Viking Star - some questions

Booked the West Indies Explorer (since it is a new voyage, there isn't a lot of information available yet)

Shore Excursions -

- Is there enough time in most ports to take the included excursion and another one ?

- We booked a Veranda stateroom so we have to wait until last to book.

Does everyone get to go on the included shore excursion or does it fill up ?

Laundry - availablity ? are there a lot of machines or is it very busy ?

Hours - open 24 hours ? Nice that there is no charge and they have detergent available.

Can't answer about the West Indies ports specifically but in the European ports it varied widely. Sometimes the included tours took up most of the day. But most times they were a morning or afternoon and could be combined with optional tours. When Viking comes out with the details on My Viking Journey there will be start times and durations listed with each tour. Then you'll be able to see if this is feasible.

You are entitled to the included tours so they'll never tell you you can't go. However the time you want to go may be full and you may not have as much flexibility with the time.

The laundry was sometimes crowded, sometimes not. And check other floors if yours is busy. You have to pick your times wisely. I'd suggest dinner times. The detergent automatically dispenses into the machine. If you find it too crowded, I can highly recommend the optional laundry service - cost was reasonable and was excellently done. You might consider for things that take a long time to dry like jeans and socks.

I am in the second day of a week long Mediterranean Getaway Cruise. Based upon the start times and lengths of the available tours, I do not believe anyone could do more than one tour in a day on this cruise. However, I would think each cruise would be different.

I was surprised to see that one or two of the included tours were sold out as I assumed that since there was no additional charge they would always be available. I was wrong.

I have gone into the laundry and never saw all the machines in use. I would think it depends upon the time of day and the length of the cruise.

Emptynesters - when you say some included tours were sold out, were they specific times that we're sold out? Or were ALL time slots taken?

On the maiden cruise, a particular time for a given tour would be sold out, but not ALL times for that tour. I do know that you have to sign up for them and can't just show up. But if you can't sign up until you board and they tell you every time slot is sold out, I'd go to the Explorer's Desk and complain. I don't know how Viking could refuse to accommodate you at all for something that is supposed to be included. But, I do know that you have to sign up and can't just show up. To my knowledge, no one was turned away from an included tour at ANY time slot. (However, some of the optional tours were definitely completely sold out.)

I am only going by the information regarding tours from when I looked into it just prior to the cruise that showed a couple of the included tours were sold out. However, that was within a few weeks of departure. We have friends that decided to join us closer to departure that did not have a problem getting the included tours. Elizabeth is correct in that if there are any issues, the staff at the Explorer's Desk does whatever they can to accommodate you. They are very helpful and the staff is great.

Emptynesters - thanks for replying - good to know.

I cruised on Star in late September. I was able to do both the included tour and a paid tour in Athens. However, I made sure that there was at least an hour and a half in between the two tours, as past experience with ocean cruise excursions has told me that sometimes they run a little later. I did the paid one in the morning and the included one in the afternoon.

I don't know what the tours on the West Indies (Caribbean mostly, I assume?) itinerary are like, but if they're like the ones in the Med in September, there may be SOME opportunities to do two tours in one day, especially on the days that Viking offers an included tour in the afternoon. From what I saw on our cruise, the afternoon tours tended to be booked latest, and least, which I would think means that even though you are the last group to be able to book, you would be able to get on an afternoon tour. Normally, it seemed that more paid tours went out in the morning rather than afternoon, so if you find the same combination I did (paid in morning, included in afternoon) it might work for you. I only had time to freshen up a bit, eat, and go back down to the lounge to meet the rest of the group to go off the ship, but it worked fine for me.

Assuming Viking's booking system is still the same, and if you can access it, given that you're in a veranda category, keep in mind that there's a drop down box for the time slots. As someone mentioned above, something may show up as being sold out, but it may only be sold out for that particular time slot. You would need to click the down down box to see other times. We found very little sold out, but we were in the deluxe veranda category, so got to book before people in the veranda category, which might have made a difference.

Didn't use the laundry, but my husband did, and I don't think he had to wait much if at all. I don't think there were restrictions on the hours of use. It's a small space, but does the job. There's an ironing board or two in there also.

Booked the West Indies Explorer (since it is a new voyage, there isn't a lot of information available yet)

 

Shore Excursions -

 

- Is there enough time in most ports to take the included excursion and another one ?

 

- We booked a Veranda stateroom so we have to wait until last to book.

Does everyone get to go on the included shore excursion or does it fill up ?

 

Laundry - availablity ? are there a lot of machines or is it very busy ?

Hours - open 24 hours ? Nice that there is no charge and they have detergent available.

Hello! When are you travelling? My husband and I are booked on this cruise November 17. I started a thread about this cruise, but not too much info yet.

Diana

We are booked on the one before you. Checking roll call, not too many people have logged in.

We are booked on the one before you. Checking roll call, not too many people have logged in.

We will be looking forward to hearing about your trip!!!:cool: