Flying back from Viking cruise Basal-AMS-Detroit

[Janie1229]

Hi, I'm looking at booking flights back from Basal - going Basal-AMS-Detroit.

 

The Viking person said we would need to go through passport control in Amsterdam? Is this true? How much time should we leave for going through Amsterdam, is 2hrs sufficient? I've never flown in Europe before. 

 

Thanks!

[Canal archive]

I would have thought Basel to Amsterdam no passport check as your already in the Schengen Agreement area but Amsterdam to Detroit yes passport check for USA entry, you could have every bell and whistle going but you’d still need to negotiate USA passport control. 

Edited June 16 by Canal archive

[Janie1229]

1 hour ago, Canal archive said:

I would have thought Basel to Amsterdam no passport check as your already in the Schengen Agreement area but Amsterdam to Detroit yes passport check for USA entry, you could have every bell and whistle going but you’d still need to negotiate USA passport control. 

Thank you. I understand about going through customs/passport control entering the U.S., but I was surprised that the Viking rep said we'd have to go through "passport control" but not have to get our bags and recheck - when transferring in Amsterdam coming from Basal. 

[Canal archive]

I know sounds funny but your baggage should be checked through, basically think how much extra time it would take for you to collect your baggage then re submit it for onward travel!

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, Janie1229 said:

Hi, I'm looking at booking flights back from Basal - going Basal-AMS-Detroit.

 

The Viking person said we would need to go through passport control in Amsterdam? Is this true? How much time should we leave for going through Amsterdam, is 2hrs sufficient? I've never flown in Europe before. 

 

Thanks!

 

Basel to Amsterdam is inside the Schengen area, so when you arrive in Amsterdam your plane will disembark inside the Schengen travel zone.

 

You will have to then move from the Schengen zone of the airport to the International departures area of the Amsterdam airport.

 

At this point you will go through passport control to log that you are leaving Europe and you will then also go through security to ensure that you are eligible to transit now to a flight going to the USA.

 

Your bags should check all the way through.  We have done this type of flight many times and never had to pick up bags.  

 

2 hours should be sufficient for you.   We typically never book less than 2.5 hours but we have done this many times on less than 2 hours.  We like longer because we just don't feel the stress of the rush...

 

Since you have not flown through Europe before, take advantage of the agents at the gate when you arrive in Amsterdam.  Stop and ask how you get to the transit zone for international flights.  Some of these airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol are large, and can be confusing.

 

Also, because this is your first time doing this, go directly from your landing gate in Amsterdam to your departure gate for Detroit.  Don't underestimate how long this will take as there can be lines at passport control depending on the day and time.  Shop when you pass through all the checks... don't shop before.

 

Good luck.  You will be fine.

 

This truly is the part of flying that I love - navigating the airports!

 

We have some stories for sure....

 

 

Edited June 16 by CDNPolar

[Janie1229]

7 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Basel to Amsterdam is inside the Schengen area, so when you arrive in Amsterdam your plane will disembark inside the Schengen travel zone.

 

You will have to then move from the Schengen zone of the airport to the International departures area of the Amsterdam airport.

 

At this point you will go through passport control to log that you are leaving Europe and you will then also go through security to ensure that you are eligible to transit now to a flight going to the USA.

 

Your bags should check all the way through.  We have done this type of flight many times and never had to pick up bags.  

 

2 hours should be sufficient for you.   We typically never book less than 2.5 hours but we have done this many times on less than 2 hours.  We like longer because we just don't feel the stress of the rush...

 

Since you have not flown through Europe before, take advantage of the agents at the gate when you arrive in Amsterdam.  Stop and ask how you get to the transit zone for international flights.  Some of these airports such as Amsterdam Schiphol are large, and can be confusing.

 

Also, because this is your first time doing this, go directly from your landing gate in Amsterdam to your departure gate for Detroit.  Don't underestimate how long this will take as there can be lines at passport control depending on the day and time.  Shop when you pass through all the checks... don't shop before.

 

Good luck.  You will be fine.

 

This truly is the part of flying that I love - navigating the airports!

 

We have some stories for sure....

 

 

Thank you! I booked us on a fight from Basel that gives us 5 hrs in AMS. It also means we get a flight out of Basel at 6:05a (insert sleepy emoji face here!) but I think worth it not to stress when navigating through AMS airport. My sister also has some mobility issues, she is able to walk independently but somewhat slow, two knee replacements etc. 

[CDNPolar]

9 minutes ago, Janie1229 said:

Thank you! I booked us on a fight from Basel that gives us 5 hrs in AMS. It also means we get a flight out of Basel at 6:05a (insert sleepy emoji face here!) but I think worth it not to stress when navigating through AMS airport. My sister also has some mobility issues, she is able to walk independently but somewhat slow, two knee replacements etc. 

 

So you are on a Viking River Cruise ending in Basel.  Great!  We have done that one!

 

The only thing to note is that if your flight departs at 6:05am, then Viking will get you to the airport 2+ hours ahead of that flight departure, which means you may be on a bus leaving the ship as early as 3:30am.

 

We have had this happen many times including this past New Year's Day - January 1st.  We left the ship after celebrating New Year's Eve at 3:00am.

[cruiseaholic78]

This should help.

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/

as you have plenty of time if you are interested you can get a little bit of culture too!

https://www.schiphol.nl/en/at-schiphol/discover/facilities/rijksmuseum/

[Janie1229]

14 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

So you are on a Viking River Cruise ending in Basel.  Great!  We have done that one!

 

The only thing to note is that if your flight departs at 6:05am, then Viking will get you to the airport 2+ hours ahead of that flight departure, which means you may be on a bus leaving the ship as early as 3:30am.

 

We have had this happen many times including this past New Year's Day - January 1st.  We left the ship after celebrating New Year's Eve at 3:00am.

@CDNPolar: Currently I booked us flying back the day after we end the cruise. Flying back on Christmas Day (I thought it would also be less traffic in airports). I didn't know if we could fly back on Christmas Eve, directly from the ship, on a flight that early. Is that possible from what you say? I'd have to pay for the transfer as I'm booking my own air, but might be better to just fly home from the ship rather than paying the extra $$ to stay in Basel for one night. Thoughts?

[CDNPolar]

2 minutes ago, Janie1229 said:

@CDNPolar: Currently I booked us flying back the day after we end the cruise. Flying back on Christmas Day (I thought it would also be less traffic in airports). I didn't know if we could fly back on Christmas Eve, directly from the ship, on a flight that early. Is that possible from what you say? I'd have to pay for the transfer as I'm booking my own air, but might be better to just fly home from the ship rather than paying the extra $$ to stay in Basel for one night. Thoughts?

 

We have flown back on Christmas Eve day before.

 

Flight schedules don't really reduce because of Christmas Eve or Day as so much of the world is not Christian and these days mean nothing to them.

 

Up to you.  I don't know if you have a day in Basel or you arrive in Basel on the morning of debarkation.  If you don't have a day in Basel then staying allows you to see Basel.

 

If you already have a day in Basel and that will satisfy your need to see Basel, then I would fly out Christmas Eve Day.

 

If however you have booked already, you may not be able to change it.

 

With Viking, if you are booking your own air, and you are arriving on the day of embarkation or leaving on the day of disembarkation, then you can book Viking transfers and pay for them so that you don't have to worry about arranging your own transfers.

 

You only have to book your own transfers if you are coming in early or leaving late.

 

Hope that makes sense.

[Janie1229]

2 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We have flown back on Christmas Eve day before.

 

Flight schedules don't really reduce because of Christmas Eve or Day as so much of the world is not Christian and these days mean nothing to them.

 

Up to you.  I don't know if you have a day in Basel or you arrive in Basel on the morning of debarkation.  If you don't have a day in Basel then staying allows you to see Basel.

 

If you already have a day in Basel and that will satisfy your need to see Basel, then I would fly out Christmas Eve Day.

 

If however you have booked already, you may not be able to change it.

 

With Viking, if you are booking your own air, and you are arriving on the day of embarkation or leaving on the day of disembarkation, then you can book Viking transfers and pay for them so that you don't have to worry about arranging your own transfers.

 

You only have to book your own transfers if you are coming in early or leaving late.

 

Hope that makes sense.

Yes makes sense. The flight prices are the same for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Flights booked but I purchased on Delta last night and have 24hrs to cancel. I will likely not purchase Viking Air-I have control issues and want to be sure I get the itinerary and airline I want. I also want the premium plus seats. So...the cruise ends on the morning of Christmas Eve. We have not paid for a post-excursion. Staying in Basel for one day, is it worth it? I don't know. The costs keep adding up so part of me would like to fly home the day of debarkation if Viking can get us to the airport early enough for that flight at 6a? 

[Canal archive]

Thanks CDNPolar for your explanation it was far better than mine and what I meant. It can be a little confusing that your luggage is checked straight through and yourself as a mere mortal aren’t.

[CDNPolar]

We have had our share of stress wondering if luggage goes through to destination, navigating European airports - and LHR can be a nightmare too - and for those that are doing it for the first time it can be really confusing....

 

[Janie1229]

Can anyone confirm if Viking will get you to airport in time for an early morning flight at 6a on day of departure? I don't have Viking Air and would pay the transfer fee. Otherwise I guess we'd need to stay the day/night in Basel and fly out early the next morning. 

[CDNPolar]

10 minutes ago, Janie1229 said:

Can anyone confirm if Viking will get you to airport in time for an early morning flight at 6a on day of departure? I don't have Viking Air and would pay the transfer fee. Otherwise I guess we'd need to stay the day/night in Basel and fly out early the next morning. 

When you are booking your own air, Viking will still get you to the airport on disembarkation day.

 

You must do the following:

 

Go to your MyVikingJourney (MVJ) account and go to the Manage My Air Tab.

 

You will see this:

 

We click the link to the Transfer Request Form and fill that out.  After submitting, check back in a week or so to ensure that it is received and logged.  Check also when you board the ship.

 

Edited June 16 by CDNPolar

[Janie1229]

15 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

When you are booking your own air, Viking will still get you to the airport on disembarkation day.

 

You must do the following:

 

Go to your MyVikingJourney (MVJ) account and go to the Manage My Air Tab.

 

You will see this:

 

We click the link to the Transfer Request Form and fill that out.  After submitting, check back in a week or so to ensure that it is received and logged.  Check also when you board the ship.

 

Okay - so you are saying that Viking will have a transfer available that early in the morning for a 6a flight? that's my biggest concern to get to the airport in plenty of time.

[CDNPolar]

There will be many people leaving on the 6am flight on that ship.  This is not uncommon. 

 

Viking will likely transfer you at 3-3:30am from the ship.  They will have various departure times.  We have left Viking ships often at that time.

 

Fill out the form, send it in.  Viking will respond and if they do not then contact the to follow up.

Edited June 16 by CDNPolar

[Janie1229]

2 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

There will be many people leaving on the 6am flight on that ship.  This is not uncommon. 

 

Viking will likely transfer you at 3-3:30am from the ship.  They will have various departure times.  We have left Viking ships often at that time.

 

Fill out the form, send it in.  Viking will respond and if they do not then contact the to follow up.

Thanks so much! Appreciate you addressing my specific concern about getting to airport on time for a 6a flight using Viking. I am going to talk with my sister and possibly change our flight to leaving on 12/24 instead of 12/25. Unless anyone can say that staying in Basel for the one day/night is worth the extra $$

[Phutch9136]

Be aware booking through Viking can be significantly less $ even though it’s not free air anymore. The $799 roundtrip we paid to Viking and the extra $100 for Airplus is 50% of what my flights have been posting for nonstop East Coast US as I tracked in Google flights. We were thrilled we booked through Viking last summer when NYC airports were on a full ground stop for 3 days due to strong storms over the Atlantic. Viking rebooked us at 1:30am when we were finally cancelled and we left the next night. Others we met onboard who booked their own flights missed the first 3 days prestay because they couldn’t get booked onto a flight by any airline due to the massive rebookings from 3 airports. That $100 per person paid off for us indeed! Also, you do have control regarding your preferred airline, flight times and seating choices. You book with Viking as you would with the airline or online, if you pay for Airplus. Because of their relationship with the airlines you we actually had priority over those booking on their own. 

[CPT Trips]

As suggested earlier, you want to go directly to your departure gate in AMS. Don’t be surprised if you have to go through security again before getting from the concourse into the gate area.
I’m not certain whether this is routine for flights to the US or just random. We encountered this several years ago, pre pandemic and we’re in a “sterile” that had no facilities, not even toilet, until the flight boarded. Depending on timing you may not want to go directly through secondary security. 

[knoxclone]

13 hours ago, Janie1229 said:

My sister also has some mobility issues, she is able to walk independently but somewhat slow, two knee replacements etc. 

I suggest getting mobility assistance at AMS - they have the carts as well as wheelchair assist. AMS is a REALLY large airport. 

[Janie1229]

9 hours ago, knoxclone said:

I suggest getting mobility assistance at AMS - they have the carts as well as wheelchair assist. AMS is a REALLY large airport. 

Thank you! Do we just ask for the "cart" when we land?

[CPT Trips]

5 hours ago, Janie1229 said:

Thank you! Do we just ask for the "cart" when we land?

Go to your flights booking online with your record locator and look for special assistance or similar term to click on. Then request wheelchair assistance, you might as well do it all flights. 
If you can’t spot an appropriate link, search on the airline website for “special assistance.” Still no luck, call airline. 

[BigAl666]

On 6/16/2024 at 4:48 AM, Janie1229 said:

Thank you! I booked us on a fight from Basel that gives us 5 hrs in AMS. It also means we get a flight out of Basel at 6:05a (insert sleepy emoji face here!) but I think worth it not to stress when navigating through AMS airport. My sister also has some mobility issues, she is able to walk independently but somewhat slow, two knee replacements etc. 

If your sister has mobility issues, ask the airline/travel agent before you go to have a wheelchair for her from the ramp coming into AMS to the gate to Detroit. This will then show on your ticket materials. The airlines have this down to a science and are super organized and efficient.

 

They are very pleased to do this for you and your sister will be whisked in a wheelchair through security etc checks, transported between terminals if necessary, and directly to the gate, often in electric carts. No lines and greatly reduced stress for both of you.

 

Really - don't think this is just for old tottering people unable to walk more than a few steps. It makes a huge difference in navigating terminals - and many times in Europe you need to change terminals, as noted above.

[CPT Trips]

2 hours ago, BigAl666 said:

The airlines have this down to a science and are super organized and efficient.

 

Much of the time, but not always. Much seems to depend upon the airport and what checks one needs (security again and document examination). We have experienced needing two, and in one case three, separate assists. One assist to or through security and document check and a second from security to the plane. In one airport, there was a separate assist through the document and security check. The transitions were not always anything approaching seamless. Fortunately these are the exceptions.