Overnight Port Schedules

[seprout93]

I am super excited for my upcoming cruise with Viking but I'm curious about how the overnight stops work. Is there a "curfew" or specific time that people need to be back on board the ship durning the overnight? I would love to take advantage of some of the nightlife on shore but I don't want to get my hopes up just to find out we will have to board the ship earlier than expected for the night. Going to be a blast either way! Any insight from previous cruisers would be greatly appreciated!

[worldtraveler1234]

• There are no curfews for overnight stops. The all on board time is usually 1 hour prior to departing port.

[SrCruizer]

seprout93 - regarding your curfew question, you don’t mention which port but wanted to comment on something we experienced on our recent overnight in Valparaiso, Chile. We were cautioned to be extra careful after dark due to political unrest and protesting in the streets. Also, getting to the ship required walking through the cruise terminal at one end of the port and then taking a Viking provided shuttle bus about a mile to the ship. Passengers were not free to walk the port area. We have gone on 4 VO cruises and have experienced that scenario in many of the larger ports for safety and security reasons.

[Clay Clayton]

Generally agree that you are free to come and go as you please, however on our recent Asian cruise, at least one of the ports required everyone to be aboard by 8 (or maybe it was 9?) as the shoreside staff-security and immigration officers went home.  

 

I remember thinking when I saw them pull back the gangway how strange it would be if we had an emergency and had to leave the by lifeboat even though we were tied to the pier!😲

[Dauntless]

The other post by this person was asking about European cruises so though this information is good to know, it probably will not apply to this situation.  Maybe they can let us know for sure which cruise they are interested in.

[DrKoob]

Many of my best photographic experiences have been getting off overnighting ships while in port before dawn. Last year in Reykjavik I had no problem walking off and walking where every I wanted to go. Same in Dublin (although you had to walk a ways to get out of the port). 

 

All depends on the port.

[seprout93]

Thank you all so much for the responses! The cruise I am going on is the Mediterranean & Italian Sojourn (Venice to Barcelona) with overnights in Venice, Livorno and Barcelona but I'm most interested in spending as much time as I can exploring Venice. 

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, seprout93 said:

Thank you all so much for the responses! The cruise I am going on is the Mediterranean & Italian Sojourn (Venice to Barcelona) with overnights in Venice, Livorno and Barcelona but I'm most interested in spending as much time as I can exploring Venice. 

 

I can tell you that in Barcelona, you are screened as you enter the terminal building, so that is one port where you will have to ask how late you will be able to return.  Take a cab back to the port and right to the front door of the terminal. The ship is moored right at the terminal building.

 

For your overnight in Livorno, consider an overnight trip to Florence. You cannot walk into the port in Livorno but you can take a cab right to the ship --and you can get a cab on the dock, if you don't want to wait for the shuttle and then get a cab to the train station (the saving is minimal and the convenience is priceless). Trains to Florence are frequent but make it easy on yourself and take a direct train not one where you have to change trains. Livorno ticket office was great; I wrote down what I wanted and handed it to the ticket agent. It was so much easier than trying to make myself understood in a language that I don't know.

[Liz Masterson]

18 hours ago, seprout93 said:

Thank you all so much for the responses! The cruise I am going on is the Mediterranean & Italian Sojourn (Venice to Barcelona) with overnights in Venice, Livorno and Barcelona but I'm most interested in spending as much time as I can exploring Venice. 

 

I tell everyone going to Venice who has the evening available... the after hours tour of St. Mark's Basilica is AMAZING and totally worth the money. Google it. We did the Doge's Palace add on as well which was also very good but if you have to choose do the Basilica.

 

[seprout93]

2 hours ago, Liz Masterson said:

 

I tell everyone going to Venice who has the evening available... the after hours tour of St. Mark's Basilica is AMAZING and totally worth the money. Google it. We did the Doge's Palace add on as well which was also very good but if you have to choose do the Basilica.

 

This would be awesome! Was it a tour offered by Viking? 

[Liz Masterson]

2 minutes ago, seprout93 said:

This would be awesome! Was it a tour offered by Viking? 

Nope. You can book it several places on line. Just google it.  After the last mass of the day the doors are closed. Then they let in about 6 groups of 10-12.  The building is large enough that it is really is almost like you are there with just a dozen people. I've recommended this several times. No one is ever disappointed. 🙂 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Liz Masterson

[Clay Clayton]

Another activity in Venice that isn’t offered (that I know of) by Viking but is the best “excursion” we have ever done is learning to be a gondolier. It was a great two hours or so that we have never forgotten...and it was much more budget friendly than riding a regular gondola. As I recall, both of us learned to row for the price of one is doing the traditional ride. 

[Liz Masterson]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Another activity in Venice that isn’t offered (that I know of) by Viking but is the best “excursion” we have ever done is learning to be a gondolier. It was a great two hours or so that we have never forgotten...and it was much more budget friendly than riding a regular gondola. As I recall, both of us learned to row for the price of one is doing the traditional ride. 

We almost did that when we were in Venice but just did not have the time. Next time... 

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Liz Masterson said:

We almost did that when we were in Venice but just did not have the time. Next time... 

Be sure to do it if you can! Mike says it was the best birthday present ever!

Edited January 24, 2020 by Clay Clayton