NeilP57

3 hours ago, Janet&David said:

Hi Neil

It may have been fixed by now but when we tried to make advance reservations in the Restaurant for our May 29 England cruise using MYJ it wouldn't allow reservations for V1/V2 cabins. See my post #124 on 13/4/21 on how to sort out reservations by phone.

David

David

Many thanks for this, I have sent my contact at Viking a question on the MDR reservations.

Neil

We are booked onto the July 31 Iceland cruise and Viking are arranging flights and transfers. They are only offering London Heathrow flights, which is fine for us as we are less than 1.5hrs from Heathrow. I am not sure whether you could arrange your own flights from elsewhere in the UK or you need to get to Heathrow to take the cruise. 

My understanding is that this is not a UK only cruise but there will be a mix of UK and US passengers.

The English Scenic Shores cruise is for UK only passengers but all passengers are expected to make their own way to the port of departure; Portsmouth. 

Also it will be interesting to see how they will handle that for those who are using Viking for their Air and transfers?

Surely Viking will have a better idea of timing than I will.

I am not sure how the timings are working with this new feature.

It's the same for us in the UK as well. "Comfort Check In" opens in 80 days and 4 hours which should be about when we are sitting down for a dinner on our first night!

That said in a lowly V2 cabin, who knows what time we will be having dinner?

1 hour ago, ShropshireCritic said:

@NeilP57

These additional "Welcome Back" cruises were loaded on the Viking .co.uk sites late yesterday so we just booked the above 27th July Jupiter Iceland Cruise as UK residents with included flights from London Heathrow. 

 

We are a few days behind you departing on the Viking Sky on 31st July. The Viking rep was very helpful in reserving our preferred stateroom and then transferring the call to my travel agent to then complete the booking.

I was just wondering if this is a UK only sailing or there is going to a mix (or just one) of other nationalities. Happy either way but I do enjoy conversing with other nationalities whilst travelling.

Hi to our US cousins,

This cruise has now been released to the UK market in the last 24 hrs. Departure dates from Reyjkavik are July 24, 27, 31 and August 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, 24, 28, 31 and September 7 of this year (2021)

Do we know if Viking have decided to mix nationalities (or more accurately countries of departure) on board?

We have booked onto the July 31 departure and was wondering if these are UK only cruises or is there going be the opportunity to enjoy the company of our transatlantic travelling companions.

We look forward to learning a lot from the US only departures in June and early July.

Neil

17 hours ago, librarylady19 said:

Any sign of shore excursions yet? We are on 7/3 sailing.

Sorry if I missed this in the earlier part of the thread. Have Viking mandated that you must only go ashore as part of a Viking excursion bubble on the Iceland and Bermuda Welcome Back cruises?

On the Welcome Back - UK cruises, exploring on your own is not permitted.

8 hours ago, portisheadblue said:

The Beatles experience is £144pp

 

lizard Hike is £134pp

 

jurassic hike is £134pp
 

 

Thank you very much for sharing. In isolation they do seem on the high side. I hope the sun shines!

If you could share costs of the some of the excursions that would be very much appreciated. 

10 hours ago, kcpvwill said:

Tresco is now shown as the included tour on the Isles of Scilly.  

I initially was very interested in doing this cruise, but in the end we decided against doing it because we were unable to go and explore on our own. 
 

We had always wanted to visit the the Isles of Scilly so we have gone ahead and booked a week in the Isles of Scilly at the same time as Viking are visiting. We are even staying at the Star Castle Hotel on St Mary’s which is mentioned in two of the four excursions listed. 

The irony is not lost on me, so I may start a new thread “view from ashore” and capture how it feels to be invaded by marauding cruise passengers. Seriously, will probably chose to go and explore one of the other, even quieter, islands, weather permitting. We will also visit Tresco to see the lovely gardens but certainly not on the day Viking will be there. 
 

Just received an email from Viking UK saying that these UK only cruises are being opened up to the general public from tomorrow, rather than being restricted to previous Viking customers based in the UK.

On availability front, the final cruise (June 5) has only 4 Explorer Suites left whereas the two earlier cruises ( May 22 and 29) seems to have availability across all categories. Maybe experienced Viking customers just want it to settle down a bit before joining.

I am sure you will enjoy the the Viking experience. The are many good tips on various threads on how to make the most of the what is on offer. With it being below 50% capacity on what is one of the already spacious ships you will have plenty of space if that is what you want. 

I have just received an email from Viking setting out the excursions for this cruise  Whilst the inability to go off an explore on our own was the only reason we did not book, I have to be fair to Viking in that the range of excursions look appropriate for the circumstances. There is costal walks, vineyards, some privileged access to stately homes along with the some of the more traditional walking tours. Not sure which are 'included' and how much extra the other excursions will be. 

We have stayed in both the Penthouse Veranda and normal Veranda cabins and I am sure you will enjoy the extra space. Maybe worth trying to peep inside a normal Veranda cabin as once everything is packed away there is enough space for the two of us and the pennies saved come in handy for whatever extras you fancy. 

By the time the Viking Rep called me mid afternoon all the V1 and V2 had gone. I took a hold on a DV5 and then discussed with my better half.

Whilst I was very happy to live with the restrictions presented and so well set out above by Janet&David above, she could not cope with the thought of walking around Liverpool following a lady with a red viking flag or being being barred from going off exploring the wonderful coastal paths in Cornwall or the Isle of Scilly. So with a heavy heart I have let the hold go and we will revert to our original plan of a two week trip to the Isle of Skye and other parts of the Scottish Highlands, where we will be allowed to roam free.

It may have been better if all the excursions could have been presented at the time of booking to remove the fear of a walking tour of Liverpool. "On your left is the Cavern Club, made famous by the Beatles".

I also look forward to a "live from aboard" thread, reminds me of the initial maiden voyage of the Viking Star back in 2015 when it was all so new to us all. 

I am sure with such a positive attitude Janet&David you will have a great time.

By the end of May, under the current UK Govt roadmap (obviously like life in general subject to change) I will be permitted to drive to Falmouth and stay and eat in a hotel and walk around that lovely Cornish town and perhaps visit the wonderful Pendennis Casle. 
 

Not sure it’s that different arriving on a floating hotel. Having said that I am not sure how Tresco in the Isles of Scilly will feel when 450 passengers get off. 

I am not aware that any hotels/pubs/restaurants plan to mandate that its customers have to be vaccinated before they enter. so it’s a difficult one for the cruise lines. As we have seen in the UK, P&O and Saga have said that vaccinations will be required, whereas Viking are currently remaining silent on the issue. Viking has the advantage of daily testing which as far as I can see is not part of the other lines’ protocols. 
 

In the end we all will have a choice whether we book or not. I agree also that I have no desire for a weeks cruise to nowhere but at least all the ports are in England so there is less chance of regional disruption. 
 

If it was scheduled to say travel to Scotland, I may not be so confident. 
 

It will be interesting to see how much demand there is, I suspect quite high but we will see. 

25 minutes ago, Hockeyump said:

They also confirmed vaccination not a mandatory requirement.

I read that as well but we will wait to see what they say in their next email.

Given the demographic of Viking's UK customer base, it is highly likely that a high % of pax will be vaccinated, even if they do not insist on it ahead of boarding.

Whilst we will make a final decision once they formally open for booking, it is highly likely that we will book onto this cruise. During the second part of last summer, importantly pre vaccine, we were happy to eat out in well spaced out and not over crowded pubs, cafes and restaurants. We were also happy to wear a mask whilst moving around inside such places and then remove them whilst seated and being served.

So whether a small number of passengers are vaccinated or not is just one of those factors outside of my control that I am probably happy to live with. 

I have picked up from another post on this forum that the UK Viking office have indicated that there will only be 450 passengers on board, so less than half of normal capacity.

Tonight Viking have emailed out to its registered UK customers the latest details of its proposed UK only cruises at the end of May and early June.

The full content of the email is as follows:

No mention yet of whether vaccinations will be required. 

Pricing looks competitive.

9 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Visit Tantallon Castle near North Berwick. Approach from the west at dawn. Heartstopping!

Been to the region a number of times but some reason I keep getting distracted by the fantastic golf course at North Berwick rather than the nearby castle. Both have great views of Bass Rock though!

Interestingly here in the UK, I completed a 10 minute survey yesterday from Viking enquiring about our attitude to travelling with Viking depending on whether they insisted on vaccines for all passengers and/or crew. Whether they insisted on daily testing for all passengers and/or crew. They also said they will be running some focus groups with past/future passengers to explore this further.

However, there continues to be radio silence on the plans for excursions. Unless we can explore a port on our own, or at least not get kicked off a cruise for lagging too far behind on a walking voxbox tour then I think we will continue to push future cruises back and spend more time exploring the UK and Ireland by car.

Rome is one of the great cities of the world and you cannot really do it justice on a day visit. If it was on the coast, I think a lot of cruises would have it as overnight port to give you two days to explore but not many would wish to make the transfer into Rome two days running. 
 

I have done both a Viking drive around tour of Rome plus I also stayed there 3 nights (independently organised) ahead of a cruise starting from Civitavecchia (Port for Rome - 75 minutes away). 
 

Looking at the options, I would opt for the “Rome on your Own” and engage a local guide to cover what you wish to see in depth. All the main sites are walkable but it can be a tiring day, especially as it can still be hot in September.  I personally would focus either on the Colosseum/Forum area or the Vatican/St Peter’s Basilica for an in depth visit (depending on your personal interest) and then more fleeting visits to other sites of which there are plenty. 

I would only recommend the Viking Panoramic tour with photo stops if you feel that you are not up to the walking that is needed to fully appreciate such an  amazing city. 

9 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of confusion with the drinks package and the stocking of the mini-fridge

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. If we sail in August this year, it will be interesting to see what policies are applied in a whole bunch of different areas including this one. 
 

My take is:

Ask, they can only say no. 
 

If they do say no,  ask at the bar for unopened products. 
 

Also, order extra products with room service lunches. 
 

As an aside, some of our most enjoyable lunches have been with room service on the veranda after returning from an excursion whilst docked somewhere with a beautiful view. Bay of Kotor, springs to mind. It is often pot luck whether you have a beautiful vista or a view of the roof of the cruise terminal building! 

21 minutes ago, philbarb87 said:

We made our final $5000.00 payment on February 11 and just seven days later we received the letter for Viking stating that the cruise was canceled. I'm furious with Viking for accepting a final payment, when it had to be known that they wouldn't be sailing.

I am assuming that they offered you a full cash refund when they cancelled your cruise?

Can anybody tell me what the policy is for those in a V1 (basic Veranda) category who has the Silver Spirit Drinks Package.

It seems a little crazy that you can get inclusive drinks at all the bars but they can't put a few cold beers and sodas in your mini fridge?

In 2015 we started our Venice - Instanbul cruise from the San Basilio pier, rather than the large Venetian Cruise Terminal. 

I don't know whether Viking always use this terminal but it certainly worked well for us. We did an excellent three night Viking pre cruise tour of Italy and then we were dropped off right by the Viking Star on its maiden season. We were able to walk easily into the centre of Venice from there after unpacking and then enjoyed the sail away later that evening.