Little Monty

4 hours ago, Twitchly said:

We like to have a glass of wine with dinner, but we weren’t impressed by the “included” wines on our Viking cruise a few years ago. A few questions:

1. Are the non-included wines much better?
2. Are some of the non-included wines offered by the glass, or do you have to buy a bottle?

3. If you do buy a bottle of wine, can you save half and bring it to dinner another day? 

G'day everyone.

We would not get onboard without the SS package. For us it is the convenience first and foremost, we don't add up or calculate the cost / benefit.

From our experience the included wines are usually better. Once we find a wine we like with stick with it. If we are in Explorers and they don't have it (or run out) .. the wonderful staff often go looking around the ship for what we want and bring it to us. Fantastic service as always.

That said, each cruise is different and we have tried the included wines several times - 'research' purposes of course (even though we had the SS package) and have found several included wines which we quite liked and asked for them rather than the SS package options. Again, we don't worry about the cost of one v the other or whether it is included or only in SS package. If it tastes good, that is all we want.

Re 2/ above .. all the SS wines come by the glass.

Re 3/, once we have the SS package this is not an issue.

I went into some detail about this issue in one of our cruise reviews (maybe Aust - NZ?). If I can find I will copy it back into this thread.

Cheers everyone.
Regards, LM

1 hour ago, flashfearless said:

 

We've also dropped this "Best of" excursion.  Will likely try to make our own plans to see Alice Springs.

Alice Springs is a long way from Uluru. Uluru has it's own airport.

https://uluru-australia.com/about-ayers-rock/ayers-rock-airport/

38 minutes ago, knoxclone said:

I need some Cruise Critic help please....

 

 

 

 

 

TellUs@vikingcruises.com

Good luck.

10 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Which is it? Makes a difference. Viking must have a standard turn-around protocol.

From our experience, leave your laundry bag on the bed in the morning and it will be back the next afternoon. I think you can pay for same day service, but we have never found it necessary. The included laundry is a great perk.

5 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

NeilP57 is right on.  The Colisseum is so much more than a drive by.  If you wish to have a private guide I would recommend RomeCab.  

Another vote for Rome Cabs (owned / run by Stefano).

We used them on our first visit.

The company will tailor the day to do what you want to do.

... I should have added for OP - both the Blue Lagoon and Golden Circle tour are 'must-do' events which I'm sure you will enjoy.

5 hours ago, Porcupine 52 said:

We are scheduled for the Viking homeland trip in late August... ( fingers crossed here).  Looking at the Iceland pre trip excursion.  Would like some opinions of those of you that have been  on that Viking excursion... is it worth doing...?  Never been to Iceland. Maybe the only time in my life I will get a chance to go?

We did a 2 night extension with Viking post our Bergen - Reykjavik cruise in 2019. It was excellent. From the ship straight to the Blue Lagoon with a Viking escort. We stayed at the Grand Hotel rather the Hilton (it was fine). Unfortunately Viking did not offer the Golden Circle tour so we went with a local company named 'Arctic Adventures' - very enjoyable. We did some independent sightseeing and found it easy to get around.

If you want to try a local restaurant I can recommend this place;

Um okkur | www.maturogdrykkur.is | Reykjavík

Try the Halibut Soup if it is still on the menu, delicious.

We loved our time in Iceland and really enjoyed Reykjavik. We thought the Viking extension was good value and was well organised.

33 minutes ago, Porcupine 52 said:

The last day or two I can't get logged in.  It just goes to a blue Viking screen with a circle of death.  I called Viking and they had me do all of the usual stuff but nothing.  Hope some one has some idea.

I just tried .. a slight delay, a blue screen then ... 'you are being taken to a new website'.

Same information in a different format. Not sure if this is world wide or just in Aust.

12 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

Trade Routes and Iberian Explorer are both repositioning cruises.

 

 

 

Hello Peregrina

You posted at the same time as I asked this question of Andy. Thank you for clarifying.

Regards, LM

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

We are doing a B2B - Barcelona to Bergen then a Midnight Sun Bergen to London

G'day Andy - long time, no chat.

I'm not sure what the situation is in other locations but there is a significant price difference between Midnight Sun and Trade Routes (figures below are Aussie dollars, with grat's included).

May 2022 Trade Routes $7,895 for DV1.

June 2022 Midnight Sun $10,595 for DV1 (with similar differences as you move through cabin categories).

Any thoughts on this ? Is Midnight Sun considered to be a 'premium' product, is Trade Routes considered 'repositioning' and therefore not as attractive, do the ports make Midnight Sun itinerary more attractive ... etc.

Not a big deal, just curious if it is a similar situation where you are.

We were scheduled to depart for South America in a couple of days -  now postponed till Jan 2022. We also had a river cruise booked for next year but have also postponed that until we know if Jan 2022 goes ahead.

Stay safe, cheers from Queensland.

LM

On 10/17/2020 at 10:10 AM, Peregrina651 said:

 

I am working on gathering all the information about the tours into one file. 

 

hello Peregrina651.

A self guided tour.

For some tranquility amongst the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong city.

https://www.hongkong.net/attractions/nan-lian-garden.html

https://www.hongkong.net/attractions/chi-lin-nunnery.html

Both highly recommended.

Enjoy your research.

LM

1 hour ago, What was that? said:

We haven't had a trivial, dumb question in a while, so here I go: do Viking Ocean (and River, for that matter) have a tool onboard to punch an oblong hole in my stateroom card so I can clip it onto my lanyard?

I am optimistic that I may cruise on Viking sometime in the future, with two cruises booked...

Thanks!

We take a small plastic see-through pouch (credit card size) and place the stateroom card inside the pouch, which we hang on a lanyard. We have never punched a hole in the actual card and (as per TayanaLorna's comment) we have heard that the cards do not work if you do.

Further to your question yesterday re sliding doors, I didn't respond as I can't be sure about all PS cabins. But from memory we have had sliders in each of the PS cabins we have been in.

Not sure whether all beds on Deck 7 face the same direction.

14 hours ago, Aussie Cruise Nuts said:

We are moving our June 2021 Viking Med cruise out to June 2022 due to the uncertainty of Covid.   I intend to book the 29 Day Barcelona to Istanbul cruise departing 4 June 2022 on Sky.      We have previously cruised in 6024 Penthouse Junior Suite (PS3), but there is no availability for our preferred portside on deck 6 for this itinerary.     

 

7004 and 7018 (PS2 category) are available.   7004 looks a little close to the bow (but may be quieter) and 7018 is near  the entrance to the pool area and Wintergarden.      There may be more noise in 7018  with doors opening and closing and foot traffic.  

 

I would appreciate any assistance from our Viking cruising community on which suite may be the better for this cruise, particularly regarding noise.   

 

Thanks.    

 

Rod 

hi Rod

We have been in 7002 and really enjoyed it.

There is basically no passing foot traffic and access to the lounge can be gained via the door next to 7000. More broadly I just find deck 7 to be an ideal location.

We have also been on deck 8 (8019, also very good) but for our next cruise we have booked 7000 (as 7002 was not available).

Let's hope we are all cruising again soon.

Cheers from Woody Point. LM

3 hours ago, prairie girl said:

The terms & conditions policy is completely new.  Essentially it has been entirely re-written.

I assume there are some aspects of the new T&C's you are not happy with. Which ones ?

On what date did you apply the FCC to the 2021 cruise?

What is the date of introduction of the 'new' T&C's ?

5 minutes ago, prairie girl said:

So, here is our dilemma...

Payment in full was made for a cruise that did not happen in June.

We applied our FCC to a sailing in October 2021 as our insurance would not pay out when a voucher was issued and they permitted us to carry our insurance coverage forward on the new booking.

Now, Scenic has changed their terms and conditions for us on the new punted trip.

 

What happens if we do not accept their new terms and conditions?  Do we effectively just loose our deposit?
Sandra

What are the changes ?

1 hour ago, Herman The Cat said:

I can tell you in the US version of our T&C it did not apply.

Even with all the over-engineering of their T&C to cover so much, it did not contemplate a pandemic.It clearly states that if they cancel for whatever reason, they refund.

Would be curious what the Aus/NZ versions say.

The Australian T&C's (specifically para 5.3 - Cancellation, delays etc) are word for word the same as post 3 above by Scottjeanne.

Just FYI .. Australia's largest airline (Qantas) has cancelled all international flights up to late October 2020 (except a couple to New Zealand).

The Australian government has said (a couple of days ago) they don't expect international tourism into / out of Australia to recommence till 2021.

A number of local travel companies are fighting tooth and nail to refuse refunds for cancelled trips / flights / hotel bookings etc - and our Competition Commission has said future credits are ok in most situations (without defining what is ok and what is not).

Scenic are well known, long standing company in Australia but I don't know anything about the current financial situation inside the company. They have lost a couple of fairly significant court cases over the past few years, but they have invariably appealed those cases with some success.

We are booked on April 2021 Europe river cruise with an early payment bonus if we paid in full by 31 May 2020. We chose not to pay early. We won't make a decision till the last minute (final payment now due in December).

I'm guessing, but I think the 'force majeure' reference above is the company saying it's not our fault and that overrides the 'cancel for any reason' reference in the original T&C's. Likely the only way to challenge this would be through a legal process.

Best wishes to all who are impacted.

LM

38 minutes ago, Herman The Cat said:

I can tell you in the US version of our T&C it did not apply.

Even with all the over-engineering of their T&C to cover so much, it did not contemplate a pandemic.It clearly states that if they cancel for whatever reason, they refund.

Would be curious what the Aus/NZ versions say.

Below is from Australian website .. updated yesterday. After I post this I will go and read the 'original' Terms and Conditions

(I have the 2020 printed booklet) and will report what I find.

..........................................................................

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

Not Star, Sea or Sky -- unless they are converting those ships now while they are waiting for operations to resume.

 

I don't know which ship was the first build to have the Noodle Bar and since Venus hasn't been launched we don't know if she will have a Noodle Bar of not.

 

We will have to wait to hear from folks who have been on the Sun and the Orion.

 

 

Yes on Orion .. they served freshly made pasta (with a choice of toppings / sauces etc) which was an excellent choice for lunch.

I think Orion was the first but I am looking forward to trying it again on Jupiter in November in South America (I think I read somewhere the area is also on Jupiter ?) ... although I am not confident, very sadly, that the November cruise will go ahead.

20 minutes ago, Arizona340 said:

Just booked this trip for June 2021, Venice to Instanbul.  Booked a DV4 to be near another couple that will be on their first Viking cruise. Has anyone been on this cruise and how was it?  Looking forward to another Viking cruise.  

The first sailing of this itinerary is scheduled for April 2021. The itinerary for the first half of your cruise (Venice - Athens) is similar to the much loved 'Empires of the Med' cruise. We did Empires of the Med last year in June and it was excellent. Great weather, interesting ports, fabulous on-board experience.

Unfortunately we haven't been to the ports in the second half of the itinerary - but they do also look very interesting.

As I understand Viking is returning to Istanbul after several years away (similar to many cruise lines, who have been concerned about public disorder and other threats) so you may not pick up many 'Viking' specific tips here - although the CC Ports of Call section may be helpful in your planning.

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/ports/

Best wishes for your cruise.

LM

9 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

And we miss our home on Viking Sun.  Hope we can return sooner. 🍸

36 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Jim - saw a sketch that explained the run on loo-roll perfectly.

 

1 person in a crowd coughs, which causes at least 100 to sh.t themselves.😁

ha ha Andy .. that is gold. So good I had to log in to say hello and wish you safe travels.

Please continue to post - and please ignore the cranky-pants members who think they know better.

And Jim .. hello again, and I also hope you get to return soon. Your posts are always welcome, and valued.

Best regards, LM

2 hours ago, uktog said:

How do they deal with those of us who cannot use the hand sanitizers. I was considering a Viking Cruise but really don’t want the hassle of being hounded every time I enter a cafe or whatever and having to explain myself both to crew and other passengers who chip in. 

(I use my own product by the way). 

I appreciate the reasons for the regimental approach might be thought the best one, but if it’s a standard practice with someone also timing me when I wash my hands, this doesn’t fit how I like to cruise so maybe a smaller more personal line is better for me. 

 

I was heading to push the button on a Viking cruise but I’m not sure I should now. 

hello uktog

I don't judge, and obviously you have a routine which you feel is more than adequate for hygiene purposes in your day-to-day life.

However, when I am on the ship and I leave the cabin I hold the door knob, I press the lift-call button, if the lift is slow I walk up or down the stairs sliding my hand on the rail, I open at least two doors before I arrive at the World Cafe, Restaurant, whatever. If I am lucky, I am greeted by one of the many staff who I know and say hello to, and I shake their hand.

Even if I am sterile when I leave the cabin, there is a chance I may have picked up an undesirable bug on the way. For that reason I sanitise or wash my hands in the basin when I arrive.

Of course you may be able to open the door, avoid the lift, avoid the hand rail and avoid all the other potential hazards on your journey, but nobody else will know that.

All they will see if a person entering the food service area without doing what everyone else does. Nobody will know what you have done before you arrived in the food service area.

You could wear a sign around your neck notifying everyone what your policy is, or you could have room service deliver food 3 or 4 times a day so you don't have to eat in the food service areas. 

But seriously .. if you want to engage with fellow passengers, if you want to eat in the food service areas with a whole bunch of other travellers, and if you want to - dare I say - not rock the boat, you will need to sanitise and / or wash your hands with soap in the basin provided.

If those options are counter to your lifestyle / hygiene choices, it is likely you will encounter some negative feedback from fellow passengers.

Including me.

I wish you well and I admire your honesty, but I don't think it matters which cruise line you choose - especially in the current Coronavirus era - I think refusal to sanitise or wash hands as you arrive in food service area may be inviting trouble.

I love Viking Ocean and I hope you give them a try, but I encourage you think about how you would react if the role was reversed and you were watching me walk into a food service area without using the sanitizer / hand basin.

Cheers from me, LM

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Hey, LM how are you doing? Haven't seen your name here in a while. Maybe I'm just not reading he right threads.

 

 

well hello to you too !

I had some family dramas which took up any spare time I had towards the end of the Iceland cruise (sending / responding to emails etc) and those dramas took a while to resolve.

DW and I did 'Empires of the Med' a couple of weeks after Iceland (it was fabulous, as was the 4-day Greece extension) and I never posted once - again all my time dealing with other issues.

I have only posted in CC once in about 8 months.

However, those dramas are long forgotten and I am avidly reading the Viking Ocean Forum again and will chip in with comments occasionally.

Our next booking is for South America in late November 2020.

I will be following your live posts from your upcoming cruise with great interest.

Kind regards, LM

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Hello from Bergen  (2019 Live thread/ lots of info about shorex taken)

Thanks for remembering me Peregrina651 .. unfortunately I had to go offline for the last few days of the cruise and also the Reykjavik extension and didn't get to finish what I started.

I should just add - we did the 2 day extension with Viking and it was well worthwhile. We stayed at the Grand rather than the Hilton and despite my hesitations (some poor reviews etc) it was fine.

The Blue Lagoon was a fabulous experience - but Viking did not offer the Golden Circle excursion and we booked it direct with a local company - Arctic Adventures. It was a very good day and again well worthwhile.

We enjoyed Reykjavik and I trust you will as well.

I don't normally do restaurant recommendations ... but if you want to try real 'local' food try 'Matur og Drykkur' – the Halibut soup was a fantastic Appertizer and our mains were wonderful (I think I had lamb ?).

The cruise was outstanding and I hope all who are on-board this year have a great time.

Regards, LM

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Thanks Little Monty,

 

Prior to arrival Sydney they were forecasting 10 continuous days of rain, but we actually lucked out, especially the first 2 days. Mostly overcast to broken overcast, but no rain. Last day not so lucky. On departure, they had the pool deckhead open for a group photo, during sailaway and the heavens opened.

 

Heading up to Brisbane, it isn't too bad, just some gentle rolling and occasional pounding, but nothing like we experienced prior to Sydney, crossing the Tasman and in the vicinity of the previous Cyclone. We haven't experienced anything like you did last year crossing the Tasman. Our max winds since leaving L/A have only been about 60 to 70 kts and worst seas about 20 feet.

 

Can't control the weather, so we enjoy this great ship and make the most of it.😊🍻

That is good to know.

And yes, our crossing was an adventure. Thanks for remembering- I haven’t posted anything for 8 months or so but still read the Forum and have been following the WC. I just wanted to come back and say hello.

DW and I love your Blog.

Best wishes.

On 2/10/2020 at 4:42 AM, Heidi13 said:

Same here, especially when the cloxs go back and they last 25 hrs. Departing L/A we had 8 in a row, brilliant start to the cruise.😊

I just wanted to say how disappointed I am for you and all pax on board about the weather you are experiencing whilst in Australia. I know you left Sydney a few hours ago, where the weather was so-so at best - after missing Melbourne altogether.

As well as the torrential rain awaiting you in northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland you now have to deal with a cyclone which has developed west of Fiji.

This is not what you would have been hoping for, not expecting.

I hope things improve and I hope you enjoy Brisbane, despite the forecasts.

Interestingly North Queensland is predicted to have very hot temperatures when you arrive there in a few days time.

Cheers from us at Cooloongatta on the Gold Coast of Queensland, and best wishes to all for an enjoyable time whilst you are in our part of the world.