British Isles Explorer Cruise

[KBs mum]

By the way, in the UK the service charge on a bill is not a tip. The business can keep it and not pass it on to staff. For this reason if you want to tip hand cash directly to the person. 

 

If the service charge was not shown as part of the pricing information before ordering it is optional. We consider it unethical practice, it's a price increase pretending to be a tip, so we just pay the total for the food and drink. 

If service warrants we do tip individuals

[PlainvilleGirl]

18 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

In the UK, Ireland and Norway no tips are expected in most circumstances, there isn't a tipping culture. If you do want to tip a guide or driver £5 or euro/Kroner equivilent per couple is a decent amount, perhaps going up to £10. Nobody will be bothered either way if you tip or not. 

Onboard we just go with the suggested daily gratuity amount, seems fairest that all get a bit. 

 

I didn't make myself very clear.  We are figuring out our "budget" and I do not know what the suggested daily gratuity amount onboard is.

[KBs mum]

1 minute ago, PlainvilleGirl said:

I didn't make myself very clear.  We are figuring out our "budget" and I do not know what the suggested daily gratuity amount onboard is.

Sorry, I misunderstood. Gratuities are included in the prices for us in the UK, so I am not sure how much they are. 

I think they may be listed for advance payment on the US version of  the My Viking Journey app

[SantaFe1]

28 minutes ago, PlainvilleGirl said:

I didn't make myself very clear.  We are figuring out our "budget" and I do not know what the suggested daily gratuity amount onboard is.

Suggested Gratuities are $17 pp per day.  You can pay them in advance, on MVJ, or at the end of the cruise.  When onboard, you can also ask that they be changed or deleted.  

[Nippy Sweetie]

Onshore be aware that most restaurants operate the 'tronc' system whereby gratuities/service charge added to a bill is distributed throughout the whole staff. Individuals pocketing cash tips will not be popular!

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, PlainvilleGirl said:

We are booked on the British Isles Explorer cruise for early July.  Could someone tell me the amount of expected tips per day, per passenger?  Thank you.

 

 

I can never remember the number and I understand that it is changing.  But you can go to MyVikingJourney.com and find out. ( MVJ is the Viking Guest online interface.  If you haven't already registered, you will need your Viking booking number to compete the process.)

 

On MVJ, navigate to "Before You Go" where you will see that you have the option to pre-pay the gratuities.  From there, you can figure out what it is per night on the ship.  This amount is for hotel staff.  Tour guides and bus drivers are not included in this amount. 

 

If you haven't pre-paid, the amount will be added to your shipboard account. To modify the amount or to opt out, visit Guest Services towards the end of the cruise.  

 

 

[KBs mum]

38 minutes ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

Onshore be aware that most restaurants operate the 'tronc' system whereby gratuities/service charge added to a bill is distributed throughout the whole staff. Individuals pocketing cash tips will not be popular!

Valid point, but if that system is in place cash tips given to individuals will be put into a jar somewhere for distribution later. Cash tips are on top of contracted wages, service charges can be used to pay said wages with the establishment keeping any excess. Hence cash tips being better for the staff

Edited March 30, 2023 by KBs mum

[Nippy Sweetie]

Illegal for establishment to keep tips. Costs associated with identifying tips in card payments and necessary taxation only.

[uktog]

In many establishments in the UK its also a breach of contract by the employee if they keep tips handed to them and they would lose their job if they dont hand it over - dont put them in that embarrassing position or tempt them, tip on the card if a service charge is not added and let the establishment handle the fair distribution to all involved in the preparation of whatever you enjoyed.  

Edited March 31, 2023 by uktog

[KBs mum]

5 hours ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

Illegal for establishment to keep tips. Costs associated with identifying tips in card payments and necessary taxation only.

I agree with you, the service charge is not legally a tip, so it may not go to the staff. This is why I tip in cash, handed to someone who can keep it or put it in a communal tip jar depending on establishment policy. The tip can be left on the table if the customer is unsure. I've often seen cash handed to wait staff being put in the jar as they go past while resetting the table

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by KBs mum

[SteelCity Cruiser]

On 3/27/2023 at 12:15 PM, Heidi13 said:

 

Here are my thoughts

 

London - if Greenwich, you have a number of local attractions and can take the DLR or Thames ferry up stream to Tower Hill/Westminster. If Tilbury, unless you want to take the adjacent small ferry over to gravesend, a shore-ex/private tour is probably best.

 

Dover - cruise ships dock at the west end of the harbour, which is a fair distance out. It is about 1.5 - 2 mls walk to the castle. The marine promenade is a pleasant walk, but the beach isn't fine sand. Could always taxi up to the castle and then walk downhill and through town. However, the surrounding area has some great attractions, so probably worth investigating shore-ex/private tours.

 

Dublin - Viking will provide a shuttle service to Dublin from the port. You can walk around or catch one of the Ho-Ho buses.

 

Holyhead - This is one port I haven't visited, but my researched had the cruise dock at the end of a jetty, sticking out from an island. Fair distance to shore. We had planned a private tour in this port into the Welsh countryside.

 

Liverpool - ships dock by the Royal Liver/Cunard buildings, so easy to walk ashore.

 

Belfast - I've been at a couple of berths, but you'll probably be using the berth close to the city airport, which is an industrial complex. I expect Viking will have shuttles to town. Lots of attractions in town and the surrounding area. We planned a private tour.

 

Ullapool - tender port, where the tenders go to Ullapool Pier. Very small town/large village. We planned to book one of the local cruises and then wander around the town.

 

Orkney Is - this is another port I haven't visited. We were tendering into Kirkwall Harbour. Lots of great attractions outside town, so we planned a private tour.

 

Edinburgh - tender port, with tenders heading to newhaven harbour. The former Royal Yacht is a short walk and the area has lots of restaurants/cafe. Ready access to public transport to visit Edinburgh.

 

Invergordon - the town is a short walk. This port also has many great local attractions, so we planned a private tour.

 

Shetlands - another port I haven't visited. Again, we planned a private tour.

 

 

This is great info - thank you.  I gather that in Edinburgh, there aren't Viking shuttles from Newhaven into the city and that we should plan on taking public transport from there (since this is our second visit to the city we are exploring independently, not with an excursion).

 

 

[fruitmachine]

18 minutes ago, SteelCity Cruiser said:

This is great info - thank you.  I gather that in Edinburgh, there aren't Viking shuttles from Newhaven into the city and that we should plan on taking public transport from there (since this is our second visit to the city we are exploring independently, not with an excursion).

 

 

If correct, that would be a change from previous years. Last year it was every 30 minutes to Charlotte Square.

The first Viking ship of the year has called, but it went to Rosyth due to high winds, so no evidence yet this year of what they are doing.  The next visit is Venus tomorrow, but I'm in the Adriatic this week, so won't be able to give you an update on that. (I'm a volunteer meeting passengers in Edinburgh. )

[SteelCity Cruiser]

13 minutes ago, fruitmachine said:

If correct, that would be a change from previous years. Last year it was every 30 minutes to Charlotte Square.

The first Viking ship of the year has called, but it went to Rosyth due to high winds, so no evidence yet this year of what they are doing.  The next visit is Venus tomorrow, but I'm in the Adriatic this week, so won't be able to give you an update on that. (I'm a volunteer meeting passengers in Edinburgh. )

Lovely - thank you.  We won't be there until June so we can see how it works out.  Would be wonderful if there are shuttles.  I don't mind negotiating public transport, but it's one less thing to fret over!

 

[fruitmachine]

1 hour ago, SteelCity Cruiser said:

Lovely - thank you.  We won't be there until June so we can see how it works out.  Would be wonderful if there are shuttles.  I don't mind negotiating public transport, but it's one less thing to fret over!

 

The volunteers in purple will keep you right on public transport.  Even with the shuttle running, it's still worth knowing how easy it is to use.  Have a read of https://www.lothianbuses.com/using-the-bus/visitor-guide/ and https://www.lothianbuses.com/contactless/  If you have a contactless credit card each, then you're charged at the end of the day £2.00 per journey taken, with a maximum daily cap of £4.80.  Or you can buy paper DAYtickets for £5.00 per person, paying for as many people as you want with cash (no change given) or contactless credit card.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

Fruitmachine, thanks....you are a great resource for Edinburgh! We have to book our excursions on Saturday, and Edinburgh has been one we aren't quite sure what to do. We really wanted to see the Stone of Destiny (Stone of Scone), but that excursion is 7 hours long. We don't want to invest that much time in doing just one thing. We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. 

 

Any thoughts you have on this?

[Heidi13]

40 minutes ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

Fruitmachine, thanks....you are a great resource for Edinburgh! We have to book our excursions on Saturday, and Edinburgh has been one we aren't quite sure what to do. We really wanted to see the Stone of Destiny (Stone of Scone), but that excursion is 7 hours long. We don't want to invest that much time in doing just one thing. We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. 

 

Any thoughts you have on this?

 

You can purchase tickets for the castle online for a given date and time. This saves waiting in any queues.

 

If interested in some private tours, I have 3 local vendors that I would consider for tours of Edinburgh and the surrounding area.

[Peregrina651]

23 minutes ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. 

 

We did Edinburgh in 2016 (with Midnight Sun).  We did not take the included tour but did wander on our own inside the Castle, which is a series of building enclosed by a wall. If you don't go inside the gates of the Castle, there isn't much to see.  If the walking tour doesn't take you into the Castle it may take you as far as the front gate and talk about the Castle.

 

As we walked up to the Castle from the Scottish National Gallery

 

Inside the grounds

[fruitmachine]

2 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

Fruitmachine, thanks....you are a great resource for Edinburgh! We have to book our excursions on Saturday, and Edinburgh has been one we aren't quite sure what to do. We really wanted to see the Stone of Destiny (Stone of Scone), but that excursion is 7 hours long. We don't want to invest that much time in doing just one thing. We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. 

 

Any thoughts you have on this?

As @Heidi13 and @Peregrina651 have highlighted tickets are available online.  You don't need to book terribly far in advance, but on many in August, every ticket sells out a day or two in advance.

 

The tickets are for a specific timed entry, but I believe that they are reasonably flexible if you are a bit early or late.

 

For other things to do, I'd highly recommend the HoHo bus https://edinburghtour.com/ (you don't need to get tickets in advance), free entry to the Royal Museum of Scotland, St Giles Cathedral, The National Art Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery, paid entry to The Real Mary Kings Close, the Palace of Holyrood House, The Georgian House, Gladstone's Land, Royal Yacht Britannia, Holyrood Distillery or The Johnnie Walker Experience.

Edited April 18, 2023 by fruitmachine

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

Thanks for all your good information! 

[Newdaytrippers]

@Heidi13 I would be very interested in the names of private guides for Edinburgh.  We are interested in going to Stirling Castle and Bannockburn Heritage Center.  We are on the BIE on August 15th.  Three of the ports have been switched and we don’t have any excursions for those dates yet.  We’re not going to Belfast, Ullapool or the Orkney Islands.  I’m researching tours for those ports that we do know.  We’ve already booked a private tour for the Shetland Islands (Dr David Malcolm) based on excellent recommendations from others on this Board.  I’m looking at Thistle Tours for Invergordon if you have any knowledge or recommendations for that port, too.  I’m also interested in a private tour for the Battle of Britain at the Cliffs of Dover.  We’re in a DV2, so I’m anticipating that many excursions will be booked when we are able to sign up.  I’m not interested in navigating buses and trains on our own due to some mobility issues with DH.  This is our first cruise with Viking. Thank you and thanks to any others who offer suggestions.  BTW, the new ports we are scheduled for include Scrabster, Stornaway and Douglas, Isle of Man.  We will probably do the included tours for these three.  Thanks, again.  (I am on the Roll Call for this cruise, too.)

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Newdaytrippers said:

@Heidi13 I would be very interested in the names of private guides for Edinburgh.  We are interested in going to Stirling Castle and Bannockburn Heritage Center.  We are on the BIE on August 15th.  Three of the ports have been switched and we don’t have any excursions for those dates yet.  We’re not going to Belfast, Ullapool or the Orkney Islands.  I’m researching tours for those ports that we do know.  We’ve already booked a private tour for the Shetland Islands (Dr David Malcolm) based on excellent recommendations from others on this Board.  I’m looking at Thistle Tours for Invergordon if you have any knowledge or recommendations for that port, too.  I’m also interested in a private tour for the Battle of Britain at the Cliffs of Dover.  We’re in a DV2, so I’m anticipating that many excursions will be booked when we are able to sign up.  I’m not interested in navigating buses and trains on our own due to some mobility issues with DH.  This is our first cruise with Viking. Thank you and thanks to any others who offer suggestions.  BTW, the new ports we are scheduled for include Scrabster, Stornaway and Douglas, Isle of Man.  We will probably do the included tours for these three.  Thanks, again.  (I am on the Roll Call for this cruise, too.)

 

Edinburgh

1) Experienced Tours - https://www.experienced-tours.com/

          o   Stirling & Loch Lomond

 

2) Go Scotland Tours - https://www.goscotlandtours.com/tours/cf-2-Private+Tours/cf-8-Edinburgh/cf-3-1-2+Day/cf-3-1+Day/

         o   Private Tour to Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument and Bannockburn

 

3) Edinburgh Tour Guides - https://www.edinburghtourguides.com/

         o   Stirling Castle & The Kelpies

 

This is the 3 vendors I have listed for Edinburgh, with possibly the Go Scotland Tours option being your best bet

 

Dover

We have visited those sites on previous visits to the SE England. I suggest contacting 

 

Horizon Private Hire - https://www.horizonprivatehire.co.uk/private-tours-dover-cruise-terminal

They have an option for a customised tour of the local area

 

Invergordon

Not sure what you want to visit in this area, so suggest trying,  Avril’s Travels -  https://www.avrilstravels.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

[Newdaytrippers]

Thank you!  These are very helpful.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, fruitmachine said:

For other things to do, I'd highly recommend the HoHo bus https://edinburghtour.com/

 

Even though it cost more than public transportation, we used the HOHO for our day in Edinburgh. We got off near to our first stop of the day (the Scottish National Gallery; best fish & chips ever in the Gallery restaurant). We wandered around town until we exhausted ourselves and then grabbed the HOHO for a scenic ride back to Newhaven.

 

The bus stop was right at Newhaven: keep the water to your right as you walk along the edge of the harbor, at the street turn right and walk along the water until you get to the bus stop. (Remember, North Americans, the bus will be coming from the right.)

 

We wanted to see Holyrood Palace but it was closed for the Holyrood celebrations at the end of June. (Currently closed: Saturday, 6 May 2023 - Palace closed; 18 - 27 May 2023 - Palace closed;  and 29 June – 7 July 2023 - Palace closed). We will try again 2024.

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Edinburgh

1) Experienced Tours - https://www.experienced-tours.com/

          o   Stirling & Loch Lomond

 

2) Go Scotland Tours - https://www.goscotlandtours.com/tours/cf-2-Private+Tours/cf-8-Edinburgh/cf-3-1-2+Day/cf-3-1+Day/

         o   Private Tour to Stirling Castle, Wallace Monument and Bannockburn

 

3) Edinburgh Tour Guides - https://www.edinburghtourguides.com/

         o   Stirling Castle & The Kelpies

 

This is the 3 vendors I have listed for Edinburgh, with possibly the Go Scotland Tours option being your best bet

 

Dover

We have visited those sites on previous visits to the SE England. I suggest contacting 

 

Horizon Private Hire - https://www.horizonprivatehire.co.uk/private-tours-dover-cruise-terminal

They have an option for a customised tour of the local area

 

Invergordon

Not sure what you want to visit in this area, so suggest trying,  Avril’s Travels -  https://www.avrilstravels.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

Thank you.  Filing away for May 2024.  

[CurlerRob]

8 hours ago, Sunflower & The Scientist said:

We plan on taking the walking tour as it evidently walks around the Castle, but we are wondering if we can pay admittance and go in for a quick tour. 

 

If you do choose to tour the castle, you may want to allow a bit more than just time for a quick tour. There's actually a lot to see.

 

We found the absolute highlight to be the Scottish National War Museum on the grounds. It is an extraordinary tribute to the nation's service people - multiple small niches, each dedicated to a famous regiment or branch of the service, all with fascinating memorabilia and often books with names of the fallen going back many hundreds of years. The juxtaposition of the Merchant Marine with the Royal Navy was wonderfully done. 

 

It was a special reminder of how "young" North America actually is. By far the best and most moving war memorial we have experienced - while I completely understood, I so regretted that photos were not permitted. 🍺🥌