porrah

Thanks Neil. I read Solent Richards review of the German ship he was on. I didn't know he did port write ups as well. According to him, there is a vaporetto stop adjacent to the cruise terminal. Last time, we walked to the people mover, and from there to a vaporetto stop outside the train station. It would be convenient if there is one near the cruise port.

What time does your flight get in?

I can answer my own question. I just called Viking. They put me on hold while they researched my question, and told me that Viking does not provide any transportation. The concierge will help me once onboard. I explained that I wasn't looking for a 200 euro private transfer.

I last asked about an Istanbul shuttle - thanks for the replies. We'll get a few lire for tram fare.

Now I am wondering if there is anything laid on in Venice, particularly as they cancelled their originally proposed tour. We land at noon, and depending on transfer time to the ship, are wondering if it will be possible to make St Marks before 5 p.m. closing.

Does anybody who has been to Istanbul on a previous cruise know if Viking has a shuttle bus to town?

They have substituted the tour which included the grand bazaar and other sights with a boat ride which takes up the afternoon of our arrival, then the next morning we go to the airport. No time, so we are wondering about missing the included tour and seeing some sights ourselves. Nervous about taxis.

If you want to tip individuals of the crew make sure you pay them directly in cash. The Viking tip system where you pay to the system go directly to Viking and does not go to the crew. You probably want it to go to the crew! Then pay directly! Unless you want to sponsor Viking of course.

Do you mean take off the auto tips and pay directly, or are you talking extra tips on top of the auto charge?

Can't help with the itinerary question as we are still awaiting our Viking Air flight details. However, when we booked our cruise (two years ago!) we asked for a week long layover in London but did not want to book any pre-cruise package. Viking charged us $100 each for what they called a "flight deviation" which I thought was pretty reasonable. If you have a specific city in mind for a layover you may still be able to book that as a deviation.

I haven't heard officially, with tickets, but when I called Viking a week or so ago, they told me my flights, subject to change. We live in Toronto and are on Venice to Istanbul in September. Our schedule is YYZ to LHR, 1.5/2 hour layover, LHR to Venice, arriving around noon I think. On the return, we too have a deviation to London for five days. I believe we paid $200 pp for that. Our flights are with British Airways.

We were in Dubrovnik four years ago and had no difficulty with the bus. There was a bus station right outside the port and they had a window where you could get kuna. The bus drops you right at the gate. Friends of ours had told us about a lovely little bar on the walls with a great view, so we trudged all around the wall only to find it was closed. Maybe we'll be lucky this time.

I have been trying to find out if gratuities are posted to your account, as on most cruise ships, or if they use the envelope system as they did on our last Viking river cruise. I also found one reference to shipboard gratuities being included. Knowing ahead of time would be useful because you need to know how much cash to take for that purpose. Can anyone help?

From reading this thread I gather I am too early to start fretting about no air yet from Viking. We are booked on the Star, September 27th, from Toronto, and returning from Istanbul with deviation to London for 6 days.

Anybody got their flights for this cruise yet?

The bus station was right outside where the Equinox docked, and also you can change money right there. It was easy to get the local bus to the old town.

Trainman,

I first "met" you a couple of years ago when you were on the Vision. We were going on her soon after. I followed your thread, and your blog, and learned that you were going to be Commodore of Palm Coast yacht club, along with moving house, losing chickens to suspected panthers etc. We belong to a yacht club in Toronto and are passing through Palm Coast for a couple of days at the end of January. Thanks to your recommendations we will be eating at the Golden Corral, and plan on visiting the yacht club to see if they will let a couple of visitors in for a beer. probably on Friday Jan 30th. Maybe we'll see you!

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

Hi Ashley and Tyler.

We (Bert and Sylvia) were on the My friend Mario tour with you. We enjoyed it in spite of the rain. The thing I remember the most though, is the fabulous succulent, juicy pineapple we had as a snack. I have never ever eaten such delicious fruit. I find it hard to eat pineapple now, knowing how it can taste.

We are going on the Equinox again in December for the ten day voyage.

I was talking to my TA and Viking yesterday(three way conversation). We are booked on the Star on September 27th, ending in Istanbul on October 6th. I wanted to know about a stop over in London on the way back from Istanbul to Toronto.

Yes, it is possible, I

asked about staying in London for four days, returning on October 10th. It will cost $200 p.p.. I did not ask about choosing your own flights because I don't think the schedule is available yet.

We are booked on the Viking Star, Venice to Istanbul, on September 27th. As you know the cruise ends in Istanbul, then we fly directly home. I have had different answers about a visa depending on the source - Turkish embassy, Viking, cruise critic. Does anyone know for sure if we will need a visa? Obviously I don't want to fork out $120 if i don't have to. ($60 each in Canada)

We are going on the Viking Star next year (I know, wrong board). The cruise ends in Istanbul. I am considering an add on in London after the cruise. This is throughViking, and when I called I was told by them that I would not need a visa. Do any experienced travellers here know the answer? Or if I need a visa to fly back from Istanbul?

I have always asked the cabin steward for some. I found it difficult to bring on the plane etc. once he told me he would have to check with the boss, but they have always produced some for me. Ask and ye shall receive!

I've just been reading in an English newspaper that ships over 90,000 tons will not be allowed in the channel/canal which gives the wonderful views of St Marks etc. I have no idea when this will take effect, but it will obviously impact the Venice sail in on some ships.

Anyone have any more news on this?

I met JC a couple of years ago when he was with HAL. I liked him, and, being an expat Brit, I totally got his sense of humour. We are booked on the Connie next year. I was happy to hear that this was the ship JC was on and was hoping that he would be on our sailing. Having read this thread, I don't know what to think now. If he did make these statements and more or less insulted people, he has really gone down in my estimation. I was disappointed to read all the comments.

We are also booked on this cruise. We had a stop in Venice last year and didn't have time for St Marks,so we have to go back. Ocean cruising has been with HAL, Celebrity, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. We have done one Viking River cruise -tulips and windmills, when it was the coldest winter Europe had had for one hundred years (we went the last week in March), not a tulip in sight and went around windmills in minus twenty degrees!

I have a question that I get different answers for. Our cruise ends in Istanbul. Do we need a visa??? That is if we are being transferred by Viking straight to the airport. I was considering a stay in Istanbul, but the Viking packages seem really expensive and I don't think I know enough to arrange things myself.

We were on the Eurodam the last two weeks of March. I liked going to the Crows Nest and sitting there to do the sudoku and quiz and watching the water. There was always music there. I sometimes had to ask for it to be turned down. I am one of these people who needs quiet to read or concentrate. I found all other lounges had music even when they were empty. This is not specific to HAL. It's the same on all ships. We always take earplugs for use in the theatre. It wasn't too bad this time except for that percussion thing from Americas got Talent. Earplugs couldn't handle that, so we left!

I booked an Equinox cruise on Friday evening, and was told about the $600 discount for air. Normally I book my own air with a company where I get price drop protection, but $600 was too good to turn down. I verified the total price many times with the agent and finally gave the air go ahead. The next morning I printed and checked the invoices - lo and behold, my charge was $600 more than the verbal quote. I called Celebrity and was told that I had been given a senior discount so couldn't get the $600. I was most definitely not told this by the booking agent, although he did ask if we were over 55. I was told that the booking agent was not in, that my situation would be forwarded to the resolutions department but I wouldn't hear anything until Monday. So, ask many questions, verify everything, all discounts and amenities. I did, and it still didn't work out. I will be cancelling tomorrow if they do not honour the original verbal quote.

I think you meant you got a call from HAL, not X (Celebrity) ?

Glad you voiced your concerns, and glad you got the call too!

Oops, senior moment, of course I meant HAL. I'd just been on the Celebrity boards reading about them going to e surveys, and my brain took a while to catch up.

DH and I both completed our on line surveys after our return from Eurodam a week ago. I didn't know what he said and vice versa. Last night we got a follow up phone call. I managed to work into the conversation that the casino got none of my money because of the smoke smell, cigar smell from two balconies down, unable to hear in the piano bar because of the casino noises, poor set up in the lido, luke warm entrees, and that I was a member of cruise critic so I know that many others share my smoking concerns. Lest you get the wrong idea, of course I said some good stuff too!

I'm doing my bit to get the smoking policy changed. I know some people have said they will not cruise HAL again until this happens.

We have just returned from the Eurodam. Last HAL cruise was over two years ago, and our last two have been on Celebrity Equinox. We were looking forward to returning to HAL but were sadly disappointed. On boarding, the ship looked dark and drab, unlike the airy Equinox feeling. The food was only so so, unlike what we remember. Nearly all my MDR dinners were almost cold. Sending them back didn't help. Lido set up is awful resulting in long needless lines. Nothing to do except for trivia, which I do enjoy. Entertainment again only so so. (The ship singers and dancers were ok, visiting artists a let down to me ). I had decided to return to Celebrity and am disturbed by the posts about staff cuts etc.

Would RCCL be a good choice I wonder. We enjoyed the Vision a year ago.

I just called the embassy and spoke with the visa department. If your cruise ends in Turkey, you do need to get a visa for the privilege of flying home, even though you are being transferred straight from ship to airport. The reason it is $60 is because that is what we charge for Turkish people coming here. Thanks, Canada!