Viking Homelands 2022 Season

[GVHarrier]

3 hours ago, dwlmg said:

As a token of our appreciation, we will be adding a $250 shipboard credit to your account for this voyage for each guest. This credit can be applied toward optional shore excursions, onboard services or used to purchase a Silver Spirits Beverage Package.

I realize that I could book these items onboard but I have probably already booked just about everything I would want. When I receive an OBC from my Travel Agent, I have received a credit at the end of cruise if I don't use it all and the money is refunded to me. I hope that hasn't changed because I have credit coming to me from there also.

[cmaasfamily]

3 hours ago, duquephart said:

One very annoying/frustrating aspect of this deal is the delay in excursion posting has eliminated the early booking perk for those in the higher level staterooms.

I think you may still have them on a a relative basis. We're in a PV1 and Mariehamn excursions are still not available in MVJ. 

 

On another topic, our $250 OBC has dropped to zero. Hopefully it was applied to excursions, but the math doesn't work out any way I figure it. No indication on the invoice that it was, but then the ACH debit that they collected (and shows on the invoice) hasn't shown up on our checking account either so I'm giving it a couple of days to let it settle out before getting too worked up about it.

 

 

 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, GVHarrier said:

I realize that I could book these items onboard but I have probably already booked just about everything I would want. When I receive an OBC from my Travel Agent, I have received a credit at the end of cruise if I don't use it all and the money is refunded to me. I hope that hasn't changed because I have credit coming to me from there also.

 

Money from your TA will show as refundable credits, while money from Viking shows as non-refundable credits. We found they debit the non-refundable credits first and at the end of the cruise any refundable credits were refunded by a cheque, which arrived 4 to 6 weeks later.

 

Since most of our ports were cancelled, after our last cruise, we received a significant cheque from Viking for the on-board account balance.

Edited April 11, 2022 by Heidi13

[SailorPaulH]

Just a thought for those of you on re-organized Homelands cruises that now have an overnight in Oslo. Something that may be available to you (if calendar/schedule coincides) is taking in a ballet or opera in a unique setting at the (Oslo Opera House) Operahuset Oslo - https://operaen.no/

[millybess]

59 minutes ago, SailorPaulH said:

Just a thought for those of you on re-organized Homelands cruises that now have an overnight in Oslo. Something that may be available to you (if calendar/schedule coincides) is taking in a ballet or opera in a unique setting at the (Oslo Opera House) Operahuset Oslo - https://operaen.no/

Very interesting. We’ll be in Oslo for a few days next month. We will look into it. Thanks!

[MamaFej]

1 hour ago, SailorPaulH said:

Just a thought for those of you on re-organized Homelands cruises that now have an overnight in Oslo. Something that may be available to you (if calendar/schedule coincides) is taking in a ballet or opera in a unique setting at the (Oslo Opera House) Operahuset Oslo - https://operaen.no/

I had looked there a few weeks ago, in the hopes there would be something for our night there. Unfortunately. the calendar was blank for July. I clicked on your link, hoping something might have appeared by then.

 

Nope. 

 

Unless I am doing something wrong. i would be happy to be corrected by someone who is doing things better than I. 

[dwlmg]

8 hours ago, duquephart said:

One very annoying/frustrating aspect of this deal is the delay in excursion posting has eliminated the early booking perk for those in the higher level staterooms.

I understand the issue that Viking cannot customize MVJ to provide custom staged access based on stateroom class after the beginning of excursion availability. I would suggest Viking provide gradual access to excursions in this case by emailing guests according to stateroom class and providing a week or so opportunity to book excursions via phone or email. A week or so later, email the next lower class and provide the same type of access. This would provide some realization of the value in excursion booking for higher class staterooms.

[duquephart]

8 minutes ago, dwlmg said:

I understand the issue that Viking cannot customize MVJ to provide custom staged access based on stateroom class after the beginning of excursion availability. I would suggest Viking provide gradual access to excursions in this case by emailing guests according to stateroom class and providing a week or so opportunity to book excursions via phone or email. A week or so later, email the next lower class and provide the same type of access. This would provide some realization of the value in excursion booking for higher class staterooms.

 

That would be the smart thing to do. But ----------------------------------

[kchand]

I'm suppose to book excursions Saturday but it does not show a exact time to book. So is it midnight?

If it is in MVJ, where is it?

Thanks

[duquephart]

17 minutes ago, kchand said:

I'm suppose to book excursions Saturday but it does not show a exact time to book. So is it midnight?

If it is in MVJ, where is it?

Thanks

 

You're "suppose to" or that's when the window for your cabin category opens? 

[kchand]

Use to be there was a specific time to login and a specific date based on class.

[lkear]

1 hour ago, kchand said:

I'm suppose to book excursions Saturday but it does not show a exact time to book. So is it midnight?

If it is in MVJ, where is it?

Thanks

It used to be a midnight Pacific time. I believe it still is, but with all the things going on in the world it hasn't worked out that way

[duquephart]

6 minutes ago, kchand said:

Use to be there was a specific time to login and a specific date based on class.

 

"Use to" is the operative phrase. My window was supposed to open 87 days out but did not. Closer to 70 days out and nothing for one port yet. Hope you have better luck but don't hold your breath.

[BethU86]

12 hours ago, dwlmg said:

I understand the issue that Viking cannot customize MVJ to provide custom staged access based on stateroom class after the beginning of excursion availability. I would suggest Viking provide gradual access to excursions in this case by emailing guests according to stateroom class and providing a week or so opportunity to book excursions via phone or email. A week or so later, email the next lower class and provide the same type of access. This would provide some realization of the value in excursion booking for higher class staterooms.

But you can log into MVJ and it shows all current excursions - no requirement to get an email first. My guess is that it would be difficult for them to have it show only for certain cabin classes. I booked all of the excursions to the changed/added ports already and still haven't received the promised notice from Viking that they are available.

[dwlmg]

3 minutes ago, BethU86 said:

But you can log into MVJ and it shows all current excursions - no requirement to get an email first. My guess is that it would be difficult for them to have it show only for certain cabin classes. I booked all of the excursions to the changed/added ports already and still haven't received the promised notice from Viking that they are available.

When Viking has not finalized the excursions for a cruise at the time the highest level cabin category should be able to book excursions, when they do open, they are open for booking by ALL cabin categories. The benefit of a high level cabin category to access and book excursions before a lower cabin category is gone. There is a chance that someone in an Owner's suite will find an excursion sold out when they go to book their excursion. 

[BethU86]

4 minutes ago, dwlmg said:

When Viking has not finalized the excursions for a cruise at the time the highest level cabin category should be able to book excursions, when they do open, they are open for booking by ALL cabin categories. The benefit of a high level cabin category to access and book excursions before a lower cabin category is gone. There is a chance that someone in an Owner's suite will find an excursion sold out when they go to book their excursion. 

Unfortunately that did happen with our cruise this time. But I think generally you don't encounter a cruise that has been impacted by a war that started just after excursions opened.

[SailorPaulH]

21 hours ago, duquephart said:

One very annoying/frustrating aspect of this deal is the delay in excursion posting has eliminated the early booking perk for those in the higher level staterooms.

I agree - how late were yours posted? I am still awaiting mine days after they were supposed to be posted for my cabin category.

[dottythecat]

We are on Homelands May 19 sailing ending in Stockholm. We are staying 2 extra nights at the Courtyard Stockholm, not Viking's post-extension. Any thoughts if we were to test positive on the 24 hour Covid test? Is there a particular location at which we would have to isolate? Stay where we are? I am Googling around making sure we have a Plan B.

[duquephart]

4 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

I agree - how late were yours posted? I am still awaiting mine days after they were supposed to be posted for my cabin category.

 

Twelve or so days late.

[SailorPaulH]

5 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Twelve or so days late.

That is significant - were you able to reserve all your preferred excursions?

[duquephart]

2 hours ago, SailorPaulH said:

That is significant - were you able to reserve all your preferred excursions?

 

No. One days worth has yet to post.

[janetcbl]

18 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Twelve or so days late.

We are 14 days late and counting…..

[duquephart]

4 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

We are 14 days late and counting…..

 

This is not fair to those in the higher category staterooms who paid extra, in part, for the perk of earlier booking. Imagine a person in the owner's suite being "beat out" of a popular excursion because his window did not open until everyone elses.

[TeamBAlways]

3 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

This is not fair to those in the higher category staterooms who paid extra, in part, for the perk of earlier booking. Imagine a person in the owner's suite being "beat out" of a popular excursion because his window did not open until everyone elses.

*raising my hand

We are in the OS and missed out on some excursions because they were sold out before we even knew they were there.  Our TA is speaking with Viking on our behalf. Fingers crossed

[duquephart]

20 minutes ago, TeamBAlways said:

*raising my hand

We are in the OS and missed out on some excursions because they were sold out before we even knew they were there.  Our TA is speaking with Viking on our behalf. Fingers crossed

 

I would be fuming!