OLDER VIKING OCEAN SHIPS

[gagator2001]

Are the Older ships up date to match the interiors of the 2021+ ships?  Are their sailing & safety  standards up dated current standards of the new ships ?

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, gagator2001 said:

Are the Older ships up date to match the interiors of the 2021+ ships?  Are their sailing & safety  standards up dated current standards of the new ships ?

All Viking’s ocean ships are all but identical right down to the carpet, furniture,  and upholstery. They have generally done a good job of keeping the older ships in good shape.  We noticed on Sky last July that the stateroom upholstery was being to look a little worn (but no where near as bad as our sofa at home after covid caused overuse😂). A week or two ago, someone on the World Cruise extension to Bergen blogged that the carpet was being changed out in the World Cafe. It appeared from the photographs that the replacement was the same as the original. 
 

I can’t speak to the safety standards but I’m sure Andy will be along shortly and assure us that all ships have to maintain the same ones.  

[gagator2001]

6 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

All Viking’s ocean ships are all but identical right down to the carpet, furniture,  and upholstery. They have generally done a good job of keeping the older ships in good shape.  We noticed on Sky last July that the stateroom upholstery was being to look a little worn (but no where near as bad as our sofa at home after covid caused overuse😂). A week or two ago, someone on the World Cruise extension to Bergen blogged that the carpet was being changed out in the World Cafe. It appeared from the photographs that the replacement was the same as the original. 
 

I can’t speak to the safety standards but I’m sure Andy will be along shortly and assure us that all ships have to maintain the same ones.  

 

[gagator2001]

Thank you for your reply. After having 3 cruises cancelled, I am having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around booking another. So, your reassurance is really appreciated! 

[Clay Clayton]

2 minutes ago, gagator2001 said:

Thank you for your reply. After having 3 cruises cancelled, I am having a hard time getting my mind wrapped around booking another. So, your reassurance is really appreciated! 

Luckily, since being returned to Miami from the middle of the Atlantic in March 2020 we haven’t had any canceled, of course it helps that we haven’t booked but one and only did it (Iceland) a month or so before it departed.   We just booked a cruise for October and hope it won’t break our streak!  

[gagator2001]

Once a Cruiser Always a Cruiser !!!  Hope everyone can enjoy a Cruise and put the last couple of years behind us soon.

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, gagator2001 said:

Are the Older ships up date to match the interiors of the 2021+ ships?  Are their sailing & safety  standards up dated current standards of the new ships ?

 

To put it into perspective, Viking's oldest ship Viking Star only entered service in April 2015, so it is only 7 yrs old. Still new for a passenger ship, since I have commanded many that were 40 to 60 yrs old.

 

Viking operates a Safety Management System in accordance with the ISM Code, which requires all safety, propulsion, navigation, communication, etc equipment is maintained in accordance with OEM and/or Flag/Class requirements.

 

So yes, all ships meet the current standards.

[PasadenaDave]

We are on Sky at the moment.  This appears to be a brand new ship, everything is in tip top condition and the food is very good.

 

the prior cruise we took was last November to Mexico on a mega Princess Royal class which I think is younger than Sky, but the condition and experience on Viking Sky is vastly superior by an exponential factor.

[PRH]

We were on the Jupiter and Sea last month.  Subtle differences between older and newer.  The Jupiter (newer) has windows opening in the pool area meaning you get a nice cross breeze while the Sea has fixed windows.  Jupiter has a specialty window near the aquavit bar for pasta and vegetarian entrees but the Sea does not.  The bathroom tiles are similar but not the same.  The bathroom floor heat control is better placed in the Jupiter.  The Jupiter has drawers in the closet.  The Sea does not.

[rbslos18]

On 5/17/2022 at 5:26 AM, PasadenaDave said:

We are on Sky at the moment.  This appears to be a brand new ship, everything is in tip top condition and the food is very good.

 

the prior cruise we took was last November to Mexico on a mega Princess Royal class which I think is younger than Sky, but the condition and experience on Viking Sky is vastly superior by an exponential factor.

We were on the Sky in late December 2021. I was surprised by the condition it was in for a 7 year old ship. It was beautiful. A staff member told me it had just returned from drydock. The ship was immaculate.

Edited May 19, 2022 by rbslos18

[eaglewatchers]

Star was "renovated,"  i.e. refurbished, during the COVID cruise halt. If that is any indication, they allowed it to go about 5 years then refurbished. Not bad.

Minor differeneces:

Orion has a planetarium they added -- but they did not continue on newer ships. It takes up too much room in upstairs of Explorer's Lounge IMO. Not sure when they started adding the extra cooking station in aft area of World Cafe (omelets in morning, special stir fry and other things at dinner). These foods are available by request with or without the station, but it was a nice addition. Star did not have it in 2015. Not sure if the refurbish added it. Orion has it. 

[duquephart]

9 minutes ago, eaglewatchers said:

Star was "renovated,"  i.e. refurbished, during the COVID cruise halt. If that is any indication, they allowed it to go about 5 years then refurbished. Not bad.

Minor differeneces:

Orion has a planetarium they added -- but they did not continue on newer ships. It takes up too much room in upstairs of Explorer's Lounge IMO. Not sure when they started adding the extra cooking station in aft area of World Cafe (omelets in morning, special stir fry and other things at dinner). These foods are available by request with or without the station, but it was a nice addition. Star did not have it in 2015. Not sure if the refurbish added it. Orion has it. 

 

Jupiter has a planetarium. I'd rather a full upper lounge.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, eaglewatchers said:

Star was "renovated,"  i.e. refurbished, during the COVID cruise halt. If that is any indication, they allowed it to go about 5 years then refurbished. Not bad.

Minor differeneces:

Orion has a planetarium they added -- but they did not continue on newer ships. It takes up too much room in upstairs of Explorer's Lounge IMO. Not sure when they started adding the extra cooking station in aft area of World Cafe (omelets in morning, special stir fry and other things at dinner). These foods are available by request with or without the station, but it was a nice addition. Star did not have it in 2015. Not sure if the refurbish added it. Orion has it. 

 

Although cruise ships are continuously renovated by the onboard crew, the capital projects are completed by shipyards and owner's contractors during the special survey dry-dockings, which are required by Flag/Class, every 5-yrs (newer ships), or 2 drydocks every 5 yrs (older ships).

 

The Viking Star completed her first special survey drydocking in Genoa in December 2019, just prior to the COVID shutdown, when they completed some hotel projects, although most of the work was mechanical, painting and regulatory. Prior to the World Cruise, I recall her spending a few days at Grand Bahamas Shipyard, where they did some additional hotel work for the World Cruise.

 

Not aware of any of the Viking ships drydocking during the COVID shutdown, so any refurbishment was completed by onboard crew, or owner's contractors.

 

The Orion's Planetarium was installed during the newbuild and a Planetarium also installed on the next ship Jupiter. It was not included on Venus.

[CCWineLover]

5 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Jupiter has a planetarium. I'd rather a full upper lounge.

And only Orion and Jupiter will ever have the Planetarium, we were told by Viking on our past Jupiter cruise.  Jupiter also has the Omelette Station by the Aquavit Bar.  Essentially Orion and Jupiter were similar if not the same.

Would be nice to get confirmation if the newer (1 year) Venus and new Mars have the Omelette Station.

[Heidi13]

8 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

And only Orion and Jupiter will ever have the Planetarium, we were told by Viking on our past Jupiter cruise.  Jupiter also has the Omelette Station by the Aquavit Bar.  Essentially Orion and Jupiter were similar if not the same.

Would be nice to get confirmation if the newer (1 year) Venus and new Mars have the Omelette Station.

 

Hoping it is also on the Jupiter, as we may have more brekkies in the World Cafe, rather than the restaurant.

[CCWineLover]

28 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Hoping it is also on the Jupiter, as we may have more brekkies in the World Cafe, rather than the restaurant.

Andy - I can definitely confirm the Jupiter has the Omelette Bar!  We just got off Jupiter for Shores & Fjords - and I probably had Omelette's from there nearly every day and always breakfast at the WC.  They got to know my order (omelette and ingrediants when I walked up to the Small Counter  (note - you can also order various types of eggs and other things).