Optional Excursions - Viking Ocean Cruises - Mediterranean

[obrienla]

We are taking a Viking Ocean Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in October 2019. We are registered for the Penthouse Veranda rooms. My questions is whether the optional excursions are usually still open and available for the penthouse veranda sign-ups.  I have heard they often sell out, but curious if signing up at 77 days before still had good options open? Would appreciate input from anyone with experience on the Viking sign-ups. 

[SM77]

I just signed up for my included & optional excursions for an upcoming trip to New Zealand, Australia, & Indonesia and I am in a DV cabin which signs up 10 days after the PV.  I was able to get all my first choices.  The only excursion I had noticed that was 'sold out' was a helicopter ride (which would have very few slots for) so I would think that a PV would be able to get their first choices.  The only time I got closed out for an optional excursion was on the Baltic but I was in a V cabin which is the last group.  I recommend checking the availability of the excursions you want right after the Junior Suite are eligible and plan for contingency.   Hope this helps! 

[obrienla]

Thank you SM77.  Very helpful. We are pretty open as this is our first time in most areas. Just really excited for some of the excursions. 

[Peregrina651]

There are 464 cabins of which only 46 will be booking ahead of you and 104 with you, so your chances of being closed out of an excursion are slim--unless you are looking at one of the shorex with very limited seating (such as a helicopter ride).

 

Also, sometimes Viking uses SOLD OUT on the booking page to mean other than "no seats left" such as simply "we haven't finished making the arrangements for this excursion."  If you see an excursion that you want says SOLD OUT, don't give up on it but keep coming back to see if space has become available. Even if you put your name on some waiting list, keep checking and book as soon as you see that seats are available.

 

For those who are interested in the cabin break-down, it is as follows:

 

Owner's Suite (OS) -- 1

Explorer Suites (ES) -- 14

Penthouse Suites  (PS) -- 32

Penthouse Verandas - (PV) -- 104

Deluxe Veranda -- (DV) -- 272

Veranda (V) --42

[lackcreativity]

We have sailed in Veranda cabins on both of our cruises, and even as the last to book, we have been very satisfied with our excursions. We are flexible in our planning, but we haven't yet missed out on something we really wanted to do. For two ports, we didn't get our desired excursions on initial booking but found additional spots a week or two after our sign up time and were able to change our schedule. 

[moatenote]

Peregrina, I'm constantly amazed at the amount of information you're able to share with us on the CC forum.  Maybe we should write to Tellus@Peregrina651!!   Thank you for all the help you've provided!

[Peregrina651]

32 minutes ago, moatenote said:

Peregrina, I'm constantly amazed at the amount of information you're able to share with us on the CC forum.  Maybe we should write to Tellus@Peregrina651!!   Thank you for all the help you've provided!

 

Oh, no, don't TellMe. Tell the super people who work in the TellUs department (not its official name, especially now that they have decided to name one of the ships Tellus, but that's what I call them); they are much better at answering questions and they much better on the phone than I am--and they know so much more than I do. I'm everything a customer service agent should not be--short tempered, don't suffer fools, impatient, grumpy, etc. No, no, no, much better to contact the folks at TellUs (now called Social, I guess because part of their job is following the social media).

[moatenote]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Oh, no, don't TellMe. Tell the super people who work in the TellUs department (not its official name, especially now that they have decided to name one of the ships Tellus, but that's what I call them); they are much better at answering questions and they much better on the phone than I am--and they know so much more than I do. I'm everything a customer service agent should not be--short tempered, don't suffer fools, impatient, grumpy, etc. No, no, no, much better to contact the folks at TellUs (now called Social, I guess because part of their job is following the social media).

 

I really appreciate that group.  I bombard them with questions all the time and they haven't fussed at me yet!  Cristina and the others have helped us many times and very promptly also.  They even noticed that I go by my middle name and write to me that way---little things like that mean a lot.  Just one more way that VO is our fave.

Edited December 26, 2018 by moatenote

[SeesAtSea]

Obrienla, my husband and I are on a VO cruise in March. We booked our desired excursions, when they opened, with no problem. We are also PV. This will be our first VO and we were pleased with the ease of booking. Good luck with your choices.

[philw1776]

On 12/24/2018 at 4:10 PM, obrienla said:

We are taking a Viking Ocean Mediterranean Odyssey cruise in October 2019. We are registered for the Penthouse Veranda rooms. My questions is whether the optional excursions are usually still open and available for the penthouse veranda sign-ups.  I have heard they often sell out, but curious if signing up at 77 days before still had good options open? Would appreciate input from anyone with experience on the Viking sign-ups. 

 

Took that same cruise and another in a PV.  ALL options were open.

Hundreds of people book after you do and most get their choices with a few exceptions  but maybe mot at the time they prefer.

Edited December 27, 2018 by philw1776

[Ballerina Sweetie Pie]

We are staying in a PV- when our window for booking opened, everything was available. 

[ArizonaGal]

We, myself and a good friend, booked our excursions at 1:00am on Dec 27th - doing the Med Odessey in March 2019 (PV) and didn't have any problem with getting what we wanted for included/optional cruises.  Just make sure to look at the times available in the pull down block - which some have.  We didn't noticed that and messed up on one of 'optional' ones.  Had to cancel the wrong time and then book the correct time.  We were paying on two separate credit cards, but both names were checked and I clicked on my name to book - WRONG - I had to unchecked her name - she did the same thing as me, so we had to go back in and correct.  No instructions on what to do if you are using separate credit cards for different people.  Found it totally confusing.  Only fault I have found with Viking so far.  Just pay attention to what you are doing--I consider myself computer literate most of the time.  Hopefully we'll get a charge card credit, which it did say in the re-booking process. 

Edited December 28, 2018 by ArizonaGal
Added PV to post

[Dauntless]

7 hours ago, ArizonaGal said:

We, myself and a good friend, booked our excursions at 1:00am on Dec 27th - doing the Med Odessey in March 2019 (PV) and didn't have any problem with getting what we wanted for included/optional cruises.  Just make sure to look at the times available in the pull down block - which some have.  We didn't noticed that and messed up on one of 'optional' ones.  Had to cancel the wrong time and then book the correct time.  We were paying on two separate credit cards, but both names were checked and I clicked on my name to book - WRONG - I had to unchecked her name - she did the same thing as me, so we had to go back in and correct.  No instructions on what to do if you are using separate credit cards for different people.  Found it totally confusing.  Only fault I have found with Viking so far.  Just pay attention to what you are doing--I consider myself computer literate most of the time.  Hopefully we'll get a charge card credit, which it did say in the re-booking process. 

 

I have traveled with friends and both paid our own way so on the days we can book, we get on the phone and our computers at the same time and book in tandem, independently and that has always worked.  When we changed our mind on one of the excursions and went with an independent, our credit cards adjusted in a timely fashion.

[K9pal]

We are in a V for our upcoming cruise in March, and we can book at 60 days.  Is the DV also on 60 days?  Just wondering how much competition I'll have (and if I should set my alarm that morning when our booking window opens).

[SM77]

DV books @ 67 days.  V is the last group to book so I recommend checking the availability of excursions right before you can book and book as soon as the window opens.  

 

We were in V category for the Baltic and were closed out of one optional excursion we wanted and several of the best times for the included excursions were taken.  

 

Good luck!

[Dauntless]

19 minutes ago, K9pal said:

We are in a V for our upcoming cruise in March, and we can book at 60 days.  Is the DV also on 60 days?  Just wondering how much competition I'll have (and if I should set my alarm that morning when our booking window opens).

I have been on this cruise in a V cabin.  I did not get up early as in dark thirty but I did get to it in the morning.  If you have paid excursions you are interested in, go to those first and pay for them after you make the reservations.  Then go back and see where you can fit the included excursions in.  Nothing is yours until it is paid for.  Being in your cart is not enough if someone else pays first.  Being in the last group, there are only about 40 cabins booking for the first time that day.  There won't be that onslaught like the DV group.  If you don't get the paid excursion you want, check back about once a week or about a month out, book an alternative.  I know you have looked into that.  If another paid excursion opens at a different time when you have an included, see if you can't switch the included to another time and book what you wanted.  I've done that.  It may all work out just fine.  Just know there are still options if you don't get everything you wanted at the time you want.  It might still work and then if not, check when you board the ship.  I wanted 2 excursions at the same port but there wasn't enough buffer time between the two  but upon speaking with the ship people we did work a way to make it work if everything else off the ship was on time.  None of us left the ship at designated time in the morning due to some issue with the port so that little window we had closed, but the ship did what they could. 

[K9pal]

6 hours ago, Dauntless said:

I have been on this cruise in a V cabin.  I did not get up early as in dark thirty but I did get to it in the morning.  If you have paid excursions you are interested in, go to those first and pay for them after you make the reservations.  Then go back and see where you can fit the included excursions in.  Nothing is yours until it is paid for.  Being in your cart is not enough if someone else pays first.  Being in the last group, there are only about 40 cabins booking for the first time that day.  There won't be that onslaught like the DV group.  If you don't get the paid excursion you want, check back about once a week or about a month out, book an alternative.  I know you have looked into that.  If another paid excursion opens at a different time when you have an included, see if you can't switch the included to another time and book what you wanted.  I've done that.  It may all work out just fine.  Just know there are still options if you don't get everything you wanted at the time you want.  It might still work and then if not, check when you board the ship.  I wanted 2 excursions at the same port but there wasn't enough buffer time between the two  but upon speaking with the ship people we did work a way to make it work if everything else off the ship was on time.  None of us left the ship at designated time in the morning due to some issue with the port so that little window we had closed, but the ship did what they could. 

Thank you!  You've been a big help with answers to many of our questions so far 🙂