Viking Air Deviation

Does anyone know how the Viking air deviation works? I you are using Viking air and want to arrive early and/or stay later than the cruise do you pick your flights and have Viking book them? Do they charge an up charge plus the deviation? Thanks.

Air deviation has a charge. You want to arrive/depart on other than on day of departure/arrival. They will accommodate this for your basic charge.

If you pick flights there may be an addition charge based on Vikings costs.

This could be substantial.

If you go to the Vikings Cruises Oceans website and look under my trip/FAQ there is some information about Viking Air. Hopefully as they grow as a Ocean cruising company the website will allow you to enter your trip information and purchase shore excursions etc........

When we booked our cruise they were not offering air deviation on the oceans part, our TA looked into it, as it gets closer maybe we will get better information.

I am getting mixed replies. When I call Viking and provide my information they said they are. When my TA calls they say no.

About three months ago I got an email from viking asking me to contact Viking Air about the service I had booked for our April 11, 2014 cruise on the Star. I called and was told that they were not booking the air for this cruise at that time. Then they told me that I would have to pay a deviation fee if I wanted to arrive a day earlier. By that time the airfare I found on Kayak was close to that offered by Viking, so that I canceled Viking Air and booked it on my own. However I was reluctant to give up the security offered if there were problems with the construction, a delayed maiden voyage, etc. that Viking Air offered. But it is nice to have control of your own itinerary, connecting airports, and layover times. I find that a 90 minute connection in Paris CDG is very stressful and can be impossible on peak travel days.

Booked April 2015 flight from LAX to IST on September 5, 2014. The deviation fee was $100 per person to arrive in Istanbul early for the April 11, 2015 sailing. Fee was settled to credit card during call while confirming the flights. Same departure airport as when the cruise was originally booked and no stop-overs. Transfer no longer provided by Viking from the airport on arrival or to the ship for embarkation due to early arrival in the city. All had been advised when the cruise was first booked May 2013.

Booked April 2015 flight from LAX to IST on September 5, 2014. The deviation fee was $100 per person to arrive in Istanbul early for the April 11, 2015 sailing. Fee was settled to credit card during call while confirming the flights. Same departure airport as when the cruise was originally booked and no stop-overs. Transfer no longer provided by Viking from the airport on arrival or to the ship for embarkation due to early arrival in the city. All had been advised when the cruise was first booked May 2013.

Did you book through Viking already? We are on May 16 2015 cruise and looking at air trying to decide whether we should stay with Viking or book our own. My question is are you given choices of flights from Viking or do they just put you on flights no questions asked. We had a problem with a river cruise where we didnt get a choice but were told that the TA did have a chance to chose and didnt pass the information on (we no longer have that TA). I can find the flights for slightly less than we paid with Viking but am wondering if its worth it to change.

Did you book through Viking already? We are on May 16 2015 cruise and looking at air trying to decide whether we should stay with Viking or book our own. My question is are you given choices of flights from Viking or do they just put you on flights no questions asked. We had a problem with a river cruise where we didnt get a choice but were told that the TA did have a chance to chose and didnt pass the information on (we no longer have that TA). I can find the flights for slightly less than we paid with Viking but am wondering if its worth it to change.

 

The flights were booked through Viking. One itinerary each way was offered during the call. Both were considered convenient & the airline acceptable. No further inquiry was made. Unknown if other flights were available or how the price compares.

The flights were booked through Viking. One itinerary each way was offered during the call. Both were considered convenient & the airline acceptable. No further inquiry was made. Unknown if other flights were available or how the price compares.

Did you use the deviation to come in or stay later or to chose your flights?

I have paid for the airfare on 2 viking trips and for custom air, but ended up making my own arrangements and getting a refund. if you want to arrive early there is $100.00 per person charged and then the transportation from airport to hotel not included.

I was able to get nonstop flights and for very similiar prices. They will give a full refund if you do not take there airfare.

D & J

Did you use the deviation to come in or stay later or to chose your flights?

Deviation fee is due to early arrival in Istanbul.

I believe there is a fee if you chose to fly in early and also if you chose to stay later after the tour. And you also lose the airport to hotel transportation or the hotel to transportation. We decided to buy our own airfare and have a 15 hour travel time vs 30 hours San Diego to Shanghai.

Just completed our airfare to Bergen and return flight. I had originally purchased the air portion from Viking, but after looking at the flights decided I could do just as well on my own and shorten the layovers. Viking refunded me the complete amount paid last December. It adds up if you deviate on either end of the tour.

D & J

Just completed our airfare to Bergen and return flight. I had originally purchased the air portion from Viking, but after looking at the flights decided I could do just as well on my own and shorten the layovers. Viking refunded me the complete amount paid last December. It adds up if you deviate on either end of the tour.

 

D & J

I am waiting to find out if Viking is honoring their "stopover" custom air. My air portion is $895 pp and so far there is nothing out there for that. They said the stopover to Paris would be another $200 but then they also said to my TA that our cruise was not part of that program. I am getting very mixed signals so I have to wait since we are now at 320 days from the return. I was under the impression that the deviation fee was only $50pp.

Just talked to my TA about this as well, she called Viking and was told that they were currently working on the air for the May 16 2015 cruise, which we are on, and that the deviation fee is $50 a person. Viking would set the flights and you could deviate from those at $50 each. As we are going to Iceland first for the pre cruise extention there arent many choices and deviating would only lessen a layover on the way there. Coming home from Stockholm would probably be where we use the deviation in either getting a nonstop or controlling the connections, or changing a very unwanted early morning flight.

Then we'll see you there in Bergen on the 16th! We are going first to Oslo and taking the pretrip train from Oslo to Bergen, in an effort to get over the time change. :) We have a few trips between now and May so I am tempering my excitement. But happy that we are close enough to purchase airfare and lock that up.

I know...the time change is awful to get over isnt it? We did a mediteranean cruise and went in a few days early for that reason and ended up sleeping the whole first day...but we were good for the rest of the trip :) With the Iceland pre extention we will get there very early morning and there isnt anything until late afternoon I think, so hopefully that will give us a little time to catch up on sleep ;)

Our flight out of Stockholm is crazy early - something like 6:30 - so we are transferring our last night to the hotel located at the airport. It looks nice and is much better to walk to our gate from our our room!!

Just an idea - just in case......

Yes, it looks like alot of flights out of Stockholm

to the US are very, very early. Again, that is why we purchased outside of Viking. We do not departed Stockholm until 12:30 pm.

You are luckier than we - 12:30 - we used miles to upgrade from purchased economy - and took what we could get! I don't sleep on planes well - maybe I will on that trip! (Looking for the rainbow!).

I was talking to my TA and Viking yesterday(three way conversation). We are booked on the Star on September 27th, ending in Istanbul on October 6th. I wanted to know about a stop over in London on the way back from Istanbul to Toronto.

Yes, it is possible, I

asked about staying in London for four days, returning on October 10th. It will cost $200 p.p.. I did not ask about choosing your own flights because I don't think the schedule is available yet.

I was talking to my TA and Viking yesterday(three way conversation). We are booked on the Star on September 27th, ending in Istanbul on October 6th. I wanted to know about a stop over in London on the way back from Istanbul to Toronto.

Yes, it is possible, I

asked about staying in London for four days, returning on October 10th. It will cost $200 p.p.. I did not ask about choosing your own flights because I don't think the schedule is available yet.

I am on the July 25th voyage and I can't book flights to early December. I will be going from Bergen to Paris and then home to NYC and it is also $200 pp.

I was talking to my TA and Viking yesterday(three way conversation). We are booked on the Star on September 27th, ending in Istanbul on October 6th. I wanted to know about a stop over in London on the way back from Istanbul to Toronto.

Yes, it is possible, I

asked about staying in London for four days, returning on October 10th. It will cost $200 p.p.. I did not ask about choosing your own flights because I don't think the schedule is available yet.

We are on the same cruise as you! Have you added your names to the roll call?

We are on the same cruise as you! Have you added your names to the roll call?

Where is the roll call? Thanks.