Thinking of trying Viking

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

gin, vodka, rum

& whisky. The rum is white rum, though. I prefer dark.

[zelker]

On 8/9/2024 at 4:28 PM, Clay Clayton said:

-unless Viking recently reduced the daily gratuities, it’s $18 pp/day not $17. 

 

Just put a deposit on a 32 night cruise for the end of January, 2025 and can confirm that the gratuities are $17pp/day.  Do they differ if one pays pre-cruise vs onboard?

[millybess]

29 minutes ago, zelker said:

Just put a deposit on a 32 night cruise for the end of January, 2025 and can confirm that the gratuities are $17pp/day.  Do they differ if one pays pre-cruise vs onboard?

No, not in our experience. We never prepay gratuities in case we accrue OBC from Viking, which happened on our last cruise. 

[duquephart]

On 8/9/2024 at 7:03 PM, LindaS272 said:

& whisky. The rum is white rum, though. I prefer dark.

 

One needs to carefully choose their dark rum as many are just artificially colored/flavored.

[forgap]

Pulled the trigger and booked our first VO cruise!  It really grates to have to pay a year in advance, though!  We have been frequent Regent cruisers so that cruise line, although wonderful, is getting predictable.  VO will be exciting and new, hopefully.  
 

On this cruise (NE and Canada) we have small ports so I’m hoping that the ship docks close to town, or, at least, there is a shuttle bus to town.  Can anyone weigh in?  

[Clay Clayton]

46 minutes ago, zelker said:

Just put a deposit on a 32 night cruise for the end of January, 2025 and can confirm that the gratuities are $17pp/day.  Do they differ if one pays pre-cruise vs onboard?

You’re right!  I apologize for my mistake.  I could have sworn it was $18. And I googled it and that what came up.  Just went to Viking site and it clearly says $17. Sorry. 

[duquephart]

6 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

You’re right!  I apologize for my mistake.  I could have sworn it was $18. And I googled it and that what came up.  Just went to Viking site and it clearly says $17. Sorry. 

 

Wet noodle time!

[tarhoosier]

10 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

One needs to carefully choose their dark rum as many are just artificially colored/flavored.

Caramel coloring is common in rum and scotch industry. Retailers want a uniform appearance which barrel aging cannot provide predictably. Longer age in barrel often means darker color but not always. Occasionally I have found the most expensive and oldest scotch is less brown than the younger sample. This may be due to natural, unenhanced color for the older example.

[duquephart]

Meyer's, for instance, while being a pot still - barrel aged rum, has it's color and flavor enhanced by the addition of molasses. A go-to dark rum for a great many it is definately the Chevrolet of the type.

[CDNPolar]

On 8/12/2024 at 10:18 AM, zelker said:

Just put a deposit on a 32 night cruise for the end of January, 2025 and can confirm that the gratuities are $17pp/day.  Do they differ if one pays pre-cruise vs onboard?

 

What can differ here with pay in advance, vs. pay onboard, is the currency that you are paying.

 

If you pay in advance you are paying in USD, but when you board the ship, you could be paying in USD or Euros - depends on what currency the ship is operating with.  

 

For instance, as a Canadian, there IS A SAVING for me to pay gratuities in advance because I am going to pay in Canadian $$, but when I board and if the charge is then in USD, then that is going to be 30% or more higher for me.

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

What can differ here with pay in advance, vs. pay onboard, is the currency that you are paying.

 

If you pay in advance you are paying in USD, but when you board the ship, you could be paying in USD or Euros - depends on what currency the ship is operating with.  

 

For instance, as a Canadian, there IS A SAVING for me to pay gratuities in advance because I am going to pay in Canadian $$, but when I board and if the charge is then in USD, then that is going to be 30% or more higher for me.

 

For clarity, the savings when you pay in CAD are dependent on the conversion rate you would pay personally versus what Viking builds in to the advance gratuity charge. You don't get to pay $17 CAD in advance, the per day rate will be more like $23 CAD - Viking's conversion rate is currently around 1.35.

 

This may still be a savings depending on the actual exchange rate difference between paying early or at the end of the cruise, but unfortunately, it's only going to be a few points. 🍺🥌

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

If you pay in advance you are paying in USD, but when you board the ship, you could be paying in USD or Euros - depends on what currency the ship is operating with.  

 

 

 

Viking Ocean is always USD on board. Viking Rivers can change based on location of the cruise (and will be the same currency for the duration of the cruise).