Updated: 3/15/2023
So, You Want to Take a Cruise
Perhaps you have envisioned yourself on the deck of a beautiful river ship sailing down the Rhine River with medieval castles dotting the landscape, or maybe aboard an oceangoing cruise ship in a beautiful Scandinavian fjord. These are the images that draw people to a cruise, and in this case, a Viking cruise. Maybe it was the all-inclusive tag line that peaked your interest. It all sounds great! Just book your cruise and everything will be included. Sounds simple, right? But there are many options and parameters that you should consider in order to take full advantage of all that your itinerary offers, and more importantly to minimize any surprises. After sailing with Viking many times, and with more trips scheduled, we thought a guide to Viking’s cruise selection and booking process would be helpful, so here we go!
You Have Some Decisions to Make
• Viking or Travel Agent
The first decision you will need to make is whether to work directly with Viking or to use a travel agent. If you already have a travel agent that you use a lot, then that may be the best choice for you. The price for the cruise will be the same, but travel agents can sometimes throw in a little extra incentives, like some shipboard credit. Shipboard credit can range between $250 and $500.
Personally, we prefer doing it ourselves and always book directly with Viking because we like the hands-on aspect of planning our trip. In addition, the Viking representatives are experts in all aspects of Viking travel. At the end of the day though, it is your decision. There are times when you can ‘transfer’ a booking to a Travel Agent after you book with Viking, but there are certain conditions. Check with your Travel Agent if you are considering this.
• Viking River vs. Ocean Cruise
The first decision you will want to consider is whether you prefer a river or an ocean cruise. There are some distinct differences between each type of Viking cruise ship. These differences do not make one cruise experience better than the other, you just need to decide what works better for your particular wants and needs.
All of the ocean ships are identical, so once you have been on one, then you will be familiar with all of them. The river ships are mostly longships and these will be on rivers like the Rhine and Danube. But there are other river ships that are built specifically for different rivers. Like the Siene and Duro. They will be a similar layout, just a bit smaller.
o River cruise ships have far fewer passengers, slightly less than 200 as compared to about 930 on the ocean ships. A smaller number of passengers makes the experience seem a bit more intimate and you will likely get a chance to meet a lot of your fellow passengers.
o River cruises have only 2 restaurant options for your meals, either the Aquavit Terrace or the larger, full-service dining room. There is only one seating time for dinner, and the dining room is always ‘open seating’, so you will be eating with other passengers at each meal. The ocean ships have at least 7 dining options, including 24-hour room service. Two of the restaurants require a reservation, but the others are rather impromptu and therefore provide a lot of flexibility for your dining options. We especially like the World Cafe, where there is a large selection of items.
o The river cruise ships have a very nice lounge and there is usually some nightly entertainment in the form of a lecture or live music. In addition to these amenities, the ocean ships also have a pool, spa, fitness center, a theater for films and live performances, as well as a few shops. Note that neither the river nor ocean ships has a casino.
o Although all staterooms are very nicely appointed, river cruise staterooms are smaller, ranging in size from 135 to 445 square feet. Stateroom sizes on the ocean cruise staterooms range from 270 to over 750 square feet (and even larger for a few of the explorer/owner suites).
o Motion sickness is not at all likely on a river cruise, since there are no waves and most of the time you cannot even tell when the ship is underway. Although the ocean ships are very stable, there is always the chance that weather conditions could make for rough seas and the potential for seasickness.
o All ocean ship staterooms have a full veranda. On the river cruises only about ½ of the staterooms have a full veranda.
For more information on River vs Ocean cruises, here is a detailed article that compares them.
TIP: River Cruises allowed minors in the past, but as of August 1, 2018, minors (children under 18) can no longer be booked. Ocean Cruises have never allowed minors.
• Select Your Itinerary
So now you have decided on either a river or ocean cruise. Where do you want to go? Viking’s website does an excellent job separating the cruises by region. You may notice that in many cases there are multiple cruises in the same region, for example there are currently 10 Rhine river cruises offered. You could choose to take a 15-day cruise from Amsterdam all the way to Budapest, or perhaps you would prefer a shorter itinerary. So the first thing to do is narrow down your itinerary selections.
• Review Your Stateroom options
Take a look at the stateroom categories for your cruise to determine what size of cabin and which amenities you would like to have. There are many stateroom options on the ocean ships, so begin your investigation by reviewing the individual deck plans for each ship. Example Ocean ship deck plans and River ship deck plans can be seen here. On the ocean ships the location of your stateroom on the ship may be important to you, but you will not be able to select the specific deck and location until you book. (More on that later.)
TIP: The time frames for booking Excursions and Specialty Dining for ocean cruises are based on stateroom category. The Veranda Staterooms are the lowest category, so that group chooses last. Don’t worry, you will get all the included tours, but may not get the time you prefer. Unfortunately, popular optional tours may be sold out. Consider upgrading to a Deluxe Veranda Stateroom. The cost is not significantly higher, and you will get to choose your excursion and dining options earlier.
Likewise the Viking river ships have multiple stateroom choices. The two main options to consider are how much room you would like in your stateroom and if you want a glass door that opens to the outside. Standard staterooms are located on the lower deck and have a non-functioning picture window. However, most of the other rooms have either a French balcony or a veranda. The French balcony is basically a sliding glass door that opens to a railing, while the veranda offers a small area to sit. So if you like the idea of sitting outside your room with your morning coffee, then the veranda room might be a better choice.
TIP: Many times on the river cruises the ship is docked beside one or more ships, as the picture shows. That means you might go out on your balcony only to be staring into another stateroom a few feet away. So just be aware of this potential when booking your veranda stateroom.
• Choose Your Extensions
For an additional charge, Viking allows you to extend your travel by means of pre-cruise and post-cruise travel packages. These packages are usually in cities or tourist sites close to your cruise starting and ending points. They allow you to further customize your travel experience and get the most out of your trip. If you select any of Viking’s extensions you will receive transfers to and from your hotel, breakfast each morning and typically at least one included tour. They may also offer some optional tours for an additional fee. Throughout your stay, Viking maintains a presence at the hotel and can act as your concierge. However, most of the time you will be on your own to explore your destination.
TIP: If you are bit timid about venturing out on your own, third-party tours are readily available in most cities and typically offer many more choices than Viking. We use resources like Fodors, Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor to help us identify and evaluate the available tours.
• Consider a Deviation to the Standard Itinerary
Deviations to the standard itineraries are permitted. Although this option is not very well known, it offers another means of extending your travel before and after your cruise. But what specifically is a deviation? The official definition from Viking is “A deviation is defined as air flights with dates that are different than the ship, hotel or extension arrival/departure dates and/or the package city pairs to or from are different. This can be added on the pre-trip, post-trip or both.” So, what does all this mean? For example, our last river cruise was the ‘Passage to Eastern Europe’, and we wanted to spend a few extra days at our starting city of Bucharest. So we used the deviation option to arrive a few days early while still using Viking Air to book our flights. (Of course, we had to arrange our own transportation to the hotel and pay for our room and meals.)
Viking no longer publishes standard cities and pricing, but just give them a call for specific information for your cruise.
• Take Advantage of Stopovers
Like deviations, stopovers provide another great option for extending your trip. Stopovers work a little differently than deviations though. Viking’s official definition is “A stopover is defined as air flights with a stop between the gateway city and the destination. This can be added on the pre-trip, post-trip or both.”
Here is a real-life example. We will be flying to Stockholm for the Vikings Homelands cruise next spring. We are already scheduled for the pre-extension in Stockholm, but we thought it would be great to stop in London first. So we have a direct flight to London, where we will stay 4 nights as part of our stopover, then continue on to Stockholm. Keep in mind that you will be completely on your own in the stopover city.
Viking no longer publishes standard cities and pricing, but just give them a call for specific information for your cruise.
• Review Pricing, Wait for a Deal
Once you have narrowed down your preferred itineraries, select some sailing dates and stateroom options and check the prices. Prices are generally higher during the peak travel months, so if you can travel in the shoulder seasons you will save yourself some money. However, Viking frequently offers special deals. Typically they do not reduce the actual cruise price much, but they do offer some terrific deals on airfare and may even include extras, like pre-paid gratuities. Sometimes these sales last for a month or more, other times it may be just a flash sale for a week or less. So keep a close eye on the Viking website and their social media pages for these sales.
Booking Process
By now you’ve made all your basic selections and you are ready to finalize your plans and book your trip. Keep in mind that there is no immediate commitment just by booking. Once made, your booking will be held for 72 hours and if you have not made your deposit during that time frame, the booking is released. Let’s take a look at some of the travel options and other things you will need to decide when finalizing your booking.
• Finalize Your Stateroom and Position On Ship
During the booking process you will have the chance to pick your actual stateroom. On an ocean cruise, forward and aft staterooms may cause you to notice rougher seas more than you would at mid-ship. That is why the mid-ship staterooms are usually a little more expensive. You may also want to consider which side of the ship your stateroom will be. For a river cruise it may not matter much, but for an ocean cruise it may. For example, if you were cruising from Vancouver to Anchorage, you might want to be on the starboard (right) side so you would usually have the coastline view from your stateroom.
• Purchasing Airfare
When you book your cruise you will have the opportunity to either purchase airfare directly through Viking Air, or purchase it completely on your own. We have used Viking Air for every cruise and found their airfare pricing to be competitive with what we were able to find independently. There are a few advantages to purchasing airfare directly from Viking including:
o Transfers to and from the airport are included.
o Viking will track your flights and will be aware of any flight delays to ensure that your airport pickup occurs flawlessly even if you are late.
o If you experience a significant travel delay due to a late flight, Viking will ensure that you get transported to your ship, even if it has already left port.
• Viking Air Plus
If you purchase airfare through Viking Air, they will arrange all your flights with basically no input from you. However, if you prefer a particular airline, connection city, connection time or anything else, you can take advantage of Viking Air Plus to make those reservations. The cost of this option is between $100 and $150 per person. We always take advantage of this option because we have definite preferences for connecting airports and layover times.
Another perk for Viking Air Plus is the ability to book your flights as soon as flight information is available from the airline (usually around 300 days before your flight). While this allows you to book your flight, you will not be ticketed until you have paid in full and usually within 100 days of departure. In booking so far in advance, you are sure to have a better selection of seats. And once ticketed, you have the option of purchasing a premium seat.
• Travel Insurance
You may or may not elect to purchase travel insurance. Personally we would not travel without it and it would be our suggestion that you strongly consider purchasing it either from Viking or a third party. If you do purchase from Viking, there are some important things you need to know.
o If you have any pre-existing condition it will only be covered if you purchase your trip insurance within 14 days of your deposit. By the way, this stipulation is true regardless of whether you are using Viking’s Tripmate insurance or a third party insurance.
o Viking’s ‘cancel for any reason’ clause is only available if you purchase insurance in the first 14 days.
TIP: When you receive your invoice it will contain the Tripmate Insurance information. Read it carefully before you sign up. You will need to pay for the insurance in full when you purchase it and it is not refundable.
If you are not concerned about pre-existing conditions, you have a little more flexibility in the time frame during which you purchase travel insurance. Remember that travel insurance is intended to protect the investment you have made in your trip. So, you really only need to have insurance in effect at the point in time when you would potentially lose a significant portion of that investment.
To see what I mean, take a look at Viking’s standard Guest Cancellation Schedule of Charges.
120 days or more prior to departure $100 per person
119 to 90 days prior to departure 20% of full fare
89 to 70 days prior to departure 35% of full fare
69 to 50 days prior to departure 50% of full fare
49 to 30 days prior to departure 75% of full fare
29 days or less prior to departure 100% of full fare
For example, if you cancel your trip anytime prior to 120 days before departure, you will only lose $100 per person. Remember that travel insurance is never refundable, so if you have already purchased travel Insurance at this point, you will not get that money refunded. It is only if you cancel within 120 days of your planned travel that you begin to lose a significant sum of money (20% or more). So unless you are concerned about pre-existing conditions, you really do not need to have travel insurance in effect until you are within the 120-day window for cancellation.
The most recent Tripmate Travel Protection Brochure sent to us from Viking as part of an upcoming cruise confirmation, stated that insurance had to be purchased no later than 120 days before departure, which lines up nicely with the Cancellation Policy.
For more detailed information on Travel Insurance, be sure to read our blog post, Understanding Travel Insurance.
TIP: Be sure to read your individual policy, from Viking or a third party, for the deadlines for purchasing, they may be different. Some third parties like Allianz allow you to purchase insurance up to the day of departure.
• Get the Invoice and Pay Deposit
Once you have booked, do not make your deposit immediately. Ask to have the invoice e-mailed to you for review. Review it carefully. Mistakes you catch now will save you time and agony later. Key things to look at include passenger names, contact information, cruise name, embarkation/disembarkation date and place, stateroom category and number, prices and itinerary. You then have 72 hours to complete your review and make the deposit.
Your invoice will also indicate a ‘Final Payment Date’. This final payment date can be anywhere from 6 months to over a year prior to your cruise. There has been much discussion on some online forums regarding how this date is determined. Is it based on being a repeat customer, price of the trip, stateroom category, or just getting a supervisor to change it? Viking doesn’t divulge this information. But we would suggest pushing back if the due date is greater than 6 months and request for it to be changed. If you get a new invoice for whatever reason, make sure to re-check everything.
For more detailed information on your invoice, please see our article on Viking Cruises – Understanding Your Contract.
Congratulations! You can now feel comfortable to commit to the deposit and you are confirmed.
Checking For Additional Discounts
Even though you have completed the booking process, continue to check the Viking website and social media platforms for deals on the cruise you have booked. If you see a big savings, maybe airfare dropped or Viking is offering some other type of price reduction, you might be able to take advantage of that. How you ask? You can cancel your existing trip and rebook the trip using the new offer. Outside of 120 days, it will only cost $100 per person. Remember though, if you have already purchased travel insurance, you will lose that money. So if you’ve already purchased the insurance proceed with caution. You would likely need to get a huge savings to make that option viable.
There is another caution when cancelling and rebooking cruises. Normally the cancellation process takes about 3 days, and Viking will not let you re-book until that process is finalized. So if the cruise is almost sold out you could be at risk of not getting rebooked. Another option is to request that a supervisor approve the cancellation immediately, allowing an immediate rebook.
Here is another real-life example. We had a 2021 booking for a cruise and the airfare was $1299 per person. I happened to look at the pricing one day and noticed Viking was running a special that lowered that airfare to $599. I immediately contacted our Viking representative and she confirmed that there were plenty of staterooms still available, so there would be no problem with rebooking. But there was a problem, the deal ended that day. We couldn’t wait 3 days for the cancellation to process. Fortunately, a supervisor agreed to an immediate cancellation and we were able to rebook and even retained the same stateroom. We had to pay $1000 deposit for two people for the new booking and about 10 days later I received a check for $800 from my cancellation of the original reservation. So it cost us $200, but we netted a quick $1200 savings.
TIP: You can save 3.3% by making your final payment using E-Check or physical check rather than a credit card.
My Viking Journey
As soon as you receive your booking number, you will be able to logon to My Viking Journey. and all of your trip information will be at your fingertips. It’s the place you want to go for tracking and planning all the details for your trip.
• Excursions
Viking offers at least one included excursion in each port. They typically offer one or more optional excursions for an additional fee. My Viking Journey provides a list of all these tours, even before they can actually be booked, providing ample opportunity for you to review the excursions.
TIP: River cruise excursions will be available to view and book as much as 12 months prior to the cruise. Ocean excursions usually load about 110 days out and then booked based on cabin class.
Refer to your itinerary to find out when you can actually start booking your excursions. For river cruises, there is usually only one time slot available for each tour. However, for ocean cruises there are multiple time slots for most of the tours. Popular excursions book up quickly, so make sure you book as early as possible so that you can get your preferred tours and timeslots.
TIP: If you are unable to get the excursion you prefer, remember that you always have the option to book your own third party tour.
• Dining Options
There are no dining reservations on river cruises. However, ocean cruise ships have a couple of specialty restaurants that do require a reservation. The date to start booking your restaurant reservations will be on your invoice and on My Viking Journey.
Flights
Up until the day you leave for your trip, it’s a good idea to monitor your flight information periodically to see if anything changes. Do not rely on the airlines to notify you of changes in flight times or equipment. You do not want to be surprised with a shorter than planned connection time or having your party separated because of reassigned seats. By monitoring the details you can avoid a surprise later.
Final Documents
You will receive a package in the mail about a month before you go which will include some luggage tags and possibly a small gift. Then about 10-14 days before you leave, you will receive an email with all of the documentation for your trip. Review all the details again and make sure everything is right. Important information is included, like the ships phone number and your detailed itinerary.
After that, may all your flights be on time and enjoy your cruise!
Thank you for all of this!! A friend and myself have booked a May 2020 Rhine River Cruise. This information should help going forward. Thanks! LInda
You are welcome. If you have any questions, just let me know. We have done the Rhine and it is a great trip. We are also working hard on additional content, so please check back in the future.
Well done! We have taken 3 river cruises and two ocean journeys on Viking. Every bit of the info you provide is spot on. This is a great resource for new travelers.
Thank you! Please check back in the future as we add new content.
Very helpful and accurate- we have done Botha river and ocean cruise
Thank you! We have two more Ocean Cruises booked.
What is the best time of year to travel a river cruise? We took our first “Romantic Danube “ in late August and while we loved it, it was in the upper 80’s to mid 90’s every day. Is springtime better or fall or…?
Thanks for the comment. Some people worry about river levels. Spring can be high and Fall can be low. Too high and you cant get under the bridges, to low and you scrape bottom. Worst thing is to turn a river cruise into a bus trip. So consider the river and time of year. The Danube can be very hot in the summer, maybe a Rhine cruise starting in Amsterdam. My favorite time is June. Safe Cruises!
Hi! Great article! Thanks for sharing!
The only additional thought that I have is regarding the booking process. Viking does allow you to book with them and move your booking over to a travel agent, however, it must be done within a certain time frame. I can’t remember it exactly but it’s either 30 or 60 days from when you placed your booking with Viking.
My Viking agent even suggested that I check around with travel agents to see if they offered any special incentives. For example AAA always offers it’s members on board credit for Viking cruises.
Thought you might like to include this info.
Yes, you are correct. I don’t recall the timeframe either, I think it is 30 days or so. But it is a good idea to check, could be several hundred dollars in savings. I plan to make some updates to the article in the future and will include that.
I’m thinking of not buying trip insurance but using the FREE travel insurance through my Chase credit card. Online comments seem tosupport this idea. Your thoughts??
Yes, it is a good idea, as long as it covers what you need. It’s not just the cost of your trip. Be sure to understand the reasons you can cancel. And does it include hospital/doctor costs and emergency evacuation. Repatriation is also big. What if you are sick or injured in some foreign country and need to be evacuated back to the US. Typical travel insurance will cover all of this. So be sure to check. As long as you are happy with what is covered, then this is a great option.
Thanks for you input. I’m pretty sure I will be using the credit card option.
Great article! We’ve been on river cruises and Mediterranean cruises with Viking and Windstar. Your article has many useful tips. Thanks
Thanks for the comment. Safe Travels!
Thanks for all the info. Planning our first trip in fall of 2020 or 2021.
Thanks for the comment. If you have any questions please let us know.
Good planning information, James. I’m curious about air travel. Did you travel in economy or upgraded seats? And I’m guessing air travel reservations by Viking were sufficiently cheaper than doing it yourselves? Thanks!
Thanks for the comment. We booked economy with Viking and then upgraded our seats to Premium Economy. We always look at Viking Air versus going on our own. So far, Viking always has the better price, and two of our river cruises had free airfare. Hard to beat free. Plus we usually do deviations which Viking will do for a minimal charge.
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What are the benefits of booking a follow-on cruise while on a Viking Ocean Cruise?
I really haven’t seen that much of a benefit in booking a cruise while on a cruise. But if you book within a year of taking a cruise, then you get a past guest discount that can range from $200 to $400 per person. In addition, if you have a cruise booked when you book another, they will usually give you a better final payment date. I have always been able to get 6 months.
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Your information has been the most helpful regarding Viking I have found to date. I am very leery of travelling with them as the experience has not been very encouraging so far. Friends got a voucher from a river cruise that due to weather was as noted in one comment became a bus tour. So they switched to an ocean option asked us along. As a “New Guest” and a “Referred Guest” we were offered I recall $700 each discount. When a reduced price came up we would have been denied both those discounts if we “cancelled” and re-booked. Net gain $50. So we declined to change. COVID cancelled the trip and $100 p/p voucher was issued with a loss of $200 cancellation fee. We have recently re-booked. Same trip higher price. No “New Guest” discount and despite a mailing brochure no “Return Guest” $200 p/p discount. We are something in-between new and old? We picked the pre-cruise London option but have second thoughts. The Viking Hotel price is over twice the normal hotel rate on multiple booking sites including the hotel site. Since transfers are included with the Air price that does not figure in. (Perhaps one extra?) We had a final payment date 15 months advance and our TA got it moved to 13 months. The brochure mentioned offered 12 months which Viking denied us as the date had already been “extended once”. I am hoping, fingers crossed, that should I pick Viking Air Plus and do a Deviation and book seat selection and upgrade my Viking experience will improve.
Thank you for the comment. It is unfortunate that some have had a poor experience, especially with the ever changing environment due to Covid. I can tell you that we have done several cruises with Viking, including an Iceland cruise this past July, which have all been excellent. We think that once you make it on the ship, you will see why people love Viking. Safe Travels!
Good morning I read through your post and have one question that maybe you can answer. Viking wants a PCR test up to 72 hours by flight time mine is 6:30pm on June 2th to the Netherlands, my issue is that every lab I look up close early. How can I handle this issue I can not get a test at the required time of 6:30pm.
It can be challenging to meet the requirements for testing. It will cost money, but there are several places where you can get a PCR test turned around in hours. There will usually be places around airports. Viking will also accept an antigen test within 24 hours. Again, you can usually get those at local drug stores and get them back in a few hours.
Thank you for your valuable insights on Viking. We are booking our first cruise and called Viking directly and had linked up with a travel agent at viking but later called AAA (we are members) to buy insurance and the AAA agent suggested we move our booking/reservation to AAA. They could provide a onboard ship credit. Are we making a mistake in transferring this booking?? Also, It appears that the only way to get a credit from Viking is through a voucher if we use their insurance. They do not give cash credit if you must cancel your trip. This is wwhy we decided to use Allianz for insurance in lieu of the Viking insurance. Am I understanding this all correctly??
Thanks you for the comment. I will try to answer all of your questions. We always deal directly with Viking, we have a person we work with that we like so we use them. But if you have a travel agent you like, then certainly go with them. Travel agents cannot discount the Viking price, so they give onboard credit as a way to get people to use them. You are not making a mistake to use a travel agent if you are comfortable with them. As far as canceling with Viking, because of Covid, there were some instances were Viking offered a cancel for any reason and that was a voucher, but that has stopped. If you cancel, Viking will refund money based on the cancellation schedule. Outside of 120 days, you will get back ALL your money less $100 per person. The cancellation schedule is in your contract. If you want information about understanding your contract, we have an article on that, look under the Viking tab on our website. We have an annual policy with Allianz, it is more economical if you do multiple trips per year. We have never filed a claim, so we can’t comment on that process. Hope that helps. Save travels!
Have you looked into doing the online test with a kit you buy from EMed? They proctor the processs and send you a results email within minutes. We did it from our pre-cruise hotel and it worked great.
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My husband and I are taking our 2nd Viking river cruise in October this fall on the Rhine from Amsterdam to Basil. Our first one was ten years ago and was quite enjoyable. We are wondering if you have come across any information regarding how direct the flights are.
In 2012 we left from Rochester , NY and had to fly west to Chicaco then east to Germany. Same coming back – had to fly west to Chicago first and then back East to Rochester. We estimated that was about 7 – 8 additional hours in the air than if the flights had been direct from Rochester. This fall we are scheduled to fly out of Orlando, Fl and are hoping to fly directly to at least some place in Europe. Is there any information on the normal routes planes from certain cities take such as departing from Orlando?
The good news is that from Orlando there are many options. We leave from Charlotte and like to fly straight to Europe (Munich or London) and then connect from there. There are several flights from Orlando to London or Frankfurt that then connect to Amsterdam. If you are using Viking Air+, then we usually find a flight or two we like and then call Viking to schedule it.
Excellent commentary! Well done. We have taken one river cruise (Danube) and now 2 oceans. Bermuda and Panama Canal. We are currently booked for a Trade routes of the middle ages, to replace a lost Grand European (due to covid) and another Grand Euro, because we actually want to do that itinerary. Your reviews are spot on. I have a favorite Viking rep, and work with him exclusively. We always book our air with Viking air plus, and it is very helpful because flying from Colorado Springs to the East Coast or to European destinations can be a challenge. For our Bermuda trip, we had several flight changes – 4 different airlines cancelled on us, but Viking fixed it just as my patience was about to run out. On some of our cruises, we have gotten free airfare, which is a significant savings, as you can imagine. We also learned about pushing back on our final payment due date, the e-check savings of 3.3% and waiting until about 120 days out to get insurance. These trips are costly – about $1000/ night when everything is included – but there are no surprises – no giant bill for drinks or optional stuff on departure day. We are Vikings for life. Thanks for your quality reporting.
Thank you for the comment. I agree that Viking is not cheap, but when you compare all you get that is inlcuded, I think they are very competitive. And we love both ocean and river cruises. We currently have a river and three ocean booked, can’t wait to go again.
James,
our Viking rep suggested we transfer our bookiing to gain perks for our ocean cruise in May 2023. This will be our first cruise with Viking. Plan to use Viking Air. Are flights from ORD to Madrid and return from Venice to ORD usually direct? By the way, your article is excellent, Very helpful for a first timer
Hi, I booked with Viking, but I am still confused about getting insurance through Viking or a travel agent. I only have a few more days to get it with preexisting condition. I do have a travel agent that wants me to transfer to him, but not sure what to do. Viking is expensive, o what should I do? Lorrie Please Help
We have used Viking Tripmate a few times, but you are right, it is more expensive. Another thing to consider, is all you trip with Viking or do you have your own airfare or extensions? Viking insurance will only cover what you purchased from Viking. Over the last few years we have used Allianz, in fact we have an annual policy. But there are several tools which allow you to compare plans so you get the insurance that is right for you. A good TA can recommend what to get based on your needs. Safe travels.
Paula, we just got back from the Viking Rhine cruise this morning. Outstanding . It was the first time We used them and it will not be the last. As for the PCR test we had it done three days before at 6:30 PM at solvhealth.com/Primbio research labs in Newtown Square Pa.19073. I do not know your area but this Company has a lot of offices. They fit a great job and had my report to me the next night. I hope this helps Jim R
Hello James, We are getting ready to commit to a River cruise …Prague to Berlin…May 2023. They now offer economy air free and premium economy at $799. My question is, if we extend through Viking for two extra nights in Berlin, will that mess up our air
portion or will we have to pay extra for “deviation” or if we extend the 2 days through Viking will they automatically fix the return flight home? Hope i didn’t make this sound too confusing. Also, we had a River scheduled for this past May which we cancelled and received vouchers for full amount to be applied within 2 years….we are past cruiser with Viking as well. Should we push them for some type of shipboard credit for the May 2023 cruise mentioned above? Thanks
Thanks for the comment. The deviation will allow you to extend the front end and/or the back end of the trip. Once you pay the deviation, it doesn’t cost more to do both sides of the cruise. The air will automatically be adjusted to match your dates, but the transfers will not be included since you are transferring at a different time than the rest of the people. As far as shipboard credit, Viking does not usually offer that.
Thanks for the response. I decided to call Viking directly and they said if i sign up for the 2 day Post cruise extension in Berlin,costing $499 pp (two nights in hotel) , transfers to airport would be included and our premium economy $799 flight would not change . No deviation fee to pay in this case !
Does anyone have information when taking the included free port excursions, can I stay wherever that excursion concludes and continue on with my day rather than returning to ship (I would understand I would have to pay whatever cost would incur to return)
When excursions are in the city where you are docked, then most times you can explore on your own. Viking will also usually have a shuttle running from the ship to somewhere in town.
Great information. My husband and I are typically very independent travelers but we are considering a Viking river cruise. Our preference would be to book our own flights and just show up when it’s time to get on the boat. Of course we don’t want to miss out on free flights if that’s being offered. Will Viking book flights for us that give us a few days before and a few days after without having to use their hotels or pay their diversion fee or whatever that is called? We don’t really want to be ‘herded’ everywhere we go. Thanks
If you use Viking and want to arrive early or stay late on your own, you will be charged the deviation fee. Also, if you use Viking Air, I always pay for Viking Airplus. That gives you much more control over selecting the flights you want so you fly through the airports you want with the connection times you want. I always compare the price from Viking to what I can do on my own. It is rare I can do better, and I like having it all with Viking.
I just booked but didnt confirm our first river cruise and first with Viking the Amsterdam to Basel in mid May 2023. We want to go early and spend 2 days in Amsterdam before our cruise begins but have agreed to use Viking Air to arrange our flights because we have free airfare as part of our package costs. How do i reserve our precruise trip? We arent using Viking..their extended stay trips are sold out…so i will reserve our hotel myself. I always use Trip Advisor for hotel recommendations. My question is ….how does Viking set this up? I guess i call them and tell them i want to fly to Amsterdam 2 days early and they will incorporate that into our flight schedule? I pay $100 deviation fee for my wife and I…right? Do we NOT get transportation from airport on arrival and to the ship on the day we leave on the cruise if we do this self arranged trip in Amsterdam?
Another question pertains to items i have had on ocean cruises like pre paid drink packages…pre paid gratuities etc. Are those offered by Viking on river cruises and if so when you get that information?
I reserved a Veranda A stateroom which was $200 more per person than the Veranda B, but i really couldnt see any difference in the details….is it just due to being one deck higher on Ver A than B?
Your blog is really excellent and helfpul to we first time river cruisers. After this one we may try Viking for an Ocean cruise to get the smaller size ship. We are through with floating cities for ocean cruises! Thanks for your help.
Jerry, thanks for the comment and I will try to answer all of your questions. But as always, check with Viking to ensure you have the latest information. First, I recommend that you pay the fee for Viking Air Plus. With just Viking Air, they will select your flights. With Air Plus, you get input into the flights you want. So we always select a few flights and then call them. That way you can select the airports you want to fly through and set the connection times. If you want to fly in early or leave late, then you will pay the deviation fee. But the one fee covers both ends. Just call Viking and tell them when you want to fly out and back. It will be on your invoice/contract and when it is time to book, just call Viking Air and they will book it. Because you are not arriving when others arrive for the cruise, you will have to arrange transportation yourself. We have done it many times, it is no big deal. As far as pre-paid drinks and gratuities, they will be on the myvikingjourney site. Just go to that sit and enter your booking number (even if you haven’t made the deposit yet), and you will see everything, including prepaid options. Vernada A vs B is just the deck you are on. Safe travels and I am sure you will love Viking!
This was excellent. Thank you.
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If I would use Viking Air Plus, do I have control over the connection times? Flying to London early and from Bergen same day (we’ve already been there). There’s a large difference in price, business class, with a shorter connection, ie; 2 hours compared to 9. We usually always do our own but was curious. Thanks.
With Viking Air Plus you do have control of your flights, but it is limited. Viking contracts with certain airlines and certain routes for the price quoted. I usually search for the flight(s) I want, in the order of preference. Then call Viking Air and they will let you know if the flight can be booked. Sometimes they can get the flight you want, but there may be a premium you need to pay. I then compare their price with what I can book directly. If I can get the airfare with Viking, even if it is a little more, I usually do since then it is all under Viking and you get transfers (if you are flying on the extension day or ship transfer days). I would say we book with Viking about 80% of the time. You can book about 300 days from the return flight, of course you won’t be ticketed at that time, just booked. Safe Travels!
I have a South America and the. Chilean fjords cruise on hold. How do I get back in to this account and confirm it!
Excellent advice! We are first- time cruisers and value your experience!
We live in a small city, that Viking does not have flight connections. Do we ask Viking Air to add a flight, or should we use Viking Air+ to get the entire flight planned by Viking Air?