month from today? WOO HOO

It's been a long time coming

since May 2013

[Vikingm0mma]

 

When my husband was at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship his rowing coach was Prince Harald of Norway (now the King of Norway). Good job we hadn't made plans to visit the Palace. If we had I wonder whether Viking might have been agreeable to getting us there a day early?

 

That's a great story about your hubby and the soon-to-be King! LOL

Keep that story in your hip pocket, in case you have open the strong stuff

to convince Viking to do what you require. After all, if you're dining at the Palace.....

I love it!

See? This journey is already fun!

[Gogoguy]

I am the person who was coached by Crown Prince Harald when I was at Balliol College Oxford many years ago. I recall fondly the day that the boat crew had lunch with him prior to his leaving to take up his public duties back in Norway. It was a very special moment as he bade us farewell and went off with his security detail. He is evidently a very popular King much loved by his subjects - something that does not surprise me at all.

[Ukalady]

Here's an update to purchasing the Komfort upgrade separately. I spent some time on a live chat with Camilla from NSB Customer Service (the train folks).

 

It *is* possible to upgrade our Viking-arranged "standard" seating for Komfort, but here are the catches:

 

--You have to have your booking number from the Viking reservation (not your trip reservation, but the booking number Viking received when it purchased the "group" reservation for the train trip. I've requested this from our TA; we'll see if it happens. ;)

--You have to telephone NSB (no email/website possible) to buy the upgrade.

--You might be able to buy an upgrade that morning at the station--but they sell out and this is summer and this is tourist season and...you get it.

 

If you do have the Komfort seating, I asked if the area for seating was near enough that we could sidle up to "our" Viking tour guide/other pax as the train ride neared its ending so we could be together for the transfer. Here's the interchange:

 

Me: Are the standard and Komfort level seating areas far from each other? The cruise line is telling us they like to keep all the passengers in one section so they can transfer more easily at trip's end. Would it be practical for us to travel in Komfort and then, a short while before the trip's end, go to the "standard" section to re-join the group?

 

Camilla: The Komfort seats are in car number 1 or 8, so how far depends on where the rest of the group has got seats.

 

Me: If I found out where the rest of the group was, is it physically possible to easily move to their area at trip's end?

 

Camilla: No, it's not. We can't change it.

 

Me: Hmmm...okay, then. I have some thinking to do...

[cassandra44]

Ukalady you've done a lot of work on this but it's sounding as if it might be difficult to make the switch to Komfort.

We're thinking might be best to stick with the Viking plan...hopefully they have reserved seats for the whole group on the train!

Otherwise it will be like herding cats trying to get everyone on and off the train.

However if you hear anything further do let us know!

[Vikingm0mma]

WOO HOO! Viking has our One Day Bergen -Express to Oslo excursion squared away for us! We will be on the morning Bergen - Express to Oslo where we'll be met by Viking Staff and guided to the Oslo Panoramic Drive tour and the Viking Ship Museum before we check in the Radisson Blu Scandinavian Hotel. ( We are assuming that the Radisson will host their Viking guests in one of their newly renovated rooms.) I was assured by Viking that the itinerary details for this excursion will be provided to us on the ship. I do so wish all of this was printed in the documents. Since we are on our own for dinner on our last night in Norway, it would be nice to know what time we'll be available for restaurant reservations. Oh well, we're open to surprises, too! This is going to be a great adventure! Oh BTW I was told there is an umbrella in every state room..........a mixed omen ?

[id4elizabeth]

Nice big bright red one! (Regardless of cabin category.)

[cassandra44]

Latest news....we cancelled our 2 day Bergen/Oslo extension because we wanted 2 nights in Oslo (which we were told was the plan at time we booked).

We have now booked Komfort class on the train and 2 nights in the Grand Hotel in Oslo.

We will have to organize our own transfers from ship to rail and rail to hotel and no panoramic tour but we can organize all of those ourselves and we intend to buy an Oslo pass.

Hopefully it will all work out...and we like the look of the Grand Hotel.

[jkerr]

cassandra44- we did the same for the pre extension- to lighten our load we arranged with porterservice.no to pick up our luggage at the hotel in Oslo and deliver the same night to our Hotel in Bergen. Fee is 250 nok per bag, but it will simplify our train trip by not having to worry about our big suitcase. They were very responsive to my emails.

[id4elizabeth]

Ukalady - just a thought. Get the phone number of someone in the Viking group who does not want to upgrade (with their permission of course). Then, if there's a problem, you could text or call them. Or if the Viking staff decides to make an adjustment in the itinerary, meeting point, meeting time, etc, they could call/text you. You'd have the whole cruise to find this person(s) who were willing to do this for you.