Transfers when making own hotel arranagements

If you make your own hotel arrangements, but you have Air Plus, are you responsible for doing your own transfers? Can you pay Viking a small fee to get the transfers? I imagine taking taxis is not that expensive. It's just the normal hassle of finding a driver that understands "ship is in location ABC, pier 123".

I normally pay Viking for hotel add ons. But I'll be in Venice and I've heard that hotel is not that nice. And later Barcelona. No idea if they have a good hotel there. Last time I lucked out and got a better hotel than originally booked.

I don't leave until late 2019 so this is not something I need to figure out right away.

If you make your own hotel arrangements, but you have Air Plus, are you responsible for doing your own transfers? Can you pay Viking a small fee to get the transfers? I imagine taking taxis is not that expensive. It's just the normal hassle of finding a driver that understands "ship is in location ABC, pier 123".

 

I normally pay Viking for hotel add ons. But I'll be in Venice and I've heard that hotel is not that nice. And later Barcelona. No idea if they have a good hotel there. Last time I lucked out and got a better hotel than originally booked.

 

I don't leave until late 2019 so this is not something I need to figure out right away.

We did not use the cruise's excursion for the end of cruise in Barcelona; we booked Hilton using our points. We had to get a taxi there, but we go there hours before the other passengers...and were allowed to check in around 9am! The other passengers' bus took them on a tour throughout the area before they arrived...I am guessing so it was closer to the 2pm check-in time. You can take the subway, but with all our luggage...and one wheel gone from a suitcase, that was not an option. Our taxi cost about $30 euros. (Exchange was $1.23 USD to $1 Euro)

OK thanks. Would be nice to check in early!

If you make your own hotel arrangements, but you have Air Plus, are you responsible for doing your own transfers? Can you pay Viking a small fee to get the transfers? I imagine taking taxis is not that expensive. It's just the normal hassle of finding a driver that understands "ship is in location ABC, pier 123".

 

I normally pay Viking for hotel add ons. But I'll be in Venice and I've heard that hotel is not that nice. And later Barcelona. No idea if they have a good hotel there. Last time I lucked out and got a better hotel than originally booked.

 

I don't leave until late 2019 so this is not something I need to figure out right away.

I'm trying to figure out how to explain this clearly.

If you are getting your flights from Viking but not arriving and/or departing on the first and last days of your cruise package (in other words cruise plus any Viking extensions), then you are doing what is called a deviation and when you do a deviation, you lose the transfers and you also incur an additional $100pp deviation fee plus any additional air fare (and that is determined by the airlines not by Viking). See Viking Air Services on the Viking website. In other words, you are on your own for transfers.

Barcelona is not difficult. Taxi is a flat fee from down-town to the airport. Google "Barcelona taxi to airport" and you should get a number of helpful information websites in English.

As far as getting the cab drivers to understand where you want to go, if I'm concerned, I write it down.

Ok, thanks much.

I'm doing the Egypt cruise in June. I booked a flight one day early since it was $300 less, and that was the cost of one extra night at the Ritz Carlton (which is part of the cruise) so it was a $ wash. I'll get a decent night's sleep and will be able to enjoy the first day which is usually brutal for me. The thing is, I didn't use Viking Air only because the flights were ridiculously bad. Still, I get in at 12:01 a.m. the "official" first day. My TA leaned pretty hard on Viking and got them to agree (confirmed in writing) to pick me up at the airport .This will be my fourth Viking cruise, so maybe that helped, or maybe my TA did the trick.

I'm doing the Egypt cruise in June. I booked a flight one day early since it was $300 less, and that was the cost of one extra night at the Ritz Carlton (which is part of the cruise) so it was a $ wash. I'll get a decent night's sleep and will be able to enjoy the first day which is usually brutal for me. The thing is, I didn't use Viking Air only because the flights were ridiculously bad. Still, I get in at 12:01 a.m. the "official" first day. My TA leaned pretty hard on Viking and got them to agree (confirmed in writing) to pick me up at the airport .This will be my fourth Viking cruise, so maybe that helped, or maybe my TA did the trick.

I think you have a great TA ;)