Viking Star Survey Invitation

[algaes]

Email this evening included an invitation to join a panel on Viking Star issues due to be an early traveler (maiden voyage). Mentions there has been progress on port itineraries but not final yet.

 

Don't want to jeopardize my remaining in the panel so I won't give specifics. However they was asking for potential interest and price points for possible excursions unlike any I've ever heard of on any cruise line. If offered, they would revolutionize what it means to take a shore excursion.

 

Text as follows:

 

Thank you for booking your upcoming trip with Viking Ocean Cruises. As an inaugural passenger on the Star, Sea or Sky, we'd like to extend an invitation to what we're calling the "Viking Product Creation Panel" – membership we extend to only our best traveled and most valued customers.

 

In this case, the new Ocean itineraries are just about finished and we're adding some final, extremely special touches.

 

In the next few days you'll receive a series of 3 surveys asking you about preferences for highly exclusive shore excursions, cooking classes we're contemplating offering onboard, and other onboard activities we'd like to make available to all customers during their Viking Ocean cruise journey.

 

Not all of these options will be included in the final product, but we do want to make sure all of our journeys reflect the special wishes our customers have for their Viking Ocean Cruise.

 

To participate in our first survey for the Product Creation Panel....

[kathy9]

That is all well and good but in my opinion should have been done moths ago!

[TERRIER1]

I just completed the survey. The prices of these tour offerings are ridiculous - worse than Oceania. Some tours are pretty mundane with drive by viewings versus stopping at sites and they still have outrageous prices. Some are very unique but with costs that would equate to another cruise.

 

Viking should concentrate on their port arrival/departure times and air offerings which I still do not have any information.

[JEBurton]

... The prices of these tour offerings are ridiculous - worse than Oceania. Some tours are pretty mundane with drive by viewings versus stopping at sites and they still have outrageous prices. Some are very unique but with costs that would equate to another cruise.

 

Don't forget Vikings new slogan - "no nickel and diming"

 

or have they stopped using that sort of misleading phrase.

Edited December 3, 2014 by JEBurton

[loum140]

We just completed the survey as well and are in a state of shock. If these prices are what we can expect to see for excursions on our maiden voyage, I don't think we'll be taking very many! We'll do our homework and figure out how to get where we want to go in each port, as most (if not all) are repeat visits for us.

 

What is of critical importance to us are port arrival/departure times and the actual cost of the excursions that Viking posted on their website back in 2013 when we booked this cruise.

[TERRIER1]

Lets not forget the basic "free" included tours.

 

I'll be setting up a private tour with Alla for St Petersburg.

[bsrkent]

What dates are you in St Petersburg?

I am working with them for May 26-27, 2015. Alla has a wonderful product for two days at less than $300 including lunch for both days ($150/day)

[TERRIER1]

What dates are you in St Petersburg?

I am working with them for May 26-27, 2015. Alla has a wonderful product for two days at less than $300 including lunch for both days ($150/day)

 

We are there at the end of July.

[amyr]

I was horrified at the number of $500 per person excursions they were floating, until I got towards the end and saw the one for $4,999. LOLOL. I expect a 40-50 percent markup from the cruise line, but some of them were way, way more than that. They had some great excursions, private openings, etc., and a trip to the shipyard, but who would pay $500 for that?

 

Did anyone do the other survey about onboard entertainment? They're still trying to figure out whether to have trivia, wine tastings, jazz combos, etc. I would have expected these surveys sometime after making our final payments a year ago. Yikes.

 

I'm very grateful for a great itinerary and ports. I just wish I knew when we were going to be in them :D

[sitraveler]

And second part of "survey" is on board activities. We would have thought they were ready already.

[kathy9]

I was horrified at the number of $500 per person excursions they were floating, until I got towards the end and saw the one for $4,999. LOLOL. I expect a 40-50 percent markup from the cruise line, but some of them were way, way more than that. They had some great excursions, private openings, etc., and a trip to the shipyard, but who would pay $500 for that?

 

The last one was the one that caught my crazy DH's eye....he better stop playing golf and save all his money from his part time job for that adventure!

 

I guess we will plan on the ships' included excursions or hopefully be able to plan some private ones on our roll call if we ever get the information we need for planning them.

Kathy

[huntersyaya]

We leave Bergen on July 10th or 11th heading towards Stockholm. We are in SPB around the 21st (I think) and would love to get together a private tour with Alla. Is that when you are there?

[TERRIER1]

We leave Bergen on July 10th or 11th heading towards Stockholm. We are in SPB around the 21st (I think) and would love to get together a private tour with Alla. Is that when you are there?

 

We board on July 25th. I am just going to arrange a private tour with Alla and hope they come up with other guests to fill the tour.

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Wow!

Our final payment for 2016 is next week. Even if the average price ends up being $400 pp, it's not going to happen. I'm going to cancel the cruise. I looked at the possible excursions for Land of the Midnight Sun and really liked them, but not at those mark ups.

Cynthia

[sitraveler]

Don't read more into the "survey" than just a fishing expedition. The prices quoted here was for a private flight over the north pole, not on my list of things to do.

 

We have to see what Viking actually proposes, and then we can make an informed decision.

 

The world wonders.

[amyr]

Luna, don't forget that there is a free excursion included in each port, and a lot of us book our own private excursions anyway. I really do think they were trying to gauge just how much their passengers were willing to pay. I'm sure most of the people who responded to the survey said "no" when the prices were floated.

[sitraveler]

And part 3 was all cooking classes

[LunaSeaRetreat]

Luna, don't forget that there is a free excursion included in each port, and a lot of us book our own private excursions anyway. I really do think they were trying to gauge just how much their passengers were willing to pay. I'm sure most of the people who responded to the survey said "no" when the prices were floated.

 

We usually book our own excursions too, but the ports we are visiting except for Edinburgh and Bergen are not on the usual cruise stops. I feel we will be at the mercy of Viking for any in depth tours. We sailed with them to China and all tours were comprehensive and included. It was a wonderful carefree trip. I'll call my travel agent on Monday and see what she's heard.

We accepted paying in full a year and a half out but the thought of paying thousands more is unsettling to say the least.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Cynthia

[RHODYTRANSPLANT]

I just completed the first survey regarding excursions and pricing. Yikes, if that is the pricing that they are considering it will definitely cause everyone to seek out private tours.

 

We are on the July 25, 2015 cruise leaving from Stockholm and staying onboard till August 22, 2015 in Barcelona. We would love to join in with others in securing a private tour for a small group in most of the ports. We have previously used the private tours and found them to be the best way to see each and every exciting place without a mob scene. If anyone is interested let's try and get together.

 

Joyce & Ray

Ocala, FL

joycelamy@centurylink.net

[TERRIER1]

I just completed the first survey regarding excursions and pricing. Yikes, if that is the pricing that they are considering it will definitely cause everyone to seek out private tours.

 

We are on the July 25, 2015 cruise leaving from Stockholm and staying onboard till August 22, 2015 in Barcelona. We would love to join in with others in securing a private tour for a small group in most of the ports. We have previously used the private tours and found them to be the best way to see each and every exciting place without a mob scene. If anyone is interested let's try and get together.

 

Joyce & Ray

Ocala, FL

joycelamy@centurylink.net

 

We are on the July 25 Stockholm to Bergen. I want to use Alla for St Petersburg. I have not been able to get port times from Viking so it has become difficult to arrive a private tour. I also do not have any word from Viking about my requested air deviation. I find the whole Viking process somewhat disconcerting.

[kathy9]

The best place to find and plan privte excursions for your cruise is the roll call section of CC.

For Viking Oceans look under all other cruise lines and look for your cruise.

It is hard at this stage to book anything though without information from Viking like actual ports and arrival/departure times, but it will come with time.

Kathy

[TERRIER1]

The best place to find and plan privte excursions for your cruise is the roll call section of CC.

For Viking Oceans look under all other cruise lines and look for your cruise.

It is hard at this stage to book anything though without information from Viking like actual ports and arrival/departure times, but it will come with time.

Kathy

 

Unfortunately the few people that were actually on the roll call have opted out of the cruise. I think the time has come and gone that the port times should have been posted. I have sailed Oceania and Azamara and their port times have been available over a year in advance. I am not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling with Viking.

[jkerr]

We are on the Viking Star departing Bergen 5/16/15. We also received the surveys. I think Viking most likely got the idea that most of us are not interested in $500.-$4999. excursions? Hopefully, we will get the list of optional tours and pricing so we can make our own plans. But we did get a good laugh out of the survey options and prices.

Not being a frequent cruiser, we are not so interested in evening entertainment, but we enjoyed the lectures and cultural entertainment Viking provided on their China cruise.

Regarding St Petersburg we have checked Alla and their 2 day excursions, just to guaranty we get the most of St Petersburg possible.

 

 

D & J

[roothy123]

I'm very sure they didn't like my answers to the excursion survey - or the cooking classes survery either. I may spend a lot for a cruise but I will NOT spend much for an excursion. Usually I plan my own adventures, and there isn't much cost. Of course, I'm one of those folks who doesn't mind using public transportation, and in Europe it's usually great, so I actually enjoy going out on my own. I DO give Viking credit for proposing (and asking about interest for) some rather unusual excursions, and they are certainly not the same ones that are listed and described for my particular cruise.

 

I also would like to know port times, although it is not critical in my case as our cruise isn't until late September, plus when you do things yourself, port times don't matter as much as they do when you're lining up people to pick you up for a tour. However, I'm still, of course, quite curious, as I usually like to plan a whole day out and about, and am also overjoyed when we arrive somewhere around 8 AM, as things are usually fairly quiet then.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention that occasionally you can look up what times the ship will be in port on a port web site, and that will give you a clue - IF the port web site actually lists the ships visiting more than a month or two before arrival. (Some do, some don't!)

 

http://www.olp.gr/en/ is the Piraeus/Athens port web site, and they do have the times that the ship is expected to arrive and depart. I figure I'll use those for now, subtracting an hour on either end to account for tie up/clearance by authorities, "back on board" time, possible arrival delays, etc.

 

I found the Santorini port site and another port site (forget which city), but these sites don't post September 2015 cruise ship arrival info.

 

If anyone happens to have found info for Pula, Dubrovnik, Kotor or Kusadasi, I'd love to know about it. There are a couple sites that list which ships will be in ports on a particular date, but they don't include times,

 

Oh well, I figure that, by March or April, this stuff will be ironed out. Speculating between now and then, and learning about the ports we'll visit, will help me get through a cold winter, I guess!

Edited December 8, 2014 by roothy123

[Penkzilla]

You can try Cruise Time Tables. I've used it to see what other ships are in port the same day. They usually have a time listed too.