Scheduling flight out of Barcelona

[Felini]

Hoping someone can answer this...

We'll be doing the Iconic Mediterranean cruise in January 2023 (Rome to Barcelona) and want to start booking our flights, we're not doing Viking Air.  Trying to figure out an approximate time we should be booking the flight out of Barcelona, just want to make sure we allow ourselves enough time to disembark and get to the airport.  Any advice appreciated.

Mark

[SantaFe1]

If there are restrictions on times to schedule flights, Viking will list them on your invoice, after the itinerary.  Here, for example, is what they say about our Alaska trip:

 

Message for Embarkation/Disembarkation
Due to the cruise schedule for this itinerary there are limitations on flight times. If you are arranging your own flights, please be aware of the restrictions below and ensure the criteria is met.
Departure:
Departure flights out of Vancouver, Canada (YVR) must depart no earlier than 11:00 AM on the day of June 9, 2023.

[Felini]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

If there are restrictions on times to schedule flights, Viking will list them on your invoice, after the itinerary.  Here, for example, is what they say about our Alaska trip:

 

Message for Embarkation/Disembarkation
Due to the cruise schedule for this itinerary there are limitations on flight times. If you are arranging your own flights, please be aware of the restrictions below and ensure the criteria is met.
Departure:
Departure flights out of Vancouver, Canada (YVR) must depart no earlier than 11:00 AM on the day of June 9, 2023.

Thanks for the response.

Yeah, I want see if anyone that recently finished this itinerary remembers if they listed what the minimum flight time out of Barcelona should be set for.  We're probably not paying the remainder of the balance 'til next month so I dont think we'll get the actual detailed itinerary until then, but did want to start arranging the flights soon.

[SantaFe1]

We are doing Mediterranean Antiquities, ending in Barcelona in March.  But we overnight in Barcelona, so those on our cruise can book any flights they want.  We are staying on in Barcelona on our own for a few days, so it’s a moot point for us.  I do know from many past cruises with Viking, that they will always take you to the airport 3-4 hours before your flight.  Sorry I can’t be of more help.  Good luck with your flights!  

[Haqdeluxe]

Last time we did a Viking Mediterranean cruise that ended in Barcelona, it ended in Barcelona! We disembarked in the morning soon after docking and were bused directly to the airport and never actually visited Barcelona. Many that flew home that morning with us that had not been to Barcelona before were really wishing they had extended a day or two to see the city. I would highly recommend doing so if possible.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Haqdeluxe

[CurlerRob]

59 minutes ago, Felini said:

Thanks for the response.

Yeah, I want see if anyone that recently finished this itinerary remembers if they listed what the minimum flight time out of Barcelona should be set for.  We're probably not paying the remainder of the balance 'til next month so I dont think we'll get the actual detailed itinerary until then, but did want to start arranging the flights soon.

 

Your guest statement for the cruise will have both the detailed itinerary (never firm until it happens, of course) and any flight restrictions - look at page 3 and following. It's not a function of your final payment.

 

If you don't have the statement, you may have booked through a TA - ask them for it. 🍺🥌

[Mrs Miggins]

Just be aware that docking in Barcelona is not always Barcelona. Our September cruise is from Tarragona although our flight is to Barcelona but the transfer will be longer.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Your guest statement for the cruise will have both the detailed itinerary (never firm until it happens, of course) and any flight restrictions - look at page 3 and following. It's not a function of your final payment.

 

If you don't have the statement, you may have booked through a TA - ask them for it. 🍺🥌

 

If you are working with a TA, make it clear  that what your are looking for is the Viking Guest Statement -- as opposed to an invoice from the travel agency.

 

 

 

 

[Felini]

Thanks for all the replies!

 

2 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

 

Your guest statement for the cruise will have both the detailed itinerary (never firm until it happens, of course) and any flight restrictions - look at page 3 and following. It's not a function of your final payment.

 

If you don't have the statement, you may have booked through a TA - ask them for it. 🍺🥌

 

25 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

If you are working with a TA, make it clear  that what your are looking for is the Viking Guest Statement -- as opposed to an invoice from the travel agency.

 

 

 

 

Thinking about this, I realize I probably won't get the guest statement until I complete the traveler information form in MVJ.  Some info is in there from previous river cruises but I need to renew my passport that will be expiring in January so I need to wait for that to complete it.  My partner will be filling in his shortly so I'll check to see if he gets the guest statement when he does.  I did book directly with Viking so if he doesn't get it, I'll call them this weekend.

 

2 hours ago, Haqdeluxe said:

Last time we did a Viking Mediterranean cruise that ended in Barcelona, it ended in Barcelona! We disembarked in the morning soon after docking and were bused directly to the airport and never actually visited Barcelona. Many that flew home that morning with us that had not been to Barcelona before were really wishing they had extended a day or two to see the city. I would highly recommend doing so if possible.

Yes, this was how it was when I did this itinerary on another cruise line back in 2013...bused directly to the airport after disembarking.  But, on this itinerary, we're in port in Barcelona overnight so we get a whole day here which I'm happy about.  The trade-off is we don't stop in Palma De Mallorca like the cruise in 2013.  My partner has never been to Europe so Im happy we'll be seeing Barcelona on this trip.  We're also doing 2 days pre-cruise in Rome which will be nice for him, too.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, Felini said:

Thinking about this, I realize I probably won't get the guest statement until I complete the traveler information form in MVJ.  Some info is in there from previous river cruises but I need to renew my passport that will be expiring in January so I need to wait for that to complete it.  My partner will be filling in his shortly so I'll check to see if he gets the guest statement when he does.  I did book directly with Viking so if he doesn't get it, I'll call them this weekend.

 

That's not true. Completing the Guest Information Form has no bearing on your access to your Guest Statement.   They are issued even before you make your initial deposit and then each time that there is a change in status -- deposit received, any intermediate payments, final payment, etc. Your Viking Agent should have sent you a copy before you made your deposit so that you could review the details and make sure that the information was correct.

 

The guest statement is, for all intents and purposes, the cover page to the contract guests are entering into with Viking, Booking Terms & Conditions and Passenger Ticket Contract being the fine print.

 

If you booked directly, you might even be able to request/download a copy on MVJ.

[Felini]

11 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

That's not true. Completing the Guest Information Form has no bearing on your access to your Guest Statement.   They are issued even before you make your initial deposit and then each time that there is a change in status -- deposit received, any intermediate payments, final payment, etc. Your Viking Agent should have sent you a copy before you made your deposit so that you could review the details and make sure that the information was correct.

 

The guest statement is, for all intents and purposes, the cover page to the contract guests are entering into with Viking, Booking Terms & Conditions and Passenger Ticket Contract being the fine print.

 

If you booked directly, you might even be able to request/download a copy on MVJ.

Thank you!

 

I checked back at all the emails I received from Viking and you're right, it was a pdf attached to the first email...I thought it was a copy of the invoice so didn't check it. 

 

This really helps and I'm glad I clarified the times.  Since we pull into Barcelona the day prior it just says we get into port at 8am and the ship departs port the next day at 5pm.  I'm assuming disembarking will be first thing in the morning but I'll call Viking this weekend to verify disembark and minimum flight times to be sure.

[CurlerRob]

5 hours ago, Felini said:

Thank you!

 

I checked back at all the emails I received from Viking and you're right, it was a pdf attached to the first email...I thought it was a copy of the invoice so didn't check it. 

 

This really helps and I'm glad I clarified the times.  Since we pull into Barcelona the day prior it just says we get into port at 8am and the ship departs port the next day at 5pm.  I'm assuming disembarking will be first thing in the morning but I'll call Viking this weekend to verify disembark and minimum flight times to be sure.

Disembarkation will be early on day 2 in Barcelona - specific times will vary with the cruise.

 

Re flight times - again, read the Guest Statement. Just under the itinerary should be information similar to what I've shown below. If you have nothing, it suggests minimal or no restrictions at this time, but I'd suspect something is there ... 🍺🥌

 

Message for Embarkation/Disembarkation
Due to the cruise schedule for this itinerary there are limitations on flight times. If you are arranging your own flights, please be aware of the restrictions below and ensure the criteria is met.

Departure:
Departure flights out of Vancouver, Canada (YVR) must depart no earlier than 11:00 AM on the day of May 14, 2024.

[TayanaLorna]

For anyone who has entered their booking number into My Viking Journey, you can get your Guest Statement any time you want without calling Viking or your travel agent.  Log in to your MVJ.  At the very top right click on the person picture.  Then click on Account.  Here you have a choice to click on Profile or Request Invoice.  Click on Request Invoice and it will be sent to your email address on file.

 

You will receive a standard letter with several attachments.  One will be your 5 or 6 page Guest Invoice which contains all the current details about your cruise.  I suggest studying every page of this document thoroughly to be sure it is correct.  The Guest Information form will be another attachment to review to be sure it is correct and complete.  Other documents are the Passenger Ticket Contract, TripMate information and a list of "extras" like On Board Credit you have been given or Optional Excursions you have reserved.

 

Many people ignore these documents and then complain about Viking not telling them something when all they had to do is read.

[mariavii]

8 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

For anyone who has entered their booking number into My Viking Journey, you can get your Guest Statement any time you want without calling Viking or your travel agent.  Log in to your MVJ.  At the very top right click on the person picture.  Then click on Account.  Here you have a choice to click on Profile or Request Invoice.  Click on Request Invoice and it will be sent to your email address on file.

 This is only the case if you book through Viking and not a TA.  That Request Invoice tab was there until I transferred my booking to my TA, then it disappeared.  Now I need to get it through her.

[Haqdeluxe]

55 minutes ago, mariavii said:

 This is only the case if you book through Viking and not a TA.  That Request Invoice tab was there until I transferred my booking to my TA, then it disappeared.  Now I need to get it through her.

Sadly, has always been the same for us. A small hassle but a hassle nonetheless. 

[Felini]

1 hour ago, CurlerRob said:

Disembarkation will be early on day 2 in Barcelona - specific times will vary with the cruise.

 

Re flight times - again, read the Guest Statement. Just under the itinerary should be information similar to what I've shown below. If you have nothing, it suggests minimal or no restrictions at this time, but I'd suspect something is there ... 🍺🥌

 

Message for Embarkation/Disembarkation
Due to the cruise schedule for this itinerary there are limitations on flight times. If you are arranging your own flights, please be aware of the restrictions below and ensure the criteria is met.

Departure:
Departure flights out of Vancouver, Canada (YVR) must depart no earlier than 11:00 AM on the day of May 14, 2024.

Not sure why but my guest statement doesn't have the disembarkation message that yours has.  I did talk to a Viking agent this morning and she said all off time is by 0930 and if you have an early flight then you'll be able to get off the ship early since we're in port overnight.  She also mentioned its about an hour trip from the ship terminal to the airport so I'd figure the earliest I'd want to make the flight for is 1pm.

[Cienfuegos]

On our 2019 Viking cruise which ended in Barcelona, many flights to the US departed 8-9 am.

 

Viking had us up and off the ship by 5.30am, as I recall. Coffee, juice, and light breakfast was available. Several buses brought us to the airport. American Air had not opened its check in, so several dozen folks waited on line for Miami, Philadelphia, etc.

 

No problems, they've done this before.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, TayanaLorna said:

Many people ignore these documents and then complain about Viking not telling them something when all they had to do is read.

 

The Guest Statement is one document we should all read word for word before we put down a deposit, if for no other reason than to make sure that the details agree with everything we have discussed with our TA/VA. Not only do we want to confirm that the $$$ is correct but we want to make sure that the details are correct -- spelling of our names, cabin number, pay in full date, OBC if applicable, etc. 

 

Booking a cruise is like buying a car; we have to make sure that the details are correct before make the deposit because we know that once we make the deposit that the car dealer is not going to make changes to the deal.

 

1 hour ago, mariavii said:

 This is only the case if you book through Viking and not a TA.  That Request Invoice tab was there until I transferred my booking to my TA, then it disappeared.  Now I need to get it through her.

 

After 10+ years working together, my TA automatically sends me the Guest Statement any time there is a change to it.

 

7 minutes ago, Felini said:

Not sure why but my guest statement doesn't have the disembarkation message that yours has.  I did talk to a Viking agent this morning and she said all off time is by 0930 and if you have an early flight then you'll be able to get off the ship early since we're in port overnight.  She also mentioned its about an hour trip from the ship terminal to the airport so I'd figure the earliest I'd want to make the flight for is 1pm.

 

Since you are in port overnight, you could take a 6 am flight if you wanted. One detail that your VA did not give you was that you will have to vacate your cabin by 7:30 am. The time you were given was the latest time that you could plan on leaving the ship, not the earliest -- and once you are kicked out of your cabin, there isn't much point in hanging around, except to have a leisurely breakfast in the MDR or even the buffet.

 

Barcelona airport is half an hour from the port -- a bit more in rush hour. The cheapest way to get there is by cab. It is a flat rate plus a per suitcase surcharge (and a late-night surcharge if you are leaving before dawn) ; you can google the current rate -- and for two people it will be cheaper and faster than buying transfers with Viking.  Guest Services can help you order a cab for whatever time you want.

 

Allow plenty of time at the airport for check-in, security and the long walk to your gate.

 

All that said, one day in Barcelona is not enough; consider staying another night or two as long as you are already there.

 

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, Felini said:

Not sure why but my guest statement doesn't have the disembarkation message that yours has.  I did talk to a Viking agent this morning and she said all off time is by 0930 and if you have an early flight then you'll be able to get off the ship early since we're in port overnight.  She also mentioned its about an hour trip from the ship terminal to the airport so I'd figure the earliest I'd want to make the flight for is 1pm.

Thanks for clarifying - because you're overnight, you have the option to fly as early as you like on disembarkation day, you just have to leave the ship earlier. There's no need for Viking to set an 'earliest flight' time to allow for arrival and docking, and that explains why you have no departure time information.

 

The example I provided has us arriving in Vancouver the same day as disembarkation - hence the warning for us. Cheers. 🍺🥌

[Felini]

9 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:

Thanks for clarifying - because you're overnight, you have the option to fly as early as you like on disembarkation day, you just have to leave the ship earlier. There's no need for Viking to set an 'earliest flight' time to allow for arrival and docking, and that explains why you have no departure time information.

 

The example I provided has us arriving in Vancouver the same day as disembarkation - hence the warning for us. Cheers. 🍺🥌

 

Yeah, that makes sense why there wouldnt be any set flight recommedation.  We're now thinking of either going with Viking Air for the flight back which they said would be $499 from Barcelona to Vegas or possibly doing a 2 night extension through Viking, we'll see.

 

Thanks everyone for all the info.  It was all really helpful.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Felini said:

or possibly doing a 2 night extension through Viking,

 

For the $1200 that Viking charges for two nights, you can do 3 or 4 nights on your own -- and still cover the cost of the breakfasts and transfers that Viking would have provided.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Peregrina651

[Felini]

18 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

For the $1200 that Viking charges for two nights, you can do 3 or 4 nights on your own -- and still cover the cost of the breakfasts and transfers that Viking would have provided.

 

 

 

We're still weighing out our options.

One driver for our decision is probably that we want to take advantage of the $499 Viking Air cost for the Barcelona to Vegas return flight.  Searching for flights on our own ends up with a minimum of $1045 for a 33 hour flight.  I know if we want to do the flight through Viking, we have to either leave directly from the ship or after an extension through them.

[Peregrina651]

29 minutes ago, Felini said:

 

We're still weighing out our options.

One driver for our decision is probably that we want to take advantage of the $499 Viking Air cost for the Barcelona to Vegas return flight.  Searching for flights on our own ends up with a minimum of $1045 for a 33 hour flight.  I know if we want to do the flight through Viking, we have to either leave directly from the ship or after an extension through them.

 

You can still use Viking for whatever date you choose to fly home WITHOUT using one of their extensions.  Any flight that does not arrive on Day 1 of your Viking package and/or depart on Day Last of your package is called a deviation.  A package may include pre- and/or post-extensions and/or back-to-back sailings.

 

Viking charges $100pp if your flight plan includes a deviation -- one fee per round trip flight plan. Deviations may trigger an increase in fare imposed by the airline. Even the  deviation fee and a possible fare increase is not going to get you to $1045pp.

 

 

[Felini]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You can still use Viking for whatever date you choose to fly home WITHOUT using one of their extensions.  Any flight that does not arrive on Day 1 of your Viking package and/or depart on Day Last of your package is called a deviation.  A package may include pre- and/or post-extensions and/or back-to-back sailings.

 

Viking charges $100pp if your flight plan includes a deviation -- one fee per round trip flight plan. Deviations may trigger an increase in fare imposed by the airline. Even the  deviation fee and a possible fare increase is not going to get you to $1045pp.

 

 

 

Oh ok, this is good to know.  From what I remembered for a past Viking river cruise we had some restrictions on the air side of things.  But of course, my memory might be a bit cloudy from then and it could be from a different cruise/flight package altogether.  More info to consider.  We'll probably make final decisions this weekend.  Thanks as always for all the input.