WelshieLover

We were in 5091. It was very quiet and we never had issues with the elevators. Being more midship there was less motion on the more turbulent days. I think you will find PV category wonderful the room is large and plenty of storage.

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Viking used Hilton BCN for our post extension in April 2018. It is off a busy street but in a more residential upscale area. There is a large mall about two blocks away, a couple of cafes nearby. We took a taxi to and from Placa Cataluyna and Sagrada when we were there. I think there is a metro stop close by, but we did not use the metro.

 

The hotel itself is typical Hilton. Nice room , beds and bath. Lobby bar and restaurant which had great drinks and nice luuch fare. Breakfast buffet was ok. The last night we took a taxi to a neighborhood cafe for final dinner, recommended by the lobby bartendar. It was outstanding and very reasonable.

 

This hotel hosts lots of business conferences. Whe we were there they had one each day. Lots of attendees milling around.

 

My other two times in Barcelona I had stayed at Hotel Pultizer , a half a block from Cataluyna and Las Ramblas. Much better location for walking to all the sights.

I believe this is the one we stayed at also. We just took cabs to the sightseeing areas without any issues. The hotel was very nice rooms clean and well appointed. We were there in December and found the room to be much warmer than we like when we sleep. I had brought a small fan that plugged into a USB port which helped make it bearable.

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Montserrat was my favorite excursion on our cruise. Make sure you take some time to walk around some of the paths where people go have memorials to loved ones. It’s so peaceful and the views of the the surrounding area is stunning!

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We were there in December right before the vote. There were a lot of flags flying but we witnessed no problems. Such a lovely city. Always felt safe walking around.

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...we should try Viking Ocean.

 

We are a couple that cruise often, mostly in the Caribbean and in suites. Our last two cruises (December and January) were on Oceania and Celebrity. One we found really boring but the food unbelievably good. The other offered excellent suite perks, much better entertainment, and the food was very good to pretty good to okay.

 

So for those who have cruised on Viking Ocean please convince us that we need to give this line a try. We are about to book so your input would be appreciated.

 

Thanks so much.:)

 

Katie

We were on the Viking Star in December our first Viking cruise. If you are looking for entertainment this is not the line you want to sail. There is some entertainment but it’s far from spectacular. Many of the itineraries are so port intensive and most people are not up for much after dinner I guess. Entertainment is one area I thought there could be improvement on. I posted a full review of our trip in the Cruise Critic reviews. We loved the ship, the food, the cabin. We were underwhelmed with the entertainment.

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At our meet and mingle on the Star in December we were told by Viking staff that each Ocean ship is designed exactly the same by Viking. I guess it makes it easier for them. For my it’s not important I enjoy exploring a new ship.

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Trying to get ducks in a row before my sailing

Some posts lament the meager entertainment at night beyond the show in thearter.

What has been your experience of Torshavn?

From my MVJ:

Torshavn

 

A lively music venue reminiscent of romantic jazz lounges of 1940s Hollywood, Torshavn is ideal for pre-dinner drinks and after-dinner entertainment. Enjoy a classic martini, stirred to perfection; savor the finest quality Armagnac; take in the melodic tunes of jazz singers and piano plays; and enjoy late-night cabarets by an inspiring troupe of singers and dancers. All in an intimate setting that invites music lovers to linger.

We went to Torshavn a few nights. The band was very good and there were quite a few people dancing. People came and went while we were there. We aren’t late night people. We like to be up early and get out touring. We did hear however that some people did stay quite late.

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We took a fabulous all day tour through ViaTour. It was excellent! Our guide was a local whose family lived in Barcelona for generations. We later took a couple ship sponsored tours while they were good the guides were not like Joseph.

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"King's Day" (Feast of the Epiphany) is tomorrow--Jan 6. Marks the beginning of Mardi Gras and King Cake season in New Orleans. Yum!!

 

 

 

We are looking forward to our Barcelona to Rome cruise in July. We'd love to have any reviews of the included tours. The included tours on our river cruise were wonderful but we need to decide if we will do optional or book other independent tours. Thanks for any input you all might have.

In Barcelona we did the half day tour to Montserrat. It was an excellent excursion. Take the first one of the morning. The Abbey gets very crowded as the day goes on. We practically had it all to ourselves for the first hour. In Monaco we did the included tour and then the gardens of Monaco tour. We went all over the principality. The Exotic Garden is high up,and offers some fabulous photo opportunities. In Livorno we did A Day in Tuscany Tour. We went to San Gimignano and then to a farm for an authentic lunch. We saw such beautiful countryside.

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Geosez I totally agree, one morning in the scrambled eggs was empty, I was going to wait from them to bring a new tray. Without asking someone came over and placed a single serving of eggs on my plate. that’s outstanding service.

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We were on the Star 12/14. We could not get into Marseille or Toulon due to winds and rough seas. Missing this port was a big disappointment. I ended up going to the spa for a massage. It was great but I would have preferred a day in France.

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We stayed at the Barcelona Hilton. It is on Diagonal and is removed from most of the tourist areas. It was a 10 Euro taxi ride to Ramblas. The hotel was very updated and clean. Viking arranges it as part of our pre-cruise stay. It would have been better however to be at the other Hilton.

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We just got off the Star which was docked overnight in Livorno. There was a free shuttle offered into Livorno from the ship. It runs every 20 to 30 minutes.

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I have something from Baggu. I got my first one from Birchbox. I love it. It’s an over the should bag that can carry a lot but folds down into a flat pouch I could put in my pocket.

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The Celebrity Summit out of Bayonne Nj is in Bermuda for 3 nights. We took it last year and had a great trip.

We were on the Summit in August. We went down to the brunch saw lots of things going on that made me concerned about getting sick. We turned around and walked out. I would much prefer a site down lunch in the main dining room.

Yes I love Welsh Terriers, we got one through a rescue organization. Lucy is a sweetie - hates other dogs though.:confused: She hasn't met a human she does not love.:)

We took the Jewel's 8 day Eastern caribbean cruise - got off Dec 9. It is truly a beautiful ship and never seemed crowded. You must find the SeaView Cafe. We did not discover it until our last day and never had an opportunity to eat there but the location is fabulous. Also the Solarium has a cafe that makes crepes - what a great snack in the afternoon. The Solarium pool is so peaceful and beautifully decorated. We also loved the look of the Schooner bar. I could go on and on, wish we were back on the Jewel versus the cold weather we are getting now!