Peregrina651

Not so bad for us; we've been with Viking, but it will be a real disappointment for those who haven't been.

My bags are packed. I'm ready to go. I have one more job to do before we walk out the door (in the middle of the night): start this thread (while I still have a real keyboard to type on). @formernuke covered a lot of ground on his thread, Semi-LIVE from Venus British Isles Explorer 4/19 with Churchill Pre-extension, so check it out as well. It is full of great information and vacation-enducing photos. Also note that formernuke did the Churchill extension and took really good notes for anyone who is also doing that extension. For the search engine, let me name-drop the ports we will be visiting by sharing our schedule: THU MAY 09, 2024 Embark in London (Greenwich) on Viking Neptune FRI MAY 10, 2024 London (Greenwich), United Kingdom 02:00 PM SAT MAY 11, 2024 Dover, United Kingdom 08:00 AM 06:00 PM SUN MAY 12, 2024 Scenic Sailing: English Channel MON MAY 13, 2024 Dublin (Dun Laoghaire), Ireland 08:00 AM 08:30 PM TUE MAY 14, 2024 Holyhead, United Kingdom 08:00 AM 06:00 PM WED MAY 15, 2024 Liverpool, United Kingdom 07:00 AM 06:00 PM THU MAY 16, 2024 Belfast, United Kingdom 08:00 AM 06:00 PM FRI MAY 17, 2024 The Highlands (Ullapool), United Kingdom 12:00 PM 06:00 PM SAT MAY 18, 2024 Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), United Kingdom 08:00 AM 05:00 PM SUN MAY 19, 2024 Edinburgh (Newhaven Harbour), United Kingdom 08:00 AM 05:00 PM (always a tender port) MON MAY 20, 2024 The Highlands (Invergordon), United Kingdom 08:00 AM 05:00 PM TUE MAY 21, 2024 Shetland Islands (Lerwick), United Kingdom 08:00 AM 05:00 PM WED MAY 22, 2024 Bergen, Norway 08:00 AM THU MAY 23, 2024 Disembark in Bergen We also have 3 full days of touring on our own in London pre-cruise and another four days of touring after as we make our way from Bergen to Oslo, which I will also talk about for the do-it-yourselfers. So, away we go! 🎉

It's okay to moan and groan here but if we really want to see changes, then we should be flooding the inbox with e-mails asking that there be changes -- and listing those changes we want to see. TellUs@vikingcruises.com

And if it takes longer?? At least by the time you leave the ship that day, you will have a better idea of the arrangements at the port -- and especially the time of the last shuttle back to the ship (especially if it is the only way you can get back to the ship).

Don't forget to allow for the time it will take you to get from the drop off point to the ship. No one has commented if cabs and Ubers can drop you right at the berth. What if it is a shuttle from drop off point to gangway?

Unless you have already bought the tickets for the wedding and if Viking will allow it (sometimes when air is free there are restrictions), use the cruise air to fly you to Montreal, rent a car to take you to Vermont and back (with plans to drop the car near the dock, not at the airport). It is called a "deviation" and it will let you fly into Montreal up to 30 days prior to the start of your trip. There is a fee for the deviation and you lose transfers on any deviated leg of the journey. Otherwise, you need to find out from Viking if they will let will let you book a one-way trip under the free airfare offer. Booking a RT ticket won't work since once you don't show up in Tampa, the rest of your journey is cancelled.

Actually, I appreciate the heads up. I've learned quite a lot from your live thread that has helped me prepare for our adventure. I'm sorry it is coming to an end.

Arrgh, Tom!! I'm packing now and temps in the 70s has completely blown my packing plan! <tearing-hair-emoji>

I figure that any stockholder benefit will be outstripped by possible dividends (which will be paid whether I sail or not) and the profit I will make when I sell my shares.

No shuttle from Rosyth but I believe that a shuttle runs to the nearby train station. You should wait for @fruitmachine to reply. They know the city and can tell you how to get into Edinburgh with the least hassle.

It has not changed. Sorry if my explanation was not clear. Air fare and cruise fare are still separate line items on the invoice and free still means free over and above the stated cruise fare.

AirPlus is the fee we pay to get to get to talk with the Viking Air agents before our flights have been assigned, so that we can be part of the choosing process. I don't know what the fee is and Air Plus is not available for all itineraries. Also referred to as Custom Air. Deviation is when you arrive before Day 1 of the itinerary and/or fly out after Day Last of the itinerary. There is a fee for this and their may be additional fare imposed by the airlines, One last Air fee is a layover fee. That is when you put a more than 24 hour gap into a flight plan. For instance, if you want to stop in Paris for a few days on your way Athens or Istanbul to board a ship.

The questions they answer every day, they know the answers to. The question they don't answer every day and that aren't in their database, they have no idea how to answer and don't have the time to research.

As usual, I'm the dissenting voice. If you want something specific from Viking Air, then I suggest paying the Air Plus fee and booking your flights as early as possible so that you have the most choices and the greatest possibility of getting exactly what you want. Among other things, it saves the months of stress waiting to find out what flights you have been assigned and then the stress of trying to find a viable alternative if the first flights are unacceptable. It is okay to pay a fee for peace of mind. I also suggest that you do your homework before you talk with Air Plus. Is non-stop to your destination even possible from your home airport? If not, what is your Plan B? As for a deviation, yes always when you are leaving home. Enough flights are delayed or cancelled these days that we should all plan to arrive early. Heading home deviate only if you want to hang around to see more at that port. Also, do not think of your airfare as "included" just because it is free because Viking does not think of it that way. Viking prices its cruise fares and its airfares separately; they are separate line items on your invoice. If you cancel the air portion of your booking, you get back what you were charged. If the airfare portion of your flights is $999, Viking takes $999 off your invoice. If you were charged $0 for your flights, they take $0 off your invoice.

TellUs is the better place to ask. TellUs@vikingcruises.com. Include your booking number and your phone number.