PR1NCESSD1ANE

14 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Sorry, in this specific case I disagree. 

 

This is from the FAQs for Copenhagen Free Walking Tours:

How much does the tour cost?

It is free to participate all our tours, but you are welcome to tip your guide.

 

Will you accept tips in currencies other than Danish Crowns?

We often get tipped in Euros, Swedish Crowns and American dollars. All the guides are travellers and will find a way to use other currencies.

 

Do the guides keep, in full, any tips given to them?

In order to continue running these tours in Copenhagen, all guides pay a marketing fee to Copenhagen Free Walking Tours F.M.B.A. based on the number of guests who participated in the tour. This marketing fee is used to pay for our advertisement, websites, flyers, umbrellas, nametags and to run our administration.

The current marketing fee for the Grand Tour of Copenhagen is 10 DKK (1,34 euro) per guest and for The Classical Tour of Copenhagen and The Christianshavn Tour the marketing fee is 5 DKK (0,67 euro) per guest.

 

Not only are the guides not paid, they have to pay a marketing fee. Their only compensation is from tips.

Thank you!  This is just the info I was hoping for.

4 hours ago, Danish viking said:

Since tipping is not normal in Denmark I think they will be happy with whatever you got. 

 

Thanks for your response.  If you don’t tip for a free walking tour, how else would the guides be compensated?

On ‎6‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 3:40 PM, CCWineLover said:

We took free walking tour (the main one) just a few weeks ago.  Was quite good. Left from the statue across the bridge north of Christianborg Palace.  There were about 20 people - mostly in their 20’s to 50’s.  We liked the very good pace and everyone kept up great!  In my opinion it would not be so good for anyone who had mobility issues or didn’t like to walk.  Fortunately in our group everyone did.  I would guess we did about 4 miles or so in 2 hours.  Hope this helps.

We will also be taking the free walking tour and I'm wondering about tipping the tour guide.  Do you think they would accept Euros or USD?  Since we will be visiting so many different ports with different currencies, I'd like to eliminate exchanging more currencies.

We just returned from our cruise on the Oasis of the Seas yesterday and I'd like to share the wonderful experience we had using the Cozumel Wedding Planners for my son and daughter-in-law's beach wedding. The service we received from Lluvia and her group was amazing. The planning process was so simple and stress free. Email communication was always responded to within less than 48 hours. We chose Mr. Sanchos for the venue, but there are more options available. We would also like to put in a good word for Mr. Sanchos. We followed the ceremony with their all inclusive access for our guests rather than a formal private luncheon and it turned out to be the best day of our trip. I could go on and on about the day, but instead will be happy to respond to any questions anyone may have. Cozumelweddingplanners.com

I second this, check out the trip advisor reviews. We loved it. Fun tour of the island.

Add another vote for this tour. We were a group of 3 "mature" ladies a little apprehensive about this tour but became comfortable very quickly and had a BLAST! I've never driven a trike before, but they are automatic and so easy to drive. Wear a long sleeve sun shirt if you burn easy.

Thank you for the information, however, I have been unsuccessful getting the tier match with World of Hyatt. After numerous calls, I eventually called M Life to find out if they were holding up the process. The rep indicated that once the process went through an on-line "opt-in" with Hyatt, only earned M Life Status is recpricol. Royal Caribbean status still earns status with M Life, but can' be transferred through to World of Hyatt. Bummer :(

Be thankful if you got in under the wire!

I am taking my fiance on the Oasis 1-8 Oct and wanted to get married on the ship. Sadly, when I called RCCL to see about a ceremony, they told me they could not accommodate. So now I am looking for options. Since RCCL cant do it on the ship (BUMMER), we would consider getting married in Labadee, Cozumel or Jamaica where we are stopping. Any suggestions? It will just be the 2 of us and we do want photography.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thx,

Mark

I've been helping my son plan his wedding in January during a stop on our Oasis January 2018. My research pointed me to http://www.cozumelweddingplanner.com and so far, they have made the process very easy and stress free. Their reviews are very good and I feel confident that everything will be great. They will only be doing a symbolic ceremony with about 15 other guests. They will be legally married at the local courthouse just prior in order to avoid the red tape.

Be thankful that Royal Caribbean turned you away because I've read that their wedding planning department is a nightmare!

My son and future daughter-in-law will be married at Mr. Sanchos during a stop on our cruise in January 2018. One of the options Cozumel Wedding Planners offers is their sound system for your own personal music. Can any of the past or future brides share if they did this and if there's a website to download a whole set of wedding ceremony instrumental music? Trying to help make this easier for the couple.

Thanks!

I don't know when it was added (at least a couple of months ago and probably longer), but the docking location is clear on the website now, so we should be in the last cycles of people for whom this is a surprise I would hope...

I booked in December, but was considering this cruise since last August and it was clear to me all along that this boat was docked outside of Paris. There weren't any neon lights stating this anywhere but when I did a little probing on the matter, it was clear to me.

Sharing this information would be helpful to other Viking passengers sailing out of Paris. Please do not keep the shuttle info a secret ;)

 

The mystery is one of the prior posters like their answers and the other didn't. This is bound to creat confusion with readers here on CC.

Sorry I didn't share this because my situation may be different since I am booked with a 3 night pre stay with Viking that includes transfers. I wanted to be sure that after we check out of our hotel on embarkation day that we be allowed to send our bags ahead to the boat and remain in Paris for the remainder of the day instead of shuttling back and forth. I was told they will allow this and take our bags earlier. Here are the options we were given for return:

"You and your group are more than welcome to join one of the transfers from Paris provided by Viking back to the Kadlin, one at 5 Pm or the one at 9 Pm , however kindly note that the pickup place it is a different address from the Rochester Hotel :

· COURS DE LA REINE NEAR GRAND PALAIS please refer to the attached link for the map for your reference ( our shuttle bus will be near the Winston Churchill statue and will display a Viking Sign on the front)"

Let me know if you receive a response. I used the email address you listed, as well as a differently email address format someone else posted (concierge.kadlin@vikingcruises.com) and have not received a response.

They did write back fast and accurately, I sure didn't like the reply! :(

I received an immediate response from the Kadlin email address format that MikeyB posted. I liked the response I received and it was a completely opposite answer to that I received when writing their corporate offices.

We are sailing on the Kadlin...I will email

viking.kadlin.vikingrivercruises.com to see if that works. I do want a reliable answer to this. Trying not to be sad about not waking up in Paris and looking up at the Tour Eiffel. Instead juggling stupid train schedules and schlepping around.

Let me know if you receive a response. I used the email address you listed, as well as a differently email address format someone else posted (concierge.kadlin@vikingcruises.com) and have not received a response.

Thank you! Have a wonderful & safe trip. Please come back and fill us in on any tips or must dos once you return.

PR1NCESSD1ANE (and anyone else who at first receives a "no" from Viking):

 

Since I had not heard from Viking (see my earlier post), and we are departing Monday AM, I sent a follow-up email to TellUs this morning. About 3 hours later I received an email response (a) that the first person with whom I had originally spoken had obtained approval for what I had requested, and (b) what we are to do when we arrive:). So if at first you don't succeed...

Thank you! I guess river cruise companies are no different than the ocean cruise lines in terms of customer service disconnect. I should have known better. Thank goodness for cruise critic where you can gather the real facts. ;)

You should know that there is a huge disconnect between the Customer Service people in Southern California and the wonderful staff and crew on the ground in Europe. It is very likely if you check in for your transfers and just talk to the ground staff you won't have a problem.

We stayed at a hotel that was full of Viking passengers waiting to be transferred to their boats. All the luggage was grouped in a huge roped off area all tagged and ready to be sent to the ship.

Talk to the ground staff because the Calif CS people (according to reports on CC ) seem to say no a lot and not really understand the mechanics of how everything actually works.

I asked the same question, since we booked the pre-cruise prior to our 4-6 cruise on the Rinda, and was told that our luggage could be sent on the bus departing the hotel, while we remained in Paris for the day. My guess is that the email address for the Kadlin is: concierge.kadlin@vikingcruises.com. (The concierge on the Rinda has been very quick to respond to my questions.)

Thank you so much! I emailed general customer service yesterday and they responded with a no! I'll keep asking until I get the right answer. You would think they'd be all over this option.

We are sailing on the Viking Kadlin (Paris to Normandy 7-15-16) with a 3 night pre stay in Paris (Viking arranged). Could you please provide the contact information for the appropriate individual we would need to contact if we would like to have our bags sent ahead to the Kadlin on day one of the cruise? We would like to stay in Paris and avoid taking the lengthy shuttle back and forth to Paris as noted below.

Dear Sarabis Cubs,

 

Welcome home! We are delighted to hear you enjoyed several aspects of your Viking cruise, but regret your disappointment in the Le Pecq docking change remains.

 

Your comments are important to us and we would be happy to discuss the details of your experience further. Should you wish to do the same, please contact us at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

We are looking forward to speaking with you and hope you will consider cruising with us again on another river.

 

Kind regards,

Viking Cruises

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarabis Cubs View Post

We returned from our Viking cruise on the Rinda yesterday, so I thought I would post a quick update. We were in fact docked in Le Pecq. No one I spoke to on the ship seemed to have any idea about the demonstration that someone said was to be conducted regarding changing the location to Paris.

 

First of all, the staff on the Rinda was excellent. Every single person we encountered went out of their way to ensure that we had a great time on the ship. The food was excellent. Our room was comfortable. We loved the itinerary and the excursions.

 

That being said, nothing that the staff could do could possibly make up for the docking situation. It was a huge pain and put a damper on the Paris part of the trip. We purchased the transfers, but contrary to what I was told before our trip, we were not given the option of sending our luggage to the ship and proceeding directly to Paris. Instead, we were transferred to the Rinda and then had to wait for a shuttle a few hours later to take us back to Paris. Depending on traffic, the trip to/from Paris/Le Pecq took anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half (!). We weren't able to see Paris at night at all, which was a huge disappointment. We could have stayed in the first night and returned on a 9pm shuttle, but that would have meant missing the first dinner. There was a night tour of Paris on the last night, but we just couldn't see spending an hour and a half to 2 hours on a bus just so that we could stop at the Eiffel tower for 20 minutes, especially with a very early wake up time the following morning.

 

As I said, the crew was fabulous, but I am not sure that I would trust Viking with my vacation again.

 

Laurie

I just attempted to take a look at this restaurant for our trip next summer. When I googled it, it came up as "permanently closed". :(

Any other suggestions?

LOL.... The restaurant that popped up is in Arlington, VA DUH,!

Never mind.....

I was looking up beverage packages and it says the following:

 

Classic Package = $49.00/person per night ($343.00 total)

Premium Package = $59.00/person per night ($413.00 total)

 

Am I understanding this correctly, that even if I drink well items or cheaper beer, it would cost me $343.00 total? That seems very steep in my opinion. Are drinks that expensive on board? Since I MIGHT drink 2 drinks a night, is it even worth it to purchase a drink package? Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you!!

If you only drink 2 drinks/night, it is definitely not worth it!

Yes, the small martini is available, but only in certain flavors on Solstice. Not all of their fancier martinis are available in the small sizes.

Thank you for your response! Do you recall of the gin/cucumber was offered under the class package? I think it was called Eurikatini or something similar.

I don't believe there was an answer posted specifically whether the martini bar offered martinis under the classic package on Solstice. Since practices seem to vary by ship, can you please tell me what your friend's experience was on your Solstice cruise? I'm hoping I won't need to upgrade. Thanks!

Sorry to repeat, but this thread keeps getting hijacked back to premium package questions. Still need to know if I can get a smaller martini at the SOLSTICE martini bar on the CLASSIC package. I was able to get them on the Equinox but want confirmation from someone who's been on the Solstice. Thanks!

For our upcoming, fourteen-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 4, 2014, Solstice Sydney to Auckland/NZ cruise adventure, one of the members of our group had this question on that favorite issue . . . ship drinking!!?? Thanks to the 1-2-3-Go free drink package, we've got a good deal. But, one of the couples traveling with us are big martini drinkers and want to use that free cards in the Martini Bar and Crush. How well will that basic card work for martinis in those two places?? Or, is it a definite must-do to buy the upgrade if they want the more acceptable options in those or other bars?

 

Personally, I am more about margaritas. I've been told on the ship with this 1-2-3-Go card, that I can get the margaritas. They won't be the big, BIG versions, nor with the top-shelf stuff, but it will work well enough for our interests at most ship bars, as I have been told for margaritas. Right?

 

Reactions? Added info, experiences and insights from those on the Solstice-class ships in recent months?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Celebrity Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 152,111 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

I don't believe there was an answer posted specifically whether the martini bar offered martinis under the classic package on Solstice. Since practices seem to vary by ship, can you please tell me what your friend's experience was on your Solstice cruise? I'm hoping I won't need to upgrade. Thanks!

Can you please tell me if my bed will be by the closet or the balcony in Oasis cabin 8538?

Thank you!