Live from Viking Sea - Istanbul to Venice!

[editor@cruisecritic]

No changes that I could discern, Traveler103. Pretty much the perfect lounge already :) -- and the only change at Mamsen's was that I tried a waffle with both chocolate and sour cream! Think the chocolate was overkill. Will go with one or the other next time. Gosh, I love those waffles!

 

Carolyn

 

Thanks for the updates. We sail Nov 6, 2016 out of Istanbul on her first voyage to the Holy Lands, Rhodes and Crete. We sailed the Star lats year and loved it.

 

By the way, any changes in Mamsen's or the Explorer Lounge?

[RROSE7]

Hi, RRose7, great questions. You are gutsier than me re "flirting with potential disaster," laughing. Anyway, isn't the ship overnighting in port that first day? If that's the case it won't matter what time you get in. I vaguely remember from last year's Star cruise that the second day in Istanbul was a fairly generous day in terms of time in port (maybe a 3 p.m. departure or so?) but that won't help you if you have the worst case scenario.

 

From airport to port it's usually about 45 minutes. Our recent visit was an hour ten minutes but it was a sunny Sunday afternoon and everyone who owned a car in Istanbul was out on the road :)

 

We also heard about Australia, and our Australia-based editor wrote a story about it -- here's the link: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6817.

 

We're told that there are four ships firmly on order, and if I recall correctly, two more in the pipeline after that. Viking's told us that it wants at least ten of the ocean ships ultimately.

 

Hope that helps -- thanks for the questions.

 

Carolyn

THANK YOU!! Your warning combined with Viking telling me that the gang plank will be pulled up Saturday night about 23:00 and we would spend the night on the pier waving at our traveling companions already on board, was just what I needed to convince Sandy to leave a day earlier.

 

Luckily, I got the nicest ever BA agent who went out of her way to switch us, with no change penalty, and BA had two 1st class seats still available. So, now, we arrive noon, Friday without frazzled nerves if anything does go wrong.

 

But next up--- Amsterdam - Budapest --- 20 May 3-June.

 

Robert

[Peregrina651]

Carolyn --

 

Will you talk about some of the shorex you have been on? Which ones (especially if they were included tours)? Did you like your choices? Where they what you expected? Any tips for helping folks decide if the tour is the right one for them?

 

Thanks.

[CharTrav]

Re the news about Australia. Confirmed or not, something is a afoot else we would not have received an email with this link which certainly includes Australia as one of its ports of call: https://email.vikingrivercruises.com/pub/sf/FormLink?_ri_=X0Gzc2X%3DYQpglLjHJlTQGozbzaSMXdqnW2N9zcdjnD6sLmzby2zgYmmNNLdzfFzezgnM8Ogbwe5YVXMtX%3DYQpglLjHJlTQGpFrMBzcvHAkUYzgGSiPM6qcB4wsDWrYAYze4KXEhzezaBu0J2bEf&_ei_=EolaGGF4SNMvxFF7KucKuWPUlReBex5bOakT8-1c9o-zgsW9VWXGxkxsVTk808naTRIJpo8mMbkgX8sdVZbKd9IvM_-sXON6EjMmmbwGjm2LsT377flhfT0fb9Dw9LxNGnEgKDNoCU2jwJ6-lAORwgGKj3LFjLu7uqg. Clearly tho they are gauging interest. Will they commit to it? Remains to be seen.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Two people on our cruise on Viking Sea signed up for the world cruise!

 

Carolyn

 

Re the news about Australia. Confirmed or not, something is a afoot else we would not have received an email with this link which certainly includes Australia as one of its ports of call: https://email.vikingrivercruises.com/pub/sf/FormLink?_ri_=X0Gzc2X%3DYQpglLjHJlTQGozbzaSMXdqnW2N9zcdjnD6sLmzby2zgYmmNNLdzfFzezgnM8Ogbwe5YVXMtX%3DYQpglLjHJlTQGpFrMBzcvHAkUYzgGSiPM6qcB4wsDWrYAYze4KXEhzezaBu0J2bEf&_ei_=EolaGGF4SNMvxFF7KucKuWPUlReBex5bOakT8-1c9o-zgsW9VWXGxkxsVTk808naTRIJpo8mMbkgX8sdVZbKd9IvM_-sXON6EjMmmbwGjm2LsT377flhfT0fb9Dw9LxNGnEgKDNoCU2jwJ6-lAORwgGKj3LFjLu7uqg. Clearly tho they are gauging interest. Will they commit to it? Remains to be seen.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Peregrina651. Definitely noticed more variety this year in tours -- with more optional excursions geared to particular interests (food, wine, cheese). We did a really nice tour in Santorini (optional) that visited three wineries. I'd done a winery tour there before with another line and all we did was one quick tasting and a lunch. So definitely better. We also really liked the 4x4 tour in Montenegro -- really got way out into the countryside, and gosh it's gorgeous.

 

One note about the longer days in port. We stayed in Montenegro fairly late, and so there was plenty of time when we got back to the tour to take a leisurely stroll around the city. Love not having to rush.

 

I thought the optional tours were well-priced and good value-for-money. They weren't necessarily "exclusive" kinds of outings, but still, something for just about everyone.

 

The included tours were well respected. Seems to me that there were more options (which can mean smaller groups). Liked that walking tours, for instance in Pula, were offered not just in the a.m. but also after lunch for those who maybe wanted to sleep in.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn --

 

Will you talk about some of the shorex you have been on? Which ones (especially if they were included tours)? Did you like your choices? Where they what you expected? Any tips for helping folks decide if the tour is the right one for them?

 

Thanks.

[Billybob62]

Carolyn: We are on the June 19 Into the Midnight Sun, so your experience will be somewhat different, but to what extent were there lectures or talks, what were the topics and when were they presented? Are there talks about the upcoming ports? Since we are group of 10, did you get any sense of how the seating in the main restaurant worked out for large groups? How efficient was the flow for the shore excursions? My assumption is that there is a gathering place where you wait to be called. Finally, did you use the laundry and how crowded (or not) was the laundry facility?

 

Thanks for your postings.

[JF - retired RRT]

I looked at the pictures on Facebook...is that real grass on the Sun deck lounging area?

[Vineyard View]

Hi Carolyn. Not sure if you are able to do any exploring with Viking on when they are going to FINALLY announce their 2017 Oceans Itinerary starting in the fall. There are a lot of us waiting anxiously.....any rumors around North American plans to repeat 2016? Thanks so much. We really enjoyed our maiden voyage and are looking to finalize our next year plans soon!!!

[CharTrav]

Hi Carolyn. Not sure if you are able to do any exploring with Viking on when they are going to FINALLY announce their 2017 Oceans Itinerary starting in the fall. There are a lot of us waiting anxiously.....any rumors around North American plans to repeat 2016? Thanks so much. We really enjoyed our maiden voyage and are looking to finalize our next year plans soon!!!

 

 

I'm looking at the catalog for 2016-2017 which we received a few weeks ago. Shows 2017 cruise dates for Viking Homelands, Midnight Sun, etc plus some new ones such as Ancient Empires Holy Lands (March 2017) and West Indies Explorer (6 new cruises). Suggest you contact Viking to get the latest catalog. But you're right - the only NA cruise is West Indies. I thought plans were in the works to extend to the east coast of NA. And yes there are no dates for fall 2017. Hmmmm.

[CharTrav]

Two people on our cruise on Viking Sea signed up for the world cruise!

 

Carolyn

 

 

Glad I did my town crier part!

[Vineyard View]

Thank you CharTrav for your response. We have the latest Viking catalogues too, but if we didn't would be good to know! I was not very clear in that we are waiting for North American itineraries past early spring 2017.....more specifically Fall 2017. Hoping soon.....

 

We also responded to Viking on the World Cruise interest that - if available in segments - we might be interested. Being away for six months is not in the cards for us...for a whole lot of reasons.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Vineyard View

[dancermom09]

 

My favorite discovery on this trip: The somewhat revamped Chef's Table. There's two new menus that you have to try if you get a chance -- a Norwegian bistro and a Chinese. New as well is an enhanced wine pairing option (you can still have the complimentary wine pairing meal) that's $25 extra per person but no extra charge to those who've bought the Silver Spirits package. We found the new pairings to be really dynamic and interesting....

 

Carolyn

 

We tried the Chinese menu and it was excellent. No one mentioned the enhanced wine pairing, we certainly would have gone for it. I even made the suggestion to the waiter and he acted as if it was only possible if we had the Silver package. Odd. Still enjoyed our meal.

[editor@cruisecritic]

That is odd, and clearly a miscomunication dancermom09. What we were told was that the special wine pairing menu was available for $25 (and that at some point would be amended to incorporate Chinese wines, which would be fascinating). Those who already have the Silver Spirits package would be entitled to try the extra-fee pairing at no extra fee.

 

Carolyn

 

We tried the Chinese menu and it was excellent. No one mentioned the enhanced wine pairing, we certainly would have gone for it. I even made the suggestion to the waiter and he acted as if it was only possible if we had the Silver package. Odd. Still enjoyed our meal.

[Insanityx4]

Just wondering if Viking is strictly enforcing the boarding times depending on cabin categories?

[id4elizabeth]

Depends on what you mean by boarding time. Based on our experience over 50 days, they didn't seem to care when you got on the Ship. The thing that is correlated to cabin category is when your cabin will be ready? If you're OK hanging out on the ship and stuffing your luggage somewhere you're pretty free to roam around and have fun. I don't know this for sure, but I think if you just want to drop off your luggage and go exploring the port, I cannot see that they'd give you any grief about it. The only issue you might have is that if you're coming in off a long flight and want to get some sleep and your cabin isn't ready because you got a lower cabin category, then you're kind of stuck. I can recommend some very nice comfy lowering lounge chairs around the pool...

[almelanson]

Last June we arrived at 11:00, had lunch at pool grill at 11:45 and were in our room at 12:30. When we boarded I was told it would be ready at 2 PM. When I went to the room to check at 12:20 it was ready.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Editor Colleen]

Just wondering if Viking is strictly enforcing the boarding times depending on cabin categories?

 

Hello,

I boarded in Lisbon on Friday, and I didn't see anyone paying any attention to the boarding times. It was well-organized, and quick. I coincidentally showed up at the time I was assigned, but no one checked my name against a list of boarding times.

Hope that helps!

Colleen

[Insanityx4]

Thanks for all the feedback!:)

[Peregrina651]

Hello,

I boarded in Lisbon on Friday, and I didn't see anyone paying any attention to the boarding times. It was well-organized, and quick. I coincidentally showed up at the time I was assigned, but no one checked my name against a list of boarding times.

Hope that helps!

Colleen

 

Colleen --

 

So glad you are aboard--and looking forward to your articles on the Wednesday's christening of the Viking Sea.

 

However, I just thought of a question that I should have asked. It is about the Audiovox hearing devices and in particular about the headset jacks. Is it a proprietary jack that only works with the headset that comes with the unit or does it have the standard headset jack that we find on MP3 players and smartphones, etc. so that we can use any earbuds or headphones.

 

Thanks so much; looking forward to your answer.

Peregrina651

[dln929]

Last June we arrived at 11:00, had lunch at pool grill at 11:45 and were in our room at 12:30. When we boarded I was told it would be ready at 2 PM. When I went to the room to check at 12:20 it was ready.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

That was our experience as well when we boarded the Star. It was a pleasant surprise!

[CharTrav]

Thank you CharTrav for your response. We have the latest Viking catalogues too, but if we didn't would be good to know! I was not very clear in that we are waiting for North American itineraries past early spring 2017.....more specifically Fall 2017. Hoping soon.....

 

We also responded to Viking on the World Cruise interest that - if available in segments - we might be interested. Being away for six months is not in the cards for us...for a whole lot of reasons.

 

 

Just received latest VO catalog. No change re 2017 Fall itineraries but it looks like they've added a cruise from NY to San Juan which appears to be a "pre-extension" to West Indies Explorer. What I don't see is a transition cruise taking the Star from its last port of call in Europe (Barcelona?) to New York. There is a new transition cruise in Feb 2017 from San Juan to Barcelona. So.... are they going to dead head the Star to New York? That makes no sense at all.

[CharTrav]

Thank you CharTrav for your response. We have the latest Viking catalogues too, but if we didn't would be good to know! I was not very clear in that we are waiting for North American itineraries past early spring 2017.....more specifically Fall 2017. Hoping soon.....

 

We also responded to Viking on the World Cruise interest that - if available in segments - we might be interested. Being away for six months is not in the cards for us...for a whole lot of reasons.

 

 

Going to try again. I so hate this Cruise Critic user interface sometimes. Anyway. Just received the VO catalog. The latest one and it appears that they've added a cruise this fall from New York to San Juan. This cruise would be the lead in to the to the west Indies cruise. They also have a cruise coming back from the West Indies to Barcelona. However, I can't imagine that they're actually going to deadhead the Star from her last port of call in Europe to New York this fall. But based on what I'm reading in their catalog, it at looks as though that's exactly what they're doing. Go figure.

[Peregrina651]

Going to try again. I so hate this Cruise Critic user interface sometimes. Anyway. Just received the VO catalog. The latest one and it appears that they've added a cruise this fall from New York to San Juan. This cruise would be the lead in to the to the west Indies cruise. They also have a cruise coming back from the West Indies to Barcelona. However, I can't imagine that they're actually going to deadhead the Star from her last port of call in Europe to New York this fall. But based on what I'm reading in their catalog, it at looks as though that's exactly what they're doing. Go figure.

 

I'm looking on Vessel Finder for the Star in September, 2016 and see that she leaves Bergen for Montreal via Iceland and Greenland and then from Montreal to NYC. And then from NYC to San Juan to start the West Indies cruises for the winter.

 

So, it doesn't look like she is dead-heading anywhere but I'm wondering how full she is going to be between NYC and San Juan if she will be taking on more passengers 5 days into the itinerary.

[screen-gem]

 

However, I just thought of a question that I should have asked. It is about the Audiovox hearing devices and in particular about the headset jacks. Is it a proprietary jack that only works with the headset that comes with the unit or does it have the standard headset jack that we find on MP3 players and smartphones, etc. so that we can use any earbuds or headphones.

 

 

The QuietVox receivers use a proprietary connector that also attaches the lanyard to the device (so you can wear it around your neck). You can't plug in standard earbuds or headphones.