Guests Love Our Ships Because They Have More Personal Space Catering To Just 930 Passengers
Viking Ocean Cruise
Safety protocols
For more than 24 years, we have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness, and our new protocol enhancements make Viking even safer. Developed in coordination with an international team of scientific and medical advisors, the Viking Health & Safety Program is one of the most well-researched and comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and mitigation plans in the travel industry.
- Frequent quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests for all guests and crew, processed in full-scale Viking-dedicated laboratories included in your cruise fare
- New air purification technology installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms
- Additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing to protect Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey.
Miss Universe Bahamas Presented With Award From Carnival Cruise Line
During the 70th annual Miss Universe preliminary competition, Miss Universe Bahamas, Chantel OBrian, was presented the Spirit of Carnival award for her embodiment of the companys values. This is the second time a Miss Universe contender has been given this prestigious honor.Miss Universe Bahamas Honored by Carnival Cruise LineThe Spirit of Carnival award is reserved for honorees who
How Do We Have The Best Shore Excursions
While other companies sell cruises and other forms of travel, we focus exclusively on shore excursions. We utilize this expertise to select the highest quality shore excursions delivered by local experts in the most cost effective manner for our customers. Since we are not a large cruise line catering to thousands of customers per day, our cruise excursions packages allow you to travel in much smaller groups offering a more personalized experience. In fact, for groups of 4 or more, we can usually arrange a private shore excursion trip for less than the cost of a large cruise line tour. We also offer a large number of unique cruise ship excursions that cannot be purchased from the cruise line. We encourage you to spend time on this site looking through the wide variety of shore trips and to call us for personal advice. To help you navigate our web site, you can view shore excursions based on Excursion Size as well as Excursion Type
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Guide’s Choice Photography Discovery
Serious photographers are often frustrated when they find a nice spot, set up for a shot, and the guide yells, “Time to get back on the bus!” This tour is for photographers, so there’s ample time to get your shots just right. Better still, your professional photographer guide has the flexibility to take you where the “action” is, whether it’s a field of wildflowers by the Chilkat River, brown bears feeding on salmon near Chilkoot Lake, or a juvenile bald eagle exercising its wings for its first flight.
What Makes Us So Different We Include More Where It Matters Most
More Value
We include more in your fare than other cruise lines. All meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner, a shore excursion in every port, Wi-Fi, self-service laundries, gratuities and even access to our state-of-the-art spa.
More Culture
With more overnight stays and time in port, youll have ample opportunities to soak up the fascinating culture of every destination you visit. On board, the cultural enrichment continues with expert lectures, books, live performances and meals bursting with local flavours.
More Space
Guests love our ships because they have more personal space, catering to just 930 passengers, including a private veranda in their stateroom, regardless of the cabin category. Our ships can also dock in the hard-to-reach places mega-liners cant, getting you closer to every destination.
More Meaning
We are The Thinking Persons Cruise. We know that uncovering the art, food, wine and culture of the places we visit is important to you, so we focus our energy on creating meaningful onboard and onshore experiences that linger in the mind long after you disembark.
More Style
Our Scandinavian-inspired interiors, clean lines and art-covered walls impress all who feast their eyes upon them.
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No Surprises On Your Bill
For a luxurious vacation at sea that wont deliver a shocking bill on disembarkation day, focus your search on all-inclusive cruises. While most of the best cruises can, at times, feel all-inclusive if you eat in the main dining room and drink only tap water on the rocks, thats not always the case. Many restaurants on the bulk of cruise ships, even on the most trusted cruise lines, carry an extra fee , and soda, wine, beer, and cocktails are going to cost you. And if you want to try a spinning class in the fitness center or do yoga on the deck, expect to see a charge added to your folio.
True all-inclusive cruises, on the other hand, offer guests nearly everything they could dream of while at sea . Of course, the per person fare will be higher than your usual stateroom on the big cruise ships, but youll get so much more included and have no surprises on your credit card statement. How much higher will depend on the specific ship and how luxurious it is!
If youre traveling as a family, consider one of the best cruises for kids, but for an all-in grown-up experience, try these all-inclusive cruises that cover all meals, even at the specialty dining destinations on board, as well as all activities. Many of them will also cover your alcoholic drinks, gratuities, laundry, shore excursions, airfare, and more. Read on to find out whichand to book your next trip! If you decide that youd prefer to be pampered on land, head over to this list of the best all-inclusive resorts.
A Deep Dive Into Egyptian Treasures In London And Oxford
Amateur Egyptologists will get rare special access to Egyptian treasures in London and Oxford, England, during this new four-night overland excursion from the river cruise arm of Viking Cruises. Designed as a precruise add-on to Viking sailings on Egypts Nile River, theBritish Collections of Ancient Egypt tour includes a behind-the-scenes visit to the private archives of Howard Carter at Oxfords Griffith Institute. Theres also a private tour of the home and personal museum of Sir John Soane, who amassed an exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old sarcophagus. Other stops include an early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public. From $3,499 per person vikingcruises.com.
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Included Shore Excursions And Roundtrip Air: Silversea Cruises Becomes More All
Included with every voyage in Silversea’s new collection of 2022/2023 itineraries, travellers will enjoy complimentary shore excursions in every port and included roundtrip air.
Silversea Cruises is set to become more all-inclusive than ever, with the upcoming launch of its new 2022/2023 itineraries. For the first time in Silverseas history, travellers will enjoy at least one complimentary shore excursion, from a range of experiences in every port of call, included with all voyages in the new itinerary collectionacross the lines entire fleet of 10 ultra-luxury ships. Enhancing Silverseas all-inclusive offering further stillwhich is already among the most comprehensive at seaall cruise fares will include roundtrip air and transfers, providing unprecedented value and convenience for guests.
Setting sail between March 2022 and May 2023, Silverseas new collection of voyages represents the cruise lines largest-ever itinerary release, with almost 12% more itineraries compared to the previous launch. The new collection includes 315 voyages across all seven continents, calling in 669 destinations in 114 countries, with 61 maiden calls.
In addition to some of the most spacious suites at sea , guests travelling aboard Silverseas ships enjoy personalised service provided by nearly one crew member for every guest onboard entertainment as well as the following inclusions:
Free Shore Excursions On Luxury Cruises
When it comes to all-inclusive cruising, shore excursions are one of the few items still carrying a price tag. Even so, some luxury cruise lines offer cruises with excursions included, ranging from a selection of complimentary tours in every port to once-per-cruise special land-based events available to all passengers. You’re still covering the cost in your base cruise fare, but you don’t have to make price-based decisions onboard.
If you prefer a higher up-front fare and no worries about pricing later, you might want to look for cruise lines that include many free shore excursions. If you’d rather pay a la carte or prefer private guides to packaged cruise ship tours, you should gravitate toward a ship that does a special event or two, or one that offers a complimentary shuttle or other service but leaves the rest of the planning to you.
With so many different types of free shore excursions, luxury cruise travelers should have no problem finding a line that suits their touring style.
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How To Get The Most From Your Shore Excursion
Here are a few final tips to keep in mind in order to get the best experience out of your shore excursion.
- Read shore excursion descriptions very carefully to understand exactly how your time will be spent on the tour. Add up how much time is spent on the bus, driving between attractions, and compare that to how much time is spent at each destination. If you are unsure, ask the shore excursion manager to describe the tour in detail. You might have to decide between spending short amounts of time in a variety of places and getting an in-depth tour of one area, while missing out on several others.
- Some tours involve strenuous treks in hot, humid climes or long days with lots of walking. Cruise lines are typically good at pointing out which excursions are strenuous and even which are best for travelers with limited mobility. Be sure to pick tours that you can handle physically.
- Staff members who work aboard ships are great sources of information on the best local beaches, restaurants and shopping . Ask where they go — the purser’s office is an especially good resource.
- Your final bill can add up if you buy a shore excursion in every port. However, in some ports — especially in Alaska, Europe or exotic destinations — shore excursions are the only way to go. Budget accordingly.
- If you are a scuba diver, check out local dive clubs on the islands you intend to visit. They are listed in information obtained from tourist offices.
Best Japan Cruises: From Cherry Blossom To Mount Fuji Luxury Holidays With Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Credit: ShutterstockSponsored by Regent Seven SeasRegent Seven Seas Cruises offers an unparalleled taste of Asia discover the contrasts of this continent, from the neo-metropolis of Tokyo to iconic Mount Fuji, with the luxury cruise line. Regent Seven Seas Cruises brings a wide variety of Asia holiday wonders to cruise guests – meander around the cherry blossom trees in Yokohama and
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The Weirdest Foods You Can Eat On A Royal Caribbean Cruise
Royal Caribbean serves its guests thousands of meals and snacks across every ship on a daily basis, including a few items that may make you raise an eyebrow when you see it.Because Royal Caribbean serves an international clientele, there are going to be things on the menu that are not what you are used to. Expanding your palate is one thing that makes going on a cruise fun, but every so often
How To Purchase A Shore Excursion
Different cruise lines offer different methods for purchasing a shore excursion. Modern, larger ships may offer online booking up to several days prior to sailing – guests can examine different tour options at their leisure several weeks before their cruise and decide which option is most desirable. In order to book a shore excursion online, however, be sure to have all your relevant sailing information available: ship name, reservation number, sailing date, and so forth. If you cannot locate that information on your cruise tickets, your travel agent can provide it.
Purchasing shore excursions after boarding the cruise is a more stressful situation. From the moment guests begin boarding the ship, the shore excursion desk is available to answer questions and reserve tours. Passengers can pick up a copy of available tours from that desk, or there is likely to be one in each cabin. Excursion ratings, times, and prices will be clearly listed, and passengers have the option of choosing preferred times as well as alternates. Once that reservation sheet is turned in to the tour desk, the excursion specialists will input the bookings and assign tours. For the best selection, it is recommended that guests reserve tours as quickly as possible, though for longer sailings, multiple tours may remain available throughout the voyage for later ports of call. Regardless of when the ship calls on particular ports, however, popular excursions inevitably fill up quickly.
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Shore Excursions Vs Independent Exploration
One of the biggest questions cruisers have is whether or not to take a ship-sponsored shore excursion. The answer banks on your budget, as well as your inclinations. Shore tours vary in price, depending on the cruise line, and can run you anywhere from $40 per person for a simple beach break to hundreds of dollars each for such higher-priced options as helicopter rides, golf outings and long-day or overnight tours. Taking a tour in every port can quickly inflate your onboard bill.
Shore excursions are worth it if you want to venture to attractions that are located far from the pier, learn more about an area through a guide or participate in physical activities where gear is required . However, if all you want to do is walk around town, shop or visit the beach, it could be much cheaper and less time-consuming to get a map and do it on your own. For instance, in St. Thomas, the shops are a stone’s throw from the ship, but beaches are a cab ride away. And, in tiny Monte Carlo, the castle, cathedral and casino are all within walking distance of your ship. Don’t forget about arranging your own transportation, too. In Hawaii, many ports offer rental agency pickups. In Barcelona, you can easily use a combination of local buses, the subway and hop-on, hop-off tourist buses to get around.
Viking World Horizons Cruises
Best for: Retirees
Do you have a third of the year to explore the globeand a sizable pension and retirement nest egg to pay for an adventure like this? If so, book this all-inclusive cruise. Theres a lot to love about Viking Cruise Lines: a contemporary, Scandinavian style smaller ships that can get into ports larger ocean liners ships cant reach no casinos and no kids under 18. You also wont find umbrella drinks or intrusive photographers roaming the decks, or any interior stateroomseveryone gets a room with a view and a veranda to sail the world for more than 100 days.
Whats included: On its all-inclusive 136-day World Cruises and 119-day World Horizons sailing tours in 2022, Viking offers free round-trip, business-class airfare and transfers to and from port, visa services, and a $2,000 shore excursion credit. Youll also get 48 guided tours during the stops in 22 countries, a $1,000 onboard credit, 24-hour room service, one shore excursion in each port, and a culture curriculum. After seeing the world, you may be ready to dial things down with an intimate romantic cruise.
Where you can cruise: The Viking World cruise will take you to 27 countries, and World Horizons visits 22, leaving Los Angeles and arriving in London 119 later. Along the way, you will experience just about half of the globe, including New Zealand, India, Jordan, and Greece.
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Advance Planning And Resources
The secret to a wonderful day ashore is to plan ahead. Learn about the attractions in each port, so you can decide whether to book a tour or go it alone. For example, you’ll want to know that Livorno is actually the port for Florence, but the city is quite far from the port. It’s also helpful to note that in the Greek Isles, Santorini does not have great beaches, while Mykonos is internationally renowned for its sandy spots. Planning ahead will let you balance relaxing beach days with days spent shopping, sightseeing or in active pursuits.
Cruisers have multiple resources for researching in-port activities.
Cruise Line Websites: Look up your cruise line’s list of shore excursions with tour descriptions and prices. Many cruise lines have this information available online on higher priced cruises, you might also be sent a booklet of all the tours with your cruise documents. Most lines allow you to reserve tours in advance through their websites or through a travel agent.
Cruise Critic: Once you know your itinerary, visit Cruise Critic’s Destinations area and Ports of Call message boards for tips on spending your day ashore. You’ll find information on the best excursions, as well as suggestions for restaurants, beaches and must-see attractions.
Executive Collection & Bespoke Travel Arrangements
Envision your perfect day of sightseeing and exploring your destination exactly as you’d like… Creating your own, customized excursions is possible. Whether you’re looking to engage a private vehicle from our Executive Collection with a personal driver and/or English-speaking guide or hoping to develop a truly bespoke experience with our elite concierge team, we welcome the opportunity to help you create your perfect journey.
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