Starting the research for a Greek/Med. cruise

[kctwinmommy]

We've been on several cruises, most in the Caribbean, just to relax, be in the sun, and travel with friends. But we've also done a Northern European one as well as Alaska. They've mostly been on Carnival, and to be fair, we've never had any real problems with them. However, we're starting to research a Greek/Med cruise, and seriously considering Viking for this. I just feel as though we'd like to have a little bit better experience and a little more all inclusive. My parents have done a few Viking cruises (European River and Amazon River/Caribbean Ocean cruise), so we've heard their enjoyment of them. They have an Icelandic one for next fall.

 

It's a little overwhelming starting the process. I have read a few threads, to get some ideas. We're thinking spring of 2024 for this as well, so giving us a little bit of time. The one that seemed to interest me the most was the Empires of the Mediterranean one. I feel as though if we're going all the way there for a cruise, let's make it a decent length, and possibly adding on a few days before we sail in Italy. Good way to get over the jet lag and see a few things there first.

 

I'm looking for some advice on getting started and things to avoid. I will keep looking on the board and reading other people's posts, but it's hard to read stories and tips when we're still so early in the planning stages. I know it's annoying to ask questions people have asked before, so I apologize. But thanks for any advice of ideas you can share!

[Selion]

Since you didn't list any specific questions, here are some threads you may find useful:

Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

1st Timer Questions

Venice or Chiaggio?

Must Read if you are considering using Viking Air

[LibertyBella]

 

I love cruising the Greek islands!  The water is gorgeous, the sunshine is wonderful, and each island is unique and full of treasures.

 

Do you like archaeology?  That is the highlight for me when I go there.  I research all the sites I want to see and learn a bit about all of them.  Usually I cruise for a week or ten days and add time before and after. (I have pets, so I cannot go on the very long cruises right now.) I like to arrive at least three nights in advance to get over jet lag, relax a bit, and be prepared in case of delayed flights, lost luggage, etc. 

 

I am going again to Greece next Summer, and I was seriously considering Viking Ocean as well. I think the itineraries are quite strong, and they have a lot of the most important ports included.  But I do not like that the most expensive cabins are the first to have access to shore excursions, and husband and I still enjoy a lot of night life (dance clubs, bars) and extremely active shore activities. Also, I do not want to fly in or out of Istanbul (Ancient Treasures trip).  

 

So we are sailing Viking River in March in Europe instead, and using Princess for Greece in July.  

 

A fellow Cruise Critic writer Sleep7, shared all of her Viking Ocean Greece adventures (see below) and it was very enjoyable to read.  Have fun planning!

 

 

 

[CDNPolar]

Our first cruise with Viking was Empires of the Mediterranean and it was probably our best choice because it started our love for Viking.  The variety of ports and cities really interested us and it did not disappoint.  We also met what we consider life-long friends on this cruise, so, overall it was very special to us.

 

We chose Athens to Venice and we flew direct to Athens and boarded the same day.  You have one night in Athens and to us that was plenty.  (Don't hate on me, but Athens was our least favourite port). 

 

We stayed three additional nights in Venice in a lovely little hidden gem hotel and that was the icing on the cake.  We knew that Venice would be a stretch to get back to because there were so many other cities in Italy that we wanted to see in the future and why not see Venice while there.  When we traveled, ships still docked in Venice and I don't see this as a negative now as that was the end of our cruise which means disembarkation day anyway.  You don't get any tours or excursions with this port, so stay and explore on your own.

 

Good luck with your planning.

 

 

[Jjg34219]

We enjoyed our first Viking experiences in 2022, both River (Rhine) and Ocean (Alaska), and the onboard booking savings while in Alaska including only 50 dollar deposits pp and final payment 6 months prior to sailing made it easy for us to decide to do the Empires cruise in July 2024. In retrospect, we wish now we would have chosen spring vs summer, and we tried to change, but wed lose our booking incentives, so it is what it is, and we will survive summer heat! We feel we are probably forever spoiled by our first Viking Ocean experience.

We are choosing both the pre and post Viking extensions as its all planned out for us plus we really like having the extra days after that flight to get there, so we originally chose the2 night pre in Athens, but changed to 4 nights as we felt better value, plus this trip will be a one and done for us probably to this part of the world.

And with the extra time in Athens before boarding, once onboard we will likely just enjoy the ship for that extra day in port there to completely relax/unwind, as everyday beyond Athens is a different port, so go go go!

 

[Sleep7]

6 hours ago, LibertyBella said:

 

I love cruising the Greek islands!  The water is gorgeous, the sunshine is wonderful, and each island is unique and full of treasures.

 

Do you like archaeology?  That is the highlight for me when I go there.  I research all the sites I want to see and learn a bit about all of them.  Usually I cruise for a week or ten days and add time before and after. (I have pets, so I cannot go on the very long cruises right now.) I like to arrive at least three nights in advance to get over jet lag, relax a bit, and be prepared in case of delayed flights, lost luggage, etc. 

 

I am going again to Greece next Summer, and I was seriously considering Viking Ocean as well. I think the itineraries are quite strong, and they have a lot of the most important ports included.  But I do not like that the most expensive cabins are the first to have access to shore excursions, and husband and I still enjoy a lot of night life (dance clubs, bars) and extremely active shore activities. Also, I do not want to fly in or out of Istanbul (Ancient Treasures trip).  

 

So we are sailing Viking River in March in Europe instead, and using Princess for Greece in July.  

 

A fellow Cruise Critic writer Sleep7, shared all of her Viking Ocean Greece adventures (see below) and it was very enjoyable to read.  Have fun planning!

 

 

 

👋Hi LibertyBella!

I'm so touched that you enjoyed my cruise report from the summer..

I actually just reread through it again and it brought back such nice memories.

Thank you for re-posting it and for the sweet compliment.

Now I'm thinking Greek for dinner tonight!😋

[kctwinmommy]

2 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

👋Hi LibertyBella!

I'm so touched that you enjoyed my cruise report from the summer..

I actually just reread through it again and it brought back such nice memories.

Thank you for re-posting it and for the sweet compliment.

Now I'm thinking Greek for dinner tonight!😋

I'm starting to read it now! I know it's not the exact same cruise we're looking at, but the same ship. Thanks for the review, it does help! Only on the first page, and ready to go now!! LOL!

[Sleep7]

4 minutes ago, kctwinmommy said:

I'm starting to read it now! I know it's not the exact same cruise we're looking at, but the same ship. Thanks for the review, it does help! Only on the first page, and ready to go now!! LOL!

Oh yay!! So glad you are finding my review helpful.  It was such an amazing week.. you truly will want to pack your bags this moment.

We only took a 7 day cruise since DH had to go back to work that Monday.  A longer one (like Empires of the Med) would be even better especially if you have the time to add on a few days on either or both ends.  We kind of zipped in and out in a week.. fast but fantastic. 

Also.. spring might be a better time to visit too.. it was beastly hot when we were there at the end of June.🔥

[kctwinmommy]

1 minute ago, Sleep7 said:

Oh yay!! So glad you are finding my review helpful.  It was such an amazing week.. you truly will want to pack your bags this moment.

We only took a 7 day cruise since DH had to go back to work that Monday.  A longer one (like Empires of the Med) would be even better especially if you have the time to add on a few days on either or both ends.  We kind of zipped in and out in a week.. fast but fantastic. 

Also.. spring might be a better time to visit too.. it was beastly hot when we were there at the end of June.🔥

 

Haha! I just got to the Hotter than Ahtens in June comment. Yeah, we're looking at April, 2024, Athens to Venice route.

 

I love all the pictures too, helps to really support our decision, I'm so ready! I'll have to talk to my parents at Christmas, as they have done a few Viking. I'm not sure if they use an agent with theirs, or just do it themselves.

 

Can we book their airfare with them, even if we want to extend our trip?

[Sleep7]

9 minutes ago, kctwinmommy said:

 

Haha! I just got to the Hotter than Ahtens in June comment. Yeah, we're looking at April, 2024, Athens to Venice route.

 

I love all the pictures too, helps to really support our decision, I'm so ready! I'll have to talk to my parents at Christmas, as they have done a few Viking. I'm not sure if they use an agent with theirs, or just do it themselves.

 

Can we book their airfare with them, even if we want to extend our trip?

Hi Cindy!

Yep.. spring or fall are great times to go.😃

I have never booked airfare through Viking for an ocean cruise  but I'm sure you can if you want to extend your trip. If you book Viking Air your transfers are included.  If you want to choose your specific flights and dates then it's an extra $100 pp for "custom air."

The included transfers are only included if 1) you arrive or depart on the same day as the cruise does or 2) you book a Viking extension organized instead of your own.

We usually book our own air since I'm very picky about our seats since Sam is 6'3" and we can really only sit in an exit row. And since if you book a cruise with included airfare the flights are not ticketed until you make final payment and by that time the exit row seats might not be available anymore on that flight.  If seats didn't matter (or if we flew Business Class) then I would be more likely to book our flights through Viking Air.😊

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, kctwinmommy said:

I'll have to talk to my parents at Christmas, as they have done a few Viking. I'm not sure if they use an agent with theirs, or just do it themselves.

FYI Viking has a referral program, so you might want to use your parents as the referral.

[OneSixtyToOne]

55 minutes ago, Sleep7 said:

If you want to choose your specific flights and dates then it's an extra $100 pp for "custom air."

FYI You can now change flights via MVJ without custom air. It's limited to those airlines Viking has arrangements with but it's a big improvement over the way it use to work. We were able to change our departure city as well as airlines and times all within MVJ.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, kctwinmommy said:

Only on the first page, and ready to go now!!

 

I think we all have the same reaction to sleep7's review.

[Peregrina651]

4 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

FYI Viking has a referral program, so you might want to use your parents as the referral.

 

The perk is minimal but it benefits both the referrer and the referred.

[Sleep7]

13 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

FYI You can now change flights via MVJ without custom air. It's limited to those airlines Viking has arrangements with but it's a big improvement over the way it use to work. We were able to change our departure city as well as airlines and times all within MVJ.

Oh! I had no idea! That's a great perk. Thanks for the info.😃

[Sleep7]

13 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I think we all have the same reaction to sleep7's review.

Peregrina651.. you are a sweetheart!!😍

[kctwinmommy]

5 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

FYI Viking has a referral program, so you might want to use your parents as the referral.

Good to know! Thanks!

[kctwinmommy]

5 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I think we all have the same reaction to sleep7's review.

LOL! Right!? We just came home from a memorial lunch party for a friend and we were talking about this. Another friend has a Barcelona to Athens one booked on Princess, for about 2/3 the price of this. But after reading her review and seeing the pics, even with a slightly different itinerary, I'm sold on this one! I feel like this  kind of cruise deserves this kind of elegance and detail.

[kctwinmommy]

6 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Hi Cindy!

Yep.. spring or fall are great times to go.😃

I have never booked airfare through Viking for an ocean cruise  but I'm sure you can if you want to extend your trip. If you book Viking Air your transfers are included.  If you want to choose your specific flights and dates then it's an extra $100 pp for "custom air."

The included transfers are only included if 1) you arrive or depart on the same day as the cruise does or 2) you book a Viking extension organized instead of your own.

We usually book our own air since I'm very picky about our seats since Sam is 6'3" and we can really only sit in an exit row. And since if you book a cruise with included airfare the flights are not ticketed until you make final payment and by that time the exit row seats might not be available anymore on that flight.  If seats didn't matter (or if we flew Business Class) then I would be more likely to book our flights through Viking Air.😊

 

Thanks! I think we'll stick with booking our own as well. I'm a bad flyer, this will be the longest flight I've ever taken, so I'll need to plan it for what fits me. I think we're looking at coming into Athens a day or two early, get adjusted, then cruise to Venice and have a couple days up there before coming home.

 

And yeah, my husband retired last month, and my 50th birthday is in January 2024, so I think this would be a great celebration! Our son is in college, so he won't be happy, but sorry kid! He's been on 5 cruises in the past few years, including Europe and Alaska, so he's had some good times. We actually enjoy traveling with him, he enjoys adventures and history, so he would truly love this too.

[Sleep7]

44 minutes ago, kctwinmommy said:

Thanks! I think we'll stick with booking our own as well. I'm a bad flyer, this will be the longest flight I've ever taken, so I'll need to plan it for what fits me. I think we're looking at coming into Athens a day or two early, get adjusted, then cruise to Venice and have a couple days up there before coming home.

 

And yeah, my husband retired last month, and my 50th birthday is in January 2024, so I think this would be a great celebration! Our son is in college, so he won't be happy, but sorry kid! He's been on 5 cruises in the past few years, including Europe and Alaska, so he's had some good times. We actually enjoy traveling with him, he enjoys adventures and history, so he would truly love this too.

Hi again Cindy!

Thank you again for such sweet words about my thread.  It was a fabulous week.. can't wait to book another.  Hopefully next October.🤞

Yes.. I always try to book my own flights unless the only promo is free air.

That's awesome that your husband just retired and you will have plenty of time to pad your cruise a few days on either side.  You will get a chance to adjust to the time change and to enjoy both cities way more in depth.  A perfect way to celebrate your milestone birthday!  How nice that you have cruised so much with your son.. truly memories that last a lifetime.

I don't know if you are stuck on going to Greece but last November (2021) we took our first Viking Ocean cruise from Barcelona to Rome.  The flights are shorter and the sights are just as exciting.

I also wrote a blog about that one.  It was when we were first emerging from COVID so there were tons of health protocols on that cruise but we still had a fabulous time.

Here is the link.. the faces and the silly shoes are the same.. just the ports are different.😊

 

[kctwinmommy]

23 minutes ago, Sleep7 said:

Hi again Cindy!

Thank you again for such sweet words about my thread.  It was a fabulous week.. can't wait to book another.  Hopefully next October.🤞

Yes.. I always try to book my own flights unless the only promo is free air.

That's awesome that your husband just retired and you will have plenty of time to pad your cruise a few days on either side.  You will get a chance to adjust to the time change and to enjoy both cities way more in depth.  A perfect way to celebrate your milestone birthday!  How nice that you have cruised so much with your son.. truly memories that last a lifetime.

I don't know if you are stuck on going to Greece but last November (2021) we took our first Viking Ocean cruise from Barcelona to Rome.  The flights are shorter and the sights are just as exciting.

I also wrote a blog about that one.  It was when we were first emerging from COVID so there were tons of health protocols on that cruise but we still had a fabulous time.

Here is the link.. the faces and the silly shoes are the same.. just the ports are different.😊

 

 

Yeah, I've been to Italy before, although a long time ago. And France then, as well as in 2017 (but different parts). Greece is one place neither of us have been. We have a few friends who have been to Greece recently and it just looks amazing! So wanting to do something a little less "European" feeling. But thanks for the suggestion!

 

And yes, our son has been to a few places, we do like traveling. Although he's also a competitive swimmer, so we had to work around his schedule too. Now he's swimming in college too, so that's why we're not doing the fall, I don't want to miss his meets. We like to do unique things when we can too, but we're not super adventurous. But we've done the helicopter ride on a glacier, we did the climb to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and we rode on a PT boat in New Orleans in 2019. The boat actually saw combat in the Med. during WWII, it was super cool. Again, not that these are things that others haven't done, but we try to do things that are fun. We were supposed to go see the Cubs plan in London in 2020, had everything booked, and welll..... we all know why that didn't happen!

[Sleep7]

2 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:

 

Yeah, I've been to Italy before, although a long time ago. And France then, as well as in 2017 (but different parts). Greece is one place neither of us have been. We have a few friends who have been to Greece recently and it just looks amazing! So wanting to do something a little less "European" feeling. But thanks for the suggestion!

 

And yes, our son has been to a few places, we do like traveling. Although he's also a competitive swimmer, so we had to work around his schedule too. Now he's swimming in college too, so that's why we're not doing the fall, I don't want to miss his meets. We like to do unique things when we can too, but we're not super adventurous. But we've done the helicopter ride on a glacier, we did the climb to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and we rode on a PT boat in New Orleans in 2019. The boat actually saw combat in the Med. during WWII, it was super cool. Again, not that these are things that others haven't done, but we try to do things that are fun. We were supposed to go see the Cubs plan in London in 2020, had everything booked, and welll..... we all know why that didn't happen!

😃Oh!  So then a cruise around Greece is perfect if you are looking for something a little different than Italy or France. It's a great choice. 

That's wonderful that you make your son's swim meets a priority.  You will all treasure those memories.  Our daughters are now 30, 28 and 25.  We did travel with them tons when they were younger and I look back upon that so fondly.

Cool the the PT Boat in New Orleans.  I loved the WWII Museum there.. fascinated by the history.

I'm sure you will get to London to see the Cubbies sometime soon.⚾

Again.. glad my posts were helpful.

Happy sailing!!!🛳️

[kctwinmommy]

30 minutes ago, Sleep7 said:

😃Oh!  So then a cruise around Greece is perfect if you are looking for something a little different than Italy or France. It's a great choice. 

That's wonderful that you make your son's swim meets a priority.  You will all treasure those memories.  Our daughters are now 30, 28 and 25.  We did travel with them tons when they were younger and I look back upon that so fondly.

Cool the the PT Boat in New Orleans.  I loved the WWII Museum there.. fascinated by the history.

I'm sure you will get to London to see the Cubbies sometime soon.⚾

Again.. glad my posts were helpful.

Happy sailing!!!🛳️

Thanks!! I'll go back and reference it again I'm sure! Like many said on your post, you wrote it well, short and concise, to the point, with just enough pics. Some (my own probably) are too wordy at times.

 

And yeah, the Cubs are finally going this summer, but I'm over that now. LOL! The planned trip was supposed to include a visit to the premier tank museum as well, a big thing for our son. As well as a week in Ireland. But I think we'll just get to Ireland some other time. My husband was stationed in England for 2-3 years for the Air Force, so he saw a lot, and I've been there 5 times myself. But we do love history, so yes, the WWII museum in NOLA was amazing! That was a small bucket list item for our son, he's a big history buff, specifically WWII era history. And actually both sides of that. It would be a dream for him to spend a month (or a year!) in Europe visiting all the sites. But until we hit the lottery, he'll have to wait until he can do that himself. LOL! We really didn't travel until he was 10, because we had to take care of our medically fragile daughter, before she passed at the age of 9 (his twin sister). So we did lots of little things around the city and such, a few short family road trips when they were young before she was sick. But the big trips came later. And he understands the value of memories, and that's the important part.

[Sleep7]

8 hours ago, kctwinmommy said:

Thanks!! I'll go back and reference it again I'm sure! Like many said on your post, you wrote it well, short and concise, to the point, with just enough pics. Some (my own probably) are too wordy at times.

 

And yeah, the Cubs are finally going this summer, but I'm over that now. LOL! The planned trip was supposed to include a visit to the premier tank museum as well, a big thing for our son. As well as a week in Ireland. But I think we'll just get to Ireland some other time. My husband was stationed in England for 2-3 years for the Air Force, so he saw a lot, and I've been there 5 times myself. But we do love history, so yes, the WWII museum in NOLA was amazing! That was a small bucket list item for our son, he's a big history buff, specifically WWII era history. And actually both sides of that. It would be a dream for him to spend a month (or a year!) in Europe visiting all the sites. But until we hit the lottery, he'll have to wait until he can do that himself. LOL! We really didn't travel until he was 10, because we had to take care of our medically fragile daughter, before she passed at the age of 9 (his twin sister). So we did lots of little things around the city and such, a few short family road trips when they were young before she was sick. But the big trips came later. And he understands the value of memories, and that's the important part.

Ah.. now I see the meaning of your screen name.  I'm truly sorry for your loss.😢

It makes your family memories even more treasured and loved.💗

 

 

[kctwinmommy]

7 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

Ah.. now I see the meaning of your screen name.  I'm truly sorry for your loss.😢

It makes your family memories even more treasured and loved.💗

 

 

Yes, and thank you. She went through a lot in her short 9 years, so we are blessed that she's not suffering anymore. But she loved life, always wanted to see and do things, despite being pretty limited. So we know we're living her life and dreams every day. 💜