NEW to Viking - Dining

[agnesd]

When can you make dining reservations?  Are all cabin cats eligible for all restaurants?  How about reserving shore excursions?  I believe you can bring aboard your own booze. Is this just for carbon use etc?  Any tips would be helpful.  

 

[SrCruizer]

Being new to Viking I would highly recommend you go to the FAQ section on their website. Your questions will be answered there since a lot depends on your room category. Also, if you haven’t already done so, set up your Viking account under “My Trip”. Regarding the restaurants, they are open to all stateroom categories. Reservations are required for The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s. A tip regarding reservations, not only for the restaurants but for shore excursions, do that as soon as your stateroom category opens up. They book up quickly. But don’t be discouraged if at first you can’t get want you want. We found that once we were aboard the ship, reservations opened up with people canceling. So keep checking. Yes it is true you can bring your own alcohol aboard and it’s not limited to being consumed in your room. We frequently poured a glass of wine and enjoyed it elsewhere on the ship. 

[Heidi13]

Making pre-cruise dinning reservation online varies by cabin category. We are in a DV and can make reservation in either alternative restaurant at 60 days before departure. Other cabin categories can reserve earlier.

 

The Veranda cabins cannot make any dinning reservations pre-cruise, but once onboard every passenger can use any of the restaurants.

 

Affirmative, you can bring aboard any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages and you are not restricted to drinking in the cabin. You can bring your own wine to meals and they do not charge corkage. Even use it in the bars. However, on Viking you receive comp beer/wine at lunch/dinner and the drinks package is a fraction of the cost of other cruise lines.

 

 

[cocruiser19]

I agree with the advice you were given for ocean cruising and would add a couple more tidbits.  Manfredi's is a pretty static menu but it has a lot of variety, so it is not particularly important when you dine there.  Manfredi's is always great!  The Chef's Table, on the other hand, changes their menu every two or three days and you may find that its limited offering on a given day does not suit your palate. Therefore, check the menu before you reserve at the Chef's Table.  If you are not able to get reservations you want, recheck at either restaurant when you first get aboard ship; you may find that they can accommodate you.  If you don't get an excursion you want, definitely go on the wait list.  There are frequently changes or added tours if there is sufficient interest and opportunity.

For readers who are going on Viking river cruises, your dining options are more limited so you don't need to fret about reservations.  However, the advice about reserving excursions early, going on a wait list, taking aboard your own wine/liquor if you desire, and availing yourself of liberal wine/beer pours at meals is just as valid on the rivers as it is on the seas.