Viking Free Airfare

[Mike07]

32 minutes ago, SM77 said:

Absolutely true, we did the Viking Panama Canal cruise last December and learned that ships are booked months in advance, especially cruise ships.  Also, Panama has had drought conditions in recent times so the canal has had to reduce & restrict traffic going through it.  The day we traveled to Panama there was a huge storm coming up the East Coast, we were lucky since we left Washington Reagan @ 6 AM, folks flying later were delayed and yes, a number of passengers didn't make, some were lucky that they got to the ship before midnight.  Going through the Canal, ships need to line up way before their transit through the Canal.  It is quite a sight.

 

 

Was it a complete transit in the old locks or new locks? Based upon the time (December), that completely negates it being an expedition ship.

[SM77]

5 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Was it a complete transit in the old locks or new locks? Based upon the time (December), that completely negates it being an expedition ship.

We did the complete transmit through the old locks - I think it's called Classic Panama Canal Passage.  Viking's ship is small enough to go through the old locks, a far more interesting transmit.  There was a Disney ship that was traveling in the new locks next to us.  This was a bucket list item for me - I loved going through the Canal and yes, I would have been really bummed if we had missed this part of the cruise.  As for the rest of the ports, they were OK.  It was very interesting to travel by bus on the road that is along the Canal from Colon back to Panama City.  

[CCWineLover]

14 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I think that folks unrealistically think that Viking Air will handle every bump in the air while they are flying to or from a Viking cruise.

 

My brother was one of 40 some odd people on a flight to Panama City that was delayed and Viking did not hold the ship for these 40 people.  This was a partial crossing of the Panama Canal, so the 40 people held up in a hotel for two days until the ship emerged again and they missed the actual crossing.  

 

Another example of why we recommend and always do it ourselves - to fly in a day or more early.  If something like the Canal is important to you, you have to expect things will happen and you need to take it on yourselves to protect against the case of bad airline flights and delays.  Viking can't help that.   I know some people are not able to fly in early due to work or whatever, but those that do, consider the deviation fee a form of insurance if you fly Viking.

[CDNPolar]

9 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Another example of why we recommend and always do it ourselves - to fly in a day or more early.  If something like the Canal is important to you, you have to expect things will happen and you need to take it on yourselves to protect against the case of bad airline flights and delays.  Viking can't help that.   I know some people are not able to fly in early due to work or whatever, but those that do, consider the deviation fee a form of insurance if you fly Viking.

 

Well put re the deviation fee as a form of insurance.

 

I have friends looking at the day early for an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver Canada, and the hotel rates for one night in downtown Vancouver (for a decent hotel) are $800 + and some people are not willing to pay that.  In fact the one night hotel is equivalent to one person round trip air from Toronto to Vancouver.

 

@FlyerTalker often mentions that being in control and being able to make the call yourself when an air 'mishap' happens is the preferred and I agree, but we sometimes do still use Viking Air - especially when it is free air.

 

It is difficult for me to convince my husband that we need to always go in a day early.  Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't.

Edited September 12 by CDNPolar

[2blueyam]

Some of this can be situational as well. We normally come in at least a day early, but we are not coming in early to Rome for our cruise because the ship is remaining overnight in Civitavecchia. We have been to Rome for 5 nights on a prior vacation. Even if things get really bad and we are two days late arriving in Rome, it is only about a 2-hour train ride from the airport to Naples to catch up with the ship. Being late would be disappointing, but it wouldn't "ruin the whole trip". The other time we didn't go early was when we drove to the port of Baltimore for a cruise.

[CDNPolar]

3 minutes ago, 2blueyam said:

Some of this can be situational as well. We normally come in at least a day early, but we are not coming in early to Rome for our cruise because the ship is remaining overnight in Civitavecchia. We have been to Rome for 5 nights on a prior vacation. Even if things get really bad and we are two days late arriving in Rome, it is only about a 2-hour train ride from the airport to Naples to catch up with the ship. Being late would be disappointing, but it wouldn't "ruin the whole trip". The other time we didn't go early was when we drove to the port of Baltimore for a cruise.

 

Get you.  Situational is a good way to put it.  If the cruise is overnight in a port, we will discuss flying in the day of embarkation as long as the ship is in port the whole next day.

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Get you.  Situational is a good way to put it.  If the cruise is overnight in a port, we will discuss flying in the day of embarkation as long as the ship is in port the whole next day.

Great plan but always expect the unexpected. On our last trip to Venice, there was a one day Italian air controller strike on boarding day. Then, because of bad weather, the ship left a day early. 90 people boarded 2 days later in Croatia.

[FlyerTalker]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I have friends looking at the day early for an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver Canada, and the hotel rates for one night in downtown Vancouver (for a decent hotel) are $800 + and some people are not willing to pay that.  In fact the one night hotel is equivalent to one person round trip air from Toronto to Vancouver.

 

If only staying the night, just get a hotel near YVR airport and head into town the following morning.  That should cut the cost by about 75%.

 

No need to be down there if the main reason for the overnight stay is just to get in early.  I never understand the folks that want to be right next to the port, because you make the trip from the airport to the cruiseship one way or the other.  For example, if flying into MIA the day before, I just hop a hotel shuttle and stay at the airport area, then go to the port the next day.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12 by FlyerTalker

[Mich3554]

6 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Well put re the deviation fee as a form of insurance.

 

I have friends looking at the day early for an Alaska cruise departing from Vancouver Canada, and the hotel rates for one night in downtown Vancouver (for a decent hotel) are $800 + and some people are not willing to pay that.  In fact the one night hotel is equivalent to one person round trip air from Toronto to Vancouver.

 

@FlyerTalker often mentions that being in control and being able to make the call yourself when an air 'mishap' happens is the preferred and I agree, but we sometimes do still use Viking Air - especially when it is free air.

 

It is difficult for me to convince my husband that we need to always go in a day early.  Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't.

The hotels around the cruise terminal are crazy.  If you want to be downtown, book a hotel further from the cruise terminal.  I think about 4 blocks away was sufficient to take the hotel price down to about $300.  Not only that, it’s near a bunch of stuff to do and a quick taxi or Uber to the cruise terminal.  
Vancouver has some charming boutique hotels.