Tips For New Viking Ocean Cruisers - Vol.2

[anaky1229]

On 8/9/2024 at 11:31 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

If I might ask, if we are booked in a DV without a beverage package, what type of access do we have to the carafe of still water you mentioned? Will there be a carafe of still (or sparkling on request) water provided daily in the cabin? 

Yes, we were in a V1 and had it. We even asked for a second one which was provided

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

On our Hawaiian Islands Sojourn December 2023/January 2024, sailing Westbound, ships clocks changed at 10am.  Time then became 11am.  Could not learn of reasoning, but losing the hour late morning seemed Ok, yet when on reaching Pacific time, was hard to get to sleep at one's regular hour.

All the Ocean Ships we've been on (and have had lots of time zone changes):

-We were informed the day before by the cruise director and in the daily on your table that evening, that time zone change would occur during the night.  Many times we also got a little card from the steward when they made the room up while we were at dinner.

-The changes were WELL communicated everywhere.  Even warned by the CD to be aware of the time change for the next day if you had early excursions.  It would have been hard to miss knowing about the time zone changes.

 

Interesting - never saw it happen during the day.   We are on this trip (Hawaii) in January on Neptune, so will be interesting to see if the same holds true as you experienced.  Only 2 hours of time changes from the West Coast (we go there often by plane and are never bothered by it).

[ericosmith]

If I'm going to need an alarm I always schedule a wakeup call in addition to the alarm on my phone.  That way I know for sure that my phone (and by extension watch) are on the correct ships time.  

[island lady]

15 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

Yeah, I tried that - turning off 'automatic time zone', but it's a bit trickier than that these days. My Android phone has THREE settings - 'Automatic Date and time', 'Automatic Time Zone', and 'set time zone based on location'. All three are on by default. The first two use information 'provided by your network', the latter uses "the phone's location to determine time zone".  You would think the latter would be bulletproof - the phone knows where it is thanks to GPS, and it ought to be able to figure out the correct time based on that.  But as I said - I think ships change the time at 2am not when they cross the timezone line.  One problem is, the ship is devoid of clocks, so the only reference you have is the clock on the TV display in your room. I seem to remember either the time wasn't displayed at one point, or it was wrong ... but I may be mis-remembering at this point. 

 

Regarding your comment about Greece and Turkey - we are going to be on such a cruise next month - Rhodes (Greece) then Kusadasi (Turkey) then Athens (Greece). Looking it up, I see that 

Turkey and Greece are both in the same time zone (EEST), though Turkey does not use DST while Greece does, so it would seem they are in sync half the year ... (now / summer).  I presume your experience must have been in the winter period, when Turkey is off by one hour relative to Greece (this is according to 

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/greece/athens and 

https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/turkey/istanbul  )

 

But still - if you are saying the ship didn't honor local time, surely that must have messed up any passengers who chose their own excursions, etc, and could lead to all kinds of problems.  Very odd. 

 

 

 

Not only am a dinosaur with an actual wrist watch, but I travel with a bedside clock that shows ship time (reset at each change) but also date, and temperature as well.  Nice to know if I am setting the dial down and freezing the DH out at night during those "hot flashes".  😄 

[wandb]

I am loving this thread!  We have cruised on a Viking River cruise before (Rhine River, fantastic!). But being on the Viking Star to Greece in Feb will be our first Viking Ocean Cruise. 
 

A couple of questions:

 

What type of "entertainment" or lectures might we have in the evenings?

 

How would you rate the "included" excursions?  I was disappointed to read on a different thread that they are just "mediocre". We were always happy with them on the river cruise. (I know this is very subjective, and some people are never pleased!)

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[Peregrina651]

For the most part, the included tours on Viking Ocean are designed as a quick overview. Many people do not want a full day included tour; they are happy to do the short included and then go off on their own or take an optional tour as well.   In other words, don't expect what you would normally get on a river cruise; they aren't the same and aren't  meant to be. River and Ocean are two distinct products.

 

Ten years ago, when Viking announced it was going into the cruise ship business, I had already decided I was done with ocean cruising.  But, I had already been on two river cruises with Viking and was confident that their core values would carry over to the new venture. So we gave it a try. I was so right.

 

It was so nice to be treated like a mature adult, not a potential problem. It was so nice to be on a quiet ship with other folks who were also looking to escape the constant frenzy of the mainstream cruise ships. No kids. No casino. No steel drums. No Las Vegas extravaganzas. No blaring announcements all day long.

 

Just keep in mind that Viking is not like other cruise lines. They do not march to the same drummer as the other mainstream cruise lines, especially in their business practices.

[Planning to cruise]

2 hours ago, wandb said:

I am loving this thread!  We have cruised on a Viking River cruise before (Rhine River, fantastic!). But being on the Viking Star to Greece in Feb will be our first Viking Ocean Cruise. 
 

A couple of questions:

 

What type of "entertainment" or lectures might we have in the evenings?

 

How would you rate the "included" excursions?  I was disappointed to read on a different thread that they are just "mediocre". We were always happy with them on the river cruise. (I know this is very subjective, and some people are never pleased!)

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Entertainment.  Low key.  There is a lecture early evening, the topic depending on who are the guest lecturers on a particular cruise.   There is no large theatre, no glitzy shows.  Once per night a show by one or more in house singers.  Possibly a local entertainer if the ship is staying in port longer.  Outside the theatre, maybe once per cruise an open air film, always classical musicians in one or two lounges, a trivia quiz.  Passengers meet in bars, play board games, read, turn in early.  There is late night music in the Torshaven venue.  As has been said Viking does not provide the usual cruise line product.

 

Included excursions.  Unlikely to go far or be long.  A typical one is a bus or walking orientation tour of around 2 or maybe 3 hours.  There are exceptions.  This year we took the included 12 hour rail trip to Berlin where we then explored on our own.  Where we have visited before we have often used the included tours as transport  before leaving the group (after telling the guide) before the end to do our own thing. 

They do vary.  It depends on the local tourist company and individual guide.  Some have been very good, others less so.      

[wandb]

Thanks for the info. Glad to hear that we might be able to do 2 tours in some ports. 

[Ken the cruiser]

We have an excursion payment question? When do we actually pay for an excursion, if we book it prior to boarding the ship?
 

In other words, once onboard will the OBC our TA puts in our onboard account be used to help pay for them, or do we have to pay for them in full with a credit card when we prebook them 3-4 months in advance?

[formernuke]

You pay when you book them (can be credit if you already have it in your account). Your excursion is not reserved until you pay. Thus, for those that are very popular and may sell out, most people pay for 1 or 2 at a time so to limit the time others can "sneak in" and grab the spots.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We have an excursion payment question? When do we actually pay for an excursion, if we book it prior to boarding the ship?
 

In other words, once onboard will the OBC our TA puts in our onboard account be used to help pay for them, or do we have to pay for them in full with a credit card when we prebook them 3-4 months in advance?

Good question.  As explained before the excursions have to be "paid" when you reserve/put them in your cart, in order to truly "have" them reserved.   Yes this can be 4-5 months in advance (the length was just extended an extra month or so).  That can indeed mean paying by credit card way ahead of time.  It is what it is.

 

Some travel agents will send their OBC to Viking way in advance for "deposit".  If this is done before you book excursions, you use that OBC.  If not then you have that OBC for other things.  That is one reason we never pre-pay gratuities, as we always want to have something "due" to put unused OBC against.

 

Hope this makes sense.

[Ken the cruiser]

35 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Good question.  As explained before the excursions have to be "paid" when you reserve/put them in your cart, in order to truly "have" them reserved.   Yes this can be 4-5 months in advance (the length was just extended an extra month or so).  That can indeed mean paying by credit card way ahead of time.  It is what it is.

 

Some travel agents will send their OBC to Viking way in advance for "deposit".  If this is done before you book excursions, you use that OBC.  If not then you have that OBC for other things.  That is one reason we never pre-pay gratuities, as we always want to have something "due" to put unused OBC against.

 

Hope this makes sense.

It makes perfect sense. Thanks! Plus doing the daily gratuities math, the OBC we get from our TA will pretty much pay that bill, with about $100 in OBC left over. Which begs my next question. Once the TA posts the OBC to our shipboard account, is there somewhere on the My Viking Journey website interface where it will be listed, possibly in the Payments and Cart section?

 

Edited August 18 by Ken the cruiser

[millybess]

10 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It makes perfect sense. Thanks! Plus doing the daily gratuities math, the OBC we get from our TA will pretty much pay that bill, with about $100 in OBC left over. Which begs my next question. Once the TA posts the OBC to our shipboard account, is there somewhere on the My Viking Journey website interface where it will be listed, possibly in the Payments and Cart section?

 

Our OBC from our TA doesn't show up until the day after we board.  We will see it in our account on the TV.  

[Clay Clayton]

12 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It makes perfect sense. Thanks! Plus doing the daily gratuities math, the OBC we get from our TA will pretty much pay that bill, with about $100 in OBC left over. Which begs my next question. Once the TA posts the OBC to our shipboard account, is there somewhere on the My Viking Journey website interface where it will be listed, possibly in the Payments and Cart section?

 

Ours used to not show up until after we boarded, but on our last two cruises it was in our MVJ account a month or two before embarking even though we couldn’t see it. We booked some optional excursions using a credit card on the first day our window opened. A month or so later, I had a credit from Viking appear on my statement. After digging into it, discovered that they used the credit from the travel agent to pay for the excursion. 
 

I’ve learned that Viking’s financial systems make little or no sense so hard to say what you may experience.  

[CDNPolar]

44 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Ours used to not show up until after we boarded, but on our last two cruises it was in our MVJ account a month or two before embarking even though we couldn’t see it. We booked some optional excursions using a credit card on the first day our window opened. A month or so later, I had a credit from Viking appear on my statement. After digging into it, discovered that they used the credit from the travel agent to pay for the excursion. 
 

I’ve learned that Viking’s financial systems make little or no sense so hard to say what you may experience.  

 

2 hours ago, millybess said:

Our OBC from our TA doesn't show up until the day after we board.  We will see it in our account on the TV.  

 

I have done some digging on this.

 

TA's are actually "gifting" the OBC to you as their client.  They go through a process of paying for and applying a gift to your account, and Viking have limits on how much they can give depending on the length of the cruise.

 

The TA can choose to have it show on your invoice and be used prior to sailing, but as "gifts" often do, they don't show until you board the ship and show on your account then.

 

The standard - I believe - is that it shows when you board, and the TA has to ask for it to be on the invoice as a SBC and to be used in advance.

 

I think however in Clay's situation, it was there, so Viking applied it once everything flowed through their financial system.

 

Often TA's will not apply until close to sailing, because this is a payment that they have to make when they attach it to your account.  So, if you book 18 months out, for it to show on your invoice from the beginning they have to pay for that 18 months out.  This is why often a TA's OBC may not show until closer to sailing because they don't want to be out of pocket for months at a time.  

[Ken the cruiser]

43 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Ours used to not show up until after we boarded, but on our last two cruises it was in our MVJ account a month or two before embarking even though we couldn’t see it. We booked some optional excursions using a credit card on the first day our window opened. A month or so later, I had a credit from Viking appear on my statement. After digging into it, discovered that they used the credit from the travel agent to pay for the excursion. 
 

I’ve learned that Viking’s financial systems make little or no sense so hard to say what you may experience.  

Thanks! Our plan is to ask our TA after the final payment date has passed, if they might be able to post the OBC as early as possible so we might be able to apply the potential excess OBC after gratuities to the cost of an excursion. It can't hurt to ask anyway.

[Ken the cruiser]

11 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

 

 

I have done some digging on this.

 

TA's are actually "gifting" the OBC to you as their client.  They go through a process of paying for and applying a gift to your account, and Viking have limits on how much they can give depending on the length of the cruise.

 

The TA can choose to have it show on your invoice and be used prior to sailing, but as "gifts" often do, they don't show until you board the ship and show on your account then.

 

The standard - I believe - is that it shows when you board, and the TA has to ask for it to be on the invoice as a SBC and to be used in advance.

 

I think however in Clay's situation, it was there, so Viking applied it once everything flowed through their financial system.

 

Often TA's will not apply until close to sailing, because this is a payment that they have to make when they attach it to your account.  So, if you book 18 months out, for it to show on your invoice from the beginning they have to pay for that 18 months out.  This is why often a TA's OBC may not show until closer to sailing because they don't want to be out of pocket for months at a time.  

That makes a lot of sense as well. Thanks!

 

It's fascinating how each cruise line we sail with has their own unique "read between the lines" game they play when it comes to folks preparing for their upcoming cruise experience. Part of the fun for us being cruiseaholics is keeping up with the continuously evolving rules.

 

However, I must say we have been quite impressed with Viking's open approach so far and can see why a lot of folks speak so highly of them. For example, we have found the MVJ to be quite useful when completing a variety of pre-cruise documentation requirements as well as providing an exact date/time when we can start booking excursions or making dining reservations.

 

Plus they have some pretty cool itineraries as well! 😀

[CDNPolar]

2 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

That makes a lot of sense as well. Thanks!

 

It's fascinating how each cruise line we sail with has their own unique "read between the lines" game they play when it comes to folks preparing for their upcoming cruise experience. Part of the fun for us being cruiseaholics is keeping up with the continuously evolving rules.

 

However, I must say we have been quite impressed with Viking's open approach so far and can see why a lot of folks speak so highly of them. For example, we have found the MVJ to be quite useful when completing a variety of pre-cruise documentation requirements as well as providing an exact date/time when we can start booking excursions or making dining reservations.

 

Plus they have some pretty cool itineraries as well! 😀

 

Agree with all you say.  

[Steerpike58]

On 8/9/2024 at 2:12 PM, Steerpike58 said:

How does one provide specific feedback to Viking for a Viking Excursion?  

... (see original post for details) ... 

 

. So is there a way to let Viking know this? 

 

On 8/9/2024 at 2:18 PM, FetaCheese said:

@Steerpike58

 

2 Options:  

 

1.  Call V Cust Relations

 

2.  Send email to Tellus@VikingCruises.com

 

I did send an email to Tellus@..., and they emailed AND called me back within a day or two. I had a very long discussion with a 'fluent English speaking' agent (that is, not some call-center operative in a 3rd world country!), and they were extremely interested in what I had to say.  They then made a gesture which I found appropriate.  So - all in all, it was a pleasant experience. 

 

The guy said in the future I should email 'CustomerRelations@viking.com' for the best response. 

Edited August 18 by Steerpike58

[Steerpike58]

On 8/15/2024 at 6:56 AM, Planning to cruise said:

Entertainment.  Low key.  There is a lecture early evening, the topic depending on who are the guest lecturers on a particular cruise.   There is no large theatre, no glitzy shows.  Once per night a show by one or more in house singers.  Possibly a local entertainer if the ship is staying in port longer.  Outside the theatre, maybe once per cruise an open air film, always classical musicians in one or two lounges, a trivia quiz.  Passengers meet in bars, play board games, read, turn in early.  There is late night music in the Torshaven venue.  As has been said Viking does not provide the usual cruise line product.

...

I'd agree with this description in general. Our recent Viking Ocean cruise had about 5 onboard 'specialists' in the 'enrichment team' - a historian, a naturalist, a geologist, and 2 others I can't even remember! They all gave talks in the Star Theater or smaller venues every day. The Naturalist would assemble interested guests in the Explorer Lounge and help us spot Whales and other wildlife. Each day you also get a 'port talk' that tells you what to expect in the next port of call. 

 

In the evening, there seems to be one 'big show' (by Viking standards) in the Star Theater, with typically 4 'house singers' (2 guys, 2 gals, 1 year out of drama school, just tolerably decent singers). For example, a 'Beatles' review or similar. One night, the Cruise Director put on a show that was Elton John and Barry Manilow songs (!). Another night, the Assistant Cruise Director put on a show that was all Rock songs; she had a fantastic voice and belted out tunes from the lines of Janis Joplin, etc - surprisingly good!  The same 'house singers' will show up in other smaller venues at times (like Torshavn bar).  There's also a 'house band' that plays backup in these shows and may also play by the pool some nights when they have an 'event' there (not often).  Then there's often a solo guitar player who might play in Torhshavn or the Explorer Lounge at night.   Then there's my personal favorite - a piano player who plays in the 'living room' / Atrium area, and a separate piano/violin due who play the same location.  The living room/Atrium is my favorite area - there are comfy chairs and tables for a relaxed drink, and there are card tables, jigsaw puzzles, electronic game tables (for backgammon, poker, Sudoku, etc) spread out around the atrium.  Basically, other than the Star Theater and Torshavn, the mood is subdued and peaceful, with people reading books or having a quiet drink.  I love wandering around the ship in the evening! 

[CCWineLover]

21 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

It makes perfect sense. Thanks! Plus doing the daily gratuities math, the OBC we get from our TA will pretty much pay that bill, with about $100 in OBC left over. Which begs my next question. Once the TA posts the OBC to our shipboard account, is there somewhere on the My Viking Journey website interface where it will be listed, possibly in the Payments and Cart section?

 

Yes - it is listed in payments and cart section.

As I stated, sometimes our OBC is there ahead of excursion booking but now that excursion booking is much earlier, I have not seen it there til closer to sailing.  I always check.  Once it was not there a few days ahead, so had to call TA and it turns out they had somehow neglected to post it to Viking.  Glad I asked.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes - it is listed in payments and cart section.

As I stated, sometimes our OBC is there ahead of excursion booking but now that excursion booking is much earlier, I have not seen it there til closer to sailing.  I always check.  Once it was not there a few days ahead, so had to call TA and it turns out they had somehow neglected to post it to Viking.  Glad I asked.

You mentioned that excursion booking is much earlier now. It’s our understanding  these are the various start dates one can book excursions based on cabin category. Are these the “new” earlier booking start times you are referring to?

 

[millybess]

9 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

You mentioned that excursion booking is much earlier now. It’s our understanding  these are the various start dates one can book excursions based on cabin category. Are these the “new” earlier booking start times you are referring to?

 

Yes, the dates you listed are the new earlier dates.

[Ken the cruiser]

5 minutes ago, millybess said:

Yes, the dates you listed are the new earlier dates.

Just making sure. 😁

[millybess]

1 minute ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Just making sure. 😁

We like being able to book the excursions so much earlier than before.  For us, it's a head start on the excitement of the cruise.  After that, we're done -- other than final payment.  We don't usually bother with the dining reservations anymore because we find them very easy to reserve once on board.  Enjoy your cruise!!