Miscellaneous Info about Star based on our Sept. Cruise

[roothy123]

I'm having lunch today with someone in my area who is going on Star next year. She has little cruising experience, so I decided to write out some info to give to her to take home. That info is below. It may not cover all of her questions, and also may repeat some things I've said in other posts, but I figured more info is better than less. Keep in mind that it's based on my experience in late September 2015, Venice to Istanbul, and things may change by the time you cruise. Feel free to comment, correct, or add more info!

 

Excursions: We were in a deluxe veranda, with booking window toward end of booking cycle, but before people in verandas. I think My Viking Journey gave a countdown as to when we could book. About a week after our window opened, I booked included tours. I got times I wanted, many early or mid-morning and one in afternoon. (Note there are dropdown boxes for times.) There were a few paid excursions on MVJ that I either didn’t notice before or were new – might want to look out for that. I don’t think any dropped off, but with cruise line shore excursions, that’s always possible. I booked one paid excursion a week later. It went out with only 12 people – I was thankful. Once booked, you can view your choices on MVJ, although keep in mind there’s a chance you may be moved to a different time slot and/or times will change a little.

Once in cabin, check tickets. Mine were fine, although in many cases it looked like meeting times were a little earlier than MVJ tour times (especially if demand was high for included tours). Tours were generally described pretty well in terms of exertion, but Europe has lots of cobblestones, and “old towns” require a lot of walking, so those excursions could make even the easy tours a little tiring, especially in summer. However, everyone in our groups kept up fine. If they hadn’t, I suppose they would have caught up with the group during the free time which often came before the end of each excursion. Guides were great, but they don’t count bodies at every step of tour, just at start, and definitely at end if buses are involved. You might want to plan where you’ll meet if the 4 of you split up or get lost, and tell guide if you’re not going back to ship or tender pier with him/her.

 

In most ports, it appeared to be easy to get a cab to and from port and end of included tour. I’m not sure how to assure 100% that you get on same included excursion as other people you’re traveling with. If that’s important and booking window for all in the group is open, go online and book at same time when window opens. (For paid excursions, it’s simpler, as there will likely be only one time choice. You have to pay for those with credit card at time of booking.) If you want a smaller tour group for included excursions, might want to consider afternoon tours, as I think they attract smaller numbers of people. Some people really wanted first excursion in morning, but keep in mind that first few days, or on days when ship gets into port quite early, you may still be groggy given the time difference in flying to Europe from home. In many ports, it’s possible to get out to the city by shuttle or taxi and come back for lunch and go out for a tour (or vice versa). For us, worrying about being able to book the first tour was a non-issue. If you’re taking a non-ship’s excursion in a tender port, allow extra time for the tendering process, and keep in mind that tender seats for non-ship’s tour passengers may be limited for the first hour or two. If you have a private tour, however, (or the ship is late getting in) a reputable tour guide will monitor the situation and wait for you.

 

Departure of each excursion is announced, but not in rooms. Best to go to deck 1 around 5 minutes before “meet by” time. (Deck 1 has “living room,” lots of chairs, Explorers’ Desk (usually 3 people seated at tables), grand piano, restrooms with rain forest theme, computers for guest use, etc.) 4 of you might want to plan to meet somewhere (for example, deck 1 across from piano, port side). Whether on a tour or on your own, it’s probably best to go off ship together, as might be shuttle to port, bus to city, tender to city, etc. to complicate things. There are wall phones on the ship to call someone’s room if necessary. Just dial 4 digit room number. Bring your stateroom card, tour ticket and in many ports (as stated in Viking Daily) an ID. We took driver’s licenses but left passports in safe. I was only asked once for ID (in Venice after I went back out) but of course, port terminal personnel set their own requirements and they can vary depending upon security considerations, so anything’s possible. For most included tours, there were at least 3 meeting times and tours; pay attention to number (e.g., 01A, 01B) printed in Viking Daily and on ticket. When tour announced, go downstairs to deck A (always for us, but could be different depending upon port). (Follow others or take elevator). Grab bottle of water (free) before giving your card to security to scan and return. Vox Boxes were great – if tour group was getting farther away, sound was weaker, so I knew to stop dawdling and catch up. Just be patient when guide is starting up – takes a little while to find right frequency, and if groups are close to each other, you might hear another guide speaking until you and guide are on same frequency. Don’t forget that boxes need to be charged. We just turned them off after the tour and then put them in the charger box every night. They’re needed for most but not all excursions; this is outlined in Daily. I’m a little crazy about stuff, so I made a list every night of what to do/take in AM – suntan lotion, meds, Vox box, light shirt, cap, camera, number of agent, key card, money, ID, ticket, rain hat, onboard time, couple aspirin, etc.

 

Don’t be afraid to arrange your own excursions. It’s unlikely you’ll miss the ship.

 

Cities:

 

Free shuttles to and from port city were provided in many places, roughly on half hour, roughly whole time ship was in port. Occasionally you may have to take a shuttle to the outside of the port. Check tomsportguides.com to see how close to the city you’re likely to dock. Cities like Rome, Florence, Berlin and Seville are not close to an ocean cruise dock and require extra time on a bus or train. Ports with an anchor on itinerary indicate tendering on a small boat to shore is usually needed. Usually the need to tender is known pre-cruise, but occasional surprises occur, especially when multiple ships converge on a small place with limited docking space. Ocean cruise ports can be far from city center. Tendering and proximity to city center affect your sightseeing time. In general, “on board ship” time was half hour pre-sail time, including tendering days, but pay attention, as this could vary. Generally, people could depart the ship on their own 20 – 40 minutes after pulling up at the dock, but this can vary as well.

 

Venice: Very easy to get lost even with a map, unless you just stay in St. Mark’s Square. Leave lots of time to get anywhere. If going to ship or hotel on your own (not with Viking), pre-plan how to get there. I found site Venice for Visitors very helpful. You can’t just take a (land) taxi in many situations. If exploring on own, keep in mind that maps, no matter how good, may not show every block or street, and names of “streets” may not be marked on buildings. We had lots of fun just riding vaporettos. Good news is that Venice is relatively compact, so once you’re on the island, you can see a lot in a half day or night. It’s also relatively safe, day and night.

 

Dubrovnik: Plenty of things to do, but I hear hours of sightseeing activities are curtailed a bit in early spring and late fall. Included tour is long but worth it. If want, can sit part of it out at Dominican Monastery. Can take cable car on your own – not a terrible walk from top exit of old town. Keep in mind a credit card or Croatian kunas are needed for cable car or to walk the city walls. Tzdubrovnik.hr is good site; Rick Steves is good resource too.

 

Food: Dinner reservations at Manfredi’s & Chef’s Table: Once you can get on MVJ, check to see how many more days you have to wait until you can book. I book as soon as the window opens up. Works well for me on Oceania and it worked well on Star. The night before, I think about what’simportant to me. I look up sea days and think about where we’re likely to be during dinner time each day (in port? Sailing away from a pretty port city? Exhausted after a long tour?) On MVJ, choices will be Manfredi’s or Chef’s Table, day, time, and table for 2 or shared - but I forget the order of selection. If you don’t like your first try, don’t book, go back out, and start again. (Didn’t change any reservations, so don’t know if you can do that online.) Viking sends emails once you book. Reservations won’t show up on MVJ, but can go to Explorers’ Desk on board, or perhaps call. I can’t advise how to book for travel companions with a different booking number and/or different booking window, but I believe there’s a thread about this on CC, or you can call Viking for advice.

 

Chef’s Table menu now changes every 3 days. If you can reserve more than one night, try to reserve 3 or 4 days after your first reservation so menus will be different. Don’t panic if menu on day you’ve reserved doesn’t sound great. I’m not a spice lover, but really enjoyed the “Route des Indes” (spices) menu. Menus are not strictly one type of food, and unless you’re 100% a meat and potatoes person, or have really unusual tastes or restrictions, I think you’ll be happy at Chef’s Table. Mamsen’s is nice for occasional breakfast, late night snack or (when open) light lunch. Waffles with toppings are quite good; didn’t try lunch or snacks. Living Room on 1 has pastries and coffee for breakfast. Room service breakfast (hot, good menu) is done by hang tag placed on door the night before.

 

In World Café, Mamsen’s and I think Pool Grill, just get plate at one of the stations and get your food. Don’t have to worry about silverware, glasses, napkins and drinks. Those are on table or provided after you sit down. World Café has one or two hot entrees at dinner that are made to order; may be same situation at lunch (I forget). One side of WC at night has sushi with pizza on the other. There may also be a few subtle differences between sides (not sure). We liked eating outside at WC, but there are plenty of inside or half inside tables as well. The bees in Dubrovnik bothered us; someone who took an excursion there told us there’s a reason for that (good for Croatia but bad for cruisers!)

The Restaurant has some “always on the menu” items like salmon in addition to daily offerings. Our wait at around 7 or so was usually about 5 minutes, and availability of 2 person tables was good.

 

Tea: Just say no to the mini tray of goodies they offer & eat 2 warm scones!

If you have special food needs, I think Viking wants to know that a couple months in advance, and then again once you board (see website). Also, if you’re celebrating a special occasion on board, that requires advance notice. Our TA’s request for us did not make it to the ship – might want to check once you’re on board! Then again, we talked to someone who received something in her cabin recognizing her birthday – unrequested but appreciated. Can’t comment much on drinks, as we are both practically teetotalers.

 

Other:

Pre-cruise: There’s a FAQ section on website, but it’s kind of buried. There are also a checklist to help plan your cruise, plus basic maps in MVJ (also available at Explorers’ Desk). If you’re a true explorer like me, you’ll want more detailed maps. I use Google, openstreetmaps.org, OSMand app for Android, etc. For info on common cruise port cities, I use tomsportguides.com, Port Guides section. He also has good general info, although his experience is based on large ships (Princess) so your experience on Star will a little different/better.

 

Embarkation: Personalized cruise booklet didn’t state, but website says can board any time after 11, with rooms available at time stated in booklet (according to category). Lunch was available at World Café. If you plan to board after 4pm, check with Viking to make sure terminal and Viking folks will be there, and ask when muster drill will be. If embarking at Venice and getting to ship on your own, might want to confirm ship’s location day before you embark. After cruise booklets were sent out, port apparently assigned us to San Basilio instead of the usual passenger terminal at the maritime port. In a place like Venice, it pays to be prepared for anything – unique city with some unusual challenges!

 

Once on ship, I figure out how to orient myself to find my cabin easily. It was easy for me on Star, since the elevators closest to my room (front half of ship) faced only one direction. However, if you’re closer to aft elevators, might want to look for something to orient yourself (are you on elevator with glass in rear & view of atrium? Is there a piece of artwork or phone near elevator on same side of ship as your room?) Of course, there is electronic signage at some locations, plus the usual deck placards telling which rooms are which direction, and there are diagrams of the ship in your cruise booklet.

 

Plastic stateroom card has phone # of ship; can call it if need help or get lost. (Also shows assembly station and group # in event of an emergency.) Also, Viking posts an “agent” phone in the Viking Daily (agent usually changes for each port). Because I go off alone in many ports, I take agent and ship numbers with me in case I need them.

 

Note that hours of certain “things” like access to shore excursion personnel or restaurant hours can be slightly different day to day. Times are posted in Viking Daily.

 

Ship’s stores are required to be closed when the ship is in port, and for a short while afterwards. The stores were low keyed and lesser-stocked compared to other cruise lines we’ve been on, and there weren’t endless flyers coming with the Viking Daily to let us know of specials. I personally found these things refreshing, but others might want more. If you need aspirin and whatnot, call the medical clinic. If you need something that can’t wait until the ship is out to sea, I suppose you ask about it and the Explorers’ Desk.

 

Disembarkation was excellent. Some people were unhappy with early transfers to the airport, but that’s typical on cruise lines. If you have to depart the ship before 6:00 AM that day, check on breakfast availability, as people reported different things on CC after our cruise. People could stay on the ship until 10, I think, which is quite generous, as long as they were out of staterooms by 8. Viking Daily, plus info you’ll get a couple days pre-departure, gives you plenty of info on what you need to do the last night, etc. If you’re traveling independently, you can depart any time, with or without your luggage, but you’ll need to give Viking a time on the disembarkation questionnaire so they can make sure your luggage is ready in the terminal. Keep in mind there could be a bit of a walk with luggage before you get to taxis and transportation. If you let Viking take your bags the night before, the walk with bags may be much easier. If you’re planning an extremely early departure from the ship on the last day, or want to depart the night before, check with Viking on this. Also, if you’re booking your own air, don’t make it for too early on your disembarkation day. It takes a while to get the ship tied up and cleared by authorities, and people on buses and cabs. If the ship gets in late, you may not make your flight.

 

Some cities require a visa or entry/exit document; check with your TA and also check a second source (Viking, State Department, each applicable country’s national website, etc.) Turkey’s visa website is misleading. Despite what it says, if you’re departing from Turkey after a cruise, you WILL need one. If you’re only stopping for 72 hours or less on a cruise, you won’t. Also, not sure of Viking policy, or the policy in every city Viking visits, but some cruise lines hold your passport for some or part of the cruise to comply with countries’ requests. Don’t be surprised. Also don’t be surprised if you have to give your passport to Viking for a day or so.

 

Some new cruisers get a little overwhelmed by the constant eating, and the constant people around. Remember, there’s always room service, and alternate dining venues. Also, some people over-plan and find themselves getting a little weary. Think about whether you really want to do all-day tours day after day after day and plan accordingly.

[id4elizabeth]

Only thing I'd like to add is that the split-pea soup in Mamsen's at night was EXCELLENT !

[Traveler103]

Good Review - thanks. We were on Star first half of June 2015. To add:

 

The self service coffee machines in the WC were almost an expresso - very strong. You can get American style coffee (not Starbucks over-roasted) in the Explorer Lounge on Deck 7.

 

We always found good food in the WC. They can also prepare food to meet dietary needs, for example no onion or garlic or less spicy. They do it while you wait because the chefs are right there in front of you.

 

Really good gelato on the port side in the WC. Flavors (other than vanilla & chocolate varied daily). They always had a sugar free version for diabetics.

 

Pizzas on the starboard side. Small oven and they go fast so be quick or wait. Popular spot. They usually had 3 or 4 for slices.

 

On the stocking of the mini bar drawer - we left a note to the stocker IN THE DRAWER on what we wanted and what we did not want and that worked very well. Different person than your room steward.

 

The laundry service was great - same day turn around, nice job. Allowed us to pack lighter. Free service in some stateroom classes.

 

VO had big red umbrellas and water to take ashore at every port.

 

The spa was an expensive treat but very nice. Very popular on sea days so book early.

 

As the cruise progressed, they started putting salad bar items at the pool grill as well as sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. In the morning, they also placed some fruit and pastries out at the pool grill.

 

Nice gym on 9 but never saw anyone using it. Exercise machines on the sea deck on 9 - outdoor type you will find in some parks.

 

There were both 220V EU plugs (Schuko type) and 110V US plugs in the rooms. The bathroom had a built in night light at floor level (we were in a PHJ suite on 7).

 

Loved the Star. Already booked on the Sky for next November (ANCIENT EMPIRES & HOLY LANDS).

Edited November 5, 2015 by Traveler103

[AFL Kiwi]

If there are a few of you travelling together (there were six of us from various parts of the world) we were able to have our included tours changed so we were altogether once we on the Star. We just took our excursion cards that we were issued with down to the Explorers Desk and they very readily arranged for us all to go at the same time.

 

We met together before leaving and made sure we were all on the same bus.

 

This was handled by Viking very efficiently.

[philw1776]

My wife desperately needs to know if there is a mirror in the stateroom or just in the bathroom. :confused:

[sitraveler]

definitely large mirror in stateroom. Makes the rooms feel larger.

[philw1776]

Thank you. In every stateroom class or just some?

[id4elizabeth]

All.

[Mr. Gibbs]

Only thing I'd like to add is that the split-pea soup in Mamsen's at night was EXCELLENT !

 

We'll second that!

[Mr. Gibbs]

My wife desperately needs to know if there is a mirror in the stateroom or just in the bathroom. :confused:

 

We had an Explorer Suite which had:

 

Full length in walk in closet

Mirror at 'make up/vanity' table in closet.

Makeup/shaving mirror in bath

Mirror in Shower/Tub (with TV behind)

Wall length mirror in bathroom

 

There was no mirror in the main room of the suite.

 

Pics here:

 

Andy

Edited November 13, 2015 by Mr. Gibbs

[terrytallent1]

I enjoyed the World Cafe for lunch. They have a small sign for prawns and chicken at the hot food station. You can order and then they prepared it fresh while you watched. It was usually 5 nice size shrimp (prawns) cooked in butter and served hot. Nice touch. Terry

[southsusie]

As an ocean sailing rookie, I'd like to thank you all for the wonderful tips and info! Planning the trip is 1/2 the fun for me and the more I learn ahead of time, the better.

Andy's pics are awesome!!

[roothy123]

As an ocean sailing rookie, I'd like to thank you all for the wonderful tips and info! Planning the trip is 1/2 the fun for me and the more I learn ahead of time, the better.

Andy's pics are awesome!!

 

You're welcome, and I agree that Andy's pics are awesome! Ocean cruising is different from river cruising, but I love them both, and know you'll have a great cruise. I can't wait to sail on Viking Ocean again. If nothing else, I want to eat the split pea soup and cooked-before- you prawns that I missed! In case you didn't see another post of mine, you can find MORE pictures of the ship, the places we went on the Venice to Istanbul cruise, and some Viking documents like the daily papers here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/viking_star_

 

To go back to the Venice to Istanbul pictures, just hit "all galleries."

[Senior Gators]

You're welcome, and I agree that Andy's pics are awesome! Ocean cruising is different from river cruising, but I love them both, and know you'll have a great cruise. I can't wait to sail on Viking Ocean again. If nothing else, I want to eat the split pea soup and cooked-before- you prawns that I missed! In case you didn't see another post of mine, you can find MORE pictures of the ship, the places we went on the Venice to Istanbul cruise, and some Viking documents like the daily papers here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/viking_star_

 

To go back to the Venice to Istanbul pictures, just hit "all galleries."

Roothy, I want to thank you again for all your advice and wisdom that you so willingly share with others. We had a wonderful cruise aboard the Viking Star (Istanbul to Barcelona) in October just after you completed your cruise. We liked it so much that we have booked another (Passages Through Western Europe) for April/May 2016 aboard the Viking Sea. When you cruise again on a Viking Oceans ship, do try the prawns and chicken breasts cooked to order at lunch in the World Cafe. They were excellent! I also recommend the strip steak cooked to order for dinner at the same location (they also offered tuna the same way). They are worth waiting for. Overall, I must say that we found much to like in the World Cafe, much more so than we thought. We had made 6 reservations for Manfredi's pre-cruise but ended up only using 3 and cancelled the rest. We found it a bit disappointing after having seen rave reviews on Cruise Critic. We did use 2 of our 3 reservations for the Chef's Table and greatly enjoyed the Sweet and Salty (?) menu both times. The scallops and veal tenderloin were to die for. I must have really been strong in my praise for them when asked by our waiter Michael. He went back to the chef and got me seconds on both. When the chef came around after the meal, I complimented him profusely on his excellent efforts. Michael said to ask for him when we came back later in the cruise, which we did. Same results, another round of scallops. Michael's service and attention to detail were superb. When we said we would be sailing on the Viking Sea in April, he told us he was moving to that ship in a few months and said to look him up. We will for sure.

[roothy123]

Roothy, I want to thank you again for all your advice and wisdom that you so willingly share with others. We had a wonderful cruise aboard the Viking Star (Istanbul to Barcelona) in October just after you completed your cruise. We liked it so much that we have booked another (Passages Through Western Europe) for April/May 2016 aboard the Viking Sea. When you cruise again on a Viking Oceans ship, do try the prawns and chicken breasts cooked to order at lunch in the World Cafe. They were excellent! I also recommend the strip steak cooked to order for dinner at the same location (they also offered tuna the same way). They are worth waiting for. Overall, I must say that we found much to like in the World Cafe, much more so than we thought. We had made 6 reservations for Manfredi's pre-cruise but ended up only using 3 and cancelled the rest. We found it a bit disappointing after having seen rave reviews on Cruise Critic. We did use 2 of our 3 reservations for the Chef's Table and greatly enjoyed the Sweet and Salty (?) menu both times. The scallops and veal tenderloin were to die for. I must have really been strong in my praise for them when asked by our waiter Michael. He went back to the chef and got me seconds on both. When the chef came around after the meal, I complimented him profusely on his excellent efforts. Michael said to ask for him when we came back later in the cruise, which we did. Same results, another round of scallops. Michael's service and attention to detail were superb. When we said we would be sailing on the Viking Sea in April, he told us he was moving to that ship in a few months and said to look him up. We will for sure.

 

It's great that lines like Oceania and Viking Ocean can turn what many people think of as just a buffet into something so much more. We've always been fans of outdoor and casual dining on cruise ships and eat that way quite a bit. It would not be so tolerable to me, however, if I couldn't have something prepared while we ate, as I get tired of doing the buffet circle the wagons routine.

 

As for Chef's Table, veal tenderloin and shrimp sound great, but we weren't on board for that menu. I totally agree, though, that Chef's Table has just as good food as Manfredi's and that whatever menu is in place will offer at least something great for everyone.

 

Enjoy your next cruise. If we didn't already have our 2016 vacation plans firmed up yet I would have booked something on Sky or Star already.

[Fairfield Nana]

Dear id4elizabeth & roothy123--my two most favorite cruise critics!!-- My wife and I are on the Star for its Baltic cruise this coming July and would like your advice on how to see the fjords. Looks like an excursion out of Flam would be best. We'd like to take a 3-4 hour boat tour with a possible lunch or walk-about sometime during the tour. Found several providers on-line as well as a couple of tours offered by Viking. Big differences in prices and concerned abut the possibility of too many folks on the tour. Prefer the DIY concept but ship's tours are also OK. Any advice would be most helpful. Could we maybe do this in the Stavenger or Bergen stops as well??

[id4elizabeth]

Unfortunately, on the maiden cruise Viking did not take us to Flam due to the Christening. Viking cancelled Flam after we had paid up for the cruise. So we had 3 days in Bergen instead. For the middle day of the 3 days in Bergen, Viking had no tours on offer, either included or optional, so we did Norway in a Nutshell on our own, going from Bergen to Flam and back, with one leg of the journey a cruise on a "day" tourist boat. The other legs were a train and a bus. We enjoyed the day even though it rained all day. I will tell you, at least the part we saw, there's not a whole lot to the "city" of Flam itself, so seeing the fjords would be a good use of time Our cruise was about half an hour I'd say and the scenery was beautiful even through the rain.

 

We did the optional Viking tour out of Stavanger going into the fjords. Others on CC signed up for essentially the same cruise on a private tour boat for far less cost. From hearing from them afterwards, it was the identical cruise - just ours stopped for about 30 minutes for some waffles. The waffles were OK but not that great - the ones on the Star are far better. BTW we were in port in Stavanger long enough for us to go on the last included tour of Stavanger after we got back from the fjord cruise. Depends on how long you end up being in port, but it may be possible to do both. If you're docked where we were, it's a short walk into town.

 

I think going out of Flam and Stavanger are your best bet to see fjords - out of Bergen I think you'd have to travel farther to see the best fjords.

 

Hope that helps!

[southsusie]

You're welcome, and I agree that Andy's pics are awesome! Ocean cruising is different from river cruising, but I love them both, and know you'll have a great cruise. I can't wait to sail on Viking Ocean again. If nothing else, I want to eat the split pea soup and cooked-before- you prawns that I missed! In case you didn't see another post of mine, you can find MORE pictures of the ship, the places we went on the Venice to Istanbul cruise, and some Viking documents like the daily papers here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/viking_star_

 

To go back to the Venice to Istanbul pictures, just hit "all galleries."

Roothy, you're so kind to offer all of this info and share all of your beautiful pics!! Thank you very much! I've spent a few hours on your album already and will be returning tomorrow for more info and gorgeous scenery. I really hope to run into you and your hubby on a Viking cruise some day. I'll be the one right behind you in line for the split pea soup! :p

[Fairfield Nana]

Dear id4elizabeth--thank you or the usual great advice. Think I will book us on a fjord our out of Flam and also check out the one out of Stavenger. Just booked the four of us on an Alla "Grand Tour" of St. P. Actually joined an already formed group set up by a fellow on our cruise. It's the two day one, and plan to also take their first evening adventure to the local folkloric singing & dancing show. Much prefer the DIY approach to these tours (usually better price, smaller group sizes, and much more able to tailor to the itinerary desires of our smaller group). Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!