How early can you embark.

[Redtravel]

Got my Viking air today. If our plane arrives on time, we arrive at 7 am.  Will be taking Viking transfer to ship.  Our info says that embarkation starts at 11am.  Years ago, when we arrived early, Viking took us to our riverboat early. We ate breakfast on the ship. We were mixed with guests disembarking.  It was nice not sitting in the airport or on a dock for a long time. Does Viking take guests to the ship early?

[formernuke]

Often they will take you to a hotel or Mr someplace to kill time if needed. Depends on port,etc. You might board a little before 11 but likely not at 9

[Planning to cruise]

We stayed overnight at one port before embarking the next day.  Although air was arranged by Viking the independent hotel stay meant we had to do our own transfer to the ship.  On the next morning, embarkation day, as we went to breakfast there were lots of people, luggage and Viking land reps at the hotel.  It seemed that Viking had taken several lounges for incoming guests and provided refreshments while they waited to board later.  I assume they were transferred to the ship later.  We left by taxi at an earlier time to suit ourselves.   

[CDNPolar]

We have been taken to a few different places, and one cruise had a large hall at the port where we settled in for a couple of hours.

Viking will take care of you until boarding.

 

If this is something that you need to know in advance - other than Viking will take care of you - then email tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask this group.  Don't call reservations, they don't know answers to these questions.

[Peregrina651]

On 7/6/2024 at 4:56 PM, Redtravel said:

Years ago, when we arrived early, Viking took us to our riverboat early.

 

You can't depend on this experience to predict what will happen on an ocean ship. They are different animals even if they are bother operated by the same company.

 

Ocean ships operate under very different protocols than river vessels because the challenges are different. Boarding protocols can differ from port to port for ocean ships. Local regs may prevent them from board arriving pax until departing guests have cleared the ship.  River boats can be lot more laid back than cruise ships; they have fewer passengers and more leeway to play things by ear.

 

Moreover, so much has changed over the years, especially since the pandemic --and continues to change.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

9 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

You can't depend on this experience to predict what will happen on an ocean ship. They are different animals even if they are bother operated by the same company.

 

Ocean ships operate under very different protocols than river vessels because the challenges are different. Boarding protocols can differ from port to port for ocean ships. Local regs may prevent them from board arriving pax until departing guests have cleared the ship.  River boats can be lot more laid back than cruise ships; they have fewer passengers and more leeway to play things by ear.

 

Moreover, so much has changed over the years, especially since the pandemic --and continues to change.

 

 

 

Yes, I would agree with this.  Now that Viking have a scan technology system to know if you are on or off the ship, on our last embarkation of a River Ship, we were on at 11am, but our cabin was not ready until 2pm.  We were not issued cabin cards and we could have left the ship and boarded again and Viking would not know.

 

You won't board the ocean ship until you at least have your key card as that is a mandatory to get on or off the ship.

 

River - much more lax.

[WanderingBrit]

Depending on where you're flying in to, and from, and how far the Port is from the airport, you might not have all that much time to kill.

[Mich3554]

Usually it’s 11 am, unless officials get involved.  
 

In 2022, we were waiting to board the Neptune in FLL for the world cruise.  Everyone that had done a pre extension was waiting in the hotel lobby to get schlepped to the cruise terminal, but it turned out that something held things up (I want to say some sort of inspection) and no one was allowed to board until the ship cleared.  I think we finally got on the ship sometime after 3 pm, it was after 2 when we left the hotel.

[OKCowboy]

We usually board Viking Ocean around 11 am and go to the World Cafe for lunch after the safety briefing. Access to stateroom dependent upon cabin class.