dd57

Viking river balcony cabins are bigger than their French balcony cabins because the hallway is not in the center of the ship. This adds a significant space between the bed and the window. Check out the photos on the Viking website to see what I mean. Now whether or not that is worth it is a personal decision.

I have actually sailed with Viking. After having done over 20 ocean cruises, on several lines, I was used to doing research before choosing. We decided to try river cruising and chose Viking because of the itinerary and dates fit with our schedule, and the emphasis on culture and history appealed to us. This was 2 years before the cruise and there were only 2 cabins available. I was taken aback by the early payment but we went ahead, because at the time the TA gave enormous paybacks after the cruise (they are no longer allowed to sell Viking cruises). That payback meant that Viking cost less than other lines. We were so happy with our experience that when Viking started ocean cruising, we started looking for a cruise to take with them. I built a spreadsheet to compare apples to apples between Viking and Princess for the itinerary we wanted to do, comparing cabin sizes, extra costs, etc, and Viking only cost $10/day for a much better smaller ship experience. OK, let's go. Wait, it's all booked 2 years out? So we booked it that far out. We had to pay a year in advance, but we were willing to do it to get the experience we wanted. On that cruise we booked our next cruise and final payment was set to 6 months. Since then, we always get a 6 month payment because we already have another cruise booked or have just returned from a cruise, which I learned to ask for by reading the Viking Ocean board. (I don't know why the text turned red) Viking is often fully booked over a year in advance. I just booked a July 2025 cruise because 2024 was sold out. We have 2 river cruises booked in 2024 that we booked last year. I'm sure there are some people who are swayed by the ads, but that isn't everyone. Most of the people we met on that first river cruise were well travelled and not new to cruising.

Yes, a TA, at least here in the US, can do an ACH.

As @CDNPolar implies above, since you have a 2024 cruise booked, you should be able to now book your Nile cruise for fall 2025 and ask for final payment to be 6 months in advance meaning early 2025. We have done this many times. You must ask for this push out before making a deposit. You can also get a 6 month final payment if you book just after getting off another Viking cruise. And in either case any Viking cruise - ocean, river, or expedition- counts.

The Viking veranda cabins have more floorspace than the French balcony ones. If you look at the photos on their website, the veranda cabins have room next to the bed for a chair while the French balcony ones do not. Yes, we spend most of our time out of the cabin, but it is nice to not be squished on that side of the bed. We have been in both.

I did this excursion (through the lens) last year and agree it was great. The tour leader took us to different spots with different challenges (panoramic vistas, bubbling mud pots and steam, backlit basalt cliffs, etc) and discussed composition, camera settings, etc. You could listen and follow or wander on your own at each stop. The lunch was simple soup and sides but very, very good.

I've been on Viking cruises on the Seine and in Bourdeaux region as well as the Rhine/Danube. The 3 markets use slightly different ships in length, but the designs are very similar. The Bordeaux ships had more tables for 4 and fewer larger tables, but none of the 3 had any tables for 2 in the dining room.

The only 2 places to eat on Viking river ships are the main dining room and the Acquavit terrace at the bow. There are a few tables for 2 up there, but there are none in the main dining room. Dinner is served by waiters at both locations. Breakfast has a buffet as does the Acquavit at lunch. I've read that some people go to the Acquavit way before dinner in order to get one of the smaller tables. We always just went to the dining room. Most of the tables there are for 6, but some are much larger back towards the kitchen. When we ate there, we sat across from each other and there was little interaction with neighbors. You can't see the kitchen from anywhere.

Usually it is turn in before breakfast, get it back the following afternoon. There might be an expedite option for a 50% surcharge; I can't remember.

It is clear that the apple app and the android app are 2 completely different things.

I guess it is some sort of front-end that ties into Chrome in the back end. More than a shortcut but less than a full blown app. If you click on "App details in store" under APP Info in Settings, it tries to take you to a page in Play Store for the app but fails. But if it is a bad app, why does Chrome keep telling us to install it. And I have "only install from play store" turned on, so where did it come from? Very strange.

Viking.

I sent email to Cruise Critic thru the Contact Us option asking about the Android "app" (the Cruise Critic Community app, not the My Cruiseline app some people were talking about). The response is that there is not an app, just a way to create an item on the tablet that goes straight to the boards thru the default browser. Like a shortcut. This explains why when the app freezes, Android tells me Chrome is not responding. I suspect that the reason that the "app" appears snappier is that the instance of the browser is using less memory. So people who stick to the browser to access Cruise Critic are not missing anything. I uninstalled the "app". The next time I went to Cruise Critic thru Chrome, the banner came back recommending to install the app. Is everyone using the "app" using Chrome?

In case you are looking for lots of crab: we did this tour but thru the cruieline: https://alaskashoreexcursions.com/ketchikan/silverking-lodge-adventure-seafeast-tour There were 8 to a table. The food is served family style with all the food in the middle of the table. We couldn't finish all the food and left crab uneaten. It was really tasty. It was very rustic and other than tongs to grab the food and crackers to open the crab legs, you ate with your fingers.

If you go to cruisecritic.com as opposed to boards.cruisecritic.com, you also get ads and ways to book cruises. The Android app that @1985rz1, @photopro2 and I are talking about takes you directly to the boards. Just like thru a browser, you can get to the main Cruise Critic page if you want to.

If you change a trip but keep the same booking number, the policy follows along and you don't have to buy a new one. For example, you have a river cruise in 2024 going to Bordeaux and you want to change to a Grand European cruise later. You call Viking and tell them what you want to do, and they change it. We have only done this more than 120 days in advance so before penalties kick in. This might not be allowed closer in. You can also do this changing from ocean to river and vice versa. If the new cruise costs more, you pay the difference. If it costs less, you get a refund. However, if you cancel a cruise, its insurance policy is gone. If you later, even in the same call, book a different cruise, you have to buy a 2nd policy. How you phrase it makes a difference.

On my tablet it is faster than using my browser.

I'm not sure what you mean by adding Viking; I'm using the app to read and respond in the Viking forum. All the categories look the same. And if I use a browser instead, it knows what I've already read in the app. Instantly.

Here's a screenshot of the bottom of the app.

But if I go to the Play Store, it doesn't show up in a search, and if I check my installed apps within the Play Store, it isn't listed. Very odd.

Hunh. I downloaded the app when prompted while I was using Chrome browser on my Android tablet (in the US). It looks just like it does when using a browser. It took me straight to the forums when I opened it. When I check the app in Settings, it says it was downloaded from Google Play Store.

We took our ship's excursion and it turned out to be with Gastineau Guiding who only have small boats. And as @donaldsc says, one of the best excursion guides ever.

Yes, I forgot to say optical. Software zoom doesn't cut it.

I have been amazed at how well my Pixel 7 does in suboptimal conditions such as thru the window of a moving bus. But if you want wildlife photos, like whale watching, I would still take a camera with as long of a zoom as possible. It doesn't have to be a big DSLR; I have a mirrorless bridge camera that goes to 400mm and did pretty well. There are several threads on the Digital Photography board here on CC that discuss this very topic.

Our cruiseline, the same one you are on, used Major Marine for the Resurrection Bay cruise. We decided to eat at Glacier Brewhouse the morning after our arrival in Anchorage. The only reservations available for that day were 4:30 or before, or after 8:30. Boo. Then we realized that we hadn't adjusted to the time change yet, and 4:30 in Alaska was our normal dinner time at home. We were seated at 4:30, and were glad we got there when we did as a large tour group of around 30 people was taken to a back room, which I'm sure impacted the kitchen for later diners. The food was great as was the beer selection.