Excursion Options

[stonecruisin]

I have been reading about the process of choosing excursions based on cabin type, etc.  I am clear that depending on cabin type, we will be given a day and time when we can book excursions.  Just wondering how far in advance I can find out what the excursions, both included and optional, will be for our sailing.  Will it show up in My Viking Journey or is there another place to find that information.  Thanks.

[Peregrina651]

Viking has just changed the timing on shorex booking, moving the opening day forward by 40 days. They are transitioning to the new timing as we speak.  Therefore, currently, we can't tell you how far in advance they are making the information available.  It maybe a few months before  we figure out what the new timing is supposed to be. 

 

We can say that their goal used to be to have the information loaded in around 120 days prior, with the first category opening for booking 107 days prior.  120 days was a goal not a promise.  What the new timing will be is unknown at this time. 

 

Once all the vendor contracts are signed, the complete list of excursions on offer for your sailing will be loaded into My Viking Journey.  They will appear without fanfare or prior notice.  MVJ is the only place  the official information will be available for your cruise, although Viking can send you a pdf of the generic list if you call/chat to ask.  

[CDNPolar]

This is all based on itinerary by itinerary.  We are booked on Grand European Tour in November of this year and we picked and paid for both included and optional excursions 2 months ago - more than 12 months in advance.  We personally have found that sometimes the excursions are available to book and you don't even have an email telling you so...

[CDR2001]

 

I have always received an excursion PDF from a prior cruise. I ask via the Chat in MVJ. The times and prices will be similar to your cruise. We’re 114 days from our cruise, and I got a PDF of a current sailing yesterday; the agent said my excursions were loading “soon.” 

Edited January 10 by CDR2001

[Hockeyump]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

This is all based on itinerary by itinerary.  We are booked on Grand European Tour in November of this year and we picked and paid for both included and optional excursions 2 months ago - more than 12 months in advance.  We personally have found that sometimes the excursions are available to book and you don't even have an email telling you so...

This is a river cruise and excursions are treated differently to ocean cruises.

[CDNPolar]

We have done far more ocean cruises, and often had excursions available to us before the published date.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, CDR2001 said:

 

I have always received an excursion PDF from a prior cruise. I ask via the Chat in MVJ. The times and prices will be similar to your cruise. We’re 114 days from our cruise, and I got a PDF of a current sailing yesterday; the agent said my excursions were loading “soon.” 

 

We are 120 days out today and ours aren't loaded in yet either. 😖 But, then again

 

I don't ask for a preview because I don't want to set my heart on a particular shorex and then learn that it isn't offered on my sailing -- but that's just me.

 

2 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

We have done far more ocean cruises, and often had excursions available to us before the published date.

 

Available to see but not to book. Viking Oceans adheres to its booking schedule.

 

Shorex are loaded into MVJ a few weeks (on rare occasions, a month or more) before booking opens for all to see. Booking then opens category by category.

 

As CDR2001 says, it is possible to obtain a pdf of the shorex but that list is usually a generic list, not the specific list for your sail date.

[CDNPolar]

Just now, Peregrina651 said:

 

 

 

Available to see but not to book. Viking Oceans adheres to its booking schedule.

 

 

 

I beg to differ.

[millybess]

52 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

We are 120 days out today and ours aren't loaded in yet either. 😖 But, then again

 

I don't ask for a preview because I don't want to set my heart on a particular shorex and then learn that it isn't offered on my sailing -- but that's just me.

 

 

Available to see but not to book. Viking Oceans adheres to its booking schedule.

 

Shorex are loaded into MVJ a few weeks (on rare occasions, a month or more) before booking opens for all to see. Booking then opens category by category.

 

As CDR2001 says, it is possible to obtain a pdf of the shorex but that list is usually a generic list, not the specific list for your sail date.

We often have the excursions loaded onto MVJ well before 120 days.  Occasionally,  they've been there 5-6 months before sail date.  But it's almost always well before 120 days. 

 

Also, it is the rare occasion where we can't book excursions before the opening time for our category.  Sometimes it's a few hours; sometimes a couple of days.  

[JerryInIL]

In My Viking Journey, select Account/Request Invoice.  Viking will send you several PDF’s including the likely excursions for your cruise.

[Peregrina651]

That option is not available to me. I think it is because I work with a travel agent. The only thing I can do on the Account page is to change my password. 😒

 

 

 

[ElaynaB]

On 1/10/2024 at 9:04 AM, CDNPolar said:

We have done far more ocean cruises, and often had excursions available to us before the published date.

How far in advance?  We're on the Orion southbound from Seward, AK in June.  My booking window opens in 5 days but there is no information to look at and research so we can decide what we want to book when it opens.

[CDNPolar]

28 minutes ago, ElaynaB said:

How far in advance?  We're on the Orion southbound from Seward, AK in June.  My booking window opens in 5 days but there is no information to look at and research so we can decide what we want to book when it opens.

You have to check MVJ to see if they are open in advance of the published date.  You won’t receive any notification 

[CDR2001]

Call or chat with Viking and request the excursion pdf. It should be in the updated invoice email as mentioned above in post #10. They can send a pdf of an earlier cruise if yours isn’t available yet. 

Edited January 23 by CDR2001

[kctwinmommy]

I happened to look about 4 months before our cruise, give or take a few days, and they were there in MVJ. I know others have said they got a PDF of the cruise, if it's available from another sailing, but I didn't get it. I have time, I don't mind, so I actually created a PDF of all the excursions listed in the MVJ once they were published. Then I knew the times offered, the length, and the cost. I need all of this to plan our trip. So I have it, it's printed out, and my husband and I are reading over them to decide. Since we can't book for a few more weeks anyway, we've had plenty of time to look it over.

 

But, I didn't get any email to tell me they were there. I just would randomly check and they were there just before New Year's.

[CCWineLover]

On 1/10/2024 at 7:17 AM, millybess said:

Also, it is the rare occasion where we can't book excursions before the opening time for our category.  Sometimes it's a few hours; sometimes a couple of days.  

Interesting. . .   in our many many Viking ocean cruises, we've never been able to book days ahead.  A couple times it was an hour or two but that is it.   Would be interesting to know when you were able to book early (years ago?  recently?) and what itinerary.  

 

One more thing - I always check the excursions even after booking as we've seen new offerings posted as we get closer to sailing (and a few times, excursions withdrawn).   Also if you are aced out of an excursion, keep looking.  Have also seen people cancel with a week or two to go and suddenly your desired excursion shows "2 slots available" or something!  Never give up.

[CDNPolar]

8 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Interesting. . .   in our many many Viking ocean cruises, we've never been able to book days ahead.  A couple times it was an hour or two but that is it.   Would be interesting to know when you were able to book early (years ago?  recently?) and what itinerary.  

 

One more thing - I always check the excursions even after booking as we've seen new offerings posted as we get closer to sailing (and a few times, excursions withdrawn).   Also if you are aced out of an excursion, keep looking.  Have also seen people cancel with a week or two to go and suddenly your desired excursion shows "2 slots available" or something!  Never give up.

 

You just have to check MVJ regularly and sometimes, not always, they are there silently with no notification.  This has happened to us several times.

 

And, yes, there can be new excursions added closer to sailing date.  Again, you must check MVJ as these things are just there sometimes with no notice.

 

I have a March 2025 booking that I check once a week on MVJ... Nothing yet.

Edited January 24 by CDNPolar

[ElaynaB]

On 1/23/2024 at 7:48 AM, CDNPolar said:

You have to check MVJ to see if they are open in advance of the published date.  You won’t receive any notification 

Checked MVJ this morning and excursions are now listed.

Thanks

[ddeprez]

We will be among the last cabins to book excursions due to our category. Will we be able to see ahead of our booking date which excursions have already sold out?  TIA!

[formernuke]

Yes. Just look at the excursions in MVJ they will show "Sold out" if applicable (happens for a few excursions, but relatively rare).  The 'greater' risk s that they sell out ON your booking date (if you are in a DV or V) since many people will be booking at the same time. But keep checking back- they sometimes open up  as people change their minds.

[ericosmith]

Can you book more than one included excursion at a port when two are offered?

[LindaS272]

No. Somewhere “it is written” that you can only do one included excursion in a port. Including, I believe, if you have two days in a port and there are two included excursions. Only one included excursion per port.

[janetcbl]

1 hour ago, ericosmith said:

Can you book more than one included excursion at a port when two are offered?

Once you are on board, if there is enough time between excursions, you are sometimes ( and I emphasize “sometimes”) able to book a second one. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, janetcbl said:

Once you are on board, if there is enough time between excursions, you are sometimes ( and I emphasize “sometimes”) able to book a second one. 

 

You may book one included and one optional but not two included. (Moreover, included excursions cannot be purchased).

 

2 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

No. Somewhere “it is written” that you can only do one included excursion in a port. Including, I believe, if you have two days in a port and there are two included excursions. Only one included excursion per port.

 

[CCWineLover]

Not only that, their system will not let you book 2 included tours in a port.