New to Viking and Star re amenities?

Hi, Going on my first Viking cruise and on the Star October from Barcelona to Venice. Does anyone know what kind of room amenities there are; i.e. robes, refrigerators. Trying to pack light but yikes! I've tried to find a virtual tour but can't seem to find a thing. Any help would be appreciated.

Anyone else going?

You'll find robes and slippers. Also shampoo, conditioner and soap. All rooms have refrigerators, DV and above get refills.

Plus lotion & hair dryer

PV & above have liquor refilled free as well

Also, re the fridges; your room steward will stock the fridge with your choice of soft drinks ( or beverage appropriate to your category). If you are in a V category, only the initial stocking is complimentary. However, you may bring sodas onboard from port stops.

Becki

Robes are a nice weight cotton waffle weave - not the big heavy fluffy ones. They come in two sizes - large and small. The small was way too small for me so I asked the steward for a second large one - which appeared in minutes.

Toiletries are not L'Occitane (what Viking has on their river cruises) but a made-for-Viking brand called Freya - it's virtually scentless, but to me not as luxurious as L'Occitane.

There are nice small Binoculars in each room as well, but they were pretty weak. Also full-sized heavy-duty red umbrella with wooden crooked handles for slinging over your arm, but they don't fold up to carry in your packpack.

id4elizabeth--I was under the impression that robes and binoculars were not available in V cabins, however it was clarified at one point that they did have robes or they could be available through the spa upon exiting. Are you sure about the binoculars for V cabins?

We were in a V2 cabin and we had binoculars.

Becki

Not sure about V cabins - OP didn't specify cabin types. I think the robes were in all cabins but not sure about that - it could be that V cabins are different. The robes in the Spa were a different type than the ones in the cabin, but I guess it would be possible to get one from there.

We also had robes and slippers in our V cabin.

Becki

Guess my XL torso best bring my own robe then.

Very helpful everyone!!! These boards are a great source of good info!:)

Guess my XL torso best bring my own robe then.

Very helpful everyone!!! These boards are a great source of good info!:)

The large robe is plenty big even for a sz XL female. People wear them to the pool, BTW. Slippers are two sizes: male and female.

There are plenty of US type plugs. We did not use our adapters except in hotel the night BEFORE we boarded.

Hair dryer is decent, though cord is "curly." Works well plugged in at the vanity/desk in the cabin proper... not in bathroom. Desk top opens into nice storage for small items: makeup, coins, etc. Lighted mirror there, too.

My XXL torso fit into the large bathrobe.

Eaglewatchers,

I saw on another thread that the cord to the hair dryers was too short to stretch to the vanity and to bring an extension cord. Did you find that true as well?

PS Sorry I can't get the underline off.

Eaglewatchers,

I saw on another thread that the cord to the hair dryers was too short to stretch to the vanity and to bring an extension cord. Did you find that true as well?

PS Sorry I can't get the underline off.

I used it just fine, but I stand up to dry my hair. Cord was long enough to do so in front of the wall mirror above the "vanity" lift-up. Extension won't help. It is a european plug.

We are currently on board the Star. On our first day we had the hair dryer with curly cord, but that was replaced with another hair dryer with a longer straight cord on day 2.

On an excursion we left in pouring rain, and Viking staff passed out umbrellas to those that did not bring one from their stateroom.

The staff seems to pay attention to small details and so far we are having a great trip.

Anoldyellowdog: how's the WiFi so far? It's great you're cruising and maybe give us some reports along the way! Thanks!:)

This doesn't quite fit in the topic of amenities, but since you're wondering what to pack and what to leave at home: One thing I find helpful on a cruise is something in which to carry your plastic cruise card. You need it to get into the room, as rooms on ships are designed to close when you leave (unless you prop them open with a shoe!) and there's no way to leave them unlocked (unless Viking has found a way to do that). If you go in and out a lot you might want something to put the card in, as few people use a purse on a cruise. You'll also need to have it handy every time you go off and get back on the ship, as the card is scanned for security reasons (and as a way of counting heads before leaving a port!) Since I seldom have pockets, or only small ones not suitable for a plastic key card, I use a little tiny envelope thing on a lightweight rattail cord tied behind my neck. I also have a wrist wrap that I got at a bed and bath place/gift shop (Kuglers, just in case you live near THIS DC gal) that is mostly advertised for carrying (old, small) cellphones or keys but works well for a key card. Of course, if you want to carry other stuff around with you on the ship etc.(camera, daily paper, etc.) a small sling purse might work better.

I also pack something heavier than I think I'll need, as I like to go outside a lot to watch sailaways, the sea, lighthouses, etc. It can be a lot cooler and windier once the ship is humming along. I would guess that would be even more true for an October cruise. I also pack a lightweight fleece or sweater since we like to eat outside a lot.

You won't need laundry or coffee supplies, although I normally bring a tiny bit of Woolite. For Venice I'm bringing a tiny thing of insect repellent, as I hear there can be mosquitoes even in the fall. The ship store and/or probably the doctor/nurse on board should have basic toiletries and OTC meds for sale, although the former is likely to be closed when the ship is in port (required, I believe). I hear there isn't an ice bucket and ice like some ships have, but that ice is available 24/7 from room service. You shouldn't need an alarm clock (if you even want one on a vacation), although I always bring a tiny one just in case. You'll need a carryon or something to put your last day things in, unless you're planning to wear your night togs to the airport or hotel, or walking off with your bags instead of having Viking take them the night before.

I usually just go off the ship to use WiFi and my Kindle in the port terminals or jump on it when I first get up when some people are asleep. Viking's sounds pretty good, but internet at sea is always a question mark, and it's usually better ashore or during off hours. I load emails and compose off-line and then go online to check for more emails, cut and paste what I've written, and send emails. Don't count on being able to send pictures, unless Viking is better than other ships for that.

I've seen a good video tour of the ship, but the only room featured was one of the higher level suites, which may not help you.

DC Gal, if you haven't found it yet this blog has a ton of info on the Viking Star: https://travelinsubman.wordpress.com/

The author was on the Star for the 50 day maiden voyage. His blog has been mentioned on various threads but IMO worth mentioning again.

Anoldyellowdog: how's the WiFi so far? It's great you're cruising and maybe give us some reports along the way! Thanks!:)

We have had continuous wifi service since embarkation. Today is at sea day, but no problem with connections. I did hear of another couple at guest services on first day that had a problem getting their password to work, but no other issues. I have a tablet, Kindle and iPhone connected. Each stateroom has its own password for security. Really nice that this is complementary!

I do think Viking is listening/reading suggestions and comments to make improvements.

Did I mention this is our first Viking cruise? Most everyone on ship has been on the River Cruises, and I think we might consider that next.

I hear there isn't an ice bucket and ice like some ships have, but that ice is available 24/7 from room service. You shouldn't need an alarm clock (if you even want one on a vacation), although I always bring a tiny one just in case. You'll need a carryon or something to put your last day things in, unless you're planning to wear your night togs to the airport or hotel, or walking off with your bags instead of having Viking take them the night before.

 

We do have an ice bucket that is filled each morning and night. You can request ice buckets refills more or less often. Just let your steward know.

Roothy,

You are correct, there is a small 'convenience' store onboard which carries some basic toiletries and OTC's. However, what they don't have is any anti-diarrhea or anti-nausea drugs like Immodium or Pepto Bismol. I suspect that might be because if passengers present with those symptoms, mgmt wants them to go to the infirmary so that the medical staff can make sure they are not dealing with Norovirus.

I for one, pack a little first aid kit which includes a supply of those drugs, plus some cold meds, generic Claritin, Tylenol, Advil & some bandaids. The little space that takes in my carryon is well worth it. It's all in a ziploc bag and I take a few things along with me daily in my string backpack I take on our excursions. It came in handy when my hubby turned his ankle and fell on one excursion and scuffed his knee thru his jeans. At least I had a bandaid to stop the bleeding until we got back to the ship. :).

And Roothy, I usually take the individual insect repellent wipes. They're very portable and I don't bother applying one unless there are actually mosquitoes, but one wipe does cover the whole exposed area ( well, unless you're in a bikini, I suppose).

Becki

I'm glad to hear they finally have passwords for the WiFi. When we were aboard (50-day Maiden) there were no passwords - the WiFi was completely unsecured. When we were in port the WiFi significantly degraded because everyone in port could use the ship's open WiFi. The only people who got passwords were the Press Corps and VIPS who got "premium" high-speed wifi, which left little bandwidth for the rest of us. CruisinSubMan would go ashore and find a Starbucks to do his blog, which I agree is fabulous.

There was a shortage of ice buckets too - some staterooms had them and some didn't. Ours (a junior suite) did not. And the curly cord hair dryer drove me nuts! Had to bend over to use it! So glad things are improving as time goes by!

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 do have an ice bucket that is filled each morning and night. You can request ice buckets refills more or less often. Just let your steward know.

Nice to know that, and if there isn't one in the room, my husband will ask for one. He does like his ice. Quick question, oldyellowdog, if you have time: I know your itinerary is different from ours, so I might be asking the wrong person, but I was wondering if you departed Venice on the same day you embarked. If so, when was the safety drill? I'm wondering if I'll have time to go back out in the afternoon or evening if I feel up to it.

Ugh, mosquitoes. Becki, I took those insect repellent wipes to Europe last year and when I came back, they had blown up to twice their size after being in the cargo hold on 4 planes! When I got curious and opened one, the wipe was a little drier than before, but still usable. I'm down to 2, but maybe I'll go out and get more of those - and put them in my carryon this time. They do travel and cover better than spray.