Viking 'Footsteps of the Cossacks' (Ukraine)

[sitraveler]

I'm sorry I started the fight over the tipping.

Viking services several areas in Europe the level of service and ammenities vary across the fleet and expections vary.

Many of the cabins are below the standards Viking wants to demonstate and that is spelled out in the brochures for Ukraine.

As explained by the tour director, we may tip as much as we wish, but Vikings suggested tips in the info brochure is excessive in Ukraine.

 

we did tip additional amounts to those we felt went well over and above.

also your guide does share in the tip pool.

[Peregrina651]

Viking services several areas in Europe the level of service and ammenities vary across the fleet and expections vary.

Many of the cabins are below the standards Viking wants to demonstate and that is spelled out in the brochures for Ukraine.

 

I heard someone on board (maybe a crew member) comment that Viking does not market this cruise as a 'luxury' cruise. But let me point out that only applies to the design of the ship with its yacht-style bathrooms, Pullman beds and steep stairways. Otherwise, you can rest assured that you will be pampered in the same Viking bend-over-backwards-jump-through-hoops customer-centric style that you have experienced on other Viking ships.

 

As explained by the tour director, we may tip as much as we wish, but Vikings suggested tips in the info brochure is excessive in Ukraine.

 

we did tip additional amounts to those we felt went well over and above.

also your guide does share in the tip pool.

It is very confusing and I wish that they would up-date the "Itinerary and Departure Information" pamphlet to make this more clear.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Peregrina651

[sitraveler]

I was going to call this nuts and bolts, but was afraid of starting WW3.

 

We have just returned from the Kiev to Odessa cruise and loved every second of it. Our return to NYC was via Poland. We left the ship at noon and were in our house at 10 PM. There were many sent via Vienna and they had a forced overnight. There were no vacant seats on our flight, but 3 infants were having a scream competition.

 

Weather was warm, no rain once we left Kiev.

 

Everyone who chose optional tours seemed very pleased. If you can speak a little Russian, or connect with someone who does, you can purchase opera or ballet tickets in Odessa for about $10.00, a taxi for 4 cost $5.00. We stopped at the opera on our city tour and bought the tickets, the ship arranged a taxi to the opera. The walk back is about 15 minutes, including down the steps. More details will follow.

[travelling fools]

I was going to call this nuts and bolts, but was afraid of starting WW3.

 

We have just returned from the Kiev to Odessa cruise and loved every second of it. Our return to NYC was via Poland. We left the ship at noon and were in our house at 10 PM. There were many sent via Vienna and they had a forced overnight. There were no vacant seats on our flight, but 3 infants were having a scream competition.

 

Weather was warm, no rain once we left Kiev.

 

Everyone who chose optional tours seemed very pleased. If you can speak a little Russian, or connect with someone who does, you can purchase opera or ballet tickets in Odessa for about $10.00, a taxi for 4 cost $5.00. We stopped at the opera on our city tour and bought the tickets, the ship arranged a taxi to the opera. The walk back is about 15 minutes, including down the steps. More details will follow.

 

Thanks for the tip on the opera.We are looking forward to hear more on your trip as we leave in 9 days.

[Peregrina651]

I was going to call this nuts and bolts, but was afraid of starting WW3.

 

We have just returned from the Kiev to Odessa cruise and loved every second of it. Our return to NYC was via Poland. We left the ship at noon and were in our house at 10 PM. There were many sent via Vienna and they had a forced overnight. There were no vacant seats on our flight, but 3 infants were having a scream competition.

That is the advantage of choosing to pay the custom air fee; you can choose which flights you are on and you can avoid pre-dawn departures, too short connections and unwanted over-nights. Viking usually has a variety of flight combinations but unless you pay the custom air fee, you are stuck with what you are assigned. After spending so much already for the flights and cruise, why nickel and dime? Spend the $100 and get to choose.

[travelling fools]

Thanks for the tip on the opera.We are looking forward to hear more on your trip as we leave in 9 days.

 

Forgot to ask if we go on this trip can you tell us what is playing at the opera in July.

[loum140]

Forgot to ask if we go on this trip can you tell us what is playing at the opera in July.

 

Sorry - don't know the schedule that far in advance. We had Prince Igor first night and Carmen ballet second night, then the following night it was La Traviata. They alternate between opera and ballet.

 

Be glad to answer any other questions you might have.

 

Enjoyed all the city tours. Only took a few optionals -- Jewish Kiev (Babia Yar), Chersonesus, Black Sea Fleet Band and Balaklava Panorama Museum. All terrific.

 

Library has 2 laptop computers which can be used with a special log-in code obtained from the front desk. It allows you 6 hrs of free internet time and you can get another code if you use up your time. Caution - make sure to log yourself out when you're through or other users will deplete your time.

 

You can meet with the Executive Chef Mattias on the first day and discuss any special food needs. I require salt-free and was give preview menus each day to mark with my selections. Painless.

 

My only regret was that the cruise was not a few days longer allowing extra time in Kiev, Sevastopol, Yalta and Odessa. We were so busy with included tours and optional excursions that we did not have a lot of time to explore on our own.

 

We had a wonderful time! Viking does it right!

[TravelerThom]

Although I live in The United States of America, and am just back from The Netherlands, I was incorrect in using an adjective in referring to Ukraine. No disrespect was intended toward a beautiful country [with a very difficult history] which I very much enjoyed visiting.

 

I have met many Ukrainians [with Ukraine itself, resident in the US, and also working in other parts of the world], and up until now, they had all been intelligent, educated, hard working, pleasant people. I was under the impression they were of the same race as I am.

 

There are 3,960,000 sq. km. of territory within the Russian Federation that are west of the Urals. By standard US definition this territory is in Europe. I am well aware that other than the Russian Federation, the other fourteen former members of the USSR [including Ukraine] are not in the Russian Federation. I would not classify any of them as Russia in any way at least since the break-up of the Russian Empire at the end of WWI. I consider it a sign of respect to study the history and geography of the places I visit.

 

Peace

Thom

[Grandcruisevirgin]

That is the advantage of choosing to pay the custom air fee; you can choose which flights you are on and you can avoid pre-dawn departures, too short connections and unwanted over-nights. Viking usually has a variety of flight combinations but unless you pay the custom air fee, you are stuck with what you are assigned. After spending so much already for the flights and cruise, why nickel and dime? Spend the $100 and get to choose.

 

I wouldn't mind spending a night in Vienna if Viking would pay for the hotel room.

But, it sounds like the 'custom air' is the way to go. When will I be given the opportunity to select the custom air fee? My cruise is in September, 2013. Are the air tickets booked 9 months before that? 10 hours from Poland to NYC sure sounds nice. Do you think that applies to other US cities, like DC or Baltimore or just NYC?

[sitraveler]

Its not 10 hours, but it is the same day.

 

Flight from Poland was 9 hours in the air.

[Peregrina651]

I wouldn't mind spending a night in Vienna if Viking would pay for the hotel room.

But, it sounds like the 'custom air' is the way to go. When will I be given the opportunity to select the custom air fee? My cruise is in September, 2013. Are the air tickets booked 9 months before that? 10 hours from Poland to NYC sure sounds nice. Do you think that applies to other US cities, like DC or Baltimore or just NYC?

 

You can opt for custom air any time before the tickets are booked. Talk to your travel agent (or directly to Viking if you aren't using a TA) and they will tell you when you can start talking about flights for Sept, 2013. IMHO, don't wait; get the ball rolling even if it is just to find out when to call to book.

 

Before you do, go to one of the websites that does flights and get some ideas of what is available. It might not be what Viking is offering but it will give you an idea for possible routings.

 

Remember, the airfare offer does not cover every flight combination or every airlines; it covers only selected flights. You can deviate from those choices but it may raise the price of your airfare. You pay the custom air fee so that you can have some say in which flights you are booked on and Viking will not discuss those choices until you pay the fee.

 

For the record, we flew Boston to Dulles to Vienna to Odessa and then Kiev to Frankfurt to Boston.

 

[sitraveler]

Look in River Cruises for:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1655699

[travelling fools]

Ladies -On captain nights did alot of people get dressed up or could you go with slacks and top.

I really do not want to pack a dress or skirt with fancy top for 1 night plus shoes.

 

As for hubby he is just wearing slacks with shirt no suit coat or pants and no ties.

Does anyone have photso from captains night.

4 days to go

[Peregrina651]

Ladies -On captain nights did alot of people get dressed up or could you go with slacks and top.

I really do not want to pack a dress or skirt with fancy top for 1 night plus shoes.

 

As for hubby he is just wearing slacks with shirt no suit coat or pants and no ties.

Does anyone have photso from captains night.

4 days to go

 

Then don't. You won't be the only person who has decided that there just isn't room in the suitcase. Or pack one dressier top (or a scarf or some jewelry to dress up a simple top) that goes with your pants --that's all that will be seen for most of the evening, anyway.

 

[loum140]

No need to dress up. DH wore black slacks and silk print shirt. I wore a pretty print top with a short skirt, but only because I had one. Otherwise I would have worn my black slacks.

 

Don't stress about what to pack or wear. Dress for comfort - day and evening. When we left Ukraine last Saturday the temperatures outdoors were already summer-like. Although I carried a cardigan on the bus the first few days, I only had to wear it twice (in the submarine base and in the catacombs). I also carried a couple of dressy cardigans for evenings on board ship but never wore them there either as the temperature in the public rooms was comfortable - for me. However, there were women in sweaters and jackets on tours nearly every day while I was wearing tank tops and/or perspiring in my light weight tee-shirts.

[Peregrina651]

I thought of you all when I took this picture. We will all need to find one eventually, so here is what to look for (the letters, not the actually sign) when you need a bathroom. You won't always see both words together as on this sign but either word will get you what you need. I did not check out any of the public facilities, so I can't report or advise.

 

[travelling fools]

I thought of you all when I took this picture. We will all need to find one eventually, so here is what to look for (the letters, not the actually sign) when you need a bathroom. You won't always see both words together as on this sign but either word will get you what you need. I did not check out any of the public facilities, so I can't report or advise.

 

 

Good to know.

 

Does anyone know if there is a charge and how much.

 

Just finished trial packing-you would think we were going for a month or more.Got to go and take out some of hubby's clothes.Well you didn't think it was going to be mine did you people.

[TravelerThom]

I wouldn't mind spending a night in Vienna if Viking would pay for the hotel room.

But, it sounds like the 'custom air' is the way to go. When will I be given the opportunity to select the custom air fee? My cruise is in September, 2013. Are the air tickets booked 9 months before that? 10 hours from Poland to NYC sure sounds nice. Do you think that applies to other US cities, like DC or Baltimore or just NYC?

I can find NO non-stops from WAW to either Washington or Baltimore; only connections through NY. Following is summarized from previous posts by me:

 

In May 2010 we ended our cruise in Odessa. We did not use Custom Air and Viking routed us ODS-VIE on Ukraine International Air /overnight/ VIE-IAD on Austrian Air. On Ukraine International ODS-VIE, we had a hot meal of pork cutlet. We stayed at the NH Hotel Vienna Airport - about a 100 meter walk through the parking lot. We were originally told that we would have to pay for the hotel; then told it was at no additional cost. Not sure if it was paid for by Viking or by the airlines - didn't really care as long as it was not me paying. No dinner provided in VIE, but breakfast buffet was included at the hotel. We checked into NH Hotel VIE, left our luggage and hopped the S-bahn from the airport to downtown. The City Airport Train (CAT) is 10 Euros each way, BUT the S-bahn is 3.6 Euros each way, and half that price if you are a Senior [defined as over 60 for females, over 65 for males]. CAT takes 16 minutes. S-bahn takes about 21 minutes. Both fares include continuation anywhere downtown on the U-bahn.

 

The typical end to a European river cruise is get up at 2:30am, grab a quick continental breakfast on the ship, leave at 4am for the airport for a 6:30 flight to somewhere to catch a TransAtlantic flight. Sleeping in and having a leisurely late breakfast prior to leaving for the airport around noon for the flight to Vienna and a nice evening there was heaven by comparison. I'd take that routing again in a heart-beat.

 

Thom

[travelling fools]

I can find NO non-stops from WAW to either Washington or Baltimore; only connections through NY. Following is summarized from previous posts by me:

 

In May 2010 we ended our cruise in Odessa. We did not use Custom Air and Viking routed us ODS-VIE on Ukraine International Air /overnight/ VIE-IAD on Austrian Air. On Ukraine International ODS-VIE, we had a hot meal of pork cutlet. We stayed at the NH Hotel Vienna Airport - about a 100 meter walk through the parking lot. We were originally told that we would have to pay for the hotel; then told it was at no additional cost. Not sure if it was paid for by Viking or by the airlines - didn't really care as long as it was not me paying. No dinner provided in VIE, but breakfast buffet was included at the hotel. We checked into NH Hotel VIE, left our luggage and hopped the S-bahn from the airport to downtown. The City Airport Train (CAT) is 10 Euros each way, BUT the S-bahn is 3.6 Euros each way, and half that price if you are a Senior [defined as over 60 for females, over 65 for males]. CAT takes 16 minutes. S-bahn takes about 21 minutes. Both fares include continuation anywhere downtown on the U-bahn.

 

The typical end to a European river cruise is get up at 2:30am, grab a quick continental breakfast on the ship, leave at 4am for the airport for a 6:30 flight to somewhere to catch a TransAtlantic flight. Sleeping in and having a leisurely late breakfast prior to leaving for the airport around noon for the flight to Vienna and a nice evening there was heaven by comparison. I'd take that routing again in a heart-beat.

 

Thom

Thanks as that is the same 1st part of our route home and the same hotel we have been given.

What stop is the best stop to get off the s bahn and can you suggest a restaurant in town and is there something you would suggest doing in the evening.We looked at a few evening tours but they are not available on Sunday the night we are there.

I believe Austrian pays for hotel but not positive.

 

Do you happen to know if we could get off ship on the last morning and return in time for transportation to airport at noon

[TravelerThom]

...What stop is the best stop to get off the s bahn and can you suggest a restaurant in town and is there something you would suggest doing in the evening.We looked at a few evening tours but they are not available on Sunday the night we are there

 

Do you happen to know if we could get off ship on the last morning and return in time for transportation to airport at noon

To get to the center take the S-bahn to Bahnhof Wien Mitte; this train station allows immediate transfer to Landstrasse U-bahn station and Stephansplatz [Cathedral] is two stops away on the U3 line. This puts you in the middle of lots of pedestrian streets. I might recommend a stroll to Hofburg Palace. The Palce will not be open by the time you get there, but you get to see Austrian Imperial architecture and the gardens. Sunset in Vienna is currently 9pm. Check out the internet or a Vienna guidebook for more info.

 

Yes you can get off the boat the morning of departure to do what you wish. Just make sure that you have confirmed the time you have to be back for your airport transfer.

 

enjoy

Thom

[sitraveler]

You can get off the ship in the AM of your departure, but I would be very careful before I go far. I wandered the pier area only. Coffee, etc is available and the new passengers begin to arrive.

We were 60 early AM departure (4AM)

60 noon departure

60- non Viking transfers (some stayed on, own arrangements)

[travelling fools]

You can get off the ship in the AM of your departure, but I would be very careful before I go far. I wandered the pier area only. Coffee, etc is available and the new passengers begin to arrive.

We were 60 early AM departure (4AM)

60 noon departure

60- non Viking transfers (some stayed on, own arrangements)

 

Is there much close to the pier in Odesssa?

[loum140]

Is there much close to the pier in Odesssa?

 

Yes. It's a lovely new terminal building and is a bit further to walk to the city proper since my last visit 16 yrs. ago. However, there are souvenir stands, cafes, etc. right on the pier or in the building.

 

Once you exit the walkway to cross (under) the street to reach the steps, there are more vendors. In the city proper there's lots of shopping including a pedestrian area of high-end shops and at the end of it a crafts market. Also, don't miss the "passage" - it's an architectural wonder (with wonderful small crafty shops) at the end of the shopping street that cuts through at a right angle to the street across from the Church and crafts market. Ask your guide to circle it on your map. The city is very walkable and cabs are cheap by US standards.

[Peregrina651]

 

Does anyone know if there is a charge and how much.

.

 

It differs from toilet to toilet. The only place I can specifically speak about having to pay is the toilet outside of Livadia Palace; you have to pay to use it. However, look for the handicap toilet inside the palace because it doesn't charge.

[loum140]

The public toilet on the Promenade in Yalta charges 2 (local currency). It is clean and very private with running water, soap and paper.