Peregrina651

Have you taken the time to explore the Viking 360° Tour https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/content/ocean-star-tour/start.html?

Not really. The guy, who is really upset, feeling helpless and therefore angry and striking out, comes to get some information and some help in sorting through the mess, and mostly what he gets is people telling him, over and over again, he is wrong to feel angry and that it is his parents fault that they are in this position. Yes, there are lessons to be learned for the future but no one wants to continue to read over and over again the same "its their fault" message as every newcomer arrives to the fray and has to get their licks in. He took the best of our advice and then left. It is a pattern that repeats itself. No one sticks around after the first punch. Do you blame them?

Odd, yes, but not outside of normal and more frequent on this side of the pandemic. Don't freak out until booking starts to open. Things may come and go before that point.

@Moonlion SOLD OUT is sometimes used as a place holder. Since excursions haven't opened, it may mean one of two things: "not going to be offered on this sailing" (which is probably not what is going on here because it is all of the optionals) and "we haven't finalized the contracts yet or some other snafu" (the more likely answer).

This article gives a quick explanation of the issues: https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/130847298/cruise-ship-too-dirty-for-milford-sound-after-sea-snails-found The problem is that because they have snails clinging to the hull they cannot enter the waters of New Zealand's Milford Sound (by laws, to protect the environment of the sound). The snails are picked up in open waters, with no way to prevent it. It's all in the article.

It won't happen. Viking treats airfare and cruise fare separately. They never show a package price. If you choose to book your own air, Viking does not delete that amount from your cruise fare, they just delete the airfare line item from your invoice.

BUMMER!!! But you are right. You aren't in a blizzard. Someone else is doing the housework and the cooking AND they bring you drinks. By the time you get to Adelaide, they will probably have tours laid for you. When life gives you lemons, make limoncello martinis! Here is a link to article (not the greatest but quick and easy to read) that explains what is going with the ships and "snails on the hull": https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/130847298/cruise-ship-too-dirty-for-milford-sound-after-sea-snails-found

Agree on a time and a place (some place that isn't usually crowded). 5:30 pm Atrium, Deck 2 by the Future Cruise Desk or Atrium Deck 3 which tends to be even quieter (just decide even side or odd). You can always move the party after you meet up.

They will love it. Iceland is beautiful.

Thanks for the update.

The closest thing that they have to a gift certificate is a 'future cruise certificate', which can only be purchased while on board a river cruise. The cost is $100 for a $200 face value certificate. You may purchase as many as you want but only one certificate per person may be applied per cruise.

If and only if the fare difference is great enough AND if it is more than 121(180(?) for longer journeys) days before sailing AND if there are cabins available in the category you want to book, you can always cancel the reservation you have and book again -- but you have to do the math first. You would lose any special offers from the first cruise -- airfare price and all included freebies or extras -- which you should include in the math calculations. If you would then buy the drinks package, you have to add that to the new booking cost. If you lose OBC, you have to add that amount to the new booking cost (because you will now have to pay out of pocket for expenses such as shorex that the OBCwould have covered), etc. And you have to add any loss of insurance premium if you can't transfer the policy to the new booking. In other words, the savings has to be fairly significant to even bother doing the math. BTW, I do have a future booking (I try to make sure that I always have a future booking) and I still get promo e-mails and catalogs.

Cindy -- Yes, definitely check out the promos and keep in mind that there is no way of knowing if a better deal is just around the corner. If you see a deal that works for you, grab it and don't look back. If you wait for a better deal to come along, you may have waited in vain -- what is your risk tolerance here? Others will say, wait and see what turns up closer to departure (after the 121 days out point, the last day to cancel with minimal penalty on the shorter cruises; for longer cruises it is different timing). Not that Viking has a history of last minute sales on unsold cabins but some cabins will open up at that point (N.B. that you will have to pay the full amount at booking). In all honesty, even a crystal ball is useless here. It all depends on how badly you want a particular itinerary or sail date. Most promos run from the first day to the last day of the month. Sometimes they are renewed for the following month but you won't know until the first day of the next month. More to think about. Viking is a popular cruise line with a loyal following. They sell out quickly. Prices seem to be going up right now.

Even if they tell you when you make your advanced reservations, it is not guaranteed that is what will be served once cruise time comes around (and especially now when they are still experiencing supply chain issues).

I'd still be wary of anything that contains or contained any amount of gunpowder because who knows what the threshold is for detection and who knows what the legal threshold is that would get you into trouble.

Including Viking which is no longer docking at Stazione Marittima in the heart of Venice but at Fusina, Marghera or Chiogga depending on what they have been tentatively assigned by the port authority.

Ask your steward for one, of course!!

If they contain an explosive (which gunpowder is), they are prohibited on the ship: Flammable liquids & all explosives (lighter fluid, fireworks, flares, etc.) See Viking's complete list of prohibited items here: https://docs.vikingcruises.com/pdf/20190826-Prohibited-Item-List.pdf Don't guess. If you have any further questions, your safest bet is to let Viking speak for themselves. Don't forget that you also have issues with the airports and airplanes. Gunpowder is a problem. Taking out the caps may not be a viable option; the gunpowder residue may linger and attract the attention of the sniffer dogs at the airport (they don't know it is just a cap and neither do their handlers). It would be a lousy start to a much anticipated trip. Maybe you can find some sort of Christmas cracker that is gunpowder free.

Answering MikeyB's question, Day 8 is most likely the middle day -- one day of touring Athens for the first segment, changeover day, one day of touring for the second segment. Still, we haven't hear from anyone who has done a changeover day in Athens. Anyone out there who has experienced a changeover day in Athens?

Only time will tell if it is a fluke or a glimpse of the future. 😉

Pre-pandemic, the goal was to have them posted 120 days prior to departure. Only occasionally would they not be posted before booking opened for all cabins. Post-pandemic, in the early days of the re-start, it was pandemonium. The normal schedule was out the window and many times excursions were not available until well past the time that booking was open for everyone. Today, things seem to finally getting back to the pre-pandemic routine and ease.

Sweet! Glad that all went smoothly.

May 29, 2023 is "Spring Bank Holiday" in the UK -- a three-day weekend nationwide. The tides on the Thames also have a lot to say about arrival and departure times -- and no captain wants to get that data point wrong.

THANK YOU, @Moonlion! I haven't even looked at it yet and I know that it will be a fantastic help in planning our 2024 BIE. I wonder how much more we will have to pay over the 2023 prices?

That was our changeover day choice. Really enjoyed it.