Frenchberet

We did Into the Midnight Sun. Our favorite excursions were the Husky Trek in Tromso, Sea Fishing in Lofoten, and King Crab Safari in Honningsvag. Nice itinerary, have fun!

We did the Antarctic Explorer Feb 2023. We did the extensions and flew American Airlines. The flights were fine. If you are using Viking Air, call and ask what they are offering. We stayed overnight at the Hilton Buenos Aires before flying on to Ushuaia. This was a wonderful trip and one that it will be really hard to top! Enjoy your cruise.

Sorry. I just looked at our invoice (trip is 28 days). Islandwoman, maybe contact Viking re specifics for your itinerary.

You can cancel your Viking cruise 120 days or more prior to departure for just $100 per person. Cabin availability is anyone’s guess. Suggest you check the website periodically and take the leap when you feel you can’t wait any longer. We ❤️ Viking, hope you will too!

Following this thread and hoping you receive some helpful feedback on this extension. We are planning to do this pre-extension too. It appears that there is only about a day and a half of free time in Rome. Trying to decide how to make the best use of it!

Wanted to share a memorable story from a recent cruise on Viking Orion. Our steward stopped by to do a turn down just as I was heading up to the World Cafe to get a cup of tea. He asked me to wait and returned minutes later with a tea service complete with a carafe of hot water, cups, tea bags, cream, sugar and cookies. I was totally impressed. It is my habit to get a cup of tea at the WC each evening but this was a nice treat. On subsequent nights, our steward had a pot of boiling water waiting for me in the cabin. Great service.

Some of your questions can only be answered by Viking. It likely is a repositioning cruise. Do they use the subs, zodiacs, and special ops boats? Boots and parkas? Probably not but you’d need to check with Viking. We did the Antarctic Explorer cruise on Octantis (Feb 2023). The expedition ships are beautiful. They are designed and decorated much like the Viking ocean ships but on a smaller scale. Entertainment is limited to performers in the Living Room Bar and Explorer’s Lounge. It consists of a classical duo (violin, cello), a pianist, and guitar player. There are also lectures in the Aula. Dining choices include the Main Dining Room, Manfredi’s, Mamsen’s, and the World Cafe. No problem making reservations for the MDR or Manfredi’s, just use the app. The World Cafe is huge and the choices are amazing. The Grill is part of the WC and you can get made-to-order steaks and burgers. There is also a large sushi area. We do not normally eat dinner in the WC on ocean ships but happily ate there on the expedition ship! There is also room service with a full menu.

The ship’s doctor was standing by with a defibrillator…

That’s correct. On the Viking ocean ships the crossing/Blue Nose celebration is conducted in the main pool area. On Viking expedition ships there is a series of plunge pools that are used. Lots of participation, lots of fun. Bonus is a shot of akvavit at the end!

Hi DaveA, on the US Viking site, there are tabs that give you the option to enter your email - Why Viking, Complimentary Brochures, Sign Up To Receive Updates From Viking. Check the UK site to see if you have something similar. I think this might trigger some nice offers for a first timer. Hope you enjoy sailing with Viking as much as we do!

So, which cabin did you choose?

The special ops boats are faster and go farther away from the ship. They seat 12 passengers. The zodiacs are small, rigid inflatables. They seat 8 people. The zodiacs are used to transport passengers from the ship to landing sites and for short cruises around the bay.

Another vote for 4035. We’ve stayed in this cabin (or 4037) twice, good location, no noise.

We did this cruise and the post extension to Patagonia (Argentina/Chile) in Feb 2023. You really don't need cash as credit cards are readily accepted. We have a MC that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees so used that exclusively for coffee, dinner and souvenirs. We had about $100 in pesos but ended up using it to tip the guide at the end of the extension. Wonderful cruise, have fun!

Honestly, I think it's very unlikely that a person would miss the tip amount charged to their stateroom account. (1) Viking's "tipping policy" is clearly stated on their website under FAQ's (see below), (2) The option to pre-pay gratuities is described on My Viking, Before You Go, (3) Several days before the end of the cruise Viking notifies you of the exact amount that will be charged to your onboard account, and (4) The information is available to view on the TV in your stateroom. You may not agree with tipping in general or Viking's tipping policy, but I think they provide clear information about this issue. There should be no surprises. What is the tipping policy? Our onboard staff is dedicated to providing you with the best cruise experience possible, and it is customary to give gratuities in recognition of their service. How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. To save you worry over whom to tip and how much, we automatically add a discretionary hotel and dining charge of $17.00 USD per guest per day to your shipboard account, which appears on your final invoice at the end of your cruise. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience, including the waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others. Should you wish to make changes to the gratuity amounts or pay in cash, stop by Guest Services at any time. You may also wish to tip your local excursion guides and/or drivers; we suggest doing so in cash at the end of each tour. For your convenience, you can pre-purchase gratuities at our standard recommended rate in My Viking Journey. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide for your cruise experience, including your Program Director, waitstaff, stateroom stewards, galley staff, nautical staff and others.

That’s exactly what we did, no issues.

I’d call Viking to discuss your options.

We sailed to Antarctica on Viking Octantis in Feb 2023. Polaris was docked in Ushuaia when we arrived. We only saw one small research vessel the entire 7 days in Antarctica. No other ships. Not a traffic jam by any means!

Thank you!

Could you post the name of the tour operator you’ve used in Italy? We’re cruising in February and I’m starting to research. Thanks!

On our Viking expedition cruise to Antarctica they held a "blue nose" ceremony to celebrate crossing the Antarctic Circle. There are a series of plunge pools on Octantis that are varying degrees of cold (caldarium, tepidarium, and frigidarium). Passengers wishing to participate jumped into each of the pools in succession and were rewarded with a dab of blue frosting on their nose and a shot of Aquivat. The ship's doctor was standing by with a defibrillator... I've seen videos of other cruise lines where people actually jump off the ship but Viking didn't do that. Viking provides pants, boots, a jacket and liner. You get to keep the jacket and liner (very nice!). The pants really are waterproof.

Before you sail, be sure to complete the dietary preference sheet mentioned above on My Viking. When you board, stop by Guest Services and double check that they have your form on file. I have a food allergy and a form is delivered to my cabin every day so I can select my dinner. When you check in at the Main Dining Room they have your form at the desk. I don’t understand how you talked to the executive chef at the WC and/or Restaurant and he/she failed to mention this. It’s common practice on all (7) Viking ocean ships we sailed. I’ve found that Viking takes this issue very seriously and go out of their way to accommodate their guests.

In my experience with a later flight, Viking offered an included excursion before we were transported to the airport. We flew home from Buenos Aires in February. Our flight was at 10 pm. On departure day, we had breakfast and a few hours on our own. After lunch Viking took us on an excursion for several hours. We returned to the hotel to collect our luggage then Viking took us to the airport. Worked out very well.

We sailed on Octantis too. Beautiful ship! Our February 2023 cruise was after yours (your post says December 2022-January 2023) so I think the captain was probably correct. Our weather was good (sunny, 30 degrees F). I wore gloves and a stocking cap on the zodiacs but didn’t need any special warm weather clothing. Great trip!

I think you should have either brought the matter to the attention of the loud talkers, or to management when it occurred. No point in re-hashing it now.