Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

[stretchcruz]

It was great! And only a few $ more than the 16 folk van. But many $$$ less than the Viking bus!

 

[Pushka]

With excursions, as a DV person, can you see which excursions have been sold out during the period when suites can book and DVs are still waiting? So you get a pre warning of what might be left? 

[roothy123]

3 hours ago, Pushka said:

With excursions, as a DV person, can you see which excursions have been sold out during the period when suites can book and DVs are still waiting? So you get a pre warning of what might be left? 

Yes, you can. 

 

If you're wondering how many excursions are sold out by then,  I'd say maybe only maybe 3 or 4 per a 10-14 day cruise (not per port) for the optional excursions.  Occasionally the earliest time slot for an included excursion is not available. But other people's experiences may vary, especially if those particular people waited to book something until right before the online booking deadline, or after they got on the ship.

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, Pushka said:

With excursions, as a DV person, can you see which excursions have been sold out during the period when suites can book and DVs are still waiting? So you get a pre warning of what might be left? 

. 

Pushka:

Not sure which cruise you are on, but we were on the Homelands last year with a DV and didn't really have an issue with getting excursions.  We are headed on the West Indies Explorer in 10 days.  When you book excursions at any time after they are open to you, you will see the list that shows, by port, the status of them.  I just did a quick screen print from MyVikingJourney.com for our cruise of a partial list of excusions offered in St.Kitts, to use as an example so you can see what it looks like.  It DOES show ones that are SOLD OUT.  If still interested in them, you could contact Viking ahead of time or immediately on board go to the excursion desk and ask to be put on a wait list for the "Sold Out" excursion you are interested in.   Hoping this helps!

 

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

. 

Pushka:

Not sure which cruise you are on, but we were on the Homelands last year with a DV and didn't really have an issue with getting excursions.  We are headed on the West Indies Explorer in 10 days.  When you book excursions at any time after they are open to you, you will see the list that shows, by port, the status of them.  I just did a quick screen print from MyVikingJourney.com for our cruise of a partial list of excusions offered in St.Kitts, to use as an example so you can see what it looks like.  It DOES show ones that are SOLD OUT.  If still interested in them, you could contact Viking ahead of time or immediately on board go to the excursion desk and ask to be put on a wait list for the "Sold Out" excursion you are interested in.   Hoping this helps!

 

 

Just keep in mind that SOLD OUT does not always mean SOLD OUT, especially if you see it before booking opens. Sometimes it means that the tour is not being offered at all and sometimes it means that the contract with the vendor has not been finalized. Therefore, if you see something you want is sold out even before booking opens or very early on, contact Viking (via TellUs@vikingcruises.com).

[Pushka]

Thankyou everyone for this advice about sold out excursions. That will help my planning a lot. Nothing worse than getting excited for a particular excursion then getting your booking slot open only to find it’s already sold out. Thanks also Peregrina651 for that tip as well. In my part of Australia we are in the fortunate position of the midnight timing being 6.30pm for us. 

 

We are doing the first Alaska cruise in May and our window for booking is in 40 days, not that I’m counting down........much! 🙂

Edited February 8, 2019 by Pushka

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Just keep in mind that SOLD OUT does not always mean SOLD OUT, especially if you see it before booking opens. Sometimes it means that the tour is not being offered at all and sometimes it means that the contract with the vendor has not been finalized. Therefore, if you see something you want is sold out even before booking opens or very early on, contact Viking (via TellUs@vikingcruises.com).

 

Excellent point as well, Peregrina651.

 

In this specific case (10 days before sailing), SOLD OUT may just mean that Viking had anticipated x number for this and there are many more who would want it.  I have in fact requested to be on a wait list and have confidence it will clear.  My experience is that they adjust and add new boats/buses/guides if the demand is there beyond what they had anticipated.  I even saw this happen during a cruise.  We asked to get on a wait list on the cruise itself and were about #4.  They said that if we got to 20 or more they would add another one.  Have to admit, I sort of recruited people I met to sign up on the wait list.  It did indeed clear a couple days before and we all had a great time!  FYI - it was the Eidifjord Train/Flam popular tour on Viking Homelands.

[Dauntless]

58 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

 

Excellent point as well, Peregrina651.

 

In this specific case (10 days before sailing), SOLD OUT may just mean that Viking had anticipated x number for this and there are many more who would want it.  I have in fact requested to be on a wait list and have confidence it will clear.  My experience is that they adjust and add new boats/buses/guides if the demand is there beyond what they had anticipated.  I even saw this happen during a cruise.  We asked to get on a wait list on the cruise itself and were about #4.  They said that if we got to 20 or more they would add another one.  Have to admit, I sort of recruited people I met to sign up on the wait list.  It did indeed clear a couple days before and we all had a great time!  FYI - it was the Eidifjord Train/Flam popular tour on Viking Homelands.

 

This is good info to know and that's why I keep reading, even though I don't have a cruise planned now.  In the past, there was no wait list and if it was on your wish list, it really meant nothing and that's why you had to keep checking back.  There was one we wanted but didn't get on the last cruise and as I just happened to check one day, another had been added so I was able to arrange accordingly.

[Trishd]

On 6/3/2017 at 9:43 PM, Peregrina651 said:

IMHO, just complaining to complain because it is different; most people don't do "change" very well.

 

We overnighted in Barcelona this past December. I just checked the dailies. Back on board time was 5pm for a scheduled 6:00 departure. Muster drill was at 5:15pm. I believe that the "2 hours before departure business" is to prevent people from cutting it too close when arrival day and sailaway are the same day.

In any case, expect muster drill to be be after the back on board time and before sail away.

 

Adapters are so small, why would you worry about not taking one-- or two or three? If you are just charging electronics, you don't need a converter; just make sure that the USB to a/c adapter is rated for 110-240v (you might need a magnifier to read the fine print on the device). Batteries WILL, not may, run down! In fact, I hope you have spare batteries for your camera because you might not get through the day in Iceland on just one--and plenty of SD cards, too.

 

I was considering paying for Global entry (because it gives me TSA pre-check as well--and I hate taking off my shoes and unpacking my bags before stepping through the golden arches) but now I am going to check this out. I wonder if there is any talk about it else where on CC.....

I just renewed my Global Entry for the second time. I travel internationally quite frequently. Well worth the $$$$

[newcruiser1956]

1 hour ago, Trishd said:

I just renewed my Global Entry for the second time. I travel internationally quite frequently. Well worth the $$$$

 

I agree when I hit JFK  the line for Global took me 5 or 10 minutes.  The security line took my daughter over 45 minutes.  The line for people using the app was moving pretty quickly too but global was so much faster.

 

And I love TSA preapprove for inside the states flying. So much faster most of the time.

 

[roothy123]

I agree that Global Entry is well worth the  modest fee and a trip to the airport.  We cleared Washington Dulles in 5 minutes this past January.  At some airports you can now schedule your GE interview when you return to the airport on another flight.   We like Pre-check too, and while I've heard the lines may be longer at times than the regular ones, we haven't seen that at BWI or IAD.  Besides, you don't have to use them.  But we stick to Pre-check lines because we like not having to remove as many things.   

 

There is also, at least in some airports, the "Clear" service for a fee.  However, this is not GE or Pre-check, and I don't know what it covers.  Stick to Global Entry with the included Pre-check!

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, Trishd said:

I was considering paying for Global entry (because it gives me TSA pre-check as well--and I hate taking off my shoes and unpacking my bags before stepping through the golden arches) but now I am going to check this out. I wonder if there is any talk about it else where on CC..... 

 

Following up on my own post.

 

We did get Global Entry and it was a pleasure to have when we arrived back in Boston and I had just spent the last three days in bed with a sinus infection and the arrivals hall was so packed with people that we could hardly get to the other side of the hall to the GE line. I was in a fog and the only thought going through my head was, "Thank goodness I don't have to stand in line here because it will be at least an hour before we are cleared and I won't make it." Just the ability to use the TSA Pre-check line on domestic flights is worth the price of admission. So glad we did it.

 

 

[roothy123]

So I don't know if this has been covered before, but if not, based on my recent experience: 

 

If you think you might be cruising again on Viking Ocean, you might want to do some basic research on cruises you're interested in.  Without giving hard $ figures, I can tell you that getting quotes on board for future cruises is worth it.  You don't have to make a deposit on-board, and quotes don't expire when you walk off the ship.  However, they will NOT be good forever.    

[moatenote]

I just noticed something regarding knowing when you will be able to book shore excursions.  After several cruises, I just noticed that on the Viking invoice/Guest Statement, usually page 3, at the bottom of the page listing the daily itinerary, the last item is Shore Excursions on the bottom left of the page and it clearly says the date that shore excursions open for your cabin.  Duh on me.

[CatGirl922]

1 hour ago, moatenote said:

I just noticed something regarding knowing when you will be able to book shore excursions.  After several cruises, I just noticed that on the Viking invoice/Guest Statement, usually page 3, at the bottom of the page listing the daily itinerary, the last item is Shore Excursions on the bottom left of the page and it clearly says the date that shore excursions open for your cabin.  Duh on me.

 

OMG.  You are wonderful!  I missed that too.  No more trying to count on my calendar.  Thank you!!

[CatGirl922]

Thanks to moatenote I now have the exact day the excursions open for me.  Does that mean it opens at midnight (I'm a US West Coast person) on that day??  Or is it midnight the night before??

[moatenote]

50 minutes ago, CatGirl922 said:

Thanks to moatenote I now have the exact day the excursions open for me.  Does that mean it opens at midnight (I'm a US West Coast person) on that day??  Or is it midnight the night before??

You are very welcome!  If your schedule says you can book on April 28, that means you can book as of 12:01 a.m. on April 28

[mreasier]

2 hours ago, moatenote said:

I just noticed something regarding knowing when you will be able to book shore excursions.  After several cruises, I just noticed that on the Viking invoice/Guest Statement, usually page 3, at the bottom of the page listing the daily itinerary, the last item is Shore Excursions on the bottom left of the page and it clearly says the date that shore excursions open for your cabin.  Duh on me.

We booked thru a TA and can't see the invoice/guest statement.  I guess we are out of luck for locating that date.

[Geosez]

8 minutes ago, mreasier said:

We booked thru a TA and can't see the invoice/guest statement.  I guess we are out of luck for locating that date.

We have an email/pdf version of the Viking invoice sent to us by our TA.  The date our excursions are open for booking is on page three of that file.

[ropomo]

8 minutes ago, mreasier said:

We booked thru a TA and can't see the invoice/guest statement.  I guess we are out of luck for locating that date.

 

 Don't worry, you have another option.  On My Viking Journey, somewhere around 110 days plus or minus a week or two, you will be able to see available excursions and dining for your cruise.  While they will not be available to book yet, there is a statement on each excursion page as shown below

 

[CatGirl922]

If you booked through a TA (we did), just ask them to forward your paperwork in email.  You can find it there.  So much easier than counting ahead on a calendar!

[CatGirl922]

31 minutes ago, moatenote said:

You are very welcome!  If your schedule says you can book on April 28, that means you can book as of 12:01 a.m. on April 28

Thank you, once again.  Having that information makes it a lot easier.  Anything to take a bit of anxiety away. 🙂

[mreasier]

4 minutes ago, CatGirl922 said:

If you booked through a TA (we did), just ask them to forward your paperwork in email.  You can find it there.  So much easier than counting ahead on a calendar!

I'll have to do that.  Thanks.

[moatenote]

We also book through a TA, but she always sends this paperwork to us.

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, mreasier said:

We booked thru a TA and can't see the invoice/guest statement.  I guess we are out of luck for locating that date.

 

You should be able to order an Invoice through MVJ.