rbslos18

On 4/19/2024 at 10:10 AM, FlyerTalker said:

One other thing to keep in mind.  It's not so much that the prices are changing, but rather then underlying inventory numbers change.

 

Prices, both for cruiseline air and for air from the carrier, are pretty well determined in advance.  Fares are "filed", that specify fare routings, rules and price.  Then each is coded with a fare designator, so that each ticket is tied to a specific "fare" (which is not the same as price).

 

Let's hypothetically say that XYZ sets 10 different fares between A and B.  These run at $20 intervals from $300 up.  So there are now fares at $300, $320, $340, $360, $380, $400, $420, $440, $460 and $480.  What happens now is that a certain number of tickets are put into the various "buckets".  Let's say you get a distribution of 10 in each to start.  People will start to buy the lowest cost ticket, so the $300 bucket sells out first.  Now, it's not that the price went up - it's that there is none for sale in the lowest bucket.  So it appears that they raised the price -- nope, the market snapped up the most discounted tickets and all that are left are higher priced ones.

 

Now, because yield management systems are so sophisticated, they can monitor how flights are selling and adjust so as to get the maximum return for the flight.  They do this by moving inventory between the various buckets.   A flight isn't selling well -- move seats into the lower buckets.  Higher than expected demand -- move inventory towards the higher buckets.  All done with very complex algorithms created by very bright mathematicians.

 

Which is why tickets from A to B are often priced differently.  More desirable flights have greater demand, resulting in tickets being in higher buckets.  That flight at 6am - seats move downward to try to stimulate demand there.

 

So, when you see prices "disappear", it's just that there is no longer availability at that dollar amount. And when you see it "appear" or drop, that's an inventory move - either because of cancellations or because YM says "add inventory".

 

 

@FlyerTalker you are a wealth on knowledge! Are there any circumstances when you would use Viking Air.

The two best resources for insurance are the Cruise Critic Insurance board and Trip Insurance Store’s website. It’s not the most modern but it has great info.

Getting a solid policy is the easy part. I have found the most challenging part is getting help with claims. Smaller companies spend most of their time selling policies and may not be willing or available to service claims. I would suggest finding a company that has staffing to assist with claims which can be an unnerving process. Some of the favorites mentioned are great in selling good policies but unavailable to assist in the claims process. 

The invoice only reads arrival at 7:00AM. 

7 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

It depends:

1.  Are you doing Viking transfers?  or on your own?

2.  Is it a weekday or a weekend?

 

You'll likely be off ship at 8:00 at latest then, which means if a weekday you are looking at IMHO a 12 noon earliest departure given heavy traffic to the airport.  If weekend, possibly 11 AM.

1) Likely private transfer 

2) Return is on a Tuesday 

Our Grand Hawaii/French Polynesia cruise arrives in San Pedro at 7:00AM. What is the earliest safe flight-departure time from LAX?

Thanks for sharing. Would it make more sense to take a van to Padova and then get the high speed train or take a train from Chioggia to Padova and then switch to the high speed train?

Are the trains in the same terminal?

Do we need to order the tickets in advance or would a week early work? Is there an app you recommend such as Omio?

Thanks so much!

We arrive in Chioggia. Would it be preferable to take a train to Florence from Padua or Rovigo?

We intend to take a van to the selected train stations.

12 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Not sure why you aren't just going SDF-ATL-LAX?

 

UA has 2 flights to DEN, 3 to IAH.  DL has 3 to MSP and 4 to DTW.  On the contrast, DL has 8 flights to ATL, and then a dozen flights from ATL to LAX.  That has to be the routing with most options for rebookings.

 

If you insist on one of the airports you posted, I'd choose IAH, as they aren't really snow or ice affected.  Then again, that would mean you would have to fly on UA.  Of the other three, MSP handles the snow the best -- remember Joe Patroni?

 

 

SORRY, I goofed! The end airport is SFO for a precise visit to San Francisco before departing from San Pedro. We have the SFO to LAX flight. 

We are headed from SDF to LAX next Winter. We can connect at IAH, MSP, DEN or DTW. Is IAH the best choice to avoid weather related cancellations?

3 hours ago, lx200gps said:

Torrance is now our favorite pre-cruise hotel stopover destination when we sail from San Pedro, greatly preferred over the San Pedro area and a little more convenient for us than Long Beach. We have stayed at the Doubletree a number of times despite having relatively high Marriott status, simply because even with my status, the Doubletree is usually much cheaper than the Marriott.  We would actually prefer the Marriott as it seems a bit nicer than the perfectly acceptable Doubletree, it's simply much more expensive the times we have tried to book it.  The location of both hotels next to the massive Del Amo mall is a big plus for us as well.

Thanks for the valuable info. Where do you do breakfast? Is the Doubletree breakfast worth getting? Or is there a breakfast place near by?

We are staying in Torrance pre-cruise. Does anyone have advice based on experience to help us decide between the Marriott Redondo Beach or the Torrance DoubleTree? Both have very similar ratings.

Thanks

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Just like all air fare stuff. You have to do your research,  figure out any pattern in the pricing,  such as the fares drop 7 to 10 days after release. Or its cheaper to fly this route on weekends, as opposed to weekdays,  or vice versa.

 

There is no magic, no secrets, just research. 

Typically are fares lower when first released or closer to departure. One can’t do both!

What is your strategy for finding deals on first class domestic flights?

On 1/4/2024 at 5:31 PM, ekkc10753 said:

Long story short, I have slightly over $52,000 in vouchers from Viking. I have them due to cruise cancellations by Viking due to Covid or cruises cancelled by me upon the death of my husband….

so I want to use those vouchers to book two cabins, one for my sister & her husband and one for me.

 

I'll be leaving a good bit on the table because of Viking's "use it or lose it" rules and the cruise I chose for us is around $10,000 pp (plus my single supplement) So it comes out to around $40,000, leaving $12,000 on the table. I was willing to do that. 

 

But Viking say NO, split the vouchers between 2 people, all others must pay cash! 

Which means I get $26,000 voucher and may use my voucher (or cash) to pay for my no longer existant husband ( 'The Single Supplement')

My sister also gets a $26,000 voucher, but MAY NOT use it to pay for her flesh and blood husband

 

AND all voucher value not redeemed BEFORE EMBARKATION is lost! ...... That'll be a lot!!!

 

These vouchers represent real cash that Viking has held since Covid times….

So sorry for your loss. I hate to read stories like this. Based on Andy’s post above, what you were told is legally correct.  I just wish someone would have some compassion and work with you on a win-win resolution. A fair ending will make you a customer for life!

I would email tellus@viking.com. They do have some sympathetic souls. I believe one will get back to you. Good luck and keep us posted!

I think you will do great. People just do their own thing on Viking. It is very rare we hear people acting or speaking with an attitude of entitlement which we uncomfortably experienced on a luxury line. So for whom is a Viking cruise best suited? People who want to experience the world with people who are fun, curious, and like delicious food and wine on ships that are brilliantly designed.

On 10/16/2023 at 9:54 AM, smwg said:

Due to MONEY, My family of 9 would really like to fly in the day of our cruise.  Delta has an overnight flight that leaves 5:45 p.m. and arrives in LHR at 6:55 a.m. with NO layovers or transfers.  

The other issue to factor is the stress and expense should something go wrong and you miss the ship’s departure. Normally things work out but when they don’t it can be a colossal stressor.

1 hour ago, leishirsute said:

Unfortunately, traveling with someone with medical dietary requirements does not allow for land travel.  When we checked most land tours will not guarantee that medical diets can be accommodated although they say they will try their best.

Whereas, cruises tend to handle special dietary needs quite readily.

Israel is among the easiest countries in the world to visit if one has a special diet. They are accustomed to people having a special diet (eg kosher). I have traveled to Israel with people who are vegan, vegetarian, diabetic, and mega fussy with little difficulty. 

We are doing a week post-cruise in Paris and are looking for a nice but not fancy hotel in the Marais District. We prefer a hotel with a restaurant.

Thanks

14 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Covid coverage was not there in the beginning, and then as time went on the insurance industry was including coverage for before and after.  

 

I guess the question is, because we are largely accepting of Covid now, are we checking what is covered for Covid?  There is still the risk of serious illness.

 

That would be interesting to see if something like a requirement mid-trip changing that you don't meet, would allow you to interrupt or cancel.

I think the OP is concerned a country may require a booster s/he, they have not received and not be allowed in a country.

9 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

It’s just a joke 😎. Nordstrom & REI have been notorious for customer service & replacing items even years later. They used to have a policy of “the customer is always right” 😉 and would bend over backward to make you happy. No idea if service is still as good at Nordstrom since haven’t shopped there in decades; REI is still pretty good, though.

Thanks. I was thinking some might be thinking: "Ok Boomer!" but most of us are Boomers! I'm just a sheltered Boomer!

On 9/13/2023 at 3:01 PM, LindaS272 said:

REI.

Sorry to be dense. I don't get the response about either getting a Viking refund from Nordstrom or REI!

@Selion and @LindaS272" Anyone tried to get refund of their Viking cruises from Nordstrom?"

3 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I’m curious if you filled out the dietary preferences in MVJ before your cruise? 

This is crucial to have optimize your dining experience. We are vegetarians who eat fish. My wife prefers vegan food. Our needs were noted as @LindaS272 noted. Each night we received a menu and circled what we wanted. We turned it in the following day. The meals were adapted to meet our dietary needs. The food was outstanding. Also we found the Restaurant easy to deal with. The staff really cares.

Who should this information be sent to? tellus@viking.om? Someone else? I don't know the corporate structure. 

There are so many good ideas, there may be value in this becoming a poll to get even greater input.

On 9/16/2023 at 9:40 AM, Ceegeefl said:

Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm actually more concerned about the individual countries requiring a covid booster. This happened on our May 2022 Mediterranean Odyssey cruise. 

This is a tough one with several risks. What would happen if a country changes its policy mid-cruise? Personally, I would consult with a travel insurance broker. Several are named on the cruise insurance board. Steve at Trip Insurance Store has a depth of knowledge.