Planning Your Trip>Information & Forms

Passenger Information Form

Once you have booked your trip, the first thing you need to do is complete a passenger information form, or PIF, for each passenger in your party. We use this information to create all your travel documents, airline reservations and so forth, and to make sure you receive the information and documents you need in a timely manner. You may download and print a PDF version of the form or fill it out online:

Download and print the Passenger Information Form

Fill the Passenger Information Form out online

PLEASE NOTE: The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has implemented a new policy, Secure Flight Program, that requires specific passenger data to be collected and provided prior to your flight departure. Under Secure Flight, airlines will gather a passenger’s full name, date of birth and gender when making an airline reservation to determine if the passenger is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists. It is very important that your full name matches your passport exactly, including any middle names. By providing this information in advance, most passengers will not experience any differences from the way they traveled before. It is important to ensure the data provided exactly matches the document presented at time of check-in. This information will be required in order for a boarding pass to be issued by the airline; if this data is not provided or is incorrect, it could cause a delay during the check-in process. For more information about this new policy, please visit the TSA website here.

Pay By E-Check and Save

Enjoy the convenience of paying for your trip by e-check (also known as EFT or electronic funds transfer). As you may already know, paying by e-check is as easy and secure as providing a credit card number.

• You may use e-check to pay for your Viking cruise or cruisetour, and for airfare. Every dollar paid for cruise, air, taxes, fees or surcharges can be paid by e-check, including regular-priced itineraries and airfare, any special offers or Viking Air Plus services

• There is no fee for this service

• If you pay by e-check, you can receive a savings on your travel costs. Ask for details at time of booking

Please note: E-checks must be drawn against a U.S. bank account; e-checks from money market accounts are not permitted. If you are traveling within 14 days, e-check payments cannot be accepted. E-check payments cannot be made by third parties (someone not traveling). Other restrictions may apply; call for details.

We plan to go a few days early and then make our way to the ship. Can you please provide the docking location?

Certainly. A PDF with port location information can be accessed here.

This is going to be our third trip with Viking and we are thinking of inviting friends to travel with us. Do you have a loyalty program and are there referral benefits?

Yes and yes! We have now launched the Viking Explorer Society, which recognizes and rewards returning guests, and we have also rolled out an improved referral program called Viking Referral Rewards. Details about the Viking Explorer Society are here and details about Viking Referral rewards are here.

I would like stay in touch with family, friends and associates back home. What do you recommend?

A list of ship phone numbers can be found here; you can obtain the phone number for your ship and provide it to your contacts in case of emergency. If you would like to make or receive phone calls on a non-emergency basis, you should know that your cell phone may not work overseas. For your convenience, we provide international mobile phones for rent through a partner—more information about this program can be found here.

What is the local currency where we are going? Will I be able to exchange money on board? What forms of payment are accepted on the ship?

Local currency depends on the region where you will be traveling—most of Europe uses the euro, in Russia it is the ruble, in Ukraine it is the hryvnia, in China it is the renminbi (whose basic unit is the yuan) and in Egypt it is the Egyptian pound. Your ship will be unable to exchange money, so plan on bringing some currency with you and exchanging it for local currency at a bank or currency exchange office, or getting cash as needed at ATMs. If you are planning on using an ATM, you should verify with your bank that this will work overseas.

Items you purchase on board, together with any optional excursions you purchase, will be added to your shipboard account. You may settle your account in cash (local money, dollars or euros) or with a credit card (sorry, the ship is unable to accept travelers checks). You can include gratuities for shipboard personnel to your shipboard account (except in Egypt).

Detailed information about the various regions is available in the regional sections; within any region, select Monetary Considerations from the menu at the right.

What is the electrical voltage in the stateroom? What kind of converters will I need for my computer/curling iron/camera battery charger?

Electricity on the ships is 220V. Our European and Russian ships have the German Schuko safety plug, which has two pins. In China the ships have a 3-pin blade safety plug; if you have an adapter with just the two slanted blades that will work fine. Some of these plugs are grounded and some are not. For more details and pictures of the plugs, click here. Each stateroom will have one or two 115V razor plugs available, generally in the bathroom.

Is there internet access on board? Are there computers, or should I bring my laptop?

For your convenience, all Viking ships have internet access. Our ships in Europe, Russia and Ukraine have free wi-fi, so you can bring your laptop and get online at any time. Alternatively, each ship has a few computers for guest use; there are desktop machines in Russia for use free of charge, and laptops in Europe that guests may rent for a nominal fee based on amount of time used. Guests who bring laptops to Russia may wish to bring a LAN cable for use in their stateroom; this may work a bit better than the wireless LAN in rural areas along the river.

In China there is an internet café with desktop stations for guest use free of charge. There is no onboard wireless network in China so you will not be able to get internet service on your own computer on the ship, although you may be able to do so in hotels.

In Egypt, there are two computers on board each ship that can be used for a nominal fee based on amount of usage. The ships also offer shipwide wireless internet access for guests who bring their own computer.

Please note that shipboard service may be unreliable during certain parts of the journey. The internet connection functions via cellular service or satellite, and there may be times when reception is not possible and/or when the connection is quite slow. For this reason, we recommend only checking and sending email. We do not recommend surfing the Web or downloading large files.

We are considering purchasing one of the beverage packages; it would be useful to know what the by-the-glass beverage prices are.

A typical bar menu from our ships, including a range of cocktails, wines, beers and soft drinks, can be found here. (For your convenience, here is a link to details about what is covered by our two beverage packages and here is a link to the beverage package order form, which gives package prices.) Water, tea and coffee are included with meals, and many ships have a 24-hour coffee station or in-room coffeemaker (China). Bottled water is supplied daily in your stateroom. You may purchase a beverage package before your trip or on board.

Will we be able to have laundry done on board? What are the prices?

Laundry service is available on board for a fee; unfortunately clothes cannot be dry cleaned. Typical lists of laundry charges are available here—please note that prices are subject to change.

Europe laundry list
China laundry list
Russia laundry list
Ukraine laundry list

Can you accommodate my dietary needs?

In most cases we can. Every meal has vegetarian options on the menu, and our chefs are able to prepare low-salt or gluten-free cuisine. If you require a liquid diet or strictly kosher foods, you may have your products shipped to your cruise ship and we will be more than happy to serve your special meals. Please be sure to make your requirements known when you make your reservation so we will be fully prepared when you begin your journey.

Are the staterooms on the ship air-conditioned?

Yes.

Are the ships nonsmoking? Are there smoking areas?

All Viking ship interiors and staterooms are nonsmoking. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area.

Will there be a hair dryer in my stateroom or should I bring one? What about shampoo, etc.?

Your ship has hair dryers for guest use. Most staterooms are equipped with a hair dryer; if there isn’t one in your stateroom, you can request one at reception and it will be provided to you. Your stateroom amenities include shower gel, shampoo, body lotion, shower cap and vanity kit.

Are there refrigerators in individual staterooms?

Our renovated Russia ships, Viking Surkov and Viking Kirov, and our newest ship in Europe, Viking Legend, have individual refrigerators in most staterooms. Staterooms on the Egypt ships have a small refrigerator/mini-bar. For other ships, if you would like something kept refrigerated, such as medications, please inform Reception Desk staff and we will take care of it for you.

Is there fitness equipment on board?

Most Viking ships do not have fitness equipment; there is a small gym aboard Viking Century Sun and a few of our European vessels have exercycles. Our guests enjoy getting their exercise during each day’s shore excursions. Some ships feature walkaround promenade decks, so guests can take a stroll or “power walk.”

Will the ship be able to accommodate a disabled passenger? What about the shore excursions?

Viking River Cruises welcomes disabled guests but wishes all guests to understand that challenges will exist on board and during shore excursions. Some ships have elevators and some do not; some ships have split-level decks and/or significant thresholds that could make movement difficult. Under appropriate circumstances guests are permitted to use motorized scooters and wheelchairs on board. Shore excursions may require movement over cobblestones or up and down stairs; accordingly, a physically challenged guest will require the services of a responsible adult since crew availability is severely limited in most circumstances.

Guests who have any medical, physical or other special needs should check the fleet information on our website to gain an understanding of the layout of any particular ship, and should contact Viking River Cruises, Inc., at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) directly with additional questions and to obtain a copy of our Policy Statement.

I would like to read up a little on the area in which we will be traveling. Do you have recommended reading lists?

We do offer recommended readings lists for each of our itineraries. To access the lists, go to the regional section for the region in which you will be traveling, then select Recommended Reading from the menu at the right. You will be taken to a list of itinerary names; these are links to customized reading lists. For example, click here to view the reading list for Grand European Tour.

When will we receive our final documents?

Tickets, vouchers and other travel documents will be issued approximately 3 weeks prior to departure. If you need to receive your documents sooner, we can accommodate you for a $25 early processing fee. If you will be away from home or need your documents sent to a different location for any reason, please be sure that we know where to send them.

I am a Viking Explorer Society member but I don’t think I’ve been getting my Viking Voyages e-newsletter. Can you help?

We suggest adding Viking_River_Cruises@email.vikingrivercruises.com to your email address book or “safe senders” list. You can also try resubscribing to our email list—especially if you have changed your preferred email address recently—to make sure we have your current contact information. Click the “sign up for special offers” link at the top of any page on our website.

Travel Protection Plan

Even after planning and booking a vacation with Viking, an emergency or illness may cause you to cancel or delay your trip. We certainly hope this does not happen, but if it should, please make sure you are protected. We now offer the Viking Travel Protection Plan for all departures. Our program provides the most comprehensive coverage available, and gives you peace of mind knowing that whatever may arise—even a pre-existing medical condition—you retain 100% of your travel value. In addition to trip cancellation, interruption or delay, the policy supplements your own medical coverage if you become sick or injured while traveling and makes sure you and your travel companions get home. Coverage also includes worldwide assistance services to help you find a doctor or replace a lost prescription, eyeglasses, etc. We have done the comparison shopping and this plan is a terrific value. For specific plan coverage details, please review policy conditions and limitations. Click here for information about policies purchased on or after August 1, 2009; you can visit the provider’s website for additional information here. Click here for information about policies purchased on or before July 31, 2009.

Cost of the Program
The cost of coverage depends on the cost of your trip. Here are the costs per person. Remember, you must purchase the coverage within 14 days of your initial trip deposit (or add it within 14 days of booking if full trip payment was required at time of booking), and not be disabled from travel at time of payment, in order to qualify for the pre-existing condition waiver.

Travel Documentation

Please remember to obtain all required travel documents prior to departure and check your documentation carefully to avoid incurring costs associated with delays, losses or obtaining documents while traveling. When traveling abroad, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months following your visit. Guests are advised to check with their travel agent or the U.S. Consulate Service to determine which documents they must obtain. If incorrect documents are obtained, guests will be unable to participate in particular shore excursions and may be denied boarding and/or entry into certain countries.

Visas

If you are traveling with us to China, Russia or Egypt, you will need a visa. As a service to guests, visas are available from an independent third party upon request. If you would like to obtain your visa through our partner, please visit their website here and download a visa kit. Complete and return the forms to the visa company in a timely manner so that you will have your documentation in time to travel—the timing is explained within the kit instructions. Should you decide to obtain a Russian visa directly instead of using the kit, you will need to contact Viking River Cruises for an Invitation Letter. You may download a Request Form for this letter here. If you are traveling to Egypt, you may either obtain your visa in advance or purchase it upon arrival at the exchange counter in the airport arrival area before immigration. Payment can be made in Egyptian pounds, American dollars or by credit card; the cost is $15 US or about 85 Egyptian pounds.

Note: Due to airline security measures, your passport name must match your airline ticket name or you may be denied boarding. Viking River Cruises accepts no responsibility for obtaining required visas nor for advising guests of visa or other immigration requirements.

Pre-Trip Information

Shortly after you make your reservation, you will receive a letter and invoice by mail along with a small packet of pre-trip information. A more extensive pre-trip information kit can be found here. Packing tips, weather charts and other details that may be helpful in planning your trip can be accessed from this section by selecting the region in which you will be traveling—Europe, Russia & Ukraine, China or Egypt—from the menu above.

Distribution of Travel Documents

Tickets and other travel documents will be issued approximately 3 weeks prior to departure. All early document requests will be charged a $25 early processing fee.

Silver Spirits Premium Beverage Package

Your meals are always accompanied by hot tea, iced tea or coffee, while cocktails, wine, beer, coffee drinks and soda are available on a per-drink basis. We also proudly offer a Silver Spirits premium beverage package, which covers wine, beer, espresso drinks, soft drinks, juices and mineral water for the entire duration of your cruise, plus two daily cocktails and a bottle of champagne. Start your day with a fragrant cappuccino, savor a fine regional wine with dinner, celebrate with champagne—all for one package price. Ask about Silver Spirits when making your reservation, see the Program Director during your journey or download the form here.

Dietary Needs

Guests requiring special diets such as vegetarian, low salt, diabetic or low cholesterol meals must alert Viking River Cruises one month prior to departure and inform the Maitre d’ when on board. The chefs will make reasonable efforts to accommodate these requests.

Celebrating Special Occasions On Board

Should you be planning to celebrate a special occasion (birthday, anniversary) on board, please alert us at least one month prior to departure.

Ordering Gifts for Travelers

You can order a gift for delivery on board by downloading and faxing our Gift Order Form. Please note, orders and full payment must be received no later than 14 days prior to sail date.  To download this form, click on the link below:

Gift Order Form

Transfers

Roundtrip airport-to-ship transfers are only included when air is purchased with a tour package. Transfers are only valid on tour departure and arrival dates. If you should choose to make your own air arrangements, transfers may be purchased through Viking River Cruises for an additional cost (download a request form here), or you may make your own transfer arrangements. For your convenience, a listing of embarkation/debarkation port locations can be found here).