Is there a way to view excursions before booking date?

[oskidunker]

I have a March 20 cruise booked to the Northern Lights.  Would be nice to plan what we want before Jan 19.

[Selion]

Go to Viking's site and click on My Viking Journey (MVJ).  Create an account and link your booking number if the system doesn't automatically associate your booking based on your email address.

 

Once you are in MVJ, there's a section for excursion.  May not be able to book now depending on cabin category, but you should be able to look at the excursions offered.

 

If nothing is showing in MVJ, check your cruise's pages outside MVJ and click into each port.  Like this: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/in-search-of-the-northern-lights/index.html#itineraryday/3

[TayanaLorna]

33 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

I have a March 20 cruise booked to the Northern Lights.  Would be nice to plan what we want before Jan 19.

Go to the Viking website page for your cruise and look at each day of your itinerary.  You will find a list of "potential" excursions included and optional for each day.  There will be no times or prices and not all excursions may actually be offered, however it's a good start for research.  Northern Lights is not a new itinerary so the excursions you see will probably be what you get.

[Peregrina651]

3 hours ago, oskidunker said:

I have a March 20 cruise booked to the Northern Lights.  Would be nice to plan what we want before Jan 19.

 

Prior to Covid, the final selection of tours for a given sailing were loaded into MVJ before booking opened for the Owner's Suite, usually around 120 days but occasional as late as 100 days. Until the final selection for your sailing is loaded in, there is nothing to see on MVJ on the Shore Excursion pages.

 

Since Covid, it has been difficult for Viking to keep to their old established routine. The tour companies have not been as quick to bounce back as the cruise lines and  it differs unpredictably from port to port.  Right now, demand far outweighs the supply in most ports.

 

However, as TayanaLorna points out, you can see the information you want on the Viking website.   For Northern Lights, it is here: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/in-search-of-the-northern-lights/index.html#itineraryday/3. As she said, this information does include prices or departure times, only a description of the tour.

 

There are navigation arrows at the top of the page:

 

 

For each tour shown, just click anywhere in the block(t) to see a description of the tour(b). It is a pop-up.

 

 

Some people use this information to create a word document for their own reference, so they can study the offerings at their leisure. (I usually do it not long after I have booked the cruise. Let the planning/deciding begin!)

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Peregrina651

[Travel R]

I have a related question - for the excursions that are not included, does Viking include the cost on these pages of their website? If so, how soon before the sailing?

 

Also - for the non-included tours, would anyone suggest using third party tours vs. taking the tours offered through Viking?

 

[For context - we are looking at an itinerary that includes Athens.  As per the current itinerary, the included tour does not include the Acropolis, which we would all want to visit. In my experience on mainstream cruises, I have usually  found the third-party providers to be better than going through the ship.]

 

Thank you

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Travel R

[mariavii]

I am 134 days out and my excursions were loaded a week+ ago.

 

1 hour ago, Travel R said:

- for the excursions that are not included, does Viking include the cost on these pages of their website? If so, how soon before the sailing?

 

Yes.  It lists all the time/s the tour is offered, the length of the tour and the price (along with the info you can usually see on the regular viking website)

 

[Travel R]

52 minutes ago, mariavii said:

I am 134 days out and my excursions were loaded a week+ ago.

 

 

Yes.  It lists all the time/s the tour is offered, the length of the tour and the price (along with the info you can usually see on the regular viking website)

 

 

Thank you.

 

Maybe after I actually book the cruise the prices for the itineraries will display.

[formernuke]

The detailed  excursion list for your cruise doesn't show up until some time later; I think 5-6 month in advance. Our Panama Canal cruise in Feb 2023, for example, showed the detailed cruise specific tours just a couple of weeks ago. A cruise in April 2024 does not show.

 

[Peregrina651]

18 minutes ago, Travel R said:

 

Thank you.

 

Maybe after I actually book the cruise the prices for the itineraries will display.

 

Sorry. They won't appear on the Viking website. Prices are only available on MVJ (the Viking guest portal) and not until they are actually loaded in for viewing for your sailing (usually around 120 days but sometimes earlier than that and sometimes later).

 

However, people who have done the cruise in the past-- and who saved the information -- are usually willing to share what pricing information they have, with the caveat that it is old pricing and is no guarantee of what will be charged on your cruise.  If you want to go this route, best to start a new thread so that more people will see what you after.

 

@Sleep7 wrote a wonderful review of her cruise, including their tour of the Acropolis. Hopefully, she will see this note and respond to you. If you haven't already seen it, her thread is here: Just back! Our VIKING SKY-mazing 7 day Ancient Mediterranean Treasures - 6/25 to 7/2/2022. Full trip report with tons of pix!

 

 

2 hours ago, Travel R said:

Also - for the non-included tours, would anyone suggest using third party tours vs. taking the tours offered through Viking?

 

My answer here is that I don't feel that there is a blanket answer to this question, especially post-Covid (because the tourguide industry really took a big hit when the world shut down to travelers).

 

I think that each port has a different answer depending on how the tourguide industry in that port fared during the shut-down and how quickly it is re-building its capacity. 

 

IMHO, decide on a port by port basis and don't close any option until you have explored all the options -- or you feel comfortable with the choice you have made -- Viking tour, private tour or on-your-own.

 

[Travel R]

50 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

However, people who have done the cruise in the past-- and who saved the information -- are usually willing to share what pricing information they have, with the caveat that it is old pricing and is no guarantee of what will be charged on your cruise.  If you want to go this route, best to start a new thread so that more people will see what you after.

 

Once we definitely decide upon the itinerary, I will do so.  Right now we are settled on visiting Rome -pre-cruise, then cruising east, although I believe we all agree on Greece as one of the ports. [There are still many things in Rome we did not see the first time.]

 

51 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

@Sleep7 wrote a wonderful review of her cruise, including their tour of the Acropolis. Hopefully, she will see this note and respond to you. If you haven't already seen it, her thread is here: Just back! Our VIKING SKY-mazing 7 day Ancient Mediterranean Treasures - 6/25 to 7/2/2022. Full trip report with tons of pix!

 

Thank you so much - I will definitely be reading her review!

 

51 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

IMHO, decide on a port by port basis and don't close any option until you have explored all the options -- or you feel comfortable with the choice you have made -- Viking tour, private tour or on-your-own.

 

I agree with your opinion. I am an over-planner so will have researched every option thoroughly.  We would like to take the included tours (I am already paying for them), but for a port like Athens, how could I not visit the Acropolis?

 

Thank you again for all of the information!

 

[Sleep7]

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Sorry. They won't appear on the Viking website. Prices are only available on MVJ (the Viking guest portal) and not until they are actually loaded in for viewing for your sailing (usually around 120 days but sometimes earlier than that and sometimes later).

 

However, people who have done the cruise in the past-- and who saved the information -- are usually willing to share what pricing information they have, with the caveat that it is old pricing and is no guarantee of what will be charged on your cruise.  If you want to go this route, best to start a new thread so that more people will see what you after.

 

@Sleep7 wrote a wonderful review of her cruise, including their tour of the Acropolis. Hopefully, she will see this note and respond to you. If you haven't already seen it, her thread is here: Just back! Our VIKING SKY-mazing 7 day Ancient Mediterranean Treasures - 6/25 to 7/2/2022. Full trip report with tons of pix!

 

 

 

My answer here is that I don't feel that there is a blanket answer to this question, especially post-Covid (because the tourguide industry really took a big hit when the world shut down to travelers).

 

I think that each port has a different answer depending on how the tourguide industry in that port fared during the shut-down and how quickly it is re-building its capacity. 

 

IMHO, decide on a port by port basis and don't close any option until you have explored all the options -- or you feel comfortable with the choice you have made -- Viking tour, private tour or on-your-own.

 

Oh thanks for the sweet shout out Peregrina651!  😍

Of course I'm happy to answer any questions you have Travel R.  😊

Edited August 22, 2022 by Sleep7

[Travel R]

16 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Of course I'm happy to answer any questions you have Travel R.  😊

 

I finally completed reading through your review, and as I mentioned at the end of it, it was excellent - especially providing information for a Viking neophyte like myself.

[Mimiya11]

I too am a major planner and MVJ already included details (price, times, descriptions) for a range of included and optional shore excursions for our Panama Canal cruise we are taking in March 2023.   

I suspect that by the time we can book the excursions in December, there might be changes but the days in port are mapped out.   

 

Good luck.  

 

 

[SantaFe1]

You are lucky to be able to see these six months in advance.  Pre-covid they were only available 3-4 months in advance.  Nothing is up yet for our Mediterranean Antiquities cruise in mid-February.   

[SantaFe1]

Our excursions, except for Rome, popped up today on MVJ, 173 days out.  I think that is the earliest I’ve ever seen them.  Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

[Peregrina651]

31 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Our excursions, except for Rome, popped up today on MVJ, 173 days out.  I think that is the earliest I’ve ever seen them.  Yay!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOW! That is a step in a positive direction (in terms of the recovery of the tourism industry). Viking usually does not load them in to MVJ until they have contracts.

[SantaFe1]

And I still have no idea why Rome isn’t there since it isn’t exactly a new port for Viking.  But we aren’t going into the city anyway as we’ve been many times.  We would like to do Ostia, which we’ve never done.  And when it does go on MVJ, I doubt Ostia will sell right out.  That’s an advantage of having eclectic taste! 

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

We would like to do Ostia,

 

We did it and really enjoyed it.

[SantaFe1]

Thank you!  We are sort of done with 8-9 hour tours of places we have been many times.   the only one I can get my husband to do is Carcassonne for my birthday, 8:hours.  I have always wanted to go there.

[Sleep7]

10 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

Thank you!  We are sort of done with 8-9 hour tours of places we have been many times.   the only one I can get my husband to do is Carcassonne for my birthday, 8:hours.  I have always wanted to go there.

🙋‍♀️Hi SantaFe1!

We were on  "Iconic Western Mediterranean" last fall and took the all day tour to Carcassonne and it was fantastic!  It was a pricier than the usual shore excursion for us but well worth it as it's a full day and includes lunch too.  Like you I had always wanted to go there (after seeing it on numerous travel shows) and was so happy that Viking offered it as a tour. 🤗

Have fun and happy Bday or in Carcassonne Bon anniversaire!🎂

[purpleally]

On 8/21/2022 at 3:45 PM, TayanaLorna said:

Go to the Viking website page for your cruise and look at each day of your itinerary.  You will find a list of "potential" excursions included and optional for each day.  There will be no times or prices and not all excursions may actually be offered, however it's a good start for research.  Northern Lights is not a new itinerary so the excursions you see will probably be what you get.

When can you see prices?  Not until you are able to book?

[SantaFe1]

You will never see prices for your trip, or times, on the website.  They appear in MVJ under the excursions tab about 100-120 days before sailing.  And you can always ask here, and if someone has been on your cruise, they might be able to share. I will say that on our upcoming cruise, Mediterranean Antiquities, the prices range from $49 to $279 pp.,  and that seems to be about the normal range.

Edited August 28, 2022 by SantaFe1

[desert traveler]

I was looking at MVJ for a cruise that is 344 days out. (Iceland).  Last week I looked and saw excursions and even a pre and post cruise excursion.  When I look today there is nothing listed.  Perhaps they update them closer to the cruise. Not sure why I could see the ones listed last week.

[Peregrina651]

Could be that they were loaded in by mistake.  Normally they are loaded in much closer to the sail date (around 120 days).  However, the pre- and post-cruise extensions should still be there, but not under Shore Excursions. 

[gr8-2travel]

Viking newbie here who also had same questions until I realized that on our MVJ site, (even though we cannot yet sign up for our excursions,) I can view all the information for the options available to us.
 

On my MVJ, I selected “shore excursions” where there is a “banner calendar” of each individual day of our cruise. By selecting a day on the calendar, I can then see all the provided excursions for that individual day, along with cost, and the times that will be available for the specific excursion, etc. 

 

I don’t think that all this information was available right away though, or if it was, I didn’t notice it, but once I was able to access the info I realized that some of the excursions that were listed on the general Viking itinerary for the cruise, are not being offered during our cruise. Hope his helps.