Viking Rhine Christmas market cruise

[TominNC]

Already booked for Dec 2024.  How long do the ships generally stay in each port.  Looking for past experience as apparently Viking doesn't publish times.

[CDNPolar]

6 hours ago, TominNC said:

Already booked for Dec 2024.  How long do the ships generally stay in each port.  Looking for past experience as apparently Viking doesn't publish times.

 

If you have your Viking invoice, usually around page 3 are the ports and the tentative arrival and departure times.  Also you can look at the map as the map legend indicates if the ship is in port overnight usually with a hollow dot over a solid dot.

 

I say tentative because times may change for a host of reasons, but this will give you some indication.

 

We have experienced early departures at 5pm from ports but also as late as 11pm.  Depends on what is going on in excursions.  Often there are dinner or evening excursions.

[TominNC]

Thanks but the invoice only lists the ports not the time in port.

[TominNC]

Another question.  Our cruise leaves Basel on Dec 16.  Our itinerary has us flying from home (Charlotte, NC) on the 15th, arriving on the 16th.  If we'd prefer to travel a day early so that we can check out the Basel market at night, is there a way to notify Viking on line or do I need to contact someone before they make final arrangements in Sept?

[Deb922]

Absolutely. There’s a chat option that you can access on my Viking journey dot com. Easy to make adjustments to your trip. 
 

be sure to add the day before your air flight is ticketed 

[CDNPolar]

19 hours ago, TominNC said:

Thanks but the invoice only lists the ports not the time in port.

 

I am sorry.... I just looked.  The port times are listed on our future Viking Ocean cruises, but not on the River cruises.  I thought that they were on all cruises.

[CDNPolar]

19 hours ago, TominNC said:

Another question.  Our cruise leaves Basel on Dec 16.  Our itinerary has us flying from home (Charlotte, NC) on the 15th, arriving on the 16th.  If we'd prefer to travel a day early so that we can check out the Basel market at night, is there a way to notify Viking on line or do I need to contact someone before they make final arrangements in Sept?

 

As Deb92 said, you can wait until your flights show up in MVJ which is about 90 days before sailing, BUT, if you are going this route, you want to inform Viking Reservations now that you want to come in one day early so your flights are properly selected in advance.  You don't want tickets selected departing on the 15th and then have to change them.

 

If you inform reservations now that you want to fly in one day early, then your flights will be selected accordingly.  You will however pay a diversion fee of $100.00 per person for this.  You will pay this if you inform them now or later because you are flying outside of contract rate dates that Viking have. (The majority of Viking passengers land the day of departure)

 

You can opt to add Viking Air Plus NOW, to your booking and pay a fee (either $100 or $150 pp) and select your flights in advance.  These will immediately show on MVJ and you have them locked in.  (Airlines can still make changes, but you have your basic schedule locked in)

 

You will by doing this forfeit Viking transfers from airport to your hotel and then from your hotel to the ship.  These will be your responsibility.

 

 

[TominNC]

Thanks for all this info.  

[tfred]

On 4/3/2024 at 10:11 AM, TominNC said:

Another question.  Our cruise leaves Basel on Dec 16.  Our itinerary has us flying from home (Charlotte, NC) on the 15th, arriving on the 16th.  If we'd prefer to travel a day early so that we can check out the Basel market at night, is there a way to notify Viking on line or do I need to contact someone before they make final arrangements in Sept?

No matter what, you don't want to arrive the same day as the cruise leaves. The risk is too high for any cancellation and then a recovery to get you in BSL on time.  Any flight you take is a connection and that increases weather, mechanical or misconnects 

 

Most cruise lines use regular airlines but with weird ticket fares that allow "better" prices.  It also can be a problem when things go sideways as the airline may have issues rebooking you 

[CDNPolar]

17 hours ago, tfred said:

No matter what, you don't want to arrive the same day as the cruise leaves. The risk is too high for any cancellation and then a recovery to get you in BSL on time.  Any flight you take is a connection and that increases weather, mechanical or misconnects 

 

Most cruise lines use regular airlines but with weird ticket fares that allow "better" prices.  It also can be a problem when things go sideways as the airline may have issues rebooking you 

 

Agree with everything you are saying....

 

The only saving grace with a River Cruise, is if you do miss the embarkation you are generally not that far from the next port opposed to an Ocean cruise that may be in a different country and hours away by air by the next day.

 

But, we generally always budget to go one day early.