Live from Viking Star!

[editor@cruisecritic]

So far, utexplore, the weather's been so fantastic -- mostly 60s and sunny -- that there have been no winter issues at all! Today was grey but not too cold. One thing that's nice about Viking Star is that it's a ship designed for winter cruising, so there are plenty of lovely spots indoors if the temps are chilly; most notably, I'd pick favorites like the spa, the covered pool area, the Wintergarden and the Explorers' Lounge (try to nab the chairs next to the fireplace there).

 

Carolyn

 

We are taking the Grand Med cruise on the Star in February to all the same ports plus a few. We are very interested in your experience in each port and overall thoughts on winter weather issues, if any.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Azulann, yes, people did stretch out in the covered pool area on this trip -- the space is so airy, and the roof so high, it's really delightful at any time of the year. And people swam, too.... We even saw some folks in the infinity pool!

 

Carolyn

 

Question: Does the anyone sit at the covered pool area on the winter time cruises?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hard to believe but tomorrow's our last day/night onboard Viking Star. I know I haven't answered the question about the Chef's Table -- is there anything else I've missed?

 

Anything else you want to know while we're still onboard?

 

We will deal more directly with shore ex reviews once we're back home. Made a point to try out a large variety of included and fee-extra options, plus there's a great thread in this forum about shore tours.

 

Carolyn

 

[austinetc]

I find the temperature warm on the ship. We've had the thermostat at its lowest setting and I'm still opening the balcony door. To be fair, the outside temp has been higher than the seasonal average so they might not be able to adapt to less external cooling. We prepared for colder days, but it's not right to complain about warm weather. My newly purchased sweaters will just have to deal with non-use.

[HMforcruise]

We visited the Familia Sagrada today. We bought a ticket online that included the audio and a tower. The Nativity tower takes you up, but you must walk down. It's not really hard, but it does require coordination and faith in your ability to descend without a handrail. It's a heck of a view up there! We spent 2 hours and didn't come close to experiencing the full effect. Friends spent 3.5 hours and still felt they missed stuff. But for me it was also a little creepy. The designers were insanely creative.

 

Boarding the Star was simplicity itself. Because people arrived in dribs and drabs, the welcoming committee far exceeded the people welcomed. The ship is everything others say about it.

 

I was one of the few to jump right in and try the spa pools, including the snow room, steamroom and dump bucket. Hint; get your skin desensitized first by sitting in the steamroom and the bucket becomes anticlimactic. The snow room is cool (pun intended). Oddly, the only one to join me in the spa was my sister! Neither knew that the other would be there. I'm not sure I like being mentally in sync with my elder sibling.

 

Dinner began in the World Cafe with sushi and caviar appetizers, followed by an incredible meal in The Restaurant. (They really need to change the name. The present title belittles their quality.)

 

Anyone with issues regarding the Star should consider themselves unique and a little unlucky. Nothing is ever perfect, but Viking has hit one out of the park with the Star (IMHO).

 

I tried to book on line tickets today for Feb. 22 but there must be a time line for booking as it only went up to Jan. 31st and I can not find the info about how long ahead bookings can be done. Do you know, so I can mark it on my calendar? Also the other tower has a lift for up and down, correct?

[austinetc]

Yes, the Passion Tower elevator takes people up and down. I don't know when they start taking reservations, but be aware that I booked the 9:15 AM Nativity Tower the night before. I doubt there is that much demand. Make sure you include the audio option.

Edited December 14, 2015 by austinetc

[utexplore]

The more $$$ you spend for a room the earlier you can book excursions. DV category can book 67 days in advance for excursions and 60 days food dining.

[Dauntless]

Carolyn--My cruise covers 6 currencies in 2 weeks. With the included excursions, is it possible to get local currency before we take off? I know the ship doesn't provide it but will we able to obtain it before we leave port? In 3 locations there will be a journey before we reach the destination. I know we might stop for a break but I have heard that sometimes European places require coins for the rest room. I'm trying to figure out if we should get local currency for all ports from a US bank before we go to Europe just to be on the safe side. I know ATMs are probably available in most places but I just don't want to be stuck between a rock and a hard place when nature calls.

[utexplore]

Most US Banks and ATMs will not have foreign coins. Most currency kiosks at European airports can give you all 6 currencies including coins.

[jkerr]

Carolyn--My cruise covers 6 currencies in 2 weeks. With the included excursions, is it possible to get local currency before we take off? I know the ship doesn't provide it but will we able to obtain it before we leave port? In 3 locations there will be a journey before we reach the destination. I know we might stop for a break but I have heard that sometimes European places require coins for the rest room. I'm trying to figure out if we should get local currency for all ports from a US bank before we go to Europe just to be on the safe side. I know ATMs are probably available in most places but I just don't want to be stuck between a rock and a hard place when nature calls.

 

We had the same issue on the Viking Homelands last May. We did get some money for each country before we left home. Most likely the exchange wasn't the very best, but my husband does not like to be in a country with no money in his pocket. We went through each day and each country and what our plans were and kind of did an estimate of what we would need for each country. It worked out well and saved us the hunting of an ATM overtime we got off the ship.

[rjscott]

As long as you get the currency, the front desk on the ship will break some bills to give you some coin for things like restrooms, tour guides, etc. Try to get your change the night before the new port or early the morning of, as there will likely be a high demand and a limited amount of coin per passenger.

 

Becki

Edited December 14, 2015 by rjscott

[austinetc]

One week is finished. The second week looks to be less intense regarding shore time, so we'll be able to experience the ship more. But here is a recap of the first week:

 

(The first two days were before boarding the Star.)

 

Arrival, Day one: H10 Metropolitan Hotel: Great hotel! Huge breakfast buffet. Half a block from the Plaza Catalyuna. (Spelling mistakes are what they are. Deal with it.) We jumped right in and did a Viator.com Cooking Class. 20 minutes from the hotel, assuming you know where it is. So assume an hour at least, though the hour spent finding the place is exciting. Excellent! Learned not only Spanish dishes, but also a lot about Barcelona. Jet lag was not a factor at all! An exciting, participatory event.

 

Day Two: Another Viator.com trip. Their tour affiliate office is 10 minutes from the H10. The Montserrat Monastery was fantastic, even though the view was mostly clouds for our day. The following Cava tour was incredible. Highly recommended.

 

Day Three: We reserved Sagrada Familia tickets (entry, audio and tower) just the night before and got 9:15 tickets. If you visit Barcelona and don't see this place, you are nuts. The designers who were (and are) designing this church certain fit in this category. Three hours are needed, minimum, unless you reach sensory overload (which happened to us).

 

Boarding the Star that afternoon was simplicity itself. One note: If you look different than your passport photo, insist on a new photo. They used my passport photo and I've spent the week insisting that I'm really who I say i am. (White hair and beard versus brown hair and clean-shaven.) But the ship is outstanding. Enough said. Anyone with serious issues with the ship needs to chill. It's as perfect as possible.

 

Day Four: Toulon. We did an excursion to Aix en Provence. Totally forgettable. The guide was very poor, but apart from her, there really wasn't much to it. Maybe with the right guide it would have been better. Toulon itself didn't seem like much either, but friends on other excursions had a good time.

 

Day Five: Monte Carlo. I accompanied my spouse to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. Incredible. I spent more money there than she did. Then we visited the living walled village of Saint Paul. Magical place. Small walkways, quaint shops. Very peaceful. Nothing really special, but it has a style that is impossible to duplicate.

 

Upon our return, we were able to walk around Monte Carlo just as the sun was setting. I had a "James Bond" drink at the Casino for the memories. The Christmas lights were the best I've ever seen. It was also fun to see a Rolls, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari, Bentley and Smart Car parked outside. (Full disclosure: I once owned a Smart Car. Fine company.)

 

Day Six: Corsica. We did a Prunneli Tour up a river gorge, then back down. Nothing fantastic, but a little fun none the less. It's not much of a location, so if you want to reenact an "at sea" day, this might be the time to do it. We did find and tour Napoleon's house, but understand that he moved out at age 9. Interesting, but not spine-tingling.

 

Day Seven: Livorno: We did the Florence/Pisa Tour. Spine-tingling. Pisa is everything one would expect, plus a factor. Florence has building by building history. Plus the shopping. The tour leaves you exhausted and wanting more time. A lot more time.

 

Day Eight: Rome. We did the After-Closing-Vatican Museum Tour, including the Sistine Chapel. It started with a routine drive around the city, red lights included. It was slow and a little disappointing. But the Museum Tour cannot be beat! The museum reportedly has 19,000 visitors a day. There were about 100 of us, plus a tour guide who knew which displays to discuss. The Sistine Chapel was all it could be. (Note: no photos!! The guides said it over and over and still some ugly Americans didn't listen. Shameful.) I could easily spend two entire days and still miss things. We finished the day with a great meal. It was an expensive tour, but entirely worth it.

==============

If we were on the Barcelona-Rome Cruise, tomorrow we'd be winging our way back to the states. But we have another week! Ecstasy.

Edited December 15, 2015 by austinetc

[Dauntless]

We had the same issue on the Viking Homelands last May. We did get some money for each country before we left home. Most likely the exchange wasn't the very best, but my husband does not like to be in a country with no money in his pocket. We went through each day and each country and what our plans were and kind of did an estimate of what we would need for each country. It worked out well and saved us the hunting of an ATM overtime we got off the ship.

 

That's my cruise in September. Do you mind sharing your formula? Contact me ronh907@yahoo.com if you don't want to post it here. My first cruise so I need all the advice.

Thanks

[Dauntless]

Most US Banks and ATMs will not have foreign coins. Most currency kiosks at European airports can give you all 6 currencies including coins.

 

I think we are going to be cruising into these countries after we land in Europe and there are 6 different currencies.

[utexplore]

I understand that. I think you can get all six currencies at the airport in your departure port city.

[OBX Cruisers]

Carolyn -

We were on the July 25 Viking Homelands so didn't really get to fully experience being on the "Star". Some of our initial restaurant reservations weren't til after we left the ship. Looking forward to giving it another try in January 2017 for their West Indues cruise. At least we know the reservation system now:).

That said, we did find the hot tubs at the spa crowded at times. Can anyone recommend the best time to go to avoid thus? Anyone else find the massages expensive?

In your conversations with Viking management, have you ever asked them why they require full payment so early? Are you aware of any other ocean/river cruise lines that do this? Viking may have found enough folks are willing to pay so much 2 years out but I think others will go with a competitor instead whose deposit is much more reasonable. Looks like this isn't a requirement for the Brits. Any idea why? I think many CC would like to know.

Thanks! Fran

[austinetc]

By requiring full payment well in advance, Viking earns interest on our money. If they didn't have that revenue stream they'd probably need to charge more for each cruise. They'll get their money one way or the other. I think I'm alone in actually liking the advanced payment. I paid for my cruise 18 months ago. By now it almost feels as though I'm getting a free cruise. Their other motivation might be that now I've spent 18 months restoring my savings, so I'm financially able to consider their sales pitch for the next cruise. Smart.

[jkerr]

That's my cruise in September. Do you mind sharing your formula? Contact me ronh907@yahoo.com if you don't want to post it here. My first cruise so I need all the advice.

Thanks

Actually our formula is very simple and we do it for every trip we take because we don't like the unknown of finding a working ATM.

We just write our daily schedule of excursions and meals on and off the ship, plan for our free time in a port, look at transportation costs from the hotel to the port or transposition to and from airport. For the excursions, we look at tips for the guide and the driver each day. I know it does sounds complicated when listing everything out, but really it is not and it makes it calmer when you arrive and have money in hand. I used to be really crazy about getting the best exchange, but this puts my husband at ease and that is worth the cost of getting money in advance. The other thing is we always ask for smallest denomination bills available.

Once we get on the ship we, only carry the money for that country that day. We really did not get a lot of money because most things are paid for in advance. it was really just spending money and tips for the day.

Fortunately, the next trip on the Viking Star will be 9 ports all using the Euro!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Love your recap, austinetc.! And, as I look back on the lickety-split one week cruise I left yesterday, I totally agree with this comment of yours: "But the ship is outstanding. Enough said. Anyone with serious issues with the ship needs to chill. It's as perfect as possible."

 

Look forward to hearing about your experiences onboard as well as in port. The Christmas festivities seems really nice -- hope you'll share that too.

 

Carolyn

 

One week is finished. The second week looks to be less intense regarding shore time, so we'll be able to experience the ship more. But here is a recap of the first week:

 

(The first two days were before boarding the Star.)

 

Arrival, Day one: H10 Metropolitan Hotel: Great hotel! Huge breakfast buffet. Half a block from the Plaza Catalyuna. (Spelling mistakes are what they are. Deal with it.) We jumped right in and did a Viator.com Cooking Class. 20 minutes from the hotel, assuming you know where it is. So assume an hour at least, though the hour spent finding the place is exciting. Excellent! Learned not only Spanish dishes, but also a lot about Barcelona. Jet lag was not a factor at all! An exciting, participatory event.

 

Day Two: Another Viator.com trip. Their tour affiliate office is 10 minutes from the H10. The Montserrat Monastery was fantastic, even though the view was mostly clouds for our day. The following Cava tour was incredible. Highly recommended.

 

Day Three: We reserved Sagrada Familia tickets (entry, audio and tower) just the night before and got 9:15 tickets. If you visit Barcelona and don't see this place, you are nuts. The designers who were (and are) designing this church certain fit in this category. Three hours are needed, minimum, unless you reach sensory overload (which happened to us).

 

Boarding the Star that afternoon was simplicity itself. One note: If you look different than your passport photo, insist on a new photo. They used my passport photo and I've spent the week insisting that I'm really who I say i am. (White hair and beard versus brown hair and clean-shaven.) But the ship is outstanding. Enough said. Anyone with serious issues with the ship needs to chill. It's as perfect as possible.

 

Day Four: Toulon. We did an excursion to Aix en Provence. Totally forgettable. The guide was very poor, but apart from her, there really wasn't much to it. Maybe with the right guide it would have been better. Toulon itself didn't seem like much either, but friends on other excursions had a good time.

 

Day Five: Monte Carlo. I accompanied my spouse to Grasse, the perfume capital of the world. Incredible. I spent more money there than she did. Then we visited the living walled village of Saint Paul. Magical place. Small walkways, quaint shops. Very peaceful. Nothing really special, but it has a style that is impossible to duplicate.

 

Upon our return, we were able to walk around Monte Carlo just as the sun was setting. I had a "James Bond" drink at the Casino for the memories. The Christmas lights were the best I've ever seen. It was also fun to see a Rolls, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari, Bentley and Smart Car parked outside. (Full disclosure: I once owned a Smart Car. Fine company.)

 

Day Six: Corsica. We did a Prunneli Tour up a river gorge, then back down. Nothing fantastic, but a little fun none the less. It's not much of a location, so if you want to reenact an "at sea" day, this might be the time to do it. We did find and tour Napoleon's house, but understand that he moved out at age 9. Interesting, but not spine-tingling.

 

Day Seven: Livorno: We did the Florence/Pisa Tour. Spine-tingling. Pisa is everything one would expect, plus a factor. Florence has building by building history. Plus the shopping. The tour leaves you exhausted and wanting more time. A lot more time.

 

Day Eight: Rome. We did the After-Closing-Vatican Museum Tour, including the Sistine Chapel. It started with a routine drive around the city, red lights included. It was slow and a little disappointing. But the Museum Tour cannot be beat! The museum reportedly has 19,000 visitors a day. There were about 100 of us, plus a tour guide who knew which displays to discuss. The Sistine Chapel was all it could be. (Note: no photos!! The guides said it over and over and still some ugly Americans didn't listen. Shameful.) I could easily spend two entire days and still miss things. We finished the day with a great meal. It was an expensive tour, but entirely worth it.

==============

If we were on the Barcelona-Rome Cruise, tomorrow we'd be winging our way back to the states. But we have another week! Ecstasy.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Glad you're taking your first cruise, Dauntless -- what inspired you to make that choice?

 

Also, I've rarely if ever had any problem finding and using ATMs. While it's nice to have a little pocket money onhand in each port, credit card usage is also so prevalent that I barely use cash at all, save for tips.

 

Carolyn

I think we are going to be cruising into these countries after we land in Europe and there are 6 different currencies.

[editor@cruisecritic]

PS I typically stock up on local cash when I arrive at the airport (lots of ATMs there).

 

Carolyn

 

We had the same issue on the Viking Homelands last May. We did get some money for each country before we left home. Most likely the exchange wasn't the very best, but my husband does not like to be in a country with no money in his pocket. We went through each day and each country and what our plans were and kind of did an estimate of what we would need for each country. It worked out well and saved us the hunting of an ATM overtime we got off the ship.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Fran. I'm excited about Viking Star's Caribbean itineraries too!

 

On port intensive itineraries like the one I just was on, the spa's pool/relaxation area was rarely busy but you could on it getting more use when people came back from tours. I picked one day -- Corsica, had been there and done that -- to have a "sea day" and so took full advantage of the spa (including treatments). It was magical and relaxing.

 

The spa treatments ARE more expensive than the norm. FYI, there's a 10 percent discount on port days (10 percent's not much but it's something). I've also figured out the treatments are more expensive than, say, the Steiner-operated spas on mass market ships, because they're much higher quality. From the therapists themselves to the equipment (for instance, the massage tables are nice and wide and go up on either end so you don't need rolled up towels to prop your legs up, etc.). There are so many lovely small touches; on massages, for instance, your therapist hangs your bathrobe on the towel warmer so that it's warm when you put it back on. No spa I've been to on a cruise ship (or come to think of it, anywhere on land either) does that! There's no product pitch push which is a supreme blessing -- ironically, fellow passengers raved about the organic products that were used for hair treatments, in particular, and while you can buy them, you need to ask :)

 

We don't typically cover pricing/deposits/etc. of cruises on Cruise Critic but it's a good suggestion and I will check into the deposit strategy.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn -

We were on the July 25 Viking Homelands so didn't really get to fully experience being on the "Star". Some of our initial restaurant reservations weren't til after we left the ship. Looking forward to giving it another try in January 2017 for their West Indues cruise. At least we know the reservation system now:).

That said, we did find the hot tubs at the spa crowded at times. Can anyone recommend the best time to go to avoid thus? Anyone else find the massages expensive?

In your conversations with Viking management, have you ever asked them why they require full payment so early? Are you aware of any other ocean/river cruise lines that do this? Viking may have found enough folks are willing to pay so much 2 years out but I think others will go with a competitor instead whose deposit is much more reasonable. Looks like this isn't a requirement for the Brits. Any idea why? I think many CC would like to know.

Thanks! Fran

[sitraveler]

Deposit policy has changed. When we booked a July 2017 cruise, full payment is due on 12/31/2015. Currently full payment on the website is due 6/30/2016 for new reservations. My TA has advised my payment is still due 12/31

[newcruiser1956]

Thanks for the review! I will on the Star in December.

 

Can you tell me how many people does this ship hold?

Is the pool heated?

 

Thank you!

[Peregrina651]

Thanks for the review! I will on the Star in December.

 

Can you tell me how many people does this ship hold?

Is the pool heated?

 

Thank you!

 

930 passengers. Viking has a number of pools. The pools in the spa are varying temps. The main pool on Deck 7 is under a retractable roof (which will be closer in December in the Med) and the pool is temperature controlled. The Infinity pool is completely outdoors but heated and available for use. There are also hot tubs at the main pool and the Infinity pool. See the website for pictures.

 

For more information about the Viking ships see: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/ships/index.html