DianeLikesToTravel

I am on Grand Circle Vienna to Amsterdam starting August 19 -- watching water levels carefully.  Hopefully your change of ship will not impact you in any way since many of their ships have the same ship configuration.  Best of luck.  I'll do a rain dance for you.

notamermaid,

Thank you for this valuable information.  I am scheduled Vienna to Amsterdam mid-August.  Just now thinking about water levels and will be checking this thread frequently.  This will be my first river cruise and I'm looking forward to it.  Since I usually take land tours I will not be upset as if there are some bus transfers.  I just hope they don't cancel the cruise.

The insect repellent is Permethrin. I bought it at a travel shop, but I think you could also get it at a sporting goods store. The box says for clothing, gear and tents. Odorless and does not stain clothing. Worked well for me.

My friend and I stayed in a Veranda cabin. The king bed was split into twin beds before we arrived just as we requested through our travel agent.

Thanks, Roothy, for all the details--bringing back wonderful memories from my Sept. 3 sailing from Venice to Barcelona. Your photographs are wonderful; your photos of the cabin are much better than mine. You did a great job helping those to follow in your footsteps.

Someone asked about places to stay in Venice. I stopped at the Hilton as I had friends who stayed there, but it was too far removed for me and I was glad I didn't stay there. You need to take a boat from the hotel to get to Venice proper. We waited 40 minutes for a boat back on a hot, sunny day. That being said, people I talked with liked the Hilton.

My friend and I stayed at this hotel in the Dorsoduro area: http://www.donorione-venezia.it/en/

We liked the location, one minute's walk from the Zattere vaporetto stop and the Alilaguna stop, on a flat street--no bridges to deal with luggage. The cost of an Alilaguna ride from Zattere to the port is 8 euros. Interesting that Alilaguna charges 9 euros from the Hilton and Alilaguna goes from Zattere across to the Hilton and then to the port.

Our hotel was very reasonably priced (I think we paid 165 euros a night for a twin-bedded room), A/C that was quiet and worked well, good shower, comfortable beds, elevator, free wifi, continental breakfast included, and very, very quiet in the rooms and public spaces. We walked to San Marcos several times via the Academia Bridge. We booked far in advance and I don't how easy it would be to get in here on short notice.

The vaporetto from the airport to Zattere would have taken about 90 minutes. Even the semi-private boats would have taken long. Since we were arriving late afternoon we splurged on a private water taxi that we booked once we arrived at the airport. I think it was about 100 euros and was a great way to start our vacation. I've always taken the public vaporetto in the past. Now I'm spoiled. Regardless of how you get to your destination, you'll need to walk about 10 minutes to get a vaporetto or private water taxi.

I thought we would not be able to book excursions until we boarded, but we were able to book 60 days out. I noticed this 55 days prior. For included excursions I was able to book online for both of us since no money changed hands.

We both wanted to take a paid excursion in Split and tried booking separately, but that wasn't working, so I called Viking and worked that out by telephone. The rep told me my friend did not have a credit card on file, so I paid for both of us. (My friend lives in England and we Skyped once a week as the date got closer, so communications were limited mostly to emails.)

There was one day where we wanted to take different paid excursions. That also required a telephone calls.

Once onboard we wanted to change the Split tour from the $89 tour to Krka Falls to the $149 Krka Falls tour (good tour, but not worth the extra $60). I had paid for both, but they refunded one of the tickets to Rosemary's account, so we had to go to the desk to work that out since I paid for both originally. The nice thing about changing onboard is that I got full credit immediately for the original two tickets and did not need to wait 6-8 weeks for a refund. They add all your ship charges and credits and you owe the balance at the bottom.

Rosemary had some onboard charges that went to my account and we dealt with them as they occurred. This is something that Viking needs to work on.

I'll add things here as I think of them.

(1) I was traveling with a friend. Viking had a hard time separating our accounts as we were using our own credit cards. Everything was added or deleted to my account. We had to stop by the Explorer's Desk four times to get our accounts adjusted. This would not be a problem for a couple, but an issue for two single people traveling together.

(2) I usually get the best exchange rate by using ATMs, but not this time. Many of the banks we tried to use for withdrawals were giving exchange rates of $1.19 or $1.20 for a euro when the bank rates were $1.12 or $1.13. One bank wanted to charge an additional $5 for the privilege. We used our credit cards as much as possible to limit withdrawals.

(3) Mosquitoes. I bought a bottle of Permethrin at a travel store and sprayed most of my clothing, front and back, about a week before traveling. The spray is supposed to last for several washings. As a result, I had only two mosquito bites and the critters had a field day with Rosemary. She had bites all over her body. As I am highly susceptible to mosquitoes, so I guess the product worked well.

(4) Cabin beds. The beds were okay; not quite as good as I'd read from other cruisers. Linens on the pillows and duvets were soft but the fitted sheets were coarse. If you ask for a top sheet, that will also be coarse; I asked for one and returned it. The mattresses were okay--nothing special.

The Marx Brothers movie I referenced is "A Night at the Opera." Here is a link to the youtube clip:

Internet worked most of the time although frequently it was slow. Still, I appreciated the fact that we didn't pay extra to have it and there are American style sockets.

I used a hotel card instead of my cabin card in the slot so we could charge our devices while out.

I brought a shoe rack with me to attach to the closet pole. It's the velcro-on-top type of rack. Had nine narrow pockets and netting in the back so things didn't fall through. Handy for storing additional things. I had heard there wasn't enough drawer space in the V cabin, but there was enough for both of us even without the shoe rack. I bought the light-weight shoe rack at Ikea for $5 and it fit easily in my luggage.

I brought with me two magnetic clips that we used on the wall to display our dailies and tour tickets. No need to clutter the desk.

I brought dryer sheets with me as we knew we would do laundry and the ship does not provide softener. The laundry facilities on level 3 were more crowded than on level 5. Low rent vs. high rent districts? One day there were seven people in the small laundry room on level 3 at the same time. There are three washers and three dryers. One person had both ironing boards down and was ironing/folding. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. It reminded me of a Marx Brothers movie where they keep fitting lots of people into a ship cabin until they are piled up one over the other.

IMHO, the best entertainment was the local bouzouki player out at the pool the night we were in Corfu. He was amazing! I also enjoyed the ABBA show in the theater with the ship's troupe and the local Spanish singers the night we were in Barcelona. It would be great if Viking offered more local entertainment. I did not enjoy "The Rat Pack" or the opening show in the theater with their troupe. The singers are talented, but the production missed the mark. We did not go to any other shows offered.

The gelato bar was good. Mostly simple flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and a few others.

We dined at Manfreddi's once and enjoyed it. They had a killer chocolate dessert that we nicknamed "Death By Chocolate." We dined only once in The Restaurant and enjoyed it. We had all other meals in the World Cafe. So much choice and excellent service. Weather permitting we dined al fresco--those table were very popular. In fact, the World Cafe seemed to be popular every time we were there.

Viking provided little touches such as greeting us at the gangplank after a tour with wet towels and once with glasses of champagne. Bottled water was provided as we disembarked for tours or even if we were going out independently. On the one day rain was forecast they provided umbrellas.

Give Viking a year to iron out the kinks of this new endeavor and it will be even more incredible. This truly was an experience of a lifetime.

I'll post more as I think of things.

I am just back from the September 3 sailing. I had a wonderful time. As you've already heard from many others, the ship is gorgeous, food fabulous and service wonderful!

Regarding excursions, I'll report here both paid and included for all reading this.

We did not take any excursions in Venice. It is such a magical city I believe you can do much on your own without guidance. (I'm going off topic here for a moment.) The hardest part for us was figuring out how to get to the ship from our hotel since we were not staying via Viking. I knew there were vaporetto stops at the terminal, but no one could tell us which vaporetto stop we needed. In the end, we took the Alilaguna boat from Zattere stop (only steps from our hotel in Dorsoduro) to the terminal for 8 euros per person. The Alilaguna line is separate from the regular vaporetto line. From where the Alilaguna boat left us we had to walk (no exaggeration) about three-quarters of a mile to the luggage drop-off point. (Seriously, Viking, what were you thinking?) It was hot and very humid and we were not happy campers by the time we got on the ship. We were told at the terminal it is up to each cruise line if they want to have bus transfers and that Viking chose not to have one. An alternative to getting to the ship is to take the people mover from the bus station (I forget the name of the vaporetto stop) however that would have been inconvenient from where we were staying and still awkward with luggage. I mention this because we chose to leave the ship the day they were offering excursions and taking the people mover or walking that distance is the best way to get into the city from the ship on your own without going on an excursion. I've only been home 12 hours so I hope I'm making sense.

Our favorite time in Venice was the time spent on Burano. I also wish I had shopped more in Venice/Burano and I usually do not shop while traveling. Take the time in Venice to get lost and discover small alleyways. There is no way you will get to do that on an excursion. While in Venice we attended a concert one night at a church, buying our tickets only hours prior to the event. Take a gondola ride and ask the gondola to take you through the small canals -- magical. Personally, I think you lose something with six people on a boat. It won't cost more for two people alone -- I think we paid 60 euros each for 45 minutes. I would have negotiated for either a lower price or a longer ride but my friend accepted the price. We requested he drive us around the back canals in Dorsoduro. Find a gondola away from San Marcos where it is overrun with tourists. This was my fourth time in Venice and is one of my favorite cities in the world.

In Split we took a paid excursion to Krka Falls with a visit to a small town (Skradin?) that included lunch. I think it was $149 per person. We enjoyed this tour very much. The falls are nice, not extraordinary, but the walk through nature was perfect for us. The town was nothing to speak of. Lunch was quite enjoyable. Our guide was great. You can take the Viking walking tour of Krka Falls without the small town visit and lunch for (I think $89). I think that would be a better value. Lunch was not worth $60 extra.

We took the included tour in Dubrovnik. We did not enjoy it. First, the town is overrun by tourists. Yes, I know I was one of those tourists, but I was not expecting it to be so extreme. Our guide gave us lots of history/information -- so much so that we could not wait to get away from her. We were in a small monastery for 40 minutes -- about 30 minutes too long. We enjoy our time after the tour wandering the back streets and wished we had not taken the tour at all.

Corfu. We took a private taxi tour with two other people and had an enjoyable day. Our taxi driver was terrific.

Naples. We took a private excursion with six other people to the Amalfi Coast. In 2009, I spent four nights in Amalfi. I'm sorry I went back -- Amalfi has found the tourist trade. Instead of a quiet village atmosphere the city was overrun by tourists. What made Amalfi special did not exist any more, at least for me. Should you decide to include a stop in Amalfi, take time to visit the cathedral, especially stopping into the interesting crypt underneath the building. Ravello is a special place and I recommend taking what time you have there to visit the Villa Cimbrione (I know I'm spelling that wrong). It's about a 15 minute's walk from the town center, but worth it for the stunning views. Positano was also busy with tourists, but worth the stop if you can get near the beach where the best views are. Otherwise, Positano is most about shopping (that's not a complaint as we like to shop).

Rome. I took the included tour and I will not vent extensively here (or maybe I will), but will tell you that I hated this tour. I've been to Rome a couple of times and I know that Rome has much to offer. Viking, if you are reading this, please change this tour!!! The short of it: we stopped for 40 minutes in front of the Colosseum where there was nothing but scaffolding. The local guide did a good job explaining what we were not seeing inside and even brought diagrams with him. The only thing we saw of the Colosseum was scaffolding. We were given exactly eight minutes for photos and were on the wrong side of the Colosseum for a good shot (looking into the sun). Then to the Vatican City where we were given one hour and 20 minutes -- not enough time to do anything. The line to get into St. Peter's was at least an hour long and the museums were out of the question. So I went for lunch. Then we were dropped off at the bottom of the Spanish Steps by Via Condotti (kind of like Beverly Hills) and given two hours. We were told we were too far from Piazza Navona or the Pantheon for the allotted free time. The Trevi Fountain is under renovation, so nothing to see. My favorite time here was the 30 minutes I spent at a cafe with a glass of wine. This tour, for me, was a complete waste of time. For those who are adventurous, you could take a train from the port to the train station near St. Peter's. The ride is about 40 minutes. We were planning to do this but for reasons I won't get into, we needed to change our plans.

Livorno. I took the paid excursion to Lucca and Pisa. It was a beautiful day and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Lucca. We had a tour that was not too long and then give free time to wander and have lunch. In Pisa we visited the Basilica then were given free time. I highly recommend this tour. I also heard that the tours into Florence were also good.

Monte Carlo. We took a private excursion with two other people and visited Antibes and St. Paul-de-Vence. We also spent a short time in Monte Carlo. It was an enjoyable day.

Toulon. Not my favorite port. We wandered through the town's market (mostly fruits and vegetables) and took the rest of the day as a sea day. Obviously we were not alone in our thinking as the washing machines/dryers were very busy on this day. If Toulon is looking to become a tourist-friendly port, they have a long way to go.

Barcelona. We took the included panoramic tour and both enjoyed it very much. I stayed in Barcelona for an additional three nights and enjoyed this bustling, lively city. I could easily stay here a week. We reserved tickets for La Sagrada Familia for first thing in the morning before the tour groups arrived and I purchased a premium ticket for Casa Mila allowing me to arrive whenever I wanted. Both Gaudi sites are worth visiting. I particularly enjoyed wandering around the Gothic Quarter. The big market off La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter is huge and I enjoyed wandering through with my camera.

I hope some of this information is worthwhile. I know I'm rambling and reliving the trip as I type. All in all, it was great. The ship is amazing. My only complaint is that the air conditioning in all the common areas was meat-locker cold. I saw many people wrapped in sweaters, jackets and even blankets. They received many complaints about the temperatures but choose to ignore them. I would have enjoy spending more time in the cozy nooks reading/relaxing, but my cabin was warmer.

I'm so glad Al left it for you. We had a fabulous cruise and I hope your cruise will equal it. Hopefully, you'll have better weather than we had.

Enjoy!

The bug spray I used was for my clothing, not me. I sprayed about 15 garments a week prior to sailing. Will last through six washings. Can probably get at travel or sporting gear store. Odorless and does not stain clothing. My fiend used it for an African safari.

Note there are no clocks in the cabin. Can read the time when the tv is on. I have been using my cell phone for alarm clock. Only problem was time change in Corfu when my phone did not change. We woke up late and had to rush to get ready for our excursion.

Well we did figure out that we needed the Alilaguna line only a minute walk from our hotel. People at hotel did not have advice how to get to the terminal. It should have been easier. It was extremely hot and humid when we arrived at the terminal. We need to walk at least three-quarters of a mile from the Alilaguna boat to the luggage drop off point. We were told at the port that each cruise line chooses if they want shuttle buses and that Viking chose not to have them. We were not happy campers when we boarded.

I am on board now. In a V cabin and no Binoculars. Bring a jacket or sweater as the common areas have been chilly. Laundry facilities have been convenient. I could have brought a lot less clothing with me. I bought spray on bug repelent at my local travel store. Spray stays on clothing for up to six washings. Must be working. I got 3 small bites while in Venice while my friend has bites all over. Especially at night in Venice the mosquitoes were out in full force.

We went to the port today to check out how to find our ship before Thursday but they would not let us in without a boarding pass. should we have boarding passes? Big item: we do not know which vaporetto stop to exit. We are staying near Zattere stop, across from Hilton Stucky. We were at Roma bus terminal and took people mover. With luggage this would be quite a trek from the people mover into the port proper. We are on the Sept 3 sailing.

I remember someone posting a website showing where ships are docked up to the minute. Would appreciate a link.

It is sizziling here. Very hot and humid. Felt like I was back in Bangkok! Wednesday supposed to be the same.

shipnc, it looks like we were posting at the same time. Thanks, this is just the information I was looking for.

Diane

The reason I asked how wide the closet is...is because I bought a hanging vertical shoe bag with 9 pockets. It's narrow and, hopefully, will velcro to the closet pole. This to store things that don't hang on hangers and would normally go in drawers. The shoe bag sections have netting in the back so things don't fall through. It was $5 at Ikea and is lightweight. Not planning to bring it home. I'm short, so using the space above hanging clothes might be an issue for me. This is either a great idea or a dumb one -- I'll let you know.

Diane

Do the cabins have alarm clocks? Without adequate drawer space, is there enough closet space for two females? About how many feet across is the closet?

Neil and Porrah -- So sorry you won't be on the Sept. 3 cruise with me. I leave home in ten days and I'm getting excited about the adventure.

Regarding comments about Viking eliminating tours, I'm surprised. We board in Venice on a Thursday, stay overnight in Venice and take a Viking included tour Friday morning before sailing towards Croatia. We end the cruise in Barcelona on a Monday where we have signed up for an afternoon Viking included tour and have that night onboard in the city. We disembark on Tuesday.

Are you on the September 3 sailing? That's when I sail. Have you registered in Roll Call?

Just curious, what tour did Viking cancel in Venice?

I'm staying three nights at a hotel prior to boarding. There is a vaporetto stop at the port, but I don't know how far the stop is from where the ship docks.

Diane

I have not taken my cruise yet, but I am booked in the lowest category cabin and was able to book excursions 60 days in advance. I think they changed their policy on that. Cannot, however, book restaurant reservations until onboard, but I'm confident I'll not go hungry.

As someone who is scheduled on a cruise very soon, I don't want to just hear from Viking that they are getting in touch with the two injured guests (although that's a good thing), I want to hear about what they are doing to fix the problem so future guests won't be hurt.

Thank you for setting me straight. I'm glad I didn't have to sign my real name to my post. ;-)

I'm wondering why there hasn't been a member review since July 15 where about a dozen people added their reviews that on that date. Was there something magical about the date? That's almost a month without a review. Are the reviews updated only once a month?

I've been watching events unfold carefully as I'm scheduled to sail out of Venice on Sept. 3. I've decided that if the Star is not seaworthy by then I'm still going on my trip. I have an airline ticket I did not book through Viking, travel insurance (although I'm sure VO will refund if the entire sailing is canceled), three nights hotel booked in Venice and three nights hotel booked in Barcelona. Italy is beautiful in September and I'll be okay no matter what happens, and there are plenty of hotels in Italy. Of course I'll be disappointed in missing the cruise I booked 27 months in advance, but life happens.

I'm pleased to read that some people are taking this well and are enjoying Estonia. The downside is that you are missing dreamed about ports. The upside is that you are on a lovely ship with great food, comfortable beds, good service, entertainment, wifi, etc.

Good luck and I hope it works out for all of you. What a nightmare this must be for Viking.