Viking Bon Voyage Gift Question

[gabelle9]

Hi all,

 

I will be on the southern France Viking cruise at the end of May with my family. I am of drinking age but am sharing a room with my younger sister who is under 21, and therefore am not able to purchase the Silver Spirits package (it says all guests in the room must be 21 or older).

 

This is alright, I'll live. But I am wondering about the Bon Voyage gift. It will be my birthday while I am sailing, and a friend asked me if they could send a gift through the form. There are options to send wine, if they were to do this, would I be able to receive it in this situation? I am worried they'd waste money trying to send something that Viking won't allow with the age restrictions.

[pontac]

Being under-age for buying drinks is sadly long long behind me. I'd suggest phoning Viking and saying that as the other person in the cabin is not allowed to drink can you just buy the silver spirits for one.

 

The drinking age in France is not as ridiculous as in the USA, you can legally buy & consume alcohol in France at 18 (and from16 years with a meal in a restaurant with an adult).

 

While in France you are subject to French law, not US (I'm assuming you are in USA). Of course Viking can apply any rules they want, but I wonder if the staff on board are aware of the restriction and would stop you purchasing the Silver Spirits Package when you get on board?

 

Anyway, I'll bet the waitrons don't ask your sisters age when they're pouring the house wines

 

Re Bon Voyage: the wine prices seem jolly expensive and there's little info about what they mean. Red Wine could be anything - likely a bottle of the house red served free with meals. Viking Sparkling Wine is €20 a bottle on board, less than half the Bon Voyage price. I'd suggest asking your friend to get a special bottle before the cruise and wrap it, and for you to take it in your case. You can enjoy it with lunch or dinner, the waitron will gladly open it and there's no corkage.

[CDNPolar]

4 hours ago, gabelle9 said:

Hi all,

 

I will be on the southern France Viking cruise at the end of May with my family. I am of drinking age but am sharing a room with my younger sister who is under 21, and therefore am not able to purchase the Silver Spirits package (it says all guests in the room must be 21 or older).

 

This is alright, I'll live. But I am wondering about the Bon Voyage gift. It will be my birthday while I am sailing, and a friend asked me if they could send a gift through the form. There are options to send wine, if they were to do this, would I be able to receive it in this situation? I am worried they'd waste money trying to send something that Viking won't allow with the age restrictions.

 

Don't know about the Bon Voyage gift, but it would amaze me if Viking blocked that because you are sharing a cabin with your sister.

 

We travel on Viking often with a friend that once travelled with her underage granddaughter and she was able to buy the SSBP but only after she boarded the ship and it was okay'd by a manger.

 

You should be able to get the package if you want it but not until you are on the ship. 

[gabelle9]

19 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Don't know about the Bon Voyage gift, but it would amaze me if Viking blocked that because you are sharing a cabin with your sister.

 

We travel on Viking often with a friend that once travelled with her underage granddaughter and she was able to buy the SSBP but only after she boarded the ship and it was okay'd by a manger.

 

You should be able to get the package if you want it but not until you are on the ship. 

 

That makes sense! On the portal, it just says that everyone in the room has to purchase the package, and you have to be 21 to purchase. I had just figured I wouldn't be able to, but I can definitely ask when on board.

[Host Jazzbeau]

3 minutes ago, gabelle9 said:

 

That makes sense! On the portal, it just says that everyone in the room has to purchase the package, and you have to be 21 to purchase. I had just figured I wouldn't be able to, but I can definitely ask when on board.

On board you'll be dealing with a human, not a computer [unless it's a 'waitron' – try to find a real waiter, male or female  😀]

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, gabelle9 said:

 

That makes sense! On the portal, it just says that everyone in the room has to purchase the package, and you have to be 21 to purchase. I had just figured I wouldn't be able to, but I can definitely ask when on board.

 

13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

On board you'll be dealing with a human, not a computer [unless it's a 'waitron' – try to find a real waiter, male or female  😀]

 

Exactly what @Host Jazzbeau says.

 

Our friend travelling with her 18 year old Granddaughter tried several times pre-cruise to convince them that she should be able to buy it and Viking was just not "buying it".  (Pun intended)

 

Once she was onboard, they went to Guest Services together, the Granddaughter with ID in hand, and requested and exception to the policy.  I believe that they brought in the Food and Beverage manager and he then allowed the purchase for our friend.

 

This happened on embarkation day.

 

Think you will be fine.  

 

I also think that there will be a note on your account that every server will see that your Sis is underage and not eligible for the SSBP because typically when you give your cabin number both are automatically assumed to be eligible.

[pontac]

14 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

r [unless it's a 'waitron' – try to find a real waiter, male or female  😀]

Female waiter? - the word is waitress

 

I'm a frequent traveller to  South Africa where waitron is the term for both waiter and waitress and I think it makes a lot of sense, and waitron is certainly shorter to write than waiter or waitress and male or female waiter.

[Nippy Sweetie]

Why not just have the included wines at mealtimes and pay as you go for drinks outside this? Could work out much cheaper and you still have enjoyable drinks.

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, pontac said:

Female waiter? - the word is waitress

 

I'm a frequent traveller to  South Africa where waitron is the term for both waiter and waitress and I think it makes a lot of sense, and waitron is certainly shorter to write than waiter or waitress and male or female waiter.

 

Have been to SA and work with SA daily remotely.  Have never heard this term.

 

Frankly in the world of gender fluidity now, I have abandoned any other term other than "server" as that can cross any pronoun.  That is typically what we call them in Canada.

[Daisi]

@CDNPolar you beat me to it. Server is what we use up here as well.

[pontac]

1 hour ago, CDNPolar said:

Have been to SA and work with SA daily remotely.  Have never heard this term.

 

What can I say? I should imagine your remote working doesn't involve you waiting at tables.😁

 

It's a word well established in Western Cape and Gauteng, see

Waitrons Jobs - 20 April 2024 | Indeed.com South Africa

 

and here.

 

I assumed it was a RSA word because I only hear it there but it seems it was coined in the USA, Merrion-Webster says Our earliest evidence of "waitron" in print is from 1980.

[Host Jazzbeau]

There was a move in the 1980s to de-gender terms, and this was one of the aborted early efforts.  Since then it has been recognized that terms like 'waiter' and 'actor' are not in fact gendered – the error was making female-gender versions of them which were never necessary.  Every female performer in Hollywood now calls herself an 'actor.'  So I call all restaurant servers 'waiter.'

 

note: this must be different in France, where 'garçon' is clearly gendered.

 

It is also different for clearly gendered terms like 'weatherman' – for that one I use the non-gendered term 'wild guesser' 🤣

[CDNPolar]

19 hours ago, pontac said:

 

What can I say? I should imagine your remote working doesn't involve you waiting at tables.😁

 

 

True, but I have spent a lot of time there in restaurants, my Boss is South African (but now lives in UK) and I have picked up many terms from him including some in Afrikaans.  I have a good friend that was in Canada but now is back in SA and never heard this from her and I am constantly asking her - what is that word.... what does that mean?  Interesting.  I love culture and the differences especially with language and what we call things.  I think my most interesting education with that has been with the Aussies that I work with.

[CDNPolar]

16 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

There was a move in the 1980s to de-gender terms, and this was one of the aborted early efforts.  Since then it has been recognized that terms like 'waiter' and 'actor' are not in fact gendered – the error was making female-gender versions of them which were never necessary.  Every female performer in Hollywood now calls herself an 'actor.'  So I call all restaurant servers 'waiter.'

 

note: this must be different in France, where 'garçon' is clearly gendered.

 

It is also different for clearly gendered terms like 'weatherman' – for that one I use the non-gendered term 'wild guesser' 🤣

 

I like "wild guesser" and will steal that...

 

I just replace "Man" or "Woman" now with person because it works for every human on the planet unless one day we have people identifying as "non-human".

[Kristelle]

'Wait staff ' is commonly used term here in Australia - along with 'service staff'  and similar 

[Canal archive]

This expression seems to similar to the raised arm and the clicking fingers to me. The expression about it would be unprintable.

[Kristelle]

Really? Wait staff has that connotation to you?

 

Frequently used term here and no derogatory implication to it.

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is what I think of when I hear 'waitron':

[Canal archive]

Not Wait Staff, which seems a bit short and curse but actually not bad or rude but that other one  which I don’t actually want to give credence to. I’ve been to South Africa and never heard the expression so my - across the road neighbours who are South African and regularly go home were duly asked she was horrified and thought maybe it was a Johannesburg thing. He had heard it in what he actually said were so called young yuppie areas. 
So I reckon it’s one of those, wait for it, attempt at a de-gendering  word. Crikey we’re not going to be able to open our mouths soon without wondering if we’ve been upsetting someone’s ego!

[Kristelle]

oh ok.

 

de-gendered terms like wait staff, service staff ,admin staff, nursing staff etc are common place here

 

You dont need a new word, existing words can convey occupations etc without gender.

[CDNPolar]

Sorry @gabelle9 as this discussion has gotten way off your original question.  I hope you have your answer!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[gabelle9]

On 4/20/2024 at 4:40 AM, CDNPolar said:

 

 

Exactly what @Host Jazzbeau says.

 

Our friend travelling with her 18 year old Granddaughter tried several times pre-cruise to convince them that she should be able to buy it and Viking was just not "buying it".  (Pun intended)

 

Once she was onboard, they went to Guest Services together, the Granddaughter with ID in hand, and requested and exception to the policy.  I believe that they brought in the Food and Beverage manager and he then allowed the purchase for our friend.

 

This happened on embarkation day.

 

Think you will be fine.  

 

I also think that there will be a note on your account that every server will see that your Sis is underage and not eligible for the SSBP because typically when you give your cabin number both are automatically assumed to be eligible.

Great! And yeah she is 18, I am 24, so I feel like we will be fine. My mom is having a similar experience with her own room with my stepdad. He doesn't drink, so she hasn't purchased the package online because he wouldn't use his. They might still say they both have to buy since they are both of drinking age, but at least I might be able to talk to someone on board and get away with it!

[gabelle9]

6 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

Sorry @gabelle9 as this discussion has gotten way off your original question.  I hope you have your answer!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Haha totally fine, for what its worth I worked in restaurants through high school and college and we all just used the term 'server' 😆

[CDNPolar]

1 hour ago, gabelle9 said:

Great! And yeah she is 18, I am 24, so I feel like we will be fine. My mom is having a similar experience with her own room with my stepdad. He doesn't drink, so she hasn't purchased the package online because he wouldn't use his. They might still say they both have to buy since they are both of drinking age, but at least I might be able to talk to someone on board and get away with it!

 

Yeah, it may be harder for your Mom but I have read that others have achieved the SSBP when their adult cabin mate did not drink.

 

You should have organized the cabin occupancy (on paper) as you and your mom and your sister and stepdad.  You would stay in your preferred way - you and your sister - but for the booking and the SSBP you would have no worries this way.

 

The other way to look at it is that the SSBP is nothing special.  You still have access to everything Viking sells in liquor, wine, and beer, you just pay for it as you go.

 

Since you get free / included beer and wine with lunch and dinner, and if these are ok for you then you have to justify spending $25 per day above that in other drinks.  A lot of Viking drinks are only $8.00 or less.

 

Let us know how you make out.

[SClakeliving]

1 hour ago, gabelle9 said:

Great! And yeah she is 18, I am 24, so I feel like we will be fine. My mom is having a similar experience with her own room with my stepdad. He doesn't drink, so she hasn't purchased the package online because he wouldn't use his. They might still say they both have to buy since they are both of drinking age, but at least I might be able to talk to someone on board and get away with it!