lackcreativity

3 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

 

Kent - If you missed it last time, take the CARTAGENA FOUNDATIONS WALKING TOUR. Our tour guide was the person who actually discovered the Roman arena as a young college student. His dream was to make the city a major tourist stop for visiting ancient archeology. The tour also included the Carthaginian ruins and well as entering buried Roman houses.. A fascinating tour and tour guide.

I think we had the same tour guide on the included excursion, and he was really excellent. Did he show you the one special piece in the museum that he in particular uncovered?

4 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

We liked it so much that we are doing the Trade Routes next May, '24, finishing in Bergen.  Lots of things we wished we'd done but didn't get to.  This time Viking is doing Honfleur, as Le Havre is eliminating or reducing cruise ships, like so many other ports.  And we do need to do the Mary Rose in Portsmouth.

Trade Routes was one of our favorite cruises too. I hadn't heard about the change to Honfleur port. We took an excursion to go there so that would be really convenient. Admiral Nelson's HMS Victory was really interesting to me; what a shock to compare the way those sailors traveled with sailing on a Viking ship!

Bruges was a highlight on that cruise for us, and would like to have spent more time in Porto. Am I talking myself into a repeat cruise also?

18 hours ago, kcpvwill said:

Hi Lackcreativity 

 

We are doing the Barcelona to Venice in October and wondered if you could tell us the tours offered to you on change over day in Rome, so that we have an idea of what to expect.  Thanks.

I wish I could remember all of the options, but I can only remember the one we took. Rome is one of my favorite cities, and we have been there by land more than once. For that reason, we did not consider any of the optional excursions.

We did take the include excursion which is a panoramic bus ride with a few photo stops and maybe 90 minutes on our own in Vatican City. Since it happened to be Easter Saturday, the atmosphere at the Vatican was extra special. We also had enough time to stop in a local pizza place we had visited on our first trip to Rome. Given our background, we were satisfied with our visit.

For a first visit to Rome, I think it would be disappointing. Our included excursion was just six hours, and about two hours of that is travel time.  The optional excursions run about 10 hours, which gives you time to see more. I believe they only offered a limited selection compared to an overnight in Rome, but we were in port from 5:00 AM until 11:00 PM, so I am pretty sure there were at least a few of the optional ones.

Watch for the paper from Viking in your stateroom which offers these choices early in the trip. We didn't find it right away, and were glad we didn't miss it!

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

So if you were going to the BA website anyway, to check that they change actually happened -- why not just go to BA in the first place and get it all done at once?

 

If BA says the change is made, who cares what it says anywhere else?

 

 

If I had gone to BA first, I would still have gone to MVJ to confirm the accuracy of the information there. Since we booked the air through Viking, I guess I am the one who cares that both entities have the same information. 

Thanks everyone! I knew I could count on getting good advice here. As recommended, I think I will schedule the included excursion to the NAM, and find our own way to the New Acropolis Museum. On our first visit to Athens with Viking, we stayed in the Plaka district after our tour for a meal, and used the shuttle bus to return to the ship. Should not have trouble doing that again.

3 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

I would say yes and no.  Yes to BA and no to MVJ.  Because one is the operating carrier and the other is merely reporting information from another source.

 

And note the proviso that the BA information is good as of today.  It is completely possible for there to be an equipment change, both for marketing and operational reasons.

 

 

For me, at least as of today, I made the seat change on MVJ and shortly afterwards checked on British Airways. The change was confirmed on the airline website. We still have two months until our trip, and I will continue to check, as I have done since we selected our flights through Viking Air months ago. It was Viking Air that emailed me this morning to report the change.

We have taken a Barcelona to Venice back to back cruise with the turnover in Rome, but that was not an overnight in Rome. At the start of that cruise we were offered a choice of a few excursions in Rome for those of us who were continuing the cruise.

I wonder if that will be the same now as we continue the rest of that trip, from Venice to Istanbul. This time there will be an overnight in Athens, and there are scheduled excursions for the second day. Does anyone know if there will still be excursions offered on the turnover day, or at least shuttles? Selecting shore excursions is imminent (like tomorrow!), and I am trying to decide what to choose for the second day. This will be our second visit to Athens, so we have already climbed to the Acropolis. I am considering the National Archaeological Museum (included excursion) and/or the New Acropolis Museum (optional excursion). If there are shuttles, is one of those easier to DIY ?

As always, thanks in advance!

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

If you use SeatGuru, you will see often that the you are presented with the most common configuration that the airline may use depending on long haul vs. short haul, but often there is option for you to choose in the top right of the seat map to change to a 2nd or even a 3rd configuration.  Often if you look at the differences, you will see things like Premium Economy has a 2 / 3 / 2 configuration in one map and a 3 / 3 / 3 in the alternate.

Is it safe to assume that the seat map used for my flights on MVJ (or British Airways) actually represents the plane on which we will fly? If I change my seat assignment in either place am I working in the real world?

2 hours ago, PasadenaDave said:

I did have to chuckle as while reading this I heard “ping”. An email from Viking of a flight itinerary change.  Five months out flight time changed from 11:50 to 11:20.  Not a big deal but it is the fifth change in six weeks.  
 

This is the airlines, not Viking,  There is a reason why we try to avoid air travel in the summer, over busy holidays and when storms historically occur.  Given the high passenger loads on aircraft these days, there isn’t much capacity when impacts to schedules occur.

Just this morning I received an email notice of a flight change for our trip in October. When I glanced at the attachment, I didn't notice any difference. When I went to MVJ I realized our seat assignments had been changed from aisle and middle to window and middle on all four flights! These had been set for months. I was able to fix them all, but what purpose does that serve? I can't imagine Viking Air did it, but I can't think of a reason the airlines would either.

6 hours ago, kcpvwill said:

  However, the London office has told us that Ravenna is a very nice place.  

We were redirected to Ravenna at the very last moment during the Barcelona to Venice cruise when Fusina closed unexpectedly for an environmental study. Lucky to have visited Venice by land several times before, so we weren't too distressed. Ravenna really was nice to visit, and we were glad we had the opportunity. Not terribly happy with the 4:00 AM departure for the airport that resulted from the change in plans, but Viking did offer compensation for the trouble.

drbayside, 

There is so much to see in Bruges, we never really do shopping on tours and we did not even go into a chocolate shop on our visit! We did happen to be there on Market Day, so we wandered through the stalls in the main square for a bit. We bought Belgian waffles from one stall and since I work in a florist shop back home I had to take a peek at flower prices too. There are at least two pretty special churches we visited. Michaelangelo's Madonna of Bruges is worth finding, and I would imagine it is included on your guided tour. Enjoy!

I can't be specific about this particular tour, since we did the full day on your own tour of Bruges. That is a 7 hour tour and yours is only 5 hours, including the boat ride. Bruges is one of our favorite cities, but it was tiring in my opinion. We did take a break mid-day for a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe, but we spent the rest of the time on our feet wandering around the city. It is pretty compact and mostly flat if my memory serves me right, but lots of cobble stones which can be tiring. 

Hopefully, someone who took this actual tour can offer more specific information for you. If I were to do it again, I would have eaten an early lunch and then taken a second rest break for a light snack later in the day.

20 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Absolutely agree.  He is personable. His presentations, even his most complicated ones, are easy listens. He knows how to reduce a complicated topic to its most important points. His lectures are well-timed and never rushed. His visual aides are top-notch and used judiciously. 

I am intrigued, and will hope to encounter Russell Lee on a future cruise. Does he sail in a certain region with Viking?

26 minutes ago, millybess said:

We did the included tour in Katakolon in June called "Ancient Olympia".  It was 4 hours in duration and was one of the best tours we've ever been on, paid or included.  Yes, we had an amazing guide, but the tour itself was also really good.  We were surprised it was "included".

I would say the same about our included tour of Dubrovnik (very good guide, really memorable setting).

And Barcelona (our best guide ever in one of the world's great cities).

And Santorini (guide was easily forgettable, but the Star was the only ship in port, and Santorini itself took my breath away!)

I think excursions are influenced by a myriad of factors: the location itself, the guide, the administrative details, your companions, and even the weather. In my opinion, based on four cruises, most of our Viking excursions (both included and optional) have been good to great, with a few satisfactory and two real clunkers. 

3 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

But it would not be canceling, therefore not making a claim. Just doing a transfer.

Hope you are right about that. I will admit my knowledge about insurance is not what it should be. Even if I read the Terms and Conditions, then 5 minutes later it is all jumbled up in my head again. 😬

I would agree that no is the most likely answer, but sometimes might be correct. We have actually done it, moving to a longer version of the initial booking on a different date. Viking rolled the insurance forward and we paid the increase on the premium since the cruise was more expensive. 

While our personal reason would have been a Cancel for Any Reason (expected birth of our first grandchild), I cannot remember if the first cruise was one with the special provisions that were linked to Covid bookings. Thus, the ability to move insurance forward to a different booking may have been due to circumstances that no longer apply.

In your case, requesting a change for a medical condition may be considered actually using the insurance, and thus you case may not quality at all. Best of luck in finding a suitable solutions.

We ended up in Ravenna by accident on a recent Viking cruise. When booked, we thought we were ending in Venice. Then Venice put the end to that ( I know, I do understand), so we were planning on ending in Fusina. While on the cruise, perhaps two days from the end, Viking announced that they had received notice that Fusina was closing the port for an environmental impact study and we would dock in Ravenna!

To their credit, Viking did a remarkable job in arranging last minute tours that included Ravenna as an option. Having been to Venice several times before, we were thrilled with the visit to Ravenna, even in the pouring down rain. The mosaics were spectacular (sadly the photo doesn't really do them justice), and the town was very enjoyable.

On 7/19/2023 at 12:31 PM, Avery's Gram said:

A long time ago, we settled on a plan for photos:  take a few of ourselves to prove we were there, and then look for a book of photos by a professional photographer.  This leaves us free to enjoy what we see without scrambling for cameras, but we still can look at those wonderful photos taken by the pros at exactly the right moment and remember being there.

 

This saves us a lot of weight in photographic equipment!

 

Barbara M. In NH

On one of our early trips, my husband started a collection of paperback books on each of the cities we visited. They are usually fairly easy to find in the souvenir shops and we both have enjoyed them. However, that doesn't stop me from taking hundreds of photos, and I enjoy that too!

My explanation for why we have done so mirrors some opinions already expressed. We paid maybe 18 months in advance for our first ocean cruise, and we were so new that we didn't know that was not standard. After that, we have pretty much always used the one cruise already booked policy to get six months final pay for the next one. 

In the early days, as mentioned, interest rates were practically negligible, so it didn't matter anyway. In addition, we are budget luxury travelers, so the standard cabins for our typical 10 to 15 day cruises do not seem like such a hit to our financial worth. Since we do like those least expensive cabins, we saw that if we waited to book, those cabins would already be sold. 

Our self imposed rule that we only have one cruise and a spare booked at a time has sometimes caused us to miss out, as with the new Malta, Morocco and the Mediterranean itinerary that  excited me. That is now completely sold out through 2025. That is another reason why some Viking cruisers are willing to pay on Viking's terms.

As a confirmed introvert, singing (or even worse, dancing) in public would make me squeamish. As a spectator sport, I love both. Fortunately, there are plenty of people who do enjoy performing. On the two times we have observed it, everyone seemed to be having a good time, both passengers and crew. If anyone was miserable, they were employing some fine acting skills as well!

On 7/6/2023 at 6:15 PM, Vineyard View said:

On 7/6/2023 at 6:15 PM, Vineyard View said:

Well, Santorini sounds like a place we should have chosen to go long ago. What a shame that they do not control some of this crowding. Dubrovnik finally has and it in my opinion was a smart idea.

 

 

On our first ocean cruise we selected a late April - early May sail date. We ended up in Santorini on May 1, 2017. Upon arrival in port, our guide explained that the season hadn't really started yet and that some places were not open. However, our Viking ship was the only ship docked there that day. We saw some shop owners painting and setting up their stores, but there were some shops and restaurants that were open. We rarely shop when traveling, but we did take time to have lunch at a nice place with a view that was priceless. Even as a cruise newbie, I knew at the time that we were experiencing something very rare. What a great memory!

2 hours ago, flare3192 said:

When we were in Ireland several years ago, my father in law passed away and we cut our trip short and came home. Since that time we have thought about it and we ensure that we have spent time before we leave with the person. If they were to pass away we do not want to know until we return as there is really nothing we can do for them. The important thing to us is how we treated them when they were alive and ensuring we have time with them before we leave. 

 

In my limited interactions with Viking, I do not think they will do any thing to accommodate you. 

This situation is not a one size fits all. We too have planned not to leave a trip if an elderly parent passed away while we were overseas. We had always spent time with them, plans were all made, and there were other siblings capable of carrying out last wishes. In such circumstances, I agree completely with you. 

On the other hand, the original poster was speaking of a grandchild. If the child should sadly pass during a trip,  personally I find it impossible to imagine not returning immediately to support our adult child and spouse through such a loss. I know there isn't anything one can do for the deceased, but sometimes the survivors need you just as much. I am just speaking hypothetically, and certainly hope to never have to put this to the test. 

uktog,

Wishing you and your family peace and comfort during whatever is to come.

19 minutes ago, stephenandrew said:

I don’t think it is just Viking.  Rightly or wrongly, folks are far more “casual” with regard to dress and how they comport themselves now.  I personally would be more comfortable if cruise lines, airlines, restaurants, theaters enforced a more “traditional” level of dress and a more “respectful/courteous”  manner of guest behavior, but I’m absolutely in the minority….businesses are going to accept and adapt to customer behavior that maximizes their bottom line, and even those that are more “restrictive” don’t want to have to become confrontational with guests.  I need to become more flexible.

This trend had been slowly emerging for a while now, but I believe it was accelerated by Covid. Way too much time spent at home, without the civilizing effect of being at work or in "polite" society. To be honest, I get that we had more important things to worry about for quite a while. 

I would love to think that standards of behavior may stabilize, but I am not too optimistic. Afraid I too may need to become more flexible.

57 minutes ago, Mariastreby said:

 We’re not crazy about the other three restaurants’ decor either, with the tables in the Restaurant (MDR) placed extremely close together, making conversations nearly impossible at times. But I guess those things don’t bother the Viking faithful. 

As usual, different things appeal to different people. We honestly enjoy the proximity of adjacent tables on the Viking ships, and have had many a pleasant conversation with other passengers over dinner. It is easy enough to tell when others would prefer their privacy, and I respect that. However, often times those random chance conversations have led to future intentional dinner plans. Some of those have led to valued friendships, and that is a great bonus to our travels.

11 minutes ago, mjobtx said:

We feel the same way. The older I get, the less I am willing to schlepp luggage in and out of hotels, train stations, and trains every two or three days. Our stress level goes up and our enjoyment level goes down. If we take a land trip, we stay for at least a week in one location and sightsee by private guide from there. 

Sounds good to me, hope to do that kind of land trip in the future. Right now, we are the Odd Couple who are both still working (part-time) in our early 70's. We both like what we are doing, have some flexibility, finance our travels without touching money that's "for retirement", but can't really come and go as we please yet.  Cruising still fits the bill for us, for now.