dizzy1949

Thinking of booking this cruise for 2023.  What side of the ship do you suggest..port or starboard..as far as being more scenic from the cabin?  Thank you.

On 10/21/2018 at 8:13 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

DW and I returned several weeks ago from a wonderful cruise on Viking Sun: the British Isles Explorer itinerary from Bergen, Norway to Greenwich, England.

 

A complete day-by-day blog and lots of pictures are posted here:

jazzbeauxbritishislescruise2018.wordpress.com

 

Here is the text of the review [last post on the blog]:

 

This was our 19th cruise, on ships ranging from 100 to 2,852 passengers, putting Viking Sun at the smaller end – but it always felt like a much bigger ship in terms of space [never crowded], seaworthiness [a very smooth sailer], and options [dining and entertainment].

 

Our first reaction on boarding Sun was: Wow!  She is so elegant and luxurious [Four Seasons, rather than the snide claim of IKEA], and very well laid out.  Soft, unobtrusive music plays in the background in public areas [so much nicer than the jarring music on Celebrity lately].  As we explored the ship throughout the cruise, every area was just stunning! Not just to look at, but even to touch: soft coverings, e.g. leather on all the handrails, gave an elegant feel.

 

Cabin:  Our cabin, 5082 [PV1 category] was spacious, bright, and well appointed with unusual touches like the heated bathroom floor [now adjustable] and the self-opening drapes.  Plenty of storage [and we pack heavy].  The location was quiet and convenient.

 

Staff:  This was the one area where Viking didn’t quite measure up to the best of the other cruise lines we have sailed.  Our cabin attendant [who was very good] was the only person on board who learned our name throughout this 14-night cruise.  We have been spoiled by Azamara, so it felt odd that we never saw the ‘stripes’ out mingling with the guests – that provides easy avenues for feedback on Azamara [which is acted on immediately] and also gives the ship’s staff a personality.

 

Food:  The food was excellent, and being able to visit the specialty restaurants as often as we liked [at no extra charge] made the cruise feel very luxurious.  We dined in the main dining room [imaginatively called The Restaurant ] six times, The World Café once, Manfredi’s twice, [on shore once], and – to our surprise – the Chef’s Table four times [because the menu changed every two days, so there were no repeats].  Not every dish was a hit [duck was always dry and I had to send one steak back], but we enjoyed every meal and would rate the food on Viking Sun up there with our best prior cruises including AmaWaterways, Azamara, and Celebrity’s Luminae suites restaurant.

 

Most of the included wines were acceptable, and if you didn't like them you had three choices to upgrade: the beverage package [no good for us because both cabin mates have to buy it], buying a bottle from the wine list [fairly priced], or even bringing wine on board [no corkage fee – very unusual on ocean cruises!]

 

The Chef's Table was a real highlight. The portions are small enough that DW didn't feel stuffed, and the presentation is stepped up a notch from the MDR. The premium wine pairings were well chosen [and since DW doesn't drink at all, they were comped for me – which made them taste even better!]  Note that you can only make two reservations each for Manfredi’s and the Chef’s Table in advance, but once on board we had no trouble making all the additional ones we wanted.

 

Entertainment:  Small ships generally have smaller budgets for entertainment – but Viking Sun again punched well above its weight.  The four main show singers were as talented as any we have seen at sea [maybe the fact that they didn’t have to dance much allowed the casting director to focus on singing], and the show band was excellent and sounded like there were more musicians than we could see.  The specialty acts were very good, and it was especially apropos that the first one played Norwegian music as we overnighted in Bergen.  Most surprising was the amount of enrichment:  four speakers on a wide range of topics.

 

Casino, Art Auctions, Photographers, Kids:  One of the nice things about Viking Ocean ships is that they don’t have any of these! It makes for a much more refined and laid-back atmosphere, and it frees up more space for general public use.

 

Shops:  We browsed a very little bit and weren’t tempted by anything. But we really enjoyed that no one was pushing us to buy ‘gold by the inch’ or anything else.  Most times we walked by the boutiques, the salespeople were standing around talking to each other – so maybe Viking could free up even more public space by cutting these functions down [or out].

 

Itinerary:  This was the British Isles Explorer itinerary, from Bergen, Norway to Greenwich, England. Viking uses Bergen as the start or end port on many of its cruises – both because this is their ships’ homeport and because Norway’s status outside the EU means they don’t have to worry about charging VAT onboard.  But Bergen isn’t the easiest city to fly into, so we started our trip in Oslo and took the scenic train across Norway: an excellent decision!  After that, we enjoyed every port and felt that the itinerary was very well thought out to give a well-rounded introduction to the British Isles [and Ireland].  Starting in the North was also a good decision, as the scenery began with stark beauty and became more lush as we went along; that also worked well with late-summer weather, although we had ‘fine soft weather’ almost every day.  And ending in Greenwich gave us a very scenic [narrated] sail up the Thames.

 

Excursions:  Viking justifies the prices on its ocean ships in part because of the included excursion in each port – but after studying the available options we ended up not taking any of them.  They also offer a wide range of optional choices, but most of them seem like the standard tours available on other cruise lines [at similar prices]. So we followed our usual practice of arranging private tours and lowering the price by sharing with members of our Cruise Critic Roll Call – this worked out well for us, but it is sometimes difficult on Viking Ocean because fewer people are looking beyond the ‘free’ choices.

 

We did take four Viking optional excursions, because they were things that couldn’t be done easily or safely on our own.  A Taste of Norwegian Farm Life was excellent, and gave us a nice glimpse of living in the countryside near Bergen.  The Knockan Crag Hike in Ullapool was also very good [despite the infestation of midges that drove us crazy] – we could have done this on our own, but the short tender call would have made getting back to the ship stressful.  Ancient Castle & Abbey Tavern in Dublin was much less satisfying; Malahide Castle was worthwhile, but the time in Howth was entirely devoted to a pub and the guide and driver were not ready for prime time.  London and the London Eye was well-planned, but torrential rain put a wet blanket on it [I like my puns intended ].

 

Summary:  Viking Ocean joins the short list of cruise lines we hope to sail again.  There are only two things that may prevent that:  (1) the prices are high if you don’t take the included excursions, and (2) the itineraries are mostly pretty plain-vanilla – we have reached the point that we want intensive itineraries that really let us get to know a country or area [like the Azamara Costa Rica-intensive cruise we did last January, or the circumnavigation of Iceland we are doing on Ponant next year].  I hope that as Viking adds more and more ocean ships, they will get more adventuresome with their itineraries – because we would like to be back!

 

Again, you can find a complete day-by-day blog and lots of pictures here:

jazzbeauxbritishislescruise2018.wordpress.com

Thinking of booking this cruise for 2023.  What side of the ship...port or starboard...do you think is more scenic from the cabin?  Thank you.

On 11/20/2020 at 2:10 AM, Sundagger said:

It is essentially across the hall from the Neptune Lounge. That is the area that I've been reserving the past few cruises. Very convenient to the Lounge and it's snacks/canapes and an outstanding coffee machine. The concierges in the Lounge are exceptionally helpful with ship information and for resolving any problems that might come up.

Is it noisy being across from the Neptune lounge?

On 11/30/2019 at 3:58 PM, mimicruising said:

We have cruised the Hawaiian Islands twice. We checked our luggage to the airport and then walked to the nearby mall with our carryon luggage. We saw a movie, had lunch and did a little shopping. 

How far a walk is it to the mall?  Thank you.

Does anyone know what time you have to be off of the ship on disembarkation?  Our flight home isn't until 3:00p.m so I don't want to be off too early.  We are doing sightseeing for 3 days before the cruise so really not looking to do any tours.  

On 7/22/2019 at 1:29 PM, baflagg said:

Recently returned from the 11 day land/sea cruise of the Hawaiian island on the POA.  If you are planning to cruise the Hawaiian island I highly recommend adding in the 3 days at the Hawaiian Village Resort if you can.  We did our own air transportation so chose to fly in on Tuesday then had Wednesday as a free day to hang out at the resort and get used to the time change.  The next 2 1/2 days were filled with tours all arranged by NCL and it's very well organized.  We had the same tour bus driver all 3 days and he was great, we saw a lot and learned a lot. On Saturday after your tour they drop you at the pier and we got right on the ship.  Your luggage is picked up at the hotel on Saturday and taken to the ship so you don't need to even worry about getting it to the pier. 

 

While we are happy to have had the opportunity to see the Hawaiian Islands, I have to say if we were to visit again it would be a land vacation only, we would not go on the POA again. We are frequent cruises and much more enjoy the larger ships (Breakaway, Escape) and all they have to offer.  The POA is rather boring compared to other ships, food was good everywhere we ate and the shows were okay. We really enjoyed the These Guys Worldwide Theatre show and when they sang poolside on the last day, they were by far the best show on the ship. If I recall they said they were leaving when the ship docked back in Honolulu, not sure if they plan to return.   

 

Daily's attached for those interested. 

POA Day 1.pdf 439.39 kB · 143 downloads POA Day 2.pdf 422.75 kB · 92 downloads POA Day 3.pdf 434.99 kB · 87 downloads POA Day 4.pdf 399.54 kB · 71 downloads POA Day 5.pdf 426.94 kB · 71 downloads POA Day 6.pdf 408.25 kB · 67 downloads POA Day 7.pdf 436.05 kB · 71 downloads

Thank you for all the info.  I like to be well informed before we go.  We're doing the land and cruise starting on January 1, 2020.  

Questions....How did you get from airport to the Hilton Hawaiian and what was the cost?  Also,  would like to spend a beach day in Maui.  Does the ship offer any info on resorts or beaches that you may go to on any of the islands?  On the last day of the cruise, our flight doesn't leave until 3:10p.m. so looking for something to do rather than spend hours in the airport.  Do you, or does the ship, have any suggestions?  Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the responses, everyone.  Some very interesting....and amusing!  Will bring a pair (belted) for my DH in case he doesn't want to wear long pants one night. 

Happy New Year everyone!

Are men allowed to wear dressy shorts in the MDR for dinner?  Noticed that the dress code is more relaxed now.

On 12/2/2018 at 10:29 PM, JustAGirl79 said:

We're on Mariner in March - for Spring Break - figure it's going to be busy with lots of kids... how/where do we book laser tag???

Just an FYI...Were on a cruise last March during Spring Break!   It was a Carnival but however, let me tell you, I would prefer hundreds of "little ones" before taking a cruise with the college "spring breakers" anytime!  They take over the ship!!!  No place to relax, can't get up to the bar to order,  running in the corridors in the wee hours of the morning hollering, etc.  No consideration for their fellow travelers!  Hopefully,on an RC, it will be different for you.  Yes, I would suggest you book any activity ASAP!

Just read in a former thread that they rent umbrellas on the island? Is that still available? Thanks.

Does anyone know where the covered Beach Loungers they rent are located on the island? It says secluded area but we don't want to be far from everything. Basically, just looking for shady spot. Any suggestions?

Going on the Mariner of the Seas for New years. Was wondering if it is worth it to try to book a Beach bungalow on CoCo Cay? Are these bungalows near all the activities? They look pretty secluded in the photos. Probably very hard to get anyway. Any suggestions? Thank you.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it probably will not get any better. Last month we were in a cabin above where you are on the Lido deck and every night, and also some days we could hear whatever type of entertainment that was going on from deck 3 (lobby) from start to finish. One night a guy played the guitar and sang until midnight. It was not a good 4 days for us.:(:(

Had the Same Room As You. Same Problem...noisy Due To Entertainment And Spring Breakers. Will Never Cruise In The Month Of March Again!!!

im going on this cruise too :) can't wait!!!! we are so close ;p

Going on this one too!! Just me and DH...for some R&R!!!:hearteyes:. See you there!

Thanks, everyone. Looks like it's Pier B for us. Not too far to pick up trolley tour then meet our friend. Yeah, disappointed with the short time in Key West also.

Can anyone recommend a parking lot at the Port of Miami? Seems to be a few.

Also, anyone know where the Carnival Victory ties up in Key West? So little time there and we're trying to get together with an old friend, so need to plan logistically. Thank you.

Nice to know you're available for info. Going with family in November 2017 and will be "picking your brain" for info. Hope you don't mind!:)

Any suggestions for parking in or outside of Port Everglades? There seem to be a few parking lots with shuttle service off the port. Anyone ever use them? Parking garage on port--expensive? Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know if there are taxis available at the Port Everglades, FL terminal? Never noticed before but will need transportation to Pompano Beach after cruise. Thanks.

Cruising on 12/13/14. What is the entertainment like on the Constellation? Been a while since we have cruised on the Celebrity line. Thanks.