Booking time

[jiminyC_fan]

Sorry for so many questions. I just realized that we are just a few days away from booking our excursions. I know I have read it somewhere but could you kind souls tell me what time of day the website allows us to start booking? Thanks so much. I haven't had butterflies up until now but now I am realizing the hard part is about to begin.

[jiminyC_fan]

Never mind. I found it posted.....Booking opens at midnight Pacific time. Thought I would post it again if it helps someone else.

[Peregrina651]

Never mind. I found it posted.....Booking opens at midnight Pacific time. Thought I would post it again if it helps someone else.

 

That is 1 a.m. for you (and 3 a.m.for me:().

 

It is worth staying up until 1 am to be among the first ones--especially if you are in a DV cabin.

 

Don't bother with filling in your wish list; imho, it is a waste of time. On paper, make a list of the tours that you want and the times you want (if they are already posted) and then just work you way across the shorex page one port of call at a time, adding your tours to your cart--click the port, click the tour you want, click the time for each person, add it to the cart, close the window and move onto the next port. Once you fill your cart, you can pay for the tours you have chosen. It took me 15 minutes from start to finish the last time I did it.

[Dauntless]

Sorry for so many questions. I just realized that we are just a few days away from booking our excursions. I know I have read it somewhere but could you kind souls tell me what time of day the website allows us to start booking? Thanks so much. I haven't had butterflies up until now but now I am realizing the hard part is about to begin.

 

Breathe, you can do this. My plan was to get the paid excursion I wanted and in my case it meant forgoing the included excursion so I didn't have to figure out how to fit everything in. Then your included excursions must be booked. If you are trying to get several things accomplished in port, you might want to do these first to see what times are available and then you have a starting point fr the other activities.

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks guys. I've set aside today to go over my notes for each port and go from there. Peregrina, I was planning on the wish list so I appreciated your opinion. I have full intentions of hitting the computer at 1:00am. I have done that on prior cruises as well. This one is intimidating because, at least to me, it is more involved than most cruises with the included tour.

 

Dauntless, I like your advice to try for the paid and then go from there. I wish you were on our cruise. I'd love to meet you.

 

Restaurants aren't a big issue for us. We are good no matter where we eat.

[Dauntless]

 

Dauntless, I like your advice to try for the paid and then go from there. I wish you were on our cruise. I'd love to meet you.

 

Restaurants aren't a big issue for us. We are good no matter where we eat.

 

Since I loved this cruise so much, I wish I was going to be on it too. The waterfalls in Norway will be in full bloom when you are there. There were many when we traveled but you could see where some had stopped falling by September. I now see where someone from 'Western Passages" hopes I'm going to be on their cruise. I'm going to have to free up some more time. Apparently I need to travel more. Right now I'm thinking about Mediterranean Odyssey next March as that is the only time it's offered that year,.

 

Check the arrival times and departure times with Viking between now and booking to be sure. We booked so far ahead that departure time for Tallinn and Berlin had both changed by the time sailed. It can't hurt to check.

 

Do check out the Chef's Table rotation when you board. This is not a normal experience for us as there were no TV trays or a drive thru but we want to take in the whole experience. We ate at the first rotation and booked the second and were hooked so we made arrangements for the other 3 before we left that night. The Explorer's desk should have the rotations and there is a place in the World Cafe on the port side to make reservations as well. They will also know how many rotations your cruise will have.

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks Dauntless. Hope you take that cruise. Would love to know how you like it. Our times have changed once so far. I read my husband your Chef's Table comment. He laughed and then said we will try it.

[Dauntless]

Helsinki: Try to get there as early as possible and stay in town if you want to do more on your own. Our plan of going to town first and then back to the ship to get the included shore excursion was not good. The traveling time wastes too much time and you on your own time seems shortchanged. Our trip to the fortress might of worked better if we had gone through the ship if the times work out. just a word of warning.

[jiminyC_fan]

As a matter of fact. Helsinki and Bergen has me stumped. I wanted to get to Soumenlinna in Helsinki but I am afraid I can't do both the included and getting over there by ourselves in the allotted time. Bergen I have no clue what to do.

[Dauntless]

As a matter of fact. Helsinki and Bergen has me stumped. I wanted to get to Soumenlinna in Helsinki but I am afraid I can't do both the included and getting over there by ourselves in the allotted time. Bergen I have no clue what to do.

 

I'm looking at my Shore Excursion Description booklet that was in my cabin when I boarded so your options may not be the same but look. Finland's Fortress for $89 left the ship @ 9:15 so would return@ 1:15 and our last included excursion left @1:30 and returned@4:30. I feel this would be OK but you can check when you board to be sure. They give you time on the island and at Market Square to grab something to tied you over until dinner. You might be able to meet up with the included at the first stop, which for us was Church in the Rock and not go back to the ship if things seem to be running late(provided you can get connected to their QuietVox when you hook up). In his Northern European Cruise port book, Rick Steve's has a self guided walking tour. Too strenuous? He also has other options for bus ventures from a panoramic tour, HOHO bus or a tram tour as options. There is a Helsinki Transit map in this section that has the info on it. On the map the cruise port is in the bottom left corner, There is a bus(#14) that can get you there directly. I would say those are the options. If Viking can't make the connections work, stay in town on you own(the Market is the last stop before heading back) after fortress and there is a TI a just off the harbor(explained in Rick's book). Our CC M&M was at 5:00 this night.

 

Now Bergen---There is the included tour if you choose. Ours included a tour of a museum which they have now dropped and I think I heard it was a panoramic drive. Your literature is more up to date. After too long in museum we left our tour so you are glad they changed it, regardless if you go or not. There are 2 places I wanted to go but when we tried to figure out the logistics it seemed like we didn't know much more than the people selling the tickets in town so we opted out of going I would look into one or both of these. They cover the composers from the area and are visits to their homes. Grieg's music you will know and a short concert is included along with a stop at the Fantoft Stave church in the tour. Ole Bull's home is located on an island and is very unique along with the transportation to get there. It also includes a stop at the church. Both of these are available for preview on YouTube to help you decide. They both a ways out of town and will let you see some country side. Both can be done through ship's excursions if you pass on included. The Lysoen Island excursion leaves@7:45 ($149) and returns@ 12:45 and the other excursion leaves@1:45 ($119) and returns@5:15 so time to grab a bite between. If you just do one and the included, there are 5 groups for that so you should be able to arrange it. If you want to go it alone, the ship docks right at the Fortress, Brygen is right next to that and the Hanseatic Museum is located here. The Funicular is just past that to the left so you don't need the ship for that. Rick's book also provides information on this, along with a map. There was a short concert on board at 6:30 that night. You could then stroll back into town take a right where you took a left to the funicular and stroll to Ole Bull's Pass and see quiet a bit of the city to the left and right(It will be Saturday night).

 

So there you have my rundown of the options. I know you are taking the train to Oslo and don't know your schedule so you judge your bedtime. Any combination of these would be a good choice. You might want to book the 2 paid options in Bergen to reserve your space. You have, I think cancellation opportunities until 72 hours before the excursions but you would be covered if you wanted to go.

[English Voyager]

In Bergen, if, and it is a very big if, it is not raining one museum worth visiting is the open air Old Bergen Museum which affords an opportunity to view houses, including some interiors, dating from the 18th to the 20th century.

 

http://www.bymuseet.no/en/museums/old-bergen-museum/

 

 

Bergen is such an attractive city that I never tire of just doing my own thing.

 

There is an excellent, albeit extremely busy, Visitor Information Centre close to the Fish Market that provides a wealth of ideas on things to do.

 

https://en.visitbergen.com/visitor-information/bergen-tourist-information

[jiminyC_fan]

Thank you both. Links are great English Voyager. I just don't want to do Bergen "wrong". I want to make sure we see the most important parts. Being Swedish and Norwegian, Stockholm, Bergen and Oslo are important to me. I do like your idea of booking both and go from there, Dauntless. We really enjoyed getting out of Amsterdam one day and toured the countryside. The Countries are more than just a city.

[jiminyC_fan]

Another question for you Dauntless. How did you get to Richard in Copenhagen? Bus number 26?

[English Voyager]

Thank you both. Links are great English Voyager. I just don't want to do Bergen "wrong". I want to make sure we see the most important parts. Being Swedish and Norwegian, Stockholm, Bergen and Oslo are important to me.

 

I understand the desire to see as much as possible in a cruise's port of call, but there is a danger that in trying to see too much one ends up not doing justice to what one does see.

 

For example, in Stockholm the Vasa Museum has so much to see not only with the ship, but also all the artefacts that were retrieved from within it, that it warrants a lengthy visit.

 

http://www.vasamuseet.se/en

 

 

In Oslo, if the weather is fine, it is very pleasant spending time wandering slowly around the Vigeland Park.

 

http://www.vigeland.museum.no/en/vigeland-park

[jiminyC_fan]

I totally understand your thought behind rushing. We want to pick tours and pick them right. No rushing definitely. We are staying in Stockholm a few days before the cruise. We have our Stockholm Pass Card and travel card. Vasa is our top thing to do in Stockholm.

[Vineyard View]

Vasa is amazing. We were glad to have no time restriction when we were there post cruise. If you have the opportunity, maybe carve out a good amount of time there.......

[jiminyC_fan]

Thanks Vineyard View! We are very excited about Vasa!