Comparing Viking Star to Newest Viking Ships

I’m considering trying Viking. I’m a regular on Seabourn. I see that Viking Star was the first ship, and I’m looking at a cruise on that.

But, sometimes, the first ship isn’t the best ship when it comes to amenities, equipment, design, etc.

While I know that most of the Ocean fleet is supposed to be the same, were I to travel on one of the newer ships, have they “corrected” a number of design and outfitting items as they have moved along?

I managed to catch a video of one of the large suites on the Star. Then, on the Sky, it looked better equipped, nicer finishes, etc.

I’m interested in feedback. So, does the Star feel old and tired compared to the newer ones?

Following.

We are booked on the Star for our first Viking Ocean cruise so hope to hear positive but real comments.

We are on the Star right now and see no difference then when we were on the Sky. We were in a PV on the Sky and are in a DV this time, so the room size is different. My husband said the gym is smaller on the Star and there is different equipment but that is the only difference we can see. The Star has been very well maintained.

I was just on the Star earlier this month and it was spotless. The only age I could see was some carpet wear on the stairs by the forward elevators - but with the traffic those stairs receive, I assume all ships show wear there.

On the newest ship Orion they added a planetarium, but otherwise the ships are very close.

While the Star is Viking's oldest ship, it is still only 3 yrs old and is newer than most of the Seabourn fleet. Expect it to be updated at the first drydocking to the furnishings of the newer ships.

I've been on Star at least twice now, most recently in 2017 and Sun once (December 2017). I really didn't notice any difference except that the Sun had a few new things. The best was the small dresser in the closet of our veranda room - handy for those with lots of clothes, and handy for placement (on top) of my camera bag, instead of using the closet floor or cluttering up the room. But I don't know if dresser have been installed on each ship, each room. In December, I was told it was only on Sun. There were a couple other small new things on Sun. You could adjust the heater for the bathroom floor, and the curtains to the veranda could be opened/closed electronically. There was one other small change in the room (automation related), but I forget now what it was.

Other than those things, I didn't notice anything different, or nicer, about being on Sun. I would book by itinerary, not ship, unless you're really into astronomy. Star is older, but still young.

We were on the Star in May and had no complaints what so ever. A lovely ship and a fantastic cruise.

We were on the Star in April of 2017, when she was really new. Even then, we saw paint being touched up, sealer being applied to outside railings, and carpets being cleaned. I cannot imagine that Viking intends to allow this beautiful ship to age badly.

I can not compare the Star to other ships in the Viking fleet but have sailed on all of the Seabourn vessels with the exception of the Ovation. First of all this past January the Star felt brand new. If you book a PV cabin, you will have a similar size and layout to the cabins on Seabourn. The finishing touches are more luxurious on Seabourn as the Viking style is Scandinavian, but not to the point where it would be a deal breaker. You will have an espresso machine in your cabin, but not a walk in closet. The public areas are very well done and there is never a crowded feel so you will hardly notice that this ship has double the capacity of the Odyssey class ships. The spa is, for me, the best feature onboard and all the amenities are available to all pax with or without treatments.

The only solid recommendation I can give you is to book at least a PV category if you are used to a certain amount of space.

We sailed aboard the Viking Star during the fall of her inaugural year (2015). Since then we have cruised 3 times aboard the Viking Sea. Our upcoming cruise in October finds us returning to the Star, so we should be able to compare her current condition with what she was like 3 years ago.

We will be very surprised if she isn't in pristine condition. On going maintenance while in port or underway, though unobtrusive to those sailing on her, is performed by her outstanding crew. This is apparent on all Viking ships both river and ocean.

We are looking to book another cruise aboard the Star in the Spring of 2020. That will provide us with another opportunity to evaluate how she ages. In the meantime, we have booked a cruise on the newer Viking Sun in the late Spring of 2019, just after the completion of her second world cruise. This will give us the opportunity to compare the first two Viking Ocean ships with their 4th.

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