Deck 7/8 Cabins?

[bzv143]

One more dilemma I need help on solving.

Currently, we, thanks to helpful CC comments, are booked into a PV on Deck 4 for the 12/17 sailing.

We can get a DV1 on Deck 8 if we move to the 12/27 sailing. I have been wanting deck 7 or 8 for the location near Explorers Lounge so I can pop in to look at forward views, but the DVs on the 12/17 cruise are taken.

Should I move to the 12/27 cruise to secure a cabin on Deck 8, or stay in the PV on Deck 4? Also, is there an entrance from Deck 8 to the 2nd story of the Explorers Lounge?

Thanks for any help! :o

[pukekolive]

Hi,

 

We have just returned from the 18/03 Empire of the Med cruise on Viking Star.

 

Our stateroom was DV1, 8012 and it was our first cruise so we wondered about seasickness being so far forward.

 

Yes there is a door to the Upper Level of the Explorers' Lounge from Deck 8 - the 'door to Narnia'we called it as it is not marked on either side, to preserve our privacy on that Deck I think.

 

We ate most of our meals in the Buffet aft on Deck 7 and this is the only downside to Deck 8 I think (but this is worth it I think), the restaurants are situated mostly aft so the choice is:

 

Use the forward elevators and walk aft to the restaurant of choice

 

Go onto the open Sun Deck (Deck 8) and walk to the aft, through the doors and down the aft elevators.

 

Go down 1 set of forward stairs to Deck 7 and walk aft to World Buffet

 

We lost count of the number of times we used the aft elevators and had to go down a level to get to the forward lifts or walk on Deck 8 in the cool evening weather

 

On a number of occasions we arranged to meet friends on the upper level of Explorers Lounge and were glad we did, the most memorable and magical was when the Kiwis and Aussies were having late night drinks and realised we were waiting to enter Istanbul harbour, everyone else was in bed at midnight this night and we had a privileged seat to one of the most amazing sights in the world!

 

This continued when we got to our stateroom on the left side of the ship (port?) as Istanbul's lights were spread out in front of us!

 

The theatre and spa are forward on a lower Deck so the bow elevators are fine for these.

 

I would not hesitate to book a cabin on this deck again, I did not like the other 'residential'decks when I visited the laundrette as they were just a long impersonal corridor of cabin doors.

 

I am sure that the balconies on other cabins were as nice, but it was great that we did not hear 100s of other people on verandas, as there were only 9 cabins beside us and 10 below on Deck 7.

 

We could feel the rhythm of the ocean quite clearly and hear the bow hitting the waves but this became a familiar sensation once we got over the novelty of it and we had no seasickness. For clarity, we did have 15ft waves at one stage and I believe bigger on our one sea day but the ship dealt with it very well and we were not concerned.

 

The only seasickness remedy I took were 'Gin Gins'ginger candy and these worked very well, particularly in Athens on the Acropolis and in Kusadasi when I felt 'reverse seasick' on land and felt like the ground was moving under me.

 

I hope this helps you make a decision on which Deck to book, I would now never choose a lower deck having enjoyed my time on Deck 8 so much.

 

We were happy with the space in DV1 8012 but there is no alcohol in the complimentary mini-bar, only soft drinks and snacks, I believe a PV has alcohol. Also, we had 2 armchairs only, not a sofa and there was no curtain between the sitting and sleeping areas. I noted also that the PVs had a larger veranda but we were OK with our table and 2 chairs which were perfectly satisfactory and not too small for me as a larger lady. The bathroom was huge anyway ... I believe there is a difference in the layout of the wardrobe within the room but this did not concern us either.

 

Finally, I would say if you are not big drinkers then don't buy the Silver Spirits package as we only spent US$150 on drinks over and above our cruise included beer and wine so it is not economic. Cocktails are US$6 and beers US$4 on the bar menus.

 

Prepare for a busy cruise but find time to relax in all the lovely public spaces, don't miss Teatime in the Wintergarden!

 

Elaine from New Zealand

 

One more dilemma I need help on solving.

Currently, we, thanks to helpful CC comments, are booked into a PV on Deck 4 for the 12/17 sailing.

We can get a DV1 on Deck 8 if we move to the 12/27 sailing. I have been wanting deck 7 or 8 for the location near Explorers Lounge so I can pop in to look at forward views, but the DVs on the 12/17 cruise are taken.

Should I move to the 12/27 cruise to secure a cabin on Deck 8, or stay in the PV on Deck 4? Also, is there an entrance from Deck 8 to the 2nd story of the Explorers Lounge?

Thanks for any help! :o

Edited April 9, 2016 by pukekolive

[bzv143]

Thank you ever so much, Elaine, for your detailed response. You cleared up many questions I had! Did you notice many people in the Explorer Lounge upper deck a lot, or did they populate the main floor of the Explorer Lounge? And does the Explorer Lounge have coffee available at all times? I thought it'd be fun to go there in the mornings for my cuppa Java while watching the ship sail into the harbour.

[pukekolive]

Mamsen's in Explorers Lounge is open for breakfast from 6.30 am and I saw coffee on the bar as well. The bar is Level 7 but there is bar waiter service on Level 8

[id4elizabeth]

Bzv - I'll probably go against the grain on this question this time and be the only one who says stick with the larger cabin. However, space is important to us. We were in the Penthouse Junior Suites on Deck 8, which is even larger than the PV cabins, so obviously space is a priority for us.

 

The views from Deck 8 are great, no doubt the best on the ship, but most of Deck 8 is open to everyone (the Sun Deck) so you can enjoy it anytime really. I would often go out on the Sun deck, rather than staying on our balcony, when we were coming into and out of port as there was stuff to see on both sides of the ship.

 

There are 4 DV cabins on Deck 8 - the rest are Penthouse Junior Suites. There are 2 DVS on each side about mid-way down the short hall.

 

I'm just recalling on our cruise how many folks we ran into in DV cabins who complained about the lack of drawer space and storage space in general and how cramped they felt. It's really a trade-off - space vs. view.

[bzv143]

Thanks, Elizabeth--I'm trying to justify location location location (DV deck 8) with PV cabin size (deck 4). Can't justify at this stage the Penthouse Junior Suites on deck 8--a $4K upsell, sigh.

Has anyone noticed a price drop closer to sailing, and if so, does Viking honor it and give a refund or OBC? :rolleyes:

[pukekolive]

Hi,

 

Stateroom DV1 8012

 

I agree with Elizabeth to some extent about drawer space as my partner & I found in our DV1 that, with the safe taking up one area of the 'chest of drawers', the tea/ coffee facilities the flat top and laundry and hairdryer in another drawer, we found it hard to find enough room for our 'smalls' and socks.

 

There were great shelves above the hanging space in the wardrobes but as I am only 5ft 2in it was hard for me to reach. Of course the laundry and hairdryer could go there or in the bathroom.

 

We were only on board for 10 days so imagine anyone with more clothes than us would find it even harder.

 

However, we got used to the setup and rearranged things during our cruise so were not too incovenienced. I don't know if we could have justified the extra money just to get more drawer space.

 

We never felt cramped at all and the bed was HUGE! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a large lady weighing in at 100kg or 220lbs. Some people have said that the showers are small but I never found this, however we are used to living in a small area as we have a small 2 bedroom home rather than a large house so space can be very subjective.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Elaine & Chris

 

 

Bzv - I'll probably go against the grain on this question this time and be the only one who says stick with the larger cabin. However, space is important to us. We were in the Penthouse Junior Suites on Deck 8, which is even larger than the PV cabins, so obviously space is a priority for us.

 

The views from Deck 8 are great, no doubt the best on the ship, but most of Deck 8 is open to everyone (the Sun Deck) so you can enjoy it anytime really. I would often go out on the Sun deck, rather than staying on our balcony, when we were coming into and out of port as there was stuff to see on both sides of the ship.

 

There are 4 DV cabins on Deck 8 - the rest are Penthouse Junior Suites. There are 2 DVS on each side about mid-way down the short hall.

 

I'm just recalling on our cruise how many folks we ran into in DV cabins who complained about the lack of drawer space and storage space in general and how cramped they felt. It's really a trade-off - space vs. view.

Edited April 10, 2016 by pukekolive

[id4elizabeth]

So far Viking Oceans has been fully booked and has not lowered their prices. I'm frankly surprised there's that Deck 8 DV cabin available on 12/27 as those 4 DVs on the 8th are usually the first DVs to sell. Someone must have cancelled. Not seen Viking ever lower prices closer to sailing, but with the recent advisory in Turkey, they might start getting cancellations on their Istanbul to Venice run and lower prices there or offer some other sort of incentive. Rather than lower prices, Viking Ocans or Rivers tends to offer incentives like "free" airfare. Forget OBC for those already booked!

[bzv143]

Snagged one of the coveted DV1s on deck 8 for the New Years cruise. Was mulling over going down to deck 4 for a PV3 which currently is being offered for the same price as a DV1, but thinking I will put up with less room and storage for location in "the bird's nest." :D Fewer stairs and elevators to all the "excitement" (i.e. pool and food) on Deck 7 too.

By the way, I nearly had a heart attack--Viking's Pre/Post San Juan 2-day stay is at the Condado Vanderbilt apparently. I went online to check on room cost, and it was $650 a night! Makes Viking's offer a steal of a deal! :eek: