Just got back from Viking Star Athens to Venice

[lextrvlr]

I could come up with 101 questions, but I'll go with only 4:

1. Was the MDR consistently open for breakfast?

2. What is the aprox. depth of the two pools?

3. Where and for what were their queues (lines)?

4. Did you consider the service in the MDR to be proper?

Thanks.

[BruceB NYC]

1 hour ago, lextrvlr said:

I could come up with 101 questions, but I'll go with only 4:

1. Was the MDR consistently open for breakfast?

2. What is the aprox. depth of the two pools?

3. Where and for what were their queues (lines)?

4. Did you consider the service in the MDR to be proper?

Thanks.

Hi lextrvit,

Q2. Pool- no idea 

Q1. The Restaurant(MDR) serves breakfast every day (all days in & out of port) 8-9:30 am. Buffet breakfast in the World Cafe is 6:30-9:30. 

Q3. Queues/lines— not sure your concern. I observed a Q in the World Cafe for the gelato station

(stern back Rhs when you enter)

4-6 people. Others Qs when entering ship because of tight security. Also, when leaving for daily excursions. 

Q4. Service MDR proper?? Please define? Generally service was friendly, patient, & not rushed.

More?s

Our cruise was great. Have 2 more

VK OCs in 2019. 

BruceB

[SargassoPirate]

On 11/18/2018 at 2:50 PM, ebtrip said:

We were on the Star March 29 sailing from Athens to Venice.. Weather was great, 1 day of sprinkles, but didn’t stop our excursion.  

 

There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.  Some of our most memorable days have been rainy days in Alaska ports and rainy days along the Danube.

[MightyDin]

On 5/31/2018 at 12:51 PM, moatenote said:

 

7. Zadar: optional tour "Krka Nat'l Park & Zadar"-a favorite tour in spite of long bus ride (about an hour) with little to see along the way; Krka was great area to tour; lots of steep steps at end; lunch included (and wine!). Short walking tour of Zadar; the Sea Organ was right next to where Star was docked-a terrific area. This port area was very modern, clean, and without cheesy tourist shops.

 

We will be on this cruise in late March and are interested in this tour.  We also want to see and experience the Sea Organ. Will we be able to see the it as part of the tour or would it be something we would need to do before or after the tour, though time would be tight?  I appreciate any insight. 

[moatenote]

2 minutes ago, MightyDin said:

We will be on this cruise in late March and are interested in this tour.  We also want to see and experience the Sea Organ. Will we be able to see the it as part of the tour or would it be something we would need to do before or after the tour, though time would be tight?  I appreciate any insight. 

The Sea Organ was a fun experience and it's right at the port---we could look down at it from our room on the ship.  It was the last thing the Krka Park tour guide showed us before we got back onboard.  We were able to spend about 15-20 minutes there before needing to board.  The port area is very nice and looks fairly new.

[MightyDin]

31 minutes ago, moatenote said:

The Sea Organ was a fun experience and it's right at the port---we could look down at it from our room on the ship.  It was the last thing the Krka Park tour guide showed us before we got back onboard.  We were able to spend about 15-20 minutes there before needing to board.  The port area is very nice and looks fairly new.

 

Thanks so much, moatenote!  Just the information I needed to book the Krka tour. 

[moatenote]

9 hours ago, MightyDin said:

 

Thanks so much, moatenote!  Just the information I needed to book the Krka tour. 

 

I hope you're planning a great tour of Kotor--one of the most awesomely beautiful areas I've ever seen!  The views from high above the town are awesome.  Enjoy your trip!  

[BruceB NYC]

9 minutes ago, moatenote said:

 

I hope you're planning a great tour of Kotor--one of the most awesomely beautiful areas I've ever seen!  The views from high above the town are awesome.  Enjoy your trip!  

I’m on the March 2019 cruise as well. Any info on other VK tours you did on this cruise?? Good/bad ...

thanks

BruceB

[moatenote]

1 hour ago, BruceB NYC said:

I’m on the March 2019 cruise as well. Any info on other VK tours you did on this cruise?? Good/bad ...

thanks

BruceB

Bruce,  this is the review I put on page 2 of this thread; thought I'd just copy and paste it here for you to see.

 

 

We were also on the Empires cruise, May 12-21. Here are the tours we did:

1. Athens: "Panoramic Athens and Archeological Museum"-had a great guide and loved the museum.

2. Santorini: "Summits & Countryside"- a tender port; bus ride viewing beautiful scenery; great views from Oia and Thira, but quite warm and extremely crowded; stood in line for an hour to take cable car down to get on the tender back to ship.

3. Katakolon/Olympia: "Ancient Olympia & Archaeological Museum"- long bus ride to Olympia but we really enjoyed this tour of the first Olympic site and learning of the history; the museum was also very interesting.

4. Corfu: "Panoramic Corfu & Old Town Walking Tour"- bus ride to Mouse Island (not much there), then interesting walking tour of Corfu. Took Viking shuttle back to ship.

5. Kotor: do not miss the sail-in; unbelievably beautiful area. We did a private tour with M Tours for 7 hours and it was terrific. This was a tender port, but with Viking's boats instead of a private company.

6. Dubrovnik: "Dubrovnik Walking Tour"-very scenic bus ride; walking tour started at Pile Gate. We left the tour at this point to "walk the wall" to the Ploce Gate. Many steps to climb up but worth it. Wear a hat and hope for some clouds. You can only walk counter-clockwise and Pile-to-Ploce gives best views of sea (cost 20 Euros per person; can use credit card); there is a WC about halfway (free or donation of your choice; tour guide had erroneously told us there were no bathrooms along the wall). There is a Viking shuttle available here.

7. Zadar: optional tour "Krka Nat'l Park & Zadar"-a favorite tour in spite of long bus ride (about an hour) with little to see along the way; Krka was great area to tour; lots of steep steps at end; lunch included (and wine!). Short walking tour of Zadar; the Sea Organ was right next to where Star was docked-a terrific area. This port area was very modern, clean, and without cheesy tourist shops.

8. Koper: optional tour "The Best of Ljubljana"-great tour; bus ride at least one hour each way, but more scenic than day before; canal boat ride in city, then walking tour; lovely city; modern; good included lunch; free time after lunch for some shopping.

[BruceB NYC]

1 hour ago, moatenote said:

Bruce,  this is the review I put on page 2 of this thread; thought I'd just copy and paste it here for you to see.

 

 

We were also on the Empires cruise, May 12-21. Here are the tours we did:

1. Athens: "Panoramic Athens and Archeological Museum"-had a great guide and loved the museum.

2. Santorini: "Summits & Countryside"- a tender port; bus ride viewing beautiful scenery; great views from Oia and Thira, but quite warm and extremely crowded; stood in line for an hour to take cable car down to get on the tender back to ship.

3. Katakolon/Olympia: "Ancient Olympia & Archaeological Museum"- long bus ride to Olympia but we really enjoyed this tour of the first Olympic site and learning of the history; the museum was also very interesting.

4. Corfu: "Panoramic Corfu & Old Town Walking Tour"- bus ride to Mouse Island (not much there), then interesting walking tour of Corfu. Took Viking shuttle back to ship.

5. Kotor: do not miss the sail-in; unbelievably beautiful area. We did a private tour with M Tours for 7 hours and it was terrific. This was a tender port, but with Viking's boats instead of a private company.

6. Dubrovnik: "Dubrovnik Walking Tour"-very scenic bus ride; walking tour started at Pile Gate. We left the tour at this point to "walk the wall" to the Ploce Gate. Many steps to climb up but worth it. Wear a hat and hope for some clouds. You can only walk counter-clockwise and Pile-to-Ploce gives best views of sea (cost 20 Euros per person; can use credit card); there is a WC about halfway (free or donation of your choice; tour guide had erroneously told us there were no bathrooms along the wall). There is a Viking shuttle available here.

7. Zadar: optional tour "Krka Nat'l Park & Zadar"-a favorite tour in spite of long bus ride (about an hour) with little to see along the way; Krka was great area to tour; lots of steep steps at end; lunch included (and wine!). Short walking tour of Zadar; the Sea Organ was right next to where Star was docked-a terrific area. This port area was very modern, clean, and without cheesy tourist shops.

8. Koper: optional tour "The Best of Ljubljana"-great tour; bus ride at least one hour each way, but more scenic than day before; canal boat ride in city, then walking tour; lovely city; modern; good included lunch; free time after lunch for some shopping.

Hi Moatenote,

Thanks, great information for planning. I did  a similar day by day post/review for the Viking Homelands cruise we took  May 2018. CC is very helpful.

 

Bruce B.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[terrydtx]

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 11:22 AM, moatenote said:

 

In Athens, we spent the night before the cruise at the Plaka Hotel, which had a beautiful view of the Acropolis from the roof and was a short taxi ride to the port.  We were very satisfied with this hotel.  In Venice, we stayed two nights after the cruise at the

Ca' dei Dogi near St. Mark's and just off the vaporetto stop there.  It was a bit hard to find down an alley, but the rooms were nice and the included breakfast was very good.

Thank you for the information we are doing this cruise in September 2020 and want to do two nights pre cruise in Venice and 2 or 3 post in Athens.

[caviargal]

We are cruising the Greek Islands in April with Crystal and spending a few days pre cruise in Athens.  We opted for the AD Luxury Suites for our stay in the city and booked a private walking tour of the historical sites as well as a food tour.

 

We used a private tour company for Rhodes as our preference is doing things at our own pace and focused on our ow interests.

 

We are fortunate that, because we purposefully choose an off season sailing, most days we are the only ship in port. 

 

In Venice, we have stayed at the Danieli, Hotel La Commedia, Monaco and Grande Canal, MGallery, Giorgione.  Of those, La Commedia was our favorite for location and convenience, followed by MGallery.

[BruceB NYC]

On 1/10/2019 at 10:42 AM, moatenote said:

Athens: "Panoramic Athens and Archeological Museum"-had a great guide and loved the museum.

Did the tour do the sights first?

 Were there photo ops (Hadrian’s Gate) etc. ? I’m hoping to do the sights 1st., and leave the bus tour 

before the museum, to do my own walking tour. 

Thanks,

Bruce b.bosworth@icloud.com

[moatenote]

2 hours ago, BruceB NYC said:

Did the tour do the sights first?

 Were there photo ops (Hadrian’s Gate) etc. ? I’m hoping to do the sights 1st., and leave the bus tour 

before the museum, to do my own walking tour. 

Thanks,

Bruce b.bosworth@icloud.com

Bruce, yes the bus tour with the sights came first.  We did get off the bus a few times for photo ops and a walk around an area below the Acropolis.  Sorry you may miss the museum--it was very interesting.

[BruceB NYC]

10 hours ago, moatenote said:

Bruce, yes the bus tour with the sights came first.  We did get off the bus a few times for photo ops and a walk around an area below the Acropolis.  Sorry you may miss the museum--it was very interesting.

That's good. Very helpful information for our planning. We want to pack a lot into this 9-5 day in Athens.

Bruce B.

 

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

On 5/27/2018 at 7:24 PM, lackcreativity said:

 

We did the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle tour from Koper (great trip), but really wished we could have done the Ljubljana trip too. Since we couldn't be in two places at once, I guess we may have to go back!

lackcreativity, did you experience any claustrophobia in the cave?  I really want to do this tour, but my husband is not having it.  The couple we are going with, the husband also has claustrophobia, so maybe the wives can do this on our own.  

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

On 5/31/2018 at 7:51 PM, zumbarho said:

 

 

Margie,

 

Are you on the May 16 - 25th sailing?

 

Rhona

My apologies, Rhona...I just came back to this thread.

 

Yes, we'll be on the May 16-25 sailing.  Spending a few days in Athens on our own pre-cruise, then a few more in Venice post-cruise.  Now that it's getting close, I'm so excited!

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

On 5/24/2018 at 5:42 AM, G. GIRL said:

We have had an incredible journey on the Viking Star. I shall do a review but if anyone has any questions fire away!

G. Girl, can you please post a link to your review?  TIA!

[zumbarho]

13 minutes ago, Marguerite-a-Ville said:

My apologies, Rhona...I just came back to this thread.

 

Yes, we'll be on the May 16-25 sailing.  Spending a few days in Athens on our own pre-cruise, then a few more in Venice post-cruise.  Now that it's getting close, I'm so excited!

Today I looked into doing a private tour to Ljubljana, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle from Koper. It's a 7 1/2 hr tour for $650 and I think the van holds 7. We are 4 ppl. so if you are interested, let me know. I will double check the size of the van in case your husbands want to come. I also looked into an excursion from Kotor to Perast,(Lady of the Rocks) Budva, St. Stefan etc. which is 6 hrs and $580 for 8 people. 

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

13 minutes ago, zumbarho said:

Today I looked into doing a private tour to Ljubljana, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle from Koper. It's a 7 1/2 hr tour for $650 and I think the van holds 7. We are 4 ppl. so if you are interested, let me know. I will double check the size of the van in case your husbands want to come. I also looked into an excursion from Kotor to Perast,(Lady of the Rocks) Budva, St. Stefan etc. which is 6 hrs and $580 for 8 people. 

Thank you so much for this info.  I probably won't be making a decision soon...need to get together with the other folks, and then convince my husband that I would really be ok doing an excursion without him.  😁   But if the space is still available, I'll be in touch with you.  Don't hold it for me if you have any other takers! But I do appreciate it.

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by Marguerite-a-Ville

[lackcreativity]

10 hours ago, Marguerite-a-Ville said:

lackcreativity, did you experience any claustrophobia in the cave?  I really want to do this tour, but my husband is not having it.  The couple we are going with, the husband also has claustrophobia, so maybe the wives can do this on our own.  

We did not have any claustrophobia in the cave, and most of it is really wide open spaces. You are, of course, underground, and that alone may bother some people. There is a long ride on a tram through a tunnel to get to the area where you get out and walk, and that could be a difficulty for some people. It is quite chilly in the cave, so be prepared for that.

 

The castle portion of the tour was really amazing to me, and they could experience with no difficulty. At the cave there is a complex of gift shops and places to eat. Perhaps the guys could wait above ground for the hour or so that you are in the cave, maybe in the hotel bar?

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

lackcreativity, thank you for this information. 

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

On 1/23/2019 at 9:44 PM, zumbarho said:

Today I looked into doing a private tour to Ljubljana, Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle from Koper. It's a 7 1/2 hr tour for $650 and I think the van holds 7. We are 4 ppl. so if you are interested, let me know. I will double check the size of the van in case your husbands want to come. I also looked into an excursion from Kotor to Perast,(Lady of the Rocks) Budva, St. Stefan etc. which is 6 hrs and $580 for 8 people. 

Rhona, what tour company are you using for the Castle and Cave?

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

Our itinerary shows that we get into Venice at 3 am.  What is the earliest we can get off the ship?

[stardaisymoonbeamdakota]

On 5/25/2018 at 6:20 AM, G. GIRL said:

 

Hi, we hired a private guide from ‘tours by locals’. It isn’t cheap but the places she showed us we would have never found on our own. Part of the trip went to the glass factory and was fascinating. When they take you through the showroom they say their is no obligation to buy but they hope you will. Oh, and the prices will make your toes curl up !

Is this Athens or Venice on the private tour?  And which tour was it?  Thanks,  Val