Super Star Virgo

[busseltoncruisers]

As we are travelling in a group of 10 is it possible with freestyle dining to book a table at the beginning of the cruise for the same time every evening or do we have to book each day ??? that is assuming we are able to book.

[furballPerth]

As we are travelling in a group of 10 is it possible with freestyle dining to book a table at the beginning of the cruise for the same time every evening or do we have to book each day ??? that is assuming we are able to book.

Hi busseltoncruisers, It depends where you want to dine. The Palazzo, Noble House & Samurai all take bookings. As you have to pay to dine at those restaurants I doubt that you would want a standing booking for 10 each night even if it was available. The Bella Vista, Pavillion and Mediterranean Buffet (included restaurants) do not take bookings and you need to queue up like everyone else. They also say all members of the party must be present before they will seat you, so you can't have one person queue up to book a table of ten. Probably not the news you wanted to hear but that has been my experience although I have never been in a party of ten! Have a great cruise.

[OuiselG]

Ok everyone...we just got back from a 5 night Virgo cruise (19-24th April 2009). We are a family of 4 - two boys aged 11 & 14.

Both my son and my husband had their birthdays on the ship and both received complimentary cakes from the crew. This was a nice surprise but I had already organised for a birthday cake and champagne to be delivered, so we doubled up by mistake!! The crew sang Happy Birthday to them when they delivered the cake to our table :D. If you want to organise a special treat for an occasion, just contact either Star Cruises or your travel agent as there are plenty of options available.

The check-in process in Singapore took a while...but then there were an awful lot of people getting on board (I think the capacity is 1800 and it must have been almost full!). Everything was very organised though and even though we had to wait, we weren't concerned. I would advise getting to check-in early to avoid the rush and then you can queue to get on the boat early and sit around the pool while everyone else is still waiting!

We had two inside cabins and certainly had plenty of room and didn't miss the window at all. You really don't spend much time in your room anyway so why pay the extra :rolleyes:. I know that you get food credits if you book into the Balcony class rooms but we were more than happy to eat in the included restaurants, and to be honest I think the other restaurants are more aimed at the Asian/Indian market as the food is quite alternative. We looked at the menus for these restaurants quite a few times but really didn't have any meals that we wished were in the other restaurants. We avoided the Buffet as much as possible as it is a free-for-all pushy affair and very cafeteria like. We loved the Bella Vista restaurant and went there for almost every meal - they have a buffet in there for breakfast as well as a daily special and it was a lot better than the Mediterranean Buffet.

We had the Gala night in the Bella Vista also. Most people were dressed in smart casual or light evening wear for the Gala (Captain's dinner) night. My husband and kids only took jeans for trousers but didn't feel under-dressed. I had a long dress which could be worn during the day or in the evening and found that I wore that to dinner each night.

The shore excursions were quite good. We went to Phuket, Langkawi and Redang Island. Phuket had had a monsoon go through 3 days before we got there and all of the beach loungers and umbrellas were piled up next to the beach instead of being on the beach. The water was quite stirred up too so it wasn't as nice as normal. We anchored at the deep-sea port and coached it to Patong for shopping.

In Langkawi we did the Eagle Feeding Adventure. Firstly, we were taken in speed boats to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden. This was quite nice - the water was warm if you wanted a swim but you had to keep an eye out for the monkeys if you had anything in plastic bags! They were everywhere!! Next we went to another area where the boat skippers threw chicken pieces into the water and loads of eagles came soaring in and dived to get the chicken. It was good but our guy had the boat a bit far away from the action :( Next we were taken to the Isle of the Wet Rice where we were served a nice barbeque lunch on the beach and had a swim before returning to the boat. It was a nice day :cool:

At Redang Island we went snorkelling. There were plenty of brightly coloured fish which surrounded you but unfortunately most of the coral appeared to be dead :( It was all white until you got quite a way out. We have previously been snorkelling at Poda Island near Krabi in Thailand and I thought that that was a lot better than Redang. The fish are used to being fed by the tourists (bread) and so tend to crowd around you and sometimes nip at you if you hold your hands out in front of you. One of my sons was a bit disconcerted by this... There is nothing on the island either so don't bother looking for gift shops or any amenities! Make sure that you have some lunch before you leave the ship!

The shows on board the Virgo were very good and we all enjoyed them a lot.

Cocktails were about AUD $10 each and Tiger beer in a big mug was about AUD $6. Wine with dinner cost about AUD $8 per glass or $30 per bottle. The ice creams at the Gelati place were about AUD $7.50. Be aware though that everything has a service charge as well!

The kids loved the water slide and it wasn't busy at all. We had a go too and had some fun with them.

We had a great relaxing time and really enjoyed the cruise. If anyone's got any questions, fire away ;)

Louise

[busseltoncruisers]

Hi busseltoncruisers, It depends where you want to dine. The Palazzo, Noble House & Samurai all take bookings. As you have to pay to dine at those restaurants I doubt that you would want a standing booking for 10 each night even if it was available. The Bella Vista, Pavillion and Mediterranean Buffet (included restaurants) do not take bookings and you need to queue up like everyone else. They also say all members of the party must be present before they will seat you, so you can't have one person queue up to book a table of ten. Probably not the news you wanted to hear but that has been my experience although I have never been in a party of ten! Have a great cruise.

 

We would be dining in the Bella Vista. Are the queues long and is there perhaps a time that is maybe not as popular. Also are there many tables for 10 !!!

[kuldalai]

Bella Vista is huge seats hundreds and hundreds . There are plenty of tables for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and larger . Don't get too stressed Star are very professional on board VIRGO and your group will be accommodated quickly .

Remember they have been doing this twice a week with thousands of pax on each departure for years, and they are very good at it . Relax and enjoy the cruise .

[busseltoncruisers]

Thanks for response. I'm sure I'm stressing about nothing. It's just that it will be such a special occasion and the folks are quite elderly. Great review OuiselG.

[human bean]

Thanks Louise for the review - greatly appreciated and making me look even more forward to our trip in October!

 

Cheers

HB

[kelvgan]

hi, wish to get some updates regarding this liner, my last trip onboard was in Sep 07, heard about the ship upgrades, ie. the stainless steel pool slides and tubes, can anybody share the experience and pictures to go along, i wish to get a cruise sometime late this year perhaps to the eastern peninsular way, thanks

 

 

http://www.starcruise.org/ssvirgo.htm

[delphinos2005]

Oh dear. So if I am travelling with a hair-dryer (as we are doing stuff pre & post cruise), is this likely to be confiscated?

 

I dont think so. I brought my hair straightening iron with me, and I had no problem getting it in.

[creeno]

I dont think so. I brought my hair straightening iron with me, and I had no problem getting it in.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. Back on dry land now and no probs with the hair dryer. Unfortunately, I am rather unwell (vertigo, nausea etc) so am feeling a little sorry for myself right now!!

[HoneyHoney123]

We finally did the cruise after 6 months of planning lol! It was great, i ate at all the restaurants. My favourites are Noble house and Palazzo, great food and service! We enjoyed three shows, Twice as nice (American couple) very cool, Terry Parade- Comedy and juggling- awesome awesome show, very funny and entertaining, and a crew show i think it The land of make believe, very cool as well!

I understand why some people said that some people were pushy and rude, one of the reason we never went to eat at the Mediterrean, although they the thing is, i think they do not do it on purpose, that's just the way they are! So i think if you go with an open mind and try to learn about their cultures too, you should be fine! :D

Anyway i had a fabulous time, we had the Junior suite, and it was fabulous, our guest service coordinator was Toku from Japan, he was so nice and always there to help us! We had a smooth embarkation and disembarkation! All in all i can't wait to go back!

It was our first cruise and i am glad we choose Star Virgo, great ship with great staff!

Enjoy :D

[boeckli]

We finally did the cruise after 6 months of planning lol! It was great, i ate at all the restaurants. My favourites are Noble house and Palazzo, great food and service! We enjoyed three shows, Twice as nice (American couple) very cool, Terry Parade- Comedy and juggling- awesome awesome show, very funny and entertaining, and a crew show i think it The land of make believe, very cool as well!

I understand why some people said that some people were pushy and rude, one of the reason we never went to eat at the Mediterrean, although they the thing is, i think they do not do it on purpose, that's just the way they are! So i think if you go with an open mind and try to learn about their cultures too, you should be fine! :D

Anyway i had a fabulous time, we had the Junior suite, and it was fabulous, our guest service coordinator was Toku from Japan, he was so nice and always there to help us! We had a smooth embarkation and disembarkation! All in all i can't wait to go back!

It was our first cruise and i am glad we choose Star Virgo, great ship with great staff!

Enjoy :D

 

Welcome back - happy to hear you had a great time and thanks for sharing your experiences.

[anewme]

Hi

 

Just thought I'd update you on our experiences. We went on the Virgo 10 - 15 May and had a great time.

 

We were on Level 6 in a cabin with a window with four of us in the cabin (2 adults, 10 & 7 yo) and thought I'd be disappointed with the cabin, but it was a great size. I had a look at the balcony cabins and didn't have cabin envy, so that was a good thing! The cabin had 2 x single beds, 1 bed that came down from the roof, and then a fold out sofa lounge (single), so once things were folded up, we actually had a fair bit of room. There were no tea/coffee things in our room, but a thermos instead. And the Mediterranean Buffet didn't have tea/coffee 24hrs, but it was no drama.

 

We didn't get to any shows, our kids were knackered at the end of each day and they didn't want to go to the kids club thing. It was $10/hr for kids from hmm, 5? to 12? So I was pleased about that! We still did heaps though. The kids loved the water slide, they spent most days on it ( you need to be 6 to ride it). We played shuffleboard, putt putt golf, did dance lessons in the Galaxy of the Stars. There was more than enough to do for us, and we didn't do half the things that we could have!

 

Food wise, we (sigh) ate at the Mediterranean Buffet most days, mainly because we had the kids. We tried the Bella Vista, and while the food there was fantastic, the kids menu was not great, and we would have enjoyed it more, had we not had the kids with us! So we sucked it up at the Buffet and while the food there was great, the behaviour of some of the guests was revolting. There was a lot of pushing and shoving and no concept of queueing. We tended to get our food and go out onto the Terrace to eat, it was so much quieter out there and much more relaxed. And I can take into account cultural differences, but gosh, the behaviour still left me gobsmacked so often. There was a kids buffet too in the Mediterranean, separate to the main buffet.

 

The crew were fantastic, especially considering the treatment that they were given by some of the passengers. You couldn't fault them and they always had a smile on their face.

 

Embarking took a while in Singapore, we'd got there relatively early, but there was still a long queue to pick up our passes, but once that was done, we got on the ship quickly and found our cabin easily. And in saying that, the staff were out in the queues, offering assistance, and being really helpful!

 

Excursions wise, my husband/daugher went into Penang and had a great time there. We all went into Phuket for Elephant Riding and it was fantastic! A real highlight of the trip. And then I went into KL to the Mid Valley Mall. That was good.

 

Things that I wish I had taken...a powerboard! There was 1 plug in the cabin to charge things up with, however they don't encourage you to leave things charging if you are not in the cabin. So we were madly trying to juggle charging a phone/laptop (to download photo's on...not to do work!), Ipods, and camera batteries. So if you've got a few electrical things to charge, it'd be worth packing a powerboard. We took a cake of soap, and I really appreciated not using the liquid soap provided. Pegs, thank you to whoever suggested taking them! They were great! And I'd take a mini clothes line next time. I did a heap of handwashing as we'd been in Singapore for 4 days previously and ran out of room.

 

Washing wise, they had 2 specials one...one was for a bag of washing for $50S, and that was great. We managed to get 33 bits of washing in our bag, and it was back to us within 12 hours. The other one...think it was x amount for $10.

 

Cocktails were $10S, beers about $7.50 I think. If you wanted Shirley Temples for the kids, they were $8S. Coffee's about $7.50S for a decaf cappucino type coffee.

 

One thing that was interesting was that at the Med. Buffet, you can no longer serve yourself due to swine flu. All the staff were wearing face masks, and they served you. Which was probably a good thing as it would have been even worse with people grabbing stuff. You also needed to put on hand sanitiser as you came into every restaurant. You were scanned each time you embarked/disembarked the ship with a thermal imagery camera.

 

It was a great trip apart from the rudeness of some passengers, we loved cruising and loved the Virgo. There were times that we were the only ones in the pool or on the slide, and we could always find a quiet corner for the girls to do their journals.

 

Thanks for all the valuable information you gave me before we left!

 

Sarah

[boeckli]

Sarah, thanks for taking the time to post your review. Glad to hear you had an enjoyable cruise on the beautiful Virgo.

Now you can start planning for the next one ...

[busseltoncruisers]

Thanks for the great review Sarah. Only three months to go before we sail and everyone is getting very excited. I can detect the same thoughts about the buffet from most recent cruisers. Seems like the place to avoid if possible. Many Aussies on board your cruise ?

[anewme]

There were a few...we kept running into them in different places. The ship was so big that we really didn't see everyone, and especially if they didn't frequent the buffet like we did! We played Shuffleboard with some people from Fremantle I think? You'd see the Aussies around, but they didn't stick out, mainly because they were cruisy and relaxed and not demanding!

 

If you don't have kids with you and don't need to go to the Buffet, I wouldn't. A couple of times, we got there early enough to beat the crowd and that worked well!

 

But it really was a great cruise, we loved it and I've started thinking about where else I could go!

 

Sarah

[human bean]

Thanks for the informative review Sarah, I enjoyed reading it and am glad you enjoyed your cruise!

 

Cheers,

HB

[furballPerth]

I can't wait til I go on the Virgo again in August but am getting a little nervous about swine flu. I know the ship takes precautions to avoid outbreaks but there has been a bit of publicity in Australia in the last couple of days with cruise liners being held up for hours because of suspected swine flu cases. Hopefully processes will be streamlined by then.

 

Liz

[4us2]

Hi

 

My wife and I are going on the Virgo cruise that stops off at Malacca for a couple of hours. We have heard that there is a tour that goes from Malacca overland to KL and eventually meets up with the ship in Port Klang 11 or so hours later.

 

Has anyone done this tour and is it worth the cost and time off the ship?

 

If you stay on the ship and go into Port Klang what is the best way to get into KL and what are some of the better things to do there before you head back to the ship?

[resordanis]

Hi

 

My wife and I are going on the Virgo cruise that stops off at Malacca for a couple of hours. We have heard that there is a tour that goes from Malacca overland to KL and eventually meets up with the ship in Port Klang 11 or so hours later.

 

Has anyone done this tour and is it worth the cost and time off the ship?

 

If you stay on the ship and go into Port Klang what is the best way to get into KL and what are some of the better things to do there before you head back to the ship?

 

We did the Malacca tour in 2008 and thought it was well worth the long day! We left the ship around 7am and were not back until around 5pm. It was very interesting and definately worth doing. Malacca is such an fascinating place with some great history! I think it is around $80S. It also entailed some shopping in KL plus some sightseeing in KL. If you stay on the ship (as we did this year) the only way to get to KL and back is with one of the buses organised by Star. This is by far the cheapest and best way, taking into account that you are about 1 1/2 hours away from KL. I would not take a chance with my own transfers as traffic in KL can be a nightmare.

Hope this helps. If you need any other information, I am happy to help!:)

[4us2]

Thanks for the quick reply resordanis.

 

One more question, if we go on the tour what places in KL does it take you to? I've heard that Chinatown is good but other than that we don't know anyhing about KL.

[resordanis]

Thanks for the quick reply resordanis.

 

One more question, if we go on the tour what places in KL does it take you to? I've heard that Chinatown is good but other than that we don't know anyhing about KL.

Depending on the time it takes you to get from Malacca to KL you go the the Twin Towers and basically a City tour. Then they leave you for about 2 hours in Chinatown, which is great if you have shopping to do. For us (as 2 people who are not good on tours!!) we just loved the Malacca part of the tour. The tour included lunch and we thought it was great value for the price we paid and even though we have done many tours since that time (and not enjoyed them) we still talk about Malacca.:D

[skittles11]

Is it my poor searching skills or are there no cruises next April in 2010 that are longer than 2 days aboard SSV?

[jurol]

Is it my poor searching skills or are there no cruises next April in 2010 that are longer than 2 days aboard SSV?

 

I leave for my cruise in August and it is a 5 day cruise. This is an itinerary that combines two other cruises that can each be taken individually. The itinerary is detailed at http://www.*************.com/itins/superstar_virgo_cruises_biga.html

 

I'm counting off the weeks now. Can't wait!

[ssv]

Hi ssv You are a great source of information. I am going on my 3rd Virgo cruise in August but have always gone in December before when the ship anchors off Patong Beach and it's easy to get off and have a day looking around . With it docking alongside the Deep Sea port in August, is it worth getting off just to have a look around if you don't want to do shore excursions. You say there are temporary stalls set up. I assume they are for the tourists getting off the boat. Are there taxis around that could be hired to go into Phuket Town for a couple of hours?

 

Hi furballPerth. Sorry for the late reply, I have been very busy these few months and as such didn't pop in.

 

It is extremely easy and not a hassle to disembark the ship even for a 10 minutes walk around the Port. In fact, many passengers hop on and off the ship for food and perhaps for a coconut drink during the short stay.

 

The food stalls may not entice you to eat (since it is makeshift) but I can guarantee clean and delicious food at a reasonable price. You should not miss the Banana Pancake from an old friendly man at the very end of the "bazaar" it is my favourite. Fruits are plentiful and very delicious, I've had a dinner of fruits alone as they are extremely fresh (sweet and juicy)

 

The temporary stalls are not only for the passengers, in fact most crew will have their meals there as well. I recall seeing the Safety Manager having his dinner there when Virgo had a night stopover. The pancake and fruits are a hit.

 

There are plenty of taxi operators at the port itself and it is possible rent the taxi for a to/fro anywhere in Phuket, you set the return time.

 

The prices of engaging their service is slightly inflated, thats for sure. Crew and many frequent customers will walk a short distance out(10-15 minutes) for cheaper transport to Phuket town.

 

As a guide, taxis outside the Port is willing to bring crew to Town for 200-300 baht one way and 500 baht two-way. They will undoubtably charge passengers more, do negotiate. They may insist on bringing you to jewellery shops as well, as they get fuel coupons/commission, you can decline the offer however and they will still be very friendly.