Planetariums on Viking Ships

[millybess]

We know that Viking Jupiter has a planetarium.  We are interested in what other Viking ocean ships are equipped with a planetarium.  Thanks!

[SantaFe1]

Only Orion, I believe.  They didn’t prove to be popular and people seemed to want the extra space in the Explorers Lounge.  So they were discontinued.  We went to one program on Orion, and that was enough.

[duquephart]

The one on Jupiter was not being used when we were aboard.

[millybess]

2 minutes ago, duquephart said:

The one on Jupiter was not being used when we were aboard.

Same when we were on Jupiter.  I was doing some research and came across an article that said Saturn, Mars and Neptune also have planetariums, but I didn't think that was the case.  

[Squawkman]

47 minutes ago, millybess said:

Same when we were on Jupiter.  I was doing some research and came across an article that said Saturn, Mars and Neptune also have planetariums, but I didn't think that was the case.  

Definitely not on Mars.

[duquephart]

53 minutes ago, millybess said:

Same when we were on Jupiter.  I was doing some research and came across an article that said Saturn, Mars and Neptune also have planetariums, but I didn't think that was the case.  

 

Sour info I believe.

[CCWineLover]

Interesting note on these planetariums  . .

We were talking with one of the Viking General Managers recently onboard who gave us some great knowledge and insights into the various Viking Ocean ships and future plans....

 

The original 10 ships are called "Star" class.  The Star was the first.  They then had 3 sets of 3 ships released from 2016 to 2023 to complete the Star class.  First group was Sea, Sun, and Sky.  The 2nd group of 3 - Orion, Jupiter, and Venus - had planned to add the planetariums.  Only the Orion and Jupiter got them, as by the time the Venus was being built (and released in 2021), the feedback on the planetariums was so bad they cancelled it for Venus and all future Star class.  They did add the "Asian Stations" by the Aquavit Bar on the 2nd group of 3 and kept them for the 3rd group.  The 3rd group of 3 was the Mars ('22), Neptune ('22), and Saturn ('23).  

[millybess]

2 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Interesting note on these planetariums  . .

We were talking with one of the Viking General Managers recently onboard who gave us some great knowledge and insights into the various Viking Ocean ships and future plans....

 

The original 10 ships are called "Star" class.  The Star was the first.  They then had 3 sets of 3 ships released from 2016 to 2023 to complete the Star class.  First group was Sea, Sun, and Sky.  The 2nd group of 3 - Orion, Jupiter, and Venus - had planned to add the planetariums.  Only the Orion and Jupiter got them, as by the time the Venus was being built (and released in 2021), the feedback on the planetariums was so bad they cancelled it for Venus and all future Star class.  They did add the "Asian Stations" by the Aquavit Bar on the 2nd group of 3 and kept them for the 3rd group.  The 3rd group of 3 was the Mars ('22), Neptune ('22), and Saturn ('23).  

That is very interesting information.  So the Orion has the Asian station?  When we were on Jupiter there was no Asian station, so it must have been added afterwards.  

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, millybess said:

That is very interesting information.  So the Orion has the Asian station?  When we were on Jupiter there was no Asian station, so it must have been added afterwards.  

Orion does have the Asian station.   But I must have walked by it five times before I even noticed it because we had only been on Star, Sea, Sky, and Sun.  

[millybess]

2 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Orion does have the Asian station.   But I must have walked by it five times before I even noticed it because we had only been on Star, Sea, Sky, and Sun.  

I'll be looking for it now that I know it's there.  

[CCWineLover]

4 minutes ago, millybess said:

That is very interesting information.  So the Orion has the Asian station?  When we were on Jupiter there was no Asian station, so it must have been added afterwards.  

Yes, all ships Orion and more recent, have the Stations.  We've been to them all and are regular "customers:"!   

Further note - also heard they are talking about retro-fitting the Asian Stations onto Star, Sea, and SKy, when they go into dry dock - It has been quite popular.  

Another note - originally the "station" was going to be specialty items, not just Asian.  For several years, we witnessed Viking using them as Breakfast-omelettes and such;  Lunch-various things like pasta, etc  Dinner-Asian.    They made a decision about a year ago to switch to all Asian all the time - since they told us it was the most popular.

[formernuke]

8 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes, all ships Orion and more recent, have the Stations.  We've been to them all and are regular "customers:"!   

Further note - also heard they are talking about retro-fitting the Asian Stations onto Star, Sea, and SKy, when they go into dry dock - It has been quite popular.  

Another note - originally the "station" was going to be specialty items, not just Asian.  For several years, we witnessed Viking using them as Breakfast-omelettes and such;  Lunch-various things like pasta, etc  Dinner-Asian.    They made a decision about a year ago to switch to all Asian all the time - since they told us it was the most popular.

We experienced that on Jupiter in fall of '21. Sometimes it was custom mixed pasta/sauces, sometimes a custom noodle or soup station, sometimes other things. I actually rather enjoyed that extra variety.

[OneSixtyToOne]

The planetariums programs were not implemented correctly and I consider it a major failure for Viking, not to mention an expensive underused asset. We were on the 2nd sailing of the Jupiter and the planetarium was showing something similar to an IMAX dome presentation, but no planetarium shows. There was an astronomer guest lecturer aboard so I approached him and asked if he could give a presentation in the planetarium. He researched it and two days later he announced a presentation and printed out a limited number of tickets. He did an hour on various stars, planets, and cosmology. It was very enjoyable and informative. I have a feeling that Viking's vision was an automated movie theater without the need or cost of a presenter. IMO a big fail.

[millybess]

5 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes, all ships Orion and more recent, have the Stations.  We've been to them all and are regular "customers:"!   

Further note - also heard they are talking about retro-fitting the Asian Stations onto Star, Sea, and SKy, when they go into dry dock - It has been quite popular.  

Another note - originally the "station" was going to be specialty items, not just Asian.  For several years, we witnessed Viking using them as Breakfast-omelettes and such;  Lunch-various things like pasta, etc  Dinner-Asian.    They made a decision about a year ago to switch to all Asian all the time - since they told us it was the most popular.

They must have had to remove tables?  Possibly the ones where the ship's officers often dine?  I'm trying to imagine this and we'll certainly be looking for it.  Would you happen to have a photo?  

[millybess]

3 minutes ago, formernuke said:

We experienced that on Jupiter in fall of '21. Sometimes it was custom mixed pasta/sauces, sometimes a custom noodle or soup station, sometimes other things. I actually rather enjoyed that extra variety.

We were on Jupiter in 2022.  So, like SantaFe1, we must have walked past it many times.

[millybess]

6 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The planetariums programs were not implemented correctly and I consider it a major failure for Viking, not to mention an expensive underused asset. We were on the 2nd sailing of the Jupiter and the planetarium was showing something similar to an IMAX dome presentation, but no planetarium shows. There was an astronomer guest lecturer aboard so I approached him and asked if he could give a presentation in the planetarium. He researched it and two days later he announced a presentation and printed out a limited number of tickets. He did an hour on various stars, planets, and cosmology. It was very enjoyable and informative. I have a feeling that Viking's vision was an automated movie theater without the need or cost of a presenter. IMO a big fail.

That would be lovely.  We would very much enjoy that.  

[Squawkman]

It’s a little window just around the corner from the gelato station. It’s open whenever the WC is open.

[millybess]

Just now, Squawkman said:

It’s a little window just around the corner from the gelato station. It’s open whenever the WC is open.

That would explain how we have missed it.  So it is a window from the kitchen then?

[CCWineLover]

9 minutes ago, millybess said:

They must have had to remove tables?  Possibly the ones where the ship's officers often dine?  I'm trying to imagine this and we'll certainly be looking for it.  Would you happen to have a photo?  

No tables removed at all.  It is just a window that faces the bar, right around the corner from the gelato station.

[OneSixtyToOne]

Just now, millybess said:

That would explain how we have missed it.  So it is a window from the kitchen then?

 It's right near the Aquavit bar area on the port side. Last year on the Sky there was only a storage area, holding racks of glassware. My prior cruise was on the Jupiter so when I went back to see what was being served there, it surprised me.

[Squawkman]

4 minutes ago, millybess said:

That would explain how we have missed it.  So it is a window from the kitchen then?

Yes. On the older ships, there’s a door to the kitchen in that place.

[SantaFe1]

3 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

No tables removed at all.  It is just a window that faces the bar, right around the corner from the gelato station.

Yup, just a window.  You can see how I missed it.  We will be on Neptune in May, and if I remember I’ll take a picture. 

[millybess]

1 minute ago, SantaFe1 said:

Yup, just a window.  You can see how I missed it.  We will be on Neptune in May, and if I remember I’ll take a picture. 

Too late.  We're on Orion next month, but thanks.

 

So do they have a menu posted at this window?  

[millybess]

30 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The planetariums programs were not implemented correctly and I consider it a major failure for Viking, not to mention an expensive underused asset. We were on the 2nd sailing of the Jupiter and the planetarium was showing something similar to an IMAX dome presentation, but no planetarium shows. There was an astronomer guest lecturer aboard so I approached him and asked if he could give a presentation in the planetarium. He researched it and two days later he announced a presentation and printed out a limited number of tickets. He did an hour on various stars, planets, and cosmology. It was very enjoyable and informative. I have a feeling that Viking's vision was an automated movie theater without the need or cost of a presenter. IMO a big fail.

I'm re-reading your post and it would be great if they had a resident astronomer on board, even without the planetarium.  Especially for TAs and other voyages where there are a lot of sea days.  

[SantaFe1]

Just now, millybess said:

I'm re-reading your post and it would be great if they had a resident astronomer on board, even without the planetarium.  Especially for TAs and other voyages where there are a lot of sea days.  

We had a resident astronomer on board our 2019 WC on the Sun and everybody loved him.  Even the captain went to his evening under the stars presentation.  When on the Orion in Alaska, we had an astronomer do the show in the planetarium.  But it was just so-so.