Cuba, Viking Cancel Policy

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Window opened for Deluxe Verandas today. Booking excursions only took a few minutes and was quick & smooth.

 

 

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haggie, I'm on the 12/1 cruise also; in a DV. I booked my excursions yesterday like you did, although I did NOT set an alarm for 3 AM (midnight in CA), as some people are apparently doing for excursions, specialty dining, or spa appointments! At 4:15 AM Pacific time (opening time) I was very disappointed to find that the Trinidad excursion on our first day in Cienfuegos was sold out. I guess people in suites must have had the same interests/ideas as me and booked up all the slots. Ordinarily I would have then booked my own transportation to Trinidad and back, but in Cuba, I don't think I want to do that, and may not even be allowed to do that, given current and tweeted U.S. rules. However, I'm hoping that something will happen in the next 2 plus months so that I can get to Trinidad. I emailed Viking yesterday afternoon to ask if there was a wait list. As expected, they said there wasn't. However, they mentioned that other people were interested in the Trinidad excursion, so Viking may try to get more people on the excursion. The Viking rep also told me what I already knew - that it's best to keep checking back, and best to go to the Explorer's Desk when I get on the ship to inquire about availability.

 

Other than that disappointment, making my excursion reservations was easy and fast. Just for info, the Trinidad excursion for the second day WAS available for booking. However, that meant I wouldn't be able to go on the Havana Sojourn overnight trip, so I passed. The kayaking in Cienfuegos excursion was showing up as sold out - so unless Viking can no longer offer kayaking, or there's a computer glitch, kayaking was not bookable, at least for the one day I queried. All other excursions were wide open. For example, the included tour in Key West (assuming Key West will be ready to visit by early December, sigh!) had all time slots open, morning and afternoon. Some people may not get the time they want, but really, that trolley ride isn't horribly expensive or far from the port, so I can't imagine it will be a problem.

[donpop]

I'm on the 11/17 cruise, and I ran into the exact same issues. Trinidad fully cooked the first day, so no ability to go there AND dor the overnight in Havana. Spa availability is extremely limited. I believe all the "at sea" days were fully booked before my group ever got to. Also, the kayaking is also full.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I'm on the 11/17 cruise, and I ran into the exact same issues. Trinidad fully cooked the first day, so no ability to go there AND dor the overnight in Havana. Spa availability is extremely limited. I believe all the "at sea" days were fully booked before my group ever got to. Also, the kayaking is also full.

 

Well, we both still have some time to go before the cruise, so who knows, maybe by the time our cruises roll around, Viking will find that a good number of people want to go to Trinidad, and they can work something out with the providers in Cuba. And people DO cancel, so I remain optimistic until the final "I'm sorry" is received!

 

Maybe you should email (tellus@vikingcruises.com, I think) and tell them of your interest in Trinidad. If enough of us are interested, maybe another bus and tour guide can be added for each cruise. Then again, Cuba is Cuba and things are a bit limited there, I suspect!

[jabrown40]

We are on the 11:24 cruise, and I got up at 1:55 am Chicago time, logged on and had Trinidad already set up to be booked at exactly 2:00 am. Then quickly booked the Havana overnight for day two. Booking dining reservations was not too bad at 4am, but days and times were already limited. After reading others posts, feel lucky to have gotten what I did.

 

 

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[Trippster5]

If you request an invoice from your My Viking Journey site, you will see your new Cuba Itinerary on the last pages. On that page it should show that Cienfuegos is indeed a tendered port for this trip and you may also look at the Cuba update on the same page.

It's my understanding that some ships anchor and some dock. I was hoping to see what other cruise ships did when visiting Cienfuegos, but so far only one has been there that I can tell. It was a fairly small cruise ship and it looked like it was anchored - but close to the dock that other ships have apparently used. If she was anchored, the tender ride must have been really short. I think the same cruise ship is coming back on the 24th, so I'll look at it again. That won't really tell me much, but I'm curious. Also, once the Viking Sun goes to Cienfuegos in November, where she anchors or docks might give us a clue.

 

Viking Ocean ships are fairly small, but fairly long, so maybe docking isn't possible - or maybe another ship is there the same day and scheduled to use the dock.

 

I see the Dec. 1 cruise is almost booked up now - just a few penthouse suites are showing on the website as available, "limited availability" is listed for a few other suite categories, and no veranda rooms are bookable now.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

trippstir, thank you for the confirmation that we're anchoring/tendering in Cienfuegos. I assumed that was the case, as more ships appear to anchor than dock, but knowing for sure is nice. The area where we're likely to be tendered is Punta Gorda in the southern part of the city, which has several attractions within walking distance, plus there's a small beachside walk down to the point. The rest of the typical attractions for tourists appear to be available by a short taxi ride up north a bit. The distance from the closest ship anchorage spot to shore appears to be fairly short.

 

jabrown40, now I wished I had gotten up in the middle of the night to try for Trinidad. However, I'm hoping something will open up later. If not, I'll make do with something else.

 

Made my Manfredi and Chef's Table reservations this morning. I was a little surprised to get a decent time slot on a sea day for Manfredi's. Sea days are always the first to go.

[Travelingnonni99]

trippstir, thank you for the confirmation that we're anchoring/tendering in Cienfuegos. I assumed that was the case, as more ships appear to anchor than dock, but knowing for sure is nice. The area where we're likely to be tendered is Punta Gorda in the southern part of the city, which has several attractions within walking distance, plus there's a small beachside walk down to the point. The rest of the typical attractions for tourists appear to be available by a short taxi ride up north a bit. The distance from the closest ship anchorage spot to shore appears to be fairly short.

 

jabrown40, now I wished I had gotten up in the middle of the night to try for Trinidad. However, I'm hoping something will open up later. If not, I'll make do with something else.

 

Made my Manfredi and Chef's Table reservations this morning. I was a little surprised to get a decent time slot on a sea day for Manfredi's. Sea days are always the first to go.

Did you get a visa to get off the ship without a Viking tour guide?

[panoramaofthepast]

I guess we were very lucky! I did not get up in the middle of the night, but was able to book Trinidad for the first day and the Havana overnight for days 2-3. My spa appointment is at 1:30 as we sail away from Cienfuegos! I plan to check in with the dining room to see if we can share a table at the specialty restaurants; we were only able to book a table for 2. Not long now1

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Just in case anyone hasn't seen this info and is concerned about Viking going or not going to Cuba, here's what Viking issued yesterday. It was on My Viking Journey. Glad Viking (plus other cruise lines) are continuing to go to Cuba, even though some people are not happy about that.

 

October 1, 2017

Caribbean

Thank you for your continued patience as we worked through the challenges presented by the recent hurricanes in the Caribbean. Our nautical and logistical teams are in constant contact with local authorities and have been identifying and confirming changes to various itineraries every day.

We have begun communicating specific itinerary updates directly to guests and their Travel Agents. Please log onto MyVikingJourney.com for details regarding your specific voyage.

Cuba

On September 29, 2017 a travel warning was issued for the country of Cuba. Viking is continuing to work closely with our local partners to monitor the situation and at this time our plans for visiting Cuba on your itinerary remain unchanged. All shore excursions are escorted by a local guide and there have been no reported incidents involving travelers. Please know that the safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jabrown40]

While I appreciate Viking"s efforts, we decided to cancel this cruise, and transfer our booking to a February South America/Caribbean cruise. There have been too many negatives, hoping maybe someday we can try again.

 

 

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[Fpacifico]

While I appreciate Viking"s efforts, we decided to cancel this cruise, and transfer our booking to a February South America/Caribbean cruise. There have been too many negatives, hoping maybe someday we can try again.

 

 

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So sorry that your Cuban cruise didn't work out , we are also taking the same itinerary on February 5 sailing. Looking forward to this cruise.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Did you get a visa to get off the ship without a Viking tour guide?

No. If I can't stay ashore after the excursion in Cienfuegos, I'll just deal with it. The other day and a half is the Havana overnight. It looks like we'll do and see a lot in Havana, so I suspect I'll be too tired and satisfied to want to do more. There won't be much time, anyway.

[Travelingnonni99]

No. If I can't stay ashore after the excursion in Cienfuegos, I'll just deal with it. The other day and a half is the Havana overnight. It looks like we'll do and see a lot in Havana, so I suspect I'll be too tired and satisfied to want to do more. There won't be much time, anyway.

Thank you for your response, we will be going to Havana as well. Wish Viking would update us on this cruise so we can stop wondering what is going on regarding the government warning. I looked at the hotels and they are not 5 stars but, in Cuba my understanding is their hotels never are. Looking forward to meeting you, hope you signed up for the Meet & Mingle. By the way I love you "handle" Iwanttoliveoverthesea!

[Travelingnonni99]

No. If I can't stay ashore after the excursion in Cienfuegos, I'll just deal with it. The other day and a half is the Havana overnight. It looks like we'll do and see a lot in Havana, so I suspect I'll be too tired and satisfied to want to do more. There won't be much time, anyway.

 

Thank you for your response, we will be going to Havana as well. Wish Viking would update us on this cruise so we can stop wondering what is going on regarding the government warning. I looked at the hotels and they are not 5 stars but, in Cuba my understanding is their hotels never are. Looking forward to meeting you, hope you signed up for the Meet & Mingle. By the way I love you "handle" Iwanttoliveoverthesea!

Just read your comment about Viking still going to Cuba. I could not find it on the website but will still keep looking, thanks.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Thank you for your response, we will be going to Havana as well. Wish Viking would update us on this cruise so we can stop wondering what is going on regarding the government warning. I looked at the hotels and they are not 5 stars but, in Cuba my understanding is their hotels never are. Looking forward to meeting you, hope you signed up for the Meet & Mingle. By the way I love you "handle" Iwanttoliveoverthesea!

Well, the message from Viking DID say we're going to Cuba (as are Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian/Oceania et al). For me, it's mostly about Cuba, so I'm relieved to find out we're going. Yes, it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and to add to what others have experienced, the couple that pushed us to book this cruise with them bailed in June over some concerns. Oh well, we're still all in.

 

I found the notice from Viking by going to My Viking Journey. There is a tab for something like "Updates to your voyage" that I had not noticed before. If you can't find it, post again and I'll go in and get more specific information for you.

 

Do you know what hotels Viking is using, or did your statement about the hotels only mean you looked at hotels in a tourist guide or on the internet? I've done the latter, and there are some hotels that look pretty nice, although maybe not what Americans think of as 5 star. Star rating varies from country to country, though, so I'm not expecting a super plush experience. I really don't need one, anyway. I'm more of an Airbnb person.

 

So I guess more info is forthcoming soon from Viking. We'll see what happens.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Weird - now I can't find the same message. There's a short one under an "Updates" tab, but it doesn't have the Cuba paragraph from the one I copied. Will search for it again later today, but it looks like they made a change. All I can think of is that perhaps they're customizing a response, and that the message I saw was a generic one for both Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean, as they have upcoming cruises that go to other Caribbean islands. Sounds like we'll know soon. They certainly have a lot of juggling to do, between hurricane damage and Cuba challenges. I don't know a lot, but I did read here on Cruise Critic that not all Caribbean cruise ports are open yet.

[Travelingnonni99]

Well, the message from Viking DID say we're going to Cuba (as are Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian/Oceania et al). For me, it's mostly about Cuba, so I'm relieved to find out we're going. Yes, it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and to add to what others have experienced, the couple that pushed us to book this cruise with them bailed in June over some concerns. Oh well, we're still all in.

 

I found the notice from Viking by going to My Viking Journey. There is a tab for something like "Updates to your voyage" that I had not noticed before. If you can't find it, post again and I'll go in and get more specific information for you.

 

Do you know what hotels Viking is using, or did your statement about the hotels only mean you looked at hotels in a tourist guide or on the internet? I've done the latter, and there are some hotels that look pretty nice, although maybe not what Americans think of as 5 star. Star rating varies from country to country, though, so I'm not expecting a super plush experience. I really don't need one, anyway. I'm more of an Airbnb person.

 

So I guess more info is forthcoming soon from Viking. We'll see what happens.

A viking rep told me the hotels are Melia Habana and Melia Cohiba. Some good and some awful reviews. I mentioned 5 stars because that is what Viking said when the itinerary changed. Hope for the best!:cool: This will be our first cruise on Viking so I am hoping for the experience that will bring us back.

[indigosails]

While I appreciate Viking"s efforts, we decided to cancel this cruise, and transfer our booking to a February South America/Caribbean cruise. There have been too many negatives, hoping maybe someday we can try again.

 

We cancelled this trip also, for the same reason...too many negatives. Felt like a giant weight had been lifted.

[bellacatherine]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to hire a private tour guide in Cienfuegos? Viking told me it’s not possible to walk around the town after the shore excursion and I would like to. I was told by Viking that they don’t recommend hiring a guide, but didn’t say I couldn’t either. When I traveled to Russia I was able to hire a private guide and they knew the requirements for cruise passengers. Anyone have knowledge about Cuba?

Edited October 14, 2017 by bellacatherine

[Peregrina651]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to hire a private tour guide in Cienfuegos? Viking told me it’s not possible to walk around the town after the shore excursion and I would like to. I was told by Viking that they don’t recommend hiring a guide, but didn’t say I couldn’t either. When I traveled to Russia I was able to hire a private guide and they knew the requirements for cruise passengers. Anyone have any knowledge about Cuba?

 

Have you tried the Ports of Call forum for Cuba? You'll find more/different people who can perhaps answer your question.

 

And, even though you already called Viking, I would contact the folks at tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them if there is anything in the visa/permission that you will be traveling under that would prevent you from hiring a private guide. They will tell you for sure if you can or cannot (as opposed to "not recommended").

 

Also, check out the U.S. Department of State travel section for Cuba.

[roothy123]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to hire a private tour guide in Cienfuegos? Viking told me it’s not possible to walk around the town after the shore excursion and I would like to. I was told by Viking that they don’t recommend hiring a guide, but didn’t say I couldn’t either. When I traveled to Russia I was able to hire a private guide and they knew the requirements for cruise passengers. Anyone have knowledge about Cuba?

If you find out anything, could you post back here? Family members are doing a Cuba cruise and also want to stay off the ship after an excursion. You probably already know this, but the invoice from Viking says that Viking will have a "group license" for passengers to go on excursions. However, what Norwegian and Fathom cruise lines have done in the past, from what I've read, is that they obtained an individual visa for each cruiser, and put it on the cruiser's bill. This means everyone gets charged for a visa ($75? still haven't figured out price etc.) but at least allows each cruiser to do what they want - e.g., purchase excursions from the cruise line, arrange a private tour, or explore on their own. Of course, Americans must still comply with the U.S. regulation regarding support for the Cuban people or whatever their reason for going to Cuba may be. I've read that there's a small terminal in Cienfuegos for passport control, money exchange, etc. What I don't know is what cruisers need to show there to get off the ship and back on - just passport if on a Viking excursion? passport AND visa if going out on own? returning after an excursion?

 

I haven't explored a private tour in Cienfuegos, as I don't think I'll have much time after the Viking tours. However, if anyone wants to pursue that and no information if forthcoming from the Ports of Call section, perhaps a post in the Oceania section would help, as Oceania has now been to Cuba quite a bit. It's also possible Trip Advisor has tour guides or companies that have been reviewed in their forums.

Edited October 14, 2017 by roothy123

[Fpacifico]

If you find out anything, could you post back here? Family members are doing a cruise on Viking and also want to stay off the ship after an excursion. You probably already know this, but the invoice from Viking says that Viking will have a "group license" for passengers to go on excursions. However, what Norwegian and Fathom cruise lines have done in the past, from what I've read, is that they obtained an individual visa for each cruiser, and put it on the cruiser's bill. This means everyone gets charged for a visa ($75? still haven't figured out price etc.) but at least allows each cruiser to do what they want - e.g., purchase excursions from the cruise line, arrange a private tour, or explore on their own. Of course, Americans must still comply with the U.S. regulation regarding support for the Cuban people or whatever their reason for going to Cuba may be.

 

I haven't explored a private tour in Cienfuegos, as I don't think I'll have much time after the Viking tours. However, if you decide to purse that, you may want to ask on the Oceania board, as Oceania has now been to Cuba quite a bit. Or you could see if Trip Advisor has any tour guides or companies mentioned in their forums.

 

With everything going on in Cuba and Viking telling you not to go with private guides, what else do you need to know. Use common sense

[bellacatherine]

Does anyone know if it’s possible to hire a private tour guide in Cienfuegos? Viking told me it’s not possible to walk around the town after the shore excursion and I would like to. I was told by Viking that they don’t recommend hiring a guide, but didn’t say I couldn’t either. When I traveled to Russia I was able to hire a private guide and they knew the requirements for cruise passengers. Anyone have knowledge about Cuba?

I just spoke to another Viking representative. He told me Viking is getting a blanket visa with restrictions. This means you’re only allowed to travel within Cuba with the Viking group. At this time there are no exceptions, and you will not be allowed off the ship for a private tour.

[Peregrina651]

I just spoke to another Viking representative. He told me Viking is getting a blanket visa with restrictions. This means you’re only allowed to travel within Cuba with the Viking group. At this time there are no exceptions, and you will not be allowed off the ship for a private tour.

 

I thought it was something like that.

[bellacatherine]

With everything going on in Cuba and Viking telling you not to go with private guides, what else do you need to know. Use common sense

Edited October 15, 2017 by bellacatherine