islandwoman

Thank you everyone for your posts. The way I understand the answers is that there is no way to avoid a penalty if you book and then have to cancel a Viking Ocean cruise. If anyone wants to sail Viking, they have to wait until the last minute to book, in which case they will probably pay way more for the cruise; or be willing to risk loosing $1,000 or more in case they have to cancel; or buy insurance. Am I understanding correctly?

They are not free. They cost time and sometimes aggravation.

I agree with you. I have been to "A Perfect Day at Coco Cay" on RCCL. It seems to me that the new President of Celebrity is trying to make Celebrity more like RCCL. I don't know that Royal Caribbean Group needs two lines that appeal to the same demographic.

I watched it and actually learned something. We've been looking for sailings from Port Canaveral (We live nearby). I'm happy to hear that Celebrity is soon going to sail from Port Canaveral. DH and I will be on one of their cruises. And as a bonus, we earned 50 PUP each 🙂

It's a 21-25 day package, but the cruise is only 22 days. I just took the total price and divided by 22. Maybe I'll have to stow away for 3 days to get my money's worth 🤣

22 days for the Premier Internet Package for my upcoming cruise, $291.99. I don't know the number of days for the daily rate I found for the Surf Package here: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-packages/cruise-ship-wifi

Is the price on the ship likely to be less than $29.99 per person per day? For my 22 day cruise, the Premier one device Internet package costs $291.91 per person/ $13.27 per day. Is the Surf Internet Package likely to be less than that on board?

Has anyone made a claim on a tripinsurancestore policy? Did they pay? Do they sell policies that cover pre-existing conditions? At our age, anything could be considered a pre-existing condition ☹️

Our upcoming cruise in April on the Koningsdam will be our second HAL cruise, our first longest (22 day) HAL cruise, and our first time sailing in a HAL Neptune suite. I have two newbie questions: 1. I can't find the Surf Internet Package for pre-cruise purchase online, only the Premier Internet Packages. We don't need the Premier, but the $29.99 per person per day price I found for the Surf Package purchased onboard is much more expensive. Can I expect to see the Surf Internet Package for sale at a more reasonable price? 2. Is the "no-host mini-bar" in the Neptune Suite complementary?

That is only relevant if you didn't enjoy the cruise. If you did enjoy the cruise and it was worth $8,400 to you, then the points are just a free bonus.

According to HAL's website, https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/legal-privacy/cruise-contract , "VOYAGES 25 NIGHTS OR LONGER, PLUS GRAND WORLD, GRAND VOYAGES, ANY SEGMENT OF A GRAND WORLD OR GRAND VOYAGE: Cancellations through 120 days commencing travel: 100% refund" Viking's cancellation policy for voyages 35 days or more https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/2-230626_BookingAndSaleTermsAndConditions.pdf is Written Notice received 180 or more Days Prior to Departure Cancellation fee Per Passenger $1,000.00 I read Viking's cancellation policy as saying that the cancellation fee of $1,000 per passenger applies from the day of booking through 180 days prior to sailing. Whereas HAL gives a 100% refund from the day of booking through 120 days prior to sailing

Insurance prices are usually based on age.

If Viking raises prices so much between when the cruise becomes available and "when cancellations kick in" (I'm guessing that's just before final payment date?) then it would be worth risking $1,000 to save 65% on an expensive cruise. Unfortunately we are at the age where we shouldn't buy green bananas.

I will look into cruise insurance But the last time I checked it, our age made it more expensive than any cancellation penalty.

With other cruise lines, I would book soon after the cruise is posted to get the best cabin, but a lot can happen in two years and I hate to lose a thousand dollars.

We've sailed a lot of cruises, but only one on Viking and that was a river cruise. We're currently considering Viking Ocean, but are put off by their cancellation policy, especially for their long cruises which are our preference. When is the best time to book a Viking cruise - late enough to reduce the possibility of having to cancel, but still with a good choice of cabins? OK, in case someone would ask, we prefer verandas or better, low decks and aft or midships. (never on high decks or far forward)

I have just been reading Viking's deposit and refund policy 😒 I think I will follow your late mother's advice.

When can I expect to see Viking's World Cruise 2025-2026 posted? Do Viking's World Cruises typically sell out soon after posting? I have sailed a Viking River Cruise, but never Viking Ocean. Which of Viking's Ocean cruises (length and/or area) would give me a good idea of what to expect on its World Cruise?

I've narrowed my choice down to 3 cruise lines including Viking. But never having been on a Viking ocean voyage, I'd like to take a one before making a decision. I'm trying to decide how soon I need to go. Can anyone tell me: Do Viking world cruises typically sell out soon after they open for booking? How far in advance of sailing are Viking world cruises usually posted? Are Viking ocean cruise deposits refundable?

Don't forget, as most people seem to, that you've already paid for a meal in the MDR as part of your cruise fare. Add that value to the charge for the Pinnacle Grill and its supplemental fees when deciding whether it's worth it to pay to dine in an alternative restaurant onboard.

Thanks. Cabin location is important to me.

Would that require making a reservation before boarding? How can that be done?

Do any of the ports on your cruise require a passport for entry and how long do they require it to be valid for? I see that Bonaire requires US citizens to have a passport valid for the length of stay https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/BonaireSintEustatiusandSaba.html Rather than relying on our ideas, research all of your ports, as well as re-entry into the US on the US state department website https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html

We live in Florida within less than a day's drive of 3 Celebrity embarkation ports. So booking a knots-run aka mileage run cruise is reasonably easy for us. I can't tell from your logo where you live.

Sometimes we do chase loyalty levels. Before Celebrity split with Azamara, we had a long cruise booked on Azamara. We took a short cruise out of Florida on Celebrity to earn enough points for the next level on Azamara for some benefits we wanted on our upcoming long cruise. It was well worth it, and we enjoyed the Celebrity cruise.