Tips for New Viking Ocean Cruisers

[CharTrav]

Thanks for the helpful replies...does anyone know approximately how much space is under the bed in DV on Viking? Trying to figure out which suitcases to bring. Some might be too deep I’m guessing.

 

I think the space beneath the beds are the same across all class cabins. I use a large 2-wheeled expandable suitcase which fits with a few inches to spare under the bed. Going by the Briggs and Riley site that would be 27x20x9.5 inches. Last number is what you care about.

 

 

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[Marianna49]

:DThank you all for helping clarify the V vs DV mystery for me. I will be on the Sky.

[Etexvrc]

As to the 'TIPS' I might share from our two cruises (so far) with Viking Ocean. Both cruises we stayed in Penthouse Jr. Suite, but would assume all cabins have the same features.

 

1. Their is a small switch on the wall next the the headboard (I believe on both sides) that operates the 'night light' which illuminates a small light at the foot of the bathroom door. VERY convenient for those late night trips to the 'facilities'.

2. The floor in the bathroom is slightly elevated (I can assume because of the heated floors!) so be careful stepping out of the bathroom with socks on to avoid slipping.

 

That's all I can think of for now.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

As to the 'TIPS' I might share from our two cruises (so far) with Viking Ocean. Both cruises we stayed in Penthouse Jr. Suite, but would assume all cabins have the same features.

 

1. Their is a small switch on the wall next the the headboard (I believe on both sides) that operates the 'night light' which illuminates a small light at the foot of the bathroom door. VERY convenient for those late night trips to the 'facilities'.

2. The floor in the bathroom is slightly elevated (I can assume because of the heated floors!) so be careful stepping out of the bathroom with socks on to avoid slipping.

 

That's all I can think of for now.

Great tips. I liked the night light, but it was quite bright. Some people might want to prop up a brochure to dim it down a bit!

[Etexvrc]

I had forgotten (until your reply) but I also thought it a bit bright.

I, on occasion, would place a pillow in front of the light to dim.

Good point.

[BC Eddie]

I don't recall it actually being a light at the bottom of the door but the door having a large gap at the bottom. So I think maybe the switch by the bed turns the bathroom light on and it shines out the bottom of the door. Probably a minor point ;)

[roothy123]

The night light I remember was just to the right of the bathroom door, near the floorboard - i.e., the light wasn't coming from the bathroom! (This was in a DV room on the Sun - or was it Sky? I forget.)

[CharTrav]

I don't recall it actually being a light at the bottom of the door but the door having a large gap at the bottom. So I think maybe the switch by the bed turns the bathroom light on and it shines out the bottom of the door. Probably a minor point ;)

 

No - I spent an idiotic amount of time during the day, which is what made it a little more difficult, verifying to myself that yes indeed that small switch next to big switch by each side of the bed turns on two things: (1) a light panel near the floor on the side of the bathroom door across from the drawers (not assuming the bathrooms are all oriented the same so not saying left or right - for us it was left) and (2) lights inside the shelves under the bathroom vanity where the towels on one side and TP etc on the other are kept. My husband confirmed my finding btw. And I trust him implicitly. [emoji3]

 

 

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[notjaded]

Thank you for entertaining a few questions. I must admit that I have not read through the entire forum's 25 pages. We are booked on our first Viking Ocean cruise, set to depart in about 7 months...

 

At what time does the fitness center open?

 

At what time do the baristas start working their magic? Are speciality coffees free?

 

We are booked in a PV-1 Penthouse Veranda: Will our fridge be restocked with endless free bottled water if we desire?

 

Is bottled water free at bars and other venues?

 

Many thanks for your kind help!

[sewsalot]

We have only cruised with ROAD SCHOLAR, so we do have a few questions about the VHomelands tour: could someone tell us what the name brands of the basic beverage package? Do we make reservations for exercise equipment in the spa area? If we are not using an excursion, how early are we allowed to depart? It it appears that tipping the driver & guide for each excursion is still suggested? and USDollars are ok for tips? For visiting the Hermitage, what are the benefits of the private tour? We will arrive Jun 1st, so perhaps the museum is getting overcrowded? One of us is a vegetarian, how is the salad bar? Thanks so much

[roothy123]

OK, guess I'm wrong about the night light, but that's not how I or my husband remember it! But in any case, the important thing IS that there is a night light if you want it - either partially blocked by a pillow or brochure! About the only thing I would have liked for my overnight sleeping is a clock that was lit at night, but I guess most people use their cell phone for that. It IS, after all, a vacation.....If you want an alarm, you can program one on the room phone. We did that a couple times when we were afraid we wouldn't wake up early for an excursion.

 

General answers to a couple questions above, based on our Dec. 2017 cruise on Sun (Others will fill in details):

 

The coffee bar, which is on deck 1 starboard side in the "Living Room," mid-ship near the elevators, opens pretty early. I'm thinking 7, but I don't keep copies of the papers or have the best memory in the world, so someone can correct me if that's wrong. All I've had there is regular coffee and cappuchino. I don't know if they charge for other coffees. Here's a picture of what the barista made for me on the day we left: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/image/166726172 He told me it was a koala waving goodbye.

 

Free bottled water is available when you get off the ship (for excursions). I assume it's free elsewhere, but don't know. There was definitely free bottled water in the room, but I forget what else. We didn't use our DV fridge much.

 

Sodas and beer/wine are free during lunch and dinner hours, but if you eat late outside those hours (i.e., when they're closing down the pool grill!), you'll likely be charged for them. My husband experienced that once - not a big deal, but just something he hadn't thought about before. Of course, sodas were in our room fridge (DV room) so if he had objected, he could have just gotten his own.

 

Gym/spa equipment didn't require reservations.

 

To get off the ship when not going on a ship's excursion was fast and easy. We did this a lot on the 3 cruises we took. Generally Viking lets you out the door at the time the ship's itinerary calls for, or a few minutes before/after. Of course, this assumes the ship has been cleared, security equipment and personnel are in place, etc. They do not make you wait, although I suppose it's possible that unusual circumstances might make that possible once in a while. Tendering is about the same - independent travelers are allowed to go off with everyone else in almost all cases. In Santorini, the situation was a little different, as there are two places that people are tendered to, one for coach/ship excursion travelers and one for independent travelers. Viking announced separate tenders for the two categories and got us independents off pretty quickly. In general, tendering can take up some time, though, so don't cut things really close if you're arranging your own tour. However, while some people complain about tendering, it's necessary in some ports, and I've been impressed with how Viking has handled it.

 

We went with Alla to the Hermitage when we cruised several years ago on Oceania. I forget what month it was, but it was very, very crowded. I don't think there's a huge advantage to going there on a private tour versus a ship's tour. However, in general I really recommend private (shared) tours for St. Petersburg, as you can see more sights in a 16 person van than you can in a coach.

Edited February 8, 2018 by roothy123

[CharTrav]

@Roothy (not quoting your nice long detailed reply), I was assuming that all cabins, when it comes to the night lighting for the bathroom, are the same. We were in a PV. My bad if they're not.

Re tendering, sometimes Viking uses its lifeboats - which can take some time and may not be too great in bad conditions - but, as we found in Belize, they may use a local tendering/ferry service that can carry more passengers quicker from ship to shore and back. When you're anchored 5 miles away, a great idea.

Re opening times for everything you can get a good idea from the Viking Daily’s from the Viking Homelands we did in 2016 and that I saved, scanned, and posted here on Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i9q99w1v62dxirp/AACz5hossbTM03bELvQPCfX9a?dl=0

 

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Edited February 8, 2018 by CharTrav

[philw1776]

We went with Alla to the Hermitage when we cruised several years ago on Oceania. I forget what month it was, but it was very, very crowded. I don't think there's a huge advantage to going there on a private tour versus a ship's tour. However, in general I really recommend private (shared) tours for St. Petersburg, as you can see more sights in a 16 person van than you can in a coach.

 

Our private tour with TJ Tours got is unto the Hermitage first. Our guide works there. Better yet, the private guides coordinate with each other inside to share close up uncrowded views of each display. Upon leaving we saw the huge lines for the very crowded cruise ship tour groups.

[notjaded]

roothy123, many thanks for answering my questions!

[Etexvrc]

Our one experience at the Heritage was not the best. It was not a private tour. Spent the whole time elbow to elbow concentrating more on keeping sight of our guide than enjoying the art. I would suggest a private tour.

[WAPAVO]

The nightlight is to the right of the door on all their ships. I sailed on the Star in DV and the Sky in PV. I always have duct tape and scotch tape on my cruises. Just tape a piece of paper over the light leaving just a little of the light exposed. If you don't have tape, ask the room stewart for some.

Have a great cruise.

[CharTrav]

The nightlight is to the right of the door on all their ships. I sailed on the Star in DV and the Sky in PV. I always have duct tape and scotch tape on my cruises. Just tape a piece of paper over the light leaving just a little of the light exposed. If you don't have tape, ask the room stewart for some.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

To be picky, it may depend on whether the bathroom is on the right or left side as you enter your cabin. We were starboard PV on Star and Sky with the bathroom on the right as we entered the cabin. The floor night light was left of the bathroom door, what I guess you might call inboard. And why I was so cautious about saying what side it was on.

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Edited February 9, 2018 by CharTrav

[Peregrina651]

Thank you for entertaining a few questions. I must admit that I have not read through the entire forum's 25 pages. We are booked on our first Viking Ocean cruise, set to depart in about 7 months...

 

At what time does the fitness center open?

 

At what time do the baristas start working their magic? Are speciality coffees free?

 

We are booked in a PV-1 Penthouse Veranda: Will our fridge be restocked with endless free bottled water if we desire?

 

Is bottled water free at bars and other venues?

 

Many thanks for your kind help!

 

Fitness Center opens at 6am.

 

Barista magic begins at 6:30 am in the Living Room on Deck 1 and the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7. All coffee, tea and hot chocolate is free except those that contain alcohol.

 

Water: Bottled water as you depart the ship for the day and may still be available there as you return to the ship. There are carafes in the cabins of filtered water, plain, sparkling or both, refilled twice daily. Water at the bars and at meals is served by the glass. The mini-fridge stock does not include bottled water so you should ask Viking directly if it can be done (tellus@vikingcruises.com).

[Cyber Kat]

Dear Peregrina651,

 

 

 

We appreciate your invitation to clarify.

 

 

 

In general, all guests with the Silver Spirits Beverage Package will receive mini-bar replenishments of alcoholic beverages - regardless of cabin category. This service is a recent addition to the package’s amenities.

 

 

 

Our World Cruise, however, will operate a bit differently. Specific details will be released to guests as the sailing approaches.

 

 

 

Thanks again for the invite. We hope this response has been helpful and want to take the opportunity to remind the Cruise Critic community that we are always happy to answer questions or clarify concerns at TellUs@vikingcruises.com.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Viking Cruises

 

 

 

There is another thread from someone currently on the Viking Sea. He was told by the people on the ship, that this is NOT true. V and DV categories will NOT get liquor in the min-bar even if they purchase the Silver Spirits package.

 

He wrote to tellus@vikingcruises.com and they wrote back to him, saying that ALL cabin categories DO get liquor in the mini-bar regardless of category. He took it up once again with the ship, showing them the response and they said fine, we will supply liquor and replace once a day. A bit later someone on the ship called him and said they thought he was in a PV, and he would NOT be getting liquor in his mini-bar.

 

We are sailing on the Viking Sea in March and planned to get the Silver Spirits package. I wrote to tellus@vikingcruises hoping to clear up the confusion. I just want to know what Is supposed to be included and to make sure we get what is included. There seems to be inconsistent policy from ship to ship, in addition to conflicting info.

 

This is the response I got, which is again inconsistent with what Peregrina651 was told above...

 

“I understand that there’s been conflicting information regarding what our Silver Spirits Beverage Package (SSBP) entails. I apologize for any confusion this might have caused and appreciate your understanding as we have investigated the specifics to this policy update.

 

Allow me to clarify – our SSBP does not include replenishing the alcohol in the mini-bar. I’ve attached a document outlining what our SSBP does include. Our policy for the mini-bar is based on stateroom category, regardless of whether guests have purchased SSBP. Since you’re staying in a category DV4 cabin, your mini-bar’s soft drinks, water and snacks will be replenished once daily.”

 

The document she attached does not mention the mini-bar at all, however the PDF order form on My Viking Journey says, “The Viking Ocean Cruises Silver Spirits beverage package includes any drink up to $15, throughout the day and anywhere on the ship; mini-bar replenishment; The Chef’s Table premium wine pairing; and 15% off premium beverages, Armagnacs and bottles of wine over $50”

 

This gets curiouser and curiouser [emoji15]

 

Without the Silver Spirits package PV and above get liquor in their mini bars while V and DV do NOT. If the Silver Spirits package does NOT change this policy why even mention it?

 

I love Viking for so many reasons, but they really, really need to make sure that ALL their people are on the same page regarding information given to guests.

 

We are getting the Silver Spirits package for drinks in the afternoon and the upgrade to the wine, but if we are entitled to the mini bar liquor through the package, I want it. [emoji12]

 

I don’t know how to get a definitive answer. It’s frustrating.

 

 

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[sewsalot]

We have only cruised with ROAD SCHOLAR, so we do have a few questions about the VHomelands tour: could someone tell us what the name brands of the basic beverage package? Do we make reservations for exercise equipment in the spa area? If we are not using an excursion, how early are we allowed to depart? It it appears that tipping the driver & guide for each excursion is still suggested? and USDollars are ok for tips? For visiting the Hermitage, what are the benefits of the private tour? We will arrive Jun 1st, so perhaps the museum is getting overcrowded? One of us is a vegetarian, how is the salad bar? Thanks so much

 

to everyone who responded many thanks, it is wonderful to see responses. Here's my follow-up (1) I am hoping the salad bar in the World Cafe is good, I would love to hear from Viking Cruisers; (2) the Hermitage question is about the difference between the two options offered by Viking. We are not interested in contacting a new tour group; the offerings for St Petersburg are fine for us. We choose in less than 5 weeks, very exciting. (3) Tipping on our previous Road Scholar cruise became a major issue the last night, so that's why we wish to be very aware of polite protocol. Two Viking cruisers who were with us on that cruise gave us advice about tipping on a VIKING Ship, but didn't elaborate about the individual drivers & tour guides. (4) alcoholic beverages: we would prefer not to have generic beer or wine with our meals, but we certainly do not expect to drink champagne & cognac nightly. A better question might be : does the upgraded beverage package provide different daily selections? perhaps beverages from the country we are to visit the next day? (5) back to food again, all the desserts are spectacular, however, we will have plenty of fresh/seasonal fruit offered, too? thank you again

[sewsalot]

a quick update, I picked a random page, 18 or 17, and read a great message about tipping. We will gladly tip our drivers and guides. The clarification and credit goes to roothy123! :)

[notjaded]

Fitness Center opens at 6am.

 

Barista magic begins at 6:30 am in the Living Room on Deck 1 and the Explorers Lounge on Deck 7. All coffee, tea and hot chocolate is free except those that contain alcohol.

 

Water: Bottled water as you depart the ship for the day and may still be available there as you return to the ship. There are carafes in the cabins of filtered water, plain, sparkling or both, refilled twice daily. Water at the bars and at meals is served by the glass. The mini-fridge stock does not include bottled water so you should ask Viking directly if it can be done (tellus@vikingcruises.com).

 

Peregrina651, many thanks for the helpful information. My wife will be pleased with your answers, which are quite specific.

 

Yesterday, I called Viking and spoke to an agent who gave me answers that I found unbelievable: That the fitness center is never closed, and that the baristas are there 24-hours!

[CharTrav]

a quick update, I picked a random page, 18 or 17, and read a great message about tipping. We will gladly tip our drivers and guides. The clarification and credit goes to roothy123! :)

 

When we did Viking Homelands in 2016 we did the 2 day ultimate st petersburg excursion. And it worked out great. We were also lucky with our guide who was an old hand with this. Long history with Viking reaching back to Viking River and their included excursions. Didn't feel even tho our group was not that small that it was that big either. He took care of us and knew how to make sure that even in the crowded hermitage we never felt crowded. Was also flexible. Ex was accommodating some folks who were helll bent on collecting mugs from Starbucks.

[roothy123]

to everyone who responded many thanks, it is wonderful to see responses. Here's my follow-up (2) the Hermitage question is about the difference between the two options offered by Viking. We are not interested in contacting a new tour group; the offerings for St Petersburg are fine for us. We choose in less than 5 weeks, very exciting. (3) Tipping on our previous Road Scholar cruise became a major issue the last night, so that's why we wish to be very aware of polite protocol. Two Viking cruisers who were with us on that cruise gave us advice about tipping on a VIKING Ship, but didn't elaborate about the individual drivers & tour guides. thank you again

 

What are the two choices in St. P? If you don't find people on this thread to tell you what they thought of each, you could always just post descriptions in the Ports of Call section, or repost the question in a separate thread in this (Viking Ocean) thread. Of course, questions like that are a bit subjective, as everyone's different in what they like/dislike. I'd be glad to give you my opinion of what we did and saw, but that would just be one opinion, and it would be based on what we saw while on a private tour, not a ship's tour. For us, the Hermitage and a fortress we went to were not highlights, but obviously to many the Hermitage would be. Catherine's Palace and the Church on Spilled Blood WERE.

 

As for tipping, our Cuban cruise was a little different, as all excursions were included and I think people tended to tip a little less than in previous cruises - perhaps partly because of the fast pace of them at the end. However, on our Midnight Sun cruise, we tended to tip maybe 3 U.S. dollars to each tour guide (whether on included or optional tour) and 2 dollars to the coach driver - for the two of, total. Maybe a half to 2/3rds of participants tipped some amount, but some of those people may have been tipping for 2 people, as my husband did. I really didn't pay much attention, so don't know how much or how frequently they tipped. It is nothing to be concerned about, but we felt an extra few dollars from us would be good, so that's what we did. Viking will not charge you anything for tips on the excursions, and I've never heard of it being an issue of any kind on Viking. Of course, Viking WILL add tips for ship services to your final bill. It covers much more than just your cabin attendant and is well worth it, in my opinion.

 

As for the fitness center, I never used it, and it appeared to be lightly used. However, each time I walked by, it appeared to be open. I'm thinking the info about it being open 24/7 is correct, but can't say for sure.

Edited February 9, 2018 by roothy123

[roothy123]

a quick update, I picked a random page, 18 or 17, and read a great message about tipping. We will gladly tip our drivers and guides. The clarification and credit goes to roothy123! :)

Sounds like I already answered this question about tipping - ooops! I hope I at least said about the same thing in my more recent answer! In any case, Viking does give guidelines, but they're only guidelines. We did what we wanted, and it seemed like others did, too. There's no pressure to tip, or tip a lot!