Pushka

Ok. What threw me was when you mentioned Karnak etc and that you'd booked the excursion when you booked the cruise. That's unsual to do that unless a very last minute booking on a cruise but quite usual with river cruises.

The issues experienced are more for Ocean cruises where booking windows are different for each cabin level. River cruises open up to all and months in advance.

Exactly what happened with our cruise next month which was the second leg. Even PV on ours saw sold out because the DV on the first cruise were able to book theirs before them. I organised private shore excursions and posted on the roll call. An overnight port and two buses now booked up on both days. On another port two more buses booked.

Around 110 days at latest. Ours were at 120 days out. I booked many external excursions because the Must Do in Aqaba (Petra) was booked out well before my cabin level. Same for Israel. We currently have two bus loads booked on a private Petra tour. 32 passengers. Hopefully the ship waits for us all. But the operator knows the drill. This will be my second Viking Cruise and on each occasion the excursions I would have booked were sold out before my window opened. So I understand the angst of others, and the worry that the ship will sail without them if they can't get back in time through no fault of their own.

The port times are located on the booking invoice. Of course are subject to change.

Love all the dolphin shots too. We will be there in a month on Mars. Even hotter I guess

One of the things our UK family had to grapple with is the way that (majority of) Aussie drivers make way for any type of emergency vehicle. They don't do that.

What UK and Aussies and some US people have to do. Wait until you test positive and hopefully ship has stock and will prescribe if you meet criteria.

Yes that was my thought too. Asthma attacks caused only by contact with animals is a disability in itself. And potentially more dangerous. And caused by someone else's actions. It's a minefield. The "very real fear" - well, I'm less convinced by that concern. Thank goodness only true service dogs are allowed to fly on planes throughout Australia. These are usually guide dogs.

Malta is fabulous. A real surprise port for us a couple of years ago.

I caught Covid either on a plane or in a hotel. Not a cruise in sight.

I think cruisemapper provides that info anyway. It could also be said that it means that the ship is forewarned and not an easy target. Be interesting to see if other cruise lines follow suit. I think there's a few repositioning ones coming up.

Grab the most wanted excursion first, for the two people in your cabin then go to cart and pay for it immediately. I had to paste in my credit card details each time. I familiarised myself with what details they needed. They also wanted billing address. I had all these copied down in advance so it was a quick copy and paste into the payment areas. Then work down your list. Excursions can sell out within 5 minutes. And you haven't secured them until you've paid for them. If travelling with others if you could both do it together for each cabin that would help. And they open up on the dot.

I read that Viking Neptune is still implementing Piracy protection, even though the official warnings have been removed. Guess we will be seeing it soon on Mars in May. I think that's wise.

Viking marketed it as two separate cruises, and also as a combined one. I booked the second voyage not realising it was also attached to the combined cruise. The run of the mill back to back cruises are fine, separate excursion release dates, but this one was effectively marketed as 3 cruises, the combined cruise allowed booking of all excursions for all dates for all cabins before the PV and below cabins opened us fpr pur dates. I effectively took Viking out of the equation by booking the Must Do - Petra, and Israel. Israel now has two full minibuses for two days booked privately on my booking.

Totally agree. Seems the first answer scared them away. Shame.

That's cheap. Too cheap. The world cruises, of around 3 months, on several lines come in at around $90,000.

They have no choice but continue to assert that in this instance. However I expect there won't be a second time. Thankyou to those who shared their concerns.

I can only hope for something like this when we go to Mumbai on Viking given it's success but don't like our chances as it isn't a world cruise. Reading all the blogs avidly now as in a month we are on Viking tracing your path through India, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Israel and I'm grabbing so much info. So you WC are just three weeks ahead of our trip.

From another blog it sounds like Viking put on a Mela for passengers which looked wonderful. Indian food in India is so much better than Indian food in other countries.

Several on the current world tour did a Taj Mahal trip departing from Cochi I think, missing Goa then returned to Mumbai. I think a group of 40 or so did this as a tour group as Viking didn't offer it.

Coming in from International while you can check bags through to final destination sometimes, you will still have to collect them in Sydney for inspection and border control, then rebook them onto the next flight. Then you have to get to the domestic terminal. If your flights are on the one ticket and you happen to miss the flight then likely they will put you on the next one. If they are on separate tickets and you miss the flight then it will be at your cost. I prefer three hours in Sydney. I know that Qantas has bag drop on the international side but don't know about Jetstar.

Given that the Oz Govt has only just now allowed people to have their fifth vaccination and for me that meant 12 months between fourth and fifth, then it's a function of what the Government allows it's citizens to have, and not up to cruise lines to specify a criteria that people can't meet. Both husband and I caught Covid around 1-2 months after our fourth vaccination. Not on a ship.

If a dog had been in the cabin in the cruise before we embarked, due to severe asthma allergies my partner would know instantly if the carpet had not been properly cleaned, but additionally all bedding and soft furnishings would likewise need cleaning. The dog doesn't have to be in the room currently before he starts to wheeze and eyes start reacting. Past presence is enough. Is Viking prepared to accept those consequences? I love dogs. Until this, I have always had a dog in my life. But now I can't.

So it begs the question. Are people reporting positive RATs to the local health authorities on land or simply managing an infection using sensible precautions.