Excursions/Dining reservations for couples traveling in different cabin categories

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

We have a penthouse veranda cabin booked next September on a Viking ocean cruise. My brother-in-law and his wife have booked the same cruise in a deluxe veranda cabin. This means we will be able to book both excursions and dining 10 days prior to them. Is there anyway to assure they can get on the same excursions and have the same dining times as us other than having us wait until they are able to book? I hesitate doing that as it seems that the better excursions and dining times go quickly. 
 

I apologize if this question has been previously discussed. I couldn’t find it. 

[Squawkman]

10 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

We have a penthouse veranda cabin booked next September on a Viking ocean cruise. My brother-in-law and his wife have booked the same cruise in a deluxe veranda cabin. This means we will be able to book both excursions and dining 10 days prior to them. Is there anyway to assure they can get on the same excursions and have the same dining times as us other than having us wait until they are able to book? I hesitate doing that as it seems that the better excursions and dining times go quickly. 
 

I apologize if this question has been previously discussed. I couldn’t find it. 

Would that be fair to other DV cruisers? In fact, if both of you were in PVs, there would be no guarantee there would be 4 available slots - there might be just 1 or 2. There will be opportunities both before and after embarkation. Keep checking in MVJ as people do cancel. Good luck!

[philw1776]

Had the same situation us in PV with daughter in DV.
Pay PV prices, get PV benefits.

Pay DV prices...
As to dining, often possible to re-arrange onboard. Go directly to the specialty restaurant desk OR the restaurant station on 1st floor Atrium
Excursions, vary. If very popular. They stay sold out.

Many times you can work with the onboard excursion desk 1st floor Atrium to sync up your excursion times.

[TayanaLorna]

10 hours ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

We have a penthouse veranda cabin booked next September on a Viking ocean cruise. My brother-in-law and his wife have booked the same cruise in a deluxe veranda cabin. This means we will be able to book both excursions and dining 10 days prior to them. Is there anyway to assure they can get on the same excursions and have the same dining times as us other than having us wait until they are able to book? I hesitate doing that as it seems that the better excursions and dining times go quickly. 
 

I apologize if this question has been previously discussed. I couldn’t find it. 

Due to the different booking windows, there is no way to assure you will get same dates and times even if you in the PV waited until family in the DV were able.  I do have some suggestions however as we have tried to coordinate with friends in same and different cabin categories.

 

Go to the list of potential excursions for your cruise.  You will not find it on MVJ yet but can see them on Vikings promo page under the itinerary tab.  Start researching and deciding together what you want to see and do and agree upon first and second choices.  When the excursions appear on your MVJ next summer, compare to see what is actually offered.

 

When PV booking opens, you reserve (and pay for the Optional ones) for you two.  When their DV booking opens, make sure they get on line in the first minute it opens and reserve and pay for the same Optional ones that you booked.  Then go back and reserve the same Included ones.  If they are sold out, so be it.

 

At this point you have a few options.  They can reserve the second choice ones and you can cancel yours and try to switch to theirs.  You keep yours and they watch MVJ to see if it opens (this does happen).  They can try to get your excursion once on board.  Some Optional excursions do sell out.  The Included excursions first thing in the morning tend to fill up first.

 

You can also be on MVJ on line when their booking window opens AND be on the telephone talking with them.  It is hectic and you need to be computer quick and saavy - but if the excursion choices or times are sold out for them, you can cancel yours and both book what is available at the same time they are doing it.  We did this with friends once back when booking opened at Midnight Pacific time and we were 3 am Eastern time.

 

As far as Specialty Restaurant reservations, you get 2 at each restaurant, they get 1.  Reserve your dates and times.  Tell them what you got.  They check all the dates and times and reserve same (1 each) if possible.  If they cannot get the same time, reserve another time for the same date.  Once on board, see if you can combine the 2 tables for 2 to one table for 4.  We have successfully done this.  You can also try to change your second reservations to add them.  Problem with Specialty restaurants is everyone books tables for 2 but tables for 2 are limited when reserving on line.

 

[Peregrina651]

Tanya has given you a lot of information. Here are a few more things to know about the process.

 

Once you each have your bookings (shorex or dining) made, it is possible to enlist the help of the folks at tellus@vikingcruises.com.  Email them. Include booking numbers for each cabin and phone numbers. Explain the problem and ask if they can help you work it out.

 

In the meantime, keep an eye on MVJ (once or twice daily). Openings on sold out tours come and go as people change their minds or have to cancel last minute. They aren't announced and they are first-come, first served.  Viking does not keep a waiting list.

 

When I am SOLD OUT of a tour I really want to do, I contact tellus@vikingcruises.com and tell them how disappointed I am that XXX tour is sold out and ask if they will be adding more buses. Since they don't keep a waiting list, they have no idea what the unfulfilled demand is for any given shorex unless we tell them. Sometimes it is possible to add another bus to a tour and sometimes not. If Viking does add more space, they will not necessarily tell you (two different departments), so once you ask, keep watching MVJ for openings.

 

The other thing to know about the words SOLD OUT in the run up to being able to book your shorex is that SOLD OUT doesn't always mean "sold out."  Sometimes it is used as a placeholder and sometimes it means that they aren't offering the tour at all or that it hasn't been finalized.

[LindaS272]

If you do manage to all get on the same tour at the same time, once on board check with guest excursions to get placed on the same bus. Some excursions have several buses that leave at the same time but don’t necessarily follow the same route together, and you might not get on the same bus just because you signed up for the same tour.