Cyber Kat

16 hours ago, LissaKay said:

They do in Torshavn! 

Awesome!  Thank you so much!

5 hours ago, hutch1994 said:

Check the follow up message on tv.  The flyer was delivered to our room last night.  Guest relations didn't know anything about it when we checked this morning.

Thanks!

1 hour ago, hutch1994 said:

Anyone know of  more detailed info on the tapas tour that is being offered as part of the post excursion to Madrid?

We are on the Med Odyssey following your cruise.  We are doing the pre cruise in Madrid with the train to Barcelona.  We will be in the Intercontinental 3/30 and 3/31, but I think that will be before you end in Barcelona as we are boarding on 4/1.

We did this extension once before and it was really great, but I don't have any info on the tapas tour.  I should look and see if they have that for us.

10 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

 

If you were looking at the bar menu sample on MVJ, they are years out of date.

No, I googled it.  I think it was on Cruise Critic actually 😁

Just now, FetaCheese said:

I'll ask at LR Bar and Torshavn.

Thanks!  Don't go to too much trouble.  I just like it, but I can find other things to drink.  I just wondered.

19 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

We just had a wonderful Captain's Q&A onboard Saturn 2 weeks ago.  Our CD, Kate, arranged and ran it.  She told me it was up to the CD to push it forward and still the Captain had to approve.  Guess it depends on your CD and Captain and is not a global Viking rule.  She also had onstage the Engineer, the head of Housekeeping, and the Asst General Manager.  It was quite an excellent discussion!   Maybe we just had a great CD and Captain!!

It was done in the Star Theatre on the final afternoon of the cruise.

 

I love those!

On 3/22/2024 at 12:56 PM, FetaCheese said:

@Cyber Kat

Enquired at Aquavit Bar,  no Jenever onboard.

Oh well!  I saw a bar menu online and it showed they had it.  Perhaps I'll see if I can get it at the airport duty free.

2 hours ago, FetaCheese said:

Thanks for suggestion.  When exiting the coach after tour, a V rep asked me how the tour was, I did tell him my disappointments.  Asked me for cabin#, and wrote it down on clipboard sheet, saying "for documentation".

 

Am planning to visit shorex mgr. and/or Guest Services.  Did complete digital survey, and was honest with responses.  Unfortunately, there is not a text box to add comments.

They really should add a text box for comments.  I always have some 🤣

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

 

 Thanks for posting the Manfredi's menu!

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

@Cyber Kat

Will try to find out about Jenever, although never heard of it.  Have not sat at LR Bar, yet all staff very friendly and accommodating.

Thanks!  It's a Dutch gin liquor.  KLM serves this on their flights and it's quite good.  Bols sells it already made up, but they have the recipe on their site.  It's quite tasty!

 I'm following your post because we board the Star in Barcelona!  I'm excited!  This will be our 10th Viking cruise (5 river & 4 going on 5 ocean), but we've never done the Med!

I'm interested in hearing how you are finding the ship.  Does Manfredi's have the Viking version of the steak or the new one.

Also do they have jenever onboard?  I'm currently enamored with the Bols cocktail called a Very Old Fashioned.  I have the recipe, but it needs jenever.  I'm wondering if I should try to pick some up in port.

How are the bartenders in the Living Room?  That's our hangout when we aren't on the Aquavit Terrace.

2 minutes ago, mkerner said:

I found that e-check refunfds took about a week to show up.

I think it depends on the time of the month and what day they close out the month.  I had one show up promptly and another take nearly the 21 days. 

As others have said, there really aren’t any levels like on other lines, but if there were levels why would Viking allow credit for loyalty levels on another line?  They are not connected in any way with other lines like the more mainstream lines - like Celebrity and Azamara are part of Royal Caribbean for instance.  It’s to their benefit to offer transferable loyalty points to keep you “in house” so to speak.  It’s a motivation to stick within their “family.”

Viking is Viking.  There are no other brands - Just Viking River and Viking Ocean. If you take a river cruise, then book an ocean cruise, you are treated like any past guest on that ocean cruise - and vice versa. 

I’ve had several refunds coming from Viking. Several for excursions and 2 when we switched from Viking flights to doing our own. All of the refunds were done in less than the 21 days. It did seem to matter what time of the month it was. Credit card credits appeared faster than those returned to my bank account - things that were paid by e-check 

On 3/1/2020 at 8:28 AM, tomcruiser1234 said:

 

Frankly I am driving my better half crazy because I want to fix things and go on this cruise. Things are out of our hands. 
 

 

I’m glad I’m not the only one!  We have a Celebrity cruise on Equinox in May and I’ve really been looking forward to it.  Neither of us wants to cancel because it holds a lot of firsts for us.  It’s the Caribbean out of FLL so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

I’m driving my DH nuts because I want a return to sanity!  All people are doing is focusing on the death rate, but so many have had it and gotten over it with few ill effects.  Why can’t we for once have the press and all those in charge look at things in a POSITIVE way.  Instead of posting stats like 100,000 have been infected and 2000 died (I think that’s 2%). Why can’t they say 100,000 have contracted COVID-19 and 98,000 have survived it quite well!

Stats can be used either way.  Why not make it sound less dire.  
 

The main reason it’s an issue is that it’s so contagious, but most people have no more than a cold. Colds are highly contagious as well.  Look what happens when one person comes to work with one.  In a few days, everyone is coughing and sneezing.  Yes, people are dying but they die from thousands of different things every day.  It’s actually inevitable. 😉. 
 

They need to focus on how to help those with compromised immune systems - period.

The Powers That Be need to stop panicking people and calm nerves. They are reacting instead of looking at the big picture and planning.  If they don’t stop soon Coronavirus aka COVID-19 will be the least of our worries.  
 

And that’s how I’m driving my DH nuts! 😁. We have 4 cruises booked. One Celebrity and 3 Viking through the fall of 2021.  I want to go and I want to go without this insanity to worry about.  I’m old and I don’t know how many years I have left.  I don’t want to spend them hold up in my house with no where to go and probably nothing to eat!

Right now I’m spending way too much time angry and shouting from the rooftops!

On 2/29/2020 at 4:26 PM, Baron Barracuda said:

Cancelled an X cruise later this year but just made final payment on a July Viking River Grand European Tour.  Viking offers 100% cfar insurance so don't need to make final decision until embarkation day.

Did get the email from Viking regarding the new temporary cancellation policy?

You have up to 24 hours before your cruise to cancel for a 100% return of all money paid to Viking (in the form of an FCC valid for 2 years).  No penalty and I understand it covers the cost of insurance, flights and extensions booked through them.  
 

We have 1 Celebrity cruise in May (Caribbean) which we hope to go on and 3 Viking cruises  - which we hope to go on  - between now and Sep 2021.  We are hoping things settle down and we can go, but it’s nice to know we’re covered. 

Just an FYI in case you haven’t gotten the email.  This is going out to all booked passengers and it includes trips booked between now and April 30th.

Make sure Viking has your current email address.

Dear Viking Guest,

As you undoubtedly know, the coronavirus COVID-19 is causing concern in the general public and among those of us engaged in travel. At Viking, the safety and security of our guests and employees has always been our top priority. We have implemented enhanced health screening procedures for all guests and staff before boarding our vessels and everyone is required to complete a health care questionnaire before embarkation. We continue to reiterate the importance of individual hygiene, sanitizing and washing of hands.

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely including the travel advisories issued by the U.S. State Department and information updates issued by the Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. and the World Health Organization in Switzerland. 

This is a situation that can change from day to day, and we can well understand that the decision of whether or not to travel may be weighing on your mind – particularly for those with imminent departures. 

In view of this we are for the time being making a temporary exception to our cancellation policy so that you can be free to postpone your cruise at any time up until 24 hours before the planned departure, without incurring any cancellation fees. You will be issued a voucher for future travel valid for 24 months, which can be used on any Viking product (river, ocean or expedition). This temporary exception to our standard cancellation policy is applicable for all guests who currently have a reservation with Viking and for all new reservations made through April 30, 2020.

The temporary exception to our cancellation policy is as follows:

If you have flights arranged by Viking, it must be received at least 24 hours prior to the time of your flight's departure.

If you have arranged your own flights, it must be received at least 24 hours prior to the time of embarkation of the cruise or your hotel check-in, whichever is first.

• Notification of your intent to postpone your current cruise must be received as follows:
• Cancelled reservations will be reimbursed in the form of a Future Cruise Voucher in the amount of 100% of all funds paid to Viking.
• Future Cruise Vouchers may be used toward any future river, ocean or expedition cruise with Viking and will be valid for 24 months from issuance.

If you have any questions, please contact your Travel Advisor or Viking at 1-833-900-0951, Monday through Friday, 4:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday to Sunday, 5:00 AM to 7:00 PM, PT.

We hope you will choose to join us as planned. We will continue to update you on any changes in itineraries or circumstance that may be relevant. In the meantime, we hope that this temporary exception to our policy will help put your mind to ease.

Sincerely yours,

Richard Marnell 
Executive Vice President

I thought golf shirts and short sleeve button down shirts were okay for men in Luminae. My husband is not going to be happy in long sleeves on a Caribbean cruise in May. 
 

Also how are they defining “flip flops?”  Mine are not of the beach or shower variety.  They are more thong sandals without a back strap.  They all have bling, of course!

 I have a pair of ballet flats on order with DSW, but I really prefer the “flip flops.”  And if my ankles swell, as they often do, they are a necessity. 

On 2/26/2020 at 9:02 PM, WonderMan3 said:

 

When you scroll down into the specific categories like Sky Suite the note about the two bottles of liquor is missing so that probably was a typo at the top of the main page. Another change I just saw under Sky Suite was that pre-cruise concierge is now included.

We have a Sky Suite booked for our May Caribbean cruise.  This is all new to us as we’ve never booked a suite before (I actually really wanted the aft wrap - the whole suite thing is just icing, though I’m sure we will like the perks), and we’ve never sailed with Celebrity before.

Still trying to figure out how to use the butler 😁. But what is the pre-cruise concierge do?

So glad to be discussing something other than Coronavirus! 😳.  I just hope we get to go!

For our first Viking cruise we booked a DV and were offered an upgrade to a PV at a very good price.  We took it and really loved the room size and amenities.  There is so much drawer space and (important to my husband) you get liquor, wine and beer in the fridge replaced daily.  We loved having the sofa and chair. 
 

There is no free laundry, nor is there a second TV. The PS rooms have that, not the PV.  We enjoyed the room so much that we booked the same cabin (5101) for our next cruise and 5102 for the one after that. 
 

We just recently booked a Viking cruise for spring 2021.  We were looking for something cheaper so we were shopping other lines, but Viking sent us a nice offer for booked guests.  I found a cruise that worked but to bring it down to our desired budget, we booked a DV (5110). It’s an aft facing cabin so I’m hoping it will make up for it not being PV.  It’s the Caribbean, so I’m not as concerned about booking excursions. We will take what we can get. 
 

Either way, I’m sure you will love Viking!

11 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

 

Love the commentary!  Great story and thanks for sharing.

We also have done the Caribbean on Viking Sea and have pondered doing another Caribbean cruise where the focus would be to just relax and not be worried about seeing all the ports.

You mentioned special email offers from Viking for being already booked on another cruise.  Interesting.  We've had cruises on Viking booked into the future, and have NEVER had any email offers of any kind from Viking.  Wondering if they total up all the cruises or revenue you have had with Viking and you have to hit some sort of bar to qualify for special offers.

We had both a river cruise and an ocean cruise booked when we got the offer.  It was the first we’ve gotten with good incentives!

Interesting - because we just booked this cabin for a Caribbean cruise next spring.  We have been booking PV1s but we were looking for something cheaper and close to home for that spring cruise.  I’d been looking at other lines (shhh don’t tell) because Viking usually leaves the Caribbean by the end of March. We did the West Indies Explorer a couple of years ago at the end of March and we had some stress about a late season blizzard back home.  My husband said he was never cruising in snow season again 😝

I wasn’t finding anything interesting, so I expanded my search to March thinking maybe I’ll find something at the very end into April.  I found an Iconic Southern on Viking Sky. I mentioned it, but the price for our customary PV was more than we wanted to spend.

The very next morning I get an email from Viking with a special offer for guests booked on another cruise.  (They really are psychic!) I looked again at the price.  The PV was still too high, but the DV was doable.  I mentioned it again.  My husband said, “On Viking?”  My answer was, “Yes, but it’s March 9, and you didn’t want to cruise in March.”

He said, “but it’s Viking!”  I said, “yes, but we have to do have to do a DV with no couch, no liquor in the mini bar, and the closet by the bed.”  He said, “but it’s Viking!”  
 

I said, “It’s ports we’ve done before.”  He said, “but it’s Viking!”
 

LOL I found 5110 was available and we love the aft or aft wraps, and that was the clincher for me.  My husband simply said, “but it’s Viking!”

We booked it!  Hoping it’s a good room. We do like deck 5!

Sorry to follow the off topic crew, but we LOVE Bermuda and I had to come to her defense! 😍

That said, we have 2 cruises booked on the Viking Sky so I hope she is once again ship shape!  We are on the September 15th Trade Routes of the Middle Ages and the March 9, 2021 Iconic Southern Caribbean!  Looking forward to both!

On 2/5/2020 at 12:22 AM, neutrino78x said:

"The exploitation of factory sweatshop workers in countries with cheap labor is well-known.  There is also serious exploitation in another sector of the labor market.  Seafarers are essential to the operation of the global economy with about 90 percent of all international cargo transported by sea.  These workers are underpaid, overworked and subjected to dangerous onboard conditions.  Limited international regulation of maritime labor and "flags of convenience" exacerbate the problem, leaving crews with little recourse against exploitative practices."

https://www.globalpolicy.org/nations-a-states/state-sovereignty-and-corruption/flags-of-convenience/49819.html?ItemId=1032

I know there are ships that fly the Bermuda flag, but the above doesn’t describe Bermuda at all. They have a very high standard of living, a high employment rate and it’s one of THE most expensive places in the world to live.  The workers there are treated fairly well, for the most part.  

On 2/1/2020 at 11:00 AM, Bo1953 said:

 

I have rarely seen or heard of any cruise line giving FCC for more than one (1) year from the date of sailing, two (2) years would be very generous and very unusual.

 

good luck and bon voyage

In 2018 when Europe was experiencing an extraordinary drought situation, we had a river cruise booked with Viking.  Their solution to river water level issues is to do a mid-stream ship swap (you swap with a ship traveling in the opposite direction to avoid the unnavigable section).

Though not as serious as this situation, there was an equal amount of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  We elected to go on this “trip of a lifetime, “ (and we had cancel for any reason insurance). We had a fabulous time with minor (in our opinion - not in the opinion of all) disruptions.

When we arrived home, we had an email from Viking offering a generous future cruise credit as compensation for inconvenience.  To use it, we had to book within a year, but it could be used to book a cruise several years out.

Many people missed this salient point and were ranting all over the Viking boards that it had to be taken within the year.  
 

I think this is frequently the case with FCC from other lines as well.  People are generally upset when these things happen and they don’t examine what they are being offered very closely. From what I have been reading, this book within a year for a cruise further out is often offered, but the details are overlooked.