shadowlover

31 minutes ago, traveljkkk said:

I have a cruise next year and when I logged into my American Airlines account there is my preliminary booking for the flights both directions 250 days away.  You might want to log into your airline apps just to see if there is an advance warning of what might be coming as they lock things in.  Needless to say I was shocked to see I had flights booked.

Can you also see it on my viking journey?  Just curious if they charge the air plus if we do our own changes on  the app...

2 hours ago, FlaGirl13 said:

Going on BIE  April 2023.  Was surprised a couple months ago to see we were already confirmed on an Air Canada flight. We don’t have Air+ so not sure we have any input.  I’ve not seen very stellar reviews of that airline. It’s likely to change a few times anyway between now and then.  

You should be able to plug in changes on myvikingjourney.  Have you tried that? 

We flew air canada (rouge which is the no frills version)  from Toronto to Athens and I had read horrible reviews prior which had me all worked up and worried.  It ended up being a fantastic flight.  I did pay a bit more for an upgraded seat and brought a cushion!  

We went on the November trip several years ago and had glorious weather!  It was sunny and at times hot in Greece (for me).  Israel was very hot the day we did Masada.  It rained one day when we did the amalfi coast but it was light on and off showers.  It rained off and on when we extended but honestly with light layers I was very comfortable even in the rain.  We ended up seeing SO much in Florence because the weather kept the crowds down so the rain was in our favor that day!

39 minutes ago, ER627 said:

Other than being eligible for a transfer to/from the ship, what are the advantages to booking with Viking other than booking direct with the airlines and choosing the best itinerary, esp. if you are adding time on either end of the cruise again on your own so you can choose your hotel and location?  Are flights that much less expensive? I’ve always booked my own and wonder if that’s best.  I also require extra legroom.. Thanks…

most recently the advantage for me was easier cancellation as everything was all in one package.  Going forward as covid restrictions are mostly gone, I would only take the air if free or substantially discounted.  We usually extend and/or go early so the extra fees tend to make their air not worth it.  I am interested to see about this new way of doing air via myvikingjourney though.  If I can pick my own flights, dates etc  on the website without a fee then I would consider it.

I think those who fly premium/first class may get a better deal with viking but we tend to go economy and spend our money elsewhere. So I can't speak to that

On 9/29/2022 at 9:51 AM, biggerbearmom said:

We have been purchasing our travel insurance through The Trip Insurance Store for many years. Steve, the owner, is a wealth of information and honest, and I have learned so much from him about the ins and outs of travel insurance. Highly recommend. 

Same.  He knows me by name when I call now!  I have asked a so many questions over the years but still seem to find additional ones for him.  he never seems to tire of questions.  

39 minutes ago, BaileyMJ said:

Hi All - this question may be off topic but think many of you know everything about Viking si here goes:

 

I booked the Across Bay of Bengal with the SAU22 primo - I am solo cruiser and the single supplement was probably around 50% have enjoyed 3 Viking Ocean cruises all post covid and each time I opt for the air plus option and it was always $50 but yesterday my TA let me know Viking was charging $150 for air plus - has Viking increased air plus charge?  I thought  the deviation fee was $150?  
 

This is my first time to all countries

I believe they have changed the range of the fee and it depends on the cruise.  So I believe your TA is probably correct.  Deviation would be an additional fee.

I'm having a hard time understanding why it is a problem that viking use the on board credit to pay for your excursions.... Isn't it the same difference?  My only OBC will come from my travel agent after boarding but if viking wants to reimburse me for my excursions it's fine by me.  Am I missing something?

2 hours ago, mom0f3 said:

So, I am booked on Saturn from Bergen to Reykjavik in July 2023, with included air.  Final payment due at the end of next month.  Imagine my surprise when I logged in to my United account today and saw that Viking had already booked my round trip air.  No notification of this from Viking, and it doesn’t show up on MVJ.   The flights are actually fine, except I’d like to come in a few days early and leave a few days after the cruise, which means a deviation.  Should I try to call Viking Air now to let them know we’d like to purchase a deviation?  I guess we could hold off on Air+ until we know what they book for us once we have the deviation dates booked.  Advice?  Thanks!

Try to make the changes yourself on my viking journey.   You're not ticketed yet so you can make changes.  If it is not showing up on MVJ then you need to call to make the changes and will have to pay the fee.  Unfortunately just by calling you will be charge the air plus fee... you will also pay the deviation fee by coming and leaving at different times.  That's crazy that your flights are available to see this soon!  We noticed the same thing on our united app months prior to our trip this December but had already paid the fees so just called to make the changes.  We then waited a few months before we had them ticket the flights in case we changed our mind on the dates.

10 hours ago, powderhorn said:

Thanks....have been following the rollcall....we are booked but, based on past attempts, still not sure we will make it to the ship.....perhaps a little later once we feel more confident in our plans, we will definitely join the rollcall!....thks for the invite and (tentively) look forward to seeing you on the ship....

If you do make it on to the ship, that cabin will be fine!  we have stayed right below on deck 3 and love the location.  Mid ships and quiet!

1 hour ago, vegasjandk said:

Newbie question:  This is our first cruise with Viking Ocean.  Our cruise in this December.  We are supposed to get our itinerary today, but so far there is nothing on MVJ.  Once we get the info, if we want to make changes, do we have to use Air Plus to do that?  The info on MVJ seems to indicate that we can do it all online there without the extra fee.

 

When we find flights that work for us it sounds like we should get ticketed right away - correct?  And what happens if we have to cancel the cruise?  Am I correct that any extra fees for flight adjustments (current promo is "free" air) should be covered by our travel insurance?

 

Any other hints would be appreciated.   Thanks.  

If you have flights included with a trip in December you definitely should see flights in MVJ at this point.  I would call to inquire.  The worst that will happen is that they will charge you the airplus fee.  If the flights show up in MVJ and you want to change them, apparently there will not be a fee for air plus if you make the changes yourself on the app but I have not tried this feature.  There are only so many included airlines and flights and you may not see the ones you want.  

Viking air on their website has updated a lot and answers a lot of questions.  It appears that there will not be any fee (unless the flight you choose is more expensive) if you make your own changes on my Viking journey.  If you use a live person then you will pay the fees plus any additional fee for flights if applicable.  I have not tried to make changes via the app or website but if I am patient enough to wait for them to upload flights for my 9/2023 trip then I might try it!  They state now that they will have flight uploaded 120 days prior.  

3 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Viking Air Plus is $50 pp and a Deviation (early or later) is $100 pp.  I thought Deviation included being able to work with Viking Air Plus but I found out yesterday it does not.

It is 50-100 depending on destination.  Deviation is 100-150 depending on destination.  

3 hours ago, les37b said:

 

After seeing this thread, it prompted me to check on myvikingjourney for my sailing on 7 August 23. I wasn't expecting to see the flights there (just yet), but was alarmed to see a message saying flights will be allocated from May 9th 23.

 

That prompts a further concern in respect of parking and crazy pricing nearer the date.

 

Is that date purely a ticketing date, or are flights allocated sooner and just not ticked until that date.

 

Getting very wary now on cruise line air having been allocated flights in Silversea for next April that has a connecting flight in Seattle and Tokyo (cruise is Osaka to Seward) of 1 hour, which baring in mind are international connections with passport checks, baggage reclaim and 2 lots of security, is an impossible connection. SS are refusing to speak to my TA in respect of these impossible flights that would likely mean me missing boarding and 16 night cruise lost. They have slipped in a condition which says they cannot be held responsible for third party carriers. I partly get that, but I've concerns they are suggesting "not our fault" if I miss a connection, which frankly on this occasion is 100% their fault as it's an impossible connection. Seattle recommends a minimum of 3 hours for international connections. (And having missed a 4h15m connection in Atlanta after landing on time, I'm more inclined to want more than 3 hours!)

 

Luckily, the Viking flights are less complicated as they are just non stop (hopefully!) London to Reykjavik. Just a shame they only use Heathrow as that's a nightmare for parking.

 

On a side note.... What is V+ ?

 

 

 

Air plus allows you to work directly with viking to arrange your flights much sooner than the date listed.  It sounds like it would be worth it for you.  Research the flights that work for you, call viking and ask if those are acceptable in the included flights.  If so they will place you on those flights but not ticket until you tell them to or around 75 days prior.  We chose to have them ticket us early as we loved the flights we chose and they did not incur any additional cost.  Sometimes the cost will go up so have several flights in mind that are acceptable to you.  The cost of viking air plus is around 100 us dollars pp (I think).  If you want to arrive early or fly into a different city that will also incur an additional cost

Hope that helps!

VXP23 Offers for free air and silver spirits on select voyages/ Antarctica for 2023 and 2024.

Interestingly none of us in our group liked manifredis but we all loved the chef's table and ate there three times a few years ago.  We found the buffet at dinner to be better than the restaurant.  As far as comparison to other ocean cruises... I personally don't judge based on the food.  I don't think any other line I have been on comes close to viking as far as service and included amenities.

I loved the included tour!  Still have my little gifts from the shop.

I'm not sure but I think these longer combined itineraries are fairly new to viking, unless I just haven't seen them before, so I'm not sure that anyone will be able to answer your question adequately.  Having said that, you can only do what you can do... Make sure you have all the excursions that you want to book lined up and ready so that when they open you can add them and pay for them asap.  You can see them and the times available prior the day they open.  The more prepared and organized you are, the smoother the booking goes.  Sometimes the bookings open earlier in the day than listed on your myvikingjourney so keep checking throughout the day.  As far as restaurants, I wouldn't worry too much as we had no trouble adding and changing once on board.  We also noticed that sold out excursions became available both prior to and after boarding.  

Good luck!  That sounds like an amazing trip!

8 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

 

I'm always puzzled when people suggest that they should somehow qualify for a retroactive promotional offering.

 

The whole purpose of a promotion is to sell unsold capacity - cruises, flights, car sales - you name it. It's not to make already booked customers happier. Retroactive discounts are also a very poor business decision, as they can easily cost the provider more than not selling the excess capacity.

 

We all have the opportunity to 'do the math' and exercise the cancellation / rebooking options available in our individual circumstances if its advantageous. We also have the opportunity to play the waiting game, and book late in the cycle, hoping for a better deal - but risking not being able to do the cruise.

 

One of the reasons that I favour standard inclusion of gratuities is to eliminate the opportunity for pax to withhold them. No matter where one stands on the "who gets the grats" question, the fact that some amount of money is withheld means that someone gets the short end of the stick - and it troubles me greatly that it might be the crew. 🍺🥌

Well yes, I agree these promotions are definitely at this point trying to sell the cruise and fill the ship.  I'm always puzzled why anyone, mainly viking would think that their loyal customers and "the early birds" don't deserve to be treated the same way.  They are concerned about their bottom line as am I.   My main concern is not actually the last minute sales but their somewhat secretive sales/ coupons that they are not transparent about when booking.  They will ask you if you have one but if not they don't share any.

I tried to add the ant22 and they told me only new bookings.  It's interesting, I think it depends on who answers the phone as to whether they will honor a new code.   Our friends had free drinks and 500 OBC added to an already paid for cruise that we are also on and we were told that our "great deal on airfare" precluded us from any other codes.  Now the air is free which would save us 1000 but no way they will do it- I could cancel with my risk free but I am afraid to bugger it all up so... I actually am considering just not paying the gratuities as it seems it is now just a shell game with the money.  If they gave me the OBC I would just put it towards gratuities so.... all even I figure...

1 minute ago, shadowlover said:

You’ve switched to an odd numbered room therefore you are now in a starboard room…. Do you mean so you can see the port when docked?

My error. I misread your post. 

18 hours ago, THR said:

So while I was happy to stay with our original room, my partner really wanted to be on port side - so we switched to 8012 from 5009. While a lower category (there are no other PV rooms available on port side), seems we were a little lucky it was even available.

You’ve switched to an odd numbered room therefore you are now in a starboard room…. Do you mean so you can see the port when docked?

Thank you for posting these codes!!  I have saved a lot so far if I keep all my booked travel!  

17 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Speaking of OBC's from TA's, has anyone else encountered this new procedure that seems to be occurring with Viking?

The last 2 cruises, we booked some excursions ahead of time at 67 days out and paid for them.  Roughly a month out, our TA sent the OBC's to Viking.  Instead of keeping the OBC's in our "account" for us to choose what to spend them on, Viking immediately sent us cash back for the excursions purchased, deducting that from the OBC's.  So we have no choice.  I called and asked Viking and they told me that is a new procedure - when anything has been purchased ahead of the cruise by the passenger, OBC's will be immediately applied to those purchases (excursions, Silver Spirits packages, etc) and the passenger refunded.

I had never seen this before but they insisted this is the new policy.  Anyone else encounter this?  It sounds suspicious.  When I expressed my concern to Viking, they said, it doesn't really matter as it all comes out in the wash, so to speak.

I have never had the TA transfer the OBC prior to cruising but I WOULD want that.  I'm not sure why you wouldn't want them applied to your excursions?  Many times excursions sell out which is why I wouldn't want to wait to purchase.... Am I missing something?

Thanks

13 hours ago, slewis7 said:

As a follow up to my previous post, I tried the “Price & Build” function of the Viking web site to find dates for a few of the specified itineraries for the offer which included the free air.  This Price & Build function allows entering an offer code but web site told me the WOV22 offer code was either expired or invalid every time.  
 

I then chatted online with a Viking representative, who told me that the code was valid but it does not provide for free air (which contradicts the flyer).  The rep also told me to search around for better offer codes.  
 

I guess I will try to work with my travel agent instead, but not a good experience. 🤨

you have to call viking to get this code applied but it works.  I got 500 onboard credit for an ocean cruise that is 15 days.

Wondering if you can use more than one code per cruise?  I used RVR23 for a river cruise and received free air but wondering if WOV22 would also give onboard credit...

I just asked for a switch out of cabin 3056 because I read that there was a lot of noise from below on 3055 as it is close to the atrium and music plays late and early... now I am still DV6 but closer to the front V cabins.... Hopefully I don't feel more motion there but I can't deal with music when I'm trying to sleep.