Payment schedule and booking excursions?

[Snowcat1]

We have only sailed on Viking before but would like to try a PG cruise. For Viking the final payment is due sometimes over a year in advance. How is the payment scheduled for a PG cruise?

Also, with Viking your ability to book excursions is based on the type of cabin you book. Higher priced cabins get first choice to book excursions. How does booking excursions work with PG?

[Host Jazzbeau]

Welcome to the world of not-Viking.  Nobody expects final payment as early as they do [only for US North Americans, by the way].  Also most cruise lines don't have a class system for excursions.  This cruise may be eye-opening for you!

[minidonuts85]

Excursions can be booked by phoning PG; just did this yesterday for our 8/26 sailing. They book it and you pay on-board. No tiered bookings based on cabin class. 

 

Our final payment was due 90-days prior to sail date. 

[FlightMedic555]

The excursions can be booked, via phone, 60 days in advance.  

[Tahitianbigkahuna]

Isn't it nice that deck 3 port hole cruisers can have equal footing with those in the owners suite. I find it refreshing ... 

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Tahitianbigkahuna

[Snowcat1]

Thanks for the info. It does sound more fair than Vikings system.

[Leejnd4]

On 8/2/2023 at 8:36 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Welcome to the world of not-Viking.  Nobody expects final payment as early as they do [only for US North Americans, by the way].  Also most cruise lines don't have a class system for excursions.  This cruise may be eye-opening for you!

 

The PG is eye-opening for MANY reasons! One of my favorite ships ever...and I've been on a lot. 😁

 

22 hours ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said:

Isn't it nice that deck 3 port hole cruisers can have equal footing with those in the owners suite. I find it refreshing ... 

 

 

That's the main reason I refuse to cruise Cunard. The class system is just so...ugly. One of the things I love about the PG, as well as some other luxury cruise lines I've been on, is that you can sit down to dine with new people and nobody knows if you are in the biggest suite or the tiniest cabin. And usually, nobody cares. 

[Emdee]

12 hours ago, Leejnd4 said:

 

The PG is eye-opening for MANY reasons! One of my favorite ships ever...and I've been on a lot. 😁

 

 

That's the main reason I refuse to cruise Cunard. The class system is just so...ugly. One of the things I love about the PG, as well as some other luxury cruise lines I've been on, is that you can sit down to dine with new people and nobody knows if you are in the biggest suite or the tiniest cabin. And usually, nobody cares. 

Were you on the PG since Regent days? And now I see you on the Crystal board. 
don’t know whether I will be back on the PG but surely will visit Bora Bora again. Booked on Crystal for next month. 

[Emdee]

On 8/2/2023 at 5:20 PM, Snowcat1 said:

We have only sailed on Viking before but would like to try a PG cruise. For Viking the final payment is due sometimes over a year in advance. How is the payment scheduled for a PG cruise?

Also, with Viking your ability to book excursions is based on the type of cabin you book. Higher priced cabins get first choice to book excursions. How does booking excursions work with PG?

Isn’t that because Viking includes excursions? 
Regent too has early booking of excursions according to cruising Status. Not sure whether the large suites are allowed to book earlier. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, Emdee said:

Isn’t that because Viking includes excursions? 

Not sure why that would be determinative.  Silversea now includes excursions, and they don't set the start date based on cabin class or loyalty status.

[Emdee]

26 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Not sure why that would be determinative.  Silversea now includes excursions, and they don't set the start date based on cabin class or loyalty status.

So does PG now include excursions? On my last few trips on her we made private arrangements to book with local vendors. 
I understand that Viking has some form of limited included Excursions since it’s inception.

Silversea only got into that game three years ago. Good on them for not setting the start date based on loyalty status. I have only been twice on them so didn’t really notice. Soon to be on Endeavour but excursions to be booked on board as it was on the Cloud. 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Emdee

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 minute ago, Emdee said:

So does PG now include excursions? On my last few trips on her we made private arrangements to book with local vendors. 
I understand that Viking has some form of limited included Excursions.

Silversea only got into that game three years ago. Good on them for not setting the start date based on loyalty status. I have only been twice on them so didn’t really notice. Soon to be on Endeavour but excursions to be booked on board as it was on the Cloud. 

This isn't about included excursions, it's about Viking's class system.  @Snowcat1 was worried that PG was similar, and the answer is No.

[Emdee]

2 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

This isn't about included excursions, it's about Viking's class system.  @Snowcat1 was worried that PG was similar, and the answer is No.

Ok….got the wrong end of the stick! 

[Leejnd4]

On 8/4/2023 at 8:05 PM, Emdee said:

Were you on the PG since Regent days? And now I see you on the Crystal board. 
don’t know whether I will be back on the PG but surely will visit Bora Bora again. Booked on Crystal for next month. 

I've been on the PG twice - once when it was owned by Regent, and once when it was a stand-alone company. I haven't been on it since Ponant bought it. I'll be interested to see how it's changed under new ownership.

 

And yes, I've cruised Crystal in the past - in fact the last time I did a cruise was in 2019, and it was on Crystal Symphony Rio to Buenos Aires. It's my #1 favorite ship of all the ships I've been on! I've got a cruise booked on Symphony for November 2024. 😄 

 

Enjoy your upcoming Crystal cruise! Certainly the excitement level is off the charts right now, with the re-emergence of Crystal. Wish I could get on a Crystal cruise this year, but that's not going to happen.