Viking Sineus - Ukraine

[Glorybe]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

there was so much to do in Kyiv....

I would be interested to know what you enjoyed seeing in Kyiv. Did you see these sights during free time, or a pre-post stay?

Did you walk or use public transportation to these sights/ease of use of buses?

[jpalbny]

3 hours ago, Glorybe said:

I would be interested to know what you enjoyed seeing in Kyiv. Did you see these sights during free time, or a pre-post stay?

Did you walk or use public transportation to these sights/ease of use of buses?

 

Glorybe, we visited Kyiv on our own last year during a week-long independent trip to Ukraine. We spent three days in Kyiv and went around on the Metro and on foot, on our own.

 

I did a blog about the trip here:

 

https://jpandchrisinukraine.blogspot.com/p/a-visit-to-ukraine-history-and-family.html

 

 

[dogs4fun]

9 hours ago, jpalbny said:

we visited Kyiv on our own last year during a week-long independent trip to Ukraine. We spent three days in Kyiv and went around on the Metro and on foot, on our own.

 

I did a blog about the trip here:

What an interesting blog - thanks so much for sharing. I haven't been yet but it is on my bucket list (first became interested in the Ukraine years ago while learning Mussorgsky's Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition & also from studying the works of Stravinsky - funny how one's interest is piqued - in fact, I attribute my love of Russia to my love of classical music). Wish I had been on that trip with you!!

[Glorybe]

17 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

 We spent three days in Kyiv and went around on the Metro and on foot, on our own.I did a blog about the trip here:

 

Thanks for the web address.for your blog about your Ukrainian trip. I enjoyed reading your descriptions and seeing the photos not only of the churches in Kiev, but also the restaurant food, your hotel room, and the Metro. Keep travelling!

 

 

 

[H2Otstr]

Question about the optional excursion to the opera in Odessa:

 

Was this a regular performance or one put on for tourists? (like the one in Vienna). 

 

What was the dress code? Do men need jackets and ties? 

Edited March 1, 2020 by H2Otstr

[Peregrina651]

We did not when we did it in 2012. 

[H2Otstr]

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

We did not when we did it in 2012. 

 

A, 

Did you think it was worth attending? What did you wear?

[pogo50]

We went last May. It was wonderful! If the weather is nice it’s walkable from the ship and the tickets are under $10.  We went with Viking which was good because it was a rainy night. They gave us umbrellas and our guide took care of checking them during the performance. We dressed nicely, but it was not formal. Coat and tie seemed optional for men. The theater is beautiful and you need to walk around. Make sure you buy the translated program, under $2.00.  The opera was in Italian and the translation above the stage was Ukrainian. Read the translation before the show unless you are very familiar with the opera. Pretty drive through Odessa at night.   GO!

it was a public performance, not just for tourists!

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, H2Otstr said:

 

A, 

Did you think it was worth attending? What did you wear?

 

We love opera and saw Don Giovanni, so, a resounding YES!!!!!!  Then there is the building itself. Worth a tour at least even if you don't get tickets. The Opera House website is English, so you should be able to figure out the schedule -- and seeing the schedule and knowing what will be playing while you are there, you can find synopses and librettos online before you go.

 

However, if you aren't a fan of opera and choose a 3 hour performance, as is DG, you might not be a happy camper by the end of the night. As pogo50 pointed out, these are not tourist performances but the regularly scheduled full-length performances -- as if you bought tickets for the Met in NYC.

 

DH wore the only thing in his suitcase, Dockers and a button down. I was traveling in skirts and tops at that point, so that is what I must have been wearing. We were dressed as casually as the rest of the audience. Lots of men in shirts sleeves where we were sitting.

 

For those staying on in Kyiv, there is a Opera House there as well. We did not get to go because there were no performances while we were there. Again, website available in English.

 

Here are some audience pictures --and the view from our seats:

 

 

 

And here is a link to more photos of our journey, including photos of the ship before she was refurbished. I warn you that I never did finish it but there is enough there to give you a taste of what we saw and did. Just remember that we did the cruise while Crimea was still part of the itinerary: https://ukrainefootstepsofthecossack.shutterfly.com/

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Posts in outrageously large type sizes will be hidden.

[Peregrina651]

And how to we get to see the post that has now been hidden?

 

That member had a problem and looking for some help.

 

Member in question, please contact the folks at TellUs@vikingcruises.com. Explain your problem and make sure to include the relevant booking number and your phone number. Ask them to explain why you are not entitled to a full refund.

[Glorybe]

RE: Cancelling the Viking Ukraine cruise prior to the company cancelling the cruise resulted in an unsatisfactory refund:

 

How many days before your departure date did you notify Viking you wanted to cancel the booking?

 

The Terms and Conditions document we received with our statement for our mid-September Ukraine river cruise shows a scheduled ladder of refunds that will be given according to the number of days prior to the departure that the cancellation was made. For example, 120 days cancellation notice prior to departure shows a 100% refund while 29 days or less results in no refund. These are considered "cancellation charges". When I read further into the document, it also states that the Ukraine cruise is "third party" provider  - that Viking just sold the tickets ( "acts solely as a US sales and marketing agent for the carrier of the ship and services are purchased from third party providers) for the Ukraine company who is providing the cruise.

 

I am wondering if the third party provider will have different policies about refunds due to cancellations from those that Viking is currently espousing for its European river cruises. 

 

Our travel agent is terrific in helping us make travel decisions by communicating with the various companies for us with whom we have made bookings and in informing us about these companies' current policies about refunds, cancellations, future travel credits,  etc.  Can you ask your travel agent to intercede on your behalf?

[Peregrina651]

9 minutes ago, Glorybe said:

 for the Ukraine company who is providing the cruise.

 

That is strange considering that Viking runs the hotel operation on a ship that it leases, since they can't own the ship under Ukrainian law (same as in Russia, China and a couple of other places).

[Glorybe]

Viking Ukraine Refunds for 2020 cruise cancellation by client:

 

I have received a full refund (minus $100 kept as a future travel credit with Viking) for the Sept 2020 Ukraine river cruise. I requested a refund through my travel agent who notified Viking about our cancellation. We cancelled just prior to the 120 days before sailing when full refunds without penalty would be given to clients who cancelled their cruises. We received the refund about a week after our request. So glad about the ease of getting this refund, but sad we had to cancel. It seemed like a good river cruise.

[Kylie]

Does anyone have any recent information about this cruise/ship?  Thinking of going May 2021 - hopefully cruises are sailing again!

 

[Peregrina651]

22 minutes ago, Kylie said:

Does anyone have some recent updates about this cruise?  We are hoping to sail in May 2021.

 

 

Hope this helps.

 

All Viking operations are cancelled through March, 2021. While they are hoping to resume operations on April 1, even this is subject to change; individual itineraries and sailings may be cancelled even once operations resume, depending on local conditions.

 

Viking will contact any passengers effected by any changes in the operating schedule. If there have been any changes to your sailing, you would have heard already

 

More information may be available on MyVikingJourney, information that is not published on the website and information that may be relevant to your sailing only.

 

 

 

 

[Kylie]

Sorry for the multiple posts!   

Our cruise is still advertised for May so hoping it sails!

 

[SM77]

On 12/14/2020 at 5:29 PM, Kylie said:

Does anyone have any recent information about this cruise/ship?  Thinking of going May 2021 - hopefully cruises are sailing again!

 

We have this river cruise booked for Sep/Oct 2021 and I have decided to cancel (I was going to wait until May (the last point at which we can get most of $$ refunded)) due to the new requirements for a COVID test being done within three days of flying back into the US, also the CDC has extended the no sail order through September, the slowness of vaccinations being administered, and lastly, the COVID virus having new mutations.  Just too much uncertainty and we already have a very large cruise voucher from a  canceled trip from last April 2020 which we have used yet.  

[SM77]

On 1/22/2021 at 7:42 PM, SM77 said:

We have this river cruise booked for Sep/Oct 2021 and I have decided to cancel (I was going to wait until May (the last point at which we can get most of $$ refunded)) due to the new requirements for a COVID test being done within three days of flying back into the US, also the CDC has extended the no sail order through September, the slowness of vaccinations being administered, and lastly, the COVID virus having new mutations.  Just too much uncertainty and we already have a very large cruise voucher from a  canceled trip from last April 2020 which we have used yet.  

Just to let everyone know, my statement about the no sail order may not be accurate.  On a different board, HostBeau said it was a rumor.  I had found it on the State Dept travel advisory for cruise ship passengers & looked just now & cannot find the reference anymore.  Needless to say, there are a number of cautions by the CDC about river & ocean cruising so we are still canceling...

[gnome12]

On 12/14/2020 at 8:15 PM, Kylie said:

Sorry for the multiple posts!   

Our cruise is still advertised for May so hoping it sails!

 

DELETED. I hadn't realized the date of the post I was looking at.

Edited January 27, 2021 by gnome12