What's up with having different dates for when excursions can be booked

[OnTheJourney]

Based on one's accommodation level?  Really?  Somehow doesn't seem fair. 

[Richard2]

Why is it not fair?  Even excluding the Owner's Suite, some guests have paid more than twice as much for their cabin as others. Those fares come with additional perks. All in all, Viking Ocean cruises are extremely egalitarian. There is no preferred seating for the more expensive cabins in the dining room or in the theatre, and no separate facilities on the ship (as there is with the concierge level in a hotel). It is all done rather invisibility with the earlier dining and excursion reservations, and early room availability at boarding. If you pay for a first class seat on an airplane, you don't only get more space. You also get a different meal and different service. I'm sure those who pay for the largest cabins think the earlier reservations are quite appropriate.

[Peregrina651]

Of course it is fair. It is information that is easily found in pre-cruise research; each cabin category has perks commensurate with the price of the cabin--more space, more perks, more money. If you didn't like the idea of booking priority based on accommodation category, you should not have booked with Viking. Once you are booked, it is a bit late to complain.

 

Personally, I like the plan; it is simple and it is clearly stated. Everyone is entitled to a seat on the included tours, so that is not a problem. And if an optional is sold out before I get there, that's life. There are always other options.

[Parsley Cruises]

7 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Based on one's accommodation level?  Really?  Somehow doesn't seem fair. 

Now then, that's just being silly (sorry).  No cruise line is a charity, they are all businesses.

 

So, if people want the perks like being amongst the first lucky passengers to be able to book things like dining or excursions, then they have to pay the extra.  Ok, I know that the more costly suites have more room etc., but it's simply what you have to do to avoid a 'rush' for booking stuff and to avoid using the laundry.  

 

Simples.  It's all a matter of priorities and personal preferences.  We know what we'd rather do, and we act accordingly.

 

If you have opted for a lowed grade of stateroom, don't whinge - it was your choice in the first place.  Sorry.  I like things the way they are.  

 

 

 

[Marykatesmom]

I agree with previous posters.  The size of the room is immaterial to me but booking early is very important.  I do like getting into my cabin earlier also but that isn't a make it or break it item.

[Parsley Cruises]

7 minutes ago, Marykatesmom said:

I agree with previous posters.  The size of the room is immaterial to me but booking early is very important.  I do like getting into my cabin earlier also but that isn't a make it or break it item.

That aspect didn't really do much for us on our last VO cruise, as by the time the flight had landed and we had got to the ship it was way past the early time for getting to our accommodation.  However it was neat to just dump our hand luggage before going to get lunch.  

However, on other cruise lines we've been first aboard and been made to wait for our suite, all sent to (and kept in) a specific lounge; when all we wanted to do was safely store our handluggage in our dressing room and go explore the ship.  

I think that VO have just about got it right though,

[lackcreativity]

I like this arrangement very much, as it allows us to choose the least expensive cabins for these very nice vacations. I personally could not justify paying the cost of the higher end accommodations. Even as the last to book for excursions, we have been satisfied with our Viking excursions. We have missed out on a few optional ones  that we might have enjoyed, and we didn't always get the time slot we wanted, but we have not been disappointed with our visit to any port.

[Jim Avery]

I like Viking's way of doing things better than other lines, for example Princess.  Hordes of passengers waving their black "elite" status cards and demanding to be first in line everywhere.  So many lines have those levels of "status".  On Viking we all get the benefits.  Just some can book earlier based on room cost.  Again, we did not, in 120 days, ever have a problem getting the excursion or dinner rez we wanted.  

[OnTheJourney]

9 hours ago, Parsley Cruises said:

Now then, that's just being silly (sorry).  No cruise line is a charity, they are all businesses.

 

So, if people want the perks like being amongst the first lucky passengers to be able to book things like dining or excursions, then they have to pay the extra.  Ok, I know that the more costly suites have more room etc., but it's simply what you have to do to avoid a 'rush' for booking stuff and to avoid using the laundry.  

 

Simples.  It's all a matter of priorities and personal preferences.  We know what we'd rather do, and we act accordingly.

 

If you have opted for a lowed grade of stateroom, don't whinge - it was your choice in the first place.  Sorry.  I like things the way they are.  

 

 

 

Actually I don't have a lower grade of stateroom, but I voice the concern thinking of those that do. Let's face it, Viking is already more expensive than some other cruise lines (and of course probably cheaper than some too) right across the board (all room classes). All the points expressed are well taken, and I guess I just find the policy a bit harder to accept having never experienced this approach to booking excursions before. I'm just so used to, as Jim expressed, the 'status' levels often found in some of the major lines. It'll be interesting to compare. 

[Parsley Cruises]

Well, we gained top loyalty levels with other cruise lines; and along the way came to the conclusion that it is the responsibility of each passenger to ensure they have read and understood the Ts and Calpol before they book and pay a deposit.  Therefore we don’t (any longer) get concerned about passengers in lower grade accommodation.  

We certainly don’t miss some of the perks with other lines; we think VO had got it just right for us thankfully.

[Richard2]

1 hour ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Actually I don't have a lower grade of stateroom, but I voice the concern thinking of those that do. Let's face it, Viking is already more expensive than some other cruise lines (and of course probably cheaper than some too) right across the board (all room classes). All the points expressed are well taken, and I guess I just find the policy a bit harder to accept having never experienced this approach to booking excursions before. I'm just so used to, as Jim expressed, the 'status' levels often found in some of the major lines. It'll be interesting to compare. 

I suppose it is all a matter of what you are used to.  We recently began looking into taking the grandchildren on a Disney cruise, but found the multiple hierarchies (Castaway Club, concierge rooms, etc) distasteful. On Viking, when you step out of your room, everyone is traveling in the same class. 

[OnTheJourney]

Just did a bit of research on all this.....using the Star as an example (I suppose the room breakdown on the Sky is similar or even the same maybe)...there are the following:

 

V - 42 rooms; DV - 266 (I'm DV2), PV - 116, PS - 32, ES - 14. 

 

So this means that approx. 300 rooms get to book roughly the same date (within 7 days difference for the V category), and then the other roughly 162 rooms get to book earlier.....77 days prior to departure for PV, 87 for PS, and 97 for ES.  All well and good...but IF I'm unable to get one of the excursions I want for this arctic trip...it'll probably be the first and last time I sail with Viking. As I mentioned earlier, I, along with everyone else, is already paying considerably more for this cruise than what some other lines charge, so somehow shift the perks for the higher cost rooms into some other amenities rather than penalize the lower classes by not being able to book excursions at the same starting date. It just feels a bit like the old "1st, 2nd, 3rd class" treatment from the days of White Star Line, etc. Could all wind up being a moot point. It's been my experience on cruises that many people wait till onboard to book anyway. It's just that this cruise is different than the run-of-the-mill Caribbean trip relative to offering some rather unique shore experiences. 

 

I have to really think this over. Unfortunately I already booked airfare or might have considered canceling this for now. 

Edited November 26, 2018 by gretschwhtfalcon

[OnTheJourney]

3 minutes ago, Richard2 said:

I suppose it is all a matter of what you are used to.  We recently began looking into taking the grandchildren on a Disney cruise, but found the multiple hierarchies (Castaway Club, concierge rooms, etc) distasteful. On Viking, when you step out of your room, everyone is traveling in the same class. 

Meh.....there is probably good and bad about that last statement. I think excursions should be open to all at the same time. 

[OnTheJourney]

19 hours ago, Richard2 said:

Why is it not fair?  Even excluding the Owner's Suite, some guests have paid more than twice as much for their cabin as others. Those fares come with additional perks. All in all, Viking Ocean cruises are extremely egalitarian. There is no preferred seating for the more expensive cabins in the dining room or in the theatre, and no separate facilities on the ship (as there is with the concierge level in a hotel). It is all done rather invisibility with the earlier dining and excursion reservations, and early room availability at boarding. If you pay for a first class seat on an airplane, you don't only get more space. You also get a different meal and different service. I'm sure those who pay for the largest cabins think the earlier reservations are quite appropriate.

"There is no preferred seating for the more expensive cabins in the dining room or in the theatre"......

 

If I have a suite (or whatever higher category stateroom would apply), I'd much rather have the preferential seating for a theatre show then have people who are in cabin categories below mine NOT get to book excursions at the same time I can. Betcha some of those lower category people would also prefer it that way if indeed they get screwed out of an excursion they really want. 

[Richard2]

3 minutes ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

"There is no preferred seating for the more expensive cabins in the dining room or in the theatre"......

 

If I have a suite (or whatever higher category stateroom would apply), I'd much rather have the preferential seating for a theatre show then have people who are in cabin categories below mine NOT get to book excursions at the same time I can. Betcha some of those lower category people would also prefer it that way if indeed they get screwed out of an excursion they really want. 

And I would rather not be on a ship in which people were expecting or getting preferential treatment at dining, theatre, tea time, spa, lectures, disembarking, etc. Let's agree to disagree. Viking does it this way. I'm glad they do, so I'll be sticking with Viking. You think you won't like it, so you may decide to go elsewhere. 

[OnTheJourney]

Easier to say....(relative to my original topic anyway) if you're in class PS or ES where you have the extra 20-30 days, top-pick, to get the excursion choice you want. As I said, this would be less of a concern if we'd be talking about some Caribbean vacation. 

 

I'm sure hoping I DO like it for what I'm paying! 

Edited November 26, 2018 by gretschwhtfalcon

[lackcreativity]

Speaking as a happy veranda cabin cruiser, excursion selection is quite satisfactory even if you don't always get exactly what you want. In my experience, optional excursions that may be  all sold out at the time you make  your selection may have additional buses added or slots open up later. On our last cruise, I was able to pick up  two optional excursions that were sold out because I knew to keep checking availability on My Viking Journey (thank you Cruise Critic!).  I knew in advance that this was Viking's booking policy, and it was a chance I was willing to take. The entire sailing experience suits us perfectly. 

[OnTheJourney]

lackcreativity....thanks for your thoughts and advice. I believe one possible advantage in my lowly DV2 category might be that the 10 days earlier booking (for the PV folks) falls 2 days after Christmas, and the 20 days earlier (for ES) is 8 days before Christmas. Likely, right around the busy Holiday season, I would imagine that not as many people will be jumping all over the excursions. I do plan, though, to seize the moment right on January 6, rather than trying to upgrade my category and then very likely would not wind up getting around to booking excursions before New Years anyway. 

Edited November 26, 2018 by gretschwhtfalcon

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Richard2 said:

And I would rather not be on a ship in which people were expecting or getting preferential treatment at dining, theatre, tea time, spa, lectures, disembarking, etc. Let's agree to disagree. Viking does it this way. I'm glad they do, so I'll be sticking with Viking. You think you won't like it, so you may decide to go elsewhere. 

Richard,

Yes...agreeing to disagree is best!  I appreciate your thoughts and hope that it will all work out for me. I'm very anxious to try Viking, but must admit to not having paid attention to that policy. It's clearly listed under each room category so I overlooked it. If I run into issues with excursions due to some being already sold out, then that will certainly influence my decision whether or not to go with Viking again. 

[Jim Avery]

9 minutes ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Richard,

Yes...agreeing to disagree is best!  I appreciate your thoughts and hope that it will all work out for me. I'm very anxious to try Viking, but must admit to not having paid attention to that policy. It's clearly listed under each room category so I overlooked it. If I run into issues with excursions due to some being already sold out, then that will certainly influence my decision whether or not to go with Viking again. 

I have said this before, I will say it again:  You will be fine.  We obsessed over this very same issue having never been on Viking but really, it works out.  Every day at the Travel desk there are people cancelling and re booking excursions.  Very much in flux so always more stuff coming available.  If it doesn't work out for you I will drink two extra IPAs for you......😎

[jiminyC_fan]

2 hours ago, Richard2 said:

I suppose it is all a matter of what you are used to.  We recently began looking into taking the grandchildren on a Disney cruise, but found the multiple hierarchies (Castaway Club, concierge rooms, etc) distasteful. On Viking, when you step out of your room, everyone is traveling in the same class. 

Disney never used to have the tiers.  I am at the top for their "Club" benefits but with their exclusive areas on the ship for concierge I will no longer sail with them.  They have truly gone back to the Titanic days.  I love that Viking treats all of us the same once we are on the ship.  I certainly do understand and accept Vikings way of booking tours.  We all know it ahead of time and if we don't agree to it then maybe Viking isn't a good match.

[MarkTapley]

13 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

I have said this before, I will say it again:  You will be fine.  We obsessed over this very same issue having never been on Viking but really, it works out.  Every day at the Travel desk there are people cancelling and re booking excursions.  Very much in flux so always more stuff coming available.  If it doesn't work out for you I will drink two extra IPAs for you......😎

 

Agree with Jim’s comment.  You’ll likely get most, if not all the excursions you want. But if there are certain ports that you are really worried about, look into private excursions.  They are really easy to set up, especially if you work with others in the CC Roll Call for your trip.  There have been lots of complaints about VO excursions (esp the included) and going private you’ll see what you want, in a smaller group, and frequently at lower cost than VO.  We did this a lot on our recent trip and saw things that we couldn’t have seen with VO.

[Jim Avery]

Excellent advice Mark.  As our voyage progressed, we cancelled included and optional tours and often replaced them with private tours.  We personally like private tours (and they usually cost about the same as Viking optional tours) but also enjoyed many Viking optional tours.  Any voyage is a work in progress.  You must be flexible and make adjustments as you go.  Weather, political situations, personal issues all can change what you expected going in. 

[Pushka]

I’m not risking missing out on excursions on Viking for our Alaska cruise next May. There’s no chance of adding extra buses for Alaska ports. So I’ve organised several private excursions from reliable vendors. And no excursion that lasts for more than a couple of hours. I think one of them looks like the same vendor as Viking uses anyway. The included excursions don’t actually do that much for me so I would have had to pay for the additional ones anyway. Which most likely would be booked out before they opened for me. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by Pushka

[OnTheJourney]

Thanks again to all who replied.

 

Jim...encouraging words much appreciated and good advice on being flexible. I must admit to being one of those who likes all my excursions booked well before the trip. I'm not one of those who is a fan of standing around the shore excursion desk trying to figure out what I want to do. Better things to do once onboard! But, as you said, there is a need to be flexible.