No Excursions in Rome

[Peregrina651]

 

One booking number books all of its excursions on the date stated on your invoice. If some reason you have two booking numbers, you should check the date on the invoice for when booking opens for each segment.

 

 

[Pushka]

2 hours ago, photopro2 said:

Firstly, thanks to @JWY5119 for starting the thread, and all who have posted - I've learnt a lot!

 

I can certainly understand you being somewhat upset.

 

However, if that is the case in general on back-to-back cruises, I must admit that it would be the other side of the coin for me and maybe work to my advantage.

 

in my case the whole trip appears as a single voyage on MVJ and only one date is shown regarding the opening of excursion availability. So can I ask if it is normal for booking excursions on the second cruise of a back-to-back to open when the first does?............ @Peregrina651???????? 🙂

Viking marketed it as two separate cruises, and also as a combined one. I booked the second voyage not realising it was also attached to the combined cruise. The run of the mill back to back cruises are fine, separate excursion release dates, but this one was effectively marketed as 3 cruises, the combined cruise allowed booking of all excursions for all dates for all cabins before the PV and below cabins opened us fpr pur dates. I effectively took Viking out of the equation by booking the Must Do - Petra, and Israel. Israel now has two full minibuses for two days booked privately on my booking. 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Pushka

[millybess]

4 hours ago, photopro2 said:

Firstly, thanks to @JWY5119 for starting the thread, and all who have posted - I've learnt a lot!

 

I can certainly understand you being somewhat upset.

 

However, if that is the case in general on back-to-back cruises, I must admit that it would be the other side of the coin for me and maybe work to my advantage.

 

in my case the whole trip appears as a single voyage on MVJ and only one date is shown regarding the opening of excursion availability. So can I ask if it is normal for booking excursions on the second cruise of a back-to-back to open when the first does?............ @Peregrina651???????? 🙂

We booked Mediterranean Odyssey during Covid under the RFG.  A couple of months later, still under the RFG, we booked Empires of the Mediterranean -- a b2b cruise. There were 2 booking numbers.  A couple of months after that, Viking combined the bookings under 1 booking number.  We didn't really want that to happen because if we wanted to cancel one, we would have to cancel both.  In the end, we were able to book both dining and excursions for the whole voyage on the same day that these opened for the first cruise.  

[Mich3554]

11 hours ago, millybess said:

We booked Mediterranean Odyssey during Covid under the RFG.  A couple of months later, still under the RFG, we booked Empires of the Mediterranean -- a b2b cruise. There were 2 booking numbers.  A couple of months after that, Viking combined the bookings under 1 booking number.  We didn't really want that to happen because if we wanted to cancel one, we would have to cancel both.  In the end, we were able to book both dining and excursions for the whole voyage on the same day that these opened for the first cruise.  

Booking a back to back under one number has its advantages and disadvantages.  For our back to back last year, we were able to book excursions all the way through from Athens to Buenos Aires.  
The disadvantage is when we booked another back to back extending the WC, Viking canceled half and our whole itinerary after London got canceled.  As a result, we lost the ability to stay in the same cabin for the whole trip.  We were able to rebook, but we also lost all the perks we were given by booking on a ship when Covid was still an issue.  Needless to say, I was not happy.  We still have to move when we get to London, and we did get a lot of the perks back we lost, but it was not easy.  My Viking rep really went to bat for us and got us back about 75% of what we lost.  My rep is also keeping an eye out for whether or not our cabin is going to be released.  As we are now less than 120 days out, I don’t have a lot of confidence it will be, so we move.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

As we are now less than 120 days out, I don’t have a lot of confidence it will be, so we move.

 

You never, never know. Looking at our demographic, cancellations happen right up to departure day. On our last cruise, a river cruise with room for 84 people, just a few months ago, one couple booked 11 days prior to sailing because there was a cancellation. Think positive!

[Ray4Fun]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:02 PM, JWY5119 said:

We are due to go on the Mediterranean & Adriatic Sojourn cruise on Viking Star in May. Reservations for the shore excursions are due to be available in a couple of days time. I have noticed there are NO excursions in Rome!!  Can anyone explain?

Viking Star, Rome to Istanbul or flipped?  

[CCWineLover]

19 hours ago, Vagabond51 said:

I can olny share our experience. We are booked for what appears to be a combination of three cruises for a total of 28 days, Istanbul to Barcelona. We bought it thinking it was one cruise. The cruise is for most the entire month of May.  We have no choices available on MVJ for the second day in Athens, seven days into the cruise. We do have an excusursion for the first day. Seven days later we have no excursion availability for the second day in Venice on MVJ. We DO have booked excursions the day we get in and the day we leave, but not the second day. Seven days later no excursions offered for Rome. It is our understanding from reading here we will be offered a limited set of excursions for those 3 days once we board, or shortly there after. The issue I have the most hearburn over is the way it was, or was not, communicated to us. Even Viking reps on the phone did not know what was going on.

 

I could grumble a bit that I upgraded our stateroom so as to get the excursions that meant the most to us, and 3 of the 28 days that simply was not available. Again, it's not so much the final outcome as it was a lot of time and frustration that could have been avoided if Viking was more forthcoming. I spent a great deal of time on the phone trying to get answers, twice sitting on hold for 10 minutes while the rep talked with someone at corporate who "knew", but did not, as they "assured us" excursions for those three days would come up in MVJ by opening excusion day.

 

We have decided to take Viking out of the loop for all 3 of those days. We made our own transportation and venue arrangements. Given the recent post about Venus leaving a day early out of Venice due to weather... that was a bit of a "pay attention here" moment, but in the end you pay your money and you take your chances. We believe we have made the best decision, "for us". Hope this helps.

I totally understand your frustration, but sadly this has been the situation for Viking as far as I know.  Meaning, that on turnover ports where there is an "extra" day for those who are continuing on, they don't put excursions out on those "extra" days until you are on board.  It's what in our experience as always been the case.  Viking has been doing these 4-some legs for some time (Barcenlona-Rome-Venice-Athens-Istanbul and back).

 

My question to you, which I cannot tell from your post is:

- When your excursions opened up for the first leg from Istanbul, were you able to also book excursions for the other legs as well:  Athens to Venice, Venice to Rome, and Rome to Barcelona legs?  (just not the 3 "extra" days).  If so, then that is a huge benefit over passengers who get on in Athens, Venice, and Rome.

- Or do you have to keep going back every week or so to book those other legs excursions?

[Peregrina651]

57 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

My question to you, which I cannot tell from your post is:

- When your excursions opened up for the first leg from Istanbul, were you able to also book excursions for the other legs as well:  Athens to Venice, Venice to Rome, and Rome to Barcelona legs?  (just not the 3 "extra" days).  If so, then that is a huge benefit over passengers who get on in Athens, Venice, and Rome.

- Or do you have to keep going back every week or so to book those other legs excursions?

 

When booking opens for you, you get to book shorex for the entire duration of your cruise regardless of how many segments you have booked.

 

The only thing that will not be available in advance are excursions that will be offered only to continuing guests on changeover days; those will be offered to continuing guests when you board. These tours will not be available to embarking or disembarking guests.

[CCWineLover]

33 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

When booking opens for you, you get to book shorex for the entire duration of your cruise regardless of how many segments you have booked.

 

The only thing that will not be available in advance are excursions that will be offered only to continuing guests on changeover days; those will be offered to continuing guests when you board. These tours will not be available to embarking or disembarking guests.

Peregrina - as a somewhat veteran Viking Cruiser, I certainly thought that was the case.

However, the OP seemed to indicate (it was not totally clear) that he was not able to do so.  But he could have been merely complaining that he couldn't book just those extra days.  I was trying to understand exactly what he meant.

We've done B2B cruises before and have always been able to book the 2nd and 3rd legs at the time the first leg allowed, which to us was a great advantage given our commitment $ wise to booking multiple cruises.   We had also never seen excursions available for the turnaround days until you were on board.

Edited April 7, 2023 by CCWineLover

[Vagabond51]

My apology if my post was unclear. Yes, we were able to book our entire 28 day cruise excursions with the exception of the b2b days noted. My primary frustration was the time and effort involved in sorting out just what Viking's final intent was for those days. When excursions came online, I believe a few weeks prior to bookings opening up, no one on multiple calls could give me an answer. One woman did tell me the real process RE getting those days schedules on board. This was after three other reps over two weeks assured us it was just late scheduling issues and those excursions WOULD be online by opening. Three times, right up until opening day. I don't mind making alternative plans. I DO greatly mind being misinformed and having to waste hours of planning time. However... if this is the only bump in the cruise road, color us happy campers. We are truly looking forward to this trip. We are going to stop in London on the way home for a few days. The Brits were kind enough "obtain" some of civilizations greatest treasures and put them under one roof in downtown London for safe keeping. A full day in the British Museum.

[millybess]

5 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

 

We've done B2B cruises before and have always been able to book the 2nd and 3rd legs at the time the first leg allowed, which to us was a great advantage……

I’m curious as to whether you were able to book dining reservations as if it were 3 separate cruises; i.e., your allotted dining on 1 cruise X 3? 

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, millybess said:

I’m curious as to whether you were able to book dining reservations as if it were 3 separate cruises; i.e., your allotted dining on 1 cruise X 3? 

millybess -

I honestly cannot remember.  Probably since the dining reservations booking ahead are not that important to us.  We always book when we first get onboard and know the CT menus, etc.  We've always gotten what we want and with so many cancellations as the cruises continue, never had an issue.

Now excursions are another story - so that one was important to us!

[millybess]

25 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

millybess -

I honestly cannot remember.  Probably since the dining reservations booking ahead are not that important to us.  We always book when we first get onboard and know the CT menus, etc.  We've always gotten what we want and with so many cancellations as the cruises continue, never had an issue.

 

NP. I guess I misunderstood your previous posts regarding your phone calls to Viking to suggest the PSs be reduced to 1 dining reservation. I thought you made the calls because you liked to book ahead.

Edited April 8, 2023 by millybess
.

[Mich3554]

9 hours ago, millybess said:

I’m curious as to whether you were able to book dining reservations as if it were 3 separate cruises; i.e., your allotted dining on 1 cruise X 3? 

I was, for our back to back of London to Reykjavik after the WC.  I have 4 settings available for both Manfredi’s and CT and haven’t bothered to book any.  
I did book reservations for Manfredi’s during the WC, about every 2 weeks.  Really wish I hadn’t, as we have canceled about half so far.  I think I prefer to play it by ear, and gone other times.