Changing Viking Shore Excursion

[Astromaid]

I have booked my shore excursions and gotten most of what I wanted. On a couple the times I wanted were sold out so I chose an alternate time. I have read that you can keep checking back to see if there have been any cancelations. What I don't understand is once I book a time and it is confirmed, I don't see a way to check to see if another time is available without canceling my confirmed reservation, which I don't want to do unless another time slot has opened. 

[CCWineLover]

31 minutes ago, Astromaid said:

I have booked my shore excursions and gotten most of what I wanted. On a couple the times I wanted were sold out so I chose an alternate time. I have read that you can keep checking back to see if there have been any cancelations. What I don't understand is once I book a time and it is confirmed, I don't see a way to check to see if another time is available without canceling my confirmed reservation, which I don't want to do unless another time slot has opened. 

Astromaid - I have the same situation!  I don't remember this happening before but it likely did.  Just did our excursions for Iceland last Saturday and want to see if other times are available - especially on included tours.  But you can't!  You can only see what's available for excursions you don't currently have booked.   So for example, if on an optional excursion, I had wanted 2:00 PM but it was sold out and only 4:30 PM was available, I cannot ever look to see if someone cancelled out of 2:00 PM so I can switch.  I'd have to cancel 4:30, give up the slot, and perhaps only then find out 2:00 was still sold out and by the time I tried to go back, perhaps someone else took my 4:30 slot.  No win situation.

 

I may just call Viking and ask about how to deal with this.

[SantaFe1]

I usually just call Viking,  but I got something similar taken care of recently by using the chat feature on MVJ.

[CCWineLover]

6 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I usually just call Viking,  but I got something similar taken care of recently by using the chat feature on MVJ.

spoke with Viking this afternoon.  They were helpless.  I finally got them to agree that this situation exists and that this is probably not a good thing.  They promised to send my feedback back to the IT people and headquarters operations.  Yeah, right...

[Azulann]

Another option is to wait till on the ship, go to Guest Relations and  ask to be waitlisted for the time you wanted that was already sold out.  I  have cancelled excursions and have gotten excursions that  were sold out  before my cruise, once on board.   

It has been my experience that many folks  change their minds  once on ship, maybe they realize  they need a sea day, or they  cannot do all that walking and opt out of an excursion. 

 I just  booked my excursions . I had to  take my second choice for  three of the include excursion. Instead of 9:30 am , we got the 8:30 slot , no big deal. Be back on ship for lunch if we want and spend the afternoon  around infinity pool if the weather is right .....

 

[CCWineLover]

3 minutes ago, Azulann said:

Another option is to wait till on the ship, go to Guest Relations and  ask to be waitlisted for the time you wanted that was already sold out.  I  have cancelled excursions and have gotten excursions that  were sold out  before my cruise, once on board.   

It has been my experience that many folks  change their minds  once on ship, maybe they realize  they need a sea day, or they  cannot do all that walking and opt out of an excursion. 

 I just  booked my excursions . I had to  take my second choice for  three of the include excursion. Instead of 9:30 am , we got the 8:30 slot , no big deal. Be back on ship for lunch if we want and spend the afternoon  around infinity pool if the weather is right .....

 

I've had the same experience several times.  Thus, I am not worried.

Like restaurant reservations, people reserve way more than they can do, and as the cruise goes on they realize that, and cancellations start coming.