calvin81

Thank you! I'm also wondering about other stops on this cruise - Bangkok, Vietnam, Cambodia? I prefer to not go on ship excursions, but that may change on this trip. Roll call activity is very slow.

I will be arriving early in Hong Kong, before my cruise departs. I'm travelling solo for the first time. Wondering if anyone can give my their opinion on safety. A single woman OK on her own at the sights that have been recommended?

I had my TA call last week. Only cruise booked with Viking, sailing Oct 24. No extension given. As earlier people said: they do it because they can. I want this itinerary, not willing to watch and wonder if the cabin I want sells out.

I know it's not just Viking - everywhere online. Left Facebook; hope I don't have to leave this forum.

I think I may have been the original person who wrote about "different sized prongs". I didn't call them polarized - and then this thread went the way of so many online forums into what I view as snarky comments. The fact that I didn't say polarized doesn't mean I don't know how to properly and safely use a curling iron. This will be my first Viking cruise and these types of comments make me frankly just a bit less optimistic about the people I might meet onboard.

My curling iron has the kind of plug where one side is wider - can this not be used in the bathroom? I assume there's a plug by the desk, but I usually do my hair in the bathroom.

I've just booked my first Viking cruise for Oct. 2024. My final payment is due in a couple weeks! Over 14 months out seems absurd, and I'm wondering how to try to delay this? Ask my TA to request a delay? I'm certainly not going to book another cruise; I don't even know if I'll like Viking. I chose this cruise based on itinerary and time of year. Any advice on how to delay?

I just did this a month ago. I had used a TA in the past, but hadn't cruised since the pandemic. I couldn't find his email at first, so went to cruise compete. Several agents sent offers, and my old agency happened to have the best deal (as did a couple others). I'm low maintenance, don't expect to contact them much. Emailed them my booking number and it was transferred. $800 onboard credit 😁

I'm not sure how the timing would work with your schedule, but I highly recommend the NIN tour. We did Oslo to Bergen, so I'm not sure about roundtrip. But it was a great tour with outstanding scenery. It was the highlight of that particular vacation for both of us.

Happy to report I easily switched to a TA today. Went to cruise compete, got a few offers, but then looked up the TA we used in 2015. She gave a better offer than her agency offered through cruise compete. Perhaps because I'm a repeat customer? A couple emails was well worth it!

I didn't have my friend's customer or booking number. They looked her up by her phone number and address.

I'm assuming they will offer OBC. I'll let you know if that's not the case.

I'm guessing TA referrals aren't allowed, but I wonder if readers can advise whether they felt small, local TA's vs. larger, national agencies were better? I don't know that I need guidance in that I already chose the cruise line and itinerary. Better discounts through larger agencies?

I have a deposit on a fall 2024 cruise. I also purchased travel insurance through Viking. After an admittedly small amount of research, the price of that seemed decent as it included cancellation for any reason. As the date for final payment draws near (ridiculously soon IMHO) I've been reading about TA credits and wonder if it's possible to switch to a TA at this point. I was a bit impulsive in putting down the deposit without as much research as I've done in the past. Haven't traveled since pre-pandemic days, which is a poor excuse! Any advice? Thanks!

I find the "wine included at dinner" claim to be very disappointing. Part of what I liked about Viking is it seemed more inclusive, less nickel and dining. Offering one white wine is not what I was expecting, or hoping for. Even mid to lower end restaurants offer 2 or 3 choices of a house white. I don't drink enough to buy the package, and buying bottles of my favorites to bring onboard will probably be challenging in Asia. Guess I'll be buying glasses onboard.

Thank you for all the replies. I read the Neptune thread and was encouraged to read about the independent excursions people had arranged. I was leery of a "singles" get together as I had visions of a long ago cruise where this meeting was really for people looking to meet someone of the opposite sex, which I'm not. I'll need to look at the ports, but my family is suggesting it may not be safe to go exploring as a woman on my own. I hope to join people for dinner and learn about their travel experiences. With several overnights it will be helpful to hear suggestions of what to see the second day.

Thank you for the replies. My future cruise is Asia, and I wonder if wine will be easy to find at a store near where the ship is?

To be clear, if you liked a house wine one day, you made note of that and asked for it future days? On Oceania we bought bottles and they kept them corked and chilled for the next day if we didn't finish them - is this possible on Viking? How they handle any bottles you bring onboard yourself?

I have reserved a fall 2024 cruise which will be my first Viking cruise and first solo cruise. My husband is no longer able to travel and is encouraging me to go, and check off this bucket list trip. I've only cruised on Oceania previously, but they only go to Asia in the winter, which is when we're enjoying Florida. Are there many solo cruisers? Oceania had group dining opportunities, where you could reserve with a random group to meet other cruisers. Is this available? We did a lot of private tours, matching up with others on roll calls here. I only looked at a couple roll calls, but didn't see this type of inquiry. Thanks for any answers.

I'm new to Viking so am not sure what the included wines with meals will be - just a choice of a red or white? Do they vary the choices during the cruise? I like a decent Chardonnay, but don't care for even the "best" pinot grigio. Are the included wines a known brand?