SHORE EXCURSIONS

[backtocruisin]

We were suppose to be able to book our shore excursions 77 days prior to sailing. I went online to do so and there are none available.  Vikings stated they will send and email when the excursions will be posted. Does anyone have any insight into this situation? thanks.

[Peregrina651]

It is being discussed in all of the roll calls (especially the first four sailings) and the General thread

 

Arrangements are way behind (to put it politely). Three sailings have been able to book shorex. We were not notified when they were available for booking.

 

General Thread 

[Azulann]

These  Welcome Back Cruises  are not following  the normal scheme of things . Due to  Covid  protocols  for these sailing  , shore excursion posting to your MVJ  are delayed. I am on the July 13 Bermuda sailing. 

Have not gotten the shore excursions, but my MVJ is currently locked. Hopefully they are downloading  the shore excursions or another  change in my flights? 

One needs patience , some days I have an abundance , other days not so much. 

But so glad I will on a cruise   in July.  

Edited May 20, 2021 by Azulann

[Australia08]

1 hour ago, Azulann said:

These  Welcome Back Cruises  are not following  the normal scheme of things . Due to  Covid  protocols  for these sailing  , shore excursion posting to your MVJ  are delayed. I am on the July 13 Bermuda sailing. 

Have not gotten the shore excursions, but my MVJ is currently locked. Hopefully they are downloading  the shore excursions or another  change in my flights? 

One needs patience , some days I have an abundance , other days not so much. 

But so glad I will on a cruise   in July.  

I’m on the July 17 Iceland trip. I was supposed to be able to book excursions May 1. They are still not posted and my understanding is that they will be released to everyone the same day. I am presently on a week long vacation with limited cell service so I am really stressing that I won’t be able to book if they are released this week. It’s actually preventing me from enjoying the trip I’m on right now. If I only knew when they’d drop I could actually take that day away from my touring to be near the internet. Instead I find myself cutting time at particular sites just to find some available internet to see if anything has happened. 

[Peregrina651]

33 minutes ago, Australia08 said:

my understanding is that they will be released to everyone the same day.

 

They were for the first three cruises. Hopefully fixing that problem is one of the things that is delaying things for the subsequent cruises. A lot of people were not happy about how things rolled out for the first 3 sailings to book shorex.

 

 

[bafinegan]

Azulann, we're going to have to set up a meet time/place for drinks!

[Australia08]

5 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

They were for the first three cruises. Hopefully fixing that problem is one of the things that is delaying things for the subsequent cruises. A lot of people were not happy about how things rolled out for the first 3 sailings to book shorex.

 

 

I would certainly appreciate a "heads up" email from Viking, even if it was to say that shorex for July 17-24 won't be loaded until June 15th since there is so much work to do in fixing it.  One would think that they would know what they are presently trying to achieve right now.  

[Azulann]

5 hours ago, bafinegan said:

Azulann, we're going to have to set up a meet time/place for drinks!

Absolutely , precruise at mystery hotel in Newark? Or on ship first day? We eat at 8pm first night . Explorer lounge or living room or even by infinity pool Aquavit bar after we board and get our negative ok  or predinner 

you pick the place .

 

[bafinegan]

12 minutes ago, Azulann said:

Absolutely , precruise at mystery hotel in Newark? Or on ship first day? We eat at 8pm first night . Explorer lounge or living room or even by infinity pool Aquavit bar after we board and get our negative ok  or predinner 

you pick the place .

 

We're flying in from Atlanta-Charlotte-Bermuda, so will have to be on board. We arrive 238 in Bermuda.  Not sure how long the covid restests, etc will take.  Maybe the second day? Our dinner is at 730 the first night.  

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, Australia08 said:

I would certainly appreciate a "heads up" email from Viking, even if it was to say that shorex for July 17-24 won't be loaded until June 15th since there is so much work to do in fixing it.  One would think that they would know what they are presently trying to achieve right now.  

 

Don't hold your breath waiting for a heads up.  The folks heading to Bermuda are calling the lack of communication "radio silence." 

[id4elizabeth]

On 5/20/2021 at 10:29 AM, Peregrina651 said:

 

They were for the first three cruises. Hopefully fixing that problem is one of the things that is delaying things for the subsequent cruises. A lot of people were not happy about how things rolled out for the first 3 sailings to book shorex.

 

 

I've been told in a phone call from the tellus@Viking rep that none of the Welcome Back voyages will have the ShoreX released by cabin category.  They will all be released at the same time on a first-come-first-served basis for each sailing.  I'm sure that's not making the upper tier cabins happy at all, but Viking is so late in getting them posted to begin with that's probably the only way they can do it now.  Totally frustrating to be on a cruise with the possibility of no optional ShoreX  available.  They delay is not I believe a systems issue - I believe they have lost the few tour operators they had and are scrambling to find new ones.  I think they miscalculated and only contracted with vendors for the first 3 sailings, and not the rest.  Meanwhile other cruise lines have entered into the Iceland market with sailings starting mid July and grabbed up the existing tour operators. 

 

My only suggestion is to email tellus@Viking.com and ask WTHeck is going on.  Hopefully if enough of us email them somebody somewhere at Viking will get on the stick.

 

 

[id4elizabeth]

On 5/20/2021 at 9:52 AM, Australia08 said:

I’m on the July 17 Iceland trip. I was supposed to be able to book excursions May 1. They are still not posted and my understanding is that they will be released to everyone the same day. I am presently on a week long vacation with limited cell service so I am really stressing that I won’t be able to book if they are released this week. It’s actually preventing me from enjoying the trip I’m on right now. If I only knew when they’d drop I could actually take that day away from my touring to be near the internet. Instead I find myself cutting time at particular sites just to find some available internet to see if anything has happened. 

I wouldn't worry too much about this coming week - reading between the lines of several phone and email conversations I've had with Viking recently, I keep hearing, "We HOPE TO have them available for booking by the end of May; first of June at the latest."  It's been weeks now since they dropped the "soon, any-day-now" response.  Last week I even heard this response;  "For sure they'll be posted by the time you embark"  so please enjoy the vaca you're on and don't let Viking's incompetence wreck it for you!

[Peregrina651]

48 minutes ago, id4elizabeth said:

They will all be released at the same time on a first-come-first-served basis for each sailing. 

 

I would be nice were Viking to send an e-mail explaining what the plan is and apologizing for not being able to follow the promised policy of tiered release. It would also be nice were this e-mail sent two days in advance of booking opening so that everyone gets to know about it at the same time.

 

 

[Dukefan]

The good news for folks on cruise critic wanting to book shorex regardless of room category, there are a miniority of the total folks on each of your cruises that are on cruise critic.   Thanks to the postings on cruise critic each of you should know by now what the excursions are and the ones you want to book as soon as they open up.   If everyone on your roll call checks regularly and when they are posted puts a notice on your roll call, I would think everyone should be able to book the shorex you want before the vass majority of the other cruisers know they are available.  It is one of the major advantages of joining a roll call - being ahead of the game in a lot of areas.

[MarkTapley]

2 hours ago, Dukefan said:

The good news for folks on cruise critic wanting to book shorex regardless of room category...

I assume you are trying to find the silver lining, but  I am not happy at all about Viking’s proposed plan to release excursions to all cabin categories at one time.  Since we have no option to book excursions on our own, which we have done many times on our other Viking trips, we booked PS knowing we would have priority to book optional excursions early in the queue. We’ll have to see how this all shakes out.

Edited May 23, 2021 by MarkTapley
Clarification.

[Dukefan]

2 minutes ago, MarkTapley said:

In my view, this is not good news.  I am not happy at all about Viking’s proposed plan to release excursions to all cabin categories at one time.  Since we have no option to book excursions on our own, which we have done many times on our other Viking trips, we booked PS knowing we would have priority to book optional excursions early in the queue. We’ll have to see how this all shakes out.

I agree, that this will not be a normal Viking Experience.   On all of our other Viking Cruises we have done a mixture of Viking Excursions and our own Private Excursions (often times set up on Cruise Critic).   There will be far more limited exposure to local culture on this trip.  But these are not normal times, and I for one am happy to be traveling again, even in a more limited way than I would prefer.

[sleepybobo]

1 hour ago, Dukefan said:

I am a member of Viking River & Ocean Cruises Friends on Facebook but haven't found it to be near as informative on our Iceland Cruise as cruise critic.  Same with the Facebook Travelers who love Viking Cruises Group.

I do feel we get more “balanced” views of Viking here. 

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, sleepybobo said:

I do feel we get more “balanced” views of Viking here. 

 

Shhh, please don't spread the secret! I'm very happy to be the lesser know place.