sharkster77

I tend to identify very very quickly those who believe their politics are the ONLY correct politics and cannot wait to "straighten me out", and I will avoid them like bubonic plague for the rest of the cruise or tour. Often, someone will ask what state we come from, and if they instantly make assumptions about us based on that, that person joins the avoid-list.

We have an interesting situation. After we booked our flights with Viking, our travel agent went ahead and selected our seats (aisle and window). We then got a notice a few months later from Viking that our booking had changed and we were now in the middle section of the plane. MVJ displays this--middle seats. FYI, the equipment did not change, still same make and model of plane. The travel agent, when we mentioned this to her, went to the airline website and looked up our booking. The airline still, even to this day (we fly in 5 weeks) shows us booked in to the aisle/window seats. I guess we will find out the truth when we check in and receive our boarding passes!

We did our own post-excursion in Lucerne DIY, and Viking arranged for a cab to take us from the ship to the train station in Basel (of course we had to pay for it, but they handled the arrangements).

I forgot to add that the night we had the German musicians board the ship while some were on the pub crawl, after dropping off the musicians and picking up the crawlers, the captain invited us to the top deck to see Cologne all lit up as we departed the city. Our latest night---we probably stayed up well past 10PM that night (wow)! A photo I took of the illuminated Dom is still the wallpaper on my phone, 5 years later.

The flip side of your friend's displeasure with ship swaps is that many complain if their river cruise becomes a bus trip if they are removed from a ship and never put back on one, being shuttled from hotel to hotel. Six of one, half dozen of the other, as my MIL used to say.

On our Rhine cruise almost 5 years ago, we averaged 17,000 steps per day, and I actually came home 4 pounds lighter, despite eating whatever I wanted whenever I wanted!! Yes, you are tired at the end of the day! An active, early-to-bed/early to rise vacation, which suits us just fine. We never stayed in the lounge for the keyboard player, but on the Cologne day we were leaving port late (-ish) so they picked up a trio who sang and played a history of German music program. We sailed as they sang, and dropped them off when we picked up the folks who did the Cologne kolsch pub crawl.

If you pay for Air Plus you can do your homework before talking to either Viking or your travel agent and suggest flight itineraries that you'd be happy with.

With Viking the Maginot Line structures were pointed out as the bus headed out to an excursion (can't remember which), but as far as I know Viking does not offer excursions to the Maginot Line.

After visiting the Tower of London we took the boat in the other direction, getting off at Parliament/Westminster, Easy peasy----going to/from Greenwich I would imagine is just as easy.

I envision daughter Karine Hagen, who is the face of the company in ads (along with her father), attempting to continue her father's successes after he is gone. She must own a chunk of the company, I would think.

I believe the deposits may be nonrefundable, but ARE transferable to another booking, as explained by @CDNPolar

@notamermaid, do you have any knowledge of what water issues are possible in the Netherlands? They seem to know what they're doing regarding water control, land reclamation, etc., so we wonder if they have flooding under control as well. We sail on a tulip cruise in about 6 weeks and wonder if I need to be following water conditions in the Netherlands. Thanks for all you do for these boards.

@geco, may we answer questions or provide some assistance?????????????

We were flying BOS--ZUR--AMS and were probably 3 hours late. We were held at Zurich at least 1. 5 hours (we were told that if we took off on time there would be no gates at Schipol available to accommodate us). After landing at Schipol we just sat on the runway for close to an hour, then FINALLY spent 30 minutes taxiing to a gate. Viking reps were waiting with at least 2 other couples who seemed irked that they had to wait so long for us (too bad!) We were doing a pre-cruise in Amsterdam, so instead of getting to the hotel around lunchtime, we got there around 4:30, essentially losing that first day in Amsterdam. In April we are flying BOS--AMS direct, so we hope to avoid the foolishness of 2019.

Lucky you---we must have walked 20 minutes through a shopping mall-like gauntlet of shops before finding the Viking folks. Photos we had seen showed a larger banner, but there was none, so luckily they spotted us before we spotted them. Our plane had been late, and they were just about to give up on us!! Based on prior experience, we plan on wearing the sticker in April.

On Viking we put laundry out when we went to breakfast and it was back either after dinner, or while we ate breakfast the next day.

In 2019 we were also sent, with our trip documents, gigantic red Viking stickers to put on our jackets, so that while we looked for the Viking reps, they kept their eyes open for folks wearing huge Viking logos. I will post whether they still include those stickers or not when we get our materials for our early April tulip cruise.

My apologies--didn't realize we were on the same side. I also agree that if Viking's not your thing for whatever the reason, then don't give them your business, but there is no need to cast them as the source of all evil--just don't give them your $$$$!

No big deal---they will uncork and pour it for you if you'd like, at no charge. Or pour it yourself. They don't care---there is no one frisking you when you reboard the ship! Walk around the ship with your store-bought wine, bathe in it, whatever, they don't care!!!!

Viking doesn't do anything to "hide" the gratuities from you---if you are an educated shopper, you learn about who includes tips and who does not quickly. Land tour companies don't always include tips either. Nobody puts a gun to your head or makes you walk the plank if you don't want to tip.

For a variety of reasons, I've had more than one person tell me that they enjoyed Musee d'Orsay more than the Louvre.

We used Air Plus in 2019 and got exactly the flights we wanted---when flights open up for our June 2025 Viking Ocean cruise, we will use Air Plus again and hopefully get what we want again. Going out, Boston to Vancouver shouldn't be hard to book, but coming home, Fairbanks to Boston might be more interesting---hope to get just one connection.

Also, be sure you know where the ship will be located---it may be moving to another docking area or using the time to pass through a lock---do not assume the ship will be where you disembarked.

Sounds like the Explorer's Lounge could use a visit from John Tapper and Bar Rescue!! (For the unfamiliar, Bar Rescue is a TV show where a bar 'expert' visits failing bars and tries to save them from bankruptcy/closure--most of them are a mess and many end up closing anyway. Lots of 'drama' involving egos and family issues.)

I am an American with Canadian and Belgian ancestry---we must have similar blood, as I cannot stand the heat at all--won't even consider summer travel. Of course, I was a teacher for 40 years, so summer was pretty much the only time I could travel for any length of time.