readyalready

I'm sorry that you had a disappointing experience, @Lookingtocruise42, and appreciate your depth of explanations and descriptions. 

We are recently off Nova. We lowered our expectations after a SS cruise earlier in the year where we experienced many service shortfalls and the unwillingness to make things 'right' or at least better. I think with SS, you spin the wheel and take your chances. Luckily for us, most things went better this time.

I also don't understand the SS upcharge on excursions, and would even expect a bit of a discount since it is supposed to be inclusive. I also booked some excursions directly with providers and will say issues can happen doing it that way too. Our helicopter to dog sled excursion in Juneau was cancelled due to weather, but I believe the majority of the ship's happened, so we missed out. (I don't know if the company bumped private bookings to accommodate ship booked, or they were with different providers.) I also booked a private fishing trip in Ketchikan, and weather was abysmal with 20mph winds and gusts north of 30. We didn't want to fish in that and the provider is refusing to refund the deposit since he thought it was 'doable.' I don't know what the SS policy would have been for canceling given the miserable conditions, but they might have had more influence. We did do a few included excursions thru SS, and found the staff to be helpful when we were changing plans, sometimes last minute.

I only know the new version of SS, and am sorry I missed the old. I do think they are pricing like a luxury product but not delivering one, will see if it catches up to them...

Thanks for posting your impressions!

What did you think of the Otium Suite?

I think you have a point, MizAlicia. Your cruise was misrepresented as a market one, it clearly wasn't. I agree that the weather issues are a risk we all take and see how they added to your frustration and problem. I do believe that some of the different cruise companies seem to manage the disappointment and schedule changes better than others, doesn't sound like Viking did a good job. I imagine the cruise marketing starts well before the official market dates are published, but there is no excuse for not correcting the record as the dates approach, and allowing changes to reservations if necessary. I think you are entitled to some amount of refund for the market misrepresentation.

We were on an AMA sailing departing 12/25. It was titled 'Melodies of the Danube,' there was no holiday mention. While researching cruises (I booked in Nov) I did see fine print that stated that most holiday markets closed on 12/23. I considered the cruise that drcpa was on but it was sold out, as I recall, it too had a different title than the standard Christmas market cruises. Not adjusting the guides and materials once onboard was absolute laziness.

Future savvy cruise critic readers need to buyer beware, if you are going for the markets do your own research to understand what will be open and when. Luckily, I was booking close enough to the cruise that I was able to determine which cities would still have markets to see and could plan our tour choices and schedule to see what we wanted.

I hope you get some satisfaction.

Certo, we passed you yesterday :-)

We had the violinists last night and singers tonight, a DJ tomorrow for NYE. Also have a keyboard player and when he is not there the kids figured out how to Bluetooth music from their phones to the speakers. I'd say our lounge is used to 12-1am.

We too have a diverse group, 18 countries represented including a big group from Turkey who has had their own guides in some ports.

On AMA now, I'm pretty impressed and can be called particular. Our first rc, family w college and high school kids.

Got lucky, booked a month out, got an amazing upgrade when boarded. Agree that balcony not necessary, space is nice, 135 sf would be cramped.

Do any TAs price protect if it goes down? There was a discount on this one, don't know when they started offering it. I used a competition site to choose mine.

Caught the last day of full open markets in Budapest then the city all but shut down for 3 days. Verosmarty market open thru NY, as some markets in Vienna, might see a tiny one in Salzburg.

There are a ton of teens to 20 somethings on this trip, the lounge rocks at night.

Given the limited free time even on a 'market cruise' you might do best to go another couple days early to a market rich area on your own (Munich?) in addition to Prague, with your savings.

Alternatively, with your savings on Viking you could afford private tours in cities you cared about if you think there is a difference between the companies, though don't you pay for more of the tours on Viking which makes the difference smaller?

You can't get an airfare quote because airlines only book 11 months out.

Viking was sold out when I booked and I'm glad, tho not perfect, AMA has worked out well so far and would book again.

I'll also be reading along, we board as you leave. I haven't managed to find the prices of the optional additional concert or excursion to Schoenbrunn Palace, so please post when they tell you, if you wouldn't mind.

Safe and fabulous travels!