Latest check-in/embarkation time when ship overnights in Reykjavik?

[Phantom_Celery]

For anyone who has sailed Viking Ocean in Iceland (may also apply to other places). Since the first night (embarkation) and second day are in Reykjavik, does anyone know what the latest time is we can arrive at the terminal for check-in? Has anyone arrived after 8pm for example, and did you have any issues boarding? We have plans to be out seeing the sights and I don’t want to worry too much about the time, but I also don’t want to be turned away! Thanks!

[WanderingBrit]

When we overnighted in Bermuda passengers were embarking late into the night, but that was likely anticipated due to the challenges around air travel 2 years ago and with Viking arranged flights - they would have known they had incoming passengers at 10pm.

 

I believe we're supplied a phone number for the ship shortly before sailing, perhaps call them and ask?

 

[Phantom_Celery]

12 minutes ago, WanderingBrit said:

 

I believe we're supplied a phone number for the ship shortly before sailing, perhaps call them and ask?

 

That’s a good suggestion thanks. I’ve contacted VO customer service three times and gotten three different answers (from strict 7:45pm arrival cutoff to “anytime even past midnight”) but contacting the ship directly seems the most reliable.

[Packman1000]

3 hours ago, Phantom_Celery said:

That’s a good suggestion thanks. I’ve contacted VO customer service three times and gotten three different answers (from strict 7:45pm arrival cutoff to “anytime even past midnight”) but contacting the ship directly seems the most reliable.

We are facing the same issue in a couple of days.  If our booked flight were canceled or delayed, we would not get to our destination airport until 11 PM or later.  I have been told that a Viking rep should still meet us at the airport (Viking air), however probably not after midnight.  In that case we are told to call the ship and take taxi to the cruise port.   I still wonder if the cruise terminal is manned.  I can't believe they are open all night, but maybe.

[Peregrina651]

10 hours ago, Packman1000 said:

I still wonder if the cruise terminal is manned.

 

There is at least a security team on duty. They can't just lock up the place and go home for the night; there has to be access 24/7 in the event of an emergency on board the ship. 

 

Worse come to worse, call the ship and ask them to come let you in.

 

14 hours ago, Phantom_Celery said:

That’s a good suggestion thanks. I’ve contacted VO customer service three times and gotten three different answers (from strict 7:45pm arrival cutoff to “anytime even past midnight”) but contacting the ship directly seems the most reliable.

 

Send an e-mail with your question to tellus@vikingcruises.com.  Include your booking number and a phone number.

 

[Peregrina651]

11 hours ago, Packman1000 said:

In that case we are told to call the ship and take taxi to the cruise port. 

 

Get a receipt and ask the ship to reimburse you.

[vincevango]

On 6/30/2023 at 7:28 AM, WanderingBrit said:

When we overnighted in Bermuda passengers were embarking late into the night, but that was likely anticipated due to the challenges around air travel 2 years ago and with Viking arranged flights - they would have known they had incoming passengers at 10pm.

 

I believe we're supplied a phone number for the ship shortly before sailing, perhaps call them and ask?

 

We have the same issue on our upcoming cruise (out of Athens) and were also told to call the ship to make arrangements.  This is our plan.

[Azulann]

All cruise terminals are different some are huge industrial ports, and other like Stockholm there is the ship at the pier and taxi can just drive up to terminal  and drop off with two  Swedish officials checking passports and check in in 10 minutes. and up the gangplank.

In Copenhagen, our balcony faced the cruise terminal and the gate to the pier. We overnight on this last port of call. I watched two Danish guys  sitting in lawn chairs talking and then sleeping  from 10 - 1 am. I was sitting on balcony  with bags outside stateroom at 1100pm. Had a farewell nightcap in Viking Bar and was enjoy my last night on the Viking Jupiter.

Now Athens, Rome  and even Barcelona, if you are not downtown by the harbor,  are big industrial ports that I am sure are  manned 24/7 to get even into  the port area. 

Edited July 4, 2023 by Azulann

[Peregrina651]

Welcome to Skarfabakki Harbor! A picture is worth a thousand words. This is what it looks like from the ship. 

 

The white buses are Viking Shorex; they are inside the barrier. The yellow buses are where the private tour buses/cars will park; they are outside the barrier (just walk through the jersey barriers).  If you take a cab, this is where you will be dropped.

 

The white building/hut is the terminal; the tent next to it is where you will find your luggage when disembarking in Iceland. Go through here to get on the ship. There will be personnel checking keycards and this is where late arrivals will check in. I expect that security guards will be there overnight.

 

Early morning arrivals will  possibly check in at a remote site until the ship is cleared of disembarking guests; I haven't heard any talk yet as to how it is being handled but given that the first flights arrive at 6am, it is a good possibility. There is no room on the pier to house hundreds of arriving passengers. (In 2021, we were checked in and fed breakfast at the Concert Hall, then allowed to wander until it was time to board the ship).

 

@Phantom_Celery, this is for you!

 

 

Here's the Google-eye view. ViK is where we tied up. The blue dot is the private tour pick-up point.

 

 

[ShopperfiendTO]

We were in the exact same scenario as you last summer (overnight embarkation port stay in Reykjavik with a desire to check-in well into the evening of embarkation) but it was with Azamara.

 

I thought it would be no problem but apparently it can be. 

 

It was really surprising to me, but I was told that even though I *knew* that we would be arriving late that day (well, at least that we wanted to), I could not get pre-approval to arrive after the latest check-in time. 

 

I was told that I had to wait until the morning of the scheduled embarkation day and then to call the cruise line emergency number (at the time Azamara was still owned by RCCL so it was actually the RCCL contact number) and let them know that I would be arriving late, and only then would the decision be made if I could board late.  Basically, they had to treat it as a delayed plane arrival the day of the cruise and I may or I may not be allowed to board!?!

 

I'm not sure if it was because of RCCL bureaucracy or protocol, or if it is dependent on the particular port, but what I thought was a non-issue became a very real issue for us.

 

So I guess what I'm trying to say is given the risk involved, you may want to ask Viking directly and if the answer is favourable to you, to get it in writing.

Edited July 5, 2023 by ShopperfiendTO