Just Venting

[CelticMutt]

I posted the following today in the February 7 Australia to New Zealand Orion Roll Call, but didn’t think it would hurt to reprise it in this setting as well.

“We have been on 3 Viking cruises - 2 “River”, and a Barcelona to Venice “Sea”. This Australia to New Zealand Cruise will be #4. We’ve loved the shipboard experience, but we have experiencerd some administrative shortcomings with the home office.

We paid the extra $50 pp Air Plus fee to be able to choose the air carrier and have input into our flights. Viking chose all our first/business flights for us without our input. We were basically OK with it because the flights were probably those we would have chosen ourselves.  But when United delayed our Newark to Houston first leg by 15 minutes (wouldn’t have affected the next leg at all), Viking Air completely changed the itinerary and carriers resulting in a 5 AM departure from Newark and an extra 6 hours of travel - all without our input. 

Additionally, the return for the pre-extension we had booked in Cairns was originally scheduled to fly to Sydney on Qantas in business class.  Once the international change was made, we found that our business class seats on Qantas had been downgraded to economy even though we were flying on exactly the same flight.  Not cool!

And finally - while I’m in a bitching mode – I have a general complaint to make about excursions. We are (as was the case with our Barcelona trip) traveling with another couple who are a cabin category or two above us.  They made their excursions reservations today.  We have to wait 20 more days - effectively precluding our ability to enjoy many of these excursions with our traveling companions. I fully understand allowing folks who paid more to move to the front of the line, but considering that the 4 of us are shelling out $60K for this trip (not counting excursions!), some consideration should be made to marry these reservations to accommodate this kind of inconvenient situation. (The Paul Gauguin did so when the four of us traveled together in a similar arrangement in French Polynesia a couple of years ago.) 

Not trying to be a downer here – we will certainly enjoy the cruise - just trying to point out a deficiency or two that Viking might want to consider!

Cheers,

Bill”

[MikeyB]

Bill- I feel your pain and wish that Viking would.  If you paid the $50 Air Plus fee you should absolutely demand that the flights be changed.  Whenever I called Air Plus, I told them (and sometimes they asked) what I wanted.  They would then tell me if there were additional charges.  One time there were so I changed my flights.

I don't agree with your complaint about the excursions.  I have an upcoming Ocean cruise with another couple.  They booked first and the times were not available for my category.  My friends changed their times to mine.

With 80 % of the cabins being the same size, Viking had to resort to "split hairs" to justify the price differential between cabins.  Great business plan!

[Marykatesmom]

Have you addressed these concerns to Viking?  What was their response?  To change a business class flight to economy is definitely Not Cool!

[Homosassa]

If you and your friends wish to take excursions together, then they should wait to book their excursions with you.

 

I am glad that Viking does not allow "line jumping" between cabin types for all reservations allowed to be made ahead of time.  It makes the process fair for everyone and we all get what we paid for as far as the reservation privileges outlined per cabin level.

 

As far as comparing what Paul Gauguin did in a similar situation, it reminds me of the Guest Services person's response that I overheard to a guest that was complaining that MSC was doing things differently than Carnival: "Madam, you are not on Carnival."

Edited November 16, 2018 by Homosassa

[Parsley Cruises]

The system is fair, until some twit drinks too much at night, then manages to dash to the coach next morning and grabs then best seats before using a neck cushion and matching fleece blanket and sleeps and snores all through a scenic drive! So the system is fair, some people are just either outright dim, arrogant or selfish!

[Jim Avery]

36 minutes ago, Parsley Cruises said:

The system is fair, until some twit drinks too much at night, then manages to dash to the coach next morning and grabs then best seats before using a neck cushion and matching fleece blanket and sleeps and snores all through a scenic drive! So the system is fair, some people are just either outright dim, arrogant or selfish!

You have very accurately described why we avoid bus tours whenever possible.

[Parsley Cruises]

We’ve got a lot of cruises behind us, and usually we’d avoid the coaches, but this 1st Viking cruise was an experiment. Highly successful, and looking forward to Viking cruise no. 2.

[CelticMutt]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

If you and your friends wish to take excursions together, then they should wait to book their excursions with you.

 

I am glad that Viking does not allow "line jumping" between cabin types for all reservations allowed to be made ahead of time.  It makes the process fair for everyone and we all get what we paid for as far as the reservation privileges outlined per cabin level.

 

As far as comparing what Paul Gauguin did in a similar situation, it reminds me of the Guest Services person's response that I overheard to a guest that was complaining that MSC was doing things differently than Carnival: "Madam, you are not on Carnival."

I fully understand the rationale, but of course then the folks who wait on us suffer instead.

As for the Carnival point, well Paul Gauguin ain’t no Carnival either.  Their service, amenities  (and prices!) match those of Viking.

Incidentally, the excursion manager on the Viking Sea, once we got on board was quite helpful in matching itineraries. That individual actually said that the home-office should be more proactive in marrying excursions for the guests traveling together.

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, CelticMutt said:

I fully understand the rationale, but of course then the folks who wait on us suffer instead.

As for the Carnival point, well Paul Gauguin ain’t no Carnival either.  Their service, amenities  (and prices!) match those of Viking.

 

You miss the point. Viking isn't Paul Gaugin and will have their own way of doing things.

[jiminyC_fan]

We flew Viking Air Plus last cruise.  Our flights were changed a couple of times but I took it upon myself to work with the airline myself and cut out the middle man.  We always got what we wanted and it took little time to do it.

[cruisenfreak]

We are traveling in January with 2 other couples.  We could book excursions first, did so, tnen let our friends know we had gotten exactly the ones we all wanted at the times we wanted them.

 

Our friends contacted tellus to ask for assistance for all of us to tour together.  An immediate response suggested waiting until their designated booking day to see if their choices were available.  Then said if some were not, to contact tellus agsin and they would assust in getting us all on the same tours.  As it turned out, all our choices (tours and times) were still available, so there was no need for further assistance.

[CelticMutt]

On 11/16/2018 at 4:18 PM, cruisenfreak said:

We are traveling in January with 2 other couples.  We could book excursions first, did so, tnen let our friends know we had gotten exactly the ones we all wanted at the times we wanted them.

 

Our friends contacted tellus to ask for assistance for all of us to tour together.  An immediate response suggested waiting until their designated booking day to see if their choices were available.  Then said if some were not, to contact tellus agsin and they would assust in getting us all on the same tours.  As it turned out, all our choices (tours and times) were still available, so there was no need for further assistance.

We’ll try this avenue, CF.  Hopefully it will work out.

Viking Air was finally able to restore our Cairns to Sidney booking back to Business on Qantas, so thanks to them and our TA for all the back and forth!

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, CelticMutt said:

We’ll try this avenue, CF.  Hopefully it will work out.

Viking Air was finally able to restore our Cairns to Sidney booking back to Business on Qantas, so thanks to them and our TA for all the back and forth!

That’s a good outcome but you shouldn’t have been downgraded in the first place. As far as the excursions go, then I don’t think the fact you are travelling with others at a higher level means that you should be able to make earlier bookings than others in the same cabin status as you are. That would be unfair. 

[CelticMutt]

As per recommendations on CC we contacted Viking Social about our previously bitched-upon disappointment with not being able to join our traveling companions on the Southern Alps tour in Christchurch.  (They have a stateroom a couple of categories above ours and the tour was closed out by the time we were able to book.)

Viking and one of their supervisors, Miguel Rosales, came though and we are very grateful as they opened up some additional slots on the excursion.  Just saying that it doesn’t hurt to suggest alternative planning and that responsible suppliers respond when possible!

Looking forward to meeting everyone in 8 weeks and promising to be more upbeat aboard!

Skål!

Bill

[Frenchberet]

When you travel with other people I think you need to have a conversation up front.  If they choose not to book the same cabin class, they should understand that you may need to split up on some of the excursions.  I don’t think you need to do everything together.  Contacting Viking and having them add seats for your friends seems unfair to those who ‘follow the rules’.  Just my two cents.

Edited December 16, 2018 by Frenchberet
Typo

[Azulann]

Glad you and your TA worked out the Quantas air flights. 

i agree with others about trveling with others and booking excursions together.  have the conversation bwfore you all book.

Merry Crhistmas and Happy New Year.

 

My vent is where is the live blog or live report of the next World Cruise folks for 2019?

I so miss reading about their adventures.

 

 

[Ready to Sail!]

3 hours ago, Frenchberet said:

When you travel with other people I think you need to have a conversation up front.  If they choose not to book the same cabin class, they should understand that you may need to split up on some of the excursions.  I don’t think you need to do everything together.  Contacting Viking and having them add seats for your friends seems unfair to those who ‘follow the rules’.  Just my two cents.

Maybe it's just us but we never travel with another couple unless it is understood by both sides  that we are not joined at the hip throughout the whole trip.  No matter how much we like/love them, we all need our space, and also too hard for 4 or more people to agree on what to see, when and where to eat, etc.  

[Heidi13]

23 hours ago, Azulann said:

My vent is where is the live blog or live report of the next World Cruise folks for 2019?

I so miss reading about their adventures.

 

 

Check out the VO Roll Calls, they have a number of threads for the full WC and some of the segments. The entire cruise thread (Viking WC Jan 3rd) is very active, with almost 1,000 posts and still 2 weeks from departure.