Viking and the PVSA

[Mitina]

I notice the Cuba, Panama & Pacific cruise isn’t offered after 2018. Maybe revising the itinerary?

[Heidi13]

How long must a ship stay in the "distant port" for it to count? Could they pull into Cartagena for an hour or two overnight?

 

Don't believe this is actually defined, but normally they have to at least go alongside, complete the arrival facilities and permit a short time ashore.

 

However, I recall when our son completed an Alaska season out of Seattle, they hit heavy weather on the return trip one cruise. They were late getting to Victoria, so it became a technical arrival. Can't remember if they actually docked, but the authorities came aboard, cleared the ship and they departed for Seattle. Nobody got ashore, but this still met the requirements of PVSA.

 

I am aware of a couple of similar situations in Ensenada, when 15-night Hawaii cruises hit heavy weather on the return.

[amyr]

When this itinerary was first announced they had Caracas on it, which raised a few eyebrows at the time. Viking wisely dropped that port, and probably should have substituted Cartagena right then. I suspect it will be rectified before too long, or maybe they know something we don't.

[Peregrina651]

Don't believe this is actually defined, but normally they have to at least go alongside, complete the arrival facilities and permit a short time ashore.

 

However, I recall when our son completed an Alaska season out of Seattle, they hit heavy weather on the return trip one cruise. They were late getting to Victoria, so it became a technical arrival. Can't remember if they actually docked, but the authorities came aboard, cleared the ship and they departed for Seattle. Nobody got ashore, but this still met the requirements of PVSA.

 

I am aware of a couple of similar situations in Ensenada, when 15-night Hawaii cruises hit heavy weather on the return.

 

Thank you.

[CharTrav]

I notice the Cuba, Panama & Pacific cruise isn’t offered after 2018. Maybe revising the itinerary?

 

Just like they cut the Panama & Central America cruise after an initial run from Nov 2017 to Jan 2018. The responses to the detailed survey you always get at the end of any Viking cruise must have convinced them not to repeat it and try the itinerary that got this thread going instead. Even when they were just Viking River they were obsessive about getting and responding to customer input. That practice continues.

 

 

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[wheezedr]

Appreciate all the responses. Glad to see that most of you who understand the PVSA agree with my initial comment. I also wondered about how Cuba might be interpreted but geographically it is clearly in the Caribbean. Was hoping the Viking monitor might jump in. I did not realize that this cruise had originally stopped in Caracas which would have solved the problem. Probably someone got smart to drop that stop but failed to realize the implications of that change for the PVSA. I do not think a long stop is necessary and suspect either Cartagena or an ABC will be added. On my Panama cruise we double dipped with both Aruba and Cartagena.

[Peregrina651]

Appreciate all the responses. Glad to see that most of you who understand the PVSA agree with my initial comment. I also wondered about how Cuba might be interpreted but geographically it is clearly in the Caribbean. Was hoping the Viking monitor might jump in. I did not realize that this cruise had originally stopped in Caracas which would have solved the problem. Probably someone got smart to drop that stop but failed to realize the implications of that change for the PVSA. I do not think a long stop is necessary and suspect either Cartagena or an ABC will be added. On my Panama cruise we double dipped with both Aruba and Cartagena.

 

While Viking does follow these boards, I would not expect them to enter the conversation nor to give any hint as to what is being done. It is just not their way; they do not engage in public discussion of their business operations.

[CharTrav]

While Viking does follow these boards, I would not expect them to enter the conversation nor to give any hint as to what is being done. It is just not their way; they do not engage in public discussion of their business operations.

 

Makes sense. They'll jump in when it's clear somebody is very upset in a customer relations way and they can do something to clarify things or ask them to contact TellUs. But sharing their business plans? No. When I suggested they were watching our discussions, I never said they'd engage us. Only read and perhaps quietly heed.

 

 

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[wheezedr]

Took a while but I see on the Roll call that Viking realized the error of their ways and substituted Cartagena for a stop in Costa Rica.  That makes the cruise legal.  Of course they said it was a port problem rather than acknowledge their error in the first place.  Typical cruise line action.