Excursions - do they sell out?

I note that excursions are offered on a class basis with first dibs to suites, etc. I've been told that the earlier people get to choose the time of their tour, but is it also possible that a particular tour could be sold out at all time slots by the time you are allowed to book your excursion? I interested in a cruise that includes Indonesia with an excursion to Borubdur; I would not be happy missing that.

I note that excursions are offered on a class basis with first dibs to suites, etc. I've been told that the earlier people get to choose the time of their tour, but is it also possible that a particular tour could be sold out at all time slots by the time you are allowed to book your excursion? I interested in a cruise that includes Indonesia with an excursion to Borubdur; I would not be happy missing that.

Yes, sometimes they do sell out and there are a lot of reasons that they do. Sometimes, it is the capacity of the destination. Sometimes, it is imperfect guess work, trying to figure out which tours will be most popular in a port where Viking has never visited before. However, Viking has promised one included tour per port and so far they have been pretty good (not perfect) at having enough slots for everyone on the included tour. You might not get the time that you want but you will get a seat.

As for the tour you are interested, there is no way of predicting anything at this time since Viking has yet to visit Indonesia; it's first call will be on the World Cruise departing at the end of this year.

Thanks Peregrina; that pretty much answers the question neatly.

I note that excursions are offered on a class basis with first dibs to suites, etc. I've been told that the earlier people get to choose the time of their tour, but is it also possible that a particular tour could be sold out at all time slots by the time you are allowed to book your excursion? I interested in a cruise that includes Indonesia with an excursion to Borubdur; I would not be happy missing that.

For the optional excursions, having been in your class cabin, I worried about this too. I knew this could be a problem so I started to research other options for these excursions so I would be ready with an alternative if I need to use it. When you are able to book, you are still able to book most outside excursions at that time if need be. You also rest easy when the time comes to book because you know if things don't work out through the ship you know where to go next. We did not have to use the alternative plans.

They may sell out online, but then be available onboard.

In reading LOTS of reviews and posts, that is not a problem that appears to be common.

Thanks Dauntless and garycarla; been on 20+ cruises but can't remember the last time I did any ships excursion as I prefer to book those direct. This time my goal is to see Borubdur unless I arrange to see it through a 2 day pre-cruise tour from Bali. As to the other excursions I'm copacetic with whatever happens. Thanks again for your input.

Hi Everyone, This is our first Viking cruise and we have a V2 room which means we won't be able to pick our excursions until August 5th which happens to be a week we're on vacation out of the country;) I wanted to pick the excursions that they over for free to give them a try. I'm not even sure how you go about selecting the excursions and would love any input on this. If the excursions aren't available when I try to book them what is the next course of action? This is honestly the only thing that is coursing me a little concern. I would very appreciate any input on this:) Otherwise We're so excited to celebrate our 35th anniversary on this cruise. Thank you in advance, Pat

Hi Everyone, This is our first Viking cruise and we have a V2 room which means we won't be able to pick our excursions until August 5th which happens to be a week we're on vacation out of the country;) I wanted to pick the excursions that they over for free to give them a try. I'm not even sure how you go about selecting the excursions and would love any input on this. If the excursions aren't available when I try to book them what is the next course of action? This is honestly the only thing that is coursing me a little concern. I would very appreciate any input on this:) Otherwise We're so excited to celebrate our 35th anniversary on this cruise. Thank you in advance, Pat

Hi, Pat, if when you go to book your excursions you have any trouble booking the included excursions, contact the kind folks at tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them for help. On the other hand, if you have access to the internet (and it is secure enough to use a credit card) while you away, you can still take care of business. Remember that booking will open at Midnight Los Angeles time for all passengers, which means 3 am East Coast time and 9 am or so if you traveling in Europe, depending on the time zone..

Hi Peregrina651, Well that's great to know! I'll be in Calgary Canada which will be mountain time. I just called and spoke with Viking and they told me exactly how to do it. We have a late night flight on the 4th so I should be arriving at my hotel about the time the booking starts at 1am mountain time so I'll get right on then and book them. Very excited about the cruise and I've read a lot of your posts and I really appreciate how helpful you are. Have a great day:cool: Pat

Hi Peregrina651, Well that's great to know! I'll be in Calgary Canada which will be mountain time. I just called and spoke with Viking and they told me exactly how to do it. We have a late night flight on the 4th so I should be arriving at my hotel about the time the booking starts at 1am mountain time so I'll get right on then and book them. Very excited about the cruise and I've read a lot of your posts and I really appreciate how helpful you are. Have a great day:cool: Pat

Are you going for the Calgary Stampede? We did it about 10 years ago and loved it. Followed it up with Jasper and Banff.

No I think that happens earlier in the summer. I'd love to have seen it though. We're going to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Really looking forward to it. There's so much to see it feels a little overwhelming trying to pick what to hike.

No I think that happens earlier in the summer. I'd love to have seen it though. We're going to Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff. Really looking forward to it. There's so much to see it feels a little overwhelming trying to pick what to hike.

Hmm, for some reason I have it in my mind as the beginning of August but then again, it was over 10 years ago. If a walk/CAT ride on the Columbia Glacier is part of your plan, be sure to bring cold wet weather gear because regardless of the weather in the parking lot it will be wet and cold out on the glacier.

I just checked and it's July 7/16 for the stampede. It does look fun. I'm not sure if we'll be doing the Columbia glacier yet but that's good to know on bringing warm clothes. I'm going to bring some anyway. Do you have any other recommendations for Canada?

I just checked and it's July 7/16 for the stampede. It does look fun. I'm not sure if we'll be doing the Columbia glacier yet but that's good to know on bringing warm clothes. I'm going to bring some anyway. Do you have any other recommendations for Canada?

Yes, email me so we don't continue to hijack this thread.

Hi Peregrina651, I can't seem to email you or send you a private message. No worries and thanks for all your great advice. Pat

Hi Peregrina651, I can't seem to email you or send you a private message. No worries and thanks for all your great advice. Pat

Pat, there is no private messaging on Cruise Critic but, my e-mail is in my signature file, unless you have signatures intentionally blocked.

Does Viking reveal the excursion options before booking is open???

Hi, Pat, if when you go to book your excursions you have any trouble booking the included excursions, contact the kind folks at tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them for help. On the other hand, if you have access to the internet (and it is secure enough to use a credit card) while you away, you can still take care of business. Remember that booking will open at Midnight Los Angeles time for all passengers, which means 3 am East Coast time and 9 am or so if you traveling in Europe, depending on the time zone..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I can view excursion options on my journey for our trip in December. I cannot view pricing or times.

thanks for your quick response. I am going on a new ship on a new cruise journey in October, and the excursions are not yet available. Booking opens early July, and I just hope I get a chance to research the choices first.

I can view excursion options on my journey for our trip in December. I cannot view pricing or times.

Does Viking reveal the excursion options before booking is open???

Yes, about 120 day out they are posted to MyVikingJourney, with prices and maybe times (I can't remember). Before that you can see what might be on offer for your cruise on the itinerary page for your cruise on the Viking main website. Some of the newer ports (like Marseilles and St. Tropez) don't show shorex on the itinerary page:(. Hopefully Viking gets around to updating.

I am wondering if maybe there is not consistency on this......because previously we had to wait as Peregrina points out until 120 days......(I haven't really paid attention to this subject on cruises I am not taking)......but if you look at the Caribbean to the Amazon cruise, which we are on in December, they now have listed the various specific excursions in each port on their website.....some of which have been on for a while, and some are very recent.....no pricing or times, but they are there.....and many of the ports are first time ports for Viking on this sailing......so I don't know if there is a specific answer?

I am wondering if maybe there is not consistency on this......because previously we had to wait as Peregrina points out until 120 days......(I haven't really paid attention to this subject on cruises I am not taking)......but if you look at the Caribbean to the Amazon cruise, which we are on in December, they now have listed the various specific excursions in each port on their website.....some of which have been on for a while, and some are very recent.....no pricing or times, but they are there.....and many of the ports are first time ports for Viking on this sailing......so I don't know if there is a specific answer?

Let me see if I can clarify. There are two places that tours are listed. The first you encounter is on the Viking main website when you are checking out the various itineraries. Each itinerary page has the same basic layout with the ability to navigate from itinerary to pricing to ship information etc. On the itinerary page/tab, there is something called Cruise Overview, down the left side of the page, which lists each day of the cruise port by port. You can click your way down the list of days/ports to learn more about each port and in most case to see what they offering for shore excursions in that port. The list that they show here is not the final choice of tours that will be offer on your cruise. Some of the tours are seasonal. Some aren't available on the day you will be in port. It is a generic page for that port; if you look at 10 itineraries that stop in Barcelona, they will all show the same exact page. Click on learn more for details about a particular tour. Some times, when you click on learn more it will include a price and other times it will not; those prices are subject to change.

The second you encounter--and the one that really counts-- is on MyVikingJourney.com and it is second because you can't access a cruise on MVJ unless you have actually booked it and added it to MVJ. This is where you will work to book your shore excursions. My experience has show that Viking does not populate the shore excursion pages here until about 120 days before you sail--and that number is ball park and it may even be closer to the 97 day cut-off when the suites start booking. This will be the final selection of tours that is offered on your cruise. This is where you will find out about pricing and timing and this is where you will actually book your tours..

Please note, you must book your included as well as your optional tours and you must complete the check out process in order for the transaction to be completed. Check out immediately even if you aren't sure about a particular shorex; you can always cancel a tour later but if you don't pay for it immediately your name is not on that seat and it will be sold to someone else (as has been pointed out earlier on this thread).

Vineyard View we are planning to do the Caribbean and the the Amazon November 2018 although it is NOT available yet. I am really hoping that the Amazon piece lives up to the advertising.

We met a delightful English Couple on our last cruise who will be on your sailing!

Please note, you must book your included as well as your optional tours and you must complete the check out process in order for the transaction to be completed. Check out immediately even if you aren't sure about a particular shorex; you can always cancel a tour later but if you don't pay for it immediately your name is not on that seat and it will be sold to someone else (as has been pointed out earlier on this thread)

Hi Peregrina651, When you say check out immediately do you mean after you choose each individual excursion or when your done choosing all your excursions then you check out? I intend to choose all of the excursions in one sitting. Thanks, Pat

Please note, you must book your included as well as your optional tours and you must complete the check out process in order for the transaction to be completed. Check out immediately even if you aren't sure about a particular shorex; you can always cancel a tour later but if you don't pay for it immediately your name is not on that seat and it will be sold to someone else (as has been pointed out earlier on this thread)

 

Hi Peregrina651, When you say check out immediately do you mean after you choose each individual excursion or when your done choosing all your excursions then you check out? I intend to choose all of the excursions in one sitting. Thanks, Pat

Pat, if there is an optional that you want and you think it might be very popular or that you really, really want, I would do that one first and check out and then go back and do the rest. Otherwise, it really doesn't matter if you check out one at a time or in batches or all at once.

I checked out in batches last time so that I could use my credit card "purchase eraser." When I book in October, there are a couple of tours that I think will sell out quickly, so I will book those first, pay and then go back and make the rest of my choices. The other thing that I am thinking of doing is signing up for the included tours in the cities where we are actually planning to go off on our own, just in case the January weather is raining and we don't feel like wandering around with umbrellas up all day.

REMEMBER, you must check out even if you have only included tours in your basket.

REMEMBER, Viking does not keep a waiting list. If you get closed out of a tour, check every day for openings. (also, keep in mind that you will have to cancel any tour you already booked before you can purchase another tour in the same time slot; the system won't let you double book).

TIP. Don't bother with the MJV wish list. There is currently no link from the wish list to booking and it is just as easier not going back and forth between the wish list page and the booking page. Make your list the old fashioned way -- on a scrap of paper.