New to Viking, new to Europe, help needed

[cruiseintoheaven]

Hello everyone, we are not new cruisers, but we are new to European cruising and to (potentially) Viking. I have many questions but before I get out in front of my skis I thought it wise to ask the basics first, so here goes:

 

DH and I are very interested in the 7 day Barcelona to Rome voyage, March —7, 2019 aboard the Jupiter. So here are my basic concerns or questions:

 

1) it looks like the Jupiter will be completed and ready for it’s inaugural sailing in February 2019. Should we be concerned about the ship and crew needing time to get up to speed? Or is the fleet/crew small enough that they have it down to a science?

 

2) The weather in March is probably not ideal, though it may beat the crowds at high season, and I’d rather be in layers vs. sweating to death. From my research it looks like we can expect temps to hover between lows in the 40’s and highs in the upper 50’s/lower 60’s. I would very much like to hear from folks that have sailed the same region during the same time period!

 

3) Ons of the deciding factors is the included shore excursions. I understand from my research that these are basic, which is fine. What I can’t find is if these are only offered once a day at a particular time or multiple times. I ask this because we are not super early birds, so if all of the included excursion options are at the crack of dawn it would be helpful to know, as we might not factor them into the equation.

 

4) along those lines, I’m not finding on the Biking site where the times in port are listed.

 

5) Silly fo some I realize - but do the beds in the cabin allow for separation? I ask because this may be an issue if they don’t. DH wiggles and twitches while sleeping - our cure at home is a California king bed that’s split down the middle.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

 

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[garycarla]

Welcome aboard. We did an inaugural cruise and you would have thought the ship had been sailing for a year. They have it down to a science.

 

We did Rome to Barcelona in late Feb. You will be fine. Your research will be a much better judge of weather vs what folks share (based on their memory - LOL). We have friends onboard right now and there is a nasty cold snap over there, warming up by weekend.

 

I think they are actually two single beds that make up the bed. Not sure.

 

Tours - as I remember, you still have time to get breakfast - so early, but not crack of dawn. Depending on port times, they vary. We tend to sleep in and did not have any issues. You might be able to look at some current cruises like yours to get more time details as an idea.

 

Two Big Suggestions:

1 - Plan on spending at least 1-2 days in Barcelona and in Rome. Don't spend all that time and money and miss those ports.

 

2 - Scroll down through postings from the past month and you will find even more answers.

[Azulann]

Like every other cruise line, the beds on Viking can be separated .

[lackcreativity]

Regarding the timing of the included excursions, there are usually several time slots to choose from, although that does depend on the port and the nature of the excursion. I know we chose an afternoon excursion in one port, which was rather nice.

 

If your experience is at all like ours, you may find that you will want to spend as much time as possible in the places you visit, and getting an early start is the way to go. We tried to get an early excursion, and then often remained ashore after the end of the tour. Viking usually provided free shuttle bus service back to the ship from a designated location. Most of the included excursions only last three hours or so, which is a good introduction, but left us wanting more!

[cruiseintoheaven]

Welcome aboard. We did an inaugural cruise and you would have thought the ship had been sailing for a year. They have it down to a science.

 

We did Rome to Barcelona in late Feb. You will be fine. Your research will be a much better judge of weather vs what folks share (based on their memory - LOL). We have friends onboard right now and there is a nasty cold snap over there, warming up by weekend.

 

I think they are actually two single beds that make up the bed. Not sure.

 

Tours - as I remember, you still have time to get breakfast - so early, but not crack of dawn. Depending on port times, they vary. We tend to sleep in and did not have any issues. You might be able to look at some current cruises like yours to get more time details as an idea.

 

Two Big Suggestions:

1 - Plan on spending at least 1-2 days in Barcelona and in Rome. Don't spend all that time and money and miss those ports.

 

2 - Scroll down through postings from the past month and you will find even more answers.

 

Thank you for the reply and info. We generally steer away from Inaugural cruises or those right after a dry-dock, but it sounds as I suspected that Viking has this figured out. A small detail, but the sailing we are looking at is actually March 16th, not the 7th as I indicated in my first post.

 

We absolutely will spend a day at least beforehand in Barcelona. One of the draws of this itinerary is the overnight there, which basically gives us a home base to acclimate. So that would be 3 nights in Barcelona with only 1 hotel stay. We also plan to spend 3 days in Rome afterwards. Living in Southern Indiana, it's not quick or inexpensive to fly anywhere, so we intend to maximize our experience.

 

I have just started looking through the Viking threads and am making notes of things as I go.

 

I haven't had a lot of luck drilling down on Viking's website for details such as how long the ship is in port, tender vs. anchor, etc. It could be I'm missing something. I'll try looking at the same sailings for this year on different ships. With the ships in the fleet being nearly identical, I'm going to assume the Jupiter's ability to dock vs. tender would be the same, however I do know there are other factors involved.

 

Thanks again for the reply, Lynn

[cruiseintoheaven]

Like every other cruise line, the beds on Viking can be separated .

 

Good to know, it's sometimes the small details that can really affect the total experience! Thanks for the reply, Lynn

[cruiseintoheaven]

Regarding the timing of the included excursions, there are usually several time slots to choose from, although that does depend on the port and the nature of the excursion. I know we chose an afternoon excursion in one port, which was rather nice.

 

If your experience is at all like ours, you may find that you will want to spend as much time as possible in the places you visit, and getting an early start is the way to go. We tried to get an early excursion, and then often remained ashore after the end of the tour. Viking usually provided free shuttle bus service back to the ship from a designated location. Most of the included excursions only last three hours or so, which is a good introduction, but left us wanting more!

 

That makes sense and I would expect us to want to spend as much time as we can in each port. With this being our personal inaugural cruise to Europe, basic excursions are a good thing. DH likes to meander on our own, so we will probably do a mixture. Thanks for the reply, Lynn

[welshy74]

It’s so hard to predict the weather these days. At the moment there is snow in Rome!!! However if you are lucky you can get some lovely early spring sunshine with very pleasant temperatures. Evenings likely to be chilly though.

I have cruised from Barcelona in February and even though it’s fairly cold outside, when the sun is hitting the balcony it’s very pleasant.

It’s not a bad time to cruise. The crowds can be pretty intense in the summer months and you will also be out of school holidays which is an added bonus.

 

 

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[Peregrina651]

 

I haven't had a lot of luck drilling down on Viking's website for details such as how long the ship is in port, tender vs. anchor, etc. It could be I'm missing something. I'll try looking at the same sailings for this year on different ships. With the ships in the fleet being nearly identical, I'm going to assume the Jupiter's ability to dock vs. tender would be the same, however I do know there are other factors involved.

 

Thanks again for the reply, Lynn

 

I don't think you will find what you are looking for the Viking website.

 

We did this cruise for NYE 2017 and while it might not be the exact times for ports when you sail, it will give you an idea. St. Tropez was a tender port and Monte Carlo was marked as a tender port but we were docked (some sailings dock and other tender; no way of predicting). Port times will be printed on your Viking invoice when you book (scroll down past page one to see them). As you see, Viking gives you full days in each port-- scheduled arrival no later than 8am and scheduled departure no earlier than 6 pm (with back on board time a half hour before sailing).

 

 

Cruise Itinerary for 12/28/17

 

Dec 28 Barcelona, ES 5:30 AM Arrival time but you won't begin boarding until 11 am.

Dec 29 Barcelona, ES 6:00 PM (Departure time)

Dec 30 Marseille (Provence), FR 7:30 AM 11:00 PM

Dec 31 Saint-Tropez, FR 7:00 AM 6:00 PM

Jan 01 Monte Carlo, MC 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Jan 02 Florence/Pisa (Livorno), IT 7:00 AM

Jan 03 Florence/Pisa (Livorno), IT 6:00 PM

Jan 04 Civitavecchia (Rome), IT 7:00 AM

A few more tips before booking: If you have a friend/associate/relative who has sailed on Viking before, ask them for their returning passenger number. You can't ask here for a referral (see Referral offers) but it doesn't stop us from telling you about them.

 

 

Look book Viking Air; you can always cancel it if you find a better air deal on your own (ask by when you have to cancel it when you book). Just note that because you are planning on arriving early and staying late, if you use Viking Air for your flights, you will 1) incur a $100pp fee for what is called a "deviation" and 2) you will lose Viking transfers to the ship. (You'll want to include those costs in your decision). In Barcelona, there is a flat fee for cabs from the airport into the city to your hotel). In Rome, there are shuttle services or the train from Civitavecchia (more info on this on Trip Advisor or the port of call section of these boards). Regardless, look for a non-stop from the US to Barcelona (United has one from Newark).

 

 

Finally, imho, plan at least two nights in a hotel in Barcelona. There is a lot to see in Barcelona even with the added night on the ship.

[cruiseintoheaven]

It’s so hard to predict the weather these days. At the moment there is snow in Rome!!! However if you are lucky you can get some lovely early spring sunshine with very pleasant temperatures. Evenings likely to be chilly though.

I have cruised from Barcelona in February and even though it’s fairly cold outside, when the sun is hitting the balcony it’s very pleasant.

It’s not a bad time to cruise. The crowds can be pretty intense in the summer months and you will also be out of school holidays which is an added bonus.

 

 

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Thanks for the reply. Obviously the weather is more of a gamble in March....45 degrees on a sunny day is better to me than 60 on a cloudy/windy day! The upside as you state is less congestion in ports, less kiddos, etc. Decisions, decisions....

[cruiseintoheaven]

I don't think you will find what you are looking for the Viking website.

 

We did this cruise for NYE 2017 and while it might not be the exact times for ports when you sail, it will give you an idea. St. Tropez was a tender port and Monte Carlo was marked as a tender port but we were docked (some sailings dock and other tender; no way of predicting). Port times will be printed on your Viking invoice when you book (scroll down past page one to see them). As you see, Viking gives you full days in each port-- scheduled arrival no later than 8am and scheduled departure no earlier than 6 pm (with back on board time a half hour before sailing).

 

 

Cruise Itinerary for 12/28/17

 

Dec 28 Barcelona, ES 5:30 AM Arrival time but you won't begin boarding until 11 am.

Dec 29 Barcelona, ES 6:00 PM (Departure time)

Dec 30 Marseille (Provence), FR 7:30 AM 11:00 PM

Dec 31 Saint-Tropez, FR 7:00 AM 6:00 PM

Jan 01 Monte Carlo, MC 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Jan 02 Florence/Pisa (Livorno), IT 7:00 AM

Jan 03 Florence/Pisa (Livorno), IT 6:00 PM

Jan 04 Civitavecchia (Rome), IT 7:00 AM

A few more tips before booking: If you have a friend/associate/relative who has sailed on Viking before, ask them for their returning passenger number. You can't ask here for a referral (see Referral offers) but it doesn't stop us from telling you about them.

 

 

Look book Viking Air; you can always cancel it if you find a better air deal on your own (ask by when you have to cancel it when you book). Just note that because you are planning on arriving early and staying late, if you use Viking Air for your flights, you will 1) incur a $100pp fee for what is called a "deviation" and 2) you will lose Viking transfers to the ship. (You'll want to include those costs in your decision). In Barcelona, there is a flat fee for cabs from the airport into the city to your hotel). In Rome, there are shuttle services or the train from Civitavecchia (more info on this on Trip Advisor or the port of call section of these boards). Regardless, look for a non-stop from the US to Barcelona (United has one from Newark).

 

 

Finally, imho, plan at least two nights in a hotel in Barcelona. There is a lot to see in Barcelona even with the added night on the ship.

 

Wow, thanks for all of the details regarding port times. Good point about Barcelona. I actually have a cabin on hold for 72 hrs. It's a PS3. I spoke directly with a Viking Agent, if I proceed with the booking I'll transfer to my online TA for additional perks. I have my second round of questions lined up, appreciate any and all help:

 

-The PS3 comes with complimentary minibar setup, which I'm familiar with (Elite on Princess). However, I don't drink liquor, just wine, hubby doesn't drink at all. When I asked the agent if there was a "trade" for the liquor, his response was a bit vague.....?

 

-I usually book my own flights because I'm a bit of a control freak. The agent included flights on the invoice though, with the understanding that I can have them removed. Since we are flying in early/out late, we'd incur the deviation fee and lose the transfers, so I'm not sure if there's any real value in booking through them. Since I've not done flights through the cruise line before, is there a benefit (other than the stated savings) that I'm missing? Is the price quoted on the invoice set in stone once you book? Or, is that the worst possible flight connection/time and from there any tinkering and the price goes up? I know you can upgrade to economy plus or business.....is the basic concept that you are prepaying for the flights at negotiated rates between Viking and airlines and you select them when available?

 

-Also included on the invoice is travel insurance through Tripmate (not familiar with). Anyone feel strongly about them one way or another? Thinking a huge chunk of the premium is the cancel for any reason, which I'm not sure we need.

 

I did try to get answers to these questions while online with the agent. He was very nice, but though I loved his accent, it made it a bit hard at times to understand what I was hearing.

 

Many thanks for any and all help!

[garycarla]

insurance? Check insuremytrip.com and pick the coverage you want. Anything you get verbally from an agent means nothing if it is not in the policy.

[Host Jazzbeau]

You can keep control of your flights when booking through Viking by paying another fee (only $50 pp). Sometimes their airfare is lower than anything you can find— other times you can do better (so you just cancel theirs) — that’s what happened to us, even with the airfare discount offer we saved a lot by booking direct

[Peregrina651]

Wow, thanks for all of the details regarding port times. Good point about Barcelona. I actually have a cabin on hold for 72 hrs. It's a PS3. I spoke directly with a Viking Agent, if I proceed with the booking I'll transfer to my online TA for additional perks. I have my second round of questions lined up, appreciate any and all help:

 

-The PS3 comes with complimentary minibar setup, which I'm familiar with (Elite on Princess). However, I don't drink liquor, just wine, hubby doesn't drink at all. When I asked the agent if there was a "trade" for the liquor, his response was a bit vague.....?

 

-I usually book my own flights because I'm a bit of a control freak. The agent included flights on the invoice though, with the understanding that I can have them removed. Since we are flying in early/out late, we'd incur the deviation fee and lose the transfers, so I'm not sure if there's any real value in booking through them. Since I've not done flights through the cruise line before, is there a benefit (other than the stated savings) that I'm missing? Is the price quoted on the invoice set in stone once you book? Or, is that the worst possible flight connection/time and from there any tinkering and the price goes up? I know you can upgrade to economy plus or business.....is the basic concept that you are prepaying for the flights at negotiated rates between Viking and airlines and you select them when available?

 

-Also included on the invoice is travel insurance through Tripmate (not familiar with). Anyone feel strongly about them one way or another? Thinking a huge chunk of the premium is the cancel for any reason, which I'm not sure we need.

 

I did try to get answers to these questions while online with the agent. He was very nice, but though I loved his accent, it made it a bit hard at times to understand what I was hearing.

 

Many thanks for any and all help!

 

Make sure that when you book that your payment in full will not be due until 180 days out (six months before you depart). They ask for it sooner but ask for 6 months out.

 

About the flights and I hope I can explain it clearly. The only advantage for you to using Viking for your air arrangements is if you can get your flights for significantly cheaper by using them--either way, you will be arranging and paying for transfers. In any case, it cannot hurt to put it on the invoice to start and remove it at a later date. I've done it before. Since you are going to be changing your arrival and departure dates, it will cost an additional fee plus any change in airfare that the airline insists on (there is a name for it but I never remember what they call it). They may also insist on a $50 custom air fee as part of the process (but if you easily find airfare on your own for under $895, you may never even talk with them). Viking air is great if you are flying economy but if you are considering business or first, more often or not you will do better on your own. Viking's business and first prices are included in the fine print below the dates and pricing.

 

Another thing to clarify with Viking. It says in the fine print: Air offers valid on all North American gateways except Alaska, Hawaii, San Juan and Mexico City. My question is are all airports in the lower 48 considered gateways or only some of them--and is your home airport one of them. There is more info her concerning Vikings Air Services -- if nothing else, it gives you a handle on Viking's lingo.

 

About insurance: YES, you need insurance; you never know what will happen to you or someone else in your family that will cause you to cancel a trip at the last minute or even to have to return home or if you suffer a catastropic injury or illness overseas. It is cheap compared to not having it when you need.

 

My advice, and that of others, is not to buy the plan offered by the cruise line. You can do better (better price, better benefits and includes your pre and post expenses, which the Viking plan will not) buying it yourself but do it within the first two weeks of making your initial payment. Buy only enough to cover your down payment to start ($1000) and then when you make your final payment increase the coverage to cover the entire cost of the trip --cruise, airfare, hotels and any other out of pocket expenses that you stand to lose if you have to cancel. There are lots of plans out there and cheapest isn't always best. Your TA should be able to help figure it all out, and may even offer a policy. Many people suggest comparing prices on insuremytrip.

 

EDIT: And ditto to what Gary and Jazz said while I was busy typing away.

[sunbrookgal]

I you are doing your first trip to EU. Please do look up ALL ports before you just take the "free" Viking excursion.

[vnb2003]

The Air Plus fee could be higher than $50 pp. The cruise we just booked for this June has $150 pp. Just fyi

[geffric]

I am just going to echo others..yes to trip insurance..and cancel for any reason..cruise lines IMHO are not the best deal ..ask your TA for recommendations ..check insuremytrip or squaremouth..we have roam right

[Peregrina651]

The Air Plus fee could be higher than $50 pp. The cruise we just booked for this June has $150 pp. Just fyi

 

Are you sure that it does not include an air deviation fee as well for not flying in on Day 1 and out on the last day of the cruise?

[purvis]

Are you sure that it does not include an air deviation fee as well for not flying in on Day 1 and out on the last day of the cruise?

 

If you are flying out of Bergen I was told the air plus was definitely $150pp. Not happy about that.

[cruiseintoheaven]

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input/advice/info on my latest round of questions.

 

I think I've decided to handle our airfare on our own. We've used Princess EZair a few times, so I'm familiar with the basic concept, but to me the benefit is only significant if you're not "deviating" and can take advantage of the transfers. I did a mock booking for next January on Delta using the same days of the week for flights (March itineraries aren't out yet) and got a price of about 1,000 pp. - and I can maintain control of my booking.

 

In terms of the insurance I must have worded my query in a way that suggested I was asking whether or not to get insurance, period. We ALWAYS get insurance, and have used insuremytrip a few times as well. I was referring to the company that Viking uses and if anyone had any experience with them.

[philw1776]

Is a low # better? :)

[Peregrina651]

1. Viking ships are beautiful, I love them and rate very high (#5 overall in my rating).

2. I have cruised a lot (traveled a lot) in Europe and specifically in the Mediterranean.

 

From these two points let me give you some advice.

 

1. We cruise in the Mediterranean not earlier than late April and not later than late September. Reason? We don't want our cruise to be spoiled by the weather.

2. 7-day cruise on Viking on this very generic itinerary will cost you a fortune. There is absolutely no reason to perform this simple short cabotage on a super expensive ship. value for money for this cruise is 1 out of 5.

3. Believe me, there are much more reasonable options for the first cruise in the Mediterranean.

4. Obviously there is a brilliant in this itineray - Saint-Tropez. Please note that this is a tender port. A change in weather may easily result in missing this stop.

5. Wait until late April. Take a longer cruise (think of 12-day Barcelona - Venice) to get a good scoop of the Mediterranean. Any cruise line will offer comparable quality excursions ($$).

Allow a couple of nights in Florence if you want to see anything. If you want to see Saint-Tropez, stay in Sainte Maxime for a couple of nights (a town neaby, charming and much cheaper to stay).

 

Viking offers an excellent experience for a crazy price, so there must be something "crazy" in the itinerary.

 

Choose something more appropriate, don't waste your money.

 

Tell me what time in April is good for you and for how long, and I will get you a good cruise.

Well, I will try. In fact, choices in the Med are getting shorter and shorter...

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

.

 

And just how are they going to enjoy their cruise now that you have spent half a page telling them what a mistake they are making!!! How very, very unfair of you.

[Senior Gators]

If you are flying out of Bergen I was told the air plus was definitely $150pp. Not happy about that.

 

 

Purvis, I can confirm the $150/person Air Plus fee for flights out of Bergen. We booked the British Isles Explorer cruise which ends up in Bergen for May 11, 2019 without any deviations and that is the amount stated on our Guest Statement.

Viking didn't offer Air Plus for flights out of Bergen until fairly recently due to limited flight options. I assume that Viking was getting a lot of feed back from cruisers wanting the Air Plus option so they decided to provide it, but at a premium.

[Peregrina651]

 

In terms of the insurance I must have worded my query in a way that suggested I was asking whether or not to get insurance, period. We ALWAYS get insurance, and have used insuremytrip a few times as well. I was referring to the company that Viking uses and if anyone had any experience with them.

 

Keep in mind if you buy the Viking policy, it will only cover the cruise fare and not the airfare that you are getting on your own or anything that might happen to you on your pre- and post-cruise adventures.

 

And yes, there have been one or two posts in this forum about dealing with Tripmate. A forum search should bring them up quickly.

[lackcreativity]

Peregrina651,

I think OP is an experienced independent traveler.

The value for money is function of the options available.

If I have just a week for a cruise and my vacation has to be in March, then the value of a 7-day cruise on Viking rises.

If I want to discover the Mediterranean and can choose when and for how long, then yes, it's a big mistake to waste money on this cruise.

 

This is my advice for OP and those who read this board.

 

The opinion that this cruise is a "waste of money" is your opinion, and yet thousands of people have taken this very cruise and been very pleased with their choice as shown by the reviews here on cruise critic.

 

The original poster has indicated that they are not new to cruising, but have not been to Europe. If they are switching from mass market Caribbean cruising to Viking Mediterranean, perhaps they want to take a short cruise to see if they like Europe (though personally I cannot imagine not doing so). Maybe they are not sure if they will like the low key atmosphere with no casino and a different style of entertainment. Maybe for a first trip to Europe they like the idea of included excursions as an introduction to theses ports.

 

It is true that there would be less expensive options for cruising this area. However, there are reasons why people choose Viking. We never wanted to cruise at all, yet a Viking river cruise convinced us to try a Viking ocean cruise and now we have our second and third booked. People make decisions about how to spend their travel funds based on more than just the cost.