Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

[CharTrav]

6 hours ago, powerdog said:

Quick question: tickets are supposed to arrive about 3 weeks before cruise. Are we watching mail for paper tickets or email for electronic ones?

This is what you get - have covered our names on the cruise documents. Which was one booklet to cover both of us. Sorry that the text in the pic is so blurry. But basically what I wrote earlier. The red sticker is only if you arranged for an arrival transfer with Viking. 

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by CharTrav

[powerdog]

Thank you. Yes, we got the zippered pouch and contents. But what I was thinking of was this:

 

https://www.myvikingjourney.com/Account/GuestTicketContract

 

The description doesn't say whether those documents are mailed or emailed.

[Cyber Kat]

13 minutes ago, powerdog said:

Thank you. Yes, we got the zippered pouch and contents. But what I was thinking of was this:

 

https://www.myvikingjourney.com/Account/GuestTicketContract

 

The description doesn't say whether those documents are mailed or emailed.

There is nothing emailed. What comes in the mail is the booklet - which is your cruise document, though we checked in with just our passports - the luggage red leather tags, the red stickers for your jacket or shirt at the airport, tags with your room number for your luggage and the felt pouch. 

 

Some ports require the booklet, but all Viking asks for is your passport. 

[CharTrav]

1 hour ago, Cyber Kat said:

There is nothing emailed. What comes in the mail is the booklet - which is your cruise document, though we checked in with just our passports - the luggage red leather tags, the red stickers for your jacket or shirt at the airport, tags with your room number for your luggage and the felt pouch. 

 

Some ports require the booklet, but all Viking asks for is your passport. 

All Viking has asked me for on checkin at the embarkation port is my passport and then spend alot of careful time scanning it,   specifically the photo on it.  The photo is associated with your room key. 

[CharTrav]

On 3/30/2019 at 6:27 PM, powerdog said:

Thank you. Yes, we got the zippered pouch and contents. But what I was thinking of was this:

 

https://www.myvikingjourney.com/Account/GuestTicketContract

 

The description doesn't say whether those documents are mailed or emailed.

I checked it out .. there's a sample shown there (we have a trip coming up this July) .. It's the last few pages .. after the deck plans .. in your "Cruise Documents" booklet -- the one individually printed for you and included in the packet you received in the mail. Look on page 1 -- the table of contents -- and you'll see an item called "Ticket Contract" .. that's it,. Sorry took so long to respond.  Maybe you've already found it??

Edited April 1, 2019 by CharTrav

[Buffalo Man]

We will be doing our 1st Viking Ocean cruise in March 2020 and very excited. I see there are self service laundries but  is there an option to have clothes cleaned ? 

Thanks,

Buffalo Man

Buffalo, New York

[CharTrav]

34 minutes ago, Buffalo Man said:

We will be doing our 1st Viking Ocean cruise in March 2020 and very excited. I see there are self service laundries but  is there an option to have clothes cleaned ? 

Thanks,

Buffalo Man

Buffalo, New York

Yes -- you can have them done for you.  For a price.  But honestly, in my experience (2 VO cruises thus far) -- the self service laundry suits me fine. The launderettes are on decks 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each has 3 washers and dryers with 2 ironing boards (with irons) that fold down from the wall, a couch to sit in, and a TV to amuse yourself. The washers even include detergent -- automatically fed.  There's a whole thread somewhere in here that covers the laundry rooms -- pictures too!  It's a nice way to meet people too btw!

 

Btw - per the FAQ on this topic -- from Viking -- 

"Dry cleaning and laundry services, including pressing, are available for a fee and may be arranged through your housekeeper. Self-service launderettes including irons and ironing boards are located on Decks 3–6 and are free of charge, including detergent."

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Yes -- you can have them done for you.  For a price.  But honestly, in my experience (2 VO cruises thus far) -- the self service laundry suits me fine. The launderettes are on decks 3, 4, 5, and 6. Each has 3 washers and dryers with 2 ironing boards (with irons) that fold down from the wall, a couch to sit in, and a TV to amuse yourself. The washers even include detergent -- automatically fed.  There's a whole thread somewhere in here that covers the laundry rooms -- pictures too!  It's a nice way to meet people too btw!

 

Btw - per the FAQ on this topic -- from Viking -- 

"Dry cleaning and laundry services, including pressing, are available for a fee and may be arranged through your housekeeper. Self-service launderettes including irons and ironing boards are located on Decks 3–6 and are free of charge, including detergent."

 

As usual, I am coming down on the opposite side of the fence from CharTrav. I'm on vacation. I'm not doing laundry (except for some small items that I am too lazy to wash in the sink). I'm not spending my vacation ironing things that would normally go to the dry cleaner at home. I prefer to pack light and that means having laundry done along the way. I am thrilled that these services are on board and I make liberal use of them.  Also note that there are no laundry specials on board--no "fill the bag" deals, no $$-off days, the price is the price.

 

As for dry cleaning, let me point out that sports jackets are not required at dinner, the operative word here being required. The choice is yours. I know that some men consider them proper dinner attire and I am not here to convince them otherwise. For those on the fence, I'm just clarifying the option. Your vacation; your choice of wardrobe.

[CharTrav]

2 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

As usual, I am coming down on the opposite side of the fence from CharTrav. I'm on vacation. I'm not doing laundry (except for some small items that I am too lazy to wash in the sink). I'm not spending my vacation ironing things that would normally go to the dry cleaner at home. I prefer to pack light and that means having laundry done along the way. I am thrilled that these services are on board and I make liberal use of them.  Also note that there are no laundry specials on board--no "fill the bag" deals, no $$-off days, the price is the price.

 

As for dry cleaning, let me point out that sports jackets are not required at dinner, the operative word here being required. The choice is yours. I know that some men consider them proper dinner attire and I am not here to convince them otherwise. For those on the fence, I'm just clarifying the option. Your vacation; your choice of wardrobe.

Different strokes for different folks. I don't iron anything btw.  And weird one that I am, I actually find doing laundry and folding clothes relaxing. 🤪

[Peregrina651]

19 minutes ago, CharTrav said:

Different strokes for different folks. I don't iron anything btw.  And weird one that I am, I actually find doing laundry and folding clothes relaxing. 🤪

 

Exactly!!

[Pushka]

2 hours ago, CharTrav said:

Different strokes for different folks. I don't iron anything btw.  And weird one that I am, I actually find doing laundry and folding clothes relaxing. 🤪

 

I don’t mind it either. Maybe it’s because it’s a far cry from the laundry at home. 

[Clay Clayton]

To add one note to Chartrav’s description of the laundry rooms. Both the washers and dryers have timers on them so we usually load them, set our phone timersfor a few minutes less than the machines and go do something else.  While there is a sofa and a TV in the laundry, we find our stateroom or another spot on then ship more comfortable. We have even been known to start a load as we head to dinner and move the laundry between entree and dessert!

[roothy123]

 

On 3/30/2019 at 6:46 PM, Cyber Kat said:

 

Some ports require the booklet, but all Viking asks for is your passport. 

5 - 10 years ago Miami and Copenhagen ports required an official cruise line document to prove we were on the cruise before entering the building (Miami) or dockside check-in line (Copenhagen).  When I started scrounging in my luggage, in each case a port employee offered to check with the cruise line to verify I was OK to enter.  Since then I've torn out a page from my  cruise booklet to keep handy, or photographed it with my cell phone.  Nobody has asked to see it, though!     

[Cyber Kat]

3 hours ago, roothy123 said:

 

5 - 10 years ago Miami and Copenhagen ports required an official cruise line document to prove we were on the cruise before entering the building (Miami) or dockside check-in line (Copenhagen).  When I started scrounging in my luggage, in each case a port employee offered to check with the cruise line to verify I was OK to enter.  Since then I've torn out a page from my  cruise booklet to keep handy, or photographed it with my cell phone.  Nobody has asked to see it, though!     

I remember back when all lines sent you a nice booklet, now they just have you print everything yourself.  We are leaving shortly on an Azamara cruise and we had to print our boarding passes and our luggage tags - no nice red leather ones, nor a booklet, nor a zippered pouch either 😞

I am leaving my red leather Viking tags on the suitcases to show them what a classy line does 😛

 

[Clay Clayton]

FWIW, when boarding at the Pan American pier in San Juan, we were asked for our boarding documents and passport at the terminal door. I informed the lady I didn’t have a boarding document and gave her the page from our booklet that had our names on it. She frowned and then looked through her clipboard and checked off our names.

[roothy123]

3 hours ago, Cyber Kat said:

I remember back when all lines sent you a nice booklet, now they just have you print everything yourself.  We are leaving shortly on an Azamara cruise and we had to print our boarding passes and our luggage tags - no nice red leather ones, nor a booklet, nor a zippered pouch either 😞

I am leaving my red leather Viking tags on the suitcases to show them what a classy line does 😛

 

Good idea.  If nothing else, it will make you feel better.  I don't mind printing an occasional document, but when we decided to take a short, inexpensive Caribbean cruise on Celebrity instead of a cruise on our favorite line, I was surprised when Celebrity emailed, saying we could print out our luggage tags.  I DID have a printer, but nothing except copy and cheap photo paper, which I figured would last less than one trip on an airplane!  I forget what I did, but at least now I don't have to worry about baggage tags! 

Edited April 6, 2019 by roothy123

[CharTrav]

2 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

FWIW, when boarding at the Pan American pier in San Juan, we were asked for our boarding documents and passport at the terminal door. I informed the lady I didn’t have a boarding document and gave her the page from our booklet that had our names on it. She frowned and then looked through her clipboard and checked off our names.

She must have taken her requisite "ugly pill" that morning to guarantee she'd be at her grumpiest.  My father used to claim that a job requirement for working in our state's motor vehicle office was to take a daily "ugly pill". 

[CharTrav]

42 minutes ago, roothy123 said:

Good idea.  If nothing else, it will make you feel better.  I don't mind printing an occasional document, but when we decided to take a short, inexpensive Caribbean cruise on Celebrity instead of a cruise on our favorite line, I was surprised when Celebrity emailed, saying we could print out our luggage tags.  I DID have a printer, but nothing except copy and cheap photo paper, which I figured would last less than one trip on an airplane!  I forget what I did, but at least now I don't have to worry about baggage tags! 

I appreciate the durability of the leather luggage tags and the plastic ship tags (both the ones you add after your arrive at the airport prior to ship embarkation and the ones you get the night before debarking the ship).

[Clay Clayton]

18 hours ago, roothy123 said:

Good idea.  If nothing else, it will make you feel better.  I don't mind printing an occasional document, but when we decided to take a short, inexpensive Caribbean cruise on Celebrity instead of a cruise on our favorite line, I was surprised when Celebrity emailed, saying we could print out our luggage tags.  I DID have a printer, but nothing except copy and cheap photo paper, which I figured would last less than one trip on an airplane!  I forget what I did, but at least now I don't have to worry about baggage tags! 

Our usual cruiseline Norwegian does the same thing. We purchased via Amazon for $6 a bunch of plastic sleeves which we have used for years.  I don’t have a printer anymore (do I miss working? Ah, no!) but since we always fly into the disembarkation port a day early I just print the tags at the hotel and the beach put them I. The sleeves. Before we had them, we just stapled them together around our bag as we were leaving then hotel.  

[Cyber Kat]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Our usual cruiseline Norwegian does the same thing. We purchased via Amazon for $6 a bunch of plastic sleeves which we have used for years.  I don’t have a printer anymore (do I miss working? Ah, no!) but since we always fly into the disembarkation port a day early I just print the tags at the hotel and the beach put them I. The sleeves. Before we had them, we just stapled them together around our bag as we were leaving then hotel.  

 

I just bought a set of those plastic sleeves for this Azamara trip. We booked a Celebrity cruise for next spring to sandwich in between 2 Viking cruises, and they are the same size, so I will be using them again. I wish they were all Viking cruises, but those do put a dent in our bank account and it needs some recovery time 😆

 

But we will be back aboard Viking In the fall and it will feel like coming home!

[Clay Clayton]

“Dent” 😂

[vnb2003]

Hello guys! Long time...

 

Need your help - how to move new booking to travel agent. Do I need to put deposit first? Should my agent contact Viking and go from there? I remember people talked about it but I can’t find it

 

thank you :)

[Heidi13]

We received a written offer, after talking to Viking on the phone, with about 3 weeks to confirm. I took the offer sheet and name/number of the Viking agent to our TA and requested she have it transferred and confirm the booking. Went in the next day and paid the deposit.

[Peregrina651]

10 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

We received a written offer, after talking to Viking on the phone, with about 3 weeks to confirm. I took the offer sheet and name/number of the Viking agent to our TA and requested she have it transferred and confirm the booking. Went in the next day and paid the deposit.

 

 

Mike, you were booking a world cruise. On shorter sailings, the  option period is shorter. Usually just a few days. I started the process this past Tuesday and had to have the deposit paid by Friday for a 15 day cruise.

 

From what I understand, a booking can transferred at any time up to x many days before the cruise. Paying the deposit and transferring the booking are independent and don't have to be done in any particular order. When we booked on board, my TA's name went on the booking immediately even though I paid the deposit on the ship. Thereafter, my TA handled everything.

Edited April 14, 2019 by Peregrina651

[vnb2003]

Thank you both!!!  🙂

 

I have to pay deposit on Tuesday.

 

Heidi13, if I remember correctly, you will be embarking on Jan. 4th, 2020 and we will be disembarking from Sun that day 🙂