CCWineLover

5 hours ago, jshli said:

Do I need a PIN number in Italy when using my credit card?

If you have a moderately recent credit card with USA zip, you likely won’t need pin.  We just returned from Italy.  Bought several train tickets from machines with no pin needed.  (Rome, Naples)

3 hours ago, Hazel52 said:

Thanks so much for resurrecting this thread. We, too, are on in October and I’m just starting to research our plans….. we much prefer smaller independent tours. Will be happy to share if I learn something relevant.

 

Deb

Thx Deb.  Will hopefully learn from you as we go Oct 2025

If you are DIY (not room service), keep door open by blocking it with chair or carryon.

40 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Clay,

 

1. Affirmative, the TA's refundable credits only showed once we boarded the ship

 

2. Negative, existing optional shore-ex paid pre-cruise with credits or cash were not refunded, so the TA credits could be used.

 

3. When shore-ex are cancelled for missed ports, or change of plans, the shore-ex cost was returned as a refundable credit (paid pre-cruise by Visa) or non-refundable credit (paid pre-cruise with credits). New onboard optional shore-ex bookings were always charged to refundable credits, if available.

Andy - so concisely stated!  You have a great way of netting it out.  Makes sense

50 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Questions for fellow cruisers who used a Travel Agent who provided REFUNDABLE credits as a perk:

 

1. Did those refundable credits show up as refundable on your onboard account upon boarding?

 

2. Did Viking “switch” any excursions purchased with Viking provided non-refundable credits prior to embarkation and use the refundable credits instead?

 

3. If like us, this happened to you, have you had any luck in getting them to “switch” them back?

 

TIA!

Clay -

1.  Yes they showed up sometimes in the onboard account before boarding.  Sometimes they were refunded before the cruise to us on our credit card strangely.

2.  We never had any "switch" done, but I do understand what you are saying.  For us, when we have bought excursions they've always automatically taken it from the non-refundable credits first.   

Sorry if this didn't happen with you.  I do believe Viking Accounting is not very good at accounting or explaining to customers or TA's.  We've always had trouble getting things rectified on other financial situations.

On 3/19/2024 at 1:10 PM, stretchcruz said:

It was fun and nice to meet you and Mrs FetaCheese!! I'm at the thalassotherapy pool. Exercised for an hour, now drying off. In my stateroom there was an invitation to a solo cruisers dinner in Manfredi's private dining room at 6. So I'll go to that. Had the solo cruisers meet up this morning at 10:30 in Wintergarden. Was very nice. Slept in until 9:30. Overcast and a bit rainy today.

Off to a favulous start, Dobie!  Enjoy - Carpe Diem !!

2 hours ago, mariners said:

CCWineLover, did I miss seeing this station on our December trans-Atlantic on the Neptune, or was it closed?  If so, is it only open for certain cruises?  Thanks!

No you didn't.  It was there, but sadly, they closed it - rolled down the metal door.  I asked and they said it had to be repaired and parts were waiting in Ft Lauder ahead of the World Cruise.  Bummer!   They did compensate a little bit by serving up shumai occasionally at the regular World Cafe buffet stations on either side - often at breakfast, and having some Kung Pao dish there as well, but it wasn't the same!

17 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Reminder time-if you’re able to have a FaceTime/Speaker phone call in a public area, it is also possible to have it in the privacy of your stateroom. 

Isn't that the truth!  It appears to be a new disease and has spread to all cruise ships we are on.  I can only think it is part of the "It's all about me" culture that pervades these days.

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

So it’s official, Bruce isn’t coming back🥲. Verity Brown was just introduced as our new Cruise Director. She said she had a message from Bruce earlier today and he is hopeful to get out of the hospital in Singapore on Friday. 
 

Wonder why they didn’t just make Roseanna the new CD? 

Clay - we had Verity Brown as CD a few months ago.  We thought she was fabulous!  and easy to work with as well.  She's out of Tahiti or somewhere in French Polynesia I believe.

9 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

If you are celiac, keep in mind that the noodles are dunked in a pot of boiling water prior to final preparation.  Don't assume that they use different pots for the different types of noodles.   Ask.

Same advice for anything on Viking food-wise.

If you have food conditions please check out with Viking ahead of time.  Ask!

2 minutes ago, McTravelersUS said:

 

I cancelled the included excursion and booked the optional tour.  Then to my delight I found that an 8:30 slot was open on the included tour.  All is good.  Thanks to you both for your suggestions and ideas.

Excellent strategy!  Glad it all worked out!  Enjoy the trip and the excursions.

6 hours ago, stretchcruz said:

I'm in the World Cafe. Cobb salad and chicken. Signed up for cooking classes and bridge and laundry tours.

Way to go Dobie!  You know the drill!  Enjoy Enjoy!!!

44 minutes ago, longterm said:

What I would like would a thread  where previous travelers could offer insight on their experience with various excursions, so that we could get some reviews before deciding to book them. Over time, it could grow to include a lot of the more common excursions that Viking offers.

For the most part, we've liked excursions we've booked, although a few free walkabouts were pretty thin on substance. In those cases we've left the group and continued on our own (after notifying the guide, of course); I'd find it useful to read reviews that might let us know that a particular excursion might be one to skip.

All good points.

My only thought is - it would be more valuable for that set of excursions that doesn't seem to change (like Alhambra out of Malaga).  Lots of excursions are in a state of flux and new ones being added, including included tours - so currency (recency) would be very important if there were reviews posted.

6 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

We arrived at LA pier last November at 10am.  Star didn't begin boarding until 11am.  At that point there were probably 50 passengers queued up.

Probably due to all the midwest and East coast passengers who had flown in early that morning!  And got transferred to the ship - just to wait.  Doesn't seem to happen like that at FLL.  We boarded between 10 and 10:30 at FLL all 3 times embarking there.

Just now, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

Recently on Venus (after 3 Star voyages, no Asian corner)…. My husband got breakfast there many times, as well as lunch and/or dinner.

they will also make, with some advance notice, rice noodles fir the Dan Dan.   I cannot eat wheat pasta, so this was awesome!   I, too, visited several times!

the other lunch and dinner offerings varied, but were always yummy!

it was a real “addition “😄

Yes - we get breakfast there quite often!!

And on a given cruise, you run into a lot of the same people at the station, those of us who have similar tastes!  Quite fun. 

Didn't know that about the Dan Dan - may have to try that.

Just now, millybess said:

So it is an open space like other stations in the WC?  I really don't know how I missed it.  Thanks for starting this thread (although I'm always happy to go off-topic 😉)

Yes!  In fact, in the first picture, you can see the Viking server in the left background, who is serving up gelato at the time I took the picture.

Dan Dan Noodles - always there every night at dinner.

Here are some photos I took of some of the dishes and the arrangement.

We were beginning to sidetrack the Planetarium discussion, so I thought I'd start a new thread for people to share information and photos of the Asian Food Stations.   It is around the corner from the Gelato Station in the back of the World Cafe.  It is there on the 6 later ships - Orion, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Saturn.   I've heard reports that on the earlier ships Star, Sea, Sky - they serve some Asian food at the Pool Grill.  There are plans being discussed to add the Asian stations to those 3 as well when they go to dry dock.

So many people miss it, since it is just a window at the back, where you can order up various dishes.

It used to be other items than Asian, but now all Asian all the time - supposedly due to the feedback from passengers - and it is quite quite popular.  

We always check it out whenever we go to World Cafe - just to see what is being offered that breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  They do not publish what is offered ahead of time.  There is information on placards above the glass countertop that tells you what the items are.

No "Menu" posted.  Just off the Saturn.  They had "placards" on the high lgass protective counter above the food (like those in the World Cafe) that showed different things being served.  Never listed on the app or wall screens.

At dinner, they always had Dan Dan noodles, and then other dishes varied.  Usually another noodle dish, like pork noodles, plus some kind of vegetable dish and/or possibly some meat dishes (like Kung Pao Shrimp for example).  Just a variety of things.  Not known in advance.  We made a habit of always going to the Station right away just to check out what was available that night.

For breakfast, usually had shumai, potstickers, or dumplings plus spring rolls, and other things.  Generally a decent amount of choices.  

I will look for some pictures I took this past trip.

9 minutes ago, millybess said:

They must have had to remove tables?  Possibly the ones where the ship's officers often dine?  I'm trying to imagine this and we'll certainly be looking for it.  Would you happen to have a photo?  

No tables removed at all.  It is just a window that faces the bar, right around the corner from the gelato station.

4 minutes ago, millybess said:

That is very interesting information.  So the Orion has the Asian station?  When we were on Jupiter there was no Asian station, so it must have been added afterwards.  

Yes, all ships Orion and more recent, have the Stations.  We've been to them all and are regular "customers:"!   

Further note - also heard they are talking about retro-fitting the Asian Stations onto Star, Sea, and SKy, when they go into dry dock - It has been quite popular.  

Another note - originally the "station" was going to be specialty items, not just Asian.  For several years, we witnessed Viking using them as Breakfast-omelettes and such;  Lunch-various things like pasta, etc  Dinner-Asian.    They made a decision about a year ago to switch to all Asian all the time - since they told us it was the most popular.

Interesting note on these planetariums  . .

We were talking with one of the Viking General Managers recently onboard who gave us some great knowledge and insights into the various Viking Ocean ships and future plans....

The original 10 ships are called "Star" class.  The Star was the first.  They then had 3 sets of 3 ships released from 2016 to 2023 to complete the Star class.  First group was Sea, Sun, and Sky.  The 2nd group of 3 - Orion, Jupiter, and Venus - had planned to add the planetariums.  Only the Orion and Jupiter got them, as by the time the Venus was being built (and released in 2021), the feedback on the planetariums was so bad they cancelled it for Venus and all future Star class.  They did add the "Asian Stations" by the Aquavit Bar on the 2nd group of 3 and kept them for the 3rd group.  The 3rd group of 3 was the Mars ('22), Neptune ('22), and Saturn ('23).  

10 hours ago, McTravelersUS said:

Once you have booked an included tour with multiple times, is there any way to see if any other time slots have opened up?  Or might an email to ’tellus’ work?  We reserved the 11:45 one because all the earlier slots were taken and that conflicts with an interesting optional excursion.  Would it be smarter to cancel the free one and book the paid excursion?  Then maybe we could hope to get on an earlier version of that day’s included tour when we get on the ship?  I really should have gotten on CC earlier. 😢

That is exactly what we did.  We wanted the optional more so booked it.  Went onboard with no included in that port.  Then after a few days of checking with excursion desk, slots opened up.  Another time, we went standby on an included time.  Viking sadly gets many people who are no shows for an included tour and don't bother to cancel since it is free.  Happens all the time.

12 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

No, it was an Immigration or Security line, not Customs. 

You absolutely right.  I used the wrong "word".  It was officially called "Passport Control".  They ask you where you came from, where you are going, when you are leaving and examine your documents, picture and name.   I stand corrected.  Customs is not the right "word".   Sometimes it is quite a long line and sometimes not so much.  Depends on how many planes have just landed so it is hard to predict.  I've had it take 90 minutes to get through to a connecting flights and I've had it a couple minutes.  That is why you need to allow time for your connecting flight.