Live from Viking Sea - Istanbul to Venice!

[CharTrav]

I'm looking on Vessel Finder for the Star in September, 2016 and see that she leaves Bergen for Montreal via Iceland and Greenland and then from Montreal to NYC. And then from NYC to San Juan to start the West Indies cruises for the winter.

 

So, it doesn't look like she is dead-heading anywhere but I'm wondering how full she is going to be between NYC and San Juan if she will be taking on more passengers 5 days into the itinerary.

 

 

Interesting. But why are those cruise segments (Bergen to Montreal, Montreal to NYC) not included in their catalog? Through what mechanism are they signing up paying passengers for those segments? Surely not the VO catalog. A sailing with no paying passengers doesn't sound to me like a good idea at all.

[deec]

Are the spa and its pool, sauna free or must you book a spa treatment?

[screen-gem]

Are the spa and its pool, sauna free or must you book a spa treatment?

 

All are included in the price of the cruise (i.e. no extra charge to use the spa's pool, sauna, hot tub, steam room, and snow grotto). Extra charge$ are only incurred if you book a spa treatment.

[Editor Colleen]

Colleen --

 

So glad you are aboard--and looking forward to your articles on the Wednesday's christening of the Viking Sea.

 

However, I just thought of a question that I should have asked. It is about the Audiovox hearing devices and in particular about the headset jacks. Is it a proprietary jack that only works with the headset that comes with the unit or does it have the standard headset jack that we find on MP3 players and smartphones, etc. so that we can use any earbuds or headphones.

 

Thanks so much; looking forward to your answer.

Peregrina651

 

Thank you! I'm enjoying the ship and am also looking forward to the christening.

 

Yes, the Audiovox devices do work with personal headsets; I used my own today because frankly, I find the ones that come with the device to be a bit uncomfortable after a while.

 

The devices on Viking Sea are an upgrade over what Viking traditionally uses on its river ships, if you're familiar with them. These devices tune in when you tap them to a clipboard carried by your leader -- no searching to find a channel. They also seem to have better range. I've been pleased.

 

Cheers,

Colleen

[screen-gem]

 

Yes, the Audiovox devices do work with personal headsets; I used my own today because frankly, I find the ones that come with the device to be a bit uncomfortable after a while.

 

The devices on Viking Sea are an upgrade over what Viking traditionally uses on its river ships, if you're familiar with them.

 

I stand corrected. (my reply on this question earlier today was in error). The audio devices in use on the Star (from which I disembarked on Sunday) are the same older design as used on the River boats. I'm glad to hear that Viking has deployed a newer technology on the Sea. That's a nice improvement - pretty much every Viking shorex I've been on has started with 5 minutes of confusion while guests fiddle to get them synced to the right channel with the right guide.

[Teah]

I just returned from Viking Sea on 4-24. Used my own ear buds for my IPhone. Some people used their own headsets.

[Peregrina651]

 

The devices on Viking Sea are an upgrade over what Viking traditionally uses on its river ships, if you're familiar with them. These devices tune in when you tap them to a clipboard carried by your leader -- no searching to find a channel. They also seem to have better range. I've been pleased.

 

Cheers,

Colleen

 

WooHoo!!!! Finally and at last!!! I've been complaining about the proprietary headset jacks for three cruises now. I don't hear out of my left ear and regardless of what they think, those headsets cannot be worn in the other ear. I am so glad that I will be able to hear what is being said without have to stand right beside the guide.

 

Thank you, Colleen!

[amyr]

Interesting. But why are those cruise segments (Bergen to Montreal, Montreal to NYC) not included in their catalog? Through what mechanism are they signing up paying passengers for those segments? Surely not the VO catalog. A sailing with no paying passengers doesn't sound to me like a good idea at all.

 

I think those cruises sold out nearly immediately. They're on the website, but it says to call for availability. It also shows as sold out on my go-to website where I check multiple cruise line itineraries and prices by region.

 

I wonder if anybody was able to answer VinyardView's question about the next release of itineraries? I'm hoping to see what they've got in store for the Med starting in Fall of 2017. Someone mentioned, and my t/a confirmed, that they're going to be adding Greek ports and changing the embark/disembark from Istanbul to Athens. I'm anxious to see the new version of the Empires of the Mediterranean that we did last year.

[Editor Colleen]

WooHoo!!!! Finally and at last!!! I've been complaining about the proprietary headset jacks for three cruises now. I don't hear out of my left ear and regardless of what they think, those headsets cannot be worn in the other ear. I am so glad that I will be able to hear what is being said without have to stand right beside the guide.

 

Thank you, Colleen!

 

You're VERY welcome. It's been a hit on this cruise, too. One other cool feature of the new Quietvoxes: When you are standing close to the guide (very close; maybe 2 feet), your device recognizes it and shuts down the audio. It automatically turns back on when you move away.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Editor Colleen

[Peregrina651]

There are magnificent photos of the Viking Sea arriving in London in the Daily Mail.

[CharTrav]

I think those cruises sold out nearly immediately. They're on the website, but it says to call for availability. It also shows as sold out on my go-to website where I check multiple cruise line itineraries and prices by region.

 

 

 

I wonder if anybody was able to answer VinyardView's question about the next release of itineraries? I'm hoping to see what they've got in store for the Med starting in Fall of 2017. Someone mentioned, and my t/a confirmed, that they're going to be adding Greek ports and changing the embark/disembark from Istanbul to Athens. I'm anxious to see the new version of the Empires of the Mediterranean that we did last year.

 

 

Guess I've not been keeping up on the web site. Don't know about you but I'm still a wage slave. [emoji2] Anyway, as soon as I receive a new catalog I'll post the news. But clearly the web site is the more timely source.

[purpleally]

It is my understanding that Karl Eckl is the GM on Viking Sea. I had the extreme pleasure of sailing with him on Seabourn. The absolute BEST. Is this true? If so and you have a chance to chat, maybe you could find out if he knows if he will stay with Sea or move to the others. I would leave Seabourn just to sail with Karl!

[Editor Colleen]

Hi Purpleally,

You are correct; Karl is onboard. I saw him this morning and passed along your kind comment. He was touched. Happy travels!

Colleen

[MrVette]

Did your trip start in Istanbul? A year ago we signed on for the Istanbul to Venice cruise and just learned Viking will not go to Turkey and the cruise now starts in Athens September 25th.

 

We've always wanted to tour Turkey so we made all arrangements to go 5 days early and tour the country finishing up with the tours Viking was to provide of Istanbul and Ephesus. Now we are in trouble with a desire to see Turkey and non-refundable reservations for air, hotels, and tours.

 

The recovery option is to fly from Istanbul to Athens, the new port of embarkation. The flights are very inexpensive, around $84. Cab fare on both ends of that flight to get to the airport and ship is maybe $80. Viking says they will "review" paying for only the flight and only after I buy the tickets. How cheap is that?

 

If we were to skip Turkey and change our flights from the US to go to Athens rather than Istanbul they are authorized to pay up to $350 per person. But in my case they are quibbling over much less.

 

One option we will likely use is to cancel the cruise and go with a different cruise line that still visits Istanbul or fly to some other country to take a land tour. But guess what? Viking says we'll have to pay a $100 per person cancellation fee! They ought to be paying me for canceling Turkey.

 

Oh, did I mention we used to be big fans of Viking, have taken 4 river cruises, recommended them to others, and took friends with us? In other words very, very loyal customers. But after the way we've been treated with this port switch I am no longer a fan.

[Peregrina651]

Did your trip start in Istanbul? A year ago we signed on for the Istanbul to Venice cruise and just learned Viking will not go to Turkey and the cruise now starts in Athens September 25th.

 

We've always wanted to tour Turkey so we made all arrangements to go 5 days early and tour the country finishing up with the tours Viking was to provide of Istanbul and Ephesus. Now we are in trouble with a desire to see Turkey and non-refundable reservations for air, hotels, and tours.

 

The recovery option is to fly from Istanbul to Athens, the new port of embarkation. The flights are very inexpensive, around $84. Cab fare on both ends of that flight to get to the airport and ship is maybe $80. Viking says they will "review" paying for only the flight and only after I buy the tickets. How cheap is that?

 

If we were to skip Turkey and change our flights from the US to go to Athens rather than Istanbul they are authorized to pay up to $350 per person. But in my case they are quibbling over much less.

 

One option we will likely use is to cancel the cruise and go with a different cruise line that still visits Istanbul or fly to some other country to take a land tour. But guess what? Viking says we'll have to pay a $100 per person cancellation fee! They ought to be paying me for canceling Turkey.

 

Oh, did I mention we used to be big fans of Viking, have taken 4 river cruises, recommended them to others, and took friends with us? In other words very, very loyal customers. But after the way we've been treated with this port switch I am no longer a fan.

 

So, this is your first post on Cruise Critic and you joined just to vent some spleen because Viking decided that it was in the best interest of its passengers not to visit Turkey. It is not a decision that they took lightly.

 

Next time buy trip insurance. It should cover the paltry cancellation fee that you are complaining about. It should also cover the non-refundable reservations for hotels and tours that you made if you decide to cancel. If you can't afford to cover the loss out of pocket without whining about it, you should have trip insurance.

 

As for not reimbursing the airfare for Istanbul to Athens, it is not 'cheap,' it is standard business practice. No one is going to give you money in advance. Buy the ticket and submit the invoices for reimbursement. That is the way it works for everyone.

 

Please stop complaining because you are being treated the same way that everyone else is being treated. Viking has thousands of passengers, many of them loyal customers like you, whose arrangements have been upset by this change of itinerary. Why should your problem be handled any differently than theirs?

[RROSE7]

So, this is your first post on Cruise Critic and you joined just to vent some spleen because Viking decided that it was in the best interest of its passengers not to visit Turkey. It is not a decision that they took lightly.

 

Next time buy trip insurance. It should cover the paltry cancellation fee that you are complaining about. It should also cover the non-refundable reservations for hotels and tours that you made if you decide to cancel. If you can't afford to cover the loss out of pocket without whining about it, you should have trip insurance.

 

As for not reimbursing the airfare for Istanbul to Athens, it is not 'cheap,' it is standard business practice. No one is going to give you money in advance. Buy the ticket and submit the invoices for reimbursement. That is the way it works for everyone.

 

Please stop complaining because you are being treated the same way that everyone else is being treated. Viking has thousands of passengers, many of them loyal customers like you, whose arrangements have been upset by this change of itinerary. Why should your problem be handled any differently than theirs?

MrVette & Peregrina651

 

I am sorry we seem to have a storm brewing between the two of you. My comments probably won't do much to calm the waters, but will post them anyway.

 

As for Viking canceling Turkey, I posted my thoughts about this several weeks ago.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2312504

 

Essentially, while disappointed we will not be able to re-visit a country we enjoyed in the past, I do support Viking following the lead of many of the other cruise lines. And looking at the new itinerary --- at least for the 25 Mar, 2017 sailing of the Sky, I think they made some very attractive choices, including one less day at sea.

 

Now, for those who had their hearts set on Turkey, and that was their prime motivation for booking, I sympathize, and to some degree agree that perhaps Viking should wave the cancellation fee, or make some concession. HOWEVER ---- I commend them for their offer to reimburse up to $350 air/hotel, etc change fees. I think this is quite generous. I doubt they were legally required to do this. And yes, why should they send you the money with no proof of purchase. Would you??

 

MrVette, as for "paying you to cancel", surely you were not serious.

 

One final observation. Peregrina651 if you know of a policy that would reimburse in this case, I'd like to know who issues it. I just checked my Allianz policy, and it would not cover in this case.

 

I wish both of you safe and happy cruising.

 

Robert

[Peregrina651]

 

One final observation. Peregrina651 if you know of a policy that would reimburse in this case, I'd like to know who issues it. I just checked my Allianz policy, and it would not cover in this case.

 

 

Whatever the company, whatever the policy, I would submit anything that Viking doesn't cover to the insurance company. The worst they can tell me is no. At best, they will pay out some of my unreimbursed expenses but I won't know for sure unless I submit a claim.

[Viking Cruises]

Did your trip start in Istanbul? A year ago we signed on for the Istanbul to Venice cruise and just learned Viking will not go to Turkey and the cruise now starts in Athens September 25th.

 

We've always wanted to tour Turkey so we made all arrangements to go 5 days early and tour the country finishing up with the tours Viking was to provide of Istanbul and Ephesus. Now we are in trouble with a desire to see Turkey and non-refundable reservations for air, hotels, and tours.

 

The recovery option is to fly from Istanbul to Athens, the new port of embarkation. The flights are very inexpensive, around $84. Cab fare on both ends of that flight to get to the airport and ship is maybe $80. Viking says they will "review" paying for only the flight and only after I buy the tickets. How cheap is that?

 

If we were to skip Turkey and change our flights from the US to go to Athens rather than Istanbul they are authorized to pay up to $350 per person. But in my case they are quibbling over much less.

 

One option we will likely use is to cancel the cruise and go with a different cruise line that still visits Istanbul or fly to some other country to take a land tour. But guess what? Viking says we'll have to pay a $100 per person cancellation fee! They ought to be paying me for canceling Turkey.

 

Oh, did I mention we used to be big fans of Viking, have taken 4 river cruises, recommended them to others, and took friends with us? In other words very, very loyal customers. But after the way we've been treated with this port switch I am no longer a fan.

 

Dear MrVette,

 

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond to your comments.

 

We regret to learn of your disappointment and are interested in discussing the details of your concerns further. Should you wish to do the same, please contact us directly at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

We look forward to hearing from you!

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

[English Voyager]

Does the cancellation of Turkish Ports, particularly one of embarkation, not constitute a 'significant change'?

 

If so, then, according to my understanding, the passenger has the option ,under Viking's UK Booking Terms & Conditions, to cancel, and receive a refund of the deposit.

 

Is this option not included in Viking's USA Booking Terms & Conditions?

Edited May 12, 2016 by English Voyager

[MrVette]

So, this is your first post on Cruise Critic and you joined just to vent some spleen because Viking decided that it was in the best interest of its passengers not to visit Turkey. It is not a decision that they took lightly.

 

Next time buy trip insurance. It should cover the paltry cancellation fee that you are complaining about. It should also cover the non-refundable reservations for hotels and tours that you made if you decide to cancel. If you can't afford to cover the loss out of pocket without whining about it, you should have trip insurance.

 

As for not reimbursing the airfare for Istanbul to Athens, it is not 'cheap,' it is standard business practice. No one is going to give you money in advance. Buy the ticket and submit the invoices for reimbursement. That is the way it works for everyone.

 

Please stop complaining because you are being treated the same way that everyone else is being treated. Viking has thousands of passengers, many of them loyal customers like you, whose arrangements have been upset by this change of itinerary. Why should your problem be handled any differently than theirs?

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

Venting - YES

Sharing important info with other cruisers, which I believe is the intent of this forum - YES

First time poster - YES, but not first time reader. Not sure why that is important though.

 

Not a trip interruption since the trip did not start. Trip is not cancelled either. So it appears to me this situation is not covered by the fine print in insurance.

 

They did not offer us $350 apiece. Although the Customer Service reps have authority to pay up to $350 as a flight change fee if we skipped Turkey and flew to Athens from home they offered us nothing other than to "review" the cost of a flight to Athens from Istanbul and declined my request to pay for the airport transfers. Those flights are amazingly inexpensive. As low as $28 and up to $200 per Kayak. I proposed $84 as a median number for approval before purchase.

 

Safety is in the eye of the beholder as more people are killed in Chicago every year than in Istanbul, even with the recent violence. Still I don't begrudge Viking for making the call.

 

Just seems to me they would be willing to pay airfare and airport transfers to get us from Istanbul to the ship in Athens. But some people may have a different judgement on that.

 

Then I was surprised that I was told we would be charged the cancellation fee if we canceled the cruise. $200 for two this far in advance. As you know Viking Ocean cruises are very popular and I doubt they would have any difficulty filling our cabin.

 

Finally I was told by the CS rep, who was very nice by the way, that there was no one in Viking I could appeal to. Seems odd.

 

Perhaps you can better understand my frustration now and intent to share circumstances of possible interest with fellow travelers.

[Peregrina651]

Thank you for your comments.

 

Venting - YES

Sharing important info with other cruisers, which I believe is the intent of this forum - YES

First time poster - YES, but not first time reader. Not sure why that is important though.

 

Not a trip interruption since the trip did not start. Trip is not cancelled either. So it appears to me this situation is not covered by the fine print in insurance.

 

They did not offer us $350 apiece. Although the Customer Service reps have authority to pay up to $350 as a flight change fee if we skipped Turkey and flew to Athens from home they offered us nothing other than to "review" the cost of a flight to Athens from Istanbul and declined my request to pay for the airport transfers. Those flights are amazingly inexpensive. As low as $28 and up to $200 per Kayak. I proposed $84 as a median number for approval before purchase.

 

Safety is in the eye of the beholder as more people are killed in Chicago every year than in Istanbul, even with the recent violence. Still I don't begrudge Viking for making the call.

 

Just seems to me they would be willing to pay airfare and airport transfers to get us from Istanbul to the ship in Athens. But some people may have a different judgement on that.

 

Then I was surprised that I was told we would be charged the cancellation fee if we canceled the cruise. $200 for two this far in advance. As you know Viking Ocean cruises are very popular and I doubt they would have any difficulty filling our cabin.

 

Finally I was told by the CS rep, who was very nice by the way, that there was no one in Viking I could appeal to. Seems odd.

 

Perhaps you can better understand my frustration now and intent to share circumstances of possible interest with fellow travelers.

 

Viking has invited you to contact them. Take them up on the offer . Call them or send them an email with your name and phone number and they will call you.

[MrVette]

Viking has invited you to contact them. Take them up on the offer . Call them or send them an email with your name and phone number and they will call you.

 

I'll give that a try. I've previously sent an email to the head of customer relations and a few other executives but have received no response so far.

[MrVette]

Revised offer includes paying for the airfare from Istanbul to Athens as well as reimbursing us for the cab fare on both ends. Also $200 on board credit for our trouble.

I believe this is the offer that should have been offered the first time. Still much improved.

Now contemplating if we should take the cruise or cancel.

[inborn traveler]

We had issues over a river cruise with Viking last summer. The issue was not resolved to my satisfaction but Viking wore me down and I gave up with trying for a better compensation. But, we decoded to book again with them and just got off the maiden voyage of Viking Sea. It was all around fabulous!!!! I think Viking has made you a fair offer and you ought to accept it. If you cancel the cruise, you are missing out on a wonderful time on a beautiful ship staffed by outstanding people. Go for it!

[MrVette]

Thank you for your feedback. We are leaning toward staying with the cruise. Will decide shortly.

 

Did you have a port or starboard side cabin? I would think while sailing north there was more to see from the starboard side. Any pro/con comments?