Excursions!

We are booked on the June 2018 Star sailing. While we have cruise on several other lines (Oceania, HAL, Celebrity,etc), this will be our first Viking cruise. We booked in December and have a Guaranteed cabin. Thus, we are unable to book our excursions until later this week. Many of the ones we wanted to choose are already sold out. I have written to Viking and they did quickly respond. It was a polite email but it really didn’t change anything. I guess, especially since this is our first Viking cruise, that we are very disappointed. We have never encountered this problem before. Some might say to go seek our own private excursions, but that is not something we like to do.

We are booked on the June 2018 Star sailing. While we have cruise on several other lines (Oceania, HAL, Celebrity,etc), this will be our first Viking cruise. We booked in December and have a Guaranteed cabin. Thus, we are unable to book our excursions until later this week. Many of the ones we wanted to choose are already sold out. I have written to Viking and they did quickly respond. It was a polite email but it really didn’t change anything. I guess, especially since this is our first Viking cruise, that we are very disappointed. We have never encountered this problem before. Some might say to go seek our own private excursions, but that is not something we like to do.

The guarantee cabin has nothing to do with late choice of excursions - the category of the cabin does.

You will definitely have every included in excursion. Viking guarantees this and they are included in the price of the cruise.

As of optional excursions, you might be in luck if you check them daily and even let know customer relations people on board that you are interested in them.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Yes check at the excursion desk daily once onboard. People cancel optional tours. Went on a couple that wren not full.

I would recommend that as part of the included Viking (1) strive to offer a walking included alternative AND (2) post pre-cruise info on myvikingjourney that at port X shuttles will be available for passengers starting once boat has docked. Shuttles usually ARE available but knowing beforehand on myvikingjourney will let folks make more secure plans.

I agree with both of those suggestions. We are in the midst of planning our activities for Into the Midnight Sun and our reservation time is tomorrow morning at 3am. It would be very helpful to know if there will be a shuttle for our stop in Edinburgh, as we would like to spend the day in the city, on our own. I wonder if they don't post shuttle info because they want to "encourage" you to sign up for their excursions? At least in Edinburgh, we have other public transit options, but it would be more relaxing to not have to figure that out on our own.

Update - another included tour for Helsinki was just added to our cruise and new spaces for added for the trip to Porvoo from Helsinki. Just wanted to let everyone know that they are now working on it. I can deal with the time that they now offer and if we want to go earlier, we will try to change when we get on. I am sure that Tallinn will follow - hoping for a good time but prepared to go on our own or private if it does not suit us.

Tallinn is a very enjoyable DIY port. We thoroughly loved discovering it on our own. But we tend to DIY or private more often than not where possible. The shuttle busses Viking offers in some of the ports make that easier to do.

I totally agree with the suggestions that Viking notate which ports on any given itinerary will offer these free shuttles for planning purposes. That would be a true added benefit to know prior to.

Shuttles to key tourist sites in Edinburgh might be problematic. The council is moving to a ban on coaches in the old town (not surprising - the streets are very narrow and with lots of pedestrianised only areas.) However, good rapid local buses will speed you into town. They're exact fare only so be sure to have change.

We thoroughly enjoyed the included guided walking tour of Tallinn--a great city and we had an enthusiastic young guide who loved his country.

Shuttles to key tourist sites in Edinburgh might be problematic. The council is moving to a ban on coaches in the old town (not surprising - the streets are very narrow and with lots of pedestrianised only areas.) However, good rapid local buses will speed you into town. They're exact fare only so be sure to have change.

When in use, the shuttles don't as much go to key tourists sites as go to a convenient drop off spot. Guest then make their way to and from the designated pick-up spot.

Dauntless, are you talking about a hop on hop off bus. I am not sure what you mean by tourist bus(City). If so which line did you use. Thanks for any help. Still waiting for Viking to add in a trip so that I can see the times. Its been a week now.

No, the bus I'm talking about is really Public Tram #2. rick Steve's Northern European Cruise Ports book(p. 527) gives you all the detail and you might find it on his website.

Update - they opened space on the afternoon Leisurely Tour in Tallin which includes more driving than the regular one that is also included. I think that I will be on my own in Tallin.

Dauntless, they changed the routes for the Trams so that they are not circular any longer. I think I will do the included bus tour and either go back to the Church in the Rock and or walk in the design district. Thanks for the advice.

For those of you that have had success changing an excursion time on board - did you book the excursion for a time that you did not want and then try to change it or did you just wait to get on board to see if you could get on the excursion time of your post. Thanks for any help.

But, on our included excursion we did not go to Sibilius monument.

We were on Homelands last Aug and the included did include the Sibilus monument.

It must be a pretty dispiriting prospect to be setting off on an expensive trip without the confidence that you'll actually manage to get on what are advertised as included excursions. People must be left feeling pretty disconcerted at the prospect of having to beg to be included or hope that others drop out.

All passangers will get an included excursion as offered in each port, maybe just not at the the they prefer.

All passangers will get an included excursion as offered in each port, maybe just not at the the they prefer.

This is true, but there are rare times when guests have been unable to secure any spot on an included excursion through My Viking Journey. I have seen it suggested that if this glitch happens to you, then contact Viking at tellus@vikingcruises.com to report the problem for them to assist. It is best to do this before sailing rather than try to fix it onboard.

Viking must be diligently working on improving excursions. Our 10/16/2018 Med Odyssey cruise is only 107 days out and still they have not posted any excursions. I prefer to believe this delay will result is less scheduling conflicts and a new selection of choices. (Crossing my fingers)

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Viking must be diligently working on improving excursions. Our 10/16/2018 Med Odyssey cruise is only 107 days out and still they have not posted any excursions. I prefer to believe this delay will result is less scheduling conflicts and a new selection of choices. (Crossing my fingers)

 

 

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We sail on 10/06/2018 on the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages, and ours were just posted at 102 days out. I had been checking daily, so I know how long it seems when you are waiting, but it shouldn't be long now!

Good afternoon, this thread is quite interesting. I am thinking about trying a cruise on Viking Ocean and I want to make sure I understand this...…you are given the opportunity to book a tour via cabin category?:eek:….so a basic balcony has much less of a chance of getting the tour they want? The more expensive cabins are given first choice so it a tour sells out the rest of the cabins are SOL?

Good afternoon, this thread is quite interesting. I am thinking about trying a cruise on Viking Ocean and I want to make sure I understand this...…you are given the opportunity to book a tour via cabin category?:eek:….so a basic balcony has much less of a chance of getting the tour they want? The more expensive cabins are given first choice so it a tour sells out the rest of the cabins are SOL?

The tours for your cruise should be posted about 120 days before departure for all to review. Shore-ex reservations open a number of days before departure, based on your cabin category:

- Owners Suite: 107 days

- Explorer Suites: 97 days

- Penthouse Jnr Suites: 87 days

- Penthouse Veranda: 77 days

- Deluxe Veranda: 67 days

- Veranda: 60 days

The tours for your cruise should be posted about 120 days before departure for all to review. Shore-ex reservations open a number of days before departure, based on your cabin category:

- Owners Suite: 107 days

- Explorer Suites: 97 days

- Penthouse Jnr Suites: 87 days

- Penthouse Veranda: 77 days

- Deluxe Veranda: 67 days

- Veranda: 60 days

Ok....so if there are certain tours that are totally booked because everyone else was able to book beforehand?

The person is SOL.....the person in a Veranda is the last to get what they want.

um

yes

but I'll mention that as a DV I got my first choice for everything ……

nothing was sold out or fully booked (for included excursions)

Well, I would say that people in Veranda staterooms are the last to select for the initial offerings. They may still get exactly what they want as time goes on: Viking often, almost always, opens up more spots on very popular excursions, Then about 10 days out, the window closes for people who have booked to get credit card refunds on excursions they have booked and want to cancel, so check again about two weeks out when many cancelations can occur. Then once onboard there is usually a two-day before the excursion option to cancel an excursion and get ship credit and you can check for openings the next morning. So, I think it is highly unlikely that anyone is going to be absolutely SOL as you put it. Just keep checking.

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate them. I didn't know how the process on Viking Ocean worked so now I know.

Ok....so if there are certain tours that are totally booked because everyone else was able to book beforehand?

The person is SOL.....the person in a Veranda is the last to get what they want.

This is true, but not as dire as it sounds. We have completed one tour (Empires of the Mediterranean) in a Veranda cabin, and booked our next two at that level as well. On our 10 day cruise with no sea days, we were only blocked from one optional tour ( in Dubrovnik), and were able to select a most suitable second choice.

Overall we took three optional tours and the rest included tours. Everyone is guaranteed a spot on each included tour if they wish, but you may not get the time slot of your choice.

Granted, my one trip sample size is small, but I was very satisfied with our excursions. I knew beforehand that missing out on first choice excursions was a possibility, but I accepted that risk in order to have a nice balcony cabin on this beautiful ship at the least expensive price.

Veranda cabins also are unable to pre-book reservations in Manfredi's and Chef's Table, but we were able to book those once on board.

Viking’s official account has posted on CC a promise that every passenger will be able to book any Included excursions they want [although not necessarily at the exact time you want].