Voyage Countdown:
90 Days to Adventure
Viking Expedition – Pre-Departure Update
As we approach the 90-day mark before the start of our grand adventure, it’s time for an update on excursions, dining, spa reservations, and — of course — our flights.
Because we booked a Jr. Nordic Suite, our access to shore excursions, dining, and spa bookings opened a few days earlier than other cabin categories. Viking uses a tiered system based on stateroom type, which definitely rewards early planning.
Excursions:
We learned that you can pre-book only one day of kayaking and one day on the Special Operations Boat in advance. You can also reserve one Zodiac cruise per day, lasting about an hour — perfect for exploring those icy fjords up close.
Dining:
Guests can choose between table-for-two options, shared tables, or invitations to dine with new friends. Each cabin can pre-book three nights at The Restaurant and three nights at Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant — both fan favorites on Viking.
Flights:
If you read our first update, you’ll remember we booked this trip over 18 months ago, including Viking Air for flights to and from Buenos Aires. At the time, Viking booked flights about six months before travel, and since United Airlines offers two direct Houston–Buenos Aires flights daily, we weren’t concerned.
But things changed. Viking shifted its flight-booking window to about three months prior to departure. Our original routing? Houston → Dallas → Buenos Aires — flying backwards, geographically speaking.
After requesting a change, we waited a week, only to be rebooked Houston → Toronto (yes, Canada) → Buenos Aires — which was really flying backwards. After a few calls and refusing to pay an extra $1,000, we finally ended up with Houston → Dallas → Buenos Aires on the outbound, and a direct return flight home.
Lesson learned: if you’re booking far in advance, think twice about relying solely on Viking Air. When we first booked, the direct United flights were wide open — but by the time Viking finalized things, they were long gone.
Despite the flight shuffles, the excitement is real. Less than 90 days to go — and the countdown is officially on.
