Super Star Virgo

[Lisa-UK]

Hi Mike, Justine and all.......

 

Many thanks for your replies - they are really helpful. I will definitely be choosing the shore excursions and booking as soon as we cab when we board.

 

Pity about no on-board laundry - I hope the steward/ess doesn't mind being greeted by 'smalls' drying in the bathroom each morniing:D or should I say 'not so smalls'!!!

 

I have been reading up on the general pages and came across 'cruise packing tips' which lists recommended items to take onboard - Wow - I will need another case for all the extra stuff - great tips though........duct tape is apparently a must...........not sure for what, but it's going in!!!:p

 

I'm sure I will have loads of other questions soon - sorry guys.

 

Have a great weekend all - thanks for the help so far - much appreciated.

 

Lisa

from the breezy, damp and cold County of Hampshire.

however, I don't envy you Justine having to cope in those high temps - phew!!

[hbellman]

Hi,

I am a first time cruiser, and have actually booked the gemini for october , but am know wondering after reading this forum and looking at pictures whether I should change to the virgo it looks so much nicer and modern compared to the gemini

 

any advice please

[deck 9 001]

Hi hbellman,

 

While the Gemini and Virgo are quite different from each other in size and number of passengers, you will find the Gemini a truly delightful ship. The crew to passenger ratio is very high, and the crew will recognize you soon. The Gemini has enough public rooms to suit all tastes and offers plenty of activities. Virgo is much larger and more "colorful" in interior decor and is a great ship.

 

Why not stay with the Gemini for your first cruise, and then perhaps do Virgo for your second cruise, which I am confident you will want.

 

Either ship will give you a fabulous time.

 

Now, let's hear from some others from our Virgo community.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[Mahjong77]

Hi everyone

 

Well not long to go now for our cruise/s , just over a month .

 

The nerves and excitement are starting to kick in , we did our "what shall we take" for clothing run , that was fun.....not :p

 

I think you can take 20kg's each but that's not a lot so we'll need to rethink what we can take with us .

 

I was wondering though in regards to alcohol , how much can each person take on board ? and what happens if the bottle has been opened , is

that ok ?

 

Is the Mahjong room for serious players , or are not so savvy players like myself catered for ? Which variant of the game is played ?

Do they have craft lessons on board ? I'm a mad Beader :D

 

 

Cheers all , happy cruising

Ina

[deck 9 001]

Hi Ina, I'll try to answer some of your questions.

 

You wrote:I was wondering though in regards to alcohol , how much can each person take on board ? and what happens if the bottle has been opened , is

that ok ?

 

Bringing your own alcohol aboard is frowned upon. But, if you pack it, wrapped, neatly in your suitcase, it may pass through the x-ray scanner unnoticed. If you have wine and want to enjoy it with your meal in the dining room, there will be a corkage fee for this. Nominal, and perhaps worth it to you, if it is a special wine that you really enjoy.

 

You wrote:Is the Mahjong room for serious players , or are not so savvy players like myself catered for ? Which variant of the game is played ?

 

The local Singaporeans who will be playing in the Mahjong room do take the game seriously. Having said this, everyone is welcome in this room and will be treated with respect. I do not know what variant of the game is played. You can go to the Activities Centre and tell them that you would like to play Mahjong, and they may be able to find like minded passengers who would like to have a game.

 

I can't respond to your arts/crafts query regarding beading, but again, check with the activities centre and your daily Star Navigator for info about activities offered.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[Mahjong77]

Thanks Mike :)

 

In regards to the Mahjong , I'll go and watch for a while , I was taught the Cantonese variant but I'm hopeless with scoring , so I'm hoping to pick up how to play the game correctly.

 

I wasn't sure on the alcohol , some people say yes , others no , I think we'll leave it at our Hotel .

 

I'm sure there will be plenty to do craft wise or not :D

 

cheers

 

Ina

[deck 9 001]

Thanks Mike :)

 

You're most welcome.

 

In regards to the Mahjong , I'll go and watch for a while , I was taught the Cantonese variant but I'm hopeless with scoring , so I'm hoping to pick up how to play the game correctly.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the Singaporeans also play Cantonese style. I'm sure you'll work it out and have a good time playing.

 

I wasn't sure on the alcohol , some people say yes , others no , I think we'll leave it at our Hotel .

 

Why leave it at your hotel? Finish it all and have a great time:D

 

I'm sure there will be plenty to do craft wise or not :D

 

You will have more to do than you have time for.

Enjoy every minute of your cruise.!

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[deck 9 001]

Hi everyone,

With all the great responses to “our” threads on SuperStar Virgo and SuperStar Gemini, I am now really very, very happy to let you all know that Star Cruises will deploy SuperStar Libra to Taiwan this summer. Right here in my own backyard!. It is wonderful to have a ship back here. Star cruises was away too long.

I have started a new thread about Libra and hope that many of you from the Virgo and Gemini threads will pop in and visit the new Libra thread. I am looking forward to being aboard the very first sailing. Maybe, just maybe, some of you may be in this area of the world and can come to Taiwan and cruise with Libra. That would be great.

Regards,

Mike

[Princess Nic]

Hi everyone, I hope all those who are cruising this year are getting excited and looking forward to their cruises as much as I am! I have 105 days to go and they cant go quik enough :)

 

Just a quick question for anyone who has been to Langkawi on the Virgo, there are five of us in total and we are trying to decide on if we should book a tour or do our own thing. I would love to hear opinions on what people think of the organised tours and what are Langkawi's must sees?

 

Thanks

[boeckli]

Hi everyone, I hope all those who are cruising this year are getting excited and looking forward to their cruises as much as I am! I have 105 days to go and they cant go quik enough :)

 

Just a quick question for anyone who has been to Langkawi on the Virgo, there are five of us in total and we are trying to decide on if we should book a tour or do our own thing. I would love to hear opinions on what people think of the organised tours and what are Langkawi's must sees?

 

Thanks

 

Unless you are afraid of heights, the cable car is a great experience. Not sure if they run, if it gets too windy, but otherwise an awesome trip (I'll see if I can find a photo or 2). The ground station also has very nicely landscaped gardens and shops around it. Also there is an interesting aquarium which we've been to twice. On our first Virgo visit to Langkawi we just walked around near the pier but apart from the hotel there and a few souvenir stalls, not much happening. To get to the town, you need a taxi.

Second trip we took a shore excursion (bus trip round the island which gave a good overview, visited aquarium, Princess Mahsuri's tomb, the great eagle in town etc). Was quite informative for a first time visit (the cable car did not exist yet at that time).

Our last visit was in 2004 for a week's holiday (by plane from Singapore). any more question, feel free to ask. :)

[boeckli]

As promised, a couple of photos from the cable car and the gardens at the ground station. You should be able to get there by taxi, on the way you can enjoy the scenery at the same time.

 

 

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge)

 

For more photos from Virgo cruises, click on the link in my signature.

[deck 9 001]

Hi boeckli, thanks for sharing your nice photos.

 

Regards,

Mike

[Princess Nic]

Boeckli, thanks so much for the information and the great pictures. I we will grab a taxi and head out independently to the cable cars and then decide if we want to see more of the island or head back to the Virgo.

 

Those on-board activities look so good it might be hard to stay off the ship for long. :)

 

Thanks again.

[Lisa-UK]

Hi all again

Boeckli - lovely photos - looked at your whole album, they are great and thanks for sharing those.....:)

I have thought of another question regarding our August cruise on SSV. I feel a little silly posting this as it is one of those questions that we may only know the true answer on the day, but any help would be appreciated.

So............at present we have booked a basic cabin. To upgrade to Balcony class will cost quite a lot - Virgin (our agent) have quoted £700 which is approx AUD 1,767 or SGD 2,104. I think this is quite a lot of extra money to spend? The burning question is: is it at all possible to upgrade on the day of the cruise? What are the chances of a better class cabin being available? I am assuming that if the cruise is fully booked, the chances are nil! However, do any of you knowledgeble cruisers know if Star keep back a certain amount of cabins to sell upgrades nearer the day.

I also contacted Star in the UK and they cannot upgrade independantly, it all has to be done through the travel agent.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Many thanks

Lisa

it's still cold in Blighty - cold and icey today :eek:

[deck 9 001]

Hi Lisa,

 

Depending on how full your sailing is, there may be a chance to get an upgrade to a Balcony cabin. Once you board the ship,go to your cabin and check it out. See if you can "live" with it for the duration of your cruise. If you feel you would like to upgrade, go to Reception Desk and tell them your request for an upgrade. They will then tell you that they will not know if any cabins are available until after the ship departs. This is due to cabins being switched around by Star Cruises themselves.

 

Once the ship has left, you can go back to Reception and see if there are any upgrades available. But be forewarned, if cabins are available and you decide to upgrade, you will be charged the difference in cost at brochure rate. It is very rare that "any deals" can be made at Reception, but it is worth a try.

 

Lisa, try to weigh the difference in cost between an outside cabin versus a balcony cabin. Then talk about whether the balcony would really be worth the additional cost to you. Outside cabins with Window have a floor area of from 14.1---20.9 square meters. Balcony cabins are 20.4 square meters. Again, weigh all your options and needs, and then decide what to do. Hope this helps you.

 

Regards,

 

Mike

[boeckli]

Could you confirm what electrical outlets are available in the cabin. I ‘think’ we can use the 3-pin UK plug, but could someone confirm this?

 

 

I'm glad you all enjoyed my photos. There aren't any in there of our first two Virgo cruises (straits of Malacca) because those were B4 we had a digital camera.

Lisa - the electrical outlets in the cabin take 2-pin European style plugs (UK ones will not fit without an adaptor).

With regard to cabin choice - you say you have booked a "basic" cabin but have not indicated if that is inside or oceanview :confused:

The diference in fares you mention sound a lot, so please clarify what you have booked currently.

[Lisa-UK]

Hi Mike, Hi Boeckli

Thanks for the advice re cabins and electric outlets, it is very helpful.

With regard to cabin choice - you say you have booked a "basic" cabin but have not indicated if that is inside or oceanview :confused:

The diference in fares you mention sound a lot, so please clarify what you have booked currently.

 

Boeckli - we have an inside cabin. It would be lovely to have more space and/or a balcony, but we have spent a fortune on the holiday already (as we are doing 2 days Singapore - 5 day cruise and 7 days in Bali ). I guess we can't have everything and are very lucky to be going on such a wonderful holiday. I can't wait.

thanks again for your kind replies.

Lisa

[deck 9 001]

Lisa Hi, I have stayed in an inside cabin aboard Virgo and they are great. Adequate space and furnished nicely. You will have no problem at all with this type of cabin. Anyway, you will not be spending too much time in the cabin. Really, they are quite nice.

 

Regards,

Mike

[VeronicaS]

Hi Lisa.......we just returned today from Singapore and a 5 night cruise on Virgo was part of our trip.

 

I see your trip....sounds wonderful....is with Virgin. We priced ours with Kuoni and then decided to book everything independently...flights cruise, hotels etc.......amazed to discover that we saved £ 900 each !!! This makes me think that Virgin would be be charging you tip top price for an upgrade and you will get a much better deal if you wait until you board.

 

To answer another of your questions....we were able to use our normal UK plug in the cabin without needing an adaptor.

 

Just spotted that you're just "down the road" from us in Reading.......I can tell you the -3 temps hit us with a vengeance at Heathrow at 5am this morning ......a real shock to the system after Singapore !!!

 

Mike ...... I've been following this thread for the last few months and would like to thank you for the wealth of helpful information that you have provided.

[J33JWA]

Hi to all new and old Virgo and Gemini posters. Just checking in to see what's new.

 

Apologies for my long absense as I was not cruising in the Far East lately, but I still follow what is going on in this newsy thread, captained by Mike!

 

Hi Veronica ~ fancy meeting up with you on this thread and so glad that that you enjoyed your short Virgo cruise. Do let us know of your Asian experience, especially to those active in the 'UK passengers board' that I have abandoned to the ladies. However do send my warm regards to them when you next post there - seems that I was the only bloke posting there many months back!

 

Mike our dear mate ~ you must be pretty pleased to hear from passengers for the Star cruise from this part of the world, every now and then. Yes, I am still very disappointed that the Star Group scuppered:mad: their Med.cruises for 2007 and we have to turn to RCL to cruise Greece and Turkey later this year. If you speak to the Star management next, do mention that the Libra's crew give excellent service on the Med.cruises! and that I will be missing the company of so many of them......who became great friends whilst we were on board. Their services were excellent and they were great fun! especially when they came along to some of the gr8 excursions.

BTW we will be in Malaysia and SPR for a couple of weeks for the CNY but no time to hop on to a Starship during this trip.

 

Will have to pop out now, and keep well everyone.

Cheers........................James:)

[Lisa-UK]

Hi all again

 

Mike - thanks for the re-assurance on the cabin - I am sure it will be great and I guess for most of the time we will be doing some wonderful activity, tour or losing money in the casino rather than sitting in the cabin :D

 

Veronica - Hi neighbour!! Glad you had a wonderful cruise. Have you any photos you can post - any tips or advice would be great to hear about.

 

I was toying of the idea of self-booking our trip. I was attracted to the cruise and stay package that Virgin offered and did check flights seperately, but quotes were coming in at around £690 (x3) for return flights to Singapore (incl all taxes). With Virgin, we have paid a package price of £1,399 (per person) but then we got a 10% discount as we belong to in the Frequent Flier Club. It sounds like a huge amount - especially when we have to pay an adult price for our 12 year old :confused: but overall I think it isn't bad at all for the whole package. We have to travel during school holiday time and so that always puts the prices up!! Our Bali hotel is rated 5 star (or 4 depending on which travel brochure it is featured in) so I hope that we are getting good value. It was a bit of a shock when Virgin quoted £700 to upgrade cabin though :eek: I think I can save that for shopping expeditions!!

 

I'm so glad I have found this site - it is brilliant and I am really thankful for your replies.

 

Veronica - stay warm tonight - you have probably heard about the severe weather warning for Thursday - it's gonna snow - so they say!!!!!! I bet you wish you were back in Singapore :rolleyes:

 

thanks all

Lisa

[deck 9 001]

Hi everyone,

 

To all our posters who are in the UK, hope you stay warm, and that goes for everyone in the northeast of the States.

 

Veronica, I am very happy that my small input on this board has helped you. I also always appreciated getting info before a cruise on a ship that I was not familiar with. Thanks for posting.

 

Lisa, glad that you have a great outlook on your cruise. You will, I am sure, have a fabulous time.

 

Hi James, glad you popped in. Yes, it is wonderful to hear from all the posters from the UK area. We have quite an International community on this thread.

Regarding SuperStar Libra, I understand fully how you feel. Many people are disappointed that The Med cruises were canceled. But, selfishly;) , your loss is my gain:D . I think you may have seen my post regarding SuperStar Libra being homeported here in Taiwan for this summer. And yes, you are spot on regarding the crew onboard Libra being so good. They are a great bunch and I look forward to seeing many of them that I have known for a long time. Hope you have a wonderful time in Malaysia and Singapore.

 

Blue skies and calm seas to all who will be cruising with Virgo.

 

Regards,

Mike

[murraylee]

Hi Veronica

Read your thread (Im not far from you either...Watford , Herts and we had the bad snow too)

 

We are off soon, (April 6th) and I think, on the same 5 day Virgo cruise as you just did. Then we go to Bintan from Singapore for a few days after the cruise

 

I was wondering what you did about currency.

Do you need all different currencies or are Singapore Dollars ok everywhere (or even maybe US ?)

 

Perhaps you would be able to advise ??

 

Thanks

Murray

murray@kingsleys-estates.co.uk

 

PS: ANY ONE ELSE ON THIS TRIP?

Be nice to meet up

Regards

M

:)

 

 

Hi Lisa.......we just returned today from Singapore and a 5 night cruise on Virgo was part of our trip.

 

I see your trip....sounds wonderful....is with Virgin. We priced ours with Kuoni and then decided to book everything independently...flights cruise, hotels etc.......amazed to discover that we saved £ 900 each !!! This makes me think that Virgin would be be charging you tip top price for an upgrade and you will get a much better deal if you wait until you board.

 

To answer another of your questions....we were able to use our normal UK plug in the cabin without needing an adaptor.

 

Just spotted that you're just "down the road" from us in Reading.......I can tell you the -3 temps hit us with a vengeance at Heathrow at 5am this morning ......a real shock to the system after Singapore !!!

 

Mike ...... I've been following this thread for the last few months and would like to thank you for the wealth of helpful information that you have provided.

[VeronicaS]

Hi Murray........we did change a small amount of money for each of the ports, not sure if you have to......maybe Mike can answer this for you. Enjoy your trip, you will have a great time.....it was a real treat but 5 days isn't long enough to get to enjoy all the facilities, restaurants etc on board, another couple of days would have been good!!! :)

 

James, hi and "long time no chat" on the UK thread........understandable with all our girlie chat on there!! :D Bon Voyage for your trip which must be coming up soon if it's for Chinese New year.......Singapore was quite a sight with all the New Year decorations in place for next week.

 

Lisa, hopefully will get some photos on soon but we took far too many and need to get rid of some of the rubbish!!! I'll post a link when I get more organised. I was forgetting you will be travelling in high season......we got our return flights for £500......so yours sounds a reasonable deal for that time of year.

[murraylee]

Hi Veronica

 

Very gratefull for your prompt response

I thought as much...and guess you have to accept the ships rates...

 

MIKE

Can you throw any light on this ?

 

Thanks again

M:)