jmfdr

11 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

Yes indeed. There's a serious disconnect between what My Viking Journey is showing after it presented us with that one-time notification about new United States Pre-Cruise Requirements.

 

Take a look at this link to the "Resources" tab for your Panama Canal & Central America cruise and you will see the link to the "United States Pre-Cruise Requirements" document there.

 

Panama Canal & Central America - Resources (vikingcruises.com)

 

I'm inclined to believe those new requirements will be in effect for many of the cruises departing from the US during the next few months. But it certainly should say so in My Viking Journey beyond that one-time notification that goes "poof" after you read it.

Our cruise is still 49 days away.  I assume, or hope, Viking will update our MVJ information to reflect the actual covid requirements.  The "poofed" information doesn't yet seem absolutely reliable.  Thanks for sending the Resurce info.

Jan

3 hours ago, zelker said:

I got the same notification this morning (we board Orion on November 17th) in FLL, going through the Canal to LA.  I am very confused about this too - what shows on MVJ conflicts with this new info dated 10/5/21.  I tried chatting with Viking about it this morning and the person was clueless and was just regurgitating their script and had no idea what I was talking about.  Hoping someone who gets clarification posts back here although I will for sure check again with Viking once we're within 30 days of embarkation and again within 7 days although then it gets a bit dicey being that close and not knowing for sure what is expected when we arrive at the pier.

We are on the November 26 Star sailing round trip FLL (Panama Canal/Central America) and received the same updated Oct. 5 covid notification on MVJ today.  However, the earlier covid note with the 72 hour window for testing is still showing.  ??

No question about what to do with non-refundable OBC--I'd get a massage.

On 9/21/2021 at 9:51 PM, hcat said:

In BLU  on EDGE,  No one ate outdoors  although the tables were included in the BLU capacity count.  View was AWFUL and drapes were always. closed. Very loud venue with a  bad location out of the way on the corridor to EDEN. We were okay with IV but  made it part of the cabin 

 

On a return cruise, Sv was much better we enjoyed the 4 mdr plan..large balcony, larger stateroom!

Thank you for confirming our decision NOT to book Aqua class on our first Edge cruise.

21 hours ago, cruiserhal said:

Just as a follow-up on the 3 to 5 day agency.

 

I tried to direct dial the agent there who did all our bookings before Covid.

 

Guess what!   They changed all the extension numbers and provide no way  to get the new number.  Still can't talk to a human and all emails are ignored.

 

And like some others above, we are missing out on the 20% sale.   Celebrity is no help, we called but was told you must talk to your TA.    I want to try and cancel both our Cruises but DW says no and anyway I don't know who to call.    Venting over for now.

Yep, same thing just happened to me.  The old extension numbers no longer valid.  I left a phone message for the agent on the customer service line.  I wonder if she will receive it?

57 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said:

Actually the mortality rate for 40 year olds is much less than for 70 year olds.   We think we are healthy but our immune systems are crashing and our heart and lungs are not what there were at 40 even if we lived a healthy life style.    Add smoking and alcohol to the mix and your body is reallly suffering.

I still want to take this "old suffering body" on a few more cruises and travels about the world. 😂

17 hours ago, Host Kat said:

 

Howdy @jmfdr  

 

Jan, it takes more than just G👀gle to find a good one.  There is some "work" for you to do... be it word of mouth by asking friends or other cruisers while cruising, online research of agencies, BBB, etc.  Hopefully, this Cruise Critic article (last updated August 31, 2021) will be helpful for you as well as anyone else reading this thread: Finding a Cruise Travel Agent 

 

Be sure to check out the How to Locate an Agent section.

 

I hope this will be helpful and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat  

Thanks Kat.  Good suggestions and good article.  I'm on a search!!! Jan

8 minutes ago, bstoeck said:

 I am a retired Travel Agent with years of experience and I will not be booking with them in the future.  I have tried their social media accounts, etc to get some type of response from them and they just ghost you.  

I agree, I certainly will not longer book with this agency!

56 minutes ago, mfabz said:

jmfdr -- I think we are dealing with the same agency.  Celebrity's offer of 20% off cruise fare is applicable to my reservation and expires on 9/16.  Their response time is 3 to 5 business days and while I contacted them last week, I still have not heard from them.  The difference is substantial.

Probably the same agency!  Frustrating to miss out on the 20% discount because a TA does not respond in time.  Good luck.

  Prior to covid,  I dealt with a single agent within this agency.  She would get back to me within the day to answer any questions.  And yes, now, 3-5 days but a couple of times, I never received a call back.  I would really like to find a new independent cruise agent who will be responsive to my requests.

To extend the OP's question---how does one find a good, responsive cruise TA?  I know that agent names cannot be posted, but I really don't know how to google this for an answer.  The on-line agency I have been using for many years has also become very difficult to deal with since the pandemic.  I no longer have one specific agent that I can contact as needed.   It sometimes takes days to receive a response and sometimes not at all.

26 minutes ago, susiesan said:

If I stay in Ft. Lauderdale, do any hotels offer a shuttle to the cruise ships? The only one I see that shows it is Ramada by Wyndham. This hotel has a free shuttle.

In November we are staying at the Hampton Inn FLL Airport North/Cruiseport.  They offer shuttle service arranged through a private company for $10 pp one way to the port.  We were told to book the transfer upon arrival at the hotel.

I admit that I have not read completely through this thread on Updated Captain's Club benefit but gather that many folks are very unhappy that there is no longer a dedicated venue for the CC "happy hour gathering"

Our input may be different.  We have never really particularly cared about the CC "happy hour" venue as we don't cruise to meet new friends or chat with strangers.  The sky Lounge was always a favorite hang out,  but during "happy hour" we would try to find a two person table, unless traveling with friends.  We were uncomfortable asking to join others at a table and honestly didn't welcome strangers asking to join us.    Thus, for us, the elimination of a designated CC "happy hour" lounge is no big deal.  Plus the CC selection of wine is not very pleasing.  

Hope this doesn't offend anyone.

16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

  

 

We may be lucky but I have never had a bad Southern Crossing (10 Southern Crossings).     Sometimes it was so smooth it felt like a lake and weather like Hawaii for most of the crossing.  

We have done the southern crossing half a dozen times and agree with your description of the water and weather.  Smooth sailing and perfect temperatures.  We have done the northern crossing twice and hit no storms or rough water.  Maybe just lucky.

We usually book Aqua class on Celebrity because we much prefer Blu to the MDR.  We generally don't use the spa, but it sounds as though that might be a consideration for you.  We have booked our first cruise on the Edge (2022 TA) and after much consideration booked an SV cabin, rather than Aqua.  Our decision was based on two issues-----having a real balcony vs the infinite one.  The second and, most important to us, was the dining venue issue.  Many reviews about Blu on the Edge described the restaurant as rather crowed on deck 5 with no ocean windows, only out to life boats..  Some even said noise from the walkways came into the restaurant.  In addition the choice of 4 different MDR venues swayed us to opt out of aqua class.

Jan

On 7/6/2021 at 1:00 PM, bbtondo said:

Called Air Plus yesterday.  I don't sail until November.  This is my first time on Viking.  Unfortunately I got a girl that was on her first day of the job.  Very nice, and we all know what that first day is like!

 

I did ask for a Supervisor though.  Once I spoke to a Supervisor, she was great!  Explained everything to me and got me the flights I wanted.  Really helped me with the air fare coming home as I wasn't sure what connection to take, etc.

 

I was very impressed with Air Plus.  I also told the Supervisor how nice the "new" girl was and that I wished her well on the job.  The Supervisor said they were in the process of hiring and training new people.

We also sail in November, also our first time on Viking.  I was able to get through to Air Plus after about a 40 minutes wait---mid day.  A very nice, patient young man answered all my questions and was able to book the flights of our choice.  We were able to upgrade to Economy Comfort for a very reasonable rate.

20 hours ago, Dukefan said:

1)  Alcholic Beverages are only included in the mini-bars on PV rooms and above.  These are the only rooms my comments are relevent to.  

2)  I have found the wine lists varies year to year and ship to ship.   You generally only really know what wines are available on your cruise when you get onboard.  That said, if you have reasonable knowledge on wines and are not driven by wine critics ratings you can almost always find some gems on their list, often adding some to by cellar when I get home (if my wine shop can get them).

3)You can bring any and all alcohol you want on a Viking ship.    If you have a special occasion and want to bring a first growth bordeaux - no problem, if you find a wine you like at a local wine store - no problem.   Viking has the best alcohol policy of any cruise line.

 

Hope this helps.

Oh thank you, very helpful! 

1 hour ago, Dukefan said:

If you have a cabin with a mini bar you can take that drink any where on the ship.   I have never tried to leave my cabin with more than a glass of wine.   I believe if you took the whole bottle they give you out of your room and ask them to serve it to you, you would be taking advantage of Viking's hospitality.

Okay, we will soon be on our first Viking cruise.  i am now somewhat confused about wines and mini bars.

question 1. We have a DV category cabin and did not think that any alcoholic beverages would be provided nor replaced in the mini bar?

question 2.  We are not wine snobs but—- i am a bit concerned hearing that the regular wine offerings and maybe even the upgraded SS package does not include great choices. Is it possible to find a wine list of what Viking offers?

question 3.  Is it acceptable for passengers to bring wine onboard at embarkation or from any ports?

thanks all,

Jan

10 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

Recognizing that my recent purchase of an Iowa Hawkeyes baseball cap may not work for our next cruise, I went exploring on Amazon and found Wallaroo hats for a compromise kind of price.  The company is based in Colorado, home state of several cruise critic denizens.  Anyone know anything about them?  Worth 50 bucks?

BTW, the Wusthof carving knife recommended some time ago by our kindly doc is now a family treasure.  🙂

I love my Wallaroo hats. I have them in several styles and have been wearing them for many years now.  They pack easily and come out as good as new.  They have travelled with me on cruises, on safari, all over Europe and in my garden.  You can purchase them on-line at wallaroo.com or on Amazon.  Gosh, this sounds like a paid ad!!!

21 minutes ago, gone2c said:

When I checked yesterday Celebrity had removed Falkland.  Today it is back.  I have no idea what is going on.  If you are not Elite (they'll have the ability to be in the first group off) be sure to get downstairs early.  It will be an extremely popular port and the line will be long to get off the ship.   

I don't think that the probable ban on large cruise ship arrivals in the Falkland Island has to do with tendering, but with Covid.. When I emailed with Patrick Watts about a tour, back in November 2020, he was not positive about it being a go in 2022.   He sited no covid cases in the Falklands, except at the Military base and two locals returning from overseas. I really can't blame the Falklands for wanting to restrict large cruise ships from docking at their homeland.

Below is a recently released notice that, from Oct,1, 2021,  no cruise ships carrying more than 530 passengers is allowed to dock at Port Stanley.  I assume that the major cruise ship dates for arrival in the Falkland's are roughly from November through March.

The highlight of any South American/Antarctica cruise we have done is our stop in the Falklands.  Stay safe! 

The COVID pandemic hit the cruise industry very hard. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, outbreaks of the virus began to circulate aboard the large cruise ships, causing the ships to be barely welcome at any ports. Many countries have since kept their ports closed. The Falkland Islands have also imposed heavy restrictions on cruise ships to protect their own population from the introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now the Executive Council, the supreme authority of the Falkland Islands has published its policy for the coming season.

In a press release, ExCo (Executive Council) announced that from October 1, 2021, only expedition vessels with less than 530 passengers on board will be allowed to call at the Falkland Islands. In addition, the existing rule that the ship must have been at sea for 14 days beforehand and that all people on board, passengers and crews, must be symptom-free in order to be allowed to go ashore still applies. “Vessels also need to agree to a set of rigorous public health conditions that will be closely monitored by the Strategic Pandemic Management Group,” is stated in the release. All vessels with more than 530 passengers on board are not on the list of permitted vessels.

Jan

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

It’s been reported on these boards that Viking caps the incentives that an agent can provide a customer at $150 pp for a cruise of 7 nights or less, $300 pp for a cruise of 8-14 nights and $500 pp for a cruise of 15 nights or more.  This has been our experience with our TA who provides those amounts as refundable shipboard credits which we use to cover gratuities and our bar tab-whatever is left is sent to us via a check from Viking a week or two after the cruise. 

We recently booked our first Viking cruise (14 nights) with Viking, then transferred it to our TA who is providing $600 OBC.

5 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

There's one thing for sure. The provision of a few crummy free drinks in the Elite Lounge always causes a good discussion. And yes, I think they are crummy. Warm "champagne", white wine and martinis. I'd much rather "pay" at a bar and get a decent one. 

 

Phil 

Boy, do I agree with you about the "crummy" drinks, well wine, in the Elite Lounge.  Much rather pay for a good good glass of wine.

On 5/26/2021 at 5:41 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

A few minutes ago, I viewed a 17+ minute video of the restaurant options on this Forum for Silver Spirit.  Try to find it.  As one who is seriously considering a Silverseas cruise, it was most informative!

Thanks so much.  I did find that video which perfectly reviewed all the dining venues.  We will certainly not go hungry.  I love that there will be so many unique menu options and venues.  

I also appreciate the conversation about where to find morning coffee.🙂  Thanks everyone.

Thanks everyone, for your responses.  This gives me a good idea of casual food options during the day.

We have booked our first Silversea cruise which will be on the Silver Spirit.  I have been reading about the ship but still have a couple questions about dining venues.  Are there places to get an informal breakfast and/or lunch at a buffet or deli setting?  Are there coffee bars to pick up an expresso or cappuccino?  

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Jan

8 hours ago, NavyCruiser said:

https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/daily-covid-19-vaccination-doses

 

With 1.66 Million Americans & 422K UK residents being vaccinated daily, 

Everyone over 65 in our family has already had both shots.  Hopefully, the rest of us soon by April - May.   

I believe cruising will be back very soon....

You are very optimistic.  Latest news suggests that by July in the US the vaccine will be available to all who want it.  By Christmas things in general may be getting back to normal.   With so many new strains of covid developing we may need vaccine boosters to protect against these.  I don't feel any optimism about traveling internationally or cruising anywhere in 2021.