Viking Ocean reaffirms commitment to Puerto Rico, Caribbean

This info is first hand. Viking Ocean Cruises has renewed its commitment to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The Viking Sea arrives at the Port of San Juan on October 26, to start its Fall/Winter 10-day Caribbean itineraries, with a brief intermission and excursion to the Amazon in between.

Viking executives were on the island yesterday on a site inspection. Businesses in and around Old San Juan are receiving notice with the schedules to prepare for Viking's passengers.

This is in addition to Royal Caribbean and NCL, who are also helping out by not abandoning us.

Aviator, if you get someone on the island to post pictures of the open hotels and restaurants, it will reassure people to stay there. If nothing is open, then why visit? Are you a taxi driver down there or something?

This info is first hand. Viking Ocean Cruises has renewed its commitment to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. The Viking Sea arrives at the Port of San Juan on October 26, to start its Fall/Winter 10-day Caribbean itineraries, with a brief intermission and excursion to the Amazon in between.

 

Viking executives were on the island yesterday on a site inspection. Businesses in and around Old San Juan are receiving notice with the schedules to prepare for Viking's passengers.

 

This is in addition to Royal Caribbean and NCL, who are also helping out by not abandoning us.

Thank you for the update about Viking Ocean Cruise line.

I am booked on the Viking Star for the TA on March 27. We have resevation for two nights pre cruise at Sheraton San Juan.

Viking Ocean is very proactive with these winter sailings from PR and have kept us all informed with email updates.

Looking forwrd to my sailing on a line run by Norwegians ! :)

Thank you for the update about Viking Ocean Cruise line.

I am booked on the Viking Star for the TA on March 27. We have resevation for two nights pre cruise at Sheraton San Juan.

Viking Ocean is very proactive with these winter sailings from PR and have kept us all informed with email updates.

Looking forwrd to my sailing on a line run by Norwegians ! :)

We are sailing on the Viking Sea in March. We have reservations at El Convento for our pre-cruise stay. I’m keeping an eye on the situation and will contact the hotel as things progress, but right now I’m encouraged by what they are posting on their Facebook page

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Aviator, if you get someone on the island to post pictures of the open hotels and restaurants, it will reassure people to stay there. If nothing is open, then why visit? Are you a taxi driver down there or something?

No, I'm not a taxi driver. I am a retired Army Aviator. I do work in travel and transportation.

I'll make an effort to try and learn how to post pictures here for your pleasure.

We are on Viking sailing on 12/16. From several threads I am reading, FEMA and other relief agencies are booking full the largest portion of Hotels - and individual reservations are being cancelled at very short notice by these Hotels after promising not to. This is happening all over San Juan - this is making all the people who fly in early and do not fly out immediately VERY nervous. Some are now flying only as far as Florida then coming into San Juan day of....

I totally get PR’s need for emergency workers. We are surrounded by thousands as I write this (with nerves frayed) due to the massive fires where we live during these past two weeks - and we are beyond grateful and thankful for them. Always.

That said, we don’t know how to plan.

we applaud the cruise lines for their commitments- but this other piece is a whole new issue with the cruise lines beginning their schedules there.

I would keep checking with the smaller boutique hotels directly through email or social media. Phones seem to be sporadic. I suspect FEMA is interested in big blocks of rooms and they aren’t going to find that with the smaller hotels. I also think the smaller hotels will have an easier time functioning on generators.

I have heard that Casablanca, Hotel Milano and Olive Boutique Hotel are open and accepting reservations or will be soon. That’s in addition to El Convento. There were some others but I don’t remember the names.

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Thanks cyber Kat. Hotel Milano is blacked out into January as an FYI.

I will start researching for a back up hotel.

Casablanca and Olive running about $400/night (x 3 nights going in and 2 nights outbound = ouch).

It probably isn’t gong to improve with waiting.

Thanks cyber Kat. Hotel Milano is blacked out into January as an FYI.

 

I will start researching for a back up hotel.

 

Casablanca and Olive running about $400/night (x 3 nights going in and 2 nights outbound = ouch).

 

It probably isn’t gong to improve with waiting.

I suspect that these hotels will book up fast even at those rates. I also suspect that’s another reason FEMA is avoiding them as well.

We only have one night before the cruise so we splurged with EL Convento. I got to tour it with a TA a few years back and I loved it. Part of the problem is the taxes. Our room was $300 something but over $400 with the taxes added on!

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I think I am going to contact our travel insurance then the airline which has us on a layover in Miami. It might make sense to stay in Miami before and after then just hop to San Juan day of cruise and ending date. Haven’t been to Florida for years and it doesn’t sound as if SJ will have much to offer by December. But definitely time to check options.

I think I am going to contact our travel insurance then the airline which has us on a layover in Miami. It might make sense to stay in Miami before and after then just hop to San Juan day of cruise and ending date. Haven’t been to Florida for years and it doesn’t sound as if SJ will have much to offer by December. But definitely time to check options.

That sounds like a plan. I think a lot of people are doing that.

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