You’ve booked a Viking cruise. Awesome! Now what? Well, the big decision is out of the way: where you’re going! Now it’s time to deal with the next level details, including what to expect on your cruise, like excursions and what life is like onboard. My husband and I have enjoyed our Viking journeys and are always excited about our next ones. We, like you, can’t wait to explore new destinations while relaxing in the comfort of a Viking ship. This article has what you need to know to prepare for your big adventure — along with plenty of tips to help you plan your cruise. An action item checklist is at the end of this article. In no time, friends and family will be wishing you Bon Voyage as you embark on a very special Viking cruise!
People typically book their Viking cruises many months – or even a few years – before the actual trip. Whenever your cruise is planned, these are the important items to help you prepare for it.
1. Check Your Passport’s Expiration Date
Your passport’s expiration date should be at least six months after the end of your trip (the cruise plus any international travel before your return home). You can renew your passport before it expires, so it’s better to be safe and have the updated passport on hand for your upcoming travel.
2. Create Your Online “My Viking Journey” Account
Once you’ve booked a Viking cruise, you’ll want to set up your online “My Viking Journey” account. This online portal is the go-to spot for all the information on the experiences you’ll be able to enjoy on the ship, excursions, and general travel and health information. It’s also a great way to keep track of how many days (plus hours and minutes) till your cruise! I find the portal a great resource as it contains all the information I need in one place. For example, it has my flight information (if booked through Viking), excursion information (what the excursions are as well as the date I can begin booking them), and loads of information about the journey onboard itself. In addition, it has specific entry and health requirements for each of the countries I’ll be visiting.
How to Set Up Your Online “My Viking Journey” Account
Establish your account on MyVikingJourney.com. You’ll be prompted to enter your 7-digit Booking Number, which is found on your Viking Guest Statement or similar confirmation paperwork. (If you are married, traveling with your spouse, and sharing a stateroom, you can each create an account, and you will be able to see each other’s information.) After you create your online account, you’ll have access to plenty of information about your cruise. Time to get excited!
Now let’s look at what you’ll find online. (These items are listed in the order they appear on the portal.)
Your Online “My Viking Journey” Account Sections
There are 9 main sections on the “My Viking Journey” portal. This article explains each section in detail. I’ve also included tips to help ensure your cruise is an amazing experience.
1. My Viking Journey: Payments and Cart
As the name implies, this is where you’ll see what you’ve added to your Viking cart. Examples are payments for optional excursions and the Silver Spirits beverage package. You’ll also see any shipboard credits (often from travel agents) or vouchers you’ve received. In addition, this is where you’ll register a credit card for onboard purchases; doing this ahead of your cruise helps to streamline check-in on the day of embarkation.
2. My Viking Journey: Manage My Air
If you’ve booked air transportation through Viking, you’ll see your flight information here. Other notable information in this section:
- Depending on how you booked your air travel, you can select seats, add a layover, and change or upgrade your flights. Viking notes that they can usually make flight changes up to 75 days before your departure.
- Add your frequent flyer program number for the airline and other specifics (like your Known Traveler Number – for U.S. citizens).
- Indicate if you need wheelchair assistance at the airport, have special dietary needs onboard the flight, and/or require any additional aid at the airport.
- This section also has a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) area to help you with general inquiries about air travel.
Tips to Make Your Journey Less Stressful
- If booking through Viking, keep an eye on your flights in this section. Sometimes flights will change from the time Viking first booked them. Airlines have been known to change and even cancel some flights.
- Some travelers prefer to book their flights. If you plan to do that, you may still be interested in signing up for Viking’s airport transfer service. With that, you’ll have a Viking representative meet you at the airport and transport you to the ship; likewise, at the end of your cruise, you’ll have a ride to the airport.
- My husband and I always favor nonstop flights when available. Although flying nonstop may be more expensive than having connections, flying nonstop makes our vacations much less stressful as we don’t worry about flight delays, tight layovers, or missing connecting flights. We appreciate the added peace of mind and think nonstop flights are an important part of the overall experience.
3. My Viking Journey: Travel Requirements
Here, you’ll find health requirements specific to Viking and the countries you’ll be visiting. In addition, any special requirements for entering countries are outlined in this section.
4. My Viking Journey: Guest Documents
You’ll notice that some primary fields are already populated – like your full name from your contract with Viking. Other fields you’ll need to complete before your cruise include passport and emergency contact information. Note that you can change this information, if needed down the road, and select “Update” after you’ve entered it.
5. My Viking Journey: Shore Excursions
At each port, there is always one included shore excursion (at no extra cost) on river and ocean cruises. These are usually bus or walking tours of an area that give a general overview of the place.
In addition, there are several optional excursions from each port. These include visits to historical and cultural sites, museums, cooking experiences specific to an area, and recreational options like hiking and biking. Optional excursions cost extra; many are between $50-200 each.
All shore excursion listings indicate the activity level:
- Easy – Walking is typically easy with few steps or inclines. The total time working or standing is usually less than 1.5 hours.
- Moderate – Walking may include steps, inclines, or uneven ground. The total time walking or standing varies from 1.5-3 hours.
- Demanding – Activities may be more physically demanding or include long walks, hiking, and biking. In addition, there may be many steps, inclines, or unpaved ground. The total time walking or standing may be more than 3 hours.
In addition, the excursion listings show the time they are offered. Some excursions last just a few hours, while others span from 5 to 9 hours.
Tips to Get the Most Out of Viking Excursions
- Signing up for optional excursions involves a hierarchy, and some optional excursions may sell out if their capacity is reached. When you can sign up for excursions depends on the type of stateroom you booked. The larger (more expensive) staterooms get priority and can book early. For example, on an ocean cruise, those in the top-of-the-line Owners Suite can book excursions 107 days before embarkation, the Explorer Suite guests can book 97 days before embarkation, the Penthouse Junior Suite guests can book 87 days before embarkation, and this pattern continues through the rest of the stateroom categories.
- If you cannot book the excursions you want online because they’re sold out, don’t fret. They sometimes open up later as people change their minds and cancel them. You can check back online every so often to see if any excursions have opened up. Also, you can check for availability once you’re onboard; again, there may have been some cancellations since you last checked online.
- It’s helpful to make a quick list of the excursions you’re planning. This can help in laying out your days.
- Knowing the activity level and length of excursions is helpful. For instance, maybe you’re planning a full day of sightseeing on Day 3 of your cruise and want to make sure to plan something less demanding for Day 4.
- If you get the feeling that an excursion on an ocean or expedition cruise is far from the port, it’s a good idea to investigate a bit. When you’re on “My Viking Journey,” you can live chat (communicate through texting on their website) with a Viking representative and ask for some details. I did this when planning a recent Viking cruise. I was torn between two exciting excursions; when I learned (via the Live Chat on “My Viking Journey”) that one required an almost 2-hour one-way trip and the other was just 75 minutes away, I quickly decided on the shorter bus trip.
- Another thing to check for ocean and expedition cruises is how many ports require a tender (a boat that ferries passengers from the cruise ship to the port – and back) and how many ports the ship will be docked in. This can make a difference in how you plan your days. For example, if you know the ship will be in port from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, you know you’ll have a lot of time to explore on your own – even after an excursion. This is another inquiry I made on a Live Chat. I was happy to learn that only one port on our booked cruise required a tender because I figured my husband and I might have more time to explore before heading back to the ship.
- If you change your mind about an optional excursion after booking it, you must notify Viking of your cancellation request at least 48 hours before the scheduled excursion to receive a refund. Since the online “My Viking Journey” closes for booking or canceling excursions 7 days before sailing, you should call Viking directly to cancel any optional excursions during that time period.
6. My Viking Journey: Extensions
This section contains pre- and post-extensions information, including cost, itineraries, and accommodations. If you added a pre- or post-extension to your cruise or you want to find out more information about available pre- or post-extensions, this is the place to head. Please note that these sometimes sell out early.
7. My Viking Journey: Before You Go
Okay, it’s time to take care of some details in this section.
- Comfort Check-In – When you get close to your cruise, you’ll be prompted to complete this section.
- Viking Travel Protection Plan – Ways to protect your travel investment through Viking are outlined here. Examples are trip interruption, accident and sickness, and medical repatriation.
- Pre-Paid Gratuities – Viking offers you the opportunity to prepay gratuities to the staff. It’s a set amount that Viking suggests to make sure the entire staff (even those behind the scenes) receive a tip.
- Viking Voyager App – This is an app (for both Android and Apple devices) for onboard use. Here’s where you’ll see a digital copy of the daily schedule and background information on your destinations. Plus, if you’re cruising on a Viking ocean or expedition ship, it’s where you can book dining and spa treatments.
- Luggage Forward – This service, through Viking’s partnership with Luggage Forward, will provide pickup service of your luggage from your home to the ship before your cruise as well as from the ship back to your home after your cruise.
Tips About Insurance, Tipping, and Packing
- When considering travel insurance, it’s wise to compare available policies as they don’t necessarily offer the same types and levels of coverage. Make sure the travel insurance you choose covers the issues you’re most concerned with. And, yes, it’s always wise to have travel insurance!
- Many people (including my husband and me) opt for the pre-paid gratuities on Viking. In addition, I take along some blank thank-you cards to write a short message and include some cash for people we felt gave exceptional service — like the program director, cabin steward, housekeeper, and bartender.
- Viking has guidelines about tipping local tour guides and bus drivers. For example, on European cruises, Viking recommends tipping local tour guides 2 Euros per person (4 Euros for a couple) and 1 Euro (2 Euros for a couple) for bus drivers.
- I always recommend that travelers pack lightly (with just carry-ons is ideal), but if you prefer to pack and send your luggage ahead, this is the place to schedule it.
8. My Viking Journey: Calendar
This is self-explanatory. Once you book your excursions, any pre- or post-excursions – plus spa and dining options on ocean and expedition ships – you’ll see them populate on your calendar.
9. My Viking Journey: Onboard Experience
Here’s where you’ll learn more about the various experiences on the ship.
- Dining & Beverage -You can sign up for the Silver Spirits beverage package that provides unlimited alcoholic beverages along with premium wine, spirits, and aperitifs. In addition, you’ll find information on onboard dining venues in this section.
- Spa – If aboard one of Viking’s ocean or expedition cruises, you’ll learn more about the spa and fitness services.
- Enrichment – This section overviews the entertainment and enrichment options (including port talks and guest lecturers).
- Preferences – This is where you let Viking know your stateroom preferences, such as putting the beds together as one and other personal preferences.
- Ship – Get the lay of the land – er, ship – in this section with your ship’s deck plans, a 360-degree visual tour, and an overview of the common spaces.
- Stateroom – Learn more about the staterooms, including internet connections and types of electrical plugs.
Tips To Make Onboard Experience More Enjoyable
- All guests can enjoy complimentary coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, and wine at lunch and dinner. If you’re interested in premium wines, spirits, and aperitifs, you may want to sign up for the Silver Spirits Beverage package that costs $25 per person per night (at the time of publication). If two guests share a stateroom, if one wants to purchase the Silver Spirits package, the other guest must as well.
- Plan to download content like movies, podcasts, music, and books before leaving home. That’s also a good time to run any software updates on the devices you’ll take with you. The internet connection onboard is dependent on service from satellites as well as weather. Don’t plan on streaming content while on the ship.
- Viking outfits its staterooms with a variety of outlets. Most likely, you won’t need to pack any adaptors. However, if you’re staying in hotels before or after the cruise, plan on bringing adaptors to suit the countries you’ll be overnighting in.
3. Learn More About Your Destinations
Learn a little more about your destinations. You can do some research by reading books and articles about the places you plan to visit. Another option to bolster background knowledge of new places is to do a few online searches. One great online resource is the free Khan Academy which has an inventory of videos to view. For instance, you could listen to a Khan Academy video on the first Olympic Games if you’re planning to visit Olympia, Greece. Or you could learn more about winemaking in Italy if you plan to visit a vineyard there. Knowing more about the places you’ll visit (ahead of time) can make your entire experience more enjoyable.
4. Make a Packing List
To make traveling easy, plan to pack lightly and take only what you need. I know it’s easier said than done but make sure you include things on your list that you’ll know you’ll need for the ship and excursions: good walking shoes, sunglasses, sun hat, daypack, small collapsible umbrella, bathing suit, and so on.
Suggested Attire
For excursions, wear comfortable walking shoes and shorts, capris, slacks, or jeans. Remember to bring sunglasses, a sunhat, a collapsible umbrella, and maybe a daypack to hold things while off the ship.
Viking suggests guest dress in “elegant casual” attire for dining. For example, Viking suggests women wear a dress, skirt, or pants (skirt and pants paired with tops, of course!) while men can sport pants and a collared shirt. River cruise passengers usually are a bit more casual in their dining attire (you may see men wearing nice shorts instead of pants), but Viking frowns on jeans in most dining spaces.
Remember that if your cruise lasts 15 days, you don’t need 15 outfits. Plan to mix and match tops and bottoms – that can be planned around a central neutral color like black, gray, blue, or brown – and plan to wash clothes while onboard. Add variation to outfits with accessories like scarves, jewelry, and wraps. Sign up for my newsletter to get a detailed packing list for any trip.
Cleaning Clothes on the Ships
You most likely will need to clean some of your clothes while sailing. On Viking river cruises, you have two options: hand wash clothes in your bathroom and hang them to dry on the collapsible clothesline in the shower or send them out for cleaning by the Viking staff. Guests in the Explorer Suites receive complimentary laundry services. Viking ocean and expedition ships have self-serve launderettes onboard; there are no fees associated with using the washers, dryers, or even soap. Guests in some staterooms (for example, Junior Penthouse Suite and above) receive complimentary laundry services on ocean voyages.
5. Plan Your Personal Entertainment
You’ll have time on your own while waiting at the airport, on your flights, and in your stateroom, so plan what type of entertainment you want to take along with you. Create a list of content (e.g., movies, podcasts, books) you’ll want to download to your devices before leaving home. This is also a good time to ensure your devices have the most current software updates. Plan to download content within a week of departure (as some downloaded content, like movies, may expire in a few weeks). You may also want to pack a small portable speaker to enjoy your playlists in your stateroom.
6. Take Care of the Little Details Before You Leave
Within a few weeks of departure, make sure you’ve taken care of necessary “to do’s,” like refilling prescriptions, scheduling someone to take care of your pets or water your plants, stopping your mail, and so on. For a complete list of things to consider before taking a trip, read my Travel Planning Timeline.
7. Do a Final Review of Your Travel Plans
Review MyVikingJourney.com to ensure you’ve signed up for excursions (and any preferred dining options and spa treatments on ocean and expedition cruises). Note that the MyVikingJourney portal closes a week before embarkation.
When you receive your final Viking documents, note the ship’s phone number and exact embarkation location (if Viking transfers are not part of your travel plan). Add the ship’s phone number to your smartphone and share it with anyone else (family and friends) who might need to get in touch with you while you’re cruising. In addition, add Viking’s hotline number for air travel to your smartphone if you booked flights through Viking. Then you’ll be able to contact Viking quickly should issues with your flights (e.g., canceled flights) arise.
Related Articles
Viking Cruise Related Articles
- Viking Ocean Cruises: The Ultimate Guide
- Viking Ocean Cruise Excursions: What You Need to Know
- Viking Ocean Cruise Onboard Experience: What You Need to Know
- Viking Ocean Cruise Staterooms: What You Need to Know
- Viking River Cruises: The Complete Guide
- Best Sights to See on a Viking Grand European Tour Cruise
- Viking Antarctica Cruise: A Complete Guide for Adventurers
General Travel Planning Articles
- Best Apps and Websites for Savvy Travelers
- Travel Lightly: Top Ten Tips for Your Next Trip
- Travel Planning Timeline
- Expert Tips for Traveling to Europe for More Fun, Less Stress
- How to Use Google Translate While Traveling
Final Thoughts
My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed our Viking cruises, and we look forward to the next one we’ve booked. Viking makes traveling special. We value the onboard and carefully selected destination experiences Viking plans for guests. We’ve learned that one of the ways to get the most out of our cruises and avoid disappointment is to plan thoroughly, including checking our passport expiration dates, becoming familiar with the ship and its amenities, scheduling excursions, and planning the details before we leave home. With all that completed, we let our excitement take over!
Comments?
Please feel free to share your thoughts and/or experiences on planning Viking cruises. Your insights can help other travelers. Thank you! 🙂
Viking Cruise Checklist
Feel free to use this checklist to help you plan your Viking cruise!
On ocean cruises to Australia/ New Zealand and Indonesia do you have onboard medical facilities?
Yes, Viking ocean cruise ships have medical facilities. Actually, I know of two people on separate Viking ocean and expedition cruises who used them and were happy with the care received. Here’s info from Viking’s website: “While every precaution can reduce the risk of illness, we are also prepared for that outcome. Our ocean and expedition vessels have state-of-the-art Medical Centers.”
Hi Lolly! Such a great article!! I’m wondering where I could find opinions/suggestions for optional excursions (or not) for the Ancient Adriatic Treasures we’re taking in October. Our first Viking Cruise!! YAY!! I’ve read and reread descriptions of excursions and now would just really like some personal opinions. The yays and the nays. I can’t seem to find this on cruise critic, etc. Any thoughts? Thanks so much and thanks again for this informative article..
Hi Donna, There are two types of Viking excursions: included and optional. Viking offers one included excursion in each port (although there may be multiple departure times for popular included excursions). The included excursions are usually bus or walking tours of a town that offer an overview of a place’s history, culture, architecture, and so on. The optional excursions cost money and are more focused on particular interests like trips to museums, visits to farms or estates, recreation options like biking or hiking, and bus tours to other towns and cities. My suggestion is to consider your interests, the length of the excursions, and how much travel time might be involved (for some of the longer excursions). One option to find other passengers’ opinions would be to join a Viking Facebook group (whose members are other Viking guests). Just keep in mind that other people’s opinions are based on their interests and preferences. I hope you find what you’re looking for, Donna. Have a great cruise!
First cruise and we are going on the Viking “Mediterranean Odyssey” and was wondering if you went on this cruise? If so, did you take mostly the included excursions or did you upgrade? Any thoughts you have about the included excursions vs the upgrades would be helpful.
Hi Mike, I have not been on “Mediterranean Odyssey” but will be going on a similar one (“Empires of the Mediterranean”) soon. My husband and I have taken included excursions, usually walking or bus tours of a city. They give a general overview of the history and culture of a place. But the optional excursions are more targeted to guests’ interests, and we’ve found them very good. In fact, some of our best travel memories are from the optional excursions because they often offer unique experiences that you wouldn’t find on your own. I hope you have a wonderful first Viking cruise! I’m betting that you’ll have a fantastic time!
Great job! Articulate, informative and concise. Thanks. Going on grand European, Amsterdam to Budapest, soon. Very helpful.
Awesome, Marg, I’m glad you found the article helpful. Have a fabulous cruise!
Thank you so much for the wonderful info! I recently booked my first Viking Ocean Cruise and I’m super excited! This will also be my first time traveling abroad, so posts like this are incredibly helpful! I do have a couple of quick questions, though, if you don’t mind answering. Do both guests under the same booking number need to make a separate My Viking Journey account? Or can everything for both guests be done under the same account? Second, do you happen to know if Viking charges for using their customer service? I wanted to ask a question about the Guest Information Form through theIr Live Chat, but was worried about potentially being charged.
Hi Brandi, I’m glad you found the article helpful in planning your upcoming cruise. Regarding the My Viking Journey online account, only one person needs to create an account. That person can enter the passenger and payment information (for excursions and onboard services) as well as book excursions, spa services, and specialty restaurants for both guests. Also, there’s no charge for contacting Viking’s customer service. I find the Live Chat feature very helpful, and you can print the chat transcript for future reference. I hope you have a fantastic experience cruising with Viking!
This is on my bucket list! Thanks for the info!
Oh, good to hear! My husband and I like the well-designed ships (and the calming Scandinavian decor), the delicious food, and the variety of excursion choices at each port. We’ve found the service to be excellent, too.