Redtravel

Double past guest discount is nice. However with Viking prices, the past guest discount doesn’t make a big difference. Promo codes can give you a big discount. I always look for codes before booking. The key is to be flexible. Often some dates are discounted. When I can’t find a discount, I don’t book. Thank you for people who post codes.

Windstar OBC has restrictions unlike most cruise lines. It cannot be used for tips. If WS issued the credit, spend it. Buy stuff in the store. My spouse bought a Tissot watch on Windsurf. I have bought clothing, hats, wine carriers, L’Occitane toiletries, sunscreen, hairspray, etc. store has lots of WS logo merchandise. just don’t wait until end of the cruise. Ship store is only open when they are at sea. on one cruise, we docked in Stockholm. We overnighted and disembarked the next day. There were several people at guest services furious that their tips couldn’t be paid with OBC. Since the ship was in port, the ship store was closed. There was no way for them to spend the OBC issued by Windstar. . I have been on many cruises. Only Windstar doesn’t let guests use OBC to pay tips. If you get OBC from your travel agent,not WS, you can use it for anything. If you don’t spend it, you can cash it.

Thought more about the issue. Do not book Oceanview cabins on deck 6. They are very small and are completely blocked by tenders. They only get some outside light around the edges of the tender.

Keep checking prices. Sometimes there is a short term sale that can add value to your cruise. Simply More can be attractive if you stop in ports that have excursions that interest you. The mealtime wine is mediocre. On my most recent cruise in May, I tried some wine. Never found any that I liked. My spouse enjoyed the beer choices. We took several excursions. Some good. Some were poor. The May cruise was our first experience using Simply More. We had booked the cruise during a sale. Simply More didn’t cost much. We had a great time. If we had booked without a sale discount, Simply More wouldn’t be good. For many years, we booked a Caribbean cruise in the winter. It was often on Oceania. Having been to most of the Caribbean islands, we weren’t interested in excursions. We usually booked cruise only. Sadly, with the introduction of Simply More, you cannot book cruise only. Oceania increased fares to cover cost of Simply More. That was enough to make us look at other winter cruises. We found lots of attractive cruise only options. Going forward, we will only book Oceania if the itinerary includes places that have excursions that interest us.

R ships are small in many ways. Fewer guests is nice. Cabin size is also small. Ok if you don’t mind being cozy. Bathrooms are very compact. We sailed on R ships many times and liked it. Insignia is an R ship. However, once we sailed on Marina, we stopped booking R ships. Marina, Riviera, and Vista are bigger than Insignia. They carry more guests. The cabins are bigger. On some cruise lines, they would be considered a suite.

Got my Viking air today. If our plane arrives on time, we arrive at 7 am. Will be taking Viking transfer to ship. Our info says that embarkation starts at 11am. Years ago, when we arrived early, Viking took us to our riverboat early. We ate breakfast on the ship. We were mixed with guests disembarking. It was nice not sitting in the airport or on a dock for a long time. Does Viking take guests to the ship early?

I was able to reserve some excursions and some restaurant seatings. I keep checking. Got a table on the first night at Chefs table. Don’t know what menu will be served. There are some menus that I don’t like. If they posted online the rotation for each menu, there would be fewer changes. Will check out possible bookings once we embark.

If anyone booked a Viking Ocean cruise late, were you able to reserve excursions and dining once you embarked? We just booked a cruise that embarks in August. We looked at the array of posted excursions before we booked. Before you book, you can see descriptions, but not available times. We were not surprised that several with surcharge were sold out. We had thought that everyone could book the complimentary included excursion. Some of those were sold out. Others were available at limited times. We are adaptable most of the time. We were able to book some excursions at odd times. On one day, the only available time open is 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. We didn’t book it. We would prefer eating dinner. Next we tried to reserve dinner at Manfredi’s and Chef’s table. Nothing open. Just hope that Viking reserves some time slots for people who didn’t book online.

Just booked a cruise that leaves soon. We expected limited available excursion times. On most days, we got acceptable time slots. On one day, the only time slot is 5:30pm to 8:30 pm. Since I would rather eat dinner than pick that time, we didn’t reserve any excursion on that day. On one day, there is only a demanding excursion. It is the complimentary excursion. We are older and never book a demanding excursion. Can we just go and stay on the bus? The real disappointment is sold out included excursions. . I thought that Viking would include a complimentary excursion in each port. We hope that we can work things out once we embark. Has anyone had similar experiences? Were you able to rearrange times, etc?

Taking Zürich to Paris trip. Hotels are not listed for Zurich or Paris. I have been to both previously. If you took the trip, where did you stay? From previous experience, Viking uses several different hotels in Paris. When I did the Rhine Saone trip, we got bused to Paris. Stayed at the St. James Albany hotel. Great hotel in a very good location. It closed during the pandemic. On an Amsterdam to Trier, we stayed at the Meridian Etoile. It was a dump. Thinking about just getting to Paris and buying a room in a different hotel. Has anyone done this?

We usually fly home from Miami on the same day as we disembark. Last year, we decided to add on a few days after the cruise in Miami. We enjoyed staying in Miami. There was lots to see. We had a great time. Bonus was that we saved $ by flying on a different day. Often airfares are high if you fly on days that have ships embarking or disembarking. Miami is a huge port. Demand for air in and out of MIA fluctuates with number of ships in port.

Mailing is to get your attention. With no prices printed, prices can fluctuate. The price increases this year have been high on some sailings. Adding Simply More has been welcomed by some people. People who don’t drink liquor or take excursion find Simply More an added expense with no value. By separating the price of the cruise and the air can attract some bookings. It may attract guests who book 1+ years out. Previously booking with air, you knew your real cost. Airfares are not listed until 11 months before you fly. By separating the cruise fare from the airfare, Oceania protects itself from possible increases in airfares. Many cruise lines sell cruise separating it from air. I especially like it when cruise lines offer guests air with many options. On previous O cruises I only booked with air if it was attractive. I prefer booking my own air.

Regular veranda cabin comparison. Vista and Marina have lots of space. It’s how that space is used that makes the difference. My favorite ship has been and still is the Marina. Most recent cruise on Marina was in May. Vista is very nice. Most recent cruise was in January. We stayed in same category cabin B on both ships. When I booked the May cruise, I had expected the refit on Marina to include all cabins. Vista is new. Cabin and bathroom are very good. Vista shower is huge. there is no tub. It’s more room than needed for one person. Vista bathroom has lots of drawer space. It is great for storing stuff. The layout is affected by the closet placement. I hang wet clothes in the shower. If I use the shower, I remove the clothes and rehang after the shower. Closet in the entry hallway is small. The doors open out. Access is very good. the drawer space is very limited. furnishings are good with the exception of the desk chair. Chair is extremely low and not comfortable. Marina standard cabins were not redone as previously suggested. The only new thing in our cabin was the carpeting. Marina bathroom is a square shape with lots of room. The layout is excellent. Many people think that having a separate shower and tub is luxurious. Some people view the tub as a waste of space. The separate shower is small, but adequate. If you drop soap, you cannot bend to pick it up. I always put 2 bars of soap in the shower.On all Marina cruises, I use the tub space to hang wet clothes. Once in awhile I use the tub shower. There is no chest of drawers. Storage consists of 3 small shelves near the shower and 2 small cabinets on either side of the sink. There is one very tiny drawer. Marina closet is next to the bed. Some people found this location hard to access. It is larger than the closet on Vista. Marina has good drawer space next to the closet. The sliding doors limit access. The furnishings in the cabin are very nice. The desk area has very useful space with drawers and space to place things. Drawers are deep. They are excellent for storing folded clothing. My spouse uses the drawers near the closet. The desk chair is good. While there may be some signs of wear, overall the cabin is very good. I enjoyed both cruises. I was comfortable in both cabins. The refit on Marina in public spaces was very good. Adding Aquamar kitchen and Waves pizza was most welcome.

Venice? The first time that I sailed into Venice, it was spectacular. Get up close and it’s not that great. They like the tourist dollar. They won’t let you in unless you pay. They won’t let big ships in. You cannot carry your luggage. They force you to hire a porter. Workers often go on strike. Aqua Alta can be a big problem. Taxi drivers are rude. I only go to Venice if I have a very good reason to go.

I have stayed in Paris many times in various locations. Pick a location close to the Metro. My favorite was Park Hyatt Vendome on Rue de la Paix. It’s expensive, but worth it. For real local charm, I loved la Chateaux Frontenac.

Call Oceania. Couldn’t get discount booking excursions online. Every cruise has a specific number of excursions needed to get the 25% discount. Keep track. We needed 6 for our last cruise. We selected 6 about 6 months before cruise. Later one of the ports was changed. That brought us down to 5 excursions. That made our total price for excursions increase by $300+. Crazy? Looked at remaining available excursions. Didn’t see anything that we really wanted. Booked a really cheap tour just to get the discount. That excursion was actually good. Having cruised with Simply More, not sure if I like it. I seldom drink and prefer to book private tours. The six tours were good and bad. Descriptions often didn’t describe the actual tour or ability level. The groups were often big. We often book future cruises while sailing. That didn’t happen. We wanted to book winter Caribbean cruise. Having been to most islands, we have no interest in taking excursions. Looked for other cruise lines that didn’t include excursions. There are many good options. Just booked our Caribbean trip, not on O.

Windstar needs a good IT company to fix their website. While I enjoy sailing on Windstar, they are stuck in old ways. It’s 2024. In the past 2 years I have sailed on Windstar, Viking, and Oceania.Windstar is the only line that changes for WiFi. Most cruise lines, stores, restaurants, airports, train stations,some airplanes, busses, and some countries give free WiFi to everyone. When I was in Portugal on Windstar, we hired a private guide. He told us that Portugal gives everyone free WiFi. It’s the way we communicate. WS never told us. Windstar might increase future bookings if they include free WiFi for all guests. In comparing possible future cruises, Windstar was selected. It was the free all inclusive that made the difference. Not including tours also made Windstar attractive. Oceania and Viking include excursions. I prefer doing my own thing.

If size of cabin and bathroom is important, only book Vista, Marina, or Riviera. R ships have very small bathrooms. Shower are very tiny. We gave up sailing on R ships. Looking forward to Allura.

Villefrance is a lovely small port along the French Riviera. There are a few cafes, shops, and a small beach. We took a train to Nice. It is also close to Monaco.

Windstar websites is a work in progress. Sadly, it has been a work for years. They need IT help to develop an up to date website. I miss the Windstar wizard that showed available cabins. It’s 2024. The world depends on WiFi. Windstar hasn’t changed. Want info? Call and wait on hold. I was on hold. A very long time. I almost gave up in disgust. I eventually got a return call.

There are always empty tables in specialty restaurants. It may be intentional or no shows. While, it may be difficult to get a reservation online, once onboard there are available reservations. The longer the cruise, the easier it is to get reservations. There are several venues for dinner. As time passes, many people get tired of eating big dinners. The Terrace buffet is excellent. Love Waves at night. Hope that Waves at night is included on all ships. In warmer climates, the Terrace has outdoor dining. Those tables are very popular.

Are there any cabins that I should avoid? TA said not to stay over the galley on deck 4. Is this a problem. The accessible cabins are located there.

Relax. The specialty reservation system can be frustrating. If you are in standard veranda, ov, or inside, you may not get your desired dates or times. Even in concierge cabins, desired dates and times can be a problem. Be flexible. If you get lucky, you may get exactly what you want. It all depends on the desires of the guests onboard. In Europe, we always get early tables. In Caribbean, early tables are seldom available. We take later times or share. On those dates, we get a snack late afternoon. Tea in Horizons , room service, or visit Baristas. Tables for 2 can happen on longer cruises. On shorter cruises, forget tables for 2. Share a table usually gets you a reservation. We have met great people by sharing tables. If everything fails, don’t fret. On the ship, the concierge reserves time slots for people who cannot reserve online. Concierge might also get you extra reservations. In January on Vista, I made reservations for the 4 restaurants. When I checked in at the dock, they handed me the slip with my reservations. Only. 3 were listed. What happened? Nobody knows. The concierge straightened it out. Gave me a table for 2 and offered an extra reservation. Went to Ember twice. Ribeye was excellent. Just relax.

Waves pizza at night is excellent. Wish that they served it at lunch. The pizza at the Terrace buffet is sad compared to Waves. I was on Vista in January. Just got off Marina in June. Both are nice. Adding Aquamar and Waves at night to Marina is good. On Marina, I missed the bakery.

We used the free laundry service on Viking in April. It was included with our suite. It was similar to WS. Every morning we gave our laundry bag to our cabin steward. Got clothes back same or next day. Clothes were returned pressed on hangers. Under garments and socks were neatly folded, wrapped in tissue, and placed in a box. It was like opening a present. I did use the self serve laundry once to dry my bathing suit on the last day. Viking uses tags like WS. They pull off. Once in awhile I find an item with a laundry tag. Brings back memories. Years ago, WS would use a marker to identify clothing. I still have clothing that has 122, 127, 225, etc. on the labels.