Comparison of cabins

[millybess]

39 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

We have been to Delos—a tour not to be missed. But likely tricky to do DIY or 3rd party in off season as you suggest. Because of the ferry issue, I doubt there would be a second Viking tour added. Just IMO.

Then a waiting list might be the best bet, which I would suggest doing straightaway, after boarding.

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, millybess said:

Many times where excursions show "SOLD OUT" Viking will later add more capacity.  This happened on numerous excursion offerings on our recent Far East cruise with Viking.

 

Also, Viking Guest Relations keeps a waiting list for those who weren't able to book particular excursions online.  We've been on a waiting list a few times over the years and we have always been able to take the excursion.

 

I am NOT doubting what you are saying, however I have been told by Guest Services that Optional Excursions when sold out are sold out.  They don't add more.  They tell me that if you see openings it is because of guests cancelling.

 

We all know that when you call, you get different answers, so who to believe?

We recently called because we are travelling with friends that on the day the excursions opened we were both booking and only one of us got one excursion.  We were told sorry, regardless of requests, no additional spots would be added.  Just watch and if it opens it is because of cancellations.

[CDNPolar]

2 minutes ago, millybess said:

Then a waiting list might be the best bet, which I would suggest doing straightaway, after boarding.

 

This YES - by all means.  We have also been suggested to show at the bus on the morning of in case of any last minute cancellations.

[millybess]

5 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

I am NOT doubting what you are saying, however I have been told by Guest Services that Optional Excursions when sold out are sold out.  They don't add more.  They tell me that if you see openings it is because of guests cancelling.

After we booked our excursions for our Far East cruise, we decided we wanted to do an extra one in Hong Kong and one in Nagasaki that we had overlooked (or had been added after we booked).  We had our TA call Viking to see if there were any openings that weren't showing up.  She called her contact at Viking and was told that they would probably be adding another bus on those 2 tours.  Sure enough, several weeks later, they added capacity -- another bus --  which didn't sell out.  The same thing happened on the second leg of the cruise, the North Pacific Passage.

[2blueyam]

If Viking sees a demand, they of course will want to add more tours as that is more money in their pocket. But their ability to do so will depend on the availability of a bus, bus driver, boat, hours of operation, tour guide, venue seats, time slots if a limited access location, etc.

[millybess]

2 minutes ago, 2blueyam said:

If Viking sees a demand, they of course will want to add more tours as that is more money in their pocket. But their ability to do so will depend on the availability of a bus, bus driver, boat, hours of operation, tour guide, venue seats, time slots if a limited access location, etc.

Of course!  I'm sure it depends on all of that and more.  For example, on the North Pacific part of our cruise, Dutch Harbor was supposed to be a port in which we stopped.  A few weeks before departure, Viking nixed the stop -- could have been an "operational change", or in this case, a "challenge".  One of the pax got in touch with officials in Dutch Harbor and was told that all they had was school buses for excursions and Viking wasn't happy with that.  Just hearsay, but yes, there are many things that Viking has to consider.

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, millybess said:

One of the pax got in touch with officials in Dutch Harbor and was told that all they had was school buses for excursions and Viking wasn't happy with that.

Didn’t stop Viking in Saguenay, Quebec, from taking pretty much the entire ship to the fabulous theater production of Quebec history at the local high school! But maybe Dutch Harbor excursions were over dirt & gravel roads—not too fun on school buses.

[millybess]

8 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Didn’t stop Viking in Saguenay, Quebec, from taking pretty much the entire ship to the fabulous theater production of Quebec history at the local high school! But maybe Dutch Harbor excursions were over dirt & gravel roads—not too fun on school buses.

I thought the Québécois had more class than that.😊

I would have taken a school bus at Dutch Harbor, just to be able to spend time there.  From what I understand, it's supposed to be a highlight of the North Pacific Passage cruise.  But you're right, there must have been something about that that didn't sit right with Viking.

[CCWineLover]

Perhaps someone should open a new thread to discuss tours, Dutch Harbor, Quebec, etc.  rather than here under Cabin Comparisons, where people generally go to find out details on the cabins.  Thanks!

[millybess]

10 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Perhaps someone should open a new thread to discuss tours, Dutch Harbor, Quebec, etc.  rather than here under Cabin Comparisons, where people generally go to find out details on the cabins.  Thanks!

Haha.  Touché.  I thought you might be away.  😉

[Steerpike58]

On 9/11/2024 at 12:03 PM, OneSixtyToOne said:

We been on this itinerary and you do not see land 99% of the time. You go through the Straights of Gibraltar in the middle of the night. 

I think the 'side of ship' issue is complicated.  What about when the ship is in port - sometimes you are on the side facing the port, and it could be beautiful (like Valetta) or ugly (like many industrial ports).  Also, while one side 'faces land', during the actual sailing you may see a lot of outlying islands from the 'sea' side that you didn't know existed! 

[millybess]

14 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

I think the 'side of ship' issue is complicated.  What about when the ship is in port - sometimes you are on the side facing the port, and it could be beautiful (like Valetta) or ugly (like many industrial ports).  Also, while one side 'faces land', during the actual sailing you may see a lot of outlying islands from the 'sea' side that you didn't know existed! 

Yes, we have had both of those situations -- lucky to be on the beautiful side of the ship in port and unlucky to wake up to numerous containers on the dock.

 

50/50 in my view.  And that's not something you could know at the time of booking the cruise.  

[Steerpike58]

On 2/11/2024 at 12:07 PM, Iloveketo said:

Hopefully some will find this helpful. 

 

On 2/11/2024 at 4:47 PM, Peregrina651 said:

Some things to note.

 

Cabin square footage includes the balcony. ...

Just how sure are folks that this statement is accurate - that the square footage given INCLUDES the balcony?  

 

We just got off a Holland America cruise (on Oosterdam); it was much cheaper than Viking, so we treated ourselves to a larger cabin - Signature suite. The extra space (compared to the V, DV cabins on Viking) was really welcomed (also necessary on HA, since the 'common spaces' on the ship are not at all inviting, so we spent a lot more time in the room!). We are now looking at another Viking Ocean cruise, but are tempted to go with the PV rather than DV/V category to get the extra room. 

 

We looked at 'cruisedeckplans.com', and saw this for the Signature suite on Oosterdam: 

 

Cabin Square Footage: 294
Balcony Square Footage: 87

 

Barely any larger than the DV/V cabins on Viking. But then, the way those numbers are presented there, they suggest the '294' is for the cabin only, and the '87' is for the balcony (extra). 

 

We then looked at cruisedeckplans for the Viking Jupiter, and saw this:

 

Cabin Square Footage: 270
Balcony Square Footage: 46

 

So that would also suggest the '270' is for the cabin only, and the '46' for the balcony is 'extra'.  

 

Viking's own website says this for the DV/V cabins: "Stateroom size: 270 sq ft (includes private veranda)". Now, at first glance, that could indeed mean, '270 total, including the veranda'.  BUT - you could also read it as 'The stateroom size is 270 sq ft. The stateroom also includes private veranda'.  Especially because balcony size does vary depending on location on ship, presence of lifeboats, etc. 

 

So can anyone say with some certainty that the DV/V cabins are definitely '270 sq ft including the balcony'?  

 

 

 

Edited October 6 by Steerpike58
Corrected link

[Knotagain68]

8 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

So can anyone say with some certainty that the DV/V cabins are definitely '270 sq ft including the balcony'?  

While I haven't measured, when I first began cruising I called Viking and asked. I was told the square footage stated in the Viking website description included the balcony (or veranda).

From the website, PV:

• Stateroom size: 338 sq ft (includes private veranda)

Edited October 6 by Knotagain68

[Mike07]

40 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

 

Just how sure are folks that this statement is accurate - that the square footage given INCLUDES the balcony?  

 

We just got off a Holland America cruise (on Oosterdam); it was much cheaper than Viking, so we treated ourselves to a larger cabin - Signature suite. The extra space (compared to the V, DV cabins on Viking) was really welcomed (also necessary on HA, since the 'common spaces' on the ship are not at all inviting, so we spent a lot more time in the room!). We are now looking at another Viking Ocean cruise, but are tempted to go with the PV rather than DV/V category to get the extra room. 

 

 

 

 

No argument there. You can certainly buy superior to far superior rooms on lower tiered lines for the same price, or less, as Viking. Though, I don't know if you get priority tender embarkation for returning to the ship on tender ports. In Iceland, the Nieuw Statendam was tendering along with our Viking ship.... not only did their tenders have to go a whole lot farther, it was a complete (something)-show getting HAL passengers back to the ship.... the line was easily several hundred people long. Viking... You waited minimal time for a tender and always got on if a tender was docked.

 

I think I have a covert video taken if there's legit interest to show this line.

Edited October 6 by Mike07

[CCWineLover]

23 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

No argument there. You can certainly buy superior to far superior rooms on lower tiered lines for the same price, or less, as Viking. Though, I don't know if you get priority tender embarkation for returning to the ship on tender ports. In Iceland, the Nieuw Statendam was tendering along with our Viking ship.... not only did their tenders have to go a whole lot farther, it was a complete (something)-show getting HAL passengers back to the ship.... the line was easily several hundred people long. Viking... You waited minimal time for a tender and always got on if a tender was docked.

 

I think I have a covert video taken if there's legit interest to show this line.

Totally agree.  You can always find cheaper cabins elsewhere - but you'll pay for it somehow.  Sort of like "free airfare" - which is never really "free".

[Steerpike58]

We are looking at an Alaska cruise next year (11 days duration). 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/alaska-inside-passage/index.html?startLocation=vancouver-british-columbia&endLocation=seward&year=2025

Choosing the May 21 sailing just as a reference for discussion, we see that the PV2 (Penthouse Veranda 2) cabin is $7,399 while the DV2 (Deluxe Veranda 2) is $6,499 - a difference of "only" $900 (so that's less than $100/day)  I thought I saw references earlier in this thread to much greater differences.  Is $900 a typical difference or is that an unusually low difference? 

 

Jumping forward to the Sep 4 sailing (again, just as a reference point for discussion), the PV2 is $7,399 and the DV2 is $6,399 - a difference of $1,000. 

 

Edited October 6 by Steerpike58

[OneSixtyToOne]

47 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

We are looking at an Alaska cruise next year (11 days duration). 

https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/caribbean-americas/alaska-inside-passage/index.html?startLocation=vancouver-british-columbia&endLocation=seward&year=2025

Choosing the May 21 sailing just as a reference for discussion, we see that the PV2 (Penthouse Veranda 2) cabin is $7,399 while the DV2 (Deluxe Veranda 2) is $6,499 - a difference of "only" $900 (so that's less than $100/day)  I thought I saw references earlier in this thread to much greater differences.  Is $900 a typical difference or is that an unusually low difference? 

 

Jumping forward to the Sep 4 sailing (again, just as a reference point for discussion), the PV2 is $7,399 and the DV2 is $6,399 - a difference of $1,000. 

 

In general, it really depends on the sale pricing differential between the DV class and the PV class. Within the PVs each level increases $100, within DV6-2 the increment is also $100, but is $200 more for DV2 to DV1 (DV1s have limited availability). Now notice the price difference between DV1 and a PV3 in the below screenshot for a 2026 Alaska cruise. When on sale the difference between DV1 and PV3 is smaller than the non-sale price differential.

 

[Mike07]

2 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

 I thought I saw references earlier in this thread to much greater differences.  Is $900 a typical difference or is that an unusually low difference? 

 

Jumping forward to the Sep 4 sailing (again, just as a reference point for discussion), the PV2 is $7,399 and the DV2 is $6,399 - a difference of $1,000. 

 

 

 

Differences can be minimal to great. It's all what Viking's algorithm or the inventory management people decide to price and put into their system.  A basic veranda doesn't cost Viking anything more than a Penthouse Veranda, but they can charge a whole lot more for the latter.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Differences can be minimal to great. It's all what Viking's algorithm or the inventory management people decide to price and put into their system.  A basic veranda doesn't cost Viking anything more than a Penthouse Veranda, but they can charge a whole lot more for the latter.

I agree!  I've been comparing and charting the differences.  It all depends on demand.  Where demand is high, I have seen (like Iceland) a huge premium required for PV versus DV (sometimes 2.5 to 3K) and where low (like Transatlantic) perhaps only a 400 difference from PV to DV.  Also within PV (1,2,3) - there can be $100 differences up to $400 differences, depending on demand.  One can never really predict anything.  I'm sure Viking has the algorithms, much like other hotel/airline/travel companies to figure out what to charge for a give room category on a given itinerary.  

If you like what you see, book it.  If not, then wait - sometimes might drop, sometimes wont.

[CurlerRob]

7 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

So can anyone say with some certainty that the DV/V cabins are definitely '270 sq ft including the balcony'?  

 

Yes, I can speak with certainty - I've measured a DV. As you observed, Viking says 270 sq ft (includes balcony) and they mean the balcony is included in the measurement. (I always use the cruise line's data - I find that other sites report the measurements inconsistently).

 

HAL's documentation: Oosterdam's Veranda staterooms range from 212-359 sq ft, including verandas (the largest are usually the accessible cabins). Signature suites on Oosterdam are 372-384 sq ft, including verandah. This is consistent for HAL in that their Signature suites are basically 1.5X their verandah cabins. (Neptunes are 2X).

 

Viking V/DV and HAL Verandah are reasonably similar in 'living feel'. While the HAL cabins tend to be a bit smaller, the space is used differently (eg. smaller bathroom on HAL), so the net effect is not overly noticeable. 🍺🥌

[SJD117]

With six Viking cruises under my belt (and a seventh coming up soon), I’ve never had the urge to measure the dimensions of my PV or DV. I doubt I ever will.

[Steerpike58]

15 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

... Signature suites on Oosterdam are 372-384 sq ft, including verandah. ...

 

Viking V/DV and HAL Verandah are reasonably similar in 'living feel'. While the HAL cabins tend to be a bit smaller, the space is used differently (eg. smaller bathroom on HAL), so the net effect is not overly noticeable. 🍺🥌

The whole reason this line of inquiry got started was that we've had 3 Viking Ocean cruises now in DV cabins (so we know exactly how the 'DV' cabins 'feel'), and just got back from an HA cruise in their 'signature' cabin.  The increase in size for the HA signature cabin was very noticeable - there was room for a full sofa and an extra chair, plenty of extra storage space, and a much bigger bathroom (dual sinks, and tub+shower stall). HA's sq ft number for the signature suite is 372-384, while the Viking 'DV' number is 270.  So basically, the signature suite is 100 sq ft bigger.  But - the balcony was also quite a bit bigger on HA, so it's really hard to know how much bigger just the cabin was. 

 

Given that we loved having the extra space (but didn't like anything else about the HA experience), we are now tempted to get a 'PV' cabin on Viking.  Viking's number for the PV cabin is 338 sq ft.  So Viking's PV sits about half-way between Viking's DV (270) and HA's Signature (380).  So we are trying to decide, is it worth paying about $100 per day extra for the PV on Viking when we still won't be getting as much space as we got with HA's Signature cabin. 

 

$100/day is not that big a deal, but we already feel that Viking are expensive. At $7400 for an 11-day cruise, (x 2 for double occupancy), that works out at $1300 per night for 2.  We compare that to a 'land' vacation with a very decent hotel at $400/night, $200 for pretty decent food (we aren't drinkers), which still leaves $700 per day for transportation and 'other'.  

 

I guess we'll see if we can get a PV on the next cruise, and then decide whether it was worth it after the fact! 

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, Steerpike58 said:

I guess we'll see if we can get a PV on the next cruise, and then decide whether it was worth it after the fact! 

Good idea (trying it out).

With Viking, for most people it is not about exactly comparing physical dollars to physical dollars.  Most wouldn't travel on Viking if that were the case.  One has to consider the non-monetary aspects and decide how important those are.  (such as no kids, the itinerary, the education, the ambiance, and all the other things).  There's always a trade off somewhere.  Everyone will have a different feel for where their personal tradeoff evaluation is.

At the extremes, for some the money is all that matters and for others they value the other aspects of Viking more and are willing to pay that extra dollars.  No right answer.

Let us know how it turns out.

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

The whole reason this line of inquiry got started was that we've had 3 Viking Ocean cruises now in DV cabins (so we know exactly how the 'DV' cabins 'feel'), and just got back from an HA cruise in their 'signature' cabin.  The increase in size for the HA signature cabin was very noticeable - there was room for a full sofa and an extra chair, plenty of extra storage space, and a much bigger bathroom (dual sinks, and tub+shower stall). HA's sq ft number for the signature suite is 372-384, while the Viking 'DV' number is 270.  So basically, the signature suite is 100 sq ft bigger.  But - the balcony was also quite a bit bigger on HA, so it's really hard to know how much bigger just the cabin was. 

 

Given that we loved having the extra space (but didn't like anything else about the HA experience), we are now tempted to get a 'PV' cabin on Viking.  Viking's number for the PV cabin is 338 sq ft.  So Viking's PV sits about half-way between Viking's DV (270) and HA's Signature (380).  So we are trying to decide, is it worth paying about $100 per day extra for the PV on Viking when we still won't be getting as much space as we got with HA's Signature cabin. 

 

$100/day is not that big a deal, but we already feel that Viking are expensive. At $7400 for an 11-day cruise, (x 2 for double occupancy), that works out at $1300 per night for 2.  We compare that to a 'land' vacation with a very decent hotel at $400/night, $200 for pretty decent food (we aren't drinkers), which still leaves $700 per day for transportation and 'other'.  

 

I guess we'll see if we can get a PV on the next cruise, and then decide whether it was worth it after the fact! 

 

My post was in answer to your question "So can anyone say with some certainty that the DV/V cabins are definitely '270 sq ft including the balcony' ". The answer was yes.

 

The other info was an attempt to provide some additional information that might assist you going forward - from someone who has experience with HAL Verandah, Signature and Neptune cabins, as well as Viking DV and PV. In our opinion, Viking PV cabins provide a very pleasant increase in space compared to the DVs. They are not as roomy as HAL Signature cabins. 

 

Of course, the shipboard experience is also quite different. As you say, you are likely best to try a PV out and see if it fits your value equation. 🍺🥌