Cabin category V5 on Viking Sea

[gailellen12]

Any thoughts pro or con?  I have never been on Viking before so your opinions are welcome. It is also my understanding that you need to pay Viking in full at the time of booking even if you are a year or so from your sailing date  Thanks 

[Camden lady]

51 minutes ago, gailellen12 said:

Any thoughts pro or con?  I have never been on Viking before so your opinions are welcome. It is also my understanding that you need to pay Viking in full at the time of booking even if you are a year or so from your sailing date  Thanks 

I have been on two Viking Ocean cruises and had a DV1 and DV4 cabin.  The only difference in the cabins was the location on the ship.  The DV1 was at the very back (5110) and was great and the DV4 was on deck 4 midships.  The only advantage to the DV1 was the ability to see both sides while the DV4 restricted us to seeing just things on the port side. For our upcoming cruise we are also DV4 on the starboard side of the ship.   The cabins are the same size and have the same amenities so no difference there.   As for totally paying at time of booking, I think it depends on when you book.  I booked the upcoming trip (Norway and Iceland) in January and paid a $500 deposit with the remainder being due by June 30 this year.   The only time I have had to pay immediately on booking was a cruise around Iceland in August 21.  It was one of the restart cruises and I booked and paid in July for the August cruise.  And yes, I enjoyed Iceland so much that I want to go back and see some of the things I did not see on the first cruise.  We were in the Viking bubble on that cruise and could not roam independently so hopefully this time we can explore some on our own as I would love to see some of the little towns we stopped at.    Whatever cabin you have, your service providers will be great and the cabins are nice especially the bathrooms which are huge with great showers and heated floors.   So nice.   Have a great trip as you will be treated like royalty the whole time.   

[Mehroswitha]

Hi, Gailellen, and welcome to Viking!

 

Only difference between D5 and the higher-priced D cabins is location. And on a smaller ship such as those Viking sails, that's really a matter of personal preference.

 

One thing you might consider in deciding between a V or DV cabin, though, is that with a DV you would have some priority in booking shore excursions and specialty dining. You'd be behind those in higher cabin classes, but still--based on our experience--be able to get pretty much what you want if you book promptly when availability for your group opens. (No difference in priority between, say, a DV1 and DV5.)

 

Another (to us very minor) consideration is that in a DV cabin your mini-fridge will be restocked daily with non-alcoholic beverages and little snacks at no extra charge.

[duquephart]

"you would have some priority in booking shore excursions"

Recent experience has shown this to be untrue.

[austinetc]

I suspect a big deal for some would be the lack of a coffee maker in V. Another issue is that V is situated in the forward and aft sections of the ship. This presents a chance of larger ship movements in high seas, though being low in the ship would compensate. Otherwise, as others have mentioned, DV gives you more viewing choices.

[gailellen12]

Sorry I meant category DV 5. I really am new to Viking and haven’t learned their classification coding yet🥴

[austinetc]

Regarding payment schedule, you should absolutely try to negotiate. I paid my last cruise "only" six months before embarking, down from their desired full year.

 

I think a key question about cabin placement is how much time do you plan to be in it. Viking doesn't have the traditional distractions of casinos, discos, etc., so you may be spending more time in it. Or not. Viking tends to spend more time in ports, so you may be in it less. I enjoy watching the ship enter/exit ports, so I select the upper decks.

 

[Mich3554]

Our first cruise we booked on Viking was a V2 that I booked GFY.  It was upgraded to a DV3 when we got to the ship.  As we booked in Sept for a Dec sailing, we had to pay in full almost immediately.  7 cruises later, we usually stay in a PV as circumstances hav3 changed, along with retirement.  DH. wants to try out an ES, but I’m afraid it’ll be like flying business class…..you simply cannot go back once you try it out.  We are good in PV for the time being. 

[Selion]

We were in a DV1 on deck 4 aft, which is in the same location as some DV5 cabins.  The only differences between DV1 and DV5?  The wake view and a lighter wallet if you book DV1.  Other than those reasons, DV5 is identical to all other DV cabins.  I'm a sucker for wake views and got some amazing time lapse videos during port sailaways.  That said, my next Viking ocean cruise I'd be happy with a V2 if they are throwing in a complimentary SSBP.  🍸

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, gailellen12 said:

Sorry I meant category DV 5. I really am new to Viking and haven’t learned their classification coding yet🥴

 

Welcome to the Viking Boards.

 

All the DV & V cabins are exactly the same size, the primary difference is location on the ship. The DV 5 cabins are all located on Dk 4, fwd or aft, on both sides of the ship. On a lower deck you get less movement than higher decks, but fwd and aft cabins experience more movement than midships.

 

Viking are a private company and are not members of the CLIA, so they do not follow industry norms. With respect to payment, yes, they request payment in full well before other cruise lines. You can however negotiate and using a TA, being you first cruise, you should be able to get 1 yr before sailing. Booking on board, or having an existing booking, you can get 6 months.

 

While the PIF is a royal pain, the onboard experience more than makes up for that issue.

 

Hope you book and enjoy Viking.

 

 

[Peregrina651]

Heidi13 types faster than I do and has said everything I was going to say -- and much more concisely, too.  So, let me say ditto and then add one 'heads up'..

 

Negotiate any changes to the final payment date and review the written changes before you make your deposit. Once you have made the deposit, it is too late to change the contract. 

 

 

[Selion]

On 4/15/2022 at 10:39 PM, Heidi13 said:

While the PIF is a royal pain, the onboard experience more than makes up for that issue.

^^^That exactly.  I'd complained about Viking's final payment date being too far out for numerous times on this board, but now I have another Viking cruise booked for 2022 and looking into 2023 and beyond.

[Mich3554]

17 hours ago, Selion said:

^^^That exactly.  I'd complained about Viking's final payment date being too far out for numerous times on this board, but now I have another Viking cruise booked for 2022 and looking into 2023 and beyond.

We have booked into 2024, so I’d agree with you there!

[Azulann]

18 hours ago, Selion said:

^^^That exactly.  I'd complained about Viking's final payment date being too far out for numerous times on this board, but now I have another Viking cruise booked for 2022 and looking into 2023 and beyond.

If you have a current booking , you can get a better final payment date when you book another future cruise. Check with you TA or Viking Rep.