Success – World Voyage Excursions Booked

So, how did selecting excursions for our Viking World Voyage turn out? Were we able to get our choices? Was all the work I put into creating the spreadsheet worth it? The answer is YES! The spreadsheet idea was a resounding success and made the selection task so much easier.

I had printed the spreadsheet and had it beside me as the time for booking excursions opened at 1:00 pm. I quickly booked our first choice, but I was somewhat surprised that our next choice, an included safari in South Africa, was already sold out. I was determined not to get discouraged or view the “sold out” label as an omen. Who knows, Viking may open more slots on that one.

From that point forward, however, I was on a roll. I was able to select all our choices with just a very few exceptions, and two of those were other included tours that I’m sure will open up. 

The only included excursion I missed was a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the world’s oldest desert in Namibia’s largest national park, Namib-Naukluft, said to be one of the most impressive desert regions on earth. In hindsight, I probably should have put that one near the top of our priority list. Oh well… One of these days, I’ll make it up, up and away in a hot air balloon.

The Dreaded "SOLD OUT" Notation

Having the spreadsheet made the booking process so much easier, and I could check off items as I made my selections. It took me almost two hours to get through all the ports and another hour to doublecheck my choices. It’s a good thing I did, since I had missed one port that I had checked off as completed. Not to worry. I was able to pick the excursion we wanted, just at a later time slot.

My final tally was 97 excursions, 54 of which were included tours. Tim’s tally was 95 excursions, 59 with included tours. That’s a lot of sightseeing, but we’re up for it!

My Viking Journey's Calendar Will Help Us Keep Track of Our Excursions