Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

[Segmentersfloattheboat]

Just now, les37b said:

Many thanks... I will pass on the info and she can make her own mind.

Don't they always! 🤣

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

So many extraneous comments on here.  Ugh.  This might be considered extraneous too, but in case it's not:

 

We find the little compartments in the special space under the top of the desk to be very helpful for storing small things that can get easily misplaced, hard to find in a cluttered drawer, possibly left behind and/or used a lot -- e.g., camera cards, small binoculars, earrings/rings, small batteries, excursion tickets, etc.  I love that part of the desk.  So my tip (which was original idea behind this thread after all) is to keep the little pad of paper and pen that Viking gives you just to the left of the moveable desk top, and keep the bottle of water and water glasses behind the desk top.  It takes a day or two of reminding yourself to do that, but once you get it, it saves you from having to move things to get into the desk. 

[zelker]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

So many extraneous comments on here.  Ugh.  This might be considered extraneous too, but in case it's not:

 

We find the little compartments in the special space under the top of the desk to be very helpful for storing small things that can get easily misplaced, hard to find in a cluttered drawer, possibly left behind and/or used a lot -- e.g., camera cards, small binoculars, earrings/rings, small batteries, excursion tickets, etc.  I love that part of the desk.  So my tip (which was original idea behind this thread after all) is to keep the little pad of paper and pen that Viking gives you just to the left of the moveable desk top, and keep the bottle of water and water glasses behind the desk top.  It takes a day or two of reminding yourself to do that, but once you get it, it saves you from having to move things to get into the desk. 

As soon-to-be first time Viking cruisers, I was thinking the same thing but was afraid I'd get flamed if I mentioned it so thanks for speaking up. 

 

And thanks for the organizational tip. 👍

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

1 minute ago, zelker said:

As soon-to-be first time Viking cruisers, I was thinking the same thing but was afraid I'd get flamed if I mentioned it so thanks for speaking up. 

 

And thanks for the organizational tip. 👍

Well, there have been some weird comments on here, that's for sure.  But I can assure you that the Viking crowd is a great crowd, second only to the Oceania crowd - but not by much!  I think you'll have a great time on Viking. 

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

So many extraneous comments on here.  Ugh.  This might be considered extraneous too, but in case it's not:

 

We find the little compartments in the special space under the top of the desk to be very helpful for storing small things that can get easily misplaced, hard to find in a cluttered drawer, possibly left behind and/or used a lot -- e.g., camera cards, small binoculars, earrings/rings, small batteries, excursion tickets, etc.  I love that part of the desk.  So my tip (which was original idea behind this thread after all) is to keep the little pad of paper and pen that Viking gives you just to the left of the moveable desk top, and keep the bottle of water and water glasses behind the desk top.  It takes a day or two of reminding yourself to do that, but once you get it, it saves you from having to move things to get into the desk. 

 

We used the desk drawer for the same thing. However, I set up my laptop on the desk, but it was no issue picking it up for access. Also kept the carafe of water and glasses behind the laptop, so only 1 thing to move.

 

When DW wanted to use the mirror, I unplugged the laptop and moved it.

[zelker]

Tried searching under the main Viking forum and got nada so guess this is the best place to ask the question - does Viking offer Splenda sweetener? 

[Jim Avery]

7 minutes ago, zelker said:

Tried searching under the main Viking forum and got nada so guess this is the best place to ask the question - does Viking offer Splenda sweetener? 

Good question.  I know they have a couple of artificial sweeteners offered but things change from location to location so best I can say is maybe...😎

[zelker]

2 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Good question.  I know they have a couple of artificial sweeteners offered but things change from location to location so best I can say is maybe...😎

What do you mean by "change from location to location"?  Location ON the ship or location OF the ship?  Thx.

[millybess]

41 minutes ago, zelker said:

Tried searching under the main Viking forum and got nada so guess this is the best place to ask the question - does Viking offer Splenda sweetener? 

Yes Viking does offer Splenda.  I used it in my morning cappuccino in the World Cafe and the bartender also substituted Splenda for sugar when I asked for a mojito in the Explorers Lounge.

[Squawkman]

1 minute ago, millybess said:

Yes Viking does offer Splenda.  I used it in my morning cappuccino in the World Cafe and the bartender also substituted Splenda for sugar when I asked for a mojito in the Explorers Lounge.

They also have Splenda in the Restaurant and manfredi’s. 

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, zelker said:

What do you mean by "change from location to location"?  Location ON the ship or location OF the ship?  Thx.

Location of the ship in the world.  Supply issues.  Got to eat some very different styles of yogurt, for one example, as we traveled around.

[millybess]

We haven’t been on a world cruise (yet😊), but there has never been a shortage of Splenda packets on our Viking cruises. We travel with Splenda minis and use those on excursions. 

[claranda]

A ‘newbie’ enquiry….we’re sailing with Viking for the first time this October. Unlike some other lines, I believe Viking does not offer a referral system, but are there any advantages available once one has sailed with them? Do you get a discount if you book a future cruise on board (can you even do this?)? Do you accumulate points/benefits for cruises taken? Any other ‘perks’?

[zelker]

1 hour ago, claranda said:

A ‘newbie’ enquiry….we’re sailing with Viking for the first time this October. Unlike some other lines, I believe Viking does not offer a referral system, but are there any advantages available once one has sailed with them? Do you get a discount if you book a future cruise on board (can you even do this?)? Do you accumulate points/benefits for cruises taken? Any other ‘perks’?

 

We'll be sailing Viking for the first time in November.  I found this on their website and was actually able to refer our friends who decided to join us.  Referral Rewards & Benefits | Viking Cruises

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, claranda said:

A ‘newbie’ enquiry….we’re sailing with Viking for the first time this October. Unlike some other lines, I believe Viking does not offer a referral system, but are there any advantages available once one has sailed with them? Do you s SA sso ask Zonar what time we x  get a discount if you book a future cruise on board (can you even do this?)? Do you accumulate points/benefits for cruises taken? Any other ‘perks’?Dr didnt 

You’ve been told about the referral system already. Additionally, Viking offers discounts on cruises after uour first one. $200 pp for those within a year of your last cruise, $100 for any that are more than a year later. 
 

Onboard, there is a future cruise consultant who generally pulls up the website and offers the current promos plus a shipboard credit for the current cruise. Additionally, some have reported they have been able to have the 12 month final payment date reduced to 5 months. If you use a travel agent (as many of us do to gain additional shipboard credits), the onboard agent is able to immediately transfer the booking to the agent.  Depending on the travel agent you use, this can result in the maximum allowed by Viking shipboard credits-$150pp for up to 7 night cruises, $300pp for 8-14 nights, and $500pp for cruises of 15 nights or more. For most cruises, this is enough to cover the daily service charges. 

 

Welcome to Viking! Hope you enjoy it as much as many of us do. 

[zelker]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Depending on the travel agent you use, this can result in the maximum allowed by Viking shipboard credits-$150pp for up to 7 night cruises, $300pp for 8-14 nights, and $500pp for cruises of 15 nights or more. For most cruises, this is enough to cover the daily service charges. 

 

Thanks for all your helpful info!  Glad you mentioned the service charges ... I saw in MVJ that we can prepay these using shipboard credit but can we also wait and still use SBC to pay them once we're onboard?

[SantaFe1]

4 minutes ago, zelker said:

can we also wait and still use SBC to pay them once we're onboard?

I asked my TA this question just last week, and she said yes!  

[Tom.in.nc]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Additionally, some have reported they have been able to have the 12 month final payment date reduced to 5 months.

Clay,

 I have always had final payment moved to 6 months when booking onboard.  
I was told it was available to anyone who has one or more existing reservations.

That means if you have a current reservation (may need to be fully paid, not sure), you can move the final payment date for another new reservation out to 6 months before embarkation.

Don’t need to be cruising when doing. AND you have to ask for it to happen!

 

Tom

Edited September 19, 2021 by Tom.in.nc
Footnotes

[Tom.in.nc]

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Edited September 19, 2021 by Tom.in.nc
Dup

[zelker]

14 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I asked my TA this question just last week, and she said yes!  

Our TA wasn't sure but said in the past she was pretty sure they didn't allow it.  

[Squawkman]

15 minutes ago, zelker said:

Our TA wasn't sure but said in the past she was pretty sure they didn't allow it.  

There are 2 types of credits that may appear on your booking document. Voucher credit must be used before embarking. Shipboard credit (SBC) can be used before or after embarking. This is explained on page 3 of your booking document.

[zelker]

3 minutes ago, Squawkman said:

There are 2 types of credits that may appear on your booking document. Voucher credit must be used before embarking. Shipboard credit (SBC) can be used before or after embarking. This is explained on page 3 of your booking document.

Yep, I know Vouchers are different than SBC ... I'm talking specifically about SBC.  Thx.

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by zelker

[Squawkman]

Just now, zelker said:

Yep, I know about that ... I'm talking specifically about SBC.  Thx.

My Viking agent assured I can use SBC on board.

[Clay Clayton]

52 minutes ago, zelker said:

Thanks for all your helpful info!  Glad you mentioned the service charges ... I saw in MVJ that we can prepay these using shipboard credit but can we also wait and still use SBC to pay them once we're onboard?

Yes! One reason to not prepay them is in case you end up booking another cruise onboard. The credit you receive from the onboard cruise consultant is not refundable (unlike that from the Travel Agent which gets refunded if not used) so if you have already prepaid, you may end up leaving money on the table…or being like me and having to order a triple amaretto (that you really don’t want) on the last evening just to use it up (well except for 82 cents😂). 

[Squawkman]

Clay - I believe you can tell billing to allocate any balance to tips above the $15pp per day