Viking Sun World Cruise ongoing review/comments

[2552phxcrzr]

Something about the visitors not wearing clothing with red in them. I guess the red color sets the dragons off and you definitely don’t want that to happen.

 

For what it’s worth, we asked the NP people when we were on Komodo, and they basically said that’s an old wives tale. But why tempt fate when it’s easy enough to avoid the color. A couple of redheads in our group were worried enough to hide their hair under hats.

[sunbrookgal]

Hi Eaches. In simple terms yes higher speed requires higher fuel burn rate. As with most things there is more to it. I do not have access to Viking Sun’s fuel flow charts so will use generic numbers for examples. Viking Sun has the most efficient engines presently available. Let’s look at a trip between port “A” and port “B”. A given distance. Then assume fuel burn. At 20 knots is double that of 10 knots. At 10 knots it takes 24 hours to transit from A to B. At 20 knots it takes 12 hours to cover the same distance. A wash as far as total gallons burned but 12 extra hours port time. There are other factors as well and I hope Chengkp75 will weigh in as he is a currently operating ships Chief Engineer and can provide accurate present day fuel burn info. Cruise lines as well as airlines use the fuel cost boogeyman to justify all sorts of actions, justified or not.

That arithmetic is not accurate. Higher speed equates to higher average burn rate

 

Once you exceed hull speed. It’s a game Changer after

[Twitchly]

hope the cough med comes soon

 

Are you on this cruise? You seem very concerned about health issues. Is this cruise having unusual health problems?

[Jim Avery]

That arithmetic is not accurate. Higher speed equates to higher average burn rate

 

Once you exceed hull speed. It’s a game Changer after

Not sure what you are saying. Exceeding hull speed is not an issue as the Viking Sun lacks the horsepower to achieve this . Hull speed is calculated as 1.34 x the square root of the waterline length. Waterline length of Viking Sun (including the extended waterplane aft) is rounded to 730'. Square root of 730 is 27.02. X 1.34 = calculated max hull speed of 36.2 knots. I had said I was not privy to the accurate burn rate charts for VS but used generic numbers for example. My entire point was that we could easily have exceeded 10 knots and had a meaningful stop in Darwin with small increase in real cost for the fuel for that instance. Of course higher speed means higher fuel burn rate.

[Eaches]

Are you on this cruise? You seem very concerned about health issues. Is this cruise having unusual health problems?

 

 

 

We are on this cruise and I wonder how many passages who have the cough and feel under the weather took the time to get 1. A flu shot 2. Visited their travel /immunizations office in their town/hospital . If you did that and followed their guidelines you may get symptoms and a brief illness but it won’t be as bad as if you didn’t. You need to be proactive!

 

 

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[Azulann]

I checked out #MyViking Story today, on the Viking web site.

The WC'ers posted some great pictures of the dragons/island /sea and assortment of cocktails on board. Also a great pic of a cruiser in the infinity pool.

You all are having too much fun.:p

[Jim Avery]

Thank you both. Deec gave me my first piece of good advice way back I early January. I keep a hard calendar on my desk and record everything that comes up. I now have dentist appointments scheduled so I can be away those five months, I know how long a tube of toothpaste lasts us, I will put us on auto pay for everything that is not already on it.

 

And thanks to Eaches for the dragon pictures. We won’t be going that route, so great to see them here!

Speaking of Dentists...... Well, I thought I had it all covered till the day before Darwin. Whilst eating a bag of Australian Skittles (I know, would you please eat good candy) An old large gold crown decided to come adrift. The ship has no dentist but would arrange, through the agent in Darwin, for me to be transported to a Dentist (at my expense of course). GlendaC came to my rescue and told me of a recently retired Dentist in the passenger list and arranged for me to see him. He came to our cabin with his bag of tools and, in no time flat had fixed the problem. It feels better than it did before it came out. So far, I am his 10th patient. Allowed us to go to the supermarket and a great pub for lunch and beers. Thank you Doctor!:cool:

[Redwarrior68]

Hi. On the cruise. Had all our shots but wife still caught cough. Medical support good considering their workload. Only paid for medications at reasonable prices. Note next year's cruise does not include free medical.

Just to comment on entertainment. Overall very good with minor exceptions more related to personal tastes rather than skill of the performers. Recent lectures very strong and varied. Still enjoying ourselves but excursions do need refinement in terms of time actually spent at a site. Bali, for example, weighted more toward markets than museums and rice fields (the tour focus.) So far, only met three folks "to avoid" but that is a very low number considering the vast number of interesting people on the cruise. Ship staff outstanding.

[Jim Avery]

Bali was great! First good news was the Radiance of the Seas was anchored and we had the city dock. RotS is just too damn big to fit so we win.... The approach to Bali reminded us of Florida at Spring Break. Lots of parasails, speed boats, banana boats etc. Lots of activity. We opted for a car and driver as we heard about the traffic. I can tell you whatever you have read about traffic in Bali it is worse. A million scooters go anywhere and everywhere. Our driver was better than NASCAR at drafting an inch or two behind the vehicle ahead. He did, however, have a comfortable air conditioned car and we managed to see more than we expected. The monkey Temple is a hoot (unless you hate monkeys) and take your jewelry and hats off if you want to keep them. Greedy little devils. The Rice Terraces are beautiful but, like most of Bali, is very crowded. We loved the old architecture and that bits of old buildings are incorporated with newer construction. We had to wear sarongs (part of the entry fee) at a couple of the temples but the work put into these temples is amazing. Love the architecture. So it finally dawned on me, even with the chaos of traffic and the scooters, that almost no cars have any dents. Our driver loved this and said they must be good drivers. They are for sure. Really glad I didn't just rent a car here.....:eek::cool:

[Eaches]

Bali was great! First good news was the Radiance of the Seas was anchored and we had the city dock. RotS is just too damn big to fit so we win.... The approach to Bali reminded us of Florida at Spring Break. Lots of parasails, speed boats, banana boats etc. Lots of activity. We opted for a car and driver as we heard about the traffic. I can tell you whatever you have read about traffic in Bali it is worse. A million scooters go anywhere and everywhere. Our driver was better than NASCAR at drafting an inch or two behind the vehicle ahead. He did, however, have a comfortable air conditioned car and we managed to see more than we expected. The monkey Temple is a hoot (unless you hate monkeys) and take your jewelry and hats off if you want to keep them. Greedy little devils. The Rice Terraces are beautiful but, like most of Bali, is very crowded. We loved the old architecture and that bits of old buildings are incorporated with newer construction. We had to wear sarongs (part of the entry fee) at a couple of the temples but the work put into these temples is amazing. Love the architecture. So it finally dawned on me, even with the chaos of traffic and the scooters, that almost no cars have any dents. Our driver loved this and said they must be good drivers. They are for sure. Really glad I didn't just rent a car here.....:eek::cool:

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the pictures from Bali

 

 

 

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[Jim Avery]

Here we are cruising the South China Sea on a beautiful flat calm sunny day. This sea day is much welcomed after a very long day in Java. We had signed up for the trip to Borobudur Temple, the world's largest Hindu temple and had to set the alarm for 4:30 am:eek: to get a cup or two of coffee and a bite to eat before meeting in the theatre at 6:15am. A fleet of 8 buses took our group on the 9 hour (became 9.5 hours) round trip. Just as in Bali, the traffic is fierce and very crowded. We had a police escort front and rear that literally ran other traffic to the sides of the road so we could proceed at high speed down the centerline. Its a good thing we had them or we would still be in traffic in Java! The temple is more of a stepped pyramid as it is solid. Covered with intricate detail it was worth the trip to see up close. As it is huge, the crowds were fairly dispersed and it was easy enough to find space to really view the detail. Also included was an Indonesian buffet at the adjacent luxury resort hotel. The meal was very good and set up nicely on beautiful grounds. I believe it was enjoyed by all. After a thrilling return race in the rain:eek: with the inevitable stop for "shopping", we headed straight for the martinis.... Settled us right down. I do have to say that, for the most part, Java seems very overcrowded with crumbling roads and miles of very poor slum areas. As with most countries we have visited, the historic sites and other tourist areas are well maintained just lots and lots of traffic. Enjoying a peaceful day at sea heading to Brunei to see what the Sultan is up to.:cool:

[vnb2003]

Thank you again for a very nice report. I look forward to the next one. Very glad you enjoy the journey :)

[Eaches]

Here we are cruising the South China Sea on a beautiful flat calm sunny day. This sea day is much welcomed after a very long day in Java. We had signed up for the trip to Borobudur Temple, the world's largest Hindu temple and had to set the alarm for 4:30 am:eek: to get a cup or two of coffee and a bite to eat before meeting in the theatre at 6:15am. A fleet of 8 buses took our group on the 9 hour (became 9.5 hours) round trip. Just as in Bali, the traffic is fierce and very crowded. We had a police escort front and rear that literally ran other traffic to the sides of the road so we could proceed at high speed down the centerline. Its a good thing we had them or we would still be in traffic in Java! The temple is more of a stepped pyramid as it is solid. Covered with intricate detail it was worth the trip to see up close. As it is huge, the crowds were fairly dispersed and it was easy enough to find space to really view the detail. Also included was an Indonesian buffet at the adjacent luxury resort hotel. The meal was very good and set up nicely on beautiful grounds. I believe it was enjoyed by all. After a thrilling return race in the rain:eek: with the inevitable stop for "shopping", we headed straight for the martinis.... Settled us right down. I do have to say that, for the most part, Java seems very overcrowded with crumbling roads and miles of very poor slum areas. As with most countries we have visited, the historic sites and other tourist areas are well maintained just lots and lots of traffic. Enjoying a peaceful day at sea heading to Brunei to see what the Sultan is up to.:cool:

 

 

 

Jim, Very Nice review - ATTACH]415309[/ATTACH]

 

 

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[Jim Avery]

Fantastic pictures Eaches. You captured the intricacy of the temple well. That was a great bus race wasn't it??:eek:

[Eaches]

Fantastic pictures Eaches. You captured the intricacy of the temple well. That was a great bus race wasn't it??:eek:

 

 

 

Yes it was -we where in bus #8 and we came in last but one of the first aboard ! Go figure .

 

 

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[MMDown Under]

A calm hot sea day enroute to Darwin. Actually, yesterday was a "sea day" for us as well as we skipped going ashore at Thursday Island. After the hot sweaty long boat ride from Cairns the day before we did not want a long hot tender ride to and from a small island we were told had "no swimming at beaches" due to dangerous jellyfish and even more dangerous saltwater crocodiles. Northern Australia beaches are making the BVI look better all the time. :cool: Also the Cruise Director announced that the tendering would take 45 minutes each way. As it turned out it was a bit less than that and those who went ashore seemed to enjoy it. All but the flies. Still have Thursday Island flies on board today. :eek:

 

Enjoying catching up with your world cruise.

 

You might like to google "Australia My Island Home - Christine Anu", a Thursday islander.

 

Whilst some of the Thursday Islands have beautiful beaches, northern Australian beaches aren't as spectacular as beaches from Heron Island south, because of the Great Barrier Reef. Fraser Island, Moreton Island and Stradbroke Island, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, South Queensland, all have spectacular beaches.

[MMDown Under]

Darwin, Northern Territories, our last port in OZ. First, a couple of complaints related to this port call. A trend that is not improving is that if there is another ship in port, they invariably get the city dock and we are relegated to the far out commercial port. I can understand it a bit as this is Viking's first foray into this part of the world and RCCL, P&O, Carnival, are all here year round or mostly and have done for years. They have the prime spots locked in over Viking. Not much V can do about it except schedule ports, if possible, when no others are in. The complaint I do not understand is why we spent the last 24+ hours plodding along at 10knots. We could have easily been in Darwin yesterday and spent some good time in this pleasant, interesting city. As is, the first shuttle (35-45 minutes each way) left at 8am with the last leaving Darwin at Noon. At most 3 hours. Why bother? And the last bus was crammed to standing room only capacity. Real nice Viking. I know they build in extra time in case of delays due to weather, etc. but so far we could have been all the places we have been, including the two missed ports, with about a week less sea days. Just use the speed the ship is capable of. Again, not the fault of the wonderful onboard crew but if these things are important to you it bears consideration when choosing a cruise. If you are heading to Darwin and want some local color, good food and beer served by a very friendly staff, stop by the Hotel Darwin bar. Conveniently located across the street from the Darwin Hilton. They opened the kitchen early for us as we had to make the Noon bus and cooked some very tasty local food. We also made it to shopping in a walking only area as well as a super market for good old junk. Would stop in Darwin again for sure.:cool:

 

I can understand your disappointment I was surprised that you had to tender at Darwin and had such a short visit on a world cruise. Wasn't there any room at Darwin port for Viking to dock? Was any explanation given by the Captain? That was bad planning for such a unique multi cultural city. I hope you get to visit again in a leisurely manner, as Darwin has a lot to offer locally, as well as day trips.

[Jim Avery]

Not tendered in Darwin but docked at the far out commercial port. RCL at the city dock.

[MMDown Under]

Not tendered in Darwin but docked at the far out commercial port. RCL at the city dock.

 

Sorry, that was my misunderstanding. As I have cruised to Darwin a couple of times, as well as land holidays, I was surprised that your ship couldn't dock in Darwin. I was able to walk in to the city, from where my ships docked.

[Jim Avery]

I know. Wish we were at that convenient city dock but, as we are the newcomers, the more established cruise lines seem to get priority. Hope to see more of Darwin some day.:cool:

[Eaches]

Sorry, that was my misunderstanding. As I have cruised to Darwin a couple of times, as well as land holidays, I was surprised that your ship couldn't dock in Darwin. I was able to walk in to the city, from where my ships docked.

 

 

 

Darwin has a Very Nice Museum that is free and is Great to get the history of the region and Darwin.

 

 

 

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[MMDown Under]

Darwin has a Very Nice Museum that is free and is Great to get the history of the region and Darwin.

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Oh I love that interesting museum, which gives a good understanding of the spirit of Darwin.

[Merrywench]

Help. We are booked in a DV on the Viking Sun for Great Britain and considering the Silver Spirits Package. Do you know if we can have request wine in our minibar? I can’t seem to get an answer out of Viking. Lots of links to Viking policies I already know but no one on line or at the Help Desk seems to want to answer the question. I know I can order through room service but what a sad request if I can have the wine already in room and when I ask what is the upgrade for “replenishment “ with Silver Spirits I get another link. Just a straight answer would be nice.

Thanks. Jackie Brooks

[helenandfrank]

hello Jackie. There are a number of discussions in this forum on this issue - and most come to the same conclusion as you, there is no straight answer. From my experience and my reading I have concluded there are two separate policies, one policy for the minibar operation and one policy for the Silver Spirits operation. These policies can not be combined. There have been several different points of view put forward but it is my view if you have no wine / beer / spirits minibar replenishment 'entitlement' (not the word I want to use, but I can't think of anything else) - taking the Silver Spirits package will not change that minibar entitlement. To explain another way, you can't use the Silver Spirits package to top up your minibar. That is my take on the polices are they are written. However ... my experience suggests once you are on-board the polices become more like guidelines. Once you are on-board talk to the bar staff / room service staff / guest relations staff and anyone else who will listen, explain your situation and see if you can find a solution which works for you (if they won't provide a bottle or two into the mini bar - maybe a standing room service delivery at the same time every day / twice a day or whatever). Enjoy the cruise. Cheers, Frank

[helenandfrank]

Apologies Jackie ... I just realised you are probably hoping for someone on the WC to respond to your post (and I hope they do). Either way, the answer they get from the staff on-board the Sun might be different to what you or I get next time we board. I still recommend the personal approach once you are on-board. Cheers again, Frank