Elbig

I surprised SB was comparable in price to O. They are usually more - closer to Regent. I think comparing SB and Regent is more appropriate as they are more inclusive.

Not sure what your exact concerns are about size of ship but I was on Regent Splendor which holds about 750 pax and it was a great experience and seemed a very reasonable size. I can’t imagine that 900 pax experience would be that different. I strongly suggest you give it try if you can find the right itinerary especially considering you are looking around.

We really like O and Regent. They are very similar experiences except almost everything is prepaid on Regent which makes it an amazingly easygoing experience. It’s hard to articulate the differences but it is somehow very nice to never show your card for drinks, the Butler stocks your stateroom with whatever you want, liquor, mixer, etc. It feels very luxurious and pampered. OTH you pay dearly for all that. Use the itinerary to chose which one to cruise.

Try Regent

My 2025 cruise cost less with SM than the Olife version. It was a no brainer to switch.

How much money are we talking about here? What is the difference between the $50 and what VisaCentral charges? It looks to me they charge $79. If so, then the $29 is pretty much noise in comparison to the total trip cost. I assume O gets a small referral fee but I hardly consider this to be a big ripoff. VisaCentral might provide slightly more handholding not sure about that but I assume they are referred as a convenience not as a revenue stream. The referral money would be minimum. Honestly this seems like much ado about nothing to me.

We have some both. I don’t think its worth the price difference. YMMV.

We plan to take the train from Barcelona to Madrid ( I think that is the better than flying). Anyway the train station seems to be fairly close to the docks. What time would be reasonable to book a train? If disembarkation starts at 8a would 10:30a or 11a be reasonable? Thx.

I’m fine with Simply More. I have two future cruises booked. One is about the same price for SM vs OL. The other is significantly cheaper. I think it is much easier to explain and sell SM to prospects. Olife was very confusing at first. O needs to be competitive and profitable. I think this a smart move. YMMV.

I am confused. Do you often book with the expectation that you might or will likely cancel? What are the reasons you cancel? Doesn’t insurance cover most likely reasons to cancel?

Doesn’t Viking have something like pay in full 12 months in advance?

Thanks for sharing. Interesting review. I always find it fascinating what is important to others and what they focus on. Knowing my name and my drink are not important to me especially on Vista with all the drink options. As far running into people, I don’t get the big deal. What is your point? If you liked them and wanted to meet again the why didn’t you say something at the time. Leaving it up to chance is just that. Anyway I appreciate your comments.

Unfortunately I suspect you are no longer the target market for O. They need to increase the average $ pp in order to compete and stay in business. It will be interesting to see what you will choose instead.

I have booked a 2024 and 2025 cruise through my TA. Can I somehow get Book onboard credit for the 2025 cruise while I’m on my 2024 cruise?

I’m in the same boat as you (literally and figuratively). I would like the larger balcony so I’m going to give it a try. We are early risers so I’m not as concerned about noise in the morning. We are in bed by 10 or 11 so I am concerned about late night noises. My hope is that since it’s not open that late, we will be ok with it.