Super Star Virgo

[Westaussie]

We are off again on the Diamond Princess in November. We are sailing Bangkok to Sydney. Roll on November.

 

.

 

Enjoyed your Virgo review, haven't been on her for ages, we did love the Gemini. Have you joined the Diamond Roll Call - have a few friends on that sailing - they're a lively lot. We'll be joining the ship on 10th December to NZ.

 

SSV - hope you'll be able to tell us soon about some longer, interesting itineraries!

 

Vera

[busseltoncruisers]

Enjoyed your Virgo review, haven't been on her for ages, we did love the Gemini. Have you joined the Diamond Roll Call - have a few friends on that sailing - they're a lively lot. We'll be joining the ship on 10th December to NZ.

 

SSV - hope you'll be able to tell us soon about some longer, interesting itineraries!

 

Vera

 

I have been keeping my eye on the Diamond roll call and what a huge roll out. We needed to get this cruise over (I am not sure which is more demanding, cruising with the Grandkids or parents). I always feel guilty joining a roll call because we start with the best intentions to attend the meet and greet etc but always get side tracked !!! This cruise will be for my husband and myself so really looking forward to it. The Diamond looks like an impressive ship. We love Princess. We did the Sydney to Auckland sailing last November (with the oldies) on the Celebrity Millenium. Just love that itinerary. We also like to experience the different sea conditions.

[ssv]

New itineraries next year(April-Oct 2010) may not be totally new or spectacular however it is a small step towards what many fellow members here have been asking for.

 

For a start, the variation of Penang/Phuket & Phuket/Langkawi cruise will return April 2010 as well as the usual Redang/Port Klang cruises.

 

Virgo's friday weekend high sea cruises will be temporarily stopped, instead a variation of alternating two ports will be sailed.

 

This allows for a continuous destination cruising for a full week although there will be 2 stops in Singapore.

 

 

 

Also, mid-2010 will feature a total of four special cruises.

 

 

Recently, Virgo's load has been below usual. Currently, ~1300 were onboard for the Sun-Wed sailing. I wouldn't be surprised if it falls even further when the IRs open in SG. We may see Virgo relocating to another market.

 

@Bugis: Definitely not India next year

 

@Brusselton: The Chinese twin's act is indeed amazing.

[cruiseaddict6583]

Hello,

As you can see i am cruising superstar virgo in december. we have applied for one of the forward BB balconies on deck 10, near the suites and junior suites. any drawbacks we have to take into consideration?

also, i where is a good spot to watch sailway from singapore. will watching from balcony be good. Thanks in advance.

[Princess Nic]

Hi there,

 

Can someone help me with a quick question - my mum is off on the Virgo next week and she is just wondering if shorts are allowed to be worn by men in the Bella Vista?

 

Thanks so much :)

[Bugis]

Shorts are fine for breakfast and lunch but long trousers are required for dinner.

[harras]

Do you know if I go to the Starcruises office in Singapore to checkin the day before the cruise, can I checkin for all 3 of us,

 

also what's the best time to arrive at the Harbourfront terminal on the day of the cruise, checkin starts at 12,

 

Sarah

[bellman1957]

[is it worth doing the 2 night cruise and were there many australians on board,

Did book 5 night cruise but tried to cancel but will loose $375 pp deposit so thinking about just doing two night any suggestions

 

 

quote=Bugis;21068283]Yes SSV great news IF they are going to offer longer cruises on Virgo, is this wishful thinking or solid information.

 

We were on Virgo for 5 days 3 weeks ago and many staff members told us they had heard the ship might relocate to India after the Singapore casinos open early to mid next year. After seeing the passenger make up you would think it already has!!

[Bugis]

In my opinion it is not worth doing the 2 night cruise. Things have changed on Virgo as far as passenger make up is concerned however it still is a beautiful ship with wonderful facilities and great staff. You will have a great time IF you are tolerant and realise and appreciate the customs and behaviour of other people. We have been 4 times on Virgo, all 5 night cruises and once on Aquarius for 6 nights and we enjoyed them all. I lived and worked in Asia for many years so we are familiar and respect other culutures but if you are not prepared it could be quiet a culture shock.

 

Enjoy your cruise, its a great part of the world and the staff will make it memorable, they are fantastic.

[cruiseaddict6583]

heres some latest updates.

 

These are just speculations and you are advised to take this with a pinch of salt.

 

i have visited the singapore cruise centre website (cruise schedues)

and have discovered some of the ports of call after april 2010. @ http://www.singaporecruise.com/cruiseschedule.aspx

to get what is here, search vessel "superstar virgo" and enter. from '07 records, scroll all the way down to may 2010. There are some unusual, non-routine ports.

New ports include: Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Koh Samui etc.

Also, the arrival and departure times are very different.

 

Refer to the attatched picture. At the last two highlighted columns, you will see the virgo depart for bangkok on 13 june 5pm. then she arrives from koh samui on 18 june at noon.

thats 5 nights 6 days.

so a possible new itinerary may be

 

13 June day 1 Singapore Depart 5pm

14 June day 2 At sea

15 June day 3 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand Full day

16 June day 4 Ko Samui, Thailand Full day

17 June day 5 At sea

18 June Singapore Arrive 12pm

 

any comments? this may be possible, right?

 

Once again, stuff happens and the schedules change. Don't be too reliant on this speculation. Looking forward to seeing your comment. Plase comment.

 

-cruiseaddict

 

P.S: i'll be going on the virgo this december, if anyone would want photos (we'll be meeting the libra in Singapore on the 16th and Costa Allegra on the 13th) or would like to make some special enquiries about the cruise you can ask me in advance and i'll try to find out the answers on the cruise. will also do a short review on CC.

 

[Paulchili]

I am sure this info is somewhere in this thread,but I am feeling a little lazy today. I would appreciate if someone could answer my question.

We are doing a 5 day SOM cruise. When the ship returns to Singapore at 7 PM on day 3 (and then leaves at midnight), do we have to disembark and re-embark again or can we simply stay on?

Thanks,

Paul

[boeckli]

I am sure this info is somewhere in this thread,but I am feeling a little lazy today. I would appreciate if someone could answer my question.

We are doing a 5 day SOM cruise. When the ship returns to Singapore at 7 PM on day 3 (and then leaves at midnight), do we have to disembark and re-embark again or can we simply stay on?

Thanks,

Paul

 

When we did SOM previously (2001 and 2002), we simply stayed on board.

[boeckli]

so a possible new itinerary may be

 

13 June day 1 Singapore Depart 5pm

14 June day 2 At sea

15 June day 3 Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand Full day

16 June day 4 Ko Samui, Thailand Full day

17 June day 5 At sea

18 June Singapore Arrive 12pm

 

any comments? this may be possible, right?

 

We did that itinerary on Virgo back in 2004 - very enjoyable trip :)

[busseltoncruisers]

I am sure this info is somewhere in this thread,but I am feeling a little lazy today. I would appreciate if someone could answer my question.

We are doing a 5 day SOM cruise. When the ship returns to Singapore at 7 PM on day 3 (and then leaves at midnight), do we have to disembark and re-embark again or can we simply stay on?

Thanks,

Paul

Paul, just got back 2 weeks ago. Not compulsory to get off the ship. We were a party of 10 and 4 of us shopping addicts decided to get off and check out the portside shopping centre. The rest of the party remained on board. Getting off was no problem. We went into the reading room and collected our passports and then were directed into the Galaxy of the Stars to wait to be called to disembark. We were given champagne while we waited..very nice. We lined up with everyone else which took about 15 minutes to go through the process. We were issued with transit tickets and getting back on board was painless.

[oatz]

Hi busseltoncruisers

 

Thanks very much for posting your review, it's always nice to pick up handy hints from other people's experiences.

 

We are off on the Virgo in a few weeks time, we have done the SOM cruise once before and just went with the ships shore excursions then but this time we are thinking of doing them on our own and it seems what we are looking at doing is fairly similar to what you did, hopefully you can help me with a few questions.

 

Which elephant safari park did you go to in Phuket and can you give me a rough idea of the cost/time of the taxi ride there?

 

Roughly what was the cost of the taxi to the Komtar in Penang and also to the shopping centre in Port Klang?

 

From memory, on the last cruise those going off the ship independently at the ports of call were the last off, is this still the case?

 

Thanks for you help.

 

cheers

oatz

[busseltoncruisers]

Hi busseltoncruisers

 

Thanks very much for posting your review, it's always nice to pick up handy hints from other people's experiences.

 

We are off on the Virgo in a few weeks time, we have done the SOM cruise once before and just went with the ships shore excursions then but this time we are thinking of doing them on our own and it seems what we are looking at doing is fairly similar to what you did, hopefully you can help me with a few questions.

 

Which elephant safari park did you go to in Phuket and can you give me a rough idea of the cost/time of the taxi ride there?

 

Roughly what was the cost of the taxi to the Komtar in Penang and also to the shopping centre in Port Klang?

 

From memory, on the last cruise those going off the ship independently at the ports of call were the last off, is this still the case?

 

Thanks for you help.

 

cheers

oatz

Hi Oatz

We negotiated at the wharf for car and driver to take us to the elephant safari park, wait for us and then take us into Patong beach for shopping. The mistake we made was to not get the driver to wait in Patong and return us to the ship. The taxis on Patong beach were not that keen to have a fare one way to the wharf. The time from ship to safari park was about 30-40 minutes. The taxi was about $30 from memory. We didn't rush off the ship and a lot of the crowd had died down. We stuck to our guns and ended up with a lovely driver and a very nice car. Can't remember what we paid for the 20 minute elephant ride (20 minutes is long enough.) We saved about $25 each going on our own but we arrived before the buses so got straight onto an elephant. The elephant handlers also tell you their sad story and show you where they live in such poor conditions with their family and how little money they earn. They are really lovely so couldn't help but give them a tip...twice. The taxi driver will also want to take you to a shop where he gets a kick back for taking you there. We insisted that we didn't have time and we had to meet up with the rest of our family at Patong Beach. he gave up in the end.

 

The taxi ride into Komtar was pretty cheap..can't remember exactly how much. When you get off the tender there are hundreds of drivers touting for your business. We had lunch on the ship and by the time we were ready to get off the ship we walked straight on to a tender and waited about 15minutes for it to fill up before we headed to shore. The drive to Komtar was about 10 very hairraising minutes.

 

When you get off at Port Klang there is a taxi desk as you exit the terminal and the return fare is a fixed price. You are given a very official pink slip. the driver waits for you while you shop. It took about 20 minutes to get to the shopping centre and about 1/2 an hour to get back as the traffic was a lot heavier on the return journey. Sorry can't remember fare but it wasn't much shared between us all.

 

The passengers booked on Star cruises tours are given priority but there never was a problem getting off the ship.

 

Hope this helps.

[Paulchili]

Boeckli & Denise,

Thanks for your advice.

As we have a few days in Singapore pre & post cruise, I think we'll just stay on the ship and chill (that may be hard in Singapore).

[oatz]

Hi Oatz

We negotiated at the wharf for car and driver to take us to the elephant safari park, wait for us and then take us into Patong beach for shopping. The mistake we made was to not get the driver to wait in Patong and return us to the ship. The taxis on Patong beach were not that keen to have a fare one way to the wharf. The time from ship to safari park was about 30-40 minutes. The taxi was about $30 from memory. We didn't rush off the ship and a lot of the crowd had died down. We stuck to our guns and ended up with a lovely driver and a very nice car. Can't remember what we paid for the 20 minute elephant ride (20 minutes is long enough.) We saved about $25 each going on our own but we arrived before the buses so got straight onto an elephant. The elephant handlers also tell you their sad story and show you where they live in such poor conditions with their family and how little money they earn. They are really lovely so couldn't help but give them a tip...twice. The taxi driver will also want to take you to a shop where he gets a kick back for taking you there. We insisted that we didn't have time and we had to meet up with the rest of our family at Patong Beach. he gave up in the end.

 

The taxi ride into Komtar was pretty cheap..can't remember exactly how much. When you get off the tender there are hundreds of drivers touting for your business. We had lunch on the ship and by the time we were ready to get off the ship we walked straight on to a tender and waited about 15minutes for it to fill up before we headed to shore. The drive to Komtar was about 10 very hairraising minutes.

 

When you get off at Port Klang there is a taxi desk as you exit the terminal and the return fare is a fixed price. You are given a very official pink slip. the driver waits for you while you shop. It took about 20 minutes to get to the shopping centre and about 1/2 an hour to get back as the traffic was a lot heavier on the return journey. Sorry can't remember fare but it wasn't much shared between us all.

 

The passengers booked on Star cruises tours are given priority but there never was a problem getting off the ship.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the info Denise, much appreciated.

 

cheers

Nick

[cruiseaddict6583]

Hello. I have some questions for busseltoncruisers. Re: Penang

 

I understand that Penang is a tender port. How is the tendering process like (E.G where and what time to assemble, any tender tickets etc.)

and roughly when is the last tender to the virgo before departure?

 

thanks in advance.

[cruiseaddict6583]

P.S: I know this is kind of off-topic but does anyone know more about megastar aries (images of interior, how to charter) etc. star cruises website has very little info.

thanks

[busseltoncruisers]

Hello. I have some questions for busseltoncruisers. Re: Penang

 

I understand that Penang is a tender port. How is the tendering process like (E.G where and what time to assemble, any tender tickets etc.)

and roughly when is the last tender to the virgo before departure?

 

thanks in advance.

 

We didn't rush off the ship at this port as we intended to only go to the shopping centre not far from the port. We left about 2 hours after docking. We just went down to the tender and there was one waiting. Took about 15 minutes and then we were off. About 10minutes to the landing jetty. We did intend to walk but the weather was appalling so caught a taxi instead. The walk would have been very interesting. The last tender is approx 1 hour before sailing. Just an observation, we found the Star cruises shore excursions very reasonably priced compared to other cruiselines and especially when you consider the strength of the Aussie dollar.

[cruiseaddict6583]

We didn't rush off the ship at this port as we intended to only go to the shopping centre not far from the port. We left about 2 hours after docking. We just went down to the tender and there was one waiting. Took about 15 minutes and then we were off. About 10minutes to the landing jetty. We did intend to walk but the weather was appalling so caught a taxi instead. The walk would have been very interesting. The last tender is approx 1 hour before sailing. Just an observation, we found the Star cruises shore excursions very reasonably priced compared to other cruiselines and especially when you consider the strength of the Aussie dollar.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm sure it will help on my cruise soon. One last question - where is the tender landing jetty?

-cruiseaddict6583

[cruiseaddict6583]

Another bunch of silly questions that can all be found somewhere here. But I'm just so lazy to look. Thank you all for answering my questions as the crusise date draws near.

 

GALA DINNER

-Where is the Gala dinner held?

-Are children (age 12 & above) allowed to seat at the captain's table or a table with officers?

-Is it necessary to make a reservation for the Gala dinner?

-Gala dinner. Elegant Casual wear. Help define "Elegant Casual" please!

 

TENDERING

-Where to assemble for a tender?

-Are there Tender Tickets?

-Is there a second deck on the tender?

 

BALCONY CABIN

-Booked a forward cabin on deck 10, starboard side. Any comments? Drawbacks?

 

Thanks. I've been on the Virgo many times already but the last time I went was 6 years ago so I can hardly remember a thing. :)

 

-cruiseaddict6583

[kuldalai]

GALA DINNER

-Where is the Gala dinner held?

-Are children (age 12 & above) allowed to seat at the captain's table or a table with officers?

-Is it necessary to make a reservation for the Gala dinner?

-Gala dinner. Elegant Casual wear. Help define "Elegant Casual" please!

 

In all the on-board restaurants. Go for Bella Vista for the event effect.

You have to be invited to sit on Captains or Officers table. So worry about kids when and if you are invited. Usually very frequent cruisers, people in Executive Suites or High Rollers get asked first .

Yes - reservations required. You will be advised on board when you can book. There is a pecking order here too .

- Ladies smart dress and shawl . Guys - smart collar shirt, with or without tie, sports trousers and jacket will be fine. Don't worry no penguin Suits !!!

 

TENDERING

-Where to assemble for a tender?

-Are there Tender Tickets?

-Is there a second deck on the tender?

 

They are very well organized . Again you will be told where to assemble and at what time. Those going on tours get off first and in tour and group order, then DIY tourists are last .

 

No tender tickets. Tender boats are one level .

 

BALCONY CABIN

-Booked a forward cabin on deck 10, starboard side. Any comments? Drawbacks?

 

Deck 10 forward starboard sounds fine . What you see going you don't see on the way home and v.v.

 

Relax, get on board and roll with the punches . Star are old masters at getting 1000 pax off in tender boats and away within an hour . They are are just brilliant . Read your daily delivered STAR NAVIGATOR Newsletter, go to any Tour Briefings offered, and book your tours at the Tour Desk on Deck 7 as early as possible and have a great cruise .

 

You can suss out the Shore Excursions somewhere on the Star website .

[cruiseaddict6583]

 

In all the on-board restaurants. Go for Bella Vista for the event effect.

You have to be invited to sit on Captains or Officers table. So worry about kids when and if you are invited. Usually very frequent cruisers, people in Executive Suites or High Rollers get asked first .

Yes - reservations required. You will be advised on board when you can book. There is a pecking order here too .

- Ladies smart dress and shawl . Guys - smart collar shirt, with or without tie, sports trousers and jacket will be fine. Don't worry no penguin Suits !!!

 

 

They are very well organized . Again you will be told where to assemble and at what time. Those going on tours get off first and in tour and group order, then DIY tourists are last .

 

No tender tickets. Tender boats are one level .

 

Deck 10 forward starboard sounds fine . What you see going you don't see on the way home and v.v.

 

Relax, get on board and roll with the punches . Star are old masters at getting 1000 pax off in tender boats and away within an hour . They are are just brilliant . Read your daily delivered STAR NAVIGATOR Newsletter, go to any Tour Briefings offered, and book your tours at the Tour Desk on Deck 7 as early as possible and have a great cruise .

 

You can suss out the Shore Excursions somewhere on the Star website .

 

Thanks alot. It will help on my cruise. We don't plan to do any shore excursions with Star though. Just doing DIY in Penang and relaxing onboard in Phuket (when there are much less passengers to crowd places like the hot tubs and the water slide or pool :)).