Squawkman

The OP asked about available news stations. Yes, I have the news on when getting dressed, ready for an excursion, etc.

There are 2 big pots of oatmeal - one made with water and the other milk.

CNN is an international edition while MSNBC is the same as the US edition sans commercials.

Tried twice to respond but got this message: Address not found Your message wasn't delivered to (address deleted)@outlook.com because the address couldn't be found, or is unable to receive mail.

Mikey - if you want, email me at antrekk8 dot gmail dot com and I’ll send you contact for my Viking agent who I call and always get the OBC if I book within 14 days.

Yes, you can board early (not sure how early), but as a rule the World Cafe opens for lunch at 11am. You can hang out on the shop until your cabin is ready - usually a little earlier than your assigned time. Regarding disembarkation, I believe you would have to be off the ship by 8am assuming another cruise crowd is coming in.

Actually, we did make a reservation for 4 - the other couple was a DV. They also hadn’t dined at Manfredi’s yet, so there was no problem getting the 6:30 reservation.

Not necessarily true. We had a V1 and we’re told we would get one reservation at Manfredi’s because we hadn’t dined there yet. We we offered 6:30.

It is often impossible to even stop in your cabin when excursions run late. I agree it’s nice to take a shower, etc. but will miss dinner if we do that when the excursion returns at 8:30.

With the exception that no one knew how long the pandemic would delay cruising, I have to totally disagree with your assessment. Like Heidi13, I found Viking’s FCVs to be very fair and worked very well - as long as one understands the conditions. We booked and rebooked and rebooked - in a few cases, where we changed our minds or Viking canceled/changed the itinerary. When rebooking, if the total cost of the new cruise exceeds the value of the FCV, yes, a deposit is due at booking - to assure you won’t change your mind as with any other booking. FCVs have different conditions, etc. and the it’s the user’s responsibility to check that out with their agent before accepting. We just used a FCV with a promo code and got a better deal than we did the first time in addition to 25%.

As a rule, it opens 6:00PM. Always check the Viking Daily you receive the night before to be sure.

Yes and yes on our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise 2 weeks ago

Wow! FWIW, we had 874 passengers. The one sea day was the only day we couldn't book. While menus for the Restaurant and World Cafe are available on Voyager in advance, we found main attractions were often changed last minute for both places. This did make it harder to book Manfredi's in advance as we found out that morning it was surf and turf day in the World Cafe. So I went there before Manfredi's and had a lobster tail as an appetizer there.

We were in a V cabin and stopped at the desk to make a reservation for Manfredi’s after a few days at sea. When we gave our cabin number, we were told since we had not been there yet, we would get some preference and booked 6:30 for 4 of us. The other couple hadn’t been there yet either.

UWDawg - this is totally off-topic and off-Viking - but are you the same UWDawg that comments on WAPO?

Excellent review. On a previous Viking Ocean cruise, we had the rattling door problem. I folded up a small piece of cardboard and that worked. Ever since, I take that piece of cardboard on every cruise - but I never needed it again.

Selion - thanks so much for posting these promo codes!

Comfort check in is NOT early check in. Verbatim from MVJ: In order to speed up the embarkation process and allow more time to settle in please complete Comfort Check-In for each guest. Basically, you’re answering questions, providing credit card info, etc. in advance. You print a Viking “boarding pass” with a QR code. It saves a little time needed for the embarkation process - and it’s easy to do. Almost everyone we saw at embarkation had done it.

Mrs. Miggins - we returned from our Mediterranean Odyssey cruise earlier this week. We received a local map for EVERY port we visited. They were available at the disembarkation station and usually again on the pier on the way to the town and buses.

Pick up your checked bag and look for Viking staff. In most airports, they will be in the baggage claim area or just outside the baggage room. Your luggage will be collected, and you’ll see it next in or just outside your hotel room.

Heidi - Thanks for the explanation - just one further question: do you have an idea how many cabins are included in a zone on Viking ships? We overheard someone complain about 20 cabins down the hall from us that they had to leave their cabin because of toilet issues.

No, it’s not always the passenger’s fault. In our case, there was just no flushing action when we returned to the cabin. No paper, etc. Totally different flush process.

I spoke with my inking agent and he said anyone who has completed a Viking cruise can call him and if they book within 14 days, they can get the $200pp SBC.

We just came home yesterday from the subsequent Med cruise on the Sea. We went to bed around 10:30 the second night and all of a sudden the toilet wouldn’t flush. I called the service desk. Less than 10 minutes after I called, I received a call back that it will be fixed immediately with no need to enter our cabin. It was. No further problems.

We did the Douro last November - it was our first post Covid cruise. This itinerary is not comparable to other Viking river cruises as Mikey points out. However, we loved it so much we are considering doing it again in 2024. Everything about Portugal and the cruise appealed to us - the excursions, the people, the simplicity. We had 85 passengers and got to talk with everyone. We booked it on the recommendation of our long time Viking agent who felt it was for us. Interestingly, wine is a big part of the culture - and neither of us drink wine. To each their own..,.