Viking Star Southern Med Discovery----How close are ports to destination cities

We have recently booked on the January sailing of the Viking Star Southern Med Discovery cruise. We tend to be happiest spending as much time as possible in port wandering about on our own rather than going on ship-sponsored excursions--or at least returning to the ship on our own after getting into port with the included excursions . I am hoping to hear from others who have taken this cruise--which makes stops in Trapani, Sicily--Cagliari, Sardinia--Algiers, and Valencia--about how difficult/easy it may be to arrange getting into the cities and/or returning to the ship in order to wander about town on our own in these ports.

Also, we are flying into Rome Fiumicino airport from Malta, arriving at 7:25 p.m. on boarding day, intending to take a taxi from Fiumicino to the ship which is moored in Civitavecchia. Does anyone know roughly how long this transfer will take and will we encounter any problems arriving so late? Thanks for your intel.

We have recently booked on the January sailing of the Viking Star Southern Med Discovery cruise. We tend to be happiest spending as much time as possible in port wandering about on our own rather than going on ship-sponsored excursions--or at least returning to the ship on our own after getting into port with the included excursions . I am hoping to hear from others who have taken this cruise--which makes stops in Trapani, Sicily--Cagliari, Sardinia--Algiers, and Valencia--about how difficult/easy it may be to arrange getting into the cities and/or returning to the ship in order to wander about town on our own in these ports.

 

Also, we are flying into Rome Fiumicino airport from Malta, arriving at 7:25 p.m. on boarding day, intending to take a taxi from Fiumicino to the ship which is moored in Civitavecchia. Does anyone know roughly how long this transfer will take and will we encounter any problems arriving so late? Thanks for your intel.

I'm on the January 4th sailing. Join the roll call for your sailing to meet folks who will be sailing with you and sign up for the meet and mingle party that will be hosted on board for Cruise Critic members (must register no later than 2 weeks before your sail date in order to receive the pertinent details on board; it is not announced in the cruise daily).

You really do not want to just take a taxi from the airport without doing some research in advance. It is a 70km drive to the port and not a cheap cab ride. Check out the ports of call section on Cruise Critic and also check the airport website for information about transportation to the port.

Algiers needs a visa unless you are with a Viking tour and before you spend the money on the visa, double check with 1) Viking to make sure that you will be allowed off the ship on your own visa and 2) with your local Algerian consulate to confirm the visa requirements for your nationality.

Google maps is helpful in answering the questions about where port are in relationship to the towns.

 

Algiers needs a visa unless you are with a Viking tour and before you spend the money on the visa, double check with 1) Viking to make sure that you will be allowed off the ship on your own visa and 2) with your local Algerian consulate to confirm the visa requirements for your nationality.

Hi Peregrina651,

We will be taking one of the cruises on the Viking Star that will have a stopover in Algiers. We are interested to read that you mentioned that in Algiers , a visa is required for visitors UNLESS you are with a Viking tour. Just to be clear, are you saying that if we go on a Viking tour in a group (ie one of their excursions), we are exempt from having to apply for a visa?

Our travel agent did not mention to us about applying for a visa for the Algiers stopover on the cruise , so hope we don't need one if we go on the free Viking excursions in Algiers. (We have British passports, by the way, but guess that does not amount to much when visiting a country like Algeria, the Algerian govt. would probably just consider the UK as just another foreign country).

You will not need to apply for a visa if you are on a shorex with Viking, however, you will be required to stay with the tour group and will not be allowed to wander around on your own.

The visa business is tricky and each country has different rules for how things work and what is required for citizens of which country. When I saw the price for a visa for American citizens, I stopped asking questions. We will take a Viking excursion and leave it at that.

Before you apply for a visa, there are a couple of questions that have to be answered. First questions, what country are you from and does Algeria require visas for citizens of your country? Ask your local Algerian consulate (in the US, you can go to the Department of State website where they lay out the visa requirements for US citizens by country). Second question, does the fact that you are sailing with Viking change or annul this requirement in any way? There are countries where it does and there are countries where it doesn't, so don't assume. Third question, will/ can Viking allow you off the ship if you have arranged for your own visa (why spend the money if you wan't be permitted to use the visa?)

As I said, these are questions that I cannot answer but would want to have clear in my mind before deciding to purchase a visa.

We were on Viking in January with many of the same ports and liked it so much we're repeating the journey this coming January. You're getting in really late on boarding day so I would let Viking know of your travel plans so they don't put you down as a No Show. Better safe than sorry! I'd arrange for a private transfer from FCO to the port given the hour. As Peregrina said, there's info available on the ports forum.

In Trapani, can't help you as this is a new one for us!

In Tunis, I'd take the earliest included tour which gets back before lunch, giving you plenty of time to do your own thing (we're in port until 6 pm). There's an info desk at the port as well as a sign posting the taxi fares. You'll need transportation as the port is not within walking distance to the town or other sites of interest.

In Cagliari, I'd also take the tour as it will show you the not only the town but the outlying hills. It's an interesting tour. There's still a bit of time even though it's a short day (only until 1 pm) to explore the city of Cagliari. The ship docks at the foot of the town, can't get any closer!

In Algiers--well, you're stuck there I'm afraid. It's not a port for the independent traveller unless you're willing to cough up the hefty visa fee. We went on the included tour in January and found it a bit disappointing. Tourism is still a new ball game in Algiers and they're still on the learning curve. This year we've paid extra to visit the Bardo Museum and frankly, that looks to be the best bet at this port.

In Valencia, what you could do is sign up for the included tour and use it as transportation to the city. Let your guide know you're leaving the group if you want to wander around doing your own thing. He or she will let you know where to catch the bus back to the ship. It's not within walking distance so it will either be the Viking bus back or taxi. The included tour is good, however, if you're not familiar with Valencia.

You will not need to apply for a visa if you are on a shorex with Viking, however, you will be required to stay with the tour group and will not be allowed to wander around on your own..

Thanks for your reply . Yes, we intend only to stay within the Viking tour group on the excursion in Algiers. It's good to hear from you that a visa in that case will not be required. (Our approach is, if we find out later that a visa is indeed required, we will probably just forego the chance to go on the excursion in Algiers, and stay on board the ship. It is just not worth the time, hassle and money, getting all the way to the Algerian consulate in London, filling in the forms , providing documents, and then having to spend about £80/$120(?) just to get a visa for an excursion that lasts only a couple of hours).

According to one website we looked at, it seems like Viking Ocean is the only major cruise line visiting the port in Algiers for the entire month of December! Perhaps the complications/hassle with visa application requirements discouraged other cruise lines going there.

Also, we are flying into Rome Fiumicino airport from Malta, arriving at 7:25 p.m. on boarding day, intending to take a taxi from Fiumicino to the ship which is moored in Civitavecchia. Does anyone know roughly how long this transfer will take and will we encounter any problems arriving so late? Thanks for your intel.

If you have the same itinerary as I do which has an overnight in Rome on boarding day and you depart Rome on day 2, you should be fine. My son is travelling on his own from university in Miami as his semester was extended by a week post Irma...we arranged a Viking transfer from FCO to the ship for him as his flight arrives at 4:25pm and the rest of us hope to be onboard before lunch. I had a minor meltdown that he had to fly in on boarding day, then our TA advised that Viking would schedule an airport transfer for a flight arriving as late as midday on day 2. I think your biggest challenge would be arriving in time to get dinner in one of the restaurants as opposed to having to order room service.

Peregrina gave great advice with regards to researching how you are getting to the ship from FCO, there is a lot of information on the subject on Cruise Critic.

With regards to visa requirements, it's a good idea for anyone considering this itinerary (or really any itinerary) to do their homework on what is or is not required for each port

Thanks for your reply . Yes, we intend only to stay within the Viking tour group on the excursion in Algiers. It's good to hear from you that a visa in that case will not be required. (Our approach is, if we find out later that a visa is indeed required, we will probably just forego the chance to go on the excursion in Algiers, and stay on board the ship. It is just not worth the time, hassle and money, getting all the way to the Algerian consulate in London, filling in the forms , providing documents, and then having to spend about £80/$120(?) just to get a visa for an excursion that lasts only a couple of hours).

 

According to one website we looked at, it seems like Viking Ocean is the only major cruise line visiting the port in Algiers for the entire month of December! Perhaps the complications/hassle with visa application requirements discouraged other cruise lines going there.

I confirmed with Viking that the visa is included as part of the shorex. We do not need to purchase individual visas.

Not a lot of cruise ships call on Algiers to begin with (safety issues, perhaps) and December is just an off season. From the little bit that I have read on Trip Advisor, I get impression that Algeria is not looking for the tourism business and foreign visitors..

I confirmed with Viking that the visa is included as part of the shorex. We do not need to purchase individual visas.

Also, in the Itinerary Comments section of our invoices from Viking it says..."A group Visa is obtained and provided for Algeria for Viking Cruises Guests on Viking Tour programs. For individual exploration Guests will need to obtain an individual visa prior to departure."

Also, in the Itinerary Comments section of our invoices from Viking it says..."A group Visa is obtained and provided for Algeria for Viking Cruises Guests on Viking Tour programs. For individual exploration Guests will need to obtain an individual visa prior to departure."

You sent me back to my Viking invoice to see if the same statement appeared on my invoice and it does not. We booked in January, so it sounds like they have subsequently added the caveat. It certainly answers all my questions--but I am still not paying that much for a visa for a port we are visiting for barely 6 hours.

Also, in the Itinerary Comments section of our invoices from Viking it says..."A group Visa is obtained and provided for Algeria for Viking Cruises Guests on Viking Tour programs. For individual exploration Guests will need to obtain an individual visa prior to departure."

Thanks for the reassurance @Trinicruisegyal. And also thanks to @Peregrina651 for giving us the answer. We have also checked with our travel agent and were told no additional visa application is required for any of our stops during the cruise ( for British passport holders).

You know, Viking seemed to say something different in their Frequently Asked Questions section - and actually, that was what got us a bit concerned in the first place. We Googled that page (https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/frequently-asked-questions.html) and it said:

"Do I Need A Visa To Travel With Viking Cruises?"

"All guests should seek advice from their respective embassy, consulate or Travel Agent to determine which documents are needed; be sure to obtain and carefully review for accuracy all your required documents prior to departure to avoid delays or additional cost."

"Guests traveling to Russia on Viking Cruises organized shore excursions do not require a Russian Visa provided their stay does not exceed 72 hours in Russian ports, and private tours are available that do not require a separate visa...... provide to our staff at check-in."

"Algiers falls under the first line if guests contact the respective embassy, consulate or travel agent. "

Why couldn't they say that if passengers/guests are taking Viking organized excursions on shore, including in Algeria, we are not required to get an extra visa because this is apparently the situation? If we were to follow the advice in the FAQ, we might be led to go contact the consulate and then ending up paying for visas which we would not require. We were certainly not impressed with the info given in the FAQ page.

MORE CONFUSION AND INCONSISTENCIES?

This kind of confusion again came up with regards to gratuity and whether it is already included in the fares . In their Frequently Asked Questions page, it implied that gratuity is not included in the fares. When we checked with our travel agent, she told us that gratuity is already included (except for tour guides).

Looks like Viking needs to revise/correct/clarify the information given in their FAQ pages and be more consistent with their information because at the moment, what they wrote there could confuse customers, and that would not be very good, would it?

Thanks for the reassurance @Trinicruisegyal. And also thanks to @Peregrina651 for giving us the answer. We have also checked with our travel agent and were told no additional visa application is required for any of our stops during the cruise ( for British passport holders).

 

You know, Viking seemed to say something different in their Frequently Asked Questions section - and actually, that was what got us a bit concerned in the first place. We Googled that page (https://www.vikingcruises.co.uk/oceans/frequently-asked-questions.html) and it said:

 

"Do I Need A Visa To Travel With Viking Cruises?"

"All guests should seek advice from their respective embassy, consulate or Travel Agent to determine which documents are needed; be sure to obtain and carefully review for accuracy all your required documents prior to departure to avoid delays or additional cost."

 

"Guests traveling to Russia on Viking Cruises organized shore excursions do not require a Russian Visa provided their stay does not exceed 72 hours in Russian ports, and private tours are available that do not require a separate visa...... provide to our staff at check-in."

 

"Algiers falls under the first line if guests contact the respective embassy, consulate or travel agent. "

 

Why couldn't they say that if passengers/guests are taking Viking organized excursions on shore, including in Algeria, we are not required to get an extra visa because this is apparently the situation? If we were to follow the advice in the FAQ, we might be led to go contact the consulate and then ending up paying for visas which we would not require. We were certainly not impressed with the info given in the FAQ page.

 

MORE CONFUSION AND INCONSISTENCIES?

 

This kind of confusion again came up with regards to gratuity and whether it is already included in the fares . In their Frequently Asked Questions page, it implied that gratuity is not included in the fares. When we checked with our travel agent, she told us that gratuity is already included (except for tour guides).

Looks like Viking needs to revise/correct/clarify the information given in their FAQ pages and be more consistent with their information because at the moment, what they wrote there could confuse customers, and that would not be very good, would it?

 

 

 

Yes, there are a lot of inconsistencies on the Viking website and hopefully, one day they will get them all cleaned up--and not just the FAQs.

In the US and Canada (where 75% of the guests are from), cruise fares do not include gratuities. However, in UK, NZ and Australia they do. Tips on tours are another matter; they are not included in the tour price. Guidelines for these tips are in the information booklet that is delivered as part of the cruise documents. A 15% gratuity is included in the price of all bar drinks and spa services; while there is a line on the tab to add more tip (if you feel service warrants it), you don't have to add any at all.

As for the visas, your TA has given only half an answer. Just to be clear: To sail with Viking, you are not required to get a visa; Viking will supply what you need but only if you take their tours. If you want to leave the ship on your own, you must have your own visa. See https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/algeria/entry-requirements and

https://www.algerian-consulate.org.uk/visas/visa-to-algeria.

Wow. Thanks to all of you for so much information in response to my post. This is exactly what I wanted to find out. Thanks especially to din929 for the specific info on ports and sailing times. Sure helps to learn from someone who's "been there, done that." And thanks to trinicruisegyal for the info about late arrivals and dining situation. I had already done some general checking about airport transfers but will take folks' advice and check on this site also.

Now I can complete my planning and get going making my excursion reservations. Thank you all. I can tell that I'll be back here a lot.

Din929, one quick question. Do you recall when the ship departed from Valencia?

Thanks, Travelmum

Din929, one quick question. Do you recall when the ship departed from Valencia?

 

Thanks, Travelmum

This information should be on your reservation confirmation. I think it's page 2 or 3.

Din929, one quick question. Do you recall when the ship departed from Valencia?

 

Thanks, Travelmum

time in Valencia is scheduled for 9am - 6pm.

This information should be on your reservation confirmation. I think it's page 2 or 3.

Thanks. I just found my reservation confirmation. Hoping to get the hang of all of this soon. Appreciate your help.

time in Valencia is scheduled for 9am - 6pm.

Thanks. Appreciate the help. Travelmum

Travelmum (and anyone else new to Viking), do you know about MyVikingJourney.com and that you should register there because that is where you have to go to fill out the Passenger Information Form and to book shore excursions and specialty restaurants prior to sailing? Also there is information about the ship and the ports. If you don't already know about it, you will need your Viking booking number from your invoice to complete the registration.