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. 

This discussion, while interesting, kind of diverted from my original question... Any further info on pool length?

Avid lap swimmer here. Have been on VO before and used the "main" pool for exercise early in the morning (before many are awake). But I have never been able to figure out exactly how LONG the pool is from end wall to end wall (NOT including the sitting deck that gets covered with water). I just swam for a certain amount of time. Would love to know if anyone has actually measured the length. I asked the crew, but no one knew. If I find out, I can enter it in my Apple Watch 🙂. Yes, I am nerdy/obsessive, but the exercise helps with all the great food on board!

BTW, swimming while the ship is "rolling" is fun... a little wave action adds to the entertainment. Some mornings, such as in the Tasman Sea, they closed it, though 😞

A few more points. The Torshavn bar is a nice, smaller venue that hosts late night music and other smaller events. Open to anyone. Also, PV cabins (and I think some "below" that) have booze in the minibar. It's not high end, but you can request which you want to have, including the sodas/mixers. Then you can carry that drink anywhere on the ship. They are accustomed to people mixing their own, either from the minibar or bottles they bring on board. No shame or problem doing that. We took G&Ts to Explorer's a lot, and they provided the wasabi peanuts while we enjoyed the views. 

The indoor pool is kept pretty warm -- too warm for people who like to exercise in it, IMO (like me). I'd guess it's upper 80s. 

As for activities, on our 93-day Grand Pacific Voyage on Viking Orion, we also saw some hilarious (but well-done) dance classes run by the vocalists (a TERRIFIC group of young performers), Dancing Under the Stars (Live band playing 50s/60s music with a dance floor by the pool in the evening),  various small-cast "shows" with talented singers and band, and some funny sea day stuff like a Viking Cook-Off (crew competition), Trivia, etc. Note that our cruise was 93 days, but many people were getting on/off the ship in 14 day intervals, so none of these was because it was a "long" cruise.

As for expensive drinks. If you order something that uses three shots, you can get an $18 drink. I did. And it was fully worth it, and no gratuity added.

Viking --You'll love it. Can't WAIT to get back on board. Praying for next June...

Has anyone (U.S.) gotten terms for making a booking for 2020? How much deposit and when is final payment due? This is just short of 3 years away for the Arctic cruises. If it's like the first summer on the Star, we'll be paying in full before there is one weld made on building the ship...

Enticing, though.

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

How is a World Cruise on  Viking?   Is it doable in a  Veranda stateroom?  Or move up to a Penthouse Suite?  Is it worth the extra cost?    I will be solo.

Just finished 93 day grand pacific voyage with my DH on Viking Orion. Definitely doable in penthouse veranda.  That’s the room that has a couch and chair in seating area. All one room but more storage and “elbow room.” Closet in a better location in PVs   It gives you a great place to. hang clothes you don’t want to put through the dryer ( along the wall next to the bed). Our cabin steward taught us that trick. 

We also used the many public spaces to relax. If you are solo, regular veranda probably OK too. One of our cruise friends was traveling alone and had the smallest room. She did spend a lot of time in public spaces, but I think it was to have company. 

We will be on your ship. This is our second Viking Ocean and fourth Viking overall. Preparation is not too bad. Be sure you have whatever VISAs are required for Australian citizens (I suspect none unless you go off on your own in Russia... why would you?). 

The biggest differences between Viking River and Viking Oceans are the number of passengers (and therefore no "evening meeting" for everyone in one space), MANY more dining options, some ports are closer into town as with river cruises -- and some NOT. Viking handles the customer service VERY well -- just as they do on river cruises. The Viking Daily and/or new shipboard app are vital to keeping yourself informed, and you'll want to get to know Explorer Desk staff (the people who answer questions and help fix excursions, etc.). As always, you get further being nice than crabby!

 Since we will be the "guinea pigs" on the final portion of our itinerary (Japan to Vancouver), we should all be flexible about possible changes. Viking always learns from the first time they do something, and we are the people who will be discovering what they need to fix 🙂 We were on Viking Star in their first summer of ocean cruising and only the 3rd time they did the Baltic itinerary. We thought they handled the issues that came up pretty well. If you have to have everything P-E-R-F-E-C-T, you might want to add the silver spirits package so you can have a drink 24/7 (just kidding). 

The cabin space on Oceans is a bit better, depending on your category, and the bathroom definitely bigger. There is a decent amount of drawer space in PV cabins. We are trying to figure out what LIGHT weight gadget we can take to maximize the vertical space for hanging things. It was fine for 15 days. We are facing climates with highs from 45 degrees F to 100 degrees F on the LONG cruise... therefore more clothing options needed. I plan to use a suitcase under the bed! 

Book excursions and dining options as soon as you are allowed, even included ones. Unlike River cruises, excursions CAN get full. You need to reserve the time slot you want for included ones. Dining.... you can ALWAYS add more reservations when you walk on the ship. Just go to the Manfredi's or Chef's Table desk or call from your cabin any time. There is NO LIMIT to how many times you can to the special dining venues, just to how many you can reserve in advance. And the World Cafe is always wonderful. The grill by the pool offers another lunch time option. MANY more places to eat on board, each with its specialties and all included.

Final prep advice: take everything on Cruise Critic with a grain of salt. There is a definite element of panic-or-complaint present here, but MOST advice here is very, very helpful!

This is a question for the veteran World Cruisers from 2018. I have browsed this thread a bit, but it is a bit tough to find a broad answer to my inquiry.

Background: We will be "through cruisers" going on the Grand Pacific Explorer in 2019 (93 days Auckland to Vancouver. Some on board are taking one or more of 6 sub-segments). After researching, it appears that about 1/3 of our itinerary will be "first time visits" for Viking (places never visited by prior cruises.) We know from our experience on the Star during VO's first Baltic summer that they later changed some port excursions etc. as they learned what worked and what didn't. We also enjoyed some beers with the gentleman from Viking who had researched and set up all the excursions. He explained about his research and port visits to plan the excursions. We were, however, never in the very FIRST group of passengers Viking had taken to a specific port. We were on the third sailing of that first summer itinerary.

So the question: Do you have any advice for those going to a port with Viking for their very first time? (I know you did it a LOT.) How did they handle the inevitable snafus?

Thank you for your help!

I'm glad to see this thread going again. I do have a question. we will be going to St. Petersburg next June. It is a huge bucket list place for us. But, in checking out the various tours by various tour companies, I see the two day tours are pretty much 8-6 for two days in a row. Much as it pains me to say this, I'm not sure we can go go go that long without a break. Do these tours give you some down time for lunch or a coffee break, especially mid-afternoon, when we start to flag?

 

Otherwise, I plan to take three of the Viking tours, and just skip a few things.

I will preface my response by saying that our Viking trip to SPB was in July, 2015, and U.S./Russian politics have degenerated quite a bit in two years.

We took three optional tours in SPB, but NOT the included "panoramic tour" (we HATE buses). We did Canal boat tour, Peterhoff, and an evening performance of native songs and dances. Yes, we missed the Hermitage (I was sorry), but what we saw was good because of timing (July many Russians are on vacation and away from the city so crowds are less), an OUTSTANDING guide on Canal boat tour-- with early entrance into Church of the Spilled Blood, and entrance AT opening at Peterhoff. Viking's ability to get you to highly popular sites in time to be the "first in" does make a difference. We were not interested in the ballet and actually enjoyed the evening performance, partly because the venue, an old Russian officers' club, was interesting too. This combo also gave us about half the afternoon off to rest up for the evening. We would have been fine without that, but we weren't sure when we were signing up whether Viking gets you back at the time they state. In SPB, they did-- precisely. We could have done an afternoon tour between the two, but dinner would have been a 20-30 min run through the World Cafe (doable).

Some good friends we met on the cruise did Viking's two day extravaganza, and we figured out that they DID get their money's worth compared with signing up for all the Viking's tours of the component parts separately. They did see ALL the highlights and did not sit on buses all the time, I don't think. I know they came back to the ship for meal breaks, as we saw them during a lunch. They did have to "keep moving" to be ready for their afternoon departure. I suspect they may have had some bus time to "rest" between locations, if that helps. They were VERY glad they had done it all. We were jealous that they got to take the hydrofoil back from the Peterhoff.

One nice touch Viking did on the performance night was that EVERYONE who went to a performance (ballet or the one we saw) came back to find a cheese and fruit tray in their cabin-- nice touch after a long day. We had planned to order one and didn't even have to!

I cannot speak to the total cost of that combo trip except to say that it was lower than the sum of its parts at Viking's prices. Obviously, they could not get to EVERYTHING at opening time since many things open at 10 am, but our friends enjoyed it very much.

We also talked to folks who arranged their own trips in a small van of 8 people. They had an excellent time, though they did have to wait for entrance at some locations as everyone did. They were back on time, and their company arranged for their Visas. No idea of the price of that.

My DH says Russia "creeped him out" because of all the unsmiling people, especially at passport control. I have been to China and found passport control very similar there. Our canal boat guide was very honest and extremely knowledgeable about cultural differences and did not try to sell us on how perfect Russia is. She talked about the early 2000s vs 2015 a lot. She has been a guide for many outsiders who are staying in Russia for multi-week or month professional activities, so she knew U.S. perspectives well, too. She was especially frank about religion -- which added another dimension entirely. She has worked with visiting seminarians, so had much experience on the topic.

Hope this is helpful,

Hair dryer worked great in the plug near the pull-up vanity mirror in our cabin (PV1). If your cabin has such a vanity, you're all set. Check your floor plan. I am picky about hair dryers and hate "wimpy" ones. This one was fine.

Depending on your room category, your minbar may also have free liquor, replenished daily. You can request the type and mixers you want (standard grade, not high end). So a gin and tonic on your balcony with free 24/7 room service cheese tray is very nice!

Viking Oceans hires very talented musicians, though there are only a few of them. The pianist on our 2015 Viking Homelands was marvelous, as were the classical trio. Viking Daily always tells you who will be playing where and when (Living Room, Explorer's Lounge, etc.). There was a music trivia game in Explorer's Lounge one night, and some folks also danced to the piano there other evenings. Watch the Viking Daily!

The web site has 2019 cruises up and has for a while (at least for the first half of the year). Depends on which part of the world you want. Pacific cruises have been posted for many months. Have fun shopping!

I don't see this in earlier responses: The World Cafe dinner dress code is what you wore during the daytime... no restrictions. Many change after walking all day just to be more comfortable, but it's not necessary. BTW, World Cafe has the same offerings as MDR, but you can play "mix and match" because it's buffet style. AWESOME gelato! Same wine/beer included. Our experience is that Viking cruisers do not wear aging Tshirts or things with holes... generally a "neater" group, but NOT "dressed up"! I think most men wore shirts with collars (polo or button) at dinner time out of choice, even in World Cafe... but not all of them.

24/7 room service!

In Copenhagen, the canal boat we took was ON OUR OWN, leaving Newhavn (sp?) after the included overview tour was completed. We stayed in town, bought tickets (about $10 as I recall), had lunch, and then reported for our boat. It's all right there in the middle of the Newhavn area. You can't miss it. Canals go throughout the city (not where the ship was) and let you see things from better angles, lots of interesting canal life, etc. We did go out into the harbor briefly, near where the ship was, but then took other smaller waterways. Definitely worth it. I think Viking may have offered a similar tour, but we chose to do this on advice from friends who had been there. We then walked back to the ship. It may have been a mile or so?

In Stockholm, we took the canal boat that went up through the locks into a lake, passing many places the ship could not go, again seeing local life and other sites. That boat also toured a bit of the harbor where the ship was, but saw more of it. This was a Viking optional tour. We did not do Stockholm included tour because we chose to do the Vasa museum-- a choice we LOVED! It is amazing. Best guide we ever had with Viking, too.

The SPB tour was our choice INSTEAD of the included one. No bus, and we got to weave in and out of narrow canals within the city, coming out onto the river where there were Russian Navy vessels. (It was about to be their "fleet week.") The best part was that we had a much longer time at the Church of the Spilled Blood just as they opened, and we could actually MOVE around inside. That place is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, not "ABC." Entirely lined with mosaics made from small tiles, many reflective gold. We were lucky to get a sunny day, so light streamed in the clerestory windows making it look like a giant jewel box. The included tour may or may not stop there? I know those who took Viking's SPB super tour (the one that included almost everything) stopped there but only briefly, and it was late during the crowded day. The canal boat trip in SPB is part walking tour which was fine. Our guide was excellent, and we believe we had much better views of many buildings and important sites on this trip as opposed to a "panoramic tour." Fresh air, no bus :)

Can you tell we don't like buses much?

Enjoy!

We went to Explorer's Lounge BEFORE dinner.

@GWESQ I forgot to mention that the musicians who were on board for our VO 2015 cruise were outstanding. The pianist, string quartet, and "serious" vocalists rotate between Explorer's lounge, main living room/atrium, and some stops in the smaller bar throughout the evening. If you prefer more casual vocalists, such as a tribute to the Beatles or Abba, there are some singers who do that in the theatre or the smaller bar. We followed the instrumentalists and pianist around. I cannot recall exact times in each venue, but once you see the Viking Daily, you can figure out how the "rotation" is working. In conversations with them, we learned about their REAL WORLD musical work... not conservatory students working for the summer. They are the real deal and concert grade good. The pianist was highly versatile and could delight tastes from classical to Cole Porter.

And the drinks are quite reasonable for those who don't have silver spirits level interest. PV level+ cabins (maybe lower...not sure) have a stocked minibar that includes some alcohol (free). If you ask your steward for specific items (tonic, gin, and no diet coke or bourbon, for example), they will customize for you. They'll also provide extra glasses/ice so you can take your own drinks anywhere on the ship. Between that and free room service, you can create a cocktail hour "portable picnic" to take up on the sundeck or to your choice of locations. No one will look at you like you are strange.

Our favorite place before dinner was the Explorer's lounge. You can sit and enjoy the piano and the views whether or not you want to drink. I don't recall exact cocktail times for the pianist. It gets a little busier later in the evening if they are doing a music trivia game or dancing, but there is always room to sit somewhere.

Based on one Oceans cruise and two River cruises:

Take the included tours because WALKING tours give you the chance to cut away from the group when you want to do so (just remember to ask how to get back).

Take optional tours because they go to a specific interest of yours (chocolate making in Talllin!)

DO NOT take optional tours for the "snacks" or "typical" local foods. You can find these better on your own and save a lot of money and/or sitting around while 45 people get served. You could be outside DOING something!

DO NOT take included or optional tours with descriptions saying "you will see...," "stop to view," or "enjoy a panoramic tour..." unless you are OK with riding on a bus. Walking tours are much better (in OUR opinion)!

Take canal boat excursions (worth the $) for an entirely different perspective -- and you don't get stuck in traffic!

DO take included or optional excursions if they include entry into that famous museum or site you wanted to see. Why? Because Viking gets you there before they open -- often getting early entry, beating the crowds!

DO assume that included tours may walk more slowly than you like, but your Quietvox earpiece works at a distance, so serious photographers can "circle ahead" and get shots without all the other Viking people blocking the picture. Warning: Narrow mazes of old town alleys can interfere with the Quietvox. Know the end point to rendezvous there!

Do take included tours simply to learn and gain an overview about a location. 95% of Viking's tour guides are extremely knowledgeable. If not your cup of tea -- or babbling too much about teacups -- ask where/when you can meet the group later. Chances are another couple or two will join you on an adventure! Then remember the guide's name and be sure to fill out the evaluation form about the boring teacup guide. Viking wants to know.

DO ask the guide about your off-the-wall interests (mine is fabric shops/local artisans). They can direct you for your "time on your own." Sometimes they can tell you where to get the BEST things away from the tourist traps (local grocery stores where the locals shop!).

Have fun!

We did Viking Homelands in PV1 on 6 in 2015. We LOVED that deck because we could simply take one flight up to pool/World Cafe and not have to wait for elevators. It made us think we were getting exercise on the way to eating (AGAIN!). The views were great and no real motion except briefly when on the North Sea. No noise, and room service folks came almost INSTANTLY because their prep area was on that deck! We literally got things in <1 minute sometimes! If you are on the port side, you can watch the pilots board the ship from their small boats as you come into ports. Kind of fun. We liked our cabin so much we asked for the SAME one on the Grand Pacific Voyage 2019.

Enjoy the world cruise!

If you pay for Viking's "custom air," they will do more for your preferences, but this is not available for all itineraries.

A word of helpful info: if you do not like the seat assignments Viking air gives you, you CAN get on the actual airline web sites and change them yourself once you have the code for your reservation. Viking says you can't but it works!

We have changed to two adjacent aisle seats closer to the front (still in Economy) when Viking put us in middle/aisle near the back. We made our own changes on flights to/from Amsterdam (KLM), to Bergen (British Air via Heathrow), both legs to Budapest (KLM via Amsterdam) and from Prague via CDG (Air France). All were in/out of IAD (Washington Dulles) in the U.S. The key is to go to the ACTUAL airline site, not the U.S. codeshare airline. We were NOT able to see or change seats on our Prague to CDG leg, but it was short. MAKE THE CHANGES AS SOON AS YOU GET your reservations! That's about 90 days out, and there are usually better seats. Not sure if you could also upgrade or not, but you could try.

We did this trip in May, starting in Budapest. HIGHLY recommend Danube Narrows optional tour. The scenery was amazing, and it includes the oldest brewery in Bavaria (run by monks), and you can sample some of their beer while on the small boat cruising the narrows. They have a beer garden at the abbey, too. All happened between lunch and dinner.

When we did it in 2015 (Bergen to Stockholm), Aalborg was an afternoon stop. I think we left around dinner time. The dock is VERY accessible. You can walk about one block and be in the middle of town. We did a pub crawl, and it was terrific. The guide was a hoot. We then had about 90 min on our own. This is one port where you could easily just go off on your own if you have some idea where you want to go.

Enjoy,

The only problem with the Stockholm start is that you end up being somewhere on a Sunday when nothing is open. If you start in Bergen, the mid-cruise Sunday hits on a seas day so you miss nothing.

We chose to deviate in our air to Bergen and fly over a day early. Heathrow was a pain, for sure. We made it with a 90 min turnaround, but NO time to spare. We then had an extra day to get over jet lag and explore. The cab ride into town wasn't too terribly costly, and we were able to walk to the ship the next day. Found a hotel on Trip Advisor.

Some things to think about.

If you want additional reservations at either Manfredi's or Chef's Table, stop at their door early in the cruise and ask for them They are happy to take additional reservations. We even booked some the day of/day before later in our 15 day Homelands cruise. The days that are tougher to get are the final night and days when everyone gets back on board a little later (shortening the dinner hours). We booked our last night dinner in the online system before we left home!

Manfredi's is AWESOME. We split our time between that and World Cafe. Only ate once in the main dining room. It was slower and more congested/stuffy. World Cafe had the same food and more "freedom to move." Just watch out for seagulls outside when in port! They'll literally eat your lunch!