Last minute upgrade on Viking - new luggage tags?

[bundtkate]

I am astounded this happened as I have seen our sailing listed as sold out for many months but somehow my husband and I were upgraded from the lowest tier basement room to a top level french balcony on our upcoming Viking river cruise. I actually wouldn't have even known except that I was poking around My Viking Journey looking for the hotels we're staying in pre/post and stumbled upon the cabin number change. We already have luggage tags with the old cabin number on them and so far as I can tell there isn't any way to print new ones. Will our bags find the right room with the old tags? Maybe the Viking reps at the airport or hotel will have new ones for us? Normally I wouldn't worry about this sort of thing as I know porters can tag your luggage on ocean cruises, but I'm new to rivers and suspect there aren't any porters in this case so I'm a bit less certain what to do. We'll probably have to see what happens either way as we're literally getting on a plane tomorrow so there's little time left to do anything else, but I was hoping someone here has been through this and might be able to se my mind at ease that all will be well once we arrive in Europe.

[pontac]

No worries. Leave it to Viking.

 

Your bags will be taken from the coach when it stops at the boat and taken to the room. You could cross out the room number on the tag and write in the new one, or just tell boat reception when you check in. There's not many cabins on a river boat, it's not a big deal.*

 

Congrats on the upgrade! You'll have a great trip (Does not matter where the cruise is going, you'll have a great time).

 

*If you hadn't checked MVJ then the first you'll have known of the upgrade was when you checked in, and they'd have taken care of getting your bags to the new cabin. So, don't worry. 

Edited July 3, 2023 by pontac

[deec]

I am actually surprised that they would upgrade you without checking first...what if you had a reason to want the room you first reserved....can't imagine but maybe?

[Daisi]

Congratulations on receiving an upgrade, but just wanting to let you know that the french balcony rooms are 135 sq. ft., and the lower ones are 150 sq. ft.  Because balconies on river cruise ships are flush with the wall of the ship, Viking moved their corridor over so those paying extra to have a "real" balcony vs a french balcony actually do get more room.

 

Hope you enjoy your trip, and really, don't worry about the difference. What you gain in possibly more light, any scenery to see is best viewed on the top deck where you can see both sides of the river.

 

[CastleCritic]

29 minutes ago, deec said:

I am actually surprised that they would upgrade you without checking first...what if you had a reason to want the room you first reserved....can't imagine but maybe?

I can see some cases where thats true, but Im just as fine with getting an upgrade as a surprise as the cruise line calling me (usually that doesnt mean anything good....last time it was because I was getting kicked off the ship so they could charter it) to ask if I would like an upgrade.

 

Ive had it happen twice, the first time when I showed up and went "wait I paid for a 1st floor room, this ones on the third floor" and recently they did send me an email 2 weeks prior saying because of my status I was getting an upgrade, but the reality was they cleared the lower deck entirely (except one room..wonder who they made mad or if they really did just call up and decline the upgrade).

 

(and the date change because of the charter worked out fine, I didn't have airfare booked so just agreed to go the other way the next week and got a free room upgrade, this was AMA not viking)

Edited July 3, 2023 by CastleCritic

[bundtkate]

4 hours ago, pontac said:

There's not many cabins on a river boat, it's not a big deal.

Honest, that's kind of what I figured, but since it's my first time on the river I felt better verifying. Thanks for helping set my mind at ease!

 

2 hours ago, deec said:

what if you had a reason to want the room you first reserved

Thankfully the only reason I chose my room is that it was the cheapest one. I will happily take the upgrade. 🥳

 

1 hour ago, Daisi said:

just wanting to let you know that the french balcony rooms are 135 sq. ft., and the lower ones are 150 sq. ft.

Thanks for the heads up! I am aware of that oddity, but I'm not worried about it. I am not the type to pack a ton so it should be plenty of space for us. I am mostly happy to have an option for some fresh air while we're sailing in the evening and some extra light when we're not rafted. This is one of the many reasons I wouldn't have paid for the upgrade, but I will happily take it for free!

 

1 hour ago, CastleCritic said:

the first time when I showed up and went "wait I paid for a 1st floor room, this ones on the third floor"

This is me right now! It's our first time on Viking so no status either. I guess we just got lucky. 🤷‍♀️

 

[Daisi]

@bundtkate, I'm sure you'll have a great time. I agree the fresh air is nice. Enjoy your cruise.

 

[pontac]

We've cruised in three Viking Longship cabin types so far, the cheapest ones on the lowest deck, french balcony and veranda.

 

I'm quite happy in the cheapest, but  Mrs Pontac is shorter than me and she can't see out the window, and she insisted on booking other decks.

 

I honestly didn't notice the lower deck rooms are larger or the french balcony is smaller. We spend little time in the room when we are not asleep.

[bundtkate]

3 hours ago, pontac said:

Mrs Pontac is shorter than me and she can't see out the window

Well I'm 5'4" if I stand up really straight so maybe I'd end up thinking just like Mrs. Pontiac. Guess I'll have to wait until our next river cruise to find out. 😅

[pontac]

20 hours ago, Daisi said:

but just wanting to let you know that the french balcony rooms are 135 sq. ft., and the lower ones are 150 sq. ft. 

 

This difference has been mentioned before, and so I looked at the cabin diagrams and I cannot see an additional 15 sq ft of floor space in the Standard cabin. I've started a new thread about it, have a look and tell me where I've gone wrong.

 

[pontac]

20 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Well I'm 5'4" if I stand up really straight so maybe I'd end up thinking just like Mrs. Pontiac. Guess I'll have to wait until our next river cruise to find out

 

The downside of upgrades is you get a taste for the more expensive 😁.

 

As Mrs Pontac (not Pontiac - don't give her ideas!) couldn't see out the window she found the room gloomy, not something one finds in a French balcony where the river facing wall is glass

[bundtkate]

1 minute ago, pontac said:

(not Pontiac - don't give her ideas!)

Doh! It's autocorrect with the ideas. This is obviously what I get for reading cruise critic at the airport. Are Pontiacs even a thing anymore? Hmm ... 🤔

[CastleCritic]

3 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

Doh! It's autocorrect with the ideas. This is obviously what I get for reading cruise critic at the airport. Are Pontiacs even a thing anymore? Hmm ... 🤔

Dont remind me, my last cruise I paid for the cheapest possible room and ended up with a room categorized as a suite(really just a room with a proper balcony...still not complaining), 4 categories higher.  (Ive been on enough cruises with AMA that I get one category for free anyway).

[CPT Trips]

19 hours ago, bundtkate said:

. This is me right now! It's our first time on Viking so no status either. I guess we just got lucky. 🤷‍♀️

 

Or, they may just be trying to get you hooked on the higher category 😉

Enjoy your cruise!

[bundtkate]

30 minutes ago, CastleCritic said:

4 categories higher

I actually think that's about what we ended up with. We booked the cheapest basement room (category F) and the French balcony we got put in is on the highest cabin deck (category C).

 

14 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Or, they may just be trying to get you hooked on the higher category 😉

They may try but all I see in those upgrade costs is more cruises I could be taking! We've been known to splurge from time to time on ocean cruises but rivers are a splurge already. If they really want me hooked on a higher category they'd be better served convincing my director I need a raise. 😂

[Daisi]

"Are Pontiacs even a thing anymore?"

 

@pontac, I will also apologise, as I'm always keying in Pontiac as well....but then, when I think of Pontiacs, I'm thinking of the one we had : 

[sharkster77]

5 hours ago, Daisi said:

"Are Pontiacs even a thing anymore?"

 

@pontac, I will also apologise, as I'm always keying in Pontiac as well....but then, when I think of Pontiacs, I'm thinking of the one we had : 

The last year for Pontiacs was 2010.  My father had a 1946 Pontiac that was his pride and joy---wish we had found a way to keep it in the family after he passed away.

[Daisi]

This was a 48, but a Canadian one. There are some differences. We were also sorry to see it go, but we got rid of all our old cars a couple of years ago as we had been looking at selling the house and wouldn't have room for them. We also found we weren't getting the joy of driving them as much, to hot now up here to enjoy the convertible & T-Roof, and the older ones just weren't easy to drive. 

[CPT Trips]

Somewhere in the recesses of my memory I recall Pontiac marketed and branded Acadian in Canada (circa 1960s). 

[Host Jazzbeau]

40 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

Somewhere in the recesses of my memory I recall Pontiac marketed and branded Acadian in Canada (circa 1960s). 

The top of the line Pontiac in Canada was the Parisienne, which resembled a US Catalina or Bonneville but wikipedia says they were actually rebodied Chevies with cheaper underpinnings.  [I always thought they were the same, but here again you can't judge a book by its cover...]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Parisienne

 

Ironic story: when I was picking up a rental car in Anchorage, a 'full-size' Enterprise offering that was a little peanut of a thing, a classic Bonneville drove by – and I pointed to it and told the rental agent "That is a full-size car."  He allowed us to upgrade to an SUV, which was a much better choice for three people with lots of luggage!  The SUV?  A GMC Acadia!

[CPT Trips]

I had to check my memory with Mr. Google.
The Acadian was a ChevyII with a Canadian made engine and chassis assembled in Canada, rebadged, and sold by Pontiac dealers. Apparently using the Canadian engine and chassis and then doing the assembly in Canada with US parts had significant tax/tariff advantages compared to importing a Pontiac or Chevy. 

[pontac]

20 hours ago, Daisi said:

when I think of Pontiacs, I'm thinking of the one we had : 

 

Now, that looks like a real car!

[deec]

always hope for an up grade fairy...haven't had one yet!

[CastleCritic]

12 minutes ago, deec said:

always hope for an up grade fairy...haven't had one yet!

not leaving enough money under your pillow!

[odblnt]

6 hours ago, pontac said:

 

Now, that looks like a real car!

My "first" car was a 1949 Plymouth. We used to call the steering "arm-strong." As I drive my semi-modern Nissan Rogue with power steering and backup camera, I wonder how I ever drove that old car.