Peregrina651

Hobson, I did the Golden Circle tour with GrayLine. We were picked up luggage and all at the ship and then dropped at the bus stop near our hotel at the end of the tour. No problems. Loved the tour. Thought they did a great job -- and for half the price of what Viking is charging (but no meal included in the price). I suggest that if you want to contact them that you e-mail them directly and not try to contact them via FB. The couple of times that I did contact them, I got a prompt and helpful reply. https://grayline.is/contact

Excellent point! I would like to suggest that anyone who wants to learn more about cell phone service on cruises should check out the Cruising Technology forum here on Cruise Critic: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/677-cruising-technology/

As dd57 says, Viking is clarifying the existing policy. Maybe there has been some confusion as to how things work and they want to make sure that everyone is in the loop. It is not a new policy but it has never really been publicized: MVJ closes for all transactions -- cancellations and new purchases -- one week before you board. If you are thinking of cancelling a shorex on Day 1 or 2, you have to do it before MVJ closes to transactions because tours have to be cancelled no less than 2 days in advance. Maybe they have been having trouble with folks not understanding how things work, so they are sending out reminders. Now they can say, we sent you a reminder. We explained the policy. Not our problem that you didn't read the e-mail. No refund.

But what is the current rate for what you have?

Yes, but the road won't be quiet -- the motor bike will take care of that! 😁

Agreed. Let's get back to helping newbies find their way through the Viking maze.

And I bet they were in driving distance of the port.

BUT, a reminder for those who, like me, don't keep location on all the time, you do have to turn on LOCATION to make this work. I know, stating the obvious, but there is at least one person reading this who is saying, "Wow! I didn't know you could do that."

You have asked one of those crystal ball kinds of question. Only Viking can answer your question and experience tells us they won't.

Oh I definitely know how that works! Only, I'm not limited to late night.

@CurlerRob if we have been asked for recommendations (and we have been in this thread), we may name names and it may be done in this forum. Another place to find recommendation for tour companies is in the Ports of Call forum, where the conversation is not segregated by cruise line and you get many more people answering questions. What we are not allowed to is to post unsolicited recommendations, because that is considered advertising. Also note that the only place to solicit tour shares is in the roll calls.

Loved it 2021. Glaciers up close and personal. A relaxing ride through the country. The Icelandic landscape is fascinating and I don't mind long bus rides. They do stop along the way for a bathroom break and a chance to stretch your legs.

However, I have heard a number of stories where in emergency situations Viking has handled rebooting flights for everyone flights for everyone on board regardless of who booked the original flights. Some of the stories are Covid related and others are not.

And if the ship does not dock at its normal pier, Skolten, -- which does happen occasionally -- they will put on shuttle buses.

Some people are DIY air all the way. They never book through the cruiseline. Some people always book through the cruiseline; they want the comfort and security of the cruise line handling the unfamilar logistics for them. In between, are the "depends," the folk who decide on a case by case basis. And, in the end, where you fall rests on how comfortable YOU feel with doing things on you own. I admit to being somewhere in the middle. I always include Viking Air on my booking. Sometimes I know from the get-go that I will be using Viking Air because of where we are headed or because it is a really good deal. Other times, I don't decide until I've done the research who will be booking my flights. As long as I cancel the air portion of the booking before the flights are ticketed, I have plenty of time to do the research and make my decision.

I believe their hours are 6am until midnight but since hours can vary, check the daiies on board.

I prefer the coffee in the Living Room Bar, Deck 1. Fresh ground espresso brewed in a professional grade espresso maker and close enough to MDR or World Cafe to grab a cup to carry into breakfast. The baristas that work this bar make a lot of coffee everyday and all day long. I've never had coffee in Mamsen/Explorers Lounge, so I can't compare the two venues. MDR coffee is acidy and watery -- or at least the decaf is; I havent had a cup there since 2016, so i dont know if the situation has changed. World Cafe is pods, press the buttons to choose what you want (or a server will do it for you)-- better than the MDR but not as good as the Living Room. First (and last) time I tried to get a real cup of coffee from the Aquavit Bar in the World Cafe at breakfast time, they looked at me funny and I never tried again. Nevertheless, coffee is available 24/7 (the World Cafe machine self-service handles the overnight shift) -- and unless you want a shot of booze in it, coffee is free. Yes, including lattes and cappuccinos. But then again, the definition of good coffee is subjective and "your mileage may differ."

And cold weather. We've done multiple January cruises with Viking in the Med. The pool deck is always kept at a comfortable temp for swimming and for sitting around the pool; most cooler days that meant keeping the roof closed or open just a crack.

Dress code is one thing but I find that every sailing seems to have its own vibe. Where, when, who all seem to influence the vibe. That said, dress code in mind, you are on vacation, make yourself happy.

If you aren't getting the answers you need from the call center or chat, try taking it up a level. Email tellus@vikingcruises.com and pose your questions. Include your booking number and your phone number.

They do but I can't remember when it was delivered to our cabin. Maybe someone who has done a b2b recently can answer the question.

As Squawkman says, your booking will disappear from the MVJ website on embarkation day (and is read only for the 7 days prior to embarkation; no transactions allowed). If there is anything on there that you want to save for future reference, do it before you leave home. Upon embarkation, you can use either your TV or the VIKING VOYAGER App to view your calendar, make or break dinner reservation and to book shore excursions. Since I prefer to do stuff in person and because it's been a long time since we did a b2b, I can't tell you if the particular b2b only tours information will be available on the TV or Viking Voyager. I've never looked for it there.

Don't forget the Ports of Call section of these boards. Since you aren't asking a Viking specific, you can draw on a much larger audience for answers. Once get some names, you can always come back here and about the specific companies you have heard about.

Three years ago we just used a credit card and our daily expenditures were capped. They even knew that two of us were using the same card. But no senior discount. We were only there a few nights. We'll do the same when we do BIE in 2024.

And I've seen 36 hours. So where does that leave us? Viking rarely has tours on Day 1 of an itinerary. Day 2 is a problem as it is less than 24 hours. Cancel before you leave home, keeping in mind that MVJ closes for making changes 7 days before the start of the itinerary. Day 3 is the day in question. If you want to play it safe cancel before MVJ closes. Have you asked here? You can learn a lot from past cruisers. If you are going to ask, I suggest starting a new thread rather than burying the question in this thread. More people will see your question.