What was that?

Either the Coasters (Charlie Brown), and/or the Diamonds (Li'l Darlin').

So, Minnie29, how did it go on your cruise? Did you learn anything new, have new insights, etc.?

I would have recommended to try the Success Cake in Mamsen's - if you didn't try it you will have to go on another Viking Ocean cruise!

On 7/4/2023 at 9:48 AM, CCWineLover said:

Here's another thought - inspired by Azulan on another thread.

 

Since so many enjoyed their Welcome Back 1 week Bermuda cruises in summer of 2021 when Viking "reopened", why not have some more of those?   We'd do it again in a heartbeat!   Take a week and circumnavigate Bermuda.  Would be so great to see it again post-COVID !!

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

12 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

PVs are the oddity, all others rooms are sliding doors. Earlier in this thread there is a list posted of which PVs are sliders.  It's about half of them.

 

Not sure why the different design. Maybe it has something to do with accessibility?

I got the idea that it had something to do with the ship structure, but I don't remember why. Others on CC are more knowledgeable of such things (like Heidi13) so hopefully they will chime in.

53 minutes ago, gardening_diva said:

The description of PV/DV/V categories on the (UK) Viking website says "Ocean-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda". Is that not correct for all staterooms then?

The information in my spreadsheet comes from multiple sources within Viking. It should help you select the configuration you prefer, or at least prevent surprises.

4 minutes ago, sugarside said:

On Viking’s Ocean website in cabin details the photograph shows a door and a window for PV cabins but obviously there are also the PV cabins with sliders.

I seem to remember that V grade and DV only come with sliders.

I believe that is correct. The V and DV cabins are the narrowest cabins at a bit over nine feet wide, leaving little room for divided door & window. I looked at quite a few V & DV cabin photos on CruiseDeckPlans.com and saw none with the door-window combination.

16 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Wow!

This is a wonderful spreadsheet!  Thank you so much for taking the time to make it so presentable as well.  I will use it quite often in the future.

Great to hear. You are welcome!

Maybe you can find a use for my stateroom comparison document below. As with the spreadsheet, I use these to understand and select our stateroom. Since we are only occasional cruisers, stateroom selection is extra important, because we can't really say "next cruise will be different" because it might be a while, and recalling "our last cruise" has to last a while.

We have only taken one VO cruise - Northern Lights, Viking Venus, cabin 7008. This really spoiled us, but since that was paid by 125% voucher the fare was doable. For our next cruise - Hawaiian Islands Sojourn, Star, cabin 7014 - I chose the same neighborhood, but in a DV1 which seems like a bargain for the location, and our friends who just got off Star in Iceland had a V cabin and they loved it so we'll give it a try. In each case these documents helped me make a selection we were/will be happy with.

I am a detailed planner on some things, as if you can't tell...

Viking Ocean V, DV, PV, PS Staterooms Compared.pdf

I agree with @CCWineLover - "it depends."

I put together a general-purpose spreadsheet about VO cabins (attached below), with one of the worksheets addressing this question, with photos. Maybe that will help you and others make the selection you are most likely to be satisfied with.

Viking Ocean Stateroom Information.xlsx

On 1/16/2021 at 7:54 AM, tipsygirl said:

Thanks for the pastry recommendation, I will share with my husband.  And that leads me to another question.

I am on a gluten free diet (celiac), so unfortunately can't eat most pastries.  Any feedback on the experience others have had with a special diet on Viking Ocean would be appreciated. 

If you haven't discovered it yet, the Success Cake (Mamsen's) is gluten-free. Our friends on a recent cruise consumed major quantities of it without issue, except for possible "slight" weight gain.

On 5/23/2021 at 12:36 PM, Peregrina651 said:

Little known secret. The Theater bar dispenses coffee in the morning  for the touring crowd. Hope this continues when we return to sailing.

 

But not on at sea days?

19 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Yes I am.☺️

Oh, my! I love that Museum! My brother models N-Scale with "German" and "Swiss" themed layouts. Takes them to shows from his home in Colorado Springs, as far as Denver or Pueblo. Awesome!

[BTW, my email is in my signature]

2 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Those are the switches, I never notice it lighting up, but maybe that's just me. One is a "master" that will control the cabin overhead lights and the other with turn on the floor (night) lighting. There is also a reading light in the headboard of the bed.

OK. Thanks. I have only been on one VO cruise and my recollection of some of the less significant details is pretty weak (it was a Northern Lights cruise which was pretty overwhelming). I was trying to tell a friend who was aboard Star about this and I just couldn't describe it well enough for him to find it. All set now!

Are you an N-scale modeler?

3 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I don't recall seeing any with a pilot light.

I guess I just assumed the dark spot on the smaller switch was a pilot light...

On 3/3/2023 at 9:36 PM, OneSixtyToOne said:

It’s an indirect light near the bottom of the wall across from the bathroom door. There is one as well inside the bathroom. The one in the bathroom is under the counter. They are all controlled by a switch next to the bed.

Is that nightlight switch the small one with the red pilot light on it?

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

It is unclear what you are guessing the pattern is for river ship e-mail addresses. Is it the first two letters of the ship name, the full name of the ship or somewhere in between?

Of course you are right. I should have pointed out that Ocean and River ships have distinctly different methods of forming the email addresses. Whereas the Ocean ships only seem to use only the first two letters of the name:

              ove_info@vikingcruises.com for viking Venus,

the more numerous river ships use the entire name:

              viking.ve@vikingcruises.com for Viking Ve.

And I apologize for picking confusing examples. I should have used (Ocean) Viking Sky and (River) Viking Hermod:

              osk_info@vikingcruises.com for Viking Sky,

              viking.hermod@vikingcruises.com for Viking Hermod,

or any others that did not start the same.

In my defense, I have sailed on the Venus and the Ve and I still have the documents for them so this is more or less straight from Viking.

And thanks for calling this to my attention - it never occurred to me that people would find it confusing.

Cheers,
WWT?

Regarding the email address for a ship, based on the Viking Venus email (ove_info@vikingcruises.com) I would suggest building an Ocean ship email address on the same pattern:

• the letter 'o' (for ocean?)
• the first two letters of the ship name  ('st' in my case)
• finish with '_info@vikingcruises.com'

I did that to contact the Viking Star and it worked

Europe river ship email for Viking Ve was viking.ve@vikingcruises.com and I think that would follow a similar pattern as the Ocean ships.

These addresses are in my "Your Journey Summary" of my EDOC document.

Good luck
WWT?

So we are "thinking people?" Is that why Viking uses "999 pricing" so we think we are getting a bargain? "No! It's not $7,000 - look it's only $6,999!"

Tor - are you listening?

Cabins on Deck 7 are probably the best situated on board. Staterooms above and below, and little foot traffic. We did the Northern Lights in 7008 last year and it was perfect. Pro tip: the "rear" entrance to the Explorers' Lounge is at the end of the port corridor, so you won't have to trek past the elevators, the Owner's Suite, and Mamsen's to get there and back.

I would go down to the WC for coffee for Gail and myself early in the morning (before it was open) - just a short walk on one deck, but with a lot of doors, so take a tray. Easy access to Mamsen's for Success Cake, not that we are addicted...

Our next VO cruise, Hawaiian Islands Sojourn (28 Dec 2023) will be in 7014, which popped up just as I was ready to make our reservation and I called our TA to grab it!

One last thing - don't tell anybody or it'll be harder to book it next time!

Well, John & Beverley finally had success in their quest for Success Cake! Maybe the message I sent to the Viking Star had something to do with it, or maybe not...

"Dear Viking Star,

I have received a report from our friends on board, John & Beverley XXXXX (cabin XXXX), that they have been unable to find any Success Cake on board. My wife and I sang the praises of this delightful pastry, and made sure they knew that it is only available in Mamsen's, but no luck. Please tell me that they are just confused by all the free wine, and they just need to ask their room steward to lead them there..."

John sent the following message with the photo attached: "Super Fred can leap tall buildings in a single bound, is faster then a speeding Bullet and can find Success Cake from 5,000 miles away.

The Success Cake was GREAT!!!"

I think I have located the email address for the Viking Star and sent an inquiry.

Thanks - information relayed to our friends and awaiting their report. I'll report back (if and) when I hear.

Friends aboard the Viking Star right now say they have not found Success Cake. Does anybody know where it has gone, or why? Inquiring minds want to know!

7 hours ago, philw1776 said:

Thon hotel had decent bar food. Hotel right next to train station. Agree that Italian restaurant in train complex was decent. It's located at end of a beautiful structure that sticks out away from the trains.

Phil,

Thanks for the photos of the train station! I can't believe I didn't take any. If all goes as planned, we'll be back there after our Sept 2024 BIE, after taking the train on disembarkation day - your photos of the scenery certainly are enticing!

Cheers,

wwt

4 hours ago, Moonlion said:

@What was that? I believe we were on the same Northern Lights sailing as you in January ‘22.  I can’t remember but thought we may have met up with you at our informal roll call meet-and-greet? It was our first Viking Ocean cruise and, despite the MANY Covid procedures in place both before and during that cruise, we had a great time…and saw the lights! While onboard the NL cruise, we booked this BIE cruise and a future South America & Chilean Fjords cruise for February ‘24. 

Laura and Ernie from Maryland

Oh, yes! I hadn’t made the connection. 

That was a great cruise, wasn’t it, even with the missed and substitute ports? And the rock and roll crossing of the North Sea! 

Fred & Gail in Reno

Moonlion,

I would like to add my thanks for your upbeat and honest travelogue. It will help us choose activities when we go next year. Knowledge is power!

Cheers,

wwt

1 hour ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Hey, Phil! Are are you all doing?

 

Any helpful hints for those doing the train on their own? For the hotel?

No train hints - but in the Oslo Central Station (right behind the Thon Hotel Opera) is a good Italian restaurant - I think it is downstairs. The hotel breakfast is also pretty darned good. We were there before our January 2022 Northern Lights cruise, and unfortunately many of the attractions, like the Viking Museum, were closed. I hope you have better luck.

wwt