Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

[LindaS272]

19 minutes ago, THR said:

Question: We don’t have access to our state room until 2pm.
 

On embarkation day, even before rooms are available, are we able to use the laundry. I would take some as carry on so we can start it before we get access to our room. (We’ve been travelling for 10 days already.)

I’m sure you would be able to use the laundry. You might make inquiry at Guest Services or with the Housekeeping Manager when you board as to which floor would be best. But if it were me, I’d just go to a laundry room and get started. Remember, soap is included—so just press the button for your machine. 👍

[OneSixtyToOne]

The ship is open for you to explore and use. However you might not be the only person with that idea. If your cruise is a leg of a back to back cruise there will already be passengers onboard. 

[THR]

32 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The ship is open for you to explore and use. However you might not be the only person with that idea. If your cruise is a leg of a back to back cruise there will already be passengers onboard. 

Good point. It’s Into the Midnight Sun on Saturday; not sure if that’s a continuation of one. Can only try.

 

We are on deck 8; not sure if that has a laundry (the plans say they all do?), but given most of the rooms on that floor won’t use them given they have laundry included, we might be in for a better chance.

Edited June 21, 2023 by THR

[Peregrina651]

 

Access to your stateroom is whenever it is ready and many are ready long before the brochure time. Don't hang around killing time until 2pm, check as soon as you board. Viking only announces when all of the cabins are ready for occupancy.

 

Launderettes are only on Decks 3 though 6 and are located on the port(even) side of the ship, in an interior space, opposite the cabins.

 

Midnight Sun is sometimes joined with another itinerary to make Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun which will sail twice in July, 2023 and one in May, 2024.

[THR]

10 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Access to your stateroom is whenever it is ready and many are ready long before the brochure time. Don't hang around killing time until 2pm, check as soon as you board. Viking only announces when all of the cabins are ready for occupancy.

 

Launderettes are only on Decks 3 though 6 and are located on the port(even) side of the ship, in an interior space, opposite the cabins.

 

Midnight Sun is sometimes joined with another itinerary to make Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun which will sail twice in July, 2023 and one in May, 2024.

Very informative, thanks. We won’t rush to get there - check out of accommodation at 11 and by the time we make our way I’m sure it’ll be 12 or so + whatever time check in takes. 

[janetcbl]

2 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Access to your stateroom is whenever it is ready and many are ready long before the brochure time. Don't hang around killing time until 2pm, check as soon as you board. Viking only announces when all of the cabins are ready for occupancy.

 

Launderettes are only on Decks 3 though 6 and are located on the port(even) side of the ship, in an interior space, opposite the cabins.

 

Midnight Sun is sometimes joined with another itinerary to make Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun which will sail twice in July, 2023 and one in May, 2024.

The combination “Baltic + Midnight Sun”  is our favorite of all the Viking cruises we have taken. I would love to do it again!

[Mackdogmolly]

Does Viking provide any sort of tote bag in the cabin?

[Clay Clayton]

12 minutes ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Does Viking provide any sort of tote bag in the cabin?

Not that we have ever received.  

[Mackdogmolly]

On 6/24/2023 at 1:03 PM, Clay Clayton said:

Interesting, last time we were aboard-July 2021 Iceland-they had those and Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, and Woodford. Hope they have one of those three onboard in July🤞

 

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Not that we have ever received.  

So I should bring my tote from a competing cruise line? 😂

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

Does Viking provide any sort of tote bag in the cabin?

 

No tote. 

 

BYO is fine. 🙃

Edited June 25, 2023 by Peregrina651

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Mackdogmolly said:

 

So I should bring my tote from a competing cruise line? 😂

We have used our Viking luggage tags on several other cruiselines (I’m sure Torstein or Karine wouldn’t consider them competitors) so why not!😂

[Twitchly]

3 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

 

So I should bring my tote from a competing cruise line? 😂

That might be one way to convince Viking to start providing them!

[PasadenaDave]

1 hour ago, Twitchly said:

That might be one way to convince Viking to start providing them!

The last thing we need is another tote.

[Packman1000]

Does anyone know if Viking (ocean) will allow us to roll our own luggage onto the ship or do you have to allow others to handle it.  We have Viking air and transfers but will not get to the ship until evening and would like our luggage in the room as quickly as possible so we can change clothes.   Our luggage would be 2 mid sized rolling suitcases. The ship doesn't leave port until the next day so missing the cruise isn't an issue.

[Peregrina651]

I would contact Viking with this question. Use tellus@vikingcruises.com, (not the chat and not the call center). 

 

Also, I would bring a complete change of clothing in your carry-ons, just in case you and your luggage don't arrive at the airport together.  

Edited June 26, 2023 by Peregrina651

[SailorPaulH]

52 minutes ago, Packman1000 said:

Does anyone know if Viking (ocean) will allow us to roll our own luggage onto the ship or do you have to allow others to handle it.  We have Viking air and transfers but will not get to the ship until evening and would like our luggage in the room as quickly as possible so we can change clothes.   Our luggage would be 2 mid sized rolling suitcases. The ship doesn't leave port until the next day so missing the cruise isn't an issue.

We arrived at our ship at about 5:30 pm local time in Stockholm last year (with a next day sail-away). It took 15 minutes from the time we boarded to go to our life-jacket talk at the theater and then escorted to our cabin. Our bags were already there (last time we had seen them was when Viking staff loaded them on the coach at Arlanda airport).

[Clay Clayton]

9 hours ago, Packman1000 said:

Does anyone know if Viking (ocean) will allow us to roll our own luggage onto the ship or do you have to allow others to handle it.  We have Viking air and transfers but will not get to the ship until evening and would like our luggage in the room as quickly as possible so we can change clothes.   Our luggage would be 2 mid sized rolling suitcases. The ship doesn't leave port until the next day so missing the cruise isn't an issue.

When we embarked in Iceland in 2021 with our rollaboards and underseat bags (see photo below) the rollaboards were taken from us on the pier.  I asked to keep mine but was told it had to go through the X-ray and the one set up at the gangway wasn’t large enough for anything bigger than our small bags. 
YMMV

Edited June 26, 2023 by Clay Clayton

[janetcbl]

I’m sure it would be a definite “No” if you had to tender to board your ship. 

[Jim Avery]

30 minutes ago, janetcbl said:

I’m sure it would be a definite “No” if you had to tender to board your ship. 

Not so.  We have boarded in Greenwich UK with our rollaboards and computer bags.  Our two big suitcases were shipped ahead.  Have taken our rollaboards and computer bags up the gangway on every Viking Oceans cruise so far, tender or not.

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

Not so.  We have boarded in Greenwich UK with our rollaboards and computer bags.  Our two big suitcases were shipped ahead.  Have taken our rollaboards and computer bags up the gangway on every Viking Oceans cruise so far, tender or not.

So your rollaboards fit through the onboard X-ray machine?  In Iceland the shoreside facility didn’t have a security station, we did it onboard just like when returning from an excursion. 

[Jim Avery]

Yep,  Only had to do that once.  Shoreside X-ray in all the others.  Viking is the easiest embarkations we have ever endured....

[purpleally]

19 hours ago, Mackdogmolly said:

 

So I should bring my tote from a competing cruise line? 😂

Hmmm, Seabourn or Regent🤔

[purpleally]

4 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

When we embarked in Iceland in 2021 with our rollaboards and underseat bags (see photo below) the rollaboards were taken from us on the pier.  I asked to keep mine but was told it had to go through the X-ray and the one set up at the gangway wasn’t large enough for anything bigger than our small bags. 
YMMV

Those are small bags. Look like the size of carryons we are taking. 

[Mackdogmolly]

2 minutes ago, purpleally said:

Hmmm, Seabourn or Regent🤔

In my case, Azamara.

[purpleally]

On 5/27/2023 at 2:24 PM, Twitchly said:

Yeah, our TA really dropped the ball — or rather her office did. She was away when her office received our tags and documents; we never got them. Turns out her office didn’t put adequate postage on them and they were returned. We have not yet figured out what benefit TAs provide.

If you don’t know what benefit, you have the wrong TA