pcalv

1 hour ago, deec said:

CDN polar were you on the Starboard side of the ship when you did nt hear Torshaven?  You were VERY lucky because it was TERRIBLE on the Sun in 2018.  We did get moved, this was during a world cruise!  We also had a passenger practicing his not very good singing ( he had permission and used all the amps until I went down one morning to investigate!)...Lots of sea days early in that cruise so I wasn't too sleep deprived...NEVER will book a gty DV again!!  BTW we always try to book a V2 (aft) which we prefer to V1 ....anchors can be noisy up there but always figured they were a good alarm clock!

I ended up booking a V2 (Aft) stateroom based on the feedback in this forum.  Thank you everyone who contributed!

31 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

It seem to like on the small VO ships there really isn't a bad room right?  Maybe across from one of the laundry rooms but I've also heard people say that that was ok also.

I think also some people say not directly above the theatre or the Torshavn at the bow, but then a few others say that's not been an issue either.  I guess it all depends on how disturbed by bumps and music you are.

17 minutes ago, Name that champagne said:

I've stayed in a V2 and loved it. Not having the coffee maker gives you lots of extra shelf space too. There is plenty of places to get coffee if you want it!

Love coffee!  Thanks for your feedback!

5 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Paul

Can’t respond to our aft Deck 3 questions but can to your other V related questions. 
 

We have never had an issue getting into Manfredi’s or Chef’s Table once onboard as long as we were flexible with time and day. Even when we have been able to book ahead, we don’t bother as I barely know what I want for dinner tonight, how do I know months ahead?  
 

We tend to either do included excursions or private ones, we haven’t had an issue with getting our excursions we want either.  Again, we may have to be flexible on the timing. 

Thanks so much for your feedback Clay!  This is making me feel much more comfortable.  I've booked a V2 category cabin on the cruise.

2 minutes ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Funny. Who knew! Many us increased our vocabulary today. Thanks Peregrina. 😁

Thanks Peregrina ;)

7 minutes ago, jmfdr said:

What is a pilaster?

Good question so I looked it up.  Apparently a pilaster is a wall bump out https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2950221-wall-bump-outs/page/2/

Hi folks, I'm planning of our first cruise onboard a Viking ship for the 8 day Iberian Explorer itinerary and I was considering a Verandah (V2) Aft location.  Can anyone who has stayed in a V2 category AFT cabin please give me some insights on;

- The location of Deck 3 Aft cabins - do they get noise from surrounding public areas, e.g restaurant below

- The inconvenience of not being able to pre-book dining venues until on the ship.  Have you been disadvantaged booking onboard?

- The inconvenience of not being having priority access to book shore excursions until 60 days prior to sailing

best regards,

Paul.

Eden with discount will be going up to $85 in 2024.  My cruise planner for Dec 2024 shows $85.

On 1/25/2024 at 4:21 PM, FiguringOutCruising said:

Looking at this Cruise having a wide ranging set of requirements due to our love of good food and a young child.

I was wondering opinions what you would expect the demographic to be?

I was wondering if it would be more Families with Kids due to December, school holidays & the shortish length. despite the usual demo being 60's , 70's with almost no kids.

It's hard to opt for a line targeted for families when most recent reviews (such as Royal carribean) say the food quality has dropped. (and was already just OK)

Thank you in advance for your answers.

We're actually booked on this cruise departing Dec 10, 2024.  One reason we chose it was because it's not sailing during school holiday time, which starts I believe 14 Dec in SA/QLD, 20 Dec in VIC and 23 Dec in NSW.  We've found previously that the cruise ships are not busy in the few weeks leading up to Christmas, maybe because people are too busy shopping, work functions and general prep for the Xmas day.  I would tend to agree with the others here - there are families onboard but the price point is not for the larger family groups.

Apparently princess has cancelled all cruises for 2020. It will only be a matter of time before all other cruise lines will follow. Unless the US pivot sharply to start bringing down those numbers, I’m afraid that 2021 will also be a year of no cruising.

I don't think it's a matter of what the cruise lines "want" to do.  It's more the question of what the CDC will "allow" them to do.  I think the measures that VV are putting forward are a step in the right direction, however none of that will be sufficient for CDC to give the okay - unless infections come down considerably more or there is a vaccine or cure - as I say next year.  "As new cases surge in the U.S., the White House acknowledges preparing for a fall wave." - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/world/coronavirus-updates.html

Given the upward trend in new infections in North America recently, there’s little VV or any cruise line will be able to do to convince or influence the likes of the CDC to open the ports.  I wouldn’t imagine anything sailing until next year. That’s just my opinion, based the fact that Australia with very low infections has announced that borders will be closed until at least end of this year.  Can’t see the USA opening up anytime soon.

2 hours ago, westguy99 said:

 

Bankruptcy regardless of cause is still covered by VIsa and other cards as a charge back. If you read your link it does not list bankruptcy as something that is excluded. 

Well let’s hope no one has to put that to the test. Post COVID anything could happen.

24 minutes ago, westguy99 said:

 

If Virgin Voyages or any cruise line was to go bankrupt you would get a full refund through your credit card. It is called a charge back. It allows you to get your money back if you’ve paid for a service that you’ve never received. The prerequisite is that you’ve used a credit card as a method of payment. That is it. So you can stop spamming this site and others with your deep concerns about Virgin Voyages going bankrupt. If they do and you paid with a credit card you get all your money back. Somehow I doubt you have booked with them anyway. 

With regard to chargeback, I've discovered through talking to my bank about a charge back, that VISA has excluded all chargebacks associated with COVID-19 circumstances, which bankrupcy due to COVID-19 would be applicable.  Here's more info https://www.visa.com.au/dam/VCOM/global/support-legal/documents/managing-disputes-through-covid-19.pdf

4 hours ago, Katieniesen said:

Got my refund! Now just waiting on them to refund for the cabana we purchased and for the correct 25% FCC to show on my account. 

Great news Katieniesen! Congrats!

On 5/29/2020 at 7:49 AM, pcalv said:

I can confirm that I received email acknowledgement from sailor services saying that they were processing a refund. If they cancel the cruise, you’re entitled to a refund.

Refund has appeared back on my card, 1 week after making the request.

8 hours ago, Katieniesen said:

Thanks, I called to get a refund. Everything seemed to go well but when I look at my VV account it shows me having the 200% FCC. When my travel companions called to get their refund they were told that we didn't qualify for the refund (this is the 2 time our sailing has gotten cancelled by VV). Even after telling them that the email gave is that option they said it didn't apply to us. 

 

Seems odd to me, and I'm definitely gonna fight it. But just curious, if anyone else who had their sailing cancelled a 2nd time was successful in getting VV to issue a refund and get the 25% FCC.

I can confirm that I received email acknowledgement from sailor services saying that they were processing a refund. If they cancel the cruise, you’re entitled to a refund.

2 hours ago, Katieniesen said:

Has anyone canceled and gotten their refund yet and the 25% FCC?

I requested my refund 2 days ago. I wouldn’t expect it to be processed for a month at the earliest but I’ll share when it does come through

The reason I’ve opted for refund is that theres no way in telling what a future cruise will look like post-pandemic. What you pay for now may not be what you get next year. Too risky to book anything until the story plays out. 

19 hours ago, timf2001 said:

A 60 day final payment would be greatly appreciated.  My final payment is supposed to be in early June, and at this point I feel there's too much uncertainty to make that.  I still would rather cancel and book a longer cruise elsewhere this fall if conditions permit, but only if Virgin allows deposit refunds or extends the rebooking window beyond 12 months.

Hey Tim,

VV have extended their rebooking window to 24 months in my case, probably because I complained nicely to them about having to travel half way across the world to get there. I, also, are hopeful that they will cancel our Sept sailing, which is entirely possible given the continuing rates of infection in the US. Good luck on getting the outcome you’re hoping for.

After a recent call from VV this morning, I've been informed they are extending the final payment date from 120 days to 60 days in advance of the sail date.  My sail date was Sept.  I won't be sailing due to international travel ban in Australia until the end of 2020.  I'm of the belief that cruising will be the LAST form of transport to be allowed to sail.  Just look at the Princess cruises debacle, where 80 infected people were let off the ship in Sydney which subsequently contributed to 50% of the COVID-19 cases in Australia!.

I say good luck to anyone booking any cruise until a vaccine is discovered, or a treatment is found.  Hold onto your money until it is safe to travel.  Stay safe.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they postpone cruising for the entire year given the fact no vaccine or treatment is found, and possibility of second outbreaks and new stringent conditions being placed by the CDC. There’ll also be a high proportion of their guests from outside the US, who cannot even travel outside their home country.  Australia has a total travel ban for 6 mths at least!

I'm sure they'll have a few kinks to iron out after they launch.  There's always issues/maintenance on new ships so I'm glad I didn't book one of their early cruises. 

Hmm looks like very small portions. Are we able to order multiple dishes in one sitting?

Aww what a brilliant response!