Dis / Dreams Viking Sea Cruise around Italy 3/24 - 3/31/2018

[WebmasterKathy]

If the picture on Viking's site is accurate it's no wonder there are no booking available there are only 7 tables in each restaurant.

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Well... the diagram shows 114 seats. If we assume seven nights at two seatings per night, that’s 1596 slots for specialty dining. Ship capacity is 930 guests. Everyone won’t won’t use a specialty restaurant, and I know we’ll be under the 930 number as I know several of us are traveling solo. So there should be ample spots for everyone to experience 2 specialty restaurant nights.

I’m hoping they hold most of this back so they can manage booking on board, where they should have much more flexibility in grouping people dynamically. (Please don’t make me plan every meal more than a couple hours before dinner time, ROFL!!)

 

[met19]

Well... the diagram shows 114 seats. If we assume seven nights at two seatings per night, that’s 1596 slots for specialty dining. Ship capacity is 930 guests. Everyone won’t won’t use a specialty restaurant, and I know we’ll be under the 930 number as I know several of us are traveling solo. So there should be ample spots for everyone to experience 2 specialty restaurant nights.

I’m hoping they hold most of this back so they can manage booking on board, where they should have much more flexibility in grouping people dynamically. (Please don’t make me plan every meal more than a couple hours before dinner time, ROFL!!)

BTW: the hanging out at night and during the day is just as important as dining. Someone made me president of the wine club. I am handing out free memberships (notice not free wine). LOL

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I don’t think anyone will be required to dine alone, or only with those in their cabin. I just seems that the constraints of their PREBOOKING system restrict those advance reservations to the immediate traveling party.

I think Disney has trained everyone that you must aggressively plan in excruciating detail and book wayyyy in advance. Sounds like relaxing and making dining arrangements once on board is the Viking way. Having done two Viking river cruises, I’m pretty confident that they will take good care of us onboard.

Try to switch out of the Disney commando mode and embrace a bit of spontaneity.

I'll try, but spotaneity stresses me out ... unless of course it is pre-planned spontaneity I can allocate time for in my Excel spreadsheet

 

[DDuck4Life]

Well... the diagram shows 114 seats. If we assume seven nights at two seatings per night, that’s 1596 slots for specialty dining. Ship capacity is 930 guests. Everyone won’t won’t use a specialty restaurant, and I know we’ll be under the 930 number as I know several of us are traveling solo. So there should be ample spots for everyone to experience 2 specialty restaurant nights.

I’m hoping they hold most of this back so they can manage booking on board, where they should have much more flexibility in grouping people dynamically. (Please don’t make me plan every meal more than a couple hours before dinner time, ROFL!!)

Was only kidding. Quite a few more than 7 in Manfredi's.

 

[WebmasterKathy]

Was only kidding. Quite a few more than 7 in Manfredi's.

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Oh, nice!

Well, except for that carpet. I may need LOTS of wine to handle that carpet...

 

[met19]

Oh, nice!

Well, except for that carpet. I may need LOTS of wine to handle that carpet...

i approve the need for wine. (currently having a cab)

 

[MaryKatesMom]

I don’t think anyone will be required to dine alone, or only with those in their cabin. I just seems that the constraints of their PREBOOKING system restrict those advance reservations to the immediate traveling party.

I think Disney has trained everyone that you must aggressively plan in excruciating detail and book wayyyy in advance. Sounds like relaxing and making dining arrangements once on board is the Viking way. Having done two Viking river cruises, I’m pretty confident that they will take good care of us onboard.

Try to switch out of the Disney commando mode and embrace a bit of spontaneity.

You are correct! In no other world would people get up every day for 10 days to book dining 180 days in advance. Ya'll know I am NOT kidding. One December a few years ago I was standing in front of St. Patrick's cathedral and the online reservation system had gone down. I was on hold for hours, as I am trying to go to Mass, I am trying to book my dining and was SCREAMING my CC number into the phone multiple times because it was so loud on 5th Ave. Plus it was an old flip phone. My DH was so annoyed with me he left me standing there and went in. I also called from the middle of a lake on a boat while fishing.

One Easter Holiday about 5-7 years ago, there was no reservations available at all 7 AM for Cali Grill, Le Cellier, and two others that slip my mind because everyone who had 180 + 10 had filled the restaurants. That is the world we have lived in. Restaurants booked at 190 days out. Viking has no idea how we've been conditioned by WDW to plan.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

BTW: the hanging out at night and during the day is just as important as dining. Someone made me president of the wine club. I am handing out free memberships (notice not free wine). LOL

I'll join! I've decided to do the Silver Seas package even though Trish doesn't drink and we have to buy for both of us. It works out to be around $20/person/day and still I will be ahead. I regularly pay $15/ drink for Negroni's in NYC. My go to drink at the moment.

 

[jmkinnc]

Before y’all write to me, I have something to tell you...
...
I know this isn’t the best answer, but I don’t have another

Thanks for the update. I figure that we just have to go with the flow (and deal with it onboard). I'm sure that things will work out fine in the end.

 

[met19]

I'll join! I've decided to do the Silver Seas package even though Trish doesn't drink and we have to buy for both of us. It works out to be around $20/person/day and still I will be ahead. I regularly pay $15/ drink for Negroni's in NYC. My go to drink at the moment.

The 15/drink in NYC is not why I left metro NYC but I definitely don't miss their food/drink prices.

 

[met19]

Does anyone know what time we need to disembark on the last day?

 

[DisneyKevin]

Does anyone know what time we need to disembark on the last day?

You must be off the ship no later than 10am per Viking.

 

[WDWGeek1971]

I'm concerned that if we shop in a small local shop or try to get lunch in town that they won't take our credit card...

Any chance they'd take Euros? For example, in the Bahamas, they are happy to take US Dollars.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Any chance they'd take Euros? For example, in the Bahamas, they are happy to take US Dollars.

i am sure there will be an ATM nearby.

 

[corky441]

Any chance they'd take Euros? For example, in the Bahamas, they are happy to take US Dollars.

I’ve checked and most places only take their national currency

 

[corky441]

i am sure there will be an ATM nearby.

I’m hoping that there will be one at the cruise port area. I really don’t want to hunt one down in town

 

[met19]

You must be off the ship no later than 10am per Viking.

Thanks for the info

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Any chance they'd take Euros? For example, in the Bahamas, they are happy to take US Dollars.

i am sure there will be an ATM nearby.

I did a little google searching and the did say that ATMs around and other areas to exchange money and that people felt the exchange rate was much better doing it there vs ahead of time (so recommendation was to just get a bit ahead of time to be safe/immediate needs and then get out more or exchange more if you feel you need it)

 

[MaryKatesMom]

ugh, I forgot about this - the only days available for Chef's table were the first night (Rome) or last night (Naples) - Last night is Good Friday and we are supposed to Fast so figured that is out. So booked first night at 9pm, all they had

There was nothing available for Manfredi's so pretty bummed about that since we are supposed to get one guaranteed seating at each (it said we can try to get space at the shared table once onboard.)

Dang! Forgot about Good Friday's fasting/no meat! We used to do WDW every Easter and my DH marveled at my ability to forget that every year and I would have Le Cellier booked for Good Friday. Good thing Il Mulino would usually have room for me to switch it out with so he could get pasta.

I just checked I don't have any dining reservations for that evening.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Before y’all write to me, I have something to tell you...

I spent 4 hours on the phone last week trying to get to the bottom of this.

According to Viking, you are only able to reserve dining for the number of guests in your stateroom.

I have a couple that tried to include the wife’s mother and I travel with three people besides John and I was able to get nowhere.

I have an explorer suite and booked everyone in our group and couldn’t get any of this fixed.

I was told that Guest Service may be able to assist once on board.

Other than that....Im sorry to say that there is nothing I can do.

I realize that we have all been trained/abused by DCL and getting up at 3am, but Viking doesn’t usually work this way.

I know this isn’t the best answer, but I don’t have another

Was this after everyone's booking times had opened? If I am understanding this correctly there is no way to "link" reservations so each stateroom which has a max of 2 people has to make its own reservation and you can only make reservations for 2 at two tops. Maybe people can call Viking and say they are willing to sit with strangers and coordinate times with other people? I can understand not getting 103 people at one table but 3? If you can't book one reservation for 4 people why have 4 tops since you can't reserve the table? The entire ship is reservations for 2. If I remember correctly each stateroom needed its own reservation even if you were a family of 4 in two rooms.

You're right we are a bunch of "well trained/abused" travelers who probably overwhelmed the reservation system.