Super Star Virgo

[casu1]

Anyone have any idea when the 2008 Virgo schedule will be released and more importantly the early bird specials - heard a rumour that there may be some bargains on offer next year due to the new deployment of competition cruise ships. Looking at going on the Vietnam cruise, anyone done this particular cruise ? I like the "at Sea" time - plenty of relaxation to enjoy the ship fully

Stuart

[ssv]

I would guess that the schedules will be released early Oct or mid Nov.

 

Early bird special comes in two form, 60 days(30% disc) and 45 day(15%).

 

There are not much "competition" from Singapore for '08 except winter season and thats peak period, so I don't think prices will be reduced significantly if any.

[Lisa-UK]

Hi Lisa - have visited friends at the Melia Nusa Dua - very nice hotel. Hope you'll go further afield as see the real Bali beautiful place.

 

I'm sure your son will have a great time on board, won't be overcrowded with kids as here and probably Singapore/Malaysia they have just had their holidays. One time we were on the Virgo there were over 600 children!

 

Vera

 

 

Thanks Vera - will certainly be doing some exploring in Bali as I'm not a great fan of lying by the pool and doing nothing - we like sightseeing and I love shopping!!! :o Sounds like my 12yr old will have great fun - give him an arcade and a pool and he loves it :D

[kuldalai]

Latest word on the GEMINI thread is that new seasons itineraries will be published/released in September .

 

IMO appears that VIRGO and LIBRA will be operating in Asian waters, and GEMINI well lets wait and see . Summer Australian itineraries are said to be booking very well so outside chance GEMINI might spend more of the year in Australian, Pacific & NZ waters.

 

As for Vietnam been there to HCM and Da Nang as part of 10 day Singapore - Hong Kong cruise on SS GEMINI in May this year . Other two sailings of this itinerary are understood to be well booked . Vietnam was an absolute highlight and so different to other Asian countries. The contrast of Asian and French histories and influences especially in Ho Chi Minh City ( Notre Damne Cathedral and Post Office), and at the ancient imperial capital of HUE (day trip option ex Da Nang) were fantastic. So well worth visiting as were Koh Samui, but we found Pattaya (ex Laem Chebang) to be pretty seedy . Either vessel to Vietnam will be fine . Our favourite is GEMINI the crew is just sensational and it is just so relaxing .

[jambo123]

can anyone advise is it better to change money into local currency (going to phuket and langkawi) before leaving or just on the ship itself. for example does it cost a lot to change currency on the ship?

 

i presume the excursions are charged to your cabin and settled at the end of the trip?

 

grateful if anyone can recommend excursions they enjoyed at these 2 ports.

 

also what restaurants on the virgo are not to be missed, we are only on for 3 nights :( and obviously would be keen to take up our free meal quota, however if one of the other restaurants was special we would not like to miss it!

 

so excited about our trip - just over a month to go!

[kuldalai]

Basically best to minimize changing money on board as firstly they convert to Singapore $ (ships currency) and then again to currency you want. So you pay fee twice. Just take Aus or $ US in cash or travellers cheques and they are accepted everywhere. Saves all the money changing nonsense . Get a few Singapore $ from bank in your home country before arriving in Singapore and it helps with tips, phone calls, taxis etc . If you do need to change money do it at any of money changers on the street , certainly not on board .

[boeckli]

Urgent question to all of you who have recently sailed - did you complete the Starcruises online registration thing (with all the passport details etc.)?? The Important Notice attached to your Confirmation Slip advised to do this. In general no problem (NCL, P&O Austr. and Princess have the same system) - however, the Starcruises site is not a secure connection :eek: (no padlock anywhere down the bottom, also if you right-click for Page Info it confirms "Connection not encrypted - The web site www7.starres.net does not support encryption for the page you are viewing. Information sent over the internet without encryption can be seen by other people while it is in transit" :mad:

Most of the requested info is of course quite sensitive, so I am not at all happy to do this ....

[kuldalai]

Yes we checked in on-line before leaving Aus and everything was ready for us when we presented for check-in . No big deal .

[Jamin]

Hi all,:)

Lisa UK - 3rd time on SSV and the same cruise again.

It is such a great ship with many things to explore and with excellent service.

We haven't been able to even see and try everything in our 2 previous cruises as the options are so good.

You will really enjoy it !

Balcony class first time then J suite for the next and this one.

Parents and us first time, Parents, us and 2 friends second time, parents in law, us and a friend this time.

Penang shorex is our favorite with the lunch / temples / trishaw ride.:cool:

Pax are fairly mixed in origin incl quite a few from India and Asia..

Best to use onboard currency via access card which you can charge everything to incl shorex which gives a great result when you are only paying Singapore dollars which converts well from UK, US or Aust.:D

The shorex the ship provides are very good with many options to cater for all tastes.

Getting close now - very excited again.;)

Simon

[Jamin]

Pool area pics

[Lisa-UK]

Hi again

 

Thanks Simon for your tips - love the photos - pool looks great, I am sure our son will love that. Wow - 3 times on this ship, you lucky things.

 

Good to hear that we can charge to our credit card - makes sense and less hassle :D

 

Unfortunately, we are in the very basic cabin - :( I did get a quote for an upgrade and baclony class was something like £700 more!!! As we are going on a package with Virgin, the whole trip is costiing quite a bit, so I couldn't justify spending even more!! I'm sure it will be fine though. I will ask if there is any payable upgrades when boarding, but I don't expect too much.

 

We are definitely going to do some excusions and will book once on board, I would hate to get stranded on an independent tour and miss getting back in time!! Quite like the sound of the sea caves ex in Phuket, in fact I must read up on that again as I would like to check the length of the bus journey from the harbour to the caves.

 

I've started to get stuff ready to pack now - its very exciting :)

 

byee

Lisa

[oyang51515151]

HI, i am new guys here. so excited about my sunday trips on 21 oct, just can't wait^^. Booked the BA balcony cabin and travelling with my wife.

 

Few things need to be clarified, hope you guys can help^^

 

CASINO: black jack? can touch cards?( some casino not allow players to touch the cards). min and max bet? token/stake also charge to the cabin card? smoking area? crowded? if charge to credit card, will charge the cash advance of 5%? :confused: open when arrive in penang and phuket? (or only open when cruising..?)

 

CABIN: front or rear of the cruise is better? (i think still changeable, right?)

 

SPENDING: never hear about the 200-300 credit voucher from my travel agents, or it is given during check in?

 

FOOD: which one not to be missed, and which doesn't worth a try? (i am from malaysia, local food not new to me anymore, ^^:) ). On tuesday night(captain's night), is the japanese food free for my BA class?

 

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS: better(cheaper) to purchase from food outlets or duty free shop when laying on top of the cruise to enjoy the seabreeze and views:cool: ?

 

ENTERTAINMENT: i heard many good shows onboard, so please just inform which show CAN BE IGNORED:D . or i will watch all of it,

 

PHUKET: planning to go for jet/water skiing, and other water sports, so which beach offer those? i searched the web and saw about 18 beaches in phuket!!:confused:

 

that's all for now i can think of

[Lisa-UK]

Hi all again

 

I have received my travel docs today from Virgin (Yay!) and all I have for the Cruise part of our trip is Voucher with no other information whatsoever! I have read all through the Star cruise guide (and printed if off) and our Cruise on Sunday, 19 August shows a departure time of 16h00.

 

I can find no info about the checking-in times. Could some kind person help out please? What is the minimum time required for check-in/boarding?

 

Do we just get a taxi to the port and then stroll up with our luggage and go through a check-in procedure - I'm sure it is all hassle free? But I just want to check - sorry for being dumb.

 

thanks again

Lisa

[deck 9 001]

Hi Lisa,

 

Check-in is ususally painless. From my past experiences. boarding starts 3 hours prior to sailing.

 

But I am sure that some of our recent Virgo cruisers will be able to give you more recent info and tips.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Best,

Mike

[ssv]

Taxis arrive at Harbourfront Centre, a mall or Vivocity, also a mall and you do have to take a short walk(2mins) to the Cruise Centre. The 2 malls are linked to the Cruise Centre.

 

At the first storey of the Cruise Centre, theres an area whereby you can check-in your luggage(compulsory if luggage is too big to fit into the x-ray machine), it'll be delivered to the doorstep of your cabin. You can also lug luggages onto the ship yourself.

 

Check-in area is on the second storey, queues for check-in are divided into 3 lines according to your cabin cat. Admiral/Balcony/World Cruiser. Immigration is divided into 2 lines, World Cruiser/Balcony. Admiral class passengers have separate line into security.

 

I assume from the time youre on a sunday cruise. Check-in starts at 12pm but boarding might not be till 1pm, ends at 230pm(LAST BOARDING TIME)

 

Hope the information helped. Enjoy your trip!

[jambo123]

Hi everyone.

 

I am staying in the most basic class of cabin, could anyone tell me if this affects my experience at the gala night? I have been reading some past posts on here about dress code and cost of restaurants etc. Will I have to pay to dine that evening?

 

Thanks for your help.

[Lisa-UK]

Mike/SSV

 

Many thanks for the info, It is much appreciated and very helpful. :o

 

Kind regards

Lisa

[kuldalai]

Does'nt matter which cabin your'e booked you have equal access to book table for Gala Dinner in the Included Restaurants . They normally have an early sitting at 6.30ish and a later one at 8.30ish . Just dress smart casual , best take a shirt with collar and tie, and sports / casual jacket and you will be fine. Incidentally dress for dinner each night is smart casual shirts with collars for fellas, no knitted shirts, t-shirts, shorts etc . Its not a monkey suit affair but then its not a t-shirts and thongs affair .

[Jamin]

Hi all:)

Lisa UK - nearly there - so close now !:D

 

Answering a couple of board questions:

Arrive at approx 1pm for boarding - it assists immensely

Captains dinner is open top all - neat dress essential

Don't miss Pallazo - Italian, but you will need to book.

Also ask about the steamboat at Taverna.

Shows are on a couple of times - so see them all.

 

We are packing already as we can't wait.

 

Happy cruising:cool:

Simon

[ssv]

The Musicians of Bremen is another excellent production by SCEntertainment. It is slightly comedic with a hint of it being a fairy-tale, there are also extreme stunts by acrobats from China. A must-watch for everyone especially families.

 

Street Life however, will be missing its magician Mike Michaels who is a highlight as he will be going on vacation(1month) soon, however the dancers and acrobats will definitely still put up a fantastic show. Also gone during his vacation is Close Up & Personal.

 

Just an update for everyone! Cheers!

[jambo123]

I thank you for your help with my queries. I am very much looking forward to the trip. I am trying to pack lightly, could you tell me if there are towels provided in the rooms and at the pool?

 

Also I see from other posts that the shows are very good, are these free for all passengers regardless of cabin type?

 

Thanks in advance for your responses.

[ssv]

Towels are provided in the cabin for all passenger. Might be able to get extra from room steward/ess, not very sure though.

 

Pool towel is also available at the counter just beside the Parthenon pool, I'm not sure about the Wet&Wild though but I presume its also available. You have to sign out the towels.

 

All shows are free EXCEPT Passion, the Las Vegas styled Topless Cabaret which I strongly recommend(its one of the best onboard so far). Tickets are S$20 before a certain time(usually 1-2 hours before show time), check the Star Navigator for more details. After the time listed, tickets cost s$25.

 

Performances include : Street Life, The Musicians of Bremen, Beyond Broadway and Passion. Movies are screened at Picture House and occasionally, at the Lido Theatre.

[kuldalai]

Room towels are bath mat, face washers, hand towels and bath towels all plain white. Hang them up to dry on rails if your'e conserving, chuck them on the shower floor if replacement fresh towel is required.

Cabin towels not to be taken to the pool (s). Extra towels on request if extra pax in cabin.

 

Poolside towels are blue and white striped - you sign for, for poolside use only. You return to soiled linen basket at poolside when finished visit. Poolside towels not to be taken outside poolside area, either back to cabins, or certainly not ashore to beachside resort stopovers .

[jambo123]

Thank you SSV and kuldalai your towel information is most helpful.

 

Does anyone know if there is a restriction to the amount or size of carry on hand luggage you are allowed? I am considering only bringing carry on bags? Can anyone advise?

 

Many thanks.

[ssv]

By hand luggage I would assume that you want to bring it onto the ship yourself? Then bring only 'carry-ons' those that are allowed into a plane's cabin

 

The safe maximum size is 45", in the form of a 22" x 14" x 9" bag. Bags with unusual shape might be refused even if safe maximum size is met.

 

No problem if you want to lug large luggages whilst disembarking from the ship as the x-ray machines at Arrivals are larger.