CDNPolar

Read the policy inclusions and exclusions. Travel insurance is not - in my opinion - about getting the cheapest price, it is about covering you for what you need to be covered for. As we age, we are subject on some policies to answer medical questionnaires and with other companies, we are not required to. Questions to ask yourself and then apply to the policy language: 1) Do you have pre-existing conditions as outlined by the policy as pre-existing? 2) Do you meet the stability period and the stability requirements for a pre-existing condition? 3) Will the policy cover the pre-existing conditions if you don't meet the stability period? 4) Can you risk travel without medical coverage if a pre-existing condition is the reason for medical attention? These are not exhaustive, but again, it is not the price of the coverage, it is what the coverage is. I find that this is a very competitive market out there for insurance, and in my opinion if one company is significantly cheaper, there must be a reason - which translates to less or more restrictive coverage.

If you want an eSIM, then many on CC have had great luck - us included - with Airalo. Note that Airalo is going to work IN PORT, or when the ship is close enough to a port to connect to local cell towers. If you have no tower connection you only have ship's wifi to work with. Airalo offer packages of European countries - you just have to ensure that the package you get covers all the countries you are stopping in.

Checked through - if that is possible - would be the least hassle for you, however, I personally with a 9 hour layover would prefer to get my bags and check them again after the layover. That will however require you to wait at baggage for your bag and that is typically a long time at Pearson and then recheck them after the layover. This is going to take some considerable time out of your sleeping time. I am thinking however that customs would be Toronto, so there may be a requirement for you to collect your bags, then drop them after customs to the connecting flight? You may have to play a role in this. I see people doing this all the time, but living in Toronto I have never had to so don't know exactly how it works. I don't think however you can clear Canada Customs without having your bags with you.

Often expedition cruises have a much more relaxed dress code.

If you are referring to a cruise like Viking Homelands, then no, there was no passport control at the various ports. If there was any checking done it was behind the scenes and did not involve us physically. For Homelands, we did not surrender our passports, we had them in our control through the whole cruise.

As I think we see with a variety of things that it depends on the Viking Crew and Supervisor that are involved what the outcome is. I will say that you will likely not achieve purchasing for one prior to the cruise, but once onboard, if you talk the right way to the right people, it is not impossible to achieve. Remember however that you have access to anything that you want at anytime by paying for it so you must be drinking more than the cost of the package per day or it is not worth it.

Exactly what we do... two max and then pay, go back and do the next.

I have been of the last bags with priority orange tags. It is almost like it is done on purpose.

I know what you are saying. I see Nexus advertising here and there on social media to increase membership, but that would only slow us all down. The only thing with Nexus and arriving back into Toronto, is there really is no time saving because Toronto is so SLOW at bringing luggage, by the time the luggage shows the whole aircraft has come through customs/immigration. Nexus gets us to the luggage hall in minutes, but then we wait for 30-40-50 minutes for luggage. Hope it is better in Montreal.

I have said many times before, we know what we want, cabin location, port or starboard, so we book and work out the details direct with the cruise line, and then we move the booking to our TA for the OBC, coupons, and cheque at the end of the year. Our preferred cruise line Viking, does allow us - if we pay for their Air Plus program - to still call ourselves to arrange our air, and we do without the TA being involved. For everything else, because we know Viking so well, we really don't have any issues that come up, but if we do, we email our TA and she deals with it.

Absolutely.... Our American friends talk about the cost of adding TSA and then I say "That is included in my $50 bucks every 5 years!" Nexus is a great deal for us Canadians. I did not realize at first as we typically do not transit through the USA, but the latest couple of times we did, the Global Entry was so quick and easy. Did not realize that we could use that.

Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, when you use a discounter, and you have a problem, it is harder to remedy.

On one of our cruises, the cabin crew could not get their cart past a scooter that was always parked in the hallway AND plugged in to a wall socket. A couple days into the cruise we never saw the scooter again, so I assume they were instructed that they had to keep it in the cabin. I am all for inclusion and everyone should have the same opportunity to travel, but not at the expense of the health and safety of everyone else on the ship. Ship hallways are not built as scooter parking lots, and although I see both sides, I support the cruise line mandating that the scooter must fit in the cabin. Some cruise lines don't allow electric scooters at all.

What GeezerCouple said. Costco in Canada use Manulife for travel insurance, and we have gone online with Costco and Manulife directly and not found any significant different in the cost. It is all about the policy inclusions and exclusions. What pre-existing conditions do you have including recommended tests or procedures for the future. What is the stable period for any condition. There is so much to consider outside of price for insurance and every company has different language and inclusions and exclusions. As much as I appreciate the comment that you should only take a recommendation from someone that has filed a claim - or attempted to - this is only a valid statement if your cancel or medical reason is the exact same. Everyone's need for insurance can be vastly different.

Our latest river cruise - Treasures of the Rhine - we were on the ship at 11am, but did not get our cabin until almost 3pm. Lunch was a buffet in the dining room and we were given a card to keep face up on the table wherever we were as crew came around looking for you as your cabin was ready.

We have found Viking Ocean ships well regulated in temperature. I am always hot, but also know when it is over air conditioned. Viking Ocean seem to do well in our opinion. Viking River is a different story. We find the dining room and lounge on River Ships to be far to warm. The last three River Cruises we have been on, I have left the lounge in the evening early because it is just too hot.

Am I correct that you are saying that the South African agent is a VIKING agent? If that is the case, you don't have to deal with that agent. As lovetosew says, just call Viking and talk to anyone. In our experience we have never had luck with any Viking agent being around for follow up questions.

Pre-registration will not help. For both included and optional (paid for) excursions, when you choose them you must go to the cart and pay for them at the time you book them.

I would ask the question - respectfully - if the country does not use Euros, how is tipping in Euros any better or worse than tipping in USD? They would have to go to the bank to exchange either.

The crew at the docks will know what to do. Guaranteed cabins are very common. Our last cruise, we had our cabin number only a few days before, and our cruise line sends special tags out for embarkation, which we did not get because of the short notice of our cabin. When we arrived at the dock, they just attached stickers to the tops of our bags and all was good.

Also never noticed exhaust from other ships. The Douro however does only sail in daylight hours. The ship does not move very far in total from the start to the finish of the cruise and the busses follow you the entire trip.

I did this same river cruise port to port. I researched the currencies. There were too many for me to purchase at home, and some of them were not available through my bank. Sorry, I am not going to go to a ATM with my bank card and buy currency in each country. My understanding and the direction that my favourite cruise line has given me is that the American dollar in Europe is easily exchanged at the banks and the guides and drivers are good to receive American dollars. I have gotten off excursion busses where 80% of the people on the bus are American and they are all tipping with American bills. What we should not do is tip in coins because banks will not exchange coins as a general rule. Additionally, it seems fairly well known that they like to receive crisp, clean, new American bills and at my bank in Canada, it is easy for me to get brand new bills.

We typically only book deck three of Viking Ocean and we have been the first cabin in from the Atrium and never had any issue with noise from the lifeboats/tender boats. The lifeboats are along both sides of the Atrium on deck 3, so if you are close to the atrium then you are close to the lifeboats. I have also sat in the atrium while sailing and never heard any noise. I also walk the deck 2 under the lifeboats and have never noticed any noise while the ship is sailing. Perhaps those that have stayed in cabins directly above the lifeboats might have some input?

Great Apple News article explaining the trusted traveller programs - PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus, and Sentri https://apple.news/ANta0XyVhQTCTkvSxsDYIfg

We did a partial transit on Viking - they always offer this.