DrKoob

Our first VO cruise was a 21-day Med cruise. Had a PV. It's kind of like Business Class on an airplane...once you have done it, it's really hard to go back. We are really glad we got the larger stateroom. My wife got food poisoning in Manfredis, and they quarantined her for three days. Then we got COVID in Venice and we were quarantined for four days. Once you are forced to spend 7 full days in a stateroom, you genuinely appreciate the extra room. 

We originally went to a PV because my wife had heard that the storage space in the PVs was far superior to the DVs and Vs. It was. So much so that we had empty drawers. We also feel like we saved money on cocktails as we had gin, vodka and whisky in our mini-bar and if we wanted a pre-dinner drink, that worked for us. 

9 minutes ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

We used wecomepickups twice in Malta very recently.   Seamless. Comforting. Comfortable (one of the pickups was 3am in a city known for the party gang, which we are NOT).  Still felt safe.   I am looking for other places that I am traveling that I can use this service.

👍

We used them in Lisbon and in Prague. Great in both places. This trip will be in London and Glasgow as well as getting to and from home to the airport here in the Seattle area. Pricing is very fair as well.

If you decide to make your own private transfer, try Welcome Pickups (www.welcomepickups.com). They are my new go-to for transfers. They are in most major cities in Europe and the Americas, as well as some in Asia. They meet you inside the airport or right outside the cruise port with your name on a sign. They help take your bags to the car. When we got to the airport, they got our bags out and, in one case, walked us into where we checked our luggage. Another time, we were going from airport to hotel, and the hotel was on a pedestrian street. The driver walked us all the way into the hotel, which was halfway down the block. 

I love that they contact us a week ahead to verify, and then the day before (we fly to Europe tomorrow, and I just got the e-mail), they send us the driver's name, type of car and license plate number. They verify the address, and they give you the driver's contact number. 

On this trip, we are using them all over England, especially in London. The traffic is too much there to watch a cab's meter go up and up and up...

When we used to sail Celebrity, we always got a drinks package. Especially if they included it, which they often did. When we did our 21-night Med cruise we thought about it because $50 a night (for both of us) was a great value comparatively. 

But we decided not to so we could see if it was something we should do on Viking. Glad we didn't. We like a cocktail before dinner and sometimes after. Viking's cocktails are very well-priced. What you would pay Celebrity $15 for is $10 on VO. So we would have one before and one after and still only be under $40. If we skipped one or the other (before or after) we were just fine. Since we were in a PV we had gin, vodka and rum in our room with mixers so we would often have our after dinner drinks there.  All that said, our total bar tab after 21 days was $275. A lot better than $1050. 

Another great reason to use a TA. Didn't cost me a penny and my TA took care of the entire thing. I just told her our dates and she got the changes made the same day. Something to think about for the future. 

17 hours ago, mjmagee said:

I have booked my first Viking cruise for this Oct.  I am a fairly experienced cruiser and when booking with a new cruise line, I always look for the "Tips for New Cruisers" thread on CC.  I have now read through all 96 pages and many if not all of my questions have been answered.  But I will think of more as the time for my cruise approaches.  On other cruise line boards, this type of thread is pinned to the first page.  Why is this one not pinned? 96 pages and something like 7 years of experience needs to be preserved and kept available to new Viking cruisers, IMHO.

 

Marilyn

I agree. Send your post to the Moderators of the Viking Ocean forum or to Cruise Critic moderators here: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/859-need-help-using-the-forums-check-here/

On our 21-Day Med cruise we were only in the room one time. But it was for a reception for a certain invited group (darned if I can remember what it was). At any rate, some of the musicians were there playing and the noise level was off the charts. One of our favorite things about Viking is that it's a quiet ship. One of our favorite parts about cruising is meeting people and enjoying conversations with them. On that day, you couldn't hear the person next to you. Not really the right acoustics for a band. Never went back. We are early diners so it would be like eating two meals in a row.

1 minute ago, CurlerRob said:

 

No, I do not. The tipping culture on a ship is totally different. I try to respect and adapt to the culture that I'm visiting.

 

You asked "which countries consider it an insult". I answered, with an example of a culturally acceptable way to show appreciation when tipping was not appropriate. You may want to give it some thought before your March/25 cruise. 🍺🥌

Cancelled that one. But I will keep it in mind. 

You know if it was my choice I would buy them a small gift to show my appreciation but I don't have time the time to shop nor do I have a clue what they need so money, delivered with a thank you note, anonymously seems the best way to go. 

1 hour ago, KBs mum said:

Tipping luggage handlers isn't usual, but the more foreigners throw money around the more it is expected

So I shouldn't tip anyone in Europe because it will make them think that you should tip them as well? 

40 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Assuming someone needs charity purely because of their nationality is something worse than uncouth

I didn't say because of their nationality I said because I know that the average worker in their country makes less in a year than I make in a month. Knowing that guides don't make (on a world average) more than the average pay of the country they are working in, And it's not charity if they are working for it. I am just deciding how much that work is worth to me. Usually more than what they are being paid by the cruise line.

34 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Japan is one example.

 

A sincere "Arigato gozaimasu" accompanied by an awkward Western bow is fully sufficient and will be hugely appreciated.

 

For our private guides on a recent cruise, we purchased small gifts of Canadiana in advance and wrapped them. Our guides were thrilled and commented on our excellent manners. (Not something I often hear!). 🍺🥌

So do you do that on the ship as well? Cancel the pre-paid gratuities and just thank them? Why are they different than guides?

First, I want to address the whole idea of what a good TA can do for you. Our friends who booked directly had huge problems with Future Cruise Credits, rebooking, refunds and everything else during the pandemic. My friends (and I) who had booked through a local TA (not a booking agent or an online agency) have had no problems. We didn't have to sit on hold with the cruise line, the airline or any other providers—our TA took care of all of that.

This is my standard comment for people asking about getting OBC or a cheaper price. I have a question for you. When you go to a store and buy something, do you ask the person who helped you to put their hand in their own pocket and give you some money back?

For instance, when you buy a pair of shoes at a shoe store, a nice person who works on commission helps you find just the pair you want. He or she brings you several pairs of shoes. When you find the pair you want, you go to check out and pay for them. Then, you would turn to the salesperson who helped you and say, “Could you please give me $10 out of your pocket since I bought the shoes from you?” It is not the shoe store’s money, it is the sales associate’s money, who just spent the last half hour finding you shoes that you love.

Expecting refundable OBC from a TA is pretty much the same thing. TAs (not online booking agents) make commissions from the cruise line, not from you. And unlike that shoe salesperson, TAs aren’t paid hourly. They work on commission only. If you ask them to do a ton of work and then book with someone else, they don’t get paid for that time. You are charged the same price whether you book through them or not. When they give you OBC, it comes out of their own pocket. Why would you expect them to do that? They are doing a bunch of work for you for free, and yet you still think that a “good” TA will give you OBC out of their own pocket.

Now, if they give it to you without asking...that's awesome. But I just have a problem with new cruisers who have heard that their friends get x-amount of freebies. That's their first question (even before they book the cruise)...how much will you give me?

My TA gives us lots of great stuff, but I never ask for it. I come to her with just about everything finished (or maybe we booked on board), so she has little work to do other than a single phone call or computer booking. And believe me, there are lots of small moms and pops everywhere. We accompanied our TA on a ship visit last summer here in Seattle. She and about 100 other travel agents got to tour and have lunch on the NCL Bliss (quite a ship), and I would say that more than 80% of the agents were either booking from home, working with a franchise (which means they make at most 7.5%) or working for another small agency. None of those people get paid by the hour. They get paid when they sell a cruise, and every penny that they give back is one they don't get to feed their families, take their cruises or whatever they do with their money.

And I understand the sales job thing, having been in sales and marketing for more than 39 years before I retired. I can't count the number of presentations I have done where the client has gone another way. I have no problem with that (yes, I do, but I get it--they like something that someone else has better than what I have), but when they go into the sales process, has already decided that no matter what this person does for me, I am buying from the absolute cheapest I can find, that's wrong. If you want the cheapest, go to Costco. You will get the service you deserve (God help you if you have a problem) , but you will cruise cheaply.

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine.

Really? Which countries consider it an insult? I would think that would vary by the person but I have never known someone supporting a family to be insulted to earn a little more for going above and beyond. If they are insulted by tipping maybe then can consider it a gift. 

BTW: We don't tip in European restaurants, but if you think I am handing my bag over to a guy at the dock without a 5-pound note in my hand, you are wrong. That's how bags get left at the pier. And if I am going to "insult" the person running our extension by tipping them, why aren't the Europeans who work on board "insulted" by the tips I give them? 

Just now, Goosebear Mum said:

 

Throwing money around is seen in many cultures as uncouth

Uncouth? I prefer the word generous. Which means the opposite would be stingy, cheap, small, uncharitable, miserly, tightfisted, parsimonious, tight, closefisted, hoggish or grasping.

I don't know about you Brits but when we are in a foreign country where the average person makes less in a year than I make in a month and they are doing things for me that are above and beyond, I like to reward them. It soothes some of the guilt of being more prosperous than 90% of the world. 

I should point out that I NEVER tip anyone from any cruise line or extension without writing a heartfelt thank you note, enclosing said monies and giving it to them and telling them to please open it later. I am not doing this to publically make myself look good. No one knows about it other than myself, my wife and the person I give it to, who only finds out what is in it after I am gone. 

So yeah, maybe I am uncouth.

6 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

 

$100 to just book a table, where she prob got a backhander anyway??? wow, no wonder US people have a name for tipping (and not polite)

 

 

That was only a very small part of everything she did for us. That was just one example. These people make about 10% of what I do even in retirement. I figure I am just spreading the wealth. 

On 5/21/2024 at 1:42 PM, JerryInIL said:

We are on a 3 night post cruise extension.  Viking suggests $3 per day per person tip for local guides, but this seems totally unapplicable for a 3+ day full time guide who escorts us from the ship all the way to the airport.  For great service, I’m thinking at least $10 per day, per person ($60 for a $4,000 extension). What would you suggest?

That's about what we did. We actually did a little more because ours in Budapest last December went way above and beyond for us. We were looking for a dinner recommendation where they served incredible goulash and she said she knew just the place. I asked for the name and she just wrote down an address and said, be here at 6:30 tonight. She set up the reservation, we were greeted warmly and by name and it was my birthday and she had made sure to tell them. Outstanding. I think we gave her $100.

We are long-time Celebrity cruisers (Elite-Plus) with more than 20. We left because they left us. All the standards went down. Our last cruise with them someone at the table sent back food pretty much every night. We gave up and have moved here (Oceania) or to Viking Ocean. We like both very much.

We did 14 nights on Vista last fall and found that much of what people are saying here is true. The only two caveats for me were that even though you could find a lounge for a pre or post dinner drink and entertainment, it was next to impossible to find a lounge where you could get a drink and have a conversation. They need to leave one venue open for people who want to talk and not be drowned out by music. 

The other thing that we noticed was that on Vista, if you aren't in your stateroom (outside, verandah or suite) you can't see the ocean until you are on at least deck 12. So if you are on deck 5 and want to step outside and see what the weather is like, good luck? I guess I just miss a verandah deck. It's one of the things we love about Viking. You can see the sea from just about anywhere on the ship. 

Lastly, if you like small ships, the four smaller ships are very nice but the staterooms are tiny. If you do one of those and you are a big person, (I am 6'2" and my brother is 6'8" and we can't fit in the showers.) The ships are more than 20 years old and it shows. 

Give it a try. It is much closer to the old Celebrity than the current Celebrity.

29 minutes ago, Islandbc said:

I am interested in knowing what the wifi is like on the Alaska cruise.  We will be on the Orion (between Kodiak and Dutch Harbor) on Sept. 20, 2024.  This is the day that bookings open up for excursions on our next cruise.  At this point, the Alaska cruise isn't full, so if the computers on deck 1 have good connectivity, we might be able to use them.

Thanks for any information you can share.

On our nine Alaska cruises (none with Viking), Wifi coverage is usually pretty good in Alaska ship to satellite. 

17 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

How many locally owned shops can there be with such a small off-season population to support them? All those relatively high end jewelry stores are certainly not year round operations.

You would be surprised. Many of the owners work other jobs in the winter or create their art/crafts. Then they open the shops in the late spring. We were on the first cruise to arrive in Skagway (in late April) one year and the locals were so glad to see us.

The jewelry stores (and all the rest of the typical crap you see in the Caribbean ports) bring people in. When we did the Street Car tour we drove by a huge tent city where they house the workers they bring in to man the stores. It's kind of sad. Another local owner says that whenever a main street building goes up for sale the big companies buy it. 

Would someone please tell me who buys tanzanite or buys from Diamonds International? I have never met anyone who does. Must be the same people who are suckered in with the onboard art auctions. 

6 hours ago, beanpittsburgh said:

I think the itinerary on the Viking website says day six of our sailing which would be 7/19.  When signing up for excursions, Skagway is not listed for any days.  There are 2 days that don't have any excursions listed at all just sailing.  I was wondering if one of those days would be the Skagway train or are we just out of luck. 

As someone who has taken the White Pass train at least six time (cruise to Alaska nine times...we live in Seattle so it's easy for us) it is not worth it. You get to see a bunch of pine trees. If the train is not the "included" excursion, skip it. Do this instead: https://www.skagwaystreetcar.com. Best tour we have ever taken. 

And patronize locally owned shops. If you decide to get lunch in town, go to the Skagway Brewery. Great beer and awesome chili.

15 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

 

Some tender ports can be very bumpy.  However in Greenwich tenders are not used.  The very short transfer is on the Uber Thames Clipper boats.  The access is step free and wheelchair accessible https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/find-your-pier/greenwich-pier

Have to thank you for the link. We were looking for a way to get from our hotel in Greenwich up to Richmond and we can use this Uber Boat to take us all but the last four miles. AWESOME! 

16 hours ago, KBs mum said:

The ships are accessible once you are on them. As the boarding ramps are stairs, necessary because the angle would be too steep for a slope at a lot of the docks, and the tenders are not wheelchair accessible,  the lack of roll in showers in the lowest room categories is academic. 

Viking is set up as a cruise line for active people, their policies cover six types of river boats, three types of ocean, busses in a wide range of countries, and many airlines. Often accessibility is limited by factors that Viking have no control over. Given that, they have good accessibility. 

 

Viking is not for you, accept it and move on. A lot of people with disabilities travel with them without drama or problems

Well thought out. I wanted to add that our Into the Midnight Sun cruise on Viking Venus starts in Greenwich which is a tender port. We have never embarked at a tender port in 30+ cruises but I would imagine that would be very difficult for someone with accessibility issues. 

7 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

I think the noise level is the result of the drink package (or free beer and wine with meals). That’s why it’s quiet early in the evening and unbearable as the night wears on.

I agree with Hockeyump. That's not it at all. I have NEVER seen anyone over imbibe on Viking. They are a pretty sedate crowd. It's the low ceilings. Nothing to do with booze.

1 minute ago, duquephart said:

 

Does he/she keep the ship off the rocks?

Nope, but they can get me a chocolate milkshake when no one else can 😁. 

A lot depends on where you live now and how you react to cold. We have done nine Alaska cruises. Not because we love Alaska, but we live in Seattle so we can hop on a ship when there is a good deal. People from warmer climates find it very cold. We were on our verandah one afternoon when the weather was perfect outside and for us it was a nice, warm day (in the mid-60s) and looked out to see all the Floridians and Texans in their down parkas. 

The key thing to remember is layer...layer...layer.