Booked my first cruise with Viking!

[Astromaid]

I have never cruised Viking, but I have heard wonderful things about the line. I go in realizing that it is very different from the cruises I typically do and have researched those differences to make sure they were acceptable to me. But when I saw the Iconic Iceland, Greenland, and Canada cruise in 2023 out of New York City, I fell hard. I was looking for something unique for June of 2023 when I turn 70 and we have our 25th wedding anniversary. And this sounds like a really special cruise. I probably should have tried a seven day to make sure Viking is for me, but I already have two cruises booked in 2022, I didn't dare book another one. Special thanks to Clay Clayton for advice and recommendations.

[Peregrina651]

Sweet!

[rizello]

We did our first one in August and I do understand the brand loyalty.  It was a most wonderful experience!

 

[Clay Clayton]

4 hours ago, Astromaid said:

I have never cruised Viking, but I have heard wonderful things about the line. I go in realizing that it is very different from the cruises I typically do and have researched those differences to make sure they were acceptable to me. But when I saw the Iconic Iceland, Greenland, and Canada cruise in 2023 out of New York City, I fell hard. I was looking for something unique for June of 2023 when I turn 70 and we have our 25th wedding anniversary. And this sounds like a really special cruise. I probably should have tried a seven day to make sure Viking is for me, but I already have two cruises booked in 2022, I didn't dare book another one. Special thanks to Clay Clayton for advice and recommendations.

Fingers crossed you will love it!

[lackcreativity]

14 hours ago, rizello said:

We did our first one in August and I do understand the brand loyalty.  It was a most wonderful experience!

 

I am happy to hear that the changes necessary to cruise during the time of Covid still allowed a first timer to appreciate a Viking cruise. We will finally be back on board in April, and can't wait. Welcome to the family!

[Blackduck59]

We just booked our first Viking cruise sailing out of LA (San Pedro) in April. The fare seemed reasonable and this may be our only chance to go Viking. After Cancelling 2 trips to New Zealand and Australia as well as an East Coast Canada and New England it will be our first chance to cruise since June 2019.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

We just booked our first Viking cruise sailing out of LA (San Pedro) in April. The fare seemed reasonable and this may be our only chance to go Viking. After Cancelling 2 trips to New Zealand and Australia as well as an East Coast Canada and New England it will be our first chance to cruise since June 2019.

 

Welcome to Viking, sounds like you are sailing on the Orion. Lots of information on what to expect, but feel free to ask questions.

[Blackduck59]

2 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Welcome to Viking, sounds like you are sailing on the Orion. Lots of information on what to expect, but feel free to ask questions.

 

Thank you so much. I have been looking at you tube and reading here on CC. I have found your insight and that of several others very helpful. I will continue to read and will ask questions as required.

Cheers

[Blackduck59]

Any thoughts on the best way to get to LA from Victoria. We have a few options, my wife has quite a few miles with Alaska Airlines and we should be able to get what they call "First Class" at a very low price. That would mean flying to Seattle first with a lay over and then direct to LA. We could also do the "Victoria Clipper" which would be cool then transfer to the SeaTac for the flight to LA. We could also fly on a Canadian airline but we don't have miles with any of them. We also have to think about the required covid tests.

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Any thoughts on the best way to get to LA from Victoria. We have a few options, my wife has quite a few miles with Alaska Airlines and we should be able to get what they call "First Class" at a very low price. That would mean flying to Seattle first with a lay over and then direct to LA. We could also do the "Victoria Clipper" which would be cool then transfer to the SeaTac for the flight to LA. We could also fly on a Canadian airline but we don't have miles with any of them. We also have to think about the required covid tests.

 

We also don't have points/miles with a Canaidian airline, since the demise of Canadian.

 

When flying to L/A, we suffer Air Canada, as Westjet doesn't have full business class. We book the morning departure (about 08:30), so we book an airport hotel the night before, taking their courtesy shuttle to the airport.

 

The other benefit of a YVR - LAX direct flight is that all pax must be fully vaccinated, don't know if the US has a similar requirement.

[Clay Clayton]

17 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

 

The other benefit of a YVR - LAX direct flight is that all pax must be fully vaccinated, don't know if the US has a similar requirement.

Currently this is not a requirement of flying a domestic US airline. 😢

[KBs mum]

11 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

Any thoughts on the best way to get to LA from Victoria. We have a few options, my wife has quite a few miles with Alaska Airlines and we should be able to get what they call "First Class" at a very low price. That would mean flying to Seattle first with a lay over and then direct to LA. We could also do the "Victoria Clipper" which would be cool then transfer to the SeaTac for the flight to LA. We could also fly on a Canadian airline but we don't have miles with any of them. We also have to think about the required covid tests.

Am in the UK, so can't help with flights, but we find it more relaxing to travel to the departure port a couple of days early, so as to not worry about flight cancellations or weather delays. 2 days in a nice hotel pre cruise also  puts us in holiday mode. 

[Blackduck59]

29 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Am in the UK, so can't help with flights, but we find it more relaxing to travel to the departure port a couple of days early, so as to not worry about flight cancellations or weather delays. 2 days in a nice hotel pre cruise also  puts us in holiday mode. 

 

We are looking to fly out the day before and overnight in a hotel close to the port. We are just looking at air fares and feeling a bit of sticker shock for a one way fare on what is a short flight. Oh well it is what it is. Some of the routes are just confusing, Victoria to Calgary or Edmonton to LA? We'll stick with the via Vancouver option. @Heidi13 Thanks for the heads up on the vaccination requirement, that pretty much dropped the Alaska Airlines plan. 

[FlyerTalker]

https://matrix.itasoftware.com

 

The flyer's best friend  (along with a few others).

[FlyerTalker]

You left out taking the BC Ferries Connector bus service from downtown Victoria non-stop to YVR.  In April, they will run twice a day in each direction.  Fare will be MUCH more reasonable than flying off the island.

 

https://bcfconnector.com

[Heidi13]

34 minutes ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

We are looking to fly out the day before and overnight in a hotel close to the port. We are just looking at air fares and feeling a bit of sticker shock for a one way fare on what is a short flight. Oh well it is what it is. Some of the routes are just confusing, Victoria to Calgary or Edmonton to LA? We'll stick with the via Vancouver option. @Heidi13 Thanks for the heads up on the vaccination requirement, that pretty much dropped the Alaska Airlines plan. 

 

Before the 2020 World Cruise, we booked the Crowne Plaza for 2 nights before the cruise. It is about 1/2 between the San Pedro berths, as Viking may be at the Outer Harbour Berth 46.

 

However, if you know for sure you are using Berth 46, rather than WCC, the Doubletree Hotel is closest.

 

The Crowne Plaza is right in the town, with a number of pubs & restaurants within a short walk.

[Blackduck59]

8 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

You left out taking the BC Ferries Connector bus service from downtown Victoria non-stop to YVR.  In April, they will run twice a day in each direction.  Fare will be MUCH more reasonable than flying off the island.

 

https://bcfconnector.com

 Thank you, we are aware of that service. We used it to get to the cruise ship terminal for our Alaska Cruise. The air fare to Vancouver isn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things

[Blackduck59]

4 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Before the 2020 World Cruise, we booked the Crowne Plaza for 2 nights before the cruise. It is about 1/2 between the San Pedro berths, as Viking may be at the Outer Harbour Berth 46.

 

However, if you know for sure you are using Berth 46, rather than WCC, the Doubletree Hotel is closest.

 

The Crowne Plaza is right in the town, with a number of pubs & restaurants within a short walk.

 

Thank you, we have checked on the Crowne Plaza and the site I chose shows no availability for that time. We are thinking one day before the cruise. Maybe tour the USS Iowa museum, we toured USS Missouri in Pearl Harbour. I wouldn't mind seeing the Queen Mary if she is close by and open.

[PasadenaDave]

You might want to consider taking the ferry to Seattle and fly Seattle to LAX or Long Beach.  I find that short flights and Seattle to LA I consider short that First Class is not worth the added expense or miles unless you have a tremendous number of miles that you can't use.

[FolsomMike]

• I’ve booked my first Viking cruise for next July. I just hope Norway is letting Americans in by then. 😞 

[DaveSJ711]

12 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

You might want to consider taking the ferry to Seattle and fly Seattle to LAX or Long Beach.  I find that short flights and Seattle to LA I consider short that First Class is not worth the added expense or miles unless you have a tremendous number of miles that you can't use.

The ferry from Victoria to Seattle (the Clipper) is shut down until March 2022.

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, DaveSJ711 said:

The ferry from Victoria to Seattle (the Clipper) is shut down until March 2022.

 

If you note in post #6, he's cruising in April.

[LindaS272]

8 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

If you note in post #6, he's cruising in April.

Well the way things are going around here in Puget Sound with our ferry system, I wouldn’t rely on the Clipper being up and running in April from Victoria to Seattle. Different system, I know, but our ferry system is using the excuse of the “world wide shortage of mariners” to explain cutting our service in half. When planning for a trip in April, I’d think you’d want a little more reliability that your method of travel will be up and running.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

 

Thank you, we have checked on the Crowne Plaza and the site I chose shows no availability for that time. We are thinking one day before the cruise. Maybe tour the USS Iowa museum, we toured USS Missouri in Pearl Harbour. I wouldn't mind seeing the Queen Mary if she is close by and open.

 

The Queen Mary is at the Carnival Dock in Long beach, which requires crossing the harbour by the bridge at the WCC. It should be a reasonable Uber trip. Definitely worth a visit.

[Jim Avery]

53 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The Queen Mary is at the Carnival Dock in Long beach, which requires crossing the harbour by the bridge at the WCC. It should be a reasonable Uber trip. Definitely worth a visit.

I certainly second your Queen Mary.  For anyone even slightly interested in passenger ships and history the QM in Long Beach is a must.  Yes, it has been chopped up somewhat and is really showing the fact it is a century old (construction was halted for several years in the '20s of the last century) but she is still there.  We have stayed aboard a couple of times in the restored original first class cabins and really enjoyed it.  I sailed on her with my parents as a kid.  Queen Mary is responsible for me running away to sea after university.  🍺 And about a 20 minute ride if traffic is ok.  But then, when is traffic ok in SoCal?