The Other Tom

9 hours ago, DrKoob said:

You misunderstood. I said that once you are on board, no one will know what category you are in.

I was replying to the "no caste" comment, which is mostly before you board. But I agree that once on board, you have access to all areas of the ship, unlike the major cruise lines. And no one knows what category you are.  And no special treatment when you leave for an excursion, or disembark.

22 hours ago, DrKoob said:

If you are in the lowest category of stateroom or the highest suite, no one will know after you are on board. Everyone has access to everything. We hate that many of the "premium" lines now have a caste system on board.

I agree with everything you posted except this one.  Higher category staterooms have privileges, like first shot at excursions and specialty restaurants.  On our recent Viking cruise, we were unable to book one excursion that we wanted, and NO specialty restaurants.  And yes, we checked while on board and asked to be put on a wait list. 

12 hours ago, RonWY said:

That is not true. We did the extension in January, and any site they <sent> us to included admission.

I've seen way too many posts where one Viking agent says something that's not true.  I don't know why Viking can't get their act together.

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Amazing how she dominates the skyline. 

That looks like a pic taken with a telephoto lens, which compresses distance and makes it look like it dominates the skyline.  

You can take your own luggage (we do) unless it won't fit in the x-ray machine.  The machines at some ports are smaller (narrower) than the ones at the airport.  In that case, you have to leave your bags with a porter who will take them to a larger (wider) machine, and it will (hopefully) be delivered to your room.  

Like you, NCL "lost" my large bag once, but it was found in a crew only area.  

9 minutes ago, PaulS said:

Can those of you who are frequent Viking customers comment if this is in fact their policy regarding promos.

I think it's the policy of all cruise lines.  You have to cancel and re-book to get the lower rate.  

Book your own air and arrive several days early in Rome.  That way you will have plenty of time to explore and be able to see more things.  If you like history, you don't want to spend "just a day" in Rome.    Likewise, you could extend your stay but the point is allow several days in Rome. 

Does the device connect to your phone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?  If it's by Bluetooth, then you don't need Wi-Fi. 

I'm pretty sure no Norwegian ship has self-service laundry.  There is a pay per item laundry where you put your clothes in a bag and leave the bag on your bed.  Your room steward will pick them up and return your clean clothes.  Sometimes there is a $20 or $25 fill a bag special where everything in the bag is cleaned for one set price. 

Yeah, you have to have a clear sky and be able to see stars before you can see the N. Lights.  

Viking is the only line I know of that does a N. Light cruise.  Of course you could always do a land tour but it's really best to be north of the artic circle with good weather.  That's sometimes a rare combination.  

2 hours ago, alliecat44 said:

Because when the ship is moving, you’re not supposed to open the door to the balcony due to the strong winds. 

The ship's movement doesn't create winds strong enough to close the balcony doors.

I've been on ships that sailed through strong (like 75mph) winds.  ALL outside doors were closed.  It doesn't matter what room you have under those conditions...you're not going to use any balcony.  

56 minutes ago, alliecat44 said:

potentially limited use of the balcony

why would you have limited use of the balcony?

1 hour ago, WCB said:

Ian had to announce for them not to wait outside in the hot sun, but go for a cup of coffee as the bus would not return for a half hour. 

Hope that was iced coffee😁

you can pay by echeck and buy insurance separately.  There are lots of policies available, so read the terms carefully.  I use insuremytrip.com

Edit:  There is an insurance forum here on cruisecritic.  You might get more/better answers there.

thanks for the report.  Hope you guys dodge the bug.

10 hours ago, deec said:

one's head will not get cold in a restaurant on the ship

You have no way of knowing if my head gets cold or not.  

10 hours ago, deec said:

one's head will not get cold in a restaurant on the ship

I challenge you to shave your head and see....

On 3/18/2023 at 3:23 PM, deec said:

Why do people need a cap inside?

Some of us are follicle challenged and we need insulation to keep the top of our head warm.  Others have medical reasons.  

On 3/18/2023 at 11:26 PM, dd57 said:

a ball cap as the stiff bill of the cap would have kept the hood from sliding down in front of me due to the wind

Yep.  That's what I use.  Keeps the rain off my glasses and face as well.

Viking issued us some non-refundable OBC, which went straight to paying "tips".  If we had pre-paid, we would have lost the OBC. 

I'm really enjoying your pictures.  Thanks for posting.

We wanted a taxi when we disembarked so we asked one of the Viking reps in the terminal for advice.  He pulled out his cell phone and was about to call one when another rep came up and pointed out one in the parking lot.  There is also a small kiosk on one of the posts to call a taxi if no one is around. 

13 hours ago, tobique33040 said:

I imagine the people who rebooked from 2020 got the choice of 100% refund or 125% credit, so weren’t they already ahead?

Not everyone did that.  

16 hours ago, Chablis 123 said:

It's unlikely as ship is currently in Alta (15 March) and on schedule.

 

People seem to be surprised/ annoyed that you get bad weather in the Artic Circle in February, which is a bit like being surprised...... that ducks can swim!

 

Yes, it's disappointing, but these things happen with weather.

You've missed the point.  Yes, we know weather can affect any cruise, and especially North Sea weather.  

BUT, when a cruise is shortened by two days, I expect a refund for those two days that were missed.  After all, the cruise line has my money and I didn't get any value for that money.  The cruise line put the money in the bank and counted it as profit.  

Some may say they used the money to pay for the two extra days the previous cruise got.  I say why should I pay for someone else's cruise. 

Beautiful pictures!  Thanks for taking us along.