Viking Expeditions Thread

[emileg]

 

This thread is for discussion of all-things Viking Expeditions, a new division that complements Oceans and Rivers.

 

Viking initially plans two ships for Expeditions: the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris. These ships will have immersive itineraries in Antarctica, the north polar regions, the Great Lakes and Canada. Each ship will carry up to 378 passengers, have rafts that are boarded inside on the hanger deck, and will even have a submersible.

 

The Inaugural Sailing of the Viking Octantis is January 13, 2022 from Ushuaia, Argentina. However, the journey begins  in Buenos Aires on January 12, the date for the cruise listed online and the brochure. The ship is named after Octantis, the South Star, as the Viking Polaris is named for the North Star.

 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions

 

 

 

[Denny01]

This is a good new thread. Early in 2020, two threads were stated on the Expedition theme but died in August. I had one on Expedition Great Lakes. 
 

so this is good you e revived it theme. I hope more join in sharing but it’s a new area with no experiences to share yet except hopes, dreams and plans. 
 

ringt now, set for a Great Lakes cruise and will either stick with that or hop an another similar depending on personal changes we have to make. But want to try this out. Looks fun. And different. 
 

Den 

Edited January 31, 2021 by Denny01

[gbldcl]

Good idea for a thread. We are booked on Octantis, Oct. 1, 2022.

[1985rz1]

We're also signed up of the October 1, 2022, Canadian Discovery Cruise.  We saw that the Octantis was floated.  Good news!

 

[Senior Gators]

My wife and I are booked for the May 2022 cruise on the Octantis sailing from Milwaukee to Toronto. Looking forward to trying something different from Viking.  We have sailed on six ocean (hopefully seven by the time this cruise happens) and two river cruises on Viking ships.  A third river cruise is already booked on the Viking Mississippi for September 2022. It will be interesting to see and experience Viking's ventures into diferent markets with new ship types and adventures. 

[emileg]

Thanks for all the responses so far to this thread.  Here is a look at the Hanger Deck (artist conception).

 

[deec]

Considering Antarctica!!!  but not sure I want to endure the cold!!! my husband wants to take photos!

 

[Peregrina651]

30 minutes ago, deec said:

Considering Antarctica!!!  but not sure I want to endure the cold!!! my husband wants to take photos!

 

 

Who says you ever have to leave the warmth of the ship!? You can do one excursion just to say that you set foot on Antarctica, if you want,  and from there on out just hunker down.

[deec]

way too many dollars to stay on ship, although she does look beautiful!

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, Denny01 said:

I hope more join in sharing but it’s a new area with no experiences to share yet except hopes, dreams and plans. 

 

There is plenty that can be shared at this point. Viking is not the first cruise line to venture to the Antarctica or the Great Lakes or any of the other destinations that Viking is taking about for future sailings. You don't have to be booked on an Expedition to talk about these things.

 

People who have done similar itineraries with other cruise lines can share their experiences. They can talk about the hits and misses of their adventures. People who live on or near the Great Lakes can talk about what is near them. Your insights are invaluable to those who are planning to go.

 

People can talk about doing pre- and post-cruise extensions, either through Viking or on your own, and what is to see and do in or near the embarkation ports. Why fly 14 hours or more to Buenos Aires and not spend time exploring the country while you are there?

[Porcupine 52]

I think my daughter and I will try to go to Easter Island.  When will I ever get another chance to go there. My wife was  so excited to go on this trip.  The kids want us to do the trips that she had scheduled.  We had already paid for this trip so getting my daughter to go on the trip is more important to me than having the money back!

 It seems a little pricey to go to Easter Island, but I think having it be a viking excursion is important... at least at my age.  My daughter has her school contract coming up in a week or so and she said she will have it in the contract for next year.  She didn't miss a single day during the Mr. Corona days so I think they will let her have the days off.  

[emileg]

Here are links to the roll calls started as of 2 February 2021 for the Viking Expeditions cruises.

 

1. Thunder Bay to Milwaukee 28 May 2022
   By Denny01, July 13, 2020

    
2. Canadian Discovery 18 Apr 2022
   By eylarson, June 29, 2020

    
3. Niagara & The Great Lakes 30 Apr 2022
   By eylarson, June 29, 2020

    
4. Canadian Discovery Oct 3, 2022
   By PRH, July 23, 2020

    
5. Niagara & The Great Lakes June 11, 2022
   By 2onboardagain, December 9, 2020

    
6. Viking Octantis Inaugural Antarctica Cruise: January 12, 2022
   By emileg, December 19, 2020

    
7. Antarctica Feb 4, 2022
   By 2oldishcoots, January 11

Edited February 2, 2021 by emileg

[Cruise Wonderland]

Some recent pictures of Viking Octantis as found on social media:

 

@ Tulcea Romania

 

@ Chiriac Petrica

 

 

[Porcupine 52]

Great pictures... getting excited

 

[May B]

Thank you for starting this thread, Emile!

 

Four of us are hoping to do July 16, 2022, Milwaukee to Thunder Bay. But none of us wants to make final payment over a year before the cruise! Therefore, we’re waiting and watching, fares and availability. I breathed a sigh of relief on Feb. 1st, when nothing changed, except a claim of less cabin availability.

[Denny01]

I certainly hope we like this new design for a ship, we just booked a 2nd one. we booked the 28 May Thunder Bay to Milwaukee but then decided to add another and added the next leg of Milwaukee to Toronto. 

 

We’d originally planned on staying in Milwaukee after the initial cruise to take part in a Beading Show, but it was cancelled, so what the heck, jumped on the followup cruise. 

 

This could be really fun!......I hope!!!

 

Den

[emileg]

On 2/4/2021 at 7:15 AM, Cruise Wonderland said:

Some recent pictures of Viking Octantis as found on social media:

 

@ Tulcea Romania

 

@ Chiriac Petrica

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing these pictures. It makes it look real for the first time.

[emileg]

On 2/4/2021 at 11:25 PM, May B said:

Thank you for starting this thread, Emile!

 

Four of us are hoping to do July 16, 2022, Milwaukee to Thunder Bay. But none of us wants to make final payment over a year before the cruise! Therefore, we’re waiting and watching, fares and availability. I breathed a sigh of relief on Feb. 1st, when nothing changed, except a claim of less cabin availability.

 

I agree with you about not having to make final payment so far in advance. Our final payment date is a little over nine months before our January 12 Antarctic cruise. I will try to negotiate with them, asking to split it into two or three payments, two months apart, so as not to run up the credit card balance so high. I'll let you know how I make out. I would have waited too, but we wanted the Nordic Penthouse. There was only one left and even that was a guarantee. We booked it and now it is listed as sold out.

[May B]

2 hours ago, emileg said:

 

I agree with you about not having to make final payment so far in advance. Our final payment date is a little over nine months before our January 12 Antarctic cruise. I will try to negotiate with them, asking to split it into two or three payments, two months apart, so as not to run up the credit card balance so high. I'll let you know how I make out. I would have waited too, but we wanted the Nordic Penthouse. There was only one left and even that was a guarantee. We booked it and now it is listed as sold out.

Absolutely, it was correct for you to book. Your final payment date of just over nine months is way better, in my mind, than ours at over 12. That’s fun, having a guarantee cabin booking! You never know ... !!!
 

Good luck in your negotiating. As long as you’re willing to charge half of your final, when they are asking for it, and the rest still more than six months out, I think you have a good shot at having them accept that plan.

[gbldcl]

I had not much luck negotiating final payment delay.

 

Booked in Sep. 2020 for Oct. 1, 2022. Viking wanted FULL payment by Dec.1. That would have been 22 months in advance. I asked for a delay in final payment and was given March 1, 2021, still 18 months in advance. A few days ago I requested to delay payment until this coming October, still 12 months in advance, and Viking said "NO DEAL." They will charge my credit card 20 grand in a couple of weeks for a cruise in Oct. of 2022. I realize it is their ball game, and if I want to play I have to adhere to their rules, which I will do and pay the money. I had just hoped they might be a bit more lenient in these crazy times. And by the way, I have read on these boards that if you have another Viking cruise booked you can get a delay until six months before cruising. Well, I do have the Northwest Passage booked for 2023 but they still refused to change the final payment date.

 

 

[Squawkman]

gbldcl - I don’t know if you use an independent TA or work directly with Viking. I work with Viking directly, but have been using the same agent for over 3 years for several cruises (some cancelled due to covid). I never had to pay more than 6 months in advance. One exception was where I used a covid credit and owe an additional $200. I was asked to pay that in 5+ months.

[emileg]

On 2/13/2021 at 3:24 PM, emileg said:

 

I agree with you about not having to make final payment so far in advance. Our final payment date is a little over nine months before our January 12 Antarctic cruise. I will try to negotiate with them, asking to split it into two or three payments, two months apart, so as not to run up the credit card balance so high. I'll let you know how I make out. I would have waited too, but we wanted the Nordic Penthouse. There was only one left and even that was a guarantee. We booked it and now it is listed as sold out.

 

I spoke with Viking yesterday. The best they would do is a 30-day extension of the final payment date: March 31 to April 30 for the January 12 itinerary.

[gbldcl]

18 hours ago, Squawkman said:

gbldcl - I don’t know if you use an independent TA or work directly with Viking. I work with Viking directly, but have been using the same agent for over 3 years for several cruises (some cancelled due to covid). I never had to pay more than 6 months in advance. One exception was where I used a covid credit and owe an additional $200. I was asked to pay that in 5+ months.

Thanks for the tip. I am currently using a TA but will consider your advice for future trips.

[Denny01]

the ‘deal’ I got with Viking was when I added the Milwaukee to Toronto to my existing Thunder Bay to Milwaukee as a B2B, Viking added the cruise to my existing reservation and it’s listed as one cruise, not requiring a deposit for the 2nd leg. 

 

On other Lines, our B2B’s have been treated as two cruises. 

Den

[Bridget2010]

On 2/16/2021 at 4:53 PM, gbldcl said:

I had not much luck negotiating final payment delay.

 

And by the way, I have read on these boards that if you have another Viking cruise booked you can get a delay until six months before cruising. Well, I do have the Northwest Passage booked for 2023 but they still refused to change the final payment date.

 

 

I think that "delay until six months before cruising" has to be requested when the next cruise is booked.  I first learned about it when I booked directly with Viking and then transferred booking to my TA. I have actually gotten the "delay until six months before cruising" twice now. I cruise Viking a lot and really like them.