Viking Sky survivors

[OnTheJourney]

See what comes along once the "fine print" shows up....thanks for the suggestion! 

[TexasTraveler54]

Have not received any email about this from Viking. ☹️

[DGHOC]

They may well still be sending them out TT. It's only a Save the Day email. Dates are 18th - 25th of January 2021 Rome to Barcelona. They state all details will follow.

 

PS Hope you and your sis are both well x

[Haworth]

UK Message

 

[OnTheJourney]

This is the same thing I got....anxious to see the itinerary and more detail. How I wish, however, that this was March or April. I generally don't travel between December and March if possible. Were this later, I wouldn't hesitate. For me, it's the getting from my house to (or from) Newark or PHL airport that is the concern. During these winter storms that come along, the difference between the road outside my house (not to mention my driveway which can easily get blasted with 4 feet of solidly packed snow compared to perhaps only a foot or less on the road) and the road in town can be remarkable. So while I-78, etc.. might be fine to get to the airport, the key is GETTING to the highway from my place. All back roads to get there. If school is canceled due to these storms, my township road crew is NOT exactly 'chomping at the bit' to come through here and, without their plows - if things are bad enough - I'm stuck here for a day or more until they DO decide to come through. So that's where the worry comes in with traveling in winter and knowing there is a set timetable with a flight schedule. I avoid it as much as possible save for shorter trips to local places. I've only ever done 2 longer trips during the winter in my life - one was the recent Sky adventure, the other was Antarctica during February (no choice there...can't hardly go there during the northern hemisphere summer). Worried excessively about both until the time came and all was well. If I lived in an urban area where the roads were cleaned up quickly (or simply weren't as much of an issue) or an area where storms have a less severe impact ...that would make things easier. But where we live, on top of a hill, in the country, surrounded by open fields where there is NOTHING to break the wind, we get blasted by these nor'easters or other types of winter storms that come along. We'll see. The inaugural cruise I'm sure will be fantastic, but peace of mind is worth something too.

Edited August 28, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[Viking Cruises]

Dear @TexasTraveler54,

 

We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and invite you to email us at TellUs@VikingCruises.com with your booking number so that we can look into this for you.

 

We hope to hear from you soon, and wish you a lovely day!

 

Best,

Viking Cruises

 

5 hours ago, TexasTraveler54 said:

Have not received any email about this from Viking. ☹️

[ptkelley]

9 hours ago, TexasTraveler54 said:

Have not received any email about this from Viking. ☹️

Check your Spam/ Junk email folder.  Mine got put there! 

[Symmes99]

Similar story for me. 

I found mine in my HELD mail folder, which is really strange because I’ve received plenty of emails from Viking without any problem. 

[OnTheJourney]

Weird...mine came in with the regular verizon email. 

[JDincalif]

We returned to Hustadvika on September 4, by land this time (not all the way from California, of course!). We were sobered both by our memories of the Viking Sky event and by what might have happened to all of us during our last visit to this wild coast, yet were celebratory in our safe return. Norwegians  we encountered remain captivated by any mention of the Viking Sky story, with several telling us that "the whole nation was watching" as our ship came "that close (invarably holding up two index fingers an inch apart) to disaster." Even our bus driver recounted his time as a volunteer driver taking evacuees to Kristiansund and Molde, and about how rapidly their seemingly seamless yet incredibly complex rescue efforts came together. It was a privilege to thank them face to face.

 

Edited September 12, 2019 by JDincalif

[OnTheJourney]

JD....amazing! What is the picture of?  So this was a land tour of Norway?  We might have had that bus driver....very possible. 

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[JDincalif]

Our photo shows one of the bridges on the Atlantic Ocean Road, the 'land side' of the Hustadvika coast. We used our Viking Sky refund to return to Norway and traveled independently, for the most part, by train from Oslo to Trondheim to Bodo, then by ferry to Svolvaer and down the coast to Bergen, from where we returned to Oslo by rail. To see the Atlantic Ocean Road, we disembarked in Kristiansund, went by bus along the road and returned to the ferry in Molde. We learned that the ferry encountered rough seas during our time ashore and were relieved not to have experienced that this time around

Edited September 12, 2019 by JDincalif

[kittycrews]

Lovely to read about your return to that hospitable country.

 

We were on a cruise with Regent Seven Seas in the Med when we got our "save the dates" for 18-25 January 2021. When we came home to Scotland, we called our Viking hotline and booked the 26 January Barcelona to London leg to continue our journey as a B2B. A very helpful representative, Scott Bennett, booked us on the same deck, same category as our March 2019 cruise, but on the side of the ship to give us the best view sailing north. We still had a remainder on our voucher which was applied. Along with early booking, previous cruiser and travel agent discounts we got an increible deal. See you all in 2021?

[OnTheJourney]

Kittycrews.....I'm interested in doing the B2B also (not wishing to fly all the way over there just for the week).

 

I assume you can't stay onboard the Venus the evening of Jan. 25?  I talked to a Viking rep about already booking this, but he suggested waiting to book the 1/26 sailing until the final details come out on the inaugural. I don't think I'd plan on using the compensation money for this one, however. Planning on waiting a bit longer. Either way, the idea of doing the B2B is most intriguing. 

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

8 hours ago, JDincalif said:

Our photo shows one of the bridges on the Atlantic Ocean Road, the 'land side' of the Hustadvika coast. We used our Viking Sky refund to return to Norway and traveled independently, for the most part, by train from Oslo to Trondheim to Bodo, then by ferry to Svolvaer and down the coast to Bergen, from where we returned to Oslo by rail. To see the Atlantic Ocean Road, we disembarked in Kristiansund, went by bus along the road and returned to the ferry in Molde. We learned that the ferry encountered rough seas during our time ashore and were relieved not to have experienced that this time around

 

Cool trip you did there....wonder if we were on that road the evening of the 23rd?  Bus ride took about an hour to get from the staging / evac facility to Kristiansund. Still, it felt GREAT to be on that bus.

 

Interesting about the ferry encountering "rough seas"...not surprising!!!  

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

Does anyone else (who aims to do the Venus Inaugural) have plans to also do the 1/26 sailing?  Just curious...not sure if this should be booked now or wait (as was suggested to me by a Viking rep I talked to).  It'd be really nice to be able to stay on board, but can't see how they could make that work - could maybe keep the same room though (assuming it's not already booked!)  Be interesting to see how Viking handles this whole thing. It makes sense that we'll be assigned the same rooms we had in March, but since the 1/26 sailing is already open to the public I guess it's hit or miss as to even winding up close to the same room, or even deck. 

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[TexasTraveler54]

We are thinking of doing the B2B as well.  Viking rep I spoke with said we could go ahead and book the 2nd trip or wait till details on the inaugural come out.  I assume we would have same rooms as in March, but would like to upgrade for Barcelona to London or be able to stay in the same room.  Certainly wouldn't want to have to disembark between cruises.  Surely Viking can handle this.

[OnTheJourney]

Kitty,

 

What is this website you refer to where you can book the room without paying? I'm confused...you said in the earlier post that you're already booked for the 1/26, but then say that it's too far away yet to be able to reserve the room without paying (with reference to the website). I must be misunderstanding something.

 

LOL about Heathrow.....I know what you mean. We have a similar feeling about CGD (although perhaps unjust only having gone through there once). 

 

I seem to recall you're in the UK...indeed does make things easier. At the least, I'm hoping pre and/or post extensions are offered for the inaugural if we'd choose not to do the B2B. 

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[kittycrews]

Sorry for my confusing post. Booking.com allows you to reserve a room without paying. It is this site I will use if I need to book an overnight in Barcelona on 25 January (end of our free cruise) and not able to stay on the ship before we sail to London.

 

We have paid a deposit on the Viking 26 Jaunary - 2 February cruise.

 

CDG also a nightmare! I agree.

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

Those deposits are totally refundable if canceled within 120 days if I'm correct? Think I'll still hold off a bit. If I were in Mr. Hagen's place, I'd come up with something to offer a deal on doing the B2B for the Sky guests. Would make good business sense....

Edited September 12, 2019 by OnTheJourney

[kittycrews]

Just now, OnTheJourney said:

Those deposits are totally refundable if canceled within 120 days if I'm correct? 

Unsure about refund.

[OnTheJourney]

Just checked with Viking...the room I had on the Sky is currently not available anyway on the Venus for the 1/26 sailing, so guess I'll just hold on until more details are forthcoming. 

[kaumond]

20 hours ago, JDincalif said:

We returned to Hustadvika on September 4, by land this time (not all the way from California, of course!). We were sobered both by our memories of the Viking Sky event and by what might have happened to all of us during our last visit to this wild coast, yet were celebratory in our safe return. Norwegians  we encountered remain captivated by any mention of the Viking Sky story, with several telling us that "the whole nation was watching" as our ship came "that close (invarably holding up two index fingers an inch apart) to disaster." Even our bus driver recounted his time as a volunteer driver taking evacuees to Kristiansund and Molde, and about how rapidly their seemingly seamless yet incredibly complex rescue efforts came together. It was a privilege to thank them face to face.

 

 

[kaumond]

 Were you able to meet up with Ivar?  Looks like you had a wonderful trip back.

[JDincalif]

3 hours ago, kaumond said:

 Were you able to meet up with Ivar?  Looks like you had a wonderful trip back.

Yes, we went on a Saltstraumen tour with Ivar on a crisp sunny day in Bodo. After some light hiking in the area, we relaxed on the deck of a 'typically Norwegian cafe' (per Ivar) watching the whirlpools form at the height of the tidal flow.