Transfers with scheduling our own air

[Tsunami74]

If we schedule our own air will we still get transfers to ship provided by Viking.

 

What if we have a 3 day pre cruise extension and schedule out own airfare, will Viking still provide transfer to hotel to begin tour.

[janetcbl]

8 minutes ago, Tsunami74 said:

If we schedule our own air will we still get transfers to ship provided by Viking.

 

What if we have a 3 day pre cruise extension and schedule out own airfare, will Viking still provide transfer to hotel to begin tour.

If it is a Viking pre cruise extension and you arrive the same day as the extension begins and you pay the $49( may have changed), the answer is yes. You have to fill out a form with your travel information (request the form from Viking).

 

[formernuke]

If you schedule your own air you can pay for a Viking transfer IF you arrive on boarding day. If you have a Viking pre-extension yes the transfer to the hotel and then the ship is included. 

[FlyerTalker]

And if you arrive a few days earlier, you can just tell V that you are arriving on sailing day, make your own way to the airport, and just join the V transfer there.  Just supply a dummy flight info - there is no way for V to check on anyone's independent travel arrangements.

 

 

[Jim Avery]

And most places you can get a cab and go yourself for  $98

[PaulS]

We made our own air arrangements for an upcoming Christmas Markets cruise but purchased the two-day pre-cruise extension in Budapest and the two-day post cruise extension in Nuremberg. Since we purchased the extensions and arrive and depart when the extensions begin and end, Viking includes the transfers. We just had to tell them our air arrangements. I assume the same would apply for an ocean cruise, but maybe not.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, PaulS said:

I assume the same would apply for an ocean cruise, but maybe not.

Same applies to Viking Ocean as well.  No cost for transfers if you arrive/depart at beginning or end of a pre- and/or post- excursion that you've bought.

[FlyerTalker]

2 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

And most places you can get a cab and go yourself for  $98

 

Where transfers are important are when there's significant distances between the airport and the cruise port.  Some that come to mind are Santiago, Bangkok, Beijing, Rome, and London.  Definitely worth a $49 transfer in those cases.

 

OTOH, you get places like San Diego and Fort Lauderdale - where you can see the airport from the port.

 

 

[Jim Avery]

Thanks FT.  I have learned a lot about airlines and airports from your posts on CC and appreciate you taking the time to post them.  I am always a bit puzzled about those who willingly spend 5 figures on a cruise but then obsess over a $49 transfer.  Most airports will have private car services for $200 or less door to door and they beat any bus out there other than Garth Brook's.  Sort of reminds me of the old saying: "Steppin over a dollar to pick up a dime".....🥃

[biggerbearmom]

7 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

And if you arrive a few days earlier, you can just tell V that you are arriving on sailing day, make your own way to the airport, and just join the V transfer there.  Just supply a dummy flight info - there is no way for V to check on anyone's independent travel arrangements.

 

 

If you are going to spend the money to get back to the airport for a transfer it would make more sense to go directly to the dock or port. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by biggerbearmom

[FlyerTalker]

53 minutes ago, biggerbearmom said:

If you are going to spend the money to get back to the airport for a transfer it would make more sense to go directly to the dock or port. 

 

Not if you have a several hour trip to the ship.  Such as with Santiago or Beijing or London.  And in many cases, your cost back to the airport is negligible in comparison.

 

Think extreme cases, and work yourself back.  At some point you will find an equilibrium, but outside that, look at what works out best.  It's not always the obvious.

 

 

[biggerbearmom]

 

I hear what you are saying and agree that could be the case in many situations. Using London as an example, if you are in London for a pre cruise it definitely wouldn’t make sense to spend almost two hours getting to Heathrow for a transfer to Greenwich. 

Edited October 22, 2023 by biggerbearmom

[FlyerTalker]

14 minutes ago, biggerbearmom said:

I hear what you are saying and agree that could be the case in many situations. Using London as an example, if you are in London for a pre cruise it definitely wouldn’t make sense to spend almost two hours getting to Heathrow for a transfer to Greenwich. 

 

Who spends two hours getting to Heathrow from London?  Heathrow Express takes 15 minutes from Paddington to LHR.

 

 

[biggerbearmom]

Possibly someone who isn’t comfortable with public transportation, or physically handicapped, or traveling with too much luggage.

I see all kinds of posts on CC and Facebook where people ask about private transfers out of London to Heathrow or vice versa. Anyone who has been stuck in traffic trying to get out of London knows what I am talking about. We were on a Viking transfer to Heathrow in September that took an hour and 45 minutes. But still, why if one was already in London would you not just get a cab or use public transportation to Greenwich?

[FlyerTalker]

Possibly transfers are desirable in London because the overwhelming percentage of cruises leave from Southampton or Dover, not Greenwich?

 

 

[millybess]

9 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

And if you arrive a few days earlier, you can just tell V that you are arriving on sailing day, make your own way to the airport, and just join the V transfer there.  Just supply a dummy flight info - there is no way for V to check on anyone's independent travel arrangements.

 

 

👎

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

 I am always a bit puzzled about those who willingly spend 5 figures on a cruise but then obsess over a $49 transfer.  

Jim - we always called it "Penny Wise Pound Foolish" and yes it amazes me in various conversations with cruise passengers on board how they indeed are obsessed with getting a free transfer 🙂

 

[Zippeedee]

42 minutes ago, millybess said:

👎

I’ve done this on multiple cruise lines. As long as you are paying for the transfer and book it in advance they don’t care. I’ve arrived a day early and stayed in an airport hotel just to avoid flight delay issues.

[Mich3554]

This past spring, the WC docked in Greenwich and we went into London for a show.  We Ubered there and back, I think it was about 20£ each direction, took about 45 min.  This was to and from the theater district.  
The only cruise where it was beneficial to use Viking transport was in 2021 to get to Santiago.  It cost us $165 for private transport to our hotel there from Valparaiso.  At the time, stuff was still shut down due to Covid still and our options weren’t great.  (We also had a bunch of non refundable OBC to use).  In 2019, I booked a private tour guide who took us from our hotel in Santiago on a wine tasting tour, a really good tour of Valparaiso and dropped us off at our ship for $100.  

[biggerbearmom]

14 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

Possibly transfers are desirable in London because the overwhelming percentage of cruises leave from Southampton or Dover, not Greenwich?

 

 

But wasn’t this a question specific to Viking, and if London was the city in question they would be utilizing Tillbury or Greenwich? I think we can agree that either situation could be beneficial, depending on the circumstances and location, regardless of the cruise line.

[Meander Ingwa]

@Tsunami74 it is not really possible to tell you what to do without context.  If you are arranging your airfare and visiting London on your own before your cruise, how comfortable are you with using public transportation.  Are you mobile and able?

 

If leaving from Greenwich it is a simple use of the Underground and DLR to the Cutty Sark station. . You are about 2 block from the ship at that point   Or use a Taxi / Uber, you could be to Greenwich  just as fast as going back to Heathrow and finding the transfer service. 

 

 If leaving from Tilbury it is a train ride to Grays then a cab ride ( or Bolt or Uber) , or a Train to the next town of Tilbury and a walk or cab ride of 1 mile.  I understand cabs are more readily available from Grays.  There are other options as well but this is the basic.

 

A private transfer from your hotel to the cruise port may be more efficient than finding your way back to the airport just to get a shuttle / bus.  To me that alone is worth the extra charge