Booking late

[Redtravel]

If anyone booked a Viking Ocean cruise late, were you able to reserve excursions and dining once you embarked? We just booked a cruise that embarks in August.  We looked at the array of posted excursions before we booked. Before you book, you can see descriptions, but not available times. We were not surprised that several  with surcharge were sold out.  We had thought that everyone could book the complimentary included excursion. Some of those were sold out.  Others were available at limited times. We are adaptable most of the time. We were able to book some excursions at odd times.  On one day, the only available time open is 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  We didn’t book it. We would prefer eating dinner. 

Next we tried to reserve dinner at Manfredi’s and Chef’s table.  Nothing open.   Just hope that Viking reserves some time slots for people who didn’t book online.  
 

[Larrea]

There are a lot of people with more experience on Viking than we had, but this is what we experienced

-  one day I was going to lunch at the World Cafe and they were soliciting for signups for the specialty restaurants.  Available times were mostly 8 or later.

-  at one port, after we'd walked around the town a little on our own,  we decided we wanted to go on an earlier departure for an included excursion.  They put us on a waiting list right at the bus loading area and we got on the next departure.

-  I had to cancel a paid excursion because of illness. If anyone had been on a waiting list, there would have been an opening.  (They advised me to go to the medical center so I would not be charged for the excursion.  The bill for that was about half the excursion price.)

 

[kctwinmommy]

With regards to excursions, as they do say, you will get one of the included ones. It may not be the one you want or at the time you want, but you will have one. You can always try to get on a wait list, we know people who did that.

 

When it comes to specialty restaurants, people change and cancel plans all the time. So there are times opening up all throughout. We had booked Manfredi's when we could 2 months before. But then we met people, so we wanted to book with them. This means we cancelled our booking and found a new one together. You just have to do it all in person, as we didn't find anything using the system in our room.

[CDNPolar]

Viking have the Viking Voyager App.  Download this before you leave home, but you cannot access the App's functionality until you are connected the the ship's WiFi.

 

We always book the lowest cabin type on Viking which comes with no advance restaurant bookings.  Within an hour of embarkation we go on the App and we book the restaurants we want, and we have not really encountered any challenge in getting days and times we want.

 

With excursions you have to keep checking back.  They open sometimes, and there is usually availability once onboard as people cancel.

[CCWineLover]

22 hours ago, Redtravel said:

If anyone booked a Viking Ocean cruise late, were you able to reserve excursions and dining once you embarked? We just booked a cruise that embarks in August.  We looked at the array of posted excursions before we booked. Before you book, you can see descriptions, but not available times. We were not surprised that several  with surcharge were sold out.  We had thought that everyone could book the complimentary included excursion. Some of those were sold out.  Others were available at limited times. We are adaptable most of the time. We were able to book some excursions at odd times.  On one day, the only available time open is 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.  We didn’t book it. We would prefer eating dinner. 

Next we tried to reserve dinner at Manfredi’s and Chef’s table.  Nothing open.   Just hope that Viking reserves some time slots for people who didn’t book online.  
 

You'll be fine.  

See my reply to your same post on a different thread.

For restaurants, Viking typically only puts out 40% of reservations for pre-cruise booking.  So there are many openings when onboard, but don't wait.  Do that first or second when you board and you'll get the restaurants you want.

[Redtravel]

I was able to reserve some excursions and some restaurant seatings. I keep checking.  Got a table on the first night at Chefs table.  Don’t know what menu will be served.  There are some menus that I don’t like.  If they posted online the rotation for each menu, there would be fewer changes.  Will check out possible bookings once we embark.

[kctwinmommy]

@Redtravel it seems like the Chef's table is where a lot of people change their mind. Like you said, without knowing the menu ahead of time, many people see it and then cancel. Several people we talked to on our cruise did that.

[millybess]

1 hour ago, Redtravel said:

I was able to reserve some excursions and some restaurant seatings. I keep checking.  Got a table on the first night at Chefs table.  Don’t know what menu will be served.  There are some menus that I don’t like.  If they posted online the rotation for each menu, there would be fewer changes.  Will check out possible bookings once we embark.

Pre-Covid, MVJ listed the menu rotation.  Since then there has been a "sample menu coming soon".  

 

I agree with you, if they went back to posting the menus there would be fewer changes.

 

We used to book Chef's Table on the dining reservation booking day for our cruise.  We no longer do that.  We always wait until we see the menu rotation once we're on board.

[CDNPolar]

We love that people drop out of Chef's Table bookings because that makes it easier for us to get reservations.  We book every 4 days to get every menu when on board.  If one menu is really good we will book again before it rotates out.  We love not knowing what is on the menu.  That is the fun of a tasting menu.

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We love that people drop out of Chef's Table bookings because that makes it easier for us to get reservations.  We book every 4 days to get every menu when on board.  If one menu is really good we will book again before it rotates out.  We love not knowing what is on the menu.  That is the fun of a tasting menu.

Have to agree with you!  I don't want them to go back to posting menus and they won't.  I spoke with the Restaurant Manager and they said they prefer the flexibility of modifying menus, mostly due to being able to adjust to changes in supplies.  If the posted them and then changed them, people would be all upset.

 

We also do what you do!  Last cruise we did CT 4 times with 4 menus, all reservations coming while on board and from no shows and cancellations.  We didn't book anything ahead of the cruise.  Makes it fun is right!

[MSEm]

Go to the resturant as soon as possible when you get on board. The Chef Table will have the menu available for you to see what is served in each meal and also the reservation time available.

You can also send an email to tellus@vikingcruises.com about any excursions you would like to book. Sometimes Viking is able to add addition space to an excursion.

[Mich3554]

About restaurants, we never walk onto the ship with a reservation at either Manfredi’s or Chef’s Table and always manage to get a reservation.  I just don’t bother trying anymore.  
 

With regards to excursions, we have changed our minds about excursions, or wanted to switch things around.  For the most part, we have been waitlisted and have always gotten on the excursions we want.  I have never had an issue booking included excursions.