CDNPolar

Have been to SA and work with SA daily remotely. Have never heard this term. Frankly in the world of gender fluidity now, I have abandoned any other term other than "server" as that can cross any pronoun. That is typically what we call them in Canada.

This was an interesting concept to me so I did some fast research yesterday. I am also talking Canada requirements so they could be different in the USA. 1) I would have to pass an exam first 2) If I wanted to be completely independent, there would be huge upfront costs which would negate my commissions for years based on our cruising frequency. 3) An agency would probably not bring me in just to book my own cruises, and even if they did, a portion of the commission would go to them. I am a few years - or less - from retirement and I thought what a great way to keep occupied. Study, take the exam, and be my own TA. The fact is that the cost to do so is not worth it and if this was so simple, then we would all do it.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and WELCOME to Cruising! I hope you love it and hope that it is a great celebration for you! We may not be the norm, but we plan up to 2-3 years out. We map out the areas of the world that we want to see and then start to book as much as 18+ months out. Why 18+ months out? We cruise - so far - only on Viking River and Ocean. We also book the lowest category of cabin on a Viking River or Ocean ship because other than location of the cabin, all else is pretty much the same. To get these cabins, we have found that we must book as much as 18 months out. There is a lot of discussion on Cruise Critic about using a Travel Agent. I encourage you to search for and read these discussions. There are many. As someone new to cruising, you may want to find a TA that specializes in cruising that could help you. You may get a deal through them too. (Not all TA's have deals on fares or give credits on board). We book direct with the cruise line and then transfer to a TA to get the credit on board. We know what we are booking so we do the pre-work ourselves and book direct and then transfer. Good luck with this and be sure to ask lots of questions. Once you find a cruise line, port of departure, or ship you are interested in, start to read those forums and post your questions there for better insights. Our November River cruise this year was booked 14 months out. Our March 2025 cruise was booked 18 months out. We even have an April 2026 cruise booked at this point. I think your planning time also depends on what cruise line and where you want to go. Do you want a Caribbean cruise or a Mediterranean Cruise. Do you want a cruise around Japan? So much to choose from, but you will find some itineraries are booked out much further in advance than others.

Exactly what @Host Jazzbeau says. Our friend travelling with her 18 year old Granddaughter tried several times pre-cruise to convince them that she should be able to buy it and Viking was just not "buying it". (Pun intended) Once she was onboard, they went to Guest Services together, the Granddaughter with ID in hand, and requested and exception to the policy. I believe that they brought in the Food and Beverage manager and he then allowed the purchase for our friend. This happened on embarkation day. Think you will be fine. I also think that there will be a note on your account that every server will see that your Sis is underage and not eligible for the SSBP because typically when you give your cabin number both are automatically assumed to be eligible.

Not sure I would buy Viking stock. If the company goes the way we expect after the IPO we may not continue to sail with them. I think if I bought stock, I would want to be a loyal customer.

Yeah - I agree with this scenario as you may choose NOT to book anything else... I also have found after many Viking cruises, having refunds, cancelations of things paid for, and vouchers, that the Viking accounting system is very "robotic" and strict. What we think would be a simple - give us an OBC - is not simple in Viking's accounting process. You seem to always have to wait for a process to happen.

I think that 12 weeks is sufficient, or certainly hope it would be. Get all the paperwork in advance and have ALL the information that they will need so that you are not struggling to get that in that 12 week period. Then you can submit immediately on your return. We got our last 10 year Chinese Visa through the Bank of China in Canada. It was a simple process working with them and we could do it in person. You will likely have to do yours by mail which is why I suggest that you know and understand their application process and the information needed before you start. You don't want to find out that you are declined because something was missing on the application. You may be better to work through a service that will guide you. I found this service that has a page for TN. I don't know them nor endorse them, I just found them in a Google search. https://www.chinaentryvisa.com/en/visa/2615

We just experienced based on another discussion somewhere that a US customer paid $600 USD pp and we are paying 799 CAD pp. Reasonable exchange US to CAD. We looked and now the cost to add this same pre-extension in CAD is $1,299.00 pp. We have not received any indication that the price went up on our invoice. Here is all I can find in the Passenger Contract that is sent with your invoice when you pay your deposit. . SURCHARGES. We reserve the right to, and you expressly agree we may, impose surcharges in addition to the Invoice Fare, based on our fuel costs, the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and other currencies, our cost of airfare, fees and taxes imposed upon us by governmental or quasi-governmental agencies, or other unforeseen circumstances, subject, in each case, to compliance with all applicable laws. These surcharges to the Invoice Fare may be imposed at our discretion in any amount and utilizing any methodology of our choosing. We agree to provide you with a written list of any surcharges to the Invoice Fare no later than 30 days before your date of embarkation, and you expressly agree to pay such surcharges before your date of embarkation. In the event that the total of all surcharges exceeds 5% of your Invoice Fare, then you may, within 7 days of our sending you a list of surcharges, elect to cancel your cruise, and we agree to apply no cancellation fees with respect to your cruise, including any Optional Shore Excursions you may have booked. Any cruise booked less than 30 days before the date of embarkation will not be subject to surcharge. Technically this could be a Surcharge? In my opinion, this is not a good business practice by Viking. On the pre-excursion we booked, we get: * 2 breakfasts * 1 day tour * Pick up from Airport * 2 nights hotel * Transportation to ship If they had a block of rooms at the hotel, I fail to see how the cost could have gone from $799 CAD pp to $1,299 CAD pp. If we got that increase in an invoice we would just cancel the pre-excursion. Reading the passenger contract opened my eyes to a few clauses that kind of surprised me. I have skimmed it before, but I am going to read and make notes now.

I know that you are looking for @FlyerTalker to respond... We all want a deal and the best price or lowest miles possible, but when we book we select what we feel is the best deal that day, or we watch for a few days, but once we book, we don't look back. I never want to have remorse thinking that if I had waited I would have saved $$ or miles. I have a friend that constantly surfs all these sites looking for the best deal and he holds out so long he usually ends up paying more than the deal he could have had in the first search. He will only admit that quietly on the side....

OMG! We will be flying out of Budapest in December! We will definitely look for this! Thanks for sharing. Crap, just remembered our flight is at 6:30am. Well, it might be open.

Don't know about the Bon Voyage gift, but it would amaze me if Viking blocked that because you are sharing a cabin with your sister. We travel on Viking often with a friend that once travelled with her underage granddaughter and she was able to buy the SSBP but only after she boarded the ship and it was okay'd by a manger. You should be able to get the package if you want it but not until you are on the ship.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! A few questions.... Where do you reside and what citizenship are you now? Personally I would contact your nearest Chinese Consulate and ask for their advice. There are many different methods of securing a Chinese Visa but some do require you to part with your current valid passport for weeks after submission. I think that our passports were gone for 6 weeks. Also note that the Chinese Visa is affixed in your physical passport and so if your passport is soon to expire, it can also be suggested to renew your passport before getting the Visa.

Congratulations! Happy to hear that your cheque arrived!

In my interview for renewal, the US CBP questioned me about several ports that were cruise ship ports in the APAC region. I was surprised that they had all this information, because they were all cruise ship ports, but they did. My understanding is that disembark or not, you visited that country.

First, I am not questioning your medical conditions and don't know your insurance policy language, but this is my experience. In the Canadian insurance policies anything that you are taking a medication for or are receiving treatment for could be considered a pre-existing condition no matter how long you have had the medical condition. In most cases diabetes is not one of these unless your diabetes is not well managed. For instance, if you are on a beta blocker for your heart, and you have been stable for 3 years with no issues, no medication changes, etc., then you are stable and good to go. No worries here. However if your doc changes the medication, or now is recommending a Holter Monitor even as a routine follow up test, this now changes you - in most insurance - to an unstable pre-existing condition and you must conform to the stability period of 3 months or 6 months after the test or the medication change. Even if you expect the Holter Monitor to deliver a stable outcome and it may well do, just the fact that this test was ordered changes your status from stable to unstable and you are now subject to satisfying the stability period again. This is how it is in the Canadian insurance companies and I believe that it is the same with American insurance too. Most folks don't recognize that even a reduction of medication dose, or a stoppage of medication changes that status from stable to unstable.

Thank you @FlyerTalker as I have learned so much from your explanations. You have a great way of explaining these things in easy to understand terms. I work with a lot of online platforms (not travel related) that the pricing algorithms are so complicated that move with the time of day and the volume and the fees you are paying and so many elements that they are almost impossible to explain. This should be required reading for anyone using Viking Air in MVJ.

Oh, and no offence to rubber lovers. I don’t discriminate any group and their likes.

Lobster is good, no doubt, but I don't know that it is that amazing to me to get all excited about. I would be just as happy with any well cooked meal. For me lobster is a feast where you are not just having a tail cut in half, but you have a plastic tub of whole lobsters on a paper lined table, crackers, picks and all the tools, put on a bib and get down to business.

I think that 15K steps in 3 hours even on flat surface would be a lot for many people and a real workout. It would be interesting if Viking would consider putting "Step Counts" into their excursions. This might help many folks to understand the demand from a walking perspective. That is a fair workout for 3 hours.

We have always purchased Air Plus before. This is the first time we have not and we are anticipating flights to be populated in about 60 days. That is when we will be looking at all of this, so I am excited to see where this goes with other experience.

How the heck is anyone going to look at any one of these flying anywhere and say, oh my gosh, that is the Rubber Pride flag! I never even knew that there was a Rubber Pride flag. Who dreams these up? Do they go in front of a Gay Legislature for approval?

I would rather have no labels but we are a society of people who love to apply a label to both themselves and others. Labels won't go away. What is the saying my Mother used, and likely others out there...? Call me anything you want, just don't call me late for dinner.

For us it is only about the deals and the OBC. We are quite confident doing it all ourselves.

I would agree that they are trying to make the loading and unloading of luggage easier, but we typically handle our own carryon. We rarely leave that with the checked luggage to arrive in our cabin, because this bag is where we have the medications, laptop, and other valuables. So, we are technically only giving any cruise line one bag pp to schlep. And, yes @gnome12 this is a great suggestion and this is how we store our bags at home too...

Great review and great pics! Glad you enjoyed it.