LFS517

This is what we got in our stateroom on the Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in 2019.

Add me to the people who loved the Tuscany extension.  We took it before our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in 2019 and loved every minute.  Amazing sights, fantastic food and wine, excellent accommodations.  It was perfect!

We were there last April, and had also done a pre-cruise in Florence, so we did the included Viking excursion to Pisa.  It was fun seeing the Leaning Tower, and we enjoyed the tour.

Vicki was our cruise director for our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in April on the Jupiter.  She is a delight, and we wish her the best from her fellow Coloradans!

We did this as a pre-cruise extension in April and loved every minute!  Loved our villa La Veronica, enjoyed all the tours, and the food and wine were excellent!  Our tour leader, Francesca, was the best, keeping an eye out for those of us with some mobility issues and keeping the group moving with enthusiasm and humor.  I highly recommend this extension!

Another vote for Santa Croce.  We were there in April, no lines, no crowds, a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

We took a pre-Rhone cruise excursion that was similar to the Burgundy vineyards back in 2017.  We enjoyed it, the only thing we weren't crazy about was the hotel in Dijon (Mercure).  It was out of the way with not much nearby in the way of restaurants for dinner, also had some remodeling going on.  I think things have probably changed in the past few years.  

lackcreativity, you will see lots of sights in addition to a couple of vineyards.  We enjoyed Dijon, Beaune, and Perouges.

We had the same problem on our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in April.  Thirty-three people were signed up, only about a dozen actually showed up.  I felt bad for Viking and the effort they put into giving us a nice party.  We still enjoyed meeting some of the crew and fellow passengers.

Original Poseidon....a classic!

On 7/10/2019 at 2:57 PM, rrgator said:

Make sure you don't watch Titanic, if it is on the TV.  😁

Seriously, on our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in April, I turned on the TV, and the Poseidon Adventure was on! 

Our Chef's Table meal was one of the highlights of our cruise in April.  We had the Xiang menu and enjoyed every bite.  We also had the upgraded wine pairing and each wine was perfect with each course.  

We were in stateroom 4081 on Viking Jupiter in April.  This room is directly above the lifeboats/tenders.  We never heard any noise, but only had one tender port during our cruise.  It was actually very interesting to watch from our veranda as the crew lowered the tender right below us.

We just returned to Denver from Barcelona after our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise. We took the 7:55 a.m. flight to Munich.....Viking had us leave the ship at 3:15!!  We had to sit on the bus for a half hour waiting for one couple who were late (isn't there always one?).  A positive note - the Barcelona airport was not very busy, easy to check in and get through security!

We did the pre-cruise extension in Munich and Salzburg last year, and loved every minute.  We had an excellent tour guide in Munich and seeing Neuschwanstein Castle was amazing.  We fell in love with Salzburg, had another outstanding guide,

and plenty of free time to explore on our own.  The Sound of Music tour was incredible, so much beautiful scenery.  I know it’s a little pricey, but we felt it was well worth it.

We've been charged a foreign exchange fee a couple of times when booking a Viking river cruise.  We have always had that fee refunded by Viking.....all you have to do is send them a copy of your statement.  

8 hours ago, lackcreativity said:

I am doing some long term planning, and looking at the Lyon & Provence itinerary. I am debating adding the pre-cruise of Burgundy or the post cruise of the Riviera or (extravagantly) both. Any input from readers here regarding this? Certainly I know that these could be done less expensively on our own, but we are both still working and like for someone else to do the work for us on vacation.

 

I do like wine but am no expert, and I love small medieval towns and castles and churches. What would you choose?

 

(Sorry if this has already been addressed in this thread. I have read most, but not all, of it.)

We did a Burgundy pre-cruise excursion in 2017, not quite the same description but very close.  We absolutely loved it!  All of the excursion stops were fascinating and we had the best Viking guide, Charles, for the entire trip.  Highlights were definitely the Hospice of Beaune and the vineyards and wine tastings.  Perouges was also interesting.  Our only complaint, minor, was that the hotel in Dijon is not near the city center, not a lot of restaurants or activities nearby.  There is a public trolley stop fairly close so you can venture out on your own if you wish.

Can you ask at Guest Services when the Meet & Mingle is scheduled?  That way, if you don't get an invitation, and you signed up, at least you know when to show up.  Just asking for future reference....we're looking forward to our first ocean cruise in 40 days or so!

On your My Viking Journey page, look under FAQs, Life on Board, or search for "gift." There is a form you can use to order a gift for your room.....wine, chocolates, champagne, etc.

Following...we are doing this pre-cruise excursion next April before our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise.  Only difference, we are catching our ship in Venice, not Rome.

We are on the Mediterranean Odyssey, starting in Venice April 13. Also have the pre-cruise extension to Florence, Tuscany, and Siena. Our first ocean cruise after several river cruises!

I have some concerns about using Viking because of their poor handling of the flood several years ago. I was not on a cruise then, but paid attention to numerous posts by cruisers who had different experiences with their cruise company in the same situation. AMA handled it well as did several other lines, Viking did not.

We were on Viking Rhine Getaway in the spring of 2015 when the river was closed to all traffic for a day or two due to high water levels. Viking took excellent care of our trip. They managed to adjust docking locations and sailing times, and we only missed a couple of excursions, primarily in Rudesheim and some free time in Cologne. No complaints from us! Everyone's reaction to unexpected events is different, guess we are more easygoing than some.

Thank you molymoo and Peregrina for the information!

You'll find that every cruise line has its supporters and detractors. Do some research, decide what you can and can't live without, and then decide. We have taken 5 river cruises with Viking and have absolutely loved each one. Others find that Viking does not provide enough "active" options like bike rides, serious hikes, etc., although they seem to be adding these options on some cruises. Some cruise lines are all-inclusive, some provide butler service, some include tips, and so on. Only you can know what will make you happy.

Molymoo, can you please tell me how much free time you had in Florence after lunch on your post-cruise extension? We have this booked as a pre-cruise extension and I'm trying to decide if we will have time to visit a museum, or if we should just relax with a gelato. Thanks in advance!

We've used it a couple of times with no problems. Love the extra discount, more than our credit card.