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Some facts on US based agencies: They can book a cruise with all of the benefits that the on board agent can starting about 20 to 30 days prior to boarding. I did it because there was only one decent cabin left and I doubt it would have been available if I waited. I am not sure if they can do it post cruise nor give you future cruise certificates. Independent authorized agents have very strict rules from Oceania on discounts and what they can give you. You won't see much variance between larger agencies. Some of the smaller store front agencies will be a little higher due to their operating costs. One of the advantages with the independent agents is most of them can book 3rd party tours, different insurance, and transfers. They can also tell you that you are better off with another cruise or cruise line. Disadvantage is communications from O to you through an agency can be delayed for various reasons In the past when you called O, the call was likely to be routed to a contracted agency. I think that is still the case.

Did it last month. Let your butler know. Anything on hangers they moved for us (we asked for extra hangers) and they moved our luggage. They told us anything loose or in draws we would have to move ourselves so we packed everything into the luggage. This way they could everything when we were ready to leave and did not have to wait for the new cabin to be cleaned and blessed. They suggested not to use the safe until we returned. since security some times checks the safe to see if anything was left behind. Guest services told us we had to wait onboard until around 10:30 when they reset the system and could issue a new card other wise we risked being denied boarding. Butler said it was BS, port security never checks the dates on your card and even if they did its an embarkation day so there is no problem getting on the ship. He also told us that the cabin change is flagged and security will send us to guest services for a new card. Previous guests vacated the cabin early; stewards and butler moved everything around 8:00 AM prior to the new cabin being ready and we were on our way. No problems reboarding. I am sure the process is the same at every cabin level.

I was on the same cruise and it was probably the worst overall excursion experiences we have encountered. We boarded in Hong Kong and found a letter stating that 3 of our excursions were cancelled. First one was to Hanoi 2 days later and Oceania could not provide a substitute, There was no way we could book a private excursion due to the horrendous internet. We also received a list of changes that downgraded many of our excursions. For example places that we were supposed to stop at were now listed as pass by. When we arrived in Singapore we received another cancellation letter and more downgraded excursions. Why couldn't they notify us on the previous segment? One of the excursions included a wine tasting stop. The guide told us on the bus to expect a $20 voucher to be used for wine tasting or a visit to the coffee shop. When we got there local guide informed us that this tour only included a generic wine tasting class. Our guide told me that he thought this change was specific for us as she does this tour on a regular basis. We had one bus that the air conditioner was so loud you couldn't hear the guide another that had a transmission problem. Another things to note is the the free port shuttle been replaced with free only if provided by the port for free. One port the CD announced they could not provide free free shuttles due to a port agreement with the local taxis. Response from a cab driver was the port is prohibited from providing shuttles but the cruise lines can charter shuttles. Docked next to the QE2 in Melbourne with Intercruises shuttle for QE2. Oceania passengers could take the train or walk to city center. My guess is Intercruises was chosen simply because it was the lowest bidder. Unlike other cruise lines O doesn't have passenger surveys so they don't know or care about the quality of the cruise Pre excursion meeting place was the Regatta lounge. First few ports they gave us a numbered ticket for your excursion when you arrived and told everyone to wait until their number was called before heading for your bus . Guess what, many people took their tickets and immediately left for the good seats and creating congestion along the way. Later on they decided to hand out the tickets just before the busses were ready, but many of still left as soon as they got tickets. Most cruise lines have save someone checking tickets when leaving the auditorium. On tender days the majority of the excursions left at the same time and anyone wanting to go ashore was required to get a tender ticket in the lounge. There was no crowd control and the line extended from the lounge on Deck 5 to the tender platform . Eventually the Captain came down to try to straighten out the tendering process. We were about an hour late arriving in a port and CD announced it was a weather delay The reality was the last tender was over an hour late returning the previous day due to engine problems. Port talks were replaced with AI generated videos. If you asked a question or for a port map from excursions you were usually told to visit the on shore tourist booth. I believe all of this and many other disappointments on this cruise are related to Oceania's drastic cost cutting.

On Regatta now. Been some complaints about the AC in cabins but ours have been OK. AC in public areas erratic. Always cold in GDR, hot in Horrizons and Cafe. Been on 11 a few times no issues with turf will check again tmrw.The two units are walk ins for storage and apper tohave nothing to do with HVAC. Door on one end and only connectios appear to be power. WIFI is beyond bad even for Oceania. The reason is simple, O won't pay for a better package. Been on similar itineraries on two other lines post covid and always had usable internet with out Starlink. Biggest disappointment has been the service.Wait staff is running around and smiles are gone by end of meal. Managers constantlly chasiing down late meals. Semi official estimate on current segment is they are down about 20% staff from pre covid. Today 4 servers and 3 mangers in Waves at 1PM. 5 of our excursion were canceled or grossly changed. We were notifed at start of segments, to late to make alternate plans. In three ports there were dive and or welding team's working from arrival to departure. Looked a bit more serious than hull cleaning for Australia. Even the loyalists are complaining. CD insists on making non important announcement after 6:30pm when everyone is eating. Volume in GDR is almost painful and waiters have to stop taking orders until he finishes telling us what we already know.

It is unlikely a universal remote alone will do anything more then the supplied remote. Not sure about Oceania but on another line if you go to guest services they will dispatch a techie with the box that plugs into TV audio out and has a headphone jack on it and I believe can pair with headphones. Worth a try.

Viking Ocean, River and Expedition has house wine, beer and soft drinks included with meals. Premium package adds all wine less than $8.00 per glass and bar drinks anytime. Wine menu is limited and we recently saw Viking branded wines as the included wine. If you don't like the included wine let your server know and they usually have something else.

Just did the Great Lakes dive on the Polaris. The dives last 30 minutes and go to about 90 feet. We were lucky and saw a small fish. You take a Zodiac from the ship and transfer to the Submarine. Smooth seas, no problem, otherwise they will cancel. There were far more opportunities than reservations, many of the dives and slots were filled with crew and contractors. I don't believe any passenger who was able, was denied a chance. The locations that a dive can take place are mostly on the Canadian side due to physical and operational constraints. Even if it was US flagged there would have been few if any locations on the US side for dives. Overall opinion.... If it is included and you are doing it for the experience, I would recommend it. If you are paying extra for it or have expectations of seeing something interesting, skip it.

How easy is it to find a table in the Grill at peak times? World Cafe gets pretty crowded on the ocean ships.

No problem changing on United as long as you are remaining in the economy cabin. It is unlikely you can move to the Business or First class. You should call Tripmatel since the policy is specific for your itinerary.

BTW there is nothing unique or proprietary in the Viking offers. Some may be specific to you but not the Agency. The better offers come in form of postcard.

Yes... Most if not all the time from Viking and other cruise lines. I would guess Viking physically sends them on behalf of the agency and they jointly manage the mailing lisylt

Over a dozen Viking cruises and we still get at least one Viking per week and they are from different TA's we have used. They have had offers targeted at previous cruisers such as double the loyalty amount. It appeared with the same code on the website about a month later but was available on far less cruises.

Almost true. He can.t give you the OBC credit for the cruise you currently on. My agent has been able to extend the final payment date by a few months. I think Viking will do it for repeat customers and how long you want it extended. There are times the onboard agent has access to offers We wanted a PV cabin on a future cruise agent tried to upsell us PS at close to the PV rate, we declined the offer. A few hours later he called and offered to throw in free Business Air which we accepted Found out that some of the onboard agents are better connected and are aware of what's happening in the back office and Viking was negotiating a group booking for the PV's. At the rumor level someone said they were offered OBC plus the Silver Spirit package for the remainder of the current cruise.

If you hand carried it on to the ship you can ask one of the "greeters" if it can be sent to your cabin. Make sure it is tagged with the cabin number.

Just booked a cruise on I noticed on my statement there is an option from HAL that reads "Any option upgrade". TA said this gives HAL the right to upgrade my cabin without my consent. Since HAL was closed and she was going to be out for a few days I should call HAL direct to have it have it changed. I called HAL and they said it is hard wired in the system and can't be changed. She said HAL would contact me prior to any change and I would have the ability to refuse it and keep my original cabin. I asked what happens if they can't contact me and her response was no change can take place without my explicit permission. This contradicts what my agent had told me. I checked a previous HAL cruise a few months ago and under Options it read "No option upgrade." Any experience with this and is it defined on the HAL website.

On the Sky twice, Baltic and Med, No issues with the roof opening and closing. There was a sudden shower in the Baltic they closed the roof in minutes it got hot and stuffy and they opened the roof in increments No problems. Just got off the Venus and had fresh OJ every day. Was on the Rivera last fall and our party ate in Jaques early in the cruise. 2 people ordered Lobster and when the waiter lifted the covering there was a horrible smell from one and the other was green. Waiter is still apologizing. They ran out of fresh fruit about 2/3rds of the way through and served canned mixed fruit. On Venus DW asked for fresh blue berries. Waiter told us that you can only keep blue berries fresh for about 6 days and they will be getting fresh berries in a few hours when we arrived in port. I believe O food procurement is now managed by NCL and other than specialty items there is no difference. Needs confirmation. Neither is perfect and we will sail on both again this year.

It's going to be cold You may or may not miss multiple ports you may or may not see the northern lights You may or may not experience very rough seas I would suggest going through the past and present roll calls to see to how every cruise was different. The biggest mistake people make is not bringing appropriate clothing. Insulated waterproof boots are a must. Viking supplied spikes when necessary. Chemical hand warmers are good. If you are going to do the husky or snowmobile excursions goggles will help. The ship and food is no different than any other Viking Cruise. We found the room and public area temperature very good. If this is your first Viking Cruise browse other posts about Viking. All Viking ships are the same. Other than the blue nose ceremony all of the activities are the same. Most important is have a positive attitude.

Did you try the British Menu at the Chef's Table and if so how authentic was it?

A few years ago in the UK we bought a 3 pay as you go SIM. We had it shipped to the hotel so it was free, It was just a few GBP if you bought it in the store. It is free data roaming in the EU plus about 70 other countries. You can buy vouchers in the US and for 10GBP ($13) you will get 4GB for 30 days and on up to unlimited data for 35GBP. I think there are caps that restrict the maximum amount of data in certain countries. Whatsapp worked for international and local calls everywhere we tried it.

I don't understand why you would be upset about suites getting first shot at excursions, Oceania gives free laundry based on your cabin class. Most Airlines board by class and loyalty and so on. We just got off the Venus. We booked late in a DV and except for Narvik found acceptable tours. We couldn't make restaurant reservations in advance but had no problems once onboard Hope the rest of your cruise is as good as ours was. No missed ports, lights from the ship 4 or 5 times, only one stormy night. The deserts in the Restaurant seemed bigger than in the Cafe. We ate in the Restaurant most of the time and was surprised that on a cruise this long there was little repetition of main dishes. Breakfast pastries were on the weak side so we went to the living room picked up pastries and brought them in to the Restaurant. You have to feel sorry for some of the crew members who have been onboard since the fall with all of the rough seas and most of them never been in these weather conditions. For us this cruise was truly "above expectations" Is there a resident photographer onboard? I thought I saw ours at the airport.

"MSC CRUISES ENTERS ULTRA-LUXURY SEGMENT BY PLACING ORDER FOR FOUR MORE SHIPS FROM FINCANTIERI" from MSC press release. So I guess the more ships you build the more luxurious the cruise line is.

We did this a few years ago and it was as stated, Passport control and immigration were crowded but very fast moving unlike AMS. We went through a long corridor that looked like it was temporary and eventually arrived at the screening point. No lines since it was a limited access area for transit passengers only. I am guessing 20 to 30 minutes from plane to gate. Boarding process was chaotic, They just announce it is time to board and everyone goes at once. This has been the case for other xfers in Munich. The Airlines are not supposed to close the gates at least until departure time when in transit passengers are enroute. We were last to arrive a few times and the doors were closed as soon as we boarded, One time about 10 minutes late in Chicago. We once landed on time but missed our connection in Munich because we turned right instead of left and got to the gate a few minutes after the doors closed. The gate agent already had new tickets for us on another flight.... no charge, adjacent gate, routed to Bergan via Copenhagen instead of Oslo and arrived before the original flight. With this being said, if we weren't aware that there were multiple paths to IST that day and we could afford arriving several hours latter we would not have booked a 50 minute layover.

Should have read "passport services" not Visa services. See: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/courier-and-expeditor-companies.html Applications through a third party must meet the same criteria as those applying in person.

Based on experience 2 months ago. We were about 10 weeks between cruises and used the expedited renewal process. Passport was only 5 years old with 2 clean pages. I had a new passport in 2 weeks and 4 weeks latter DW received a form letter that she had to resubmit her paper work due to a non descript issue. Two weeks latter there was no indication they received it and it was being worked on. After a few calls they suggested we make an appointment at one of the walk in sites (luckily there was on a few miles from where we live). 2 days latter we walked in and the agent found out that it was originally rejected because it was missing a signature. She was able to see the original paperwork and couldn't see the problem. They generated a new passport on the spot and instead of waiting a few hours for it they sent it to us overnight. Agent told us that all expedited service does is expedite the initial screening for distribution to the processing location. Processing location can anywhere in the US. It does not get any special handling after that. She told us if you need it less then16 weeks wait until you are within 2 weeks prior to travel (or 3 weeks if you need it for a Visa) and use the walk in service. You must have proof of travel and be able to get to one of the sites. If you have a long term Visa like a 10 year China Visa you can use your old passport with the Visa plus your new one forentry. Some countries require x number of blank pages for entry. and some of the entry stamps like Japan may require a blank page for a paste in stamp. The online service was still being tested when we renewed and I was led to believe it just eliminates the initial mailing. The processing time is still the same and the end to end time might be one or two weeks less. The third party Vis a services cannot speed up the services. This is addressed on the passport website

See if you can find one of the Ninja techs (usually dressed in black with a tablet attached) and ask them if announcements are available via TV. The techs can be found in the back of the theater or the control room at the starboard entrance to the theater. My last Viking Ocean Cruise was about16 months ago and things could have changed including my memory