Question about Optional excursions on Viking: Do these through the ship or arrange with a third party?
We are considering a first cruise ever with Viking (Ocean Star), the Mediterranean Odyssey in May 2024.
In looking at the "Included" excursions, most of them will not allow us to see much--they look like a budget option. On a previous med cruise (Celebrity), we arranged excursions through tour companies that specialize in the particular region (esp in Italy).
I can't find any prices on the optional excursions listed on Viking.
Question for experienced Viking cruisers:
1) What has been your experience with V optional excursions, relative to arranging with a third party tour guide operator? Were the prices and guides comparable? Was there any particular advantage doing excursion through V (other than they will guarantee the ship won't leave you behind)?
2) If we are in DV cabin, will we even have the option of booking through Viking, given the cabin pecking order? I would hate to find out a mere 60 days in advance that we are not able to book through Viking. I plan much further in advance and would like to have excursions taken care of.
Thanks for any insight