lil_miss_mimi

14 hours ago, sleepybobo said:

For our upcoming West Indies Explorer cruise in December, we booked V1 3022.  I realized we were "upgraded" to DV6 3056 unexpectedly.  I called to change our scheduled flights and got an updated invoice.  I saw a different stateroom number on the invoice.  

 

I was not at all happy with the upgrade.  3056 is very close to Torshavn, next to the tender boats and right across the laundrette.  We are light sleepers and noise is a huge factor.  This is a room on my "avoid list".  I reached out to my TA about it.  She told me 3022 is scheduled for maintenance during my sailing.  There's no other DV6 available, except 3056.  DV4 will require an upcharge.  She advised me to call Viking.

 

I called Viking today and spent an hour over the phone.  I felt very frustrated after my call.  The Viking booking agent said no one complained about noise issue.  I guess she thinks I don't check Cruise Critic.  I told her no.  There are numerous complaints about 3056.  Then, she said the only V1 left is 3009.  I told her 3009 is not ideal because it's right above the Theatre.  She said 3022 is above the Cinema too and 3009 is just five cabins away at the other side.  Again, I felt she minimized my concerns about noise.  She let me know that the cabin change was communicated to my TA in late August.  Unfortunately, my TA had not notified me.  I asked why guests were not notified about such important change.  She said Viking assumed the TA will handle all changes.  Finally, she said Viking guarantees only cabin category, not cabin number.  I have to read the T&C to see the fine print about it.  

 

Has anyone had similar experience before?  

Don't take 3009...We were in 3007 on our first Viking Ocean cruise. We never went to any of the shows but experienced every word and song. You could plainly hear the entire show in our cabin. The shows are supposed to end at 10:30 but several times they went until almost 11pm. We are very active and would be out hiking and walking all day, by 10:30 we were more than ready for bed but could not go to sleep until the shows ended. Several other cabin around us complained as well. There was really nothing you could do but wait for it to end. It was a ten day cruise, so by the end we had enough. We will never book in that area again.

10 minutes ago, LazyDonkey said:

Your post is so, so helpful, lil_miss_mimi. Can't thank you enough for your specificity about the ports. You brought the crowds and donkey poop to life. Would have thought Sept. would be at least a little quieter, but it does sound as though you had a really full and interesting experience. I mainly like this itinerary because of Venice and Dubrovnik, but am also interested in Kotor. Have already been to spectacular Lake Bled, so wouldn't need to venture that far. Like you, am not a shopper, though it could be fun to peruse local wares a bit. Love to walk a lot in new places. No wonder you lost weight with those 1100 steps in Kotor! Thank you again. Useful info about shower and tours and tea.

Oh, so glad it was helpful! If you think of anything else, let me know. I would be glad to answer any other question you have.

18 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

I'm new to Viking,  I have cruised on Regent and Celebrity before.  I'm used to seeing the excursions like a solid 8 months before the cruise and being able to book 6 months out.  Plenty of time to decide what works best for us.  On Viking the it appear you don't see the excursion until 3 months out and depending on the suite you are in, you can book in the next two weeks.    If they take my money a whole year before the cruise,  why can't they schedule the excursions a bit earlier,  we find that to be a fun task to plan and this feels very rushed.   

Also, don't be dismayed if you don't get the times you want for the included excursions....we had the lowest cabin so by the time we could make reservations most of the early times were gone. I kept checking back and Viking added additional times and people changed times so slots opened up. In the end, I got every time that I wanted except one and got that once we got on the ship. Also, did not make Manfredi's or Chef's Table reservations before we left. Once we got in the cabin, I got on the TV and made reservations for both with no issues. Enjoy your travels!!

21 hours ago, LazyDonkey said:

A few questions for you seasoned Viking adventurers:

 

1. Do you generally opt to schedule excursions for every port, even the smaller, walkable ones?

2. How strong is the shower head when used as a hand-held at various angles?

3. Should I plan to gain more than 5 pounds on a 2-week cruise, LOL?

4. Is the choice of Mediterranean cruises all down to individual preference and cost, or are some itineraries almost intrinsically more interesting and/or beautiful? 

 

Thank you!

1. We usually do the included excursions unless it is somewhere we have been before and we know of something else we want to see. If it is not your cup of tea you can always leave the group and strike out on your own. There have been several occasions that we saw or heard something on the included tour that we went back to see on our own afterwards. We did Empires of the Med in Sept of 2019....We had been to Venice before so we walked around on our own the night of departure (viking provided a boat shuttle back and forth) and we did not opt for the gondola or opera since we had done both before. Koper, Slovenia looked to be an industrial port town so we opted for the paid tour to Lake Bled, it is a long bus ride but the lake is beautiful (this is a location we would probably go back to visit on our own someday). The included lunch was mediocre but I was really there for the scenery! Loved going over to the island in the pletna boat! Zadar, Croatia, I was on the fence about the Krka Waterfall excursion because I had seen mixed reviews...it was hot and very crowded and was sadly not worth it for us. We walked a raised plank walkway over the water like ants in a row, no time to stop and look around because of the pressing crowd behind us. The waterfalls themselves were pretty but the crowd on the bridge was compacted shoulder to shoulder. If I had to do it again I would book with a private company and try to get there as early as possible to beat the crowds, that would make it more enjoyable I think. The walk around town afterwards was good, same as the included one from the morning, I think? Dubrovnik, Croatia We did the morning included excursion, we had Maris as our guide and she was fantastic, one of the best Viking guides we have ever had! We went back to the boat for lunch and came back late afternoon and walked the city walls on our own. Hardly any crowd at 5pm so it was much more enjoyable than the paid excursion in the morning. The ship was docked until 11pm so we had plenty of time to wonder. Kotor, Montenegro, we knew we wanted to climb the steps to the fortress so we skipped the included tour and went our on our own as soon as the boat docked to beat the crowd. It is about 1100 uneven rocky steps but the view is so worth it. We walked around town before heading back for a late lunch. Corfu, Greece, we did the included excursion( this was probably my least favorite stop) bus ride out to a restaurant and pier to see the planes land/take off right over the water, really not that impressive, back to town for a walk around. LOTS of shops, if you are a shopper you will probably like this place, I am not, so we strolled the streets for a bit and went back to the ship for a late lunch and massage instead of more of the town! Ancient Olympia, Greece included tour worth it if you have not seen it! longish bus ride. Santorini, Greece, very crowded, did the included tour, could not understand a word the guide said on the bus, sounded like she was speaking Chinese over a very bad sound system. Mostly just had free time in Oia to walk around, which was breath taking! Lunch on our own at a rooftop cafe and then more wondering. Line for the cable car was 2.5 hours when we got there so opted to walk the donkey path! Not for the faint of heart, dodging donkeys and poop the whole way down to the tender boat. Athens, Greece opted for a food tour on our own that was fantastic then did the acropolis on our own in the late afternoon with no crowds!

2. Hubby is 6'5" so he is too tall to stand under the shower head, the hand held is his only option....he had no issues, good pressure and temp.

3. I actually lost 2 pounds on Empires, but we walk A LOT in port. Plenty of healthy options though! Also, had afternoon tea several times!

4. Itineraries are personal choice I think...First time to Greece, glad I went, feel like I saw everything I wanted to see, beautiful but probably would not go back? except maybe Santorini on our own, not on a cruise. Loved Slovenia, Montenegro and Croatia, probably not places I would have gone on my own before the cruise but would definitely go back now that I have experienced a small piece of each. I am partial to Italy- Tuscany is my favorite place on the planet, so if you have not been to Florence, small towns in Tuscany or Rome, those itineraries would be worth a look too. Whatever you pick, hope you enjoy your travels!!

In response to the towel sculptures.....from our last Viking River cruise Dec 2018. We were celebrating our anniversary and yes the candle changed colors!

margu1241...so glad you got Top of Cologne! You will not be disappointed! Enjoy your cruise!

I did this cruise in Dec. 2018. I did not do any of the wine tastings. We did have free time in Strasbourg after the morning tour. There were shuttle buses provided by Viking several times a day. We actually went back to the ship for lunch and took the bus back to town (10-15 min ride) and stayed until the last shuttle, I think it was 4:30 or 5pm? The Christmas markets were going on so we had plenty to see with that...but the town is lovely just to walk around and see the sights. The cathedral is amazing! 

The Black Forest was my least favorite but I knew that going in from the reviews that I had read. Long bus ride, but pretty, the guide did not stop talking the whole way there. It was basically a little village with 4-5 buildings, cuckoo demo, Black Forest cake demo, tasting not included, you must buy yourself-several people were disappointed because from the tour description it sounded like it was included but it was not. Also, a glass shop, world's largest cuckoo clock. There was a nature trail that looked nice but due to rain we did not go on that walk. Overall, just meh....crowded and hurried, but several people were extremely into the cuckoo clocks and spent several hundred $ buying them. If you are in to cuckoo clocks then you may love it?

My favorite optional excursion was The Top of Cologne! It was an amazing tour of the rooftops and attics of the cathedral. Beware if you are afraid of heights! It has very limited availability, 16 people, I think? It did not show up right away in the list of options but I kept checking back and it finally popped up and I booked it right away! One of the best tours I have ever done any where on any trip!

On 2/20/2019 at 8:03 PM, bellemere said:

Looking at this optional excursion to Colmar in December on a Viking River cruise.

Are you given any time to visit the Christmas Markets in Colmar?

Thank you.

My husband and I did the optional excursion to Colmar in Dec 2018. It was beautiful. All the buildings are lit and decorated. There are several Christmas markets scattered throughout the town plus there was a flea market going on as well in the main square that day. A word of warning...it will be very crowded with wall to wall people. If I had to plan it again, I would still go, it was that beautiful! The walking tour was good but hard to stay close together due to the crowds, but our guide stopped to let us catch up several times. We had about an hour at the end of the tour to walk around on our own. You can break off from the tour anytime that you like if you want to stop and shop. We had maps and were given good directions on where and when to meet to walk back to the bus together. My husband and I are fit and had no issues but if you have mobility problems it may be a challenge? There was a gentleman in a wheelchair on our tour and his wife struggled with the crowds. I attached a couple of pictures to give you an idea of the crowds, but overall it was well worth it to me! Also, a word on the Christmas markets....I felt like the early ones were not as authentic as the later ones....lots of stuff from China, but still had great wine and snacks!  I thought Cologne had the best Christmas markets with only handcrafted local items allowed...but there was one lady on our cruise that shopped at every one in every town and left with huge bags of stuff every time and was happy as a clam!