OneSixtyToOne

The point of my post was that even the “all dolled up” crowd is now dressing down. It’s a trend. IMO a trend that accelerated after the pandemic isolation. Many people see no reason to dress up for dinner after not doing so for a few years.

No. Upgrades are like unicorns, everyone has heard of them, few have seen them or can explained why they happened. It has to be a very specific set of circumstances to occur, such as lack of availability in an easier to sell cabin class and too much availability in a higher class, overbooking, or some other reason for loss of availability (maybe your booked cabin has mechanical issues).

We have had included SSP on two cruises so it’s something I keep an eye on, particularly after we’ve booked and come across another promotion later for the same cruise. What I’ve observed is Viking uses different promotions at different times to market to different people. The value of SSP might be perceived higher for some people, while others see more value in “free” air. Viking uses a mix of discounted air fare, SSP, same pricing within cabin class, booking discounts, OBC, etc. When I did the math on our last trip the different combinations of promotions offered over several months all magically came to approximately the same net price. If one combination of promos doesn’t fill the ship, they may try another, but the net cost tends to be very similar. I would venture to guess that if you see your cruise with the SSB offered, some other change will also occur to make the net price almost the same.

Is it possible that someone you know gifted them to you? Last year we had trouble pre-booking a dinner table for our Anniversary and I wrote customer service. When we boarded, we found cake and sparkling wine in our cabin.

New Viking River brochure arrived today. Two new extensions that include Swiss rail transfer. We took the Zermatt / Glacier Express extension in 2018 and it was one of our most enjoyable vacations.

I don’t understand why education is free in Scandinavia but you have to pay for the toilets.

New Future Guest promotion FV424 Special Future Guest Promotion To take advantage of this offer, simply call us at 1-855-764-9542 or contact your Travel Advisor and ask for offer code FV424. Thank you for putting your trust in Viking. We look forward to exploring more of the world in comfort with you. CALL VIKING NOW 1-855-764-9542 Offer FV424: Offer only valid for guests with one or more future bookings made prior to Apr 1, 2024. Up to $1,000 per couple savings valid on any new 2024–2026 booking; excludes World Cruise itineraries. Save $1,000 per couple ($500 per person) for itineraries 15 days or longer, or save $500 per couple ($250 per person) for itineraries 14 days or less. Valid with Past Guest Discount: Past Guests who have sailed with Viking in the past 12 months save $400 per couple ($200 per person) on listed cruise prices; all other Past Guests save $200 per couple ($100 per person). A limited-time $25 per person deposit is due at time of booking for select 2024–2026 itineraries; remaining deposit is due with final payment (excludes World Cruise itineraries); call for details. 2024–2026: Book and deposit by March 31, 2024. 2024: Pay in full by April 30, 2024 or at 120 days prior to departure (whichever comes first). For itineraries 35 days and longer, call for payment details. 2025: Pay in full by July 31, 2024. 2026: Pay in full by February 15, 2025. Offer is not combinable with other offers and cannot be booked online. Offer may be withdrawn at any time without prior notice. Additional restrictions may apply. Offer expires Apr 30, 2024.

If he was FaceTiming, you would have hit the Trifecta.

The declining dress code of passengers is a topic that has been thoroughly aired on this forum, but I just read an article about The World, the residential ship of the ultra wealthy that is on a permanent world cruise. They have the same issue: When Antonucci was a resident, he says “gentlemen wore jackets and ties.” He was last on the ship, visiting friends, in November 2023 and says times have changed – he suggests now you’re more likely to see people wearing shorts and tank tops than black tie. “That’s a little unfortunate,” says Antonucci, wistfully. https://www.cnn.com/travel/what-its-like-on-board-the-world-cruise-ship/index.html

Mediterranean cruises on sale Promo AAM24 https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/mediterranean/index.html?promoCode=AAM24&cid=DIS|CC|999&utm_medium=paid_display&utm_source=direct_cruisecritic&dclid=CPmd8c7ao4UDFeni_QUdG9gDQA

One other option is to rent a hotel room in Venice for one of those nights. I’ve read of other people who have done this. Venice after dark is magical.

Octantis Surf &Turf, meat case, sushi prep:

Using plastic ducks is probably a poor choice on an ocean voyage given the history behind it. It’s bad optics. 'Moby-Duck': When 28,800 Bath Toys Are Lost At Sea https://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134923863/moby-duck-when-28-800-bath-toys-are-lost-at-sea#:~:text='Moby-Duck'%3A When 28%2C800,Are Lost At Sea %3A NPR&text=Fresh Air-,'Moby-Duck'%3A When 28%2C800 Bath Toys Are Lost At,28%2C800 toys into the ocean.

It really depends on the merchant and the card processing company they are using. In Amsterdam we tried to buy a transit ticket at a machine and couldn’t use our card. It didn’t accept cash. A friendly passerby used their card and we gave her the cash. Another time we had issues with our card and the waiter had to change some option on his device to “international” to get it to work. It appears that PINs are widely used in Europe but there are workarounds for international cards. If you deal with places that are frequented by non-European tourists, they probably know how to process it correctly. BTW paying through my iPhone seemed to work every time.

As stated throughout this thread there are strategies that mitigate this requirement. Even without employing those strategies, let’s say you book a $20k cruise and need to pay a year out and you could get a 5% return on that money. Paying by ACH gives you a 3.3% discount, so now we’re taking about 1.7% (some have said they can get more value using a credit card). More than a year out the cruise probably has an early booking discount baked in the price. So how much of a premium are you really paying to get exactly what you want and protecting yourself from future price increases? Less than $200? As someone else said on this board, think of it as buying a cruise future. And if you try it and enjoy the product and book another cruise, you’ll get more than $200 back with a prior guest discount as well as other possible discounts and OBCs.

And just to clarify for those that are not aware, they are biodegradable and the instrument package is the smallest and greenest available.

Been there, done that. IMG_5154.mov

Is this a secret signal like the upside down pineapple?

Here is a great presentation about the economics of airline class

No middle seat and more space for armrests UAL:

We did Zurich to Paris in 2018 and loved it. We also did the Switzerland extension, which was the best Viking extension we’ve ever been on. Crossing Switzerland on the Glacier Express was a great experience. Book it, if you can.

It was 2 nights in Geneva then a long but very scenic bus ride (with lunch at a a very nice winery near Montrose, overlooking Lake Geneva) to some small town (don’t know the name) where we took a short local train ride into Zermatt (no vehicles allowed). Then 2 nights in Zermatt where we took the Glacier Express to Chur. Then onto a bus to Zurich, arriving at the hotel around 5-6 PM. Winery Local to Zermatt Zermatt View from the Glacier Express Chur

We took the Tuscany extension last year and absolutely loved it. You can find my write up in this “Live” thread starting at post 66 https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2906353-almost-live-viking-sky-journey-to-antiquities-jan-2023/?do=findComment&comment=64733283

One other thing. Be aware that “premium economy” is only guaranteed on the transoceanic leg.

If you don’t use the coffee maker, ask the stewards will remove it. It will give you extra storage space.