Cunard is Going to Have a Run for My Money

[Scrapnana]

Pennbank, I have noticed some confusion when people talk about single supplement. When some people say 200% they mean 200% of the price, i.e. the original fare plus another 100%. Other people refer to that as 100% supplement (i.e. 100% on top of the fare that others pay).

 

I try to write clearly enough so that both camps can understand what I'm saying, and then I use a bit of guesswork when I am reading the posts of other people. :p

 

Sorry for any confusion. I meant 2 times the per person cost for a solo traveller.

[Wordzz]

What is the dress code?

 

During the day on board and ashore dress is casual and comfortable, including shorts, jeans, and sturdy shoes for walking tours. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for poolside and in the gym.

 

For evenings, while there are no “formal nights”, the recommended onboard dress is Elegant Casual for most restaurants, performances or other special events. Suggested attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional, but not required. Dinner in The World Café remains comfortable and casual, with daytime dress deemed appropriate -

COPIED FROM http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/about-your-trip/faq.aspx

 

Thanks for your alertness in spotting that, Salacia. That rules it out for us, then, so no need for us to give it any further consideration.

 

I wonder what they will offer that Azamara et al. don't offer, then?

[Rotterdam]

The New Viking ship looks great, the 900+ passengers is a good size and the mangement being headed by former Royal Viking Line is promising.

 

As long as the quality is reflected in what the fares are I'm in.

 

At this point in life I look forward to this line.

 

 

I don't think its so much competition for Cunard but rather an option forthose of us that want a smaller ship, good food & service.

 

I wish them good luck.

[Salacia]

Thanks for your alertness in spotting that, Salacia. That rules it out for us, then, so no need for us to give it any further consideration.

 

I wonder what they will offer that Azamara et al. don't offer, then?

 

You're welcome, Wordzz. I was thinking about the "no formal nights" on this new ship set to launch in 2015. Seems to me that it makes sense for this particular ship not to have formal nights. The dress code is clear, concise and consistent. The ship interior is in no way formal, as compared to the QM2, for example, where formal attire seems more appropriate for the setting.

 

At least on this new Viking Cruise Line ship, everyone knows what the dress code will be, well in advance. No suprises once on board.

 

Another point I'm considering: recent sudden changes in the dress code on Cunard ships makes me wonder what the dress code will be on Cunard ships in 2015 .(Heck, I'm wondering what changes are in store for the two QM2 2013 cruises I've already booked!)

 

As as been mentioned, the fare is not inexpensive. But I'm at the point where taking one quality cruise per year might be better than two cruises per year on Cunard. Frankly, I just don't know....

 

So for those reasons, I follow with interest this new ship.

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Atlanta World Cruiser]

Not an issue for Cunard. We took a 2 week trip on one of the new Viking Longboats last year. While the Viking cruise ship might be great, it can’t make up for their rudeness towards passengers, lack of security, and policy to have dinning an unpleasant experience.

 

The rudeness is a well documented problem. Their crews think they are above the passenger’s statue. They do not have locks on their river boats that would keeps someone from coming into the Stateroom while you are sleeping. Their attitude for dinning is that you should eat and get out as fast as possible. They take your entire order at the beginning and then rush you thru the courses.

 

Thus, Cunard has no issue with Viking. Cunard’s treatment of its passengers is beyond expectations

 

Chris

[keithm]

http://maritimematters.com/2013/05/viking-star-to-shine/

After reading the article, it would seem that the prices are closer to Grill level prices. The Grill are only a small part of Cunard. Viking seems to be closer to Regent/Oceania in what's being offered.

[Atlanta World Cruiser]

Cunard is in a Class of its own. My observations on the Viking organization is shown below:

 

 

 

 

Overall Opinion:

Considering all the points below, we will stay away from Viking and use other means to see Europe. For the prices they charge for their cruises, you can travel in first class on Cunard or other luxury cruise lines for the same or lower costs.

 

 

Value ($)

The cost of our 15 day river cruise was just under $17k. This is equal or more per day to the top tier luxury cruise lines. You can use other options to see major Cities and still enjoy the river cruise experience.

 

Security:

Basically there are no security procedures on the Viking boats. Anyone can board and walk thru the boats.

 

In our stateroom, our door was opened during the night by unknown person(s). When we woke up the next morning the stateroom door was open. When we brought this to the attention of the Front Desk the staff advised us that it was our fault. After asking for the Captain, we were greeted by the Hotel Manager, Gerald Hauswirth. Gerald accompanied us to our stateroom to check the door lock system. After several attempts that confirmed the defect, he apologized for the behavior of his staff. He was able to reset the door lock. The key to remember there are no means of locking your stateroom door if someone has a key card or the lock system fails.

 

Accommodations:

We selected the AA Veranda Suite ( 324 ). The room was very nice for a river boat. However in the hallway the Viking boat has electrical panels in-between the Suites on the starboard side. During the day and night, we would hear a loud buzzer sound in the stateroom. Three or four times each night we work up to the buzzing noise. The response from the Viking staff was “that is one of the issues on the long boats!

 

Dinning:

On the Viking, there are no seat assignments. Thus the quality of the service was a function of the waiter. It went from excellent to very poor. The concept of enjoying your meal and talking to your fellow guests . The waiters are focused on serving you the food as fast as possible. The require you give them the full order ( appetizers, entre, desert). There are no substitutions. Thus, you are pressured to finish the meal and leave.

 

Lounge:

Unfortunately, the lounge is the only place to sit down and talk to fellow guest. The upper deck is closed for most of the trip. This is caused by the 80 locks you go thru.

 

Drink Package offer:

Viking has a “Drink Package” that you can buy before your trip or on board. We did this only to

to realize the service staff avoids asking you for drinks. My recommendation is not to buy it

 

Overall Service

There are 2 to 3 waiters that are assigned to the Lounge. Most of the time, they are behind the

Bar talking to each other. So to get drinks you have to go to the bar and order. Bottom line

their service level is “Poor”

 

 

Excursions:

At each port ( one per day), they have free excursions. Most involve “walking tours” with contract tour guides. If you like seeing every Castle, Church and Statue, then this is a great feature. We decided to go to the City Center and do it ourselves.

[wripro]

People need to stop thinking that the ocean cruises will be like the river cruises. It will have to be an entirely different operation in order to complete with current cruise lines in that market. It has yet to be determined if they will succeed though.

[keithm]

Cunard is in a Class of its own. My observations on the Viking organization is shown below:

 

 

 

 

Overall Opinion:

Considering all the points below, we will stay away from Viking and use other means to see Europe. For the prices they charge for their cruises, you can travel in first class on Cunard or other luxury cruise lines for the same or lower costs.

 

 

Value ($)

The cost of our 15 day river cruise was just under $17k. This is equal or more per day to the top tier luxury cruise lines. You can use other options to see major Cities and still enjoy the river cruise experience.

 

Security:

Basically there are no security procedures on the Viking boats. Anyone can board and walk thru the boats.

 

In our stateroom, our door was opened during the night by unknown person(s). When we woke up the next morning the stateroom door was open. When we brought this to the attention of the Front Desk the staff advised us that it was our fault. After asking for the Captain, we were greeted by the Hotel Manager, Gerald Hauswirth. Gerald accompanied us to our stateroom to check the door lock system. After several attempts that confirmed the defect, he apologized for the behavior of his staff. He was able to reset the door lock. The key to remember there are no means of locking your stateroom door if someone has a key card or the lock system fails.

 

Accommodations:

We selected the AA Veranda Suite ( 324 ). The room was very nice for a river boat. However in the hallway the Viking boat has electrical panels in-between the Suites on the starboard side. During the day and night, we would hear a loud buzzer sound in the stateroom. Three or four times each night we work up to the buzzing noise. The response from the Viking staff was “that is one of the issues on the long boats!

 

Dinning:

On the Viking, there are no seat assignments. Thus the quality of the service was a function of the waiter. It went from excellent to very poor. The concept of enjoying your meal and talking to your fellow guests . The waiters are focused on serving you the food as fast as possible. The require you give them the full order ( appetizers, entre, desert). There are no substitutions. Thus, you are pressured to finish the meal and leave.

 

Lounge:

Unfortunately, the lounge is the only place to sit down and talk to fellow guest. The upper deck is closed for most of the trip. This is caused by the 80 locks you go thru.

 

Drink Package offer:

Viking has a “Drink Package” that you can buy before your trip or on board. We did this only to

to realize the service staff avoids asking you for drinks. My recommendation is not to buy it

 

Overall Service

There are 2 to 3 waiters that are assigned to the Lounge. Most of the time, they are behind the

Bar talking to each other. So to get drinks you have to go to the bar and order. Bottom line

their service level is “Poor”

 

 

Excursions:

At each port ( one per day), they have free excursions. Most involve “walking tours” with contract tour guides. If you like seeing every Castle, Church and Statue, then this is a great feature. We decided to go to the City Center and do it ourselves.

I think I'll stick to ocean voyages, thank you.

[Atlanta World Cruiser]

You are missing the whole point, the issues with the Viking river cruises is not the boat but the management culture of the company. Bottom line..they display rudeness and lack concern towards passenger safety. This culture starts at the top and is seen in its crew. They can get away with it on the river cruises; limited state rooms and high demand. But not the ocean cruises. The cruise lines that cater to the Cunard, Silversea, and Seabourn cliental understand the importance

[wripro]

I am not missing the point. Viking is well known for being lower end on river cruising. All I am saying is that they are entering the world of ocean cruising with the intention of competing with Oceania, Azamara and perhaps even some of the luxury lines. If they do not offer service, food and amenities commensurate with those other lines they will soon be out of business. They must know this. If they wanted to offer the same kind of service as they do on their river cruises I imagine they would have built a few of these behemoths to complete with Carnival and RCCL.