Live from Viking Star!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Thanks, id4elizabeth, for answering the laundromat question. CrankySailor, I'm with you, love a sea day, but on this cruise, which like yours is every day a different port, I'm just taking a half sea day here and there, depending on where we're going (have been to most places). The nice thing about that strategy is most people are off the ship, so no queues for spa, etc....

 

Carolyn

 

On the 2/14 Med Getaway (Rome to Barcelona). A different port every day (wish there was one sea day!)...but hoping to still have time to enjoy the ship and it's amenities. Will likely eat lunch ashore...how can I not in Italy and Spain?!? A little bummed I will be sailing on Celebrity Eclipse when my reservation opens for me to book specialty dining. Have to do it when i get back home...hopefully some good slots at Manfredi's will still be available.

 

Anyway...the self-service laundry is a bit of a relief! Spending time in Barcelona after the cruise, and will be great to was/dry personal items so I don't have to over-pack. I am thinking the washers will be hard to come by except early morn/late night, unless there are a few on each floor. Also wondering - does Viking provide detergent, too?:confused:

 

Thanks all.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Stay tuned, Tullbja.

 

Carolyn

 

We'll be on the Star December 22, and stopping at many of the same ports. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the free and paid excursions.

[austinetc]

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).

[editor@cruisecritic]

Laughing re the spa -- and love it that you like the ship as much as we do!

 

Now well into day 2 of the cruise -- our second day in Barcelona -- and it's going too fast. Make it slow down!!!

 

Can you believe the weather? Today is 63 degrees and sunny. Beautiful, a lot of the sidewalk cafes were quite busy....

 

Just a heads up that if you love fun photos and you are on Instagram, we're also posting from all sorts of perspectives. Use the hashtag #CruiseCriticSailsViking -- and you'll be able to check out the pics.

 

Carolyn

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).

[austinetc]

Today we did Viking's provided tour of Barcelona. It was educational, reasonably paced, and fun. Strolling the tiny streets was such a treat. Yes, cars, motorcycles and bikes tried to share the street, but they did it without rancor. No obnoxious horns blaring. Patience was the rule of the day. Considering the price ($0), it's worthy twice the cost. Though we were put through a heartfelt sermon about the Troubles between Spain and Catalonia for the second time, I admired the guide's well reasoned and impassioned feelings.

 

The Market on the Rambles is something to see. It defies description. Food, food, food. One example: a display of dozens of olive varieties. If you can go, do it!

 

The Cruise Critic arranged-event was fabulous. I want to give an unsolicited thank you to Carolyn and her team. The ship's officers also participated and I could not be more thankful for the companionable conversations. I can't count the number of times they asked how they could improve the experience. I failed to come up with a worthy suggestion.

 

At dinner in the World Cafe my wife asked about chopsticks and a minute later a pair were in her hands. She asked about sticky rice and shortly thereafter was promised some tomorrow. This has been a terrific day and I can't imagine how tomorrow will be better. But I suspect that it shall be.

[id4elizabeth]

Sounds like they're really improved the included tour from a "panorama" bus ride to a walking tour. Much better! We're so sorry we missed the Boquera Market. The day we walked down Los Ramblas was Sunday so it was closed. So glad you're having fun!

[deec]

I hope Viking is paying attention...

many of us would rather rather wander and explore on foot with voice boxes and awesome guides...perhaps see "less things" while really exploring a few places and experiencing these wonderful cities. Maybe a choice between panorama bus rides and up close and personal!

[roothy123]

Some people like to wander, which works well on a river cruise, but is more challenging on an ocean cruise, especially when the port is far from center city and 900 people need to get there! Other people like (or need) to be driven around, especially in big cities when a bunch of cruise ships descend on the same place! On Empires of the Med, there was a mixture of walking and panoramic tours, which was great. It was also great to have shuttles so I could wander around for a while after a tour instead of worrying if I had enough money, or the correct type of money, for a cab or bus ride back to the ship.

 

Barcelona - sounds nice. I'd love to be there, although today it was mid-sixties here, so mid-sixties in Spain doesn't surprise me one bit.

 

Sigh - wish I could go on Star again soon. It was so fabulous. I even liked the snow grotto... someone had made a little snowman in there when I used it!

Edited December 11, 2015 by roothy123

[OKCowboy]

Looking forward to boarding the ship on December 22 for 20 day Mediterranean cruise. Can the cruise critics ask the staff if they have any special events planned for Christmas and New Years? Debating whether I should bring a sports coat and tie for any 'special' gala events. Other cruisers indicated there was no need for coats and ties. Looking forward to hearing more as you cruise this wonderful ship.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Thanks, amyr. Ok, rundown on our hotel stays:

 

*Primero Primera (http://www.primeroprimera.com/), my second time staying there. It's in a somewhat quiet neighborhood of Barcelona, straight north of the city, about a ten minute cab ride with easy subway service. I've loved it both times. Rooms have character. The small hotel has beautiful cozy public spaces (including a lovely light fare restaurant and a fantastic bar with honor bar), love the neighborhood, some excellent locals oriented restaurants within walking distance....

 

*Hotel 1898. In December, my colleague Louise snared a $200 per night rate for this super upmarket (so upmarket that in summer it's out of our budget range) boutique hotel in the heart of anything. High praise, she said.

 

*Hotel Meridien. Perfectly pleasant but unmemorable 4star property in the heart of the Las Ramblas area.

 

*Airbnb: Three of our team booked a flat right across from Sagrada Familia, and said it was tiny with limited hot water but had a great outdoor patio overlooking the church. They loved it.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn - we stayed at the Hotel Montecarlo before a transatlantic and loved it. It was 10 years ago, though, so no idea if it's still as good. Right on Las Ramblas, fantastic location and double glazed windows to keep out the noise. I liked it because the bed was really comfortable. Mattresses in Spain tend to be really, really hard, and this one wasn't.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Would love your insight on this: One thing I noticed on the cruise's first day is how many people came straight from the airport and from red-eye flights. They spent a good part of the morning (only suites are available at 11 a.m., many cabins not ready until 2 p.m.) simply dozing on chaise lounges in the pool area and such, or wandering around with carry-ons and all manner of stuff. Didn't seem like a great way to start the cruise IMHO, and I was wondering: Cruising on Viking is great value but not cheap. Why wouldn't you, if schedule permitted, give yourself a break and stay in a hotel for a night, and then you could rest in your own room in the a.m., before heading to the ship for lunch?

 

Just wondering.... Maybe it's not a budget issue?

 

CSB

 

Thanks, amyr. Ok, rundown on our hotel stays:

 

*Primero Primera (http://www.primeroprimera.com/), my second time staying there. It's in a somewhat quiet neighborhood of Barcelona, straight north of the city, about a ten minute cab ride with easy subway service. I've loved it both times. Rooms have character. The small hotel has beautiful cozy public spaces (including a lovely light fare restaurant and a fantastic bar with honor bar), love the neighborhood, some excellent locals oriented restaurants within walking distance....

 

*Hotel 1898. In December, my colleague Louise snared a $200 per night rate for this super upmarket (so upmarket that in summer it's out of our budget range) boutique hotel in the heart of anything. High praise, she said.

 

*Hotel Meridien. Perfectly pleasant but unmemorable 4star property in the heart of the Las Ramblas area.

 

*Airbnb: Three of our team booked a flat right across from Sagrada Familia, and said it was tiny with limited hot water but had a great outdoor patio overlooking the church. They loved it.

 

Carolyn

[utexplore]

Could you please describe the level of cold weather clothing you have needed for day trips and for evenings on the ship while under way. We are planning layers for February. How many layers is the question. 60 degrees at sea with a brisk wind and high humidity can be quite cold.

[roothy123]

Would love your insight on this: One thing I noticed on the cruise's first day is how many people came straight from the airport and from red-eye flights. They spent a good part of the morning (only suites are available at 11 a.m., many cabins not ready until 2 p.m.) simply dozing on chaise lounges in the pool area and such, or wandering around with carry-ons and all manner of stuff. Didn't seem like a great way to start the cruise IMHO, and I was wondering: Cruising on Viking is great value but not cheap. Why wouldn't you, if schedule permitted, give yourself a break and stay in a hotel for a night, and then you could rest in your own room in the a.m., before heading to the ship for lunch?

 

Just wondering.... Maybe it's not a budget issue?

 

CSB

My 2 cents is that Viking Oceans has attracted a lot of people who haven't cruised much, at least not on ocean lines, and many don't even think about going early and/or staying late. Perhaps some think about it, but with the price and length of cruise line pre-cruise hotel packages, they decide they don't have the extra time and money to do it. For at least 6 or 7 years, I just booked the cruise and that was it. Then I wised up and decided that even if it cost me an extra day and more money, I had to go early or I wouldn't get to see much of the embarkation and disembarkation cities besides the route from airport to port. Viking has improved that situation a bit by having many itineraries with an overnight stay and partial day to sightsee, but it's still best to go in early, especially if it's a wonderful city like Istanbul, Venice, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon! You've already paid a lot for a nice cruise, why skimp on one more night so you can see the city a bit, rest up, and have a cushion in case something goes wrong (for example, flight is canceled or you miss your connection or something happens on the way from the airport).

 

We booked our own airfare and hotels for our trip this fall, so now I'm wondering: Does Viking offer an air deviation to go early like some other lines do? On our other favorite line, we pay for an air deviation to go one or two days early, use the cruise line air (which is included in the cruise price), and then find our own hotels. I actually like the less Americanized hotels, so finding hotels is actually fun, and while I don't get the transfers, hand-holding and other benefits you get with a pre-cruise package, so far I've picked some great places.

[dln929]

Would love your insight on this: One thing I noticed on the cruise's first day is how many people came straight from the airport and from red-eye flights. They spent a good part of the morning (only suites are available at 11 a.m., many cabins not ready until 2 p.m.) simply dozing on chaise lounges in the pool area and such, or wandering around with carry-ons and all manner of stuff. Didn't seem like a great way to start the cruise IMHO, and I was wondering: Cruising on Viking is great value but not cheap. Why wouldn't you, if schedule permitted, give yourself a break and stay in a hotel for a night, and then you could rest in your own room in the a.m., before heading to the ship for lunch?

 

Just wondering.... Maybe it's not a budget issue?

 

CSB

 

I think for many people it's not a budget issue but a time issue. Not everyone who cruises is retired or works for themselves. When you have only a limited number of vacation days allotted, you may be forced into arriving the day of the cruise. We always try to get in a few days early but on occasion we've had to do otherwise because my husband has used up his vacation time (because he has a wife who loves to book cruises ;)). It's not as much of a big deal as you might think. A good nap as soon as you're admitted to your cabin makes you as right as rain by dinnertime most of the time! Another thing to consider is that many people who cruise often don't want to spend extra time before or after because they've seen the arrival/departure ports many times. We're on the Star in January out of Barcelona and we've been to that city so often--and we'll be there overnight on the Star as well--that we're not bothering to fly in early. We save that for cruises in more pleasant seasons when Barcelona really shines.

[Senior Gators]

My 2 cents is that Viking Oceans has attracted a lot of people who haven't cruised much, at least not on ocean lines, and many don't even think about going early and/or staying late. Perhaps some think about it, but with the price and length of cruise line pre-cruise hotel packages, they decide they don't have the extra time and money to do it. For at least 6 or 7 years, I just booked the cruise and that was it. Then I wised up and decided that even if it cost me an extra day and more money, I had to go early or I wouldn't get to see much of the embarkation and disembarkation cities besides the route from airport to port. Viking has improved that situation a bit by having many itineraries with an overnight stay and partial day to sightsee, but it's still best to go in early, especially if it's a wonderful city like Istanbul, Venice, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon! You've already paid a lot for a nice cruise, why skimp on one more night so you can see the city a bit, rest up, and have a cushion in case something goes wrong (for example, flight is canceled or you miss your connection or something happens on the way from the airport).

 

We booked our own airfare and hotels for our trip this fall, so now I'm wondering: Does Viking offer an air deviation to go early like some other lines do? On our other favorite line, we pay for an air deviation to go one or two days early, use the cruise line air (which is included in the cruise price), and then find our own hotels. I actually like the less Americanized hotels, so finding hotels is actually fun, and while I don't get the transfers, hand-holding and other benefits you get with a pre-cruise package, so far I've picked some great places.

I have to agree with Roothy's hypothesis, at least in our case. Our cruise aboard the Star in October was our first in Europe; first time flying in many, many years; first red-eye flight, etc; and we didn't anticipate the fatigue factor. In hind sight we should have planned to arrive at least one day early. We are booked for the Passages Through Western Europe cruise aboard the Viking Sea in April and didn't choose to arrive a day early, but that was due to a much earlier arrival time in Barcelona. We have added the 2 day cruise extension at the end of the cruise which will give us more time in Bergen, a nice over the mountains rail trip to Oslo with a night there before catching our BA flight to Heathrow and on to Atlanta. We learned from our last cruise that we shouldn't plan to drive the 4 to 5 hours home as soon as we get off the long flight across the Atlantic. We thought we might be able to on our last trip, but quickly found that we were just too dog tired to drive home safely. After an hour and a quick meal we "crashed and burned" for the night about 7:30 and just 55 miles south of Hartsfield airport.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, sitraveler. The stones must have arrived :) -- the pizza's fantastic!!! Usually two or three versions, one vegetarian (one at least is veg).

 

Carolyn

 

CSB

 

Would you please post about the pizza. When we were on the maiden there was none, apparently the pizza stones didn't get on board until after we debarked.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Tullbja. Typically the included tours are walking tours, particularly in this part of the Mediterranean. Monte Carlo got high marks; the criticism of Toulon is that the tour moved too quickly and there wasn't a lot of time to stop and take pictures and visit churches (some of my colleagues finished the tour and then wound back to where they wanted to hang out).

 

Feedback from the extra fee tours has been quite positive. In Monte Carlo, Grasse (the perfume factory and then Paul De Vence) got high marks as did a trip to Nice. In Toulon, a trip to Cassis to do a wine tasting and hang out in the village was also getting praise.

 

Today we're in Corsica; tomorrow's Livorno. My disappointment there is that the only included tour is to Pisa and gosh, no one goes to Livorno just to go to Pisa (well not many, anyway). I'm paying $80 or so for a bus transfer to Florence to tour independently. Another option that I'd totally recommend is to do the extra fee tour to Lucca, which is a darling walled city.

 

Carolyn

 

Stay tuned, Tullbja.

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Great points, roothy123!

 

Carolyn

 

My 2 cents is that Viking Oceans has attracted a lot of people who haven't cruised much, at least not on ocean lines, and many don't even think about going early and/or staying late. Perhaps some think about it, but with the price and length of cruise line pre-cruise hotel packages, they decide they don't have the extra time and money to do it. For at least 6 or 7 years, I just booked the cruise and that was it. Then I wised up and decided that even if it cost me an extra day and more money, I had to go early or I wouldn't get to see much of the embarkation and disembarkation cities besides the route from airport to port. Viking has improved that situation a bit by having many itineraries with an overnight stay and partial day to sightsee, but it's still best to go in early, especially if it's a wonderful city like Istanbul, Venice, Stockholm, Barcelona, Lisbon! You've already paid a lot for a nice cruise, why skimp on one more night so you can see the city a bit, rest up, and have a cushion in case something goes wrong (for example, flight is canceled or you miss your connection or something happens on the way from the airport).

 

We booked our own airfare and hotels for our trip this fall, so now I'm wondering: Does Viking offer an air deviation to go early like some other lines do? On our other favorite line, we pay for an air deviation to go one or two days early, use the cruise line air (which is included in the cruise price), and then find our own hotels. I actually like the less Americanized hotels, so finding hotels is actually fun, and while I don't get the transfers, hand-holding and other benefits you get with a pre-cruise package, so far I've picked some great places.

[rjscott]

I think the reason(s) those travelers come in the day of the cruise departure are a mix of those already given. Lack of extra vacation time ( it already costs an extra day to go international), the expense of that extra night in some departure port cities, and lack of comfort in staying off ship in a foreign country.

 

Re the Viking air deviation fee; yes, there is one IF you are flying on Viking Air and it isn't a specialty discounted fare, like those free or $99 fares occasionally offered. The deviation fee is $100 pp in addition to the airfare you were quoted.

 

Becki

[NeilP57]

I think the reason(s) those travelers come in the day of the cruise departure are a mix of those already given. Lack of extra vacation time ( it already costs an extra day to go international), the expense of that extra night in some departure port cities, and lack of comfort in staying off ship in a foreign country.

 

Re the Viking air deviation fee; yes, there is one IF you are flying on Viking Air and it isn't a specialty discounted fare, like those free or $99 fares occasionally offered. The deviation fee is $100 pp in addition to the airfare you were quoted.

 

Becki

 

It is worth noting for the UK clients of Viking there is no deviation fee, providing you inform them of your requirements before flights are booked a few months before your cruise. This year, I stayed on for an extra couple of nights after Viking Star docked in Istanbul and other than having to sort out my own transfers, did not cost me anything extra.

 

I have recently booked to go on one of the new Caribbean Cruises on the Viking Star and I have told Viking that I will decide how early I wish to go into San Juan and they have confirmed that there is no deviation fee.

 

In the UK the price in the brochure includes flights but if you wish to make your own arrangements, there is a £250 per person reduction for european destinations and £500 per person reductions for the new Caribbean destinations.

 

Neil

[rjscott]

It is worth noting for the UK clients of Viking there is no deviation fee, providing you inform them of your requirements before flights are booked a few months before your cruise. This year, I stayed on for an extra couple of nights after Viking Star docked in Istanbul and other than having to sort out my own transfers, did not cost me anything extra.

 

I have recently booked to go on one of the new Caribbean Cruises on the Viking Star and I have told Viking that I will decide how early I wish to go into San Juan and they have confirmed that there is no deviation fee.

 

In the UK the price in the brochure includes flights but if you wish to make your own arrangements, there is a £250 per person reduction for european destinations and £500 per person reductions for the new Caribbean destinations.

 

 

 

Neil

 

Thanks, Neil, for that clarification! :)

 

Becki

[id4elizabeth]

Re Livorno / Pisa - We totally enjoyed the optional tour to Lucca / Pisa. Thought it was well worth the time and extra money. For a more detailed write up see the post entitled 50-day Excursions - Included, Optional, Private, DIY. I've covered what we did from Istanbul to Barcelona.

[Mpc524]

Earlier cruisers found the air conditioning to be chilly on board. Now that it's December, how are you finding the temperatures in the restaurants, common areas, etc?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, OKCowboy, excellent question. From an entertainment point of view, the cruise director told me tonight that the entertainment team is planning a special holiday show. There will be impromptu and scheduled caroling (in fact, there's caroling tomorrow night, on our last night onboard. The ship is beautifully and tastefully decorated with trees and wreaths and a handful of big white deer in snow sculptures that reflect the line's Norwegian heritage.

 

Christmas Day is a day at sea (good thing as most everything will be closed on that day); there will be a priest onboard, and Christmas food as well.

 

Carolyn

 

Looking forward to boarding the ship on December 22 for 20 day Mediterranean cruise. Can the cruise critics ask the staff if they have any special events planned for Christmas and New Years? Debating whether I should bring a sports coat and tie for any 'special' gala events. Other cruisers indicated there was no need for coats and ties. Looking forward to hearing more as you cruise this wonderful ship.

[editor@cruisecritic]

That is such an individual preference -- I'm finding it to be warmish (but that's just me); the weather's been so gorgeous that one day the pool roof was open and people were swimming! But generally it definitely isn't too cold, and no one's walking around with blankets.

 

Carolyn

 

Earlier cruisers found the air conditioning to be chilly on board. Now that it's December, how are you finding the temperatures in the restaurants, common areas, etc?