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Viking, can you please change the opening time to sign up for excursions?


lackcreativity
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I have only done one VO cruise, and I also forgot to set an alarm. I booked later in the day with no issues and got all the included and optional tours I originally wanted, and at the times I wanted. I think some of the optional tours were sold out but they may have been filled anyway from folks in higher categories.

Either get up at 3 AM, or sleep in and have a plan B if your first choice is sold out.

 

If something is sold out---you could probably book a private or semi-private tour that is very similar (and sometimes less $$ and fewer people). Just start a thread on the Roll Call for your specific cruise with the name of the port and the name of the tour and you can round up some fellow like-minded cruisers.

 

And even with the best planning---sometimes shore excursions are cancelled and sometimes weather interferes with port stops.

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This subject is one of the few things I do not like about Viking. To me it is a contrived "race to win" the booking of your choice. Bull feathers..... We refused to participate, still booked everything we wished and, like most on board, made changes and cancellations to many of them onboard. It is just not a thing to get worked up over. They also try to make it seem like you will never see the Chef's Table or Manfredi's if you don't hurry and book as soon as it comes "your turn". Again what a manufactured crock. First, I don't know what I want to eat tonight, much less months in advance and second, we had no problem booking what we wanted onboard. Of course it benefits Viking to know well in advance what to plan for so this encouraged "panic buying" is not really for us. Relax, you will get what you want without being up in the middle of the night to hit enter before your fellow passengers. :cool:

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Viking is in business to serve its customers. If they fail in that regard, they go out of business. Since their overwhelming demographic comes from US and Canada, why not make it more convenient for them by opening excursion & restaurant booking at sometime between 9AM to noon Eastern time? Western Europe would also be awake at that time.

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All this petty selfish bickering isn't very appealing. I've got a really good idea - why not let passengers make the excursion and restaurant arrangements when they book the cruise in the first place?

 

Then, those who book nice and early will be able to stop fidgeting about arrangements, and relax. If people want to gamble with price by booking late don't like it - tough.

Edited by Parsley Cruises
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All this petty selfish bickering isn't very appealing. I've got a really good idea - why not let passengers make the excursion and restaurant arrangements when they book the cruise in the first place?

 

Then, those who book nice and early will be able to stop fidgeting about arrangements, and relax. If people want to gamble with price by booking late don't like it - tough.

 

That is not possible. Excursion venue is not available when booking. Excursions not set until 90 days or so before a cruise.

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Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve booked and subsequently enjoyed excursions with other cruise lines a heck of a lot more than 80/90 days prior.

Furthermore, the majority of ‘venues’ won’t object to being booked way in advance; and anyway from what I’ve seen the Viking excursions aren’t that ‘involved’ mainly.

If people don’t like getting up early, they can simply book their own excursions.

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Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve booked and subsequently enjoyed excursions with other cruise lines a heck of a lot more than 80/90 days prior.

Furthermore, the majority of ‘venues’ won’t object to being booked way in advance; and anyway from what I’ve seen the Viking excursions aren’t that ‘involved’ mainly.

If people don’t like getting up early, they can simply book their own excursions.

 

Viking isn't other cruise lines; Viking has their own way of doing things.

 

 

Excursion are loaded into MVJ right before booking opens for the Owner's Suite at 100 days before sailing. The average is around 120 days before sailing but it is not a firm date. Booking is by cabin category; the more you pay, the sooner you can book.

 

 

Of course this argument is ridiculous but it gives people a chance to air their frustrations with the process, especially those of us who have booked at the bottom of the pecking order. It also helps to calm the fears of those who think they are going to be closed out of tours if they aren't sitting at their computers the moment that booking opens. It doesn't mean much to the few cabins that get to book first but it means a lot to those who in DV and V cabins. We don't really expect that Viking is going to change the opening time but it sure is interesting to see how many people are taking everything so seriously.

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Just curious. Why is Eastern a more desirable time over Pacific? Why not Mtn? Why not Central? I just know that I need to set an alarm, do what I have to do and then go back to bed. Just the price to pay to travel. I understand that it is something that I need to do and deal with it. It is only once per cruise.

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Although we can and do enjoy being able to be among the first group of passengers to reserve stuff, we know from experience not to rely 100% on it.

On previous cruises special menus have been radically altered, excursions cancelled and ports missed. It pays to be flexible and accept the inevitable.

The thing to do is simply accept the system, be happy that you are lucky enough to be going on a cruise and smile.

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Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve booked and subsequently enjoyed excursions with other cruise lines a heck of a lot more than 80/90 days prior.

Furthermore, the majority of ‘venues’ won’t object to being booked way in advance; and anyway from what I’ve seen the Viking excursions aren’t that ‘involved’ mainly.

If people don’t like getting up early, they can simply book their own excursions.

 

Please stop posting repeated inaccurate statements. You obviously do not understand Viking's policy.

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Rest assured I understand much more than you might be comfortable with, and I am certain that my viewpoint is reasonable.

What about this for a grand idea (and this will be the last post from me on the topic)....... people who don’t like waking in the middle of the night to make their reservations (and don’t forget to be hugely thankful for all the wonderful folk who work nights in the travel sector); do the wise thing and move to live in UK. Now that’s a grand idea.

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Rest assured I understand much more than you might be comfortable with, and I am certain that my viewpoint is reasonable.

What about this for a grand idea (and this will be the last post from me on the topic)....... people who don’t like waking in the middle of the night to make their reservations (and don’t forget to be hugely thankful for all the wonderful folk who work nights in the travel sector); do the wise thing and move to live in UK. Now that’s a grand idea.

 

No again, folks are not working late to take the excursion reservations. It's 2018 and it's automated. You can't call Viking at Midnight PST.

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Finally - what is truly laughable is someone making a fuss because they simply have to be awake a bit early in order to get online and make a simple reservation.

 

I was not suggesting for one moment that people were actually working late to take the reservations - I was referring to that incredible group of hard working and undervalued people who work in operations departments of travel organisations (trains, planes, ships etc), not to mention the people who have to provide support to them.

 

Whilst we're at it - let's not forget people in the emergency services who provide that unseen but very necessary support to all of us - police, fire, medical and rescue.

 

If it's good enough for people to provide albeit unseen support so that most of us can lead comfortable lives, then it should be good enough for other people too. In the light of this - maybe people shouldn't complain about their compulsion to be awake once or twice a year in what they feel are unacceptable hours.

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Finally - what is truly laughable is someone making a fuss because they simply have to be awake a bit early in order to get online and make a simple reservation.

 

I was not suggesting for one moment that people were actually working late to take the reservations - I was referring to that incredible group of hard working and undervalued people who work in operations departments of travel organisations (trains, planes, ships etc), not to mention the people who have to provide support to them.

 

Whilst we're at it - let's not forget people in the emergency services who provide that unseen but very necessary support to all of us - police, fire, medical and rescue.

 

If it's good enough for people to provide albeit unseen support so that most of us can lead comfortable lives, then it should be good enough for other people too. In the light of this - maybe people shouldn't complain about their compulsion to be awake once or twice a year in what they feel are unacceptable hours.

 

What I meant by "laughable" was your condescending approach throughout this thread, as well as the elitist, wise decision to move to the UK, and furthermore that your previous post would be your last. Again, Laughable.[emoji16] [emoji16]

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

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What I meant by "laughable" was your condescending approach throughout this thread, as well as the elitist, wise decision to move to the UK, and furthermore that your previous post would be your last. Again, Laughable.[emoji16] [emoji16]

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Forums mobile app

 

As the original poster, I am relieved that someone else had the same perception. I thought I presented at most a mild complaint, with an attempt to see if there was an alternate schedule that could suit the majority of Viking customers. Somehow though, I seem to be deemed responsible for "petty selfish bickering". I'm not sure how we ended up here.

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It's a sorry state of affairs when something like this particular thread heads for the waste bin.

I am not elitist, nor am I condescending; so whilst I can see that your request would suit you, it might not suit other people. It was perhaps a frivolous thing to bring up in the first place.

If a person selects a holiday which means that they may experience a minor inconvenience, then firstly they should put up with it (as so many of us do) and secondly they shouldn't go on about it maybe?

I have tried to point out that there are many, many people who have to put up with inconvenient hours - and believe you me, without such people there wouldn't/couldn't be (for example) such things as cruise holidays etc.

 

Enough said.

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As the original poster, I am relieved that someone else had the same perception. I thought I presented at most a mild complaint, with an attempt to see if there was an alternate schedule that could suit the majority of Viking customers. Somehow though, I seem to be deemed responsible for "petty selfish bickering". I'm not sure how we ended up here.

 

(y)

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We have a Viking cruise booked. Funny, after looking over the Viking threads for awhile, I'm kind of losing interest in the whole thing.

 

I've played the "compete for reservations game" too many times when planning trips to Disney World. It's tedious. I don't want "tedious" from a cruise line. And I don't want winners and losers. And I don't want to have to book an expensive suite in order to have a decent vacation -- especially since those expensive suites are snapped up quickly by "competitors" who are first out of the gate to book and so I can't get one anyway.

 

Weird to me that people are okay with this. Whatever.

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On our Viking cruises we have been in the lowliest grade. There is no stress. You will get your included tour in each port.

If there are any problems they are addressed on board in the most charming and helpful manner.

If there is a 'must see' then often a visit to the relevant roll call will find other like minded people and a private tour is often the best.

The Viking shuttles are excellent if you just want to do your own thing.

On my last cruise I was indeed disappointed that one tour was marked as 'sold out' (to the Puccini Villa). When I enquired it appeared that the owner of the property had died and there were no tours available at all for a few months. Reasonable enough excuse I think !

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I have to be at work at 5AM Mon-Fri, so I have to get up 2AM-3AM every morning to get my dogs fed and walked before leaving for work at 4:30AM.

So I was excited to finally see something come along that was convenient for my schedule for a change. :D:D:D

 

Now if I could just get activities on the ships, shifted to my early hours.;p(I usually walk around the ship in the wee hours exploring)

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I have to be at work at 5AM Mon-Fri, so I have to get up 2AM-3AM every morning to get my dogs fed and walked before leaving for work at 4:30AM.

So I was excited to finally see something come along that was convenient for my schedule for a change. :D:D:D

 

Now if I could just get activities on the ships, shifted to my early hours.;p(I usually walk around the ship in the wee hours exploring)

 

You comment about activities on the ships, and I have read that the gym is open but is this only during attended hours? I think if I have to wait to use the gym, I could always use that time for downloading photos and amending them; however it would be nice if the gym was open - otherwise I'll end up having to jog around the deck.

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