Viking Star 2015 Cruisers List

[id4elizabeth]

Leo. PLEASE let us know when/if you hear anything. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I do notice that every day there seems to be some subtle changes to the excursions on the website. A few of the excursions have been updated with icons indicating whether it's an easy walk, sightseeing, museums - at least that's what I think they mean - so far no glossary of icons to know for sure. And they are giving the excursions specific tour numbers, and a place holder for the prices (the words "Tour Price:") but no actual prices. These updates are kind of spotty and don't seem to be done in any logical order. It's also strange that a tour description on the Viking Empires cruise (the 50-dayer) will be updated, but the same tour on one of the segment cruises is not updated. Likewise, a tour on one of the segment cruises will be updated, but not the same tour on the 50-dayer. At this rate though, we will have left Istanbul by the time they get them all updated. Quite frustrating and time consuming. Oh well, sigh!

[TERRIER1]

I am on the July 25th cruise. Where are you seeing the excursion on line? Thanks.

[kathy9]

It continues to amaze me that Viking Oceans can not email the guests on the April 11, 2015 cruise with an update about anything!

[warm]

Go to the Viking website, go into Viking Oceans and then to the Viking Homelands cruise. Look at the itinerary and you will see a "view the complete itinerary. Click on that and you will get a list of the excursions under port.

[TERRIER1]

Go to the Viking website, go into Viking Oceans and then to the Viking Homelands cruise. Look at the itinerary and you will see a "view the complete itinerary. Click on that and you will get a list of the excursions under port.

 

Thanks. No pricing yet.

[paquebot]

Three months out and my husband and I are researching independent port tours. Time in Ephesus is limited, so I think a customizable private tour would provide the most benefit and the cost would be competitive, if we could get a small group to commit. Santorini also poses some timing challenges. If anyone is interested in checking this out further, kindly contact me. We'd also welcome the possibility of joining a group one of you may be arranging.

 

Thanks.

Judy and Peter Smith

[paquebot]

Judy and Peter from Boston will be on the maiden voyage, Istanbul to Venice, in April, 2015. Roy, thanks for compiling the list of cruisers. As the date of travel gets closer, we'll be looking for others who may wish to share private day tours while in port.

Three months out and my husband and I are researching independent port tours. Time in Ephesus is limited, so I think a customizable private tour would provide the most benefit and the cost would be competitive, if we could get a small group to commit. Santorini also poses some timing challenges. If anyone is interested in checking this out further, kindly contact me. We'd also welcome the possibility of joining a group one of you may be arranging.

 

Thanks. Judy and Peter

[algaes]

Sorry to disappoint but the itinerary listings on Viking website is stale material and reflects nothing new from months ago.

[id4elizabeth]

Judy & Peter - yes, we would be interested. I've been doing a bit of research on Ephesus, and while the included tour seems to get you there, I'm a bit put off by the last little part about free time to shop the arts & crafts booths at the bottom. I've seem pictures of this, and they're nothing more than t-shirt shops and trinkets. I don't want to spend what precious time we have in Ephesus on souvenir shops. So I too had been looking at the private option. They seem to vary widely in price - from $250 for a group of 2 to $39pp on something called the Ephesus Shuttle. We would be definitely interested in teaming up with you. The more expensive option does get cheaper the more people go. The mini-van in question seats 14. Not sure what $39 is going to get you although from reading their website, it does seem like it covered the same stuff. What we'd like to do in Ephesus is take in the main site, plus do the Terrace Houses, and possibly do the Ephesus Museum if there's time. Skip the shopping and carpet factory!

[id4elizabeth]

Leo - sorry to hear you're not seeing anything new. When I pull up the details for SOME of them, there do seem to be little new icons and some have durations. The list of the excursions though are exactly the same, and of course, no port times, mush less the times for each excursions and the cost field is still blank. I'm sure you would have said if you had gotten an e-mail?

[Bear_Music]

Three months out and my husband and I are researching independent port tours. Time in Ephesus is limited, so I think a customizable private tour would provide the most benefit and the cost would be competitive, if we could get a small group to commit. Santorini also poses some timing challenges. If anyone is interested in checking this out further, kindly contact me. We'd also welcome the possibility of joining a group one of you may be arranging.

 

Thanks.

Judy and Peter Smith

 

We'd like to be part of something photography-oriented on Santorini...

[id4elizabeth]

Judy & Peter - I've been looking at the EphesusShuttle website and it looks kind of good. I went to the PORTS section of Cruisecritic and they seem to get good reviews there, as well as on Trip Advisor. I've e-mailed EphesusShuttle, because on their calendar, the one date that's not listed for Ephesus is of course April 13 when we are there. I'll let you know what I hear when they reply. They also do tours in Istanbul that might (or might not) be cheaper than the optional Viking tour - won't know that until we see some prices. I asked a few questions there too and will let you know what I hear back. They seem to be able to do more in the same amount of time because they are very small groups and not a full giant bus load of people. They also don't do shopping "opportunities" and rug factory tours except the Grand Bazaar and Spice Markets. But it's kind of a shot in the dark.

[id4elizabeth]

I heard back from the Ephesus Shuttle people and they can take us on the 13th when the Star will be in port. They will do the main archeological site, as well as the Terrace Houses, as well as the Ephesus Museum - no shopping stops or carpet factories unless we specifically ask them to. They will meet us at the ship and deliver us back to the ship in an A/C 14 person van. We will have our own guide plus driver. To get a quote, I need to tell them our port times as well as how many people. So what I will do to get the ball rolling is tell them only 2 people for now and give them the port times as soon as that info comes out (on the 15th hopefully). That way you'll know the worst the price can be - it will only go down from there. And by the way, there's no deposit required - we wouldn't pay until the tour is over and they take Visa and Mastercard.

[algaes]

id4Elizabeth, my wife and I would be happy to join a non-shopping tour as proposed. Please consider us in for Ephesus and would consider other stops as well.

 

Regarding the afternoon of Apr 11th trip to the Grand Bazaar, we'd consider joining you on that as well as I've seen you propose elsewhere on CC.

 

We could take a taxi else I think the Star will be tied up relatively near a tram stop that runs to the Bazaar as I understand things. Of course as of 90 days out everyone is guessing where Viking Star will be tied up in Istanbul and everywhere else.

Edited January 11, 2015 by algaes
addl comments

[id4elizabeth]

You got it for both!

 

I'll start keeping a list, and once we get our port times for Ephesus I'll ask them for a price for 4, unless others join in by then. While I was emailing Ephesus Shuttle about Ephesus I inquired about their Istanbul tours and they have a private tour that takes in basically the same sites as the Viking Wonders of Ancient Istanbul (might not be the right name) but EShuttle will also add in the Harem part of the Topkapi Palace which my guide books say is worthwhile, as well as take us to and inside the Hagia Sophia. They will take us to the Spice Bazaar instead of the Grand Bazaar since it's closed that day. It's a 7 hour full day tour. They can do it one of two ways - by van (more expensive) or by Tram (less expensive). The Tram option is around $105 USD depending on how many people, but the guide meets you right as we exit the ship. We were thinking of doing this depending on the Viking tour cost, which my guess will be more expensive. We wanted to have some options going just in case. As far as doing the Grand Bazaar on Saturday afternoon, we're game for either taxi or Tram. I agree that most cruise ships seem to be near the Findiki (might have that not quite right) tram stop. If you haven't seen it yet, there's a video recently posted in the Ports -> Other Ports on Cruisecritic that shows departing the ship, going through some sort of immigration type thing and then out to the tram stop. And it looks like the tram will take us right to the Grand Bazaar.

[Bear_Music]

id4Elizabeth, We're good for 4 people on that Ephesus excursion. Me, Penny, and my sister and BiL, who are on the first leg with us. She's actually LED tours for Stanford that include Ephesus, and she says you have exactly the right idea. Perfect for me because I'm deaf and don't do well in large groups.

 

So count us in, assuming the price is rational. Penny and I are also interested in the afternoon Bazaar trip, most definitely, if we're up to it after the long flight in...

 

Finally, the Grand Tour sounds like a real option as well, have to discuss that further with Penny.

 

Robt.

[kathy9]

Elizabeth if your Esphus excursions does not include a rug shop stop and you have room my DH and I would like to be included. Kathy and Matt

[id4elizabeth]

Since there seems to be interest in these two tours, I've just posted a separate thread about the Istanbul tour on the Roll-Call Boards --> Other Cruise Lines. I titled it Viking Istanbul 4/12 Tour. I figured this would be easier than posting on various separate threads scattered over both boards. I will post the same thing about the Ephesus tour later tonight. I'll title it Viking Ephesus 4/13 Tour. Right now I have to go make dinner...

 

If you're interested in either tour, please check back later tonight to make sure I have you on the "list".

[paquebot]

id4elizabeth, please include my husband Peter and me among the participants for the Ephesus tour. Many thanks for the inquiries you have done. We are also interested in other group tours you may propose.

 

As I also search for independent tours, I will post my findings for possible interest by others on the April 11th departure from Istanbul.

 

Judy and Peter

[paquebot]

We'd like to be part of something photography-oriented on Santorini...

Hi, Robert.

 

I contacted Kostas at http://www.santorini-private-guide.com and he is available for a private tour of Santorini for up to 8 people. I will need to send a deposit for 100 euros through PayPal to hold the reservation. The reviews are excellent and his tour options are customizable and attractive.

 

He offers a 4.5 hour tour for 300 euros and a 6.0 hour tour for 380 euros, for up to four people. Additional participants are 30 euros each. So, if we had a group of 8, I think it would run 500 euros, or 62.5 E apiece.

 

Cruisers on private tours are tendered to the Old Port, where they may access the cable car up to Fira. The cable car costs 5 euros each way. Entrance to Ancient Akrotiri is 5 euros, if we select the 6 hour option. That's it.

 

I thought you might find this tour of interest for photography purposes. Let me know if this appeals to you. Other cruisers, please let me know if you have any interest.

 

The deposit is 50% refundable 30 or more days out.

[id4elizabeth]

We're interested if it includes Akrotiri. We were there about 20 years ago and saw the sight when it was only partially excavated and it was fascinating. These ancient Minoans had heated flooring via hot water that drained from the top of the hill downward. It was amazing. Oia was our favorite village on Santorini and the most picturesque.

[Bear_Music]

We're definitely interested, and if we do it there would be 4 of us. Let me run it by the team and let you know in a couple days OK?

[paquebot]

We're definitely interested, and if we do it there would be 4 of us. Let me run it by the team and let you know in a couple days OK?

We will do the six-hour Santorini tour that includes the excavation site at ancient Akrotiri, so I'll count you and your husband in, Elizabeth. Since the tour limit is eight, we will have room for the four of you, Robert. Please let me know ASAP, by tomorrow if possible. I will send the 100 euro deposit to Kostas, who is holding the date, either today or tomorrow. Since half of the deposit is non-refundable, I will count on any committed participants to honor their reservation request. If other cruisers have interest, let me know and I'll see what options there are. At the very least, we could keep a short wait list.

 

Thanks.

Judy

[Bear_Music]

I'll let you know probably by this evening, certainly by tomorrow morning. Waiting on my sister's reply. Sounds good to me.

[id4elizabeth]

Yes -- the two of us are in for the Santorini/Akrotiri tour for sure. Do you want us to send you a check for our half of the deposit? We'd be glad to if you'd like.