Is permission to disembark one day early in Valparaiso necessary from Viking

[dreamercruise]

I just checked some expedition routes that end in Valparaiso. They do offer the same post-cruise options.  The reservation is fully refundable if cancellation is requested at least 14 days prior. No need to book hotel. No need to change flights. Fully entertained all day without having to worry about where to get lunch.  Only thing is that do not have high expectation for a luxury bus.  Bus is relatively old, but seats are comfortable. Guided tour is top quality. 

[Peregrina651]

10 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

We have an overnight in Valparaiso before disembarkation.  We are booking our own air and most all flights leave late evening which means having a very very long day at Santiago airport.  Have thought of several alternative plans.  Simpliest would be to disembark late afternoon prior day and arrange private transfer to the airport.  Do we need OK from Viking or can we just inform them of our plans?   

 

 

IMHO, ask this question of Viking directly so that you are sure you have the right answer.  You have too much at stake if anyone here has gotten it wrong or if things have changed since what someone else experienced in the past.

 

Moreover, don't ask chat or the call center. Email tellus@vikingcruises.com.

Edited May 28 by Peregrina651

[CurlerRob]

10 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

We have an overnight in Valparaiso before disembarkation.  We are booking our own air and most all flights leave late evening which means having a very very long day at Santiago airport.  Have thought of several alternative plans.  Simpliest would be to disembark late afternoon prior day and arrange private transfer to the airport.  Do we need OK from Viking or can we just inform them of our plans?  There must be previous cruisers who have faced this situation.  

Second choice might be to find a private excursion on disembarkation day which would end at the airport later in the day.  I have seen this at other ports but can't seem to find anything on Viator.  Third would be to arrange our own transfer and book a day room at a hotel near the airport.  There is no way we will sit around an airport for 12 or more hours.  Thanks for any input or suggestions.   

 

 

Just to reinforce @Peregrina651's post - it is critical that get approval from Viking to disembark a day early if that's what you choose to do. Your first day in port, you are an "in-transit" pax, usually not subject to immigration inspections when you go ashore, as the intention is that you will reboard.

 

That is dramatically different than clearing local immigration/customs when you actually disembark. If you've ever disembarked while other pax stayed on for further cruising, you've likely seen the difference in the exit process for the two groups.

 

Her suggestion to use tellus@ is spot on - get it in writing and confirm it with guest services when you board the ship. You do not want to look like you are jumping ship in Chile. 🍺🥌

 

 

 

 

[Ready to Sail!]

42 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

IMHO, ask this question of Viking directly so that you are sure you have the right answer.  You have too much at stake if anyone here has gotten it wrong or if things have changed since what someone else experienced in the past.

 

Moreover, don't ask chat or the call center. Email tellus@vikingcruises.com.

Thanks.  I have already done this and not making any decisions until I hear back from them. Just getting opions on this site from cruisers who may have done this.  

[LindaS272]

We can recommend Felipe Jara as a passionate, competent & experienced guide out of Valparaiso. https://www.agtvalparaiso.com/2020/11/12/felipe-jara/
 

He was initially our transport from Santiago airport to our hotel in Valparaiso one night before getting on the Jupiter to transit to Buenos Ares (Feb. 2020). Then he put together a last minute tour for us when our VO Pablo Neruda tour the first day was canceled. We had a driver and guide, toured three locations in the region associated with Neruda & had lunch at a winery near Santiago.

 

I’m sure Felipe could set up an excellent day for you from disembarkation to your night flight out of Santiago.

[CILCIANRQTS]

Get Viking’s OK.

They’re not running a bus line.

There are LOTS of local regulations regarding discharging passengers that they have to comply with, so you need to check with them first.

[Ready to Sail!]

Thanks everyone who offered their own experiences, opinions, and advise.  When I questioned the ability to leave ship day before I honestly wasn't taking immigration clearance into consideration. IF a local authority has to come on the ship then we would certainly not expect them to do so just for a few people. At any rate, I have not heard back from Viking and will wait until I do but am starting to think we should just go with the flow and go to plan B or C.  

 

I have checked with the tour company suggested by Dreamer and this is a good option except we would still end of at the airport about 8 hours before our flight.  I am checking with them to see if they would drop us at a hotel near the airport and book a room to be available, then just take their shuttle to the airport 3-4 hours prior to flight.  Just getting a day room a third option. 

 

Just to put all this in context we are not novice travelers.  We have been traveling internationally for almost 30 years and most of it independently. I always plan and book our flights, hotels, rentals, cruises, trains myself so am experienced but know each trip takes on its own set of cercumstances.  Therefore, always good to explore all options and asking other travelers a great way to do that.  Air travel, and specifically, airports has become increasing difficult and I think this may be our last harrah for long flights with multiple airports.  Time to just go to Hawaii, rent a condo and enjoy sitting on the lanai to watch the sun come up!

 

I will come back to report our final plans.  Thanks again everyone. 

 

 

[biggerbearmom]

Yes, you can absolutely disembark a day early. We did it two years ago in Bergen. We notified Viking of our intentions prior to the cruise. When we left the ship, the staff member who scanned our cards called Guest Services just  to make sure we were good to go.

[Ready to Sail!]

53 minutes ago, biggerbearmom said:

Yes, you can absolutely disembark a day early. We did it two years ago in Bergen. We notified Viking of our intentions prior to the cruise. When we left the ship, the staff member who scanned our cards called Guest Services just  to make sure we were good to go.

This is still a work in progress for us. I posted a seperate update saying changing our flights to do this too pricy so decided not to   but since the update did find new return flight with reasonable fare increase so we are back to plan A.

 

So, yes guest services have told us this is doable but a written permission OK from another department is necessary.  Apparently as long as you want to disembark early from the final port it is not a problem (as long as it is a over night in that port of course) BUT, once your request is approved you cannot change back to disembarking the next day.  So, if you think you want to do this, get the written OK BEFORE you book your flights.  I have been assured by guest services there should be no problem, but if for some reason it is not approved I am now faced with changing our flights back because we will be committed to the early disembarking.  Maybe doing without the written OK is doable but we didn't want to take the chance so we are doting all I's and crossing the t's.

 

This is only our second Viking cruise (of many with other lines) and last one was 2019 so am learning anew as we go!  Yes, everyone who said go directly to guest relations - email  tellus@vikingcruises.com was absolutely right.  

Edited May 30 by Ready to Sail!

[tarhoosier]

I am following your actions closely. 

Edited May 30 by tarhoosier

[Ready to Sail!]

1 minute ago, tarhoosier said:

I am following your actions closely. 

 Good for you.  I'm even having trouble keeping up!🤪  

[Ready to Sail!]

New and final update to my ongoing quest to change our disembarkation to one day earlier when last full day is an overnight in port.  I did mention on another thread that I was unsure I could do this because I was having trouble finding a reasonable fare to change to.  

 

Customer services felt there would be no reason to not have our request granted BUT if they did not there was no changing our minds after approval and so I better be sure I could change the flights first.  Will not go into detail again on this thread but was able to find return flights and get changed for a reasonable increase in fare. (which I had to do myself after AA agent said it would cost $1500)

 

Yesterday morning I contacted the agent I had been working with at tellus@vikingcruises.com and told her to go ahead with our request.  She said it could be a week or two until we heard.  We got a call about 6 hours later saying we did have pemission to disembark early evening the prior day.  Of course she (not the person I had been working with, but seperate department. Can't remember which she said it was) reminded us that we would not have use of a transfer which we knew already and wouldn't expect.  She issued a new comfirmation, removing the transfer and changing the date we would conclude the cruise.

 

So, the sense I got is that this is not an unreasonable request and has been done.  Great way to end a cruise with only late night flights IF it is an overnight in port.  We can spend a relaxing last day with use of our cabin up until we have to leave and get a shuttle to the airport.   

 

Thank you to Customers Services.  Not sure I should mention the reps name I made contact with at tellus@ but she was wonderful.  Very patient, very flexible, very pleasant, so will just give a shout out to the whole department, and Viking in general.  I'm a happy and satisfied customer!