Marykatesmom

I used Miles&Miles.net during a precruise stay in Rome and couldn't have been happier.  They are a private tour guide company but they also had drivers and a cooking class in Rome that was unbelievably awesome.  I am using them again for our overnight stop in Florence.  They were incredibly accommodating, responsive, and the guides spoke excellent English.  

Thanks for the information.

We are considering one as well in 2020.

On 10/24/2018 at 12:07 PM, MarkTapley said:

I don’t think you should be concerned about how others will view you.  But I do share deec’s concerns about the ship’s tours, particularly the included ones.  During our recent 8 week trip on Orion, we booked tours on our own for all the major sites.  Worked out great, because we went at a much faster pace with a small group.  And it’s really easy to book with other CC folks once you pick a cruise and join the Roll Call thread for that cruise.  We did go on several ship tours, and we had to go the pace of the slowest.

That was what I was thinking.  I'm sorry but if you can barely walk and need a cane you should not sign up for a excursion labeled "demanding".  It isn't fair to the other passengers.  We had to crawl along at a snail's pace which, not only prevented us from seeing some things but made it rather boring.

I've only been on one VO and I would worry not worry one bit about the other passengers.  Several of our travel party was gay and they thought it was "awash in the gay" their words.  Apparently the idea of a ship without children is very appealing to that demographic.  

Unlike other cruises there are plenty of two top tables in the dining room so my daughter and I never once had to dine with anyone else.  If you have been on other cruises the ship will seem very empty.  Except for the bars, there really isn't an opportunity for much socialization amongst passengers.     

Except for Torshaven, there is very little night life. All the other bar area's are actually quite quiet.

Go and enjoy!

I just have the airport to cruise ship transfers.  Has anyone had to wait very long to be transported to the ship?

We were on a short cruise in March with no Sea Days and my daughter was the only one that went into the pool that I saw.

So the cost if you are flying business can be significantly cheaper according to tubeamps. What are the other benefits? It sounds like you need to do your homework before deciding to use Viking. I usually fly in and out a day or two before a cruise and after the cruise. Is it much more expensive to do that in business? It sounds like you have to pay both a deviation fee and the custom fee.

@marykatesmom

Yes, you’re right, shopping options onboard are very limited. We found mostly long pants and sweaters, impossible for the hot weather we had.

I think that might be something Viking needs to work on. Clothing options that matches the climate and the time of year.

What made me smile and think about this is we frequently cruise Disney Cruise Line. You could have easily bought a new outfit every day of the cruise including underwear, socks, shoes, hats, gloves, etc. Disney does not miss an opportunity to sell you stuff.

So sorry to hear about your experience. Luggage delay is a hassle particularly on a Viking cruise as there isn't a lot of shopping options onboard.

I always pack a change of clothes and clean underwear in my carry on and a bathing suit if it is a beach vacation. 4 bathing suits at a resort are expensive and nothing I would wear again.

Let us know how it turns out.

I loved the fact that I did not have to carry my key card everywhere. By the second night the bartender knew my drink and room number.

I also second the wonderful sense of spaciousness and lack of crowding.

This is interesting. Thank you!

I'd too would recommend the Silver Seas Package. I loved grabbing an Aperol Spritz on my way to my cabin after an excursion and sit on my veranda. Stopping for a pre- and/or post- dinner drink. After a couple of days, the bartender did not even ask my room number but greeted me by name. Nothing to sign or handing over my room key to pay. I did tip cash though at the end of the voyage.

I bet you are right, and that may be the answer. However, they do break it down by cabin category and most times one person would be booking for a couple, so I guess maybe at most a few hundred people each opening day. I wonder if that would make the experience much more difficult if everyone in DV or V cabins logged in at the same time?

On one cruise yes. But now there are 6 ships and 6 categories (really 5 but I included Owners suite) so they need to spread the pain so to speak.

I'm not a big fan of the time myself but I suspect that a more convenient time might draw too many users at opening.

Regarding annual plans, it looks like they are limited to medical and medical evacuation.

Answer:

If you wanted trip protection such as trip cancellation coverage, you would need to purchase a separate policy for each trip. If you were interested in travel medical coverage on an annual basis, we can offer a multi-trip medical plan that provides both medical and medical evacuation when traveling outside of your home country.

Just another reason to buy an annual or multi trip policy.

I had never heard of an annual policy. Could you direct me to where I can purchase one? I usually get "Cancel for Any Reason" so I doubt there is one available that would include that but I can check it out.

Thanks for the quick reply!

Good advice! We had some tours sell out before they could be booked and we also had some slots added long after all booking was open to everyone. I checked almost daily.

I was wondering about the Muster drill on our cruise leaving Barcelona with an overnight there. We arrive the morning of the cruise (which I despise but had no choice). We are heading directly to the ship having lunch then I was planning on hiring a tour guide to pick us up at the pier after we checked in and left our luggage on the ship. If I remember correctly when we had the overnight in Rome the muster drill was Day 1 but I could be wrong.

It doesn't seem reasonable to have it Day 1. If you are spending the day in the port you would have to make a special trip in the middle of the afternoon just for Muster and then leave the ship again?

Be sure to check with the agent that the policy is transferable. I moved a cruise more than a year before the final deposit and the insurance company was giving us a hard time about transferring the date, they eventually did but I was surprised because I had done it in the past without issue. I know to now ask insure my trip if the policy is transferable. I can vary depending on the company.

Thank you! Just the information I need! If the cabs are easily available at the Barcelona airport that is what I'll do. I'm a preplanner so I was thinking about having the transfers booked just to not worry about anything but I have also read that one of the downsides to transfers is that sometimes you have to wait to at the airport for other passengers to arrive and then you go to the ship in a big group causing further delay.

How about from the transfers from Civitavecchia (Rome) to the airport? Are cabs available at the port?

Thank you! This was exactly what I was looking for! Unfortunately our cruise is in Florence on a Sunday and Monday but I'm going to be positive about this and hope for lower crowds.

Train is the best way from Livorno to Florence. I didn't even see bus service when I was researching this. When you get your train ticket make sure to choose a train that is direct to Florence with no changing of trains necessary. Internet is great. You can figure out which trains you want to take, etc. When I went to buy the ticket, I had exactly what I wanted written down and just handed it to the ticket agent.

 

You might learn about the Christmas markets on this itinerary by going to the 2017 roll call for similar dates to yours and asking there. Viking Star was doing this route in 2017.

Excellent advice! Thank you!

I am doing this itinerary the end of November through beginning of December and hadn't even thought about the Christmas Markets! When do they normally begin?

I was thinking of going into Florence and taking some private tours out of Florence. I hadn't considered staying the night in Florence which sounds like fun. What would be the best way to get from the port and back to Florence.

I would be interested in hearing others opinions on the excursions offered by Viking.

Just another example of those answering the phones not having a clue! It drives me crazy. These are simple, basic questions and they are not getting them right. Not good.

Another question that they got wrong was you could not cancel the Silver Sea's package until you board which is the exact WRONG answer. Someone remembered that they are getting an OBC and could use it to pay for the package which they already purchased. I talked her through cancelling it on MVJ since I did the exact same thing. It was very easy. They told her to talk to her TA.

Someone else called about using the OBC for gratuities and was told it was OK to use for Viking Ocean but not Viking River. Is that correct?