jc522

The coverages are not the same, but the TIS plan has all that we need. I do not think Viking's insurance has the flexibility to tailor the coverage to what think is sufficient.

I just spoke to the Trip Insurance Store (TIS). I think I've got this right. Viking wants $2198 to insure the 2 of us. Travel Guard Essential through TIS will cost $1250.30. That settles that. Viking's cancellation penalty is $100 per person up to 120 days prior to the trip. I thought I'd wait until then to buy the insurance, but TIS recommends purchasing $500 of insurance coverage now for about $125. At 120 days prior we would increase the coverage to the full price of the cruise (or a lesser amount if we prefer). This way any new medical conditions from this date forward will be included in our coverage and not considered pre-existing. Also, our rate schedule would be locked in. The new cost is reduced by the $125 that we already paid.

We weren't sure how the pot is split, but we were comfortable with the total amount. We did want to give a bigger portion of that to our cabin attendant, so we reduced the pot by 25% and gave that amount directly to him. I'd be surprised if the included tip does not go to the crew, but if that is the case we'll make another adjustment next time. I'll ask our Viking travel assistant before we go next year.

Maybe someone else can advise on this, but I don't know that you will see much of interest from the water. Tripadvisor.com lists a couple of on-water sites that don't look much different than things you can see in the Caribbean. The interior of Diocletian's Palace and the waterfront are the main attractions. You can easily spend most of a day exploring the shops and relaxing at cafes on the palace's side streets and on the waterfront.

The first time you visit these cities you will have a much greater appreciation of what you are seeing if you have the time to read some books that explain the history of the place, or take a guided tour. Without that, you won't know what you are looking at. We aren't taught much about European history in US schools. The guided tours taught me at least a little bit about how the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires shaped these and other Mediterranean cities and their fortifications. 19th and 20th century wars had a big impact on Croatian cities, too. On subsequent visits you can have a more leisurely and possibly more enjoyable experience if you go on your own and explore all the shops and restaurants on the side streets of the ancient walled city centers. The excursions don't usually allow enough time for that. We plan to repeat the Viking cruise, "Italy, the Adriatic, and Greece", to explore on our own.

Unfortunately, high winds prevented the ship from going to Messina. Instead, we had a very very mellow At Sea day. After complaining long and hard about the late arrival in Naples, the undisclosed 45 minute water taxi ride to Venice, and missing out on Sicily (land of my ancestors), Viking gave us an apology and some future cruise money. Win-win. We booked another med cruise for next year; Ancient Adriatic Treasures, Venice to Istanbul.

We took this cruise in March of 2023. Naples - We docked in Naples at noon, so time was short and few excursions were offered. We hired a private driver from AP Tours to see the Amalfi Coast, but we did not have enough time to enjoy it. If you have time, Positano is the most picturesque city to see on the Amalfi Coast. Bari - Bari Walking Tour Sibenik - Sibenik Promenade Split - Split Walking Tour Dubrovnik - Dubrovnik Walking Tour Kotor - Highlights of Montenegro Corfu - Panoramic Corfu & Old Town Walking Tour If you don't need the history lesson that you get on a guided tour, you might prefer to go into these towns on your own. Take a leisurely walk around the charming old walled city, and relax at an outdoor cafe while enjoying some of the local food and drinks. The excursions usually don't give you enough time to relax and explore on your own. We might repeat this cruise without guided excursions. Crotone - Charming Santa Severinas Hilltop Village. Not very interesting. Katakolon - Ancient Olympia Day 1 Chioggia/Venice - Venice On Your Own. Give yourself plenty of time. Go on the earliest excursion. You don't have to return on your excursion's water taxi, so come back on the last Viking excursion water taxi of the day. We had time to tour the Doge's Palace, walk thru Saint Marks, and walk around and have a (mediocre) meal at a very touristy restaurant at the Rialto bridge. Day 2 Chioggia/Venice - Scenic Chioggia by Foot. This town was the highlight of our cruise. Do a search on this forum for more information. Day 3 Chioggia/Venice - The ship left port at 8pm. You'll have time to go back to Chioggia on day 3 to explore and have another great meal. Or you can just sit outside a cafe and have some local pizza and ice cream. Enjoy!

1) Has anyone had problems (check-in lines, security, customs, etc) flying home from Istanbul New Airport? We have the option of reversing our cruise and flying into Istanbul and out from Venice. 2) Does anyone have experience with Turkish Airlines? Should we fly a major airline (Lufthansa, Delta or Air France) instead?

Istanbul looks like a fascinating place to visit. We were supposed to stop there on an Azamara cruise a few years ago, but there was some civil unrest or threat of terrorism, and our ship had to divert. We recently put a small deposit down on a Viking "Ancient Adriatic Treasures" cruise in February of 2024. It ends with 2 days in Istanbul. Then we read the following on travel.state.gov. How seriously do you think we should we take these warnings? Terrorism: The potential for terrorist attacks in Turkey, including against U.S. citizens and interests, remains high. Terrorists have previously attacked U.S. interests in Turkey, including the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, and the U.S. Consulate in Adana. Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Turkey. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas. Terrorists have also previously targeted Western tourists and expatriates. Under laws passed in 2018, Turkish security forces have an expanded legal ability to stop and search individuals and to detain individuals without charge.

You are correct. We experienced that on our previous Viking cruise. I'm not sure why they wait until we are onboard to list their excursions for the day prior to changeover. They do list them on their web site in the generic description of the cruise, but not in the Guest Statement. On the previous cruise, the list (almost exactly the same as the generic list) was in our stateroom when we boarded the ship. That created a rush to research the choices and sign up, at a point when we would have preferred to just relax onboard after a very long flight. This time, before we leave for the cruise, we will study the excursions that are listed on their site so we aren't as rushed upon boarding.

I received our Guest Statement. It shows us arriving in Istanbul at 7am and disembarking the next day. I'm sure there will be an opportunity to see the sites. Thanks to all for the responses.

Thanks! That's the information I needed.

If Viking doesn't offer the excursions, I might do that. First, I need to determine whether the ship gets there early enough, and so far it doesn't look good. Looking for someone with first-hand experience.

Why? If so, wouldn't they have excursions during the day? There are none listed.

Why would a cruise ship go to Istanbul and not give their passengers an opportunity to visit the 2 biggest attractions in that city, the Grand Bazaar and the Hagia Sophia? Is viking doing this on purpose to generating extra revenue by selling Extensions?