Contemplating Viking - Questions

[Rick&Jeannie]

New to Viking but not cruising.  We have cruised 4 different lines to date...so not a noob; well...a noob when it comes to Viking! 😄

 

Looking at some river cruises in Europe.  Have yet to book.

 

1) I was poking around in regards to final payment.  I found some references to Viking requiring 12 months advance payment.  Really?  Full payment required at booking for anything this year?

2) How good/flexible is Viking Air?  I *generally* book my own air after having experienced "issues" (we'll leave it at that!) with other cruise lines' air programs.  Is Viking Air pretty much the same as all other air programs...meaning rather inflexible?

3) In looking at bookings for several cruises, I see cabin categories for "Veranda Stateroom (A)" and "Veranda Stateroom (B)".  Is the only difference between listings such as these the ship location/deck?

 

I'll stop at this...don't want to "wear out my welcome"!

 

Appreciate any info...especially regarding Viking Air.

[JM0115]

2 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

New to Viking but not cruising.  We have cruised 4 different lines to date...so not a noob; well...a noob when it comes to Viking! 😄

 

Looking at some river cruises in Europe.  Have yet to book.

 

1) I was poking around in regards to final payment.  I found some references to Viking requiring 12 months advance payment.  Really?  Full payment required at booking for anything this year?

2) How good/flexible is Viking Air?  I *generally* book my own air after having experienced "issues" (we'll leave it at that!) with other cruise lines' air programs.  Is Viking Air pretty much the same as all other air programs...meaning rather inflexible?

3) In looking at bookings for several cruises, I see cabin categories for "Veranda Stateroom (A)" and "Veranda Stateroom (B)".  Is the only difference between listings such as these the ship location/deck?

 

I'll stop at this...don't want to "wear out my welcome"!

 

Appreciate any info...especially regarding Viking Air.

Yes, Viking requires probably the most advanced payment of any cruise line.  I would recommend Viking Air Plus since it will allow you more flexibility to choose your airline and flights. They will work with you. You can also arrive earlier or depart later for a deviation fee which I believe is still $100.  All cabins are good. The differences between DV1, DV2, etc are location. But there are no bad cabins and I think that Viking has some of the nicest bathrooms in the industry!

[oskidunker]

Yes, final pay due 12 months out.

i booked Viking air  get a good Business seat with low connection time. I could not do this trying to book united with miles. First time using any cruise line air. We will see how it goes. Price was competitive. 
 

All Verandas are the same except some on higher decks. Viking holds you hostage on excursions letting the suites book first. Some people book suites for this reason I won’t.

 

my first Viking cruise is in March. Anxious to compare with Oceania.

[CDR2001]

If you’re looking at a river cruise, excursions open to all cabins at the same time. Ocean gives suites and penthouse cabins a few weeks head start on excursions. It’s indicated on the website under each cabin category. Look at the deck plans for river and you can see where each type is located.

[The Other Tom]

1.  Yes

2.  Inflexible.  But Air + , which you pay extra for, is flexible.  Within reason, you can pick your flights.  I have my flights in mind, and a backup, before I call.

3.  Yes, but as others have said, the higher (more expensive) cabins get first dibs at excursions and dinner reservations.   If you "miss out", you can *usually* book what you want once you are on board.

Edited January 22, 2023 by The Other Tom

[Clay Clayton]

29 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

New to Viking but not cruising.  We have cruised 4 different lines to date...so not a noob; well...a noob when it comes to Viking! 😄

 

Looking at some river cruises in Europe.  Have yet to book.

 

1) I was poking around in regards to final payment.  I found some references to Viking requiring 12 months advance payment.  Really?  Full payment required at booking for anything this year?

2) How good/flexible is Viking Air?  I *generally* book my own air after having experienced "issues" (we'll leave it at that!) with other cruise lines' air programs.  Is Viking Air pretty much the same as all other air programs...meaning rather inflexible?

3) In looking at bookings for several cruises, I see cabin categories for "Veranda Stateroom (A)" and "Veranda Stateroom (B)".  Is the only difference between listings such as these the ship location/deck?

 

I'll stop at this...don't want to "wear out my welcome"!

 

Appreciate any info...especially regarding Viking Air.

1. For your first cruise yes, 12 months is about as good as it gets. If you have a cruise already booked, you can request 6 months for the second cruise and they usually will agree. 
 

2. More flexible than others as long as you’re willing to pay the extra for Air+ which I think is now $150pp and the deviation as Jim mentioned if you want to go earlier (we always do) or stay longer (we often do). You can also usually deviate and fly to/from another city than the cruise port if you wish. For example, we disembarked in Barcelona but flew home (on free air plus deviation fee) from Rome. (Obviously we paid separately to fly from Barcelona to Rome.)

 

3.On the River Cruises, the only difference between A & B cabins is their location. Given the small size of the river boats, I don’t think it makes a bit of difference. 
 

To maximize your value, you may want to find a travel agent that provides the maximum kickback of their commission that Viking allows-$150pp on cruises up to 7 nights, $300pp on 8-14 night cruises, and $500pp on cruises of 15 nights or more. This is enough to cover the daily service charge/gratuities and leave a little left over for the bar tab. 🍸

 

While it is mostly geared to Ocean Cruises, you may find some helpful information in this thread for Viking newbies:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2416372-tips-for-new-viking-ocean-cruisers/page/62/#comment-62141739

 

[Squawkman]

To add or clarify the above specific to river cruises on Viking longships:

Veranda A is on deck 3; veranda B is on deck 2. Cabins otherwise identical.

There is no booking preference for any cabin class.

Suites do get other perks - these are detailed on the website. Pick a cruise, select the Dates and Pricing tab, pick a date, then click on the cabin for details.

Cabin sizes and locations will differ for some river itineraries such as the Douro, Elbe, Seine and Nile.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Squawkman
Clarify

[Rick&Jeannie]

Thanks for all the info everyone!  Much appreciated!

 

Assuming I want to pursue the Viking Air Plus.  I don't recall seeing anything in the booking I started last night (not completed) in regards to Air Plus.  How is this handled?  Is this something that is handled "after the fact"? 

 

My local airport is almost a one-airline airport...Delta.  Consequently we have status on Delta and get lots of benefits from sticking with Delta.  (American does have a few flights...but if you want any real flexibility it's going to be Delta.) Chances are that Delta would be the airline picked by Viking Air...but that's no guarantee that the entire itinerary would be Delta.  Those scenarios scare me to no end.  I can envision all kinds of flight issues...especially with all of the airline issues you hear about these days!  I rarely have issues with Delta.  Would I be able to pick both airline and flights if I go with Plus?

[Rick&Jeannie]

Another question about Air.  All cruise air programs claim to have a "24 hour emergency phone" to take care of the issues that often crop up.  I've heard horror stories over in some of the other forums about how nobody was available when most needed.  Can anybody share (good or bad) experiences with the Viking "emergency" plan?

[SantaFe1]

Yes, airline, flights and seats.  We have done many air plus delta flights, and are on another in a couple of weeks.  And yes, there is an emergency number.  I have only used it once to change flights to go a day early between big snowstorms.  That worked well, but it was on a world cruise, where your airfare is included, and it was in 2019, before COVID.  

Edited January 22, 2023 by SantaFe1

[LindaS272]

8 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Would I be able to pick both airline and flights if I go with Plus?

Yes, according to who Viking is contracting with at the time—but they don’t contract with every airline and there are usually restrictions on the fare class under contract. You’ll just have to check it out to see. They’re not going to charge you for Plus if they don’t have what you want.

[Mizzou70]

We were caught in the summer of 2022 airline chaos.  We arrived at the airport in Naples, Italy to find that our flight had been rebooked in the middle of the night with no notice and we had missed our new flight.  The Viking emergency contact worked well.  An agent answered quickly and responded calmly as I ranted.  He had us booked on another flight with better connections before we ended the call. 

[CDR2001]

Rick and Jeannie

We don’t use a TA ( problems in the past), but…I always book Viking cruises through the same reliable Viking agent. It was luck that we found her on our first Viking phone call. Some book online, but I prefer to get questions answered by a person. ( such as how to get air plus etc.) Good luck! 

[geffric]

2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Another question about Air.  All cruise air programs claim to have a "24 hour emergency phone" to take care of the issues that often crop up.  I've heard horror stories over in some of the other forums about how nobody was available when most needed.  Can anybody share (good or bad) experiences with the Viking "emergency" plan?

i had an interesting experience with Viking Air emergency number..the person was not very knowledgeable and I had to talk to Delta and then back to Viking and needed to set up a conference call with both to resolve my emergency. Luckily I was in the US and not calling from overseas.

 

[MSEm]

The Viking Longships are on most of the European Rivers. The ships on the Douro, Elbe, and maybe the Seine are different. Look at what is in the space below your cabin or above your cabin.

We book a Veranda Suite on the Longship.  The shower is much larger and you can easily use a shower stool in that bath. The other benefit are a great bonus for us, but we book for the shower size.

[red4u2]

I've also seen advertised on Viking now that as part of choosing to use their air that you can go onto My Viking Journey and change flights to your preferred ones out of their offerings?  is this correct?  and what about the seat?    

[Rick&Jeannie]

29 minutes ago, red4u2 said:

I've also seen advertised on Viking now that as part of choosing to use their air that you can go onto My Viking Journey and change flights to your preferred ones out of their offerings?  is this correct?  and what about the seat?    

Interested in this as well.  I've got so much to catch up on as far as Viking goes!

[SantaFe1]

34 minutes ago, red4u2 said:

I've also seen advertised on Viking now that as part of choosing to use their air that you can go onto My Viking Journey and change flights to your preferred ones out of their offerings?  is this correct?  and what about the seat?    

Yes.  Once Viking selects the flights, they appear on MVJ and you can change the flights within Viking’s offerings and also get or change seats.  Once ticketed, about 75 days out, the change flight option disappears and only the change seat option remains.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

8 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Yes.  Once Viking selects the flights, they appear on MVJ and you can change the flights within Viking’s offerings and also get or change seats.  Once ticketed, about 75 days out, the change flight option disappears and only the change seat option remains.  

OK...clarification.  You can do this without having to resort to the extra cost "Air Plus"?  Is this a temporary "promotion" or is this the way it works now?

[Haqdeluxe]

I also believe that the alternate flights offered will include both those that can be selected without additional cost -and- those that will require Air+ and an extra cost.

[Haqdeluxe]

2 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

OK...clarification.  You can do this without having to resort to the extra cost "Air Plus"?  Is this a temporary "promotion" or is this the way it works now?

Understood to be a new feature of the  Viking Air service. 

[SantaFe1]

It is also my understanding that this is for both Viking air and Viking air plus.  Some people have interpreted this now as Viking getting ready to get rid of air plus.  It is a new feature from about last summer, I would say.  A disclaimer though:   first, we had Air Plus; second, although I changed flights twice, I was too afraid I’d mess things up if I did it myself, so I called my TA, who put us on a conference call with Viking to get things changed.  And finally, flights that at first I was told were not available turned out to be available a few weeks later.  I imagine there might still be a few kinks in the system.  

[Squawkman]

16 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

OK...clarification.  You can do this without having to resort to the extra cost "Air Plus"?  Is this a temporary "promotion" or is this the way it works now?

In a word, yes. I did it once.

[Rick&Jeannie]

So...what are the "mechanics" of using Air Plus and having to pay?  Once on the phone call (assuming a call is needed) do they just ask for your credit card?  And if I am interpreting correctly...if it's done online then Air Plus does not kick in?

[Heidi13]

8 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

New to Viking but not cruising.  We have cruised 4 different lines to date...so not a noob; well...a noob when it comes to Viking! 😄

 

Looking at some river cruises in Europe.  Have yet to book.

 

1) I was poking around in regards to final payment.  I found some references to Viking requiring

12 months advance payment.  Really?  Full payment required at booking for anything this year?

This is one of the gripes that many of us share, as this has been Viking policy since 2018/19. Viking are a private company and are not members of the mega ship owner's club CLIA. Therefore, Viking don't tend to follow industry norms, some of which are beneficial, but early payment, not so much.

You can get around this by waiting to book a cruise, at a time you are comfortable making payment in full. However, since many Viking cruises sell out a year or more in advance, this option may not work, or you may have limited cabin selection available. While the mega ships tend to reduce prices closer to departure, on Viking price increases are possible. On our last cruise our cabin increased $12,000 pp about 6 months after we booked.

 

8 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

2) How good/flexible is Viking Air?  I *generally* book my own air after having experienced "issues" (we'll leave it at that!) with other cruise lines' air programs.  Is Viking Air pretty much the same as all other air programs...meaning rather inflexible?

Viking Air books bulk seats on contract from the airlines, similar to most cruise lines. You have the option of paying a premium "Air Plus" fee of about $100 - $200 pp. Without air plus you get flights about 60 - 75 days before departure and have zero input into airline or routing. With Airplus, you can request a specific airline and preferences on routing. If they have those flights available on contract, we have had no issue getting both requested airline and preferred route. However, if not available on contract, they may request additional funds to book, or request you provide an alternative. Note- the fare class is unknown until you receive tickets, so you do not know if the flights can be upgrades with points and/or cash.

 

8 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

3) In looking at bookings for several cruises, I see cabin categories for "Veranda Stateroom (A)" and "Veranda Stateroom (B)".  Is the only difference between listings such as these the ship location/deck?

All Veranda and Deluxe Veranda cabins are the same size. The designations within each class is based on location.

 

 

Welcome to the Viking Board. Please see my thoughts and experiences in red.