Considering a 2021 Mediterranean Cruise

[ladybugpug]

Hi, I am not a frequent cruiser. My husband and I have taken our 3 kids on 4 cruises in the past 10 years  (2 NCL and 2 RCI) so that's the extent of my expertise. They are now all young adults so we are thinking of a cruise for just the two of us. Since Coronavirus reared it's ugly head 2021 seems like a good time to plan for our trip. I was looking at the 10 day Mediterranean that leaves September 22,  2021 (Viking Sea). My birthday happens to be September 22 so I told my husband it was meant to be 😉. So here are my questions: is now a good time to book? Since we have never sailed Viking I'm not sure how prices/perks compare to pre virus. My second question is for anyone who has taken this or similar itinerary or sailed this ship. Is there a lot of space in the sun for sunbathing? This is my favorite thing to do on cruises is lay in the sun and read and sip a drink. Is there time for sunbathing to worry about it? The itinerary looks pretty full and seems like we would be hitting a new ports almost daily. My husband and I are both 50 and are both very active and healthy and love to travel and see new places. I would appreciate any advice on this particular cruise and/or ship!! 

[Heidi13]

After 4 months on the Viking Sun there were always lots of spots on the upper decks to catch some sun. Even if the pool deckhead is closed they have the area around the Infinity Pool on Dk 7 and numerous loungers on Dk 8, then Dk 9 also has lots of seating.

[Peregrina651]

Yes, now is a good time to book because of the Risk-Free guarantee the Viking is offering until May 31. No idea if that offer will be extended after May 31. Remember that travel insurance, even with cancel for any reason coverage,  will not cover canceling for reasons related to COVID-19. Read the details on the Viking website and discuss any questions you might have with your Travel Agent or Viking agent.

 

Do read up on Viking. They are different from the companies you have been sailing with and the atmosphere on board is very different. Viking's business policies are also much different. Payment in full will be due much, much earlier than on other lines. It can be negotiated during the booking process (12 month prior to departure the best you can expect) but once you have paid your deposit, you have a firm contract. Shore excursions are booked according to the class of cabin you have booked. This is spelled out on the Viking website (Click here and scroll down).

 

As for prices pre- vs. post-virus, it really doesn't matter. This is what the prices are now and we have no idea if they will be going up or down in the future. You could wait for them to go down but they could go up; there is just no way of telling. Past experience tells us that if you really want a particular cruise and a particular cabin that you book sooner rather than later.

 

Personally, I think choosing a cruise that talks to you is the best way to choose them. If September 22 in the Med talks to you, then go for it  (heck, it talks to me but DH can't get away at that time of year). All the Viking ships are basically the same so it doesn't matter which ship you are sailing; the service is the same across the fleet and crew moves from ship to ship. Here are three more links that might help:

 

• Booking Terms & Conditions
• Passenger Ticket Contract
• Risk-Free Guarantee Program

 

Oh, and I forgot. Purchase the Viking Air at booking, you can cancel it later (up to x many days prior to departure) if you decide to book your own and if you do use Viking Air, plan on paying for Custom Air (it has another name now) so that you have some choice over your flight plan. If you have time, plan at arrive early and stay late; you can do it on your own even if you book your air through Viking by paying a deviation fee.

 

Good luck and Bon Birthday Voyage!

[Dauntless]

On 5/26/2020 at 9:39 AM, ladybugpug said:

The itinerary looks pretty full and seems like we would be hitting a new ports almost daily. My husband and I are both 50 and are both very active and healthy and love to travel and see new places. I would appreciate any advice on this particular cruise and/or ship!! 

 

Viking cruises will be quiet different from your past experiences.  They say Viking is for explorers and  I would have to agree.  Your cruise is in a different port every day.  If you're active you will definitely want to see what there is to see and the included excursions will give you an overview of the ports.  If they don't seem up your interests, you cans are there as well but with a cruise,  i feel like I need to have help seeing all I can so I can get an overview and probably won't make it back.  Some like to get lost in a city but that's not really an option on a short time frame. The ships are all about the same and they only can take about 930 guests and you have mentioned not being a fan of small ships on another post but this will be like a boutique hotel.  There are things you can take advantage of but nothing is pushed at you.  So many things that are included on this line that are extras on other lines.  It's just a different atmosphere without pretense.  I've been to Venice, Corfu  and Dubrovnik with Viking on another cruise. All good choices.  Did a 9 mile bike excursion with Viking in Corfu so you can find active if you want it.  Venice will need more than the time scheduled for the cruise so plan accordingly.  We had an overnight on the cruise and then spent 2 more nights after we disembarked to explore the city beyond the highlights and even did a day trip to Bologna.  The time on the ship will be relaxing so you can enjoy that but don't shortchange the destinations to lie in the sun, which you can probably do at home for a a lot less money.  

[Clay Clayton]

If you want to experience Viking but want to relax onboard, I’d suggest looking at one of the transatlantics.  No guarantee of sunny weather, but on two out of three that we had done there were more warm sunny days than cool ones.  And even when it wasn’t pool weather, lots of folks enjoyed being under the glass roof and by the pool. 
 

Haven’t done the cruise you are looking at, but our two Mediterranean cruises were port intensive and as Dauntless pointed out, we believed that we needed to make the most of our time in each port. We sailed both of those on Norwegian Jade and for the first one were in an inside cabin and didn’t mind it as we were so rarely in it.  Obviously that isn’t an issue with Viking but it would be awful to have such a great stateroom (and spa and living room, etc...) and not really get to enjoy. On our China cruise last fall we had several overnights so we didn’t feel like we had to go go go in each port.  So we ended up spending a morning or an afternoon lazing around aboard. 
 

Hope you end up having a great birthday wherever you end up!

[beachcomberbill]

Keep in mind that you will not be able to take along your minor children.  Viking is adults  only.

[Foggyzx9r]

I cannot comment on Viking as all our cruise trips have been with Azamara. However and as posted both lines are port intensive. The first time out we felt almost obliged to go on out every day for the longest trip possible to get our “monies” worth. We learned our lesson.

Now we pick and choose according to interest and length of excursions. 
 

Looking at your trip and the excursions offered some are are 4 to 5 hours long, so in theory you have plenty of lounging time to soak up the sun and have more than a few sips and have a trip out.

 

If I may recommend at least one tour, assuming you both have an interest in Ancient Greek history, the trip to Olympia is stunning. The Peloponnese peninsular countryside is so beautiful and the opportunity to see the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games.

 

Have a fabulous cruise.

[OnTheJourney]

On 5/26/2020 at 2:10 PM, Peregrina651 said:

Remember that travel insurance, even with cancel for any reason coverage,  will not cover canceling for reasons related to COVID-19.

 

 

Just found out recently, however, that Nationwide has a policy designed for cruising wherein you can CFAR (if you decide you just don't want to go). 75% is returned. I had never heard about this before. Most insurance companies require to take the insurance within a few days of booking to qualify for any sort of CFAR. 

 

Peregrina...I found interesting what you said about Viking air though. I'm still in the process of trying to understand exactly how all this works relative to upgrading for the invitational and Iberian cruises that we're booked on B2B (or "butterfly" in Viking terminology). The air department recently told me that if I decide not to go, they will refund in cash all but around $350 pp. Or, I'm also told, that the cost of the air could become part of the total under the "Risk Free" guarantee - which now is extended to 6/30. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

 

Just found out recently, however, that Nationwide has a policy designed for cruising wherein you can CFAR (if you decide you just don't want to go). 75% is returned. I had never heard about this before. Most insurance companies require to take the insurance within a few days of booking to qualify for any sort of CFAR. 

 

Peregrina...I found interesting what you said about Viking air though. I'm still in the process of trying to understand exactly how all this works relative to upgrading for the invitational and Iberian cruises that we're booked on B2B (or "butterfly" in Viking terminology). The air department recently told me that if I decide not to go, they will refund in cash all but around $350 pp. Or, I'm also told, that the cost of the air could become part of the total under the "Risk Free" guarantee - which now is extended to 6/30. 

 

Yes, but for clarity for all readers:  OTJ's situation is a bit out of the ordinary and anything that I said to the OP may not apply to his situation -- and anything Viking said to OTJ about his situation may not apply to anyone else who is reading this thread.

 

As for CFAR, it really isn't 'cancel for any reason'  so definitely take the time to read the list of what is covered and what isn't covered and even then, you should specifically ask if cancelling because of Covid-19 or any epidemic is covered under CFAR.  See the article on CC: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=5242&et_cid=3323708&et_rid=85377508&et_referrer=Boards_Million_Member_Newsub

 

[OnTheJourney]

Peregrina...given the uncertainties of all this, I assume your advice would also be to go with Viking for everything (?) especially since - as you correctly indicate for myself and other 3/19 Sky passengers who are involved in the invitational cruise -  it is rather a unique situation. 

 

Sorry...did not mean to hijack a thread 😮

Edited June 12, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Peregrina651]

OTJ, I really dislike giving such definitive advice. Everybody's situation is different; nothing is black and white. I am willing to give "food for thought."

 

Following the cancellation of our Iceland cruise this summer, I am now sitting with two voucher for flights on Icelandair.  Fortunately, we want to visit Iceland and we will eventually use the vouchers. Still, it was a hassle and we were lucky that the airline offered us the option of a voucher for our non-refundable ticket that does not have to be used in the next year.

 

Our next sailing is Hong Kong to Tokyo in the Spring. My original plan was to go early and stay late and therefore I was going to price-shop the flights and go with the cheaper option (because regardless, I would have to do my own transfers). Then came the pandemic and turned things upside-down. Whether we extend our trip or not, we are getting our flights through Viking, because if we decide to cancel because of Covid concerns, it will not be covered by our trip insurance and we will be stuck with vouchers on an airline that we might not be able to use in the future. Yes, we might be spending more money (especially since we are upgrading) but at least we will be able to easily move it to our next trip, if we need to.

 

That is my experience and those are my decisions and hopefully it will help others decide what is best for them.

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

 

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

. Whether we extend our trip or not, we are getting our flights through Viking, because if we decide to cancel because of Covid concerns, it will not be covered by our trip insurance and we will be stuck with vouchers on an airline that we might not be able to use in the future. Yes, we might be spending more money (especially since we are upgrading) but at least we will be able to easily move it to our next trip, if we need to.

 

 

 

 

 

P.....all sounds reasonable to me and is the direction I'm leaning in. In a non-CV world, I'd likely approach it the way I usually do (buying as much as possible on my own - insurance and flights). Thanks, as always, for your input. 

 

Do you typically use Viking for your trip insurance also? 

Edited June 12, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[philw1776]

Viking trip insurance has pros & cons.  For younger people it is pricey. Plus were Viking to crater, so could your insurance.

For old coots like myself Viking insurance these days is much less expensive.

Go to Insuremytrip.com and compare rates for YOUR situation.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

Do you typically use Viking for your trip insurance also? 

 

Never. For multiple reasons. Since we never claimed against our Iceland insurance, when we cancelled, we were given vouchers that we will be able to use for the insurance on our April trip. Our 3rd party insurer lets us buy the coverage in increments and we cover only what we have paid out of pocket, with the caveat that we must cover everything by final payment; with Viking, you have to pay the full amount that will be cover PLUS Viking insurance only covers what Viking has sold (thus not flights or pre-paid hotels, etc. that I buy on my own).

 

Note to what Phil says: by way of explanation, Viking insurance is cheaper because they 'self-insure' the cruise portion of the trip by giving you vouchers not cash if you have to cancel.

 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, philw1776 said:

 

Go to Insuremytrip.com and compare rates for YOUR situation.

 

That's the site I typically use, and is how I wound up talking to an agent who recommended the Nationwide policy. Only I found out today she misunderstood me with regards to the CFAR clause. We have already paid for the trip in full, and so not eligible for it. I must have led her to believe that we had not yet reached final payment. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Viking insurance is cheaper because they 'self-insure' the cruise portion of the trip by giving you vouchers not cash if you have to cancel.

 

The print-out of Viking insurance I have refers to getting cash or vouchers depending on the reason for cancellation. Under "how are you reimbursed" it also says that if you cancel for one of the specified reasons listed in the protection plan document (not sure I have that part) we will reimburse you in cash. If you cancel for any other reason, we will reimburse you with a voucher. I'm less worried about insuring the cost of the Iberian Explorer being that it's already covered under the guarantee (which IS a voucher reimbursement) if I cancel it. However, we already have a pretty substantial voucher to use from the Sky trip, so hate to accumulate too many of them. I want to get the advice from my usual TA on what to do with all of this. If I buy the flights from Viking, supposedly they also become part of the voucher under the guarantee. 

Edited June 12, 2020 by OnTheJourney

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

The print-out of Viking insurance I have refers to getting cash or vouchers depending on the reason for cancellation. Under "how are you reimbursed" it also says that if you cancel for one of the specified reasons listed in the protection plan document (not sure I have that part) we will reimburse you in cash. If you cancel for any other reason, we will reimburse you with a voucher. I'm less worried about insuring the cost of the Iberian Explorer being that it's already covered under the guarantee (which IS a voucher reimbursement) if I cancel it. However, we already have a pretty substantial voucher to use from the Sky trip, so hate to accumulate too many of them. I want to get the advice from my usual TA on what to do with all of this. If I buy the flights from Viking, supposedly they also become part of the voucher under the guarantee. 

 

I don't have the URL for the Viking Insurance document, so can't send a link, but I have a ,pdf copy. If you send me an email, I will attach it to the reply. One of our emails is listed in the blog, in the right sidebar

 

 

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I don't have the URL for the Viking Insurance document, so can't send a link, but I have a ,pdf copy. If you send me an email, I will attach it to the reply. One of our emails is listed in the blog, in the right sidebar

 

 

 

Andy, 

I have two pages here. The first is "Travel Protection Plan Summary" and explains Parts A and B. Then the 2nd page details the coverage summary. Is there more than that? Weird how it says "or cancel your trip for MN, MO, NY & WA residents only" at the top of the 2nd page under Part B Travel Insurance Benefits. 

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, OnTheJourney said:

 

Andy, 

I have two pages here. The first is "Travel Protection Plan Summary" and explains Parts A and B. Then the 2nd page details the coverage summary. Is there more than that? Weird how it says "or cancel your trip for MN, MO, NY & WA residents only" at the top of the 2nd page under Part B Travel Insurance Benefits. 

 

When we had the provisional booking for the WC back in 2018, I searched for the policy number, finding a document comprising:

• Part A (Viking's self insurance) - 5 pages
• Part B (Arch Insurance) - 6 pages
• Misc - 3 pages

Went through all the fine print before purchasing the insurance, although since nobody else would cover the risk, we didn't have other options.

[OnTheJourney]

Wow...so then there must be a lot more than I'm seeing. The main thing is, Viking's is really the only insurance I could buy that would provide a benefit for canceling the trip simply because we wouldn't feel comfortable going. Another travel insurance plan doesn't honor something like that as a 'covered reason'. I don't see much in the way of other options either. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by OnTheJourney