On Viking Jupiter - observations on updates from ealier ships

[CCWineLover]

We are currently on the Viking Jupiter, cruising from Barcelona to Copenhagen.   We had previously been on the Viking Sky and Sea Ocean cruises and I thought I would list out the differences that I have observed on the Jupiter.   The architectural structure is basically identical, (930 passengers/465 rooms), but there are some small tweaks, improvements, and changes that have been done.   The Viking Jupiter and Viking Orion incorporated most of the changes, but as I have not been on the Orion, I don’t know if Jupiter has some changes from Orion.

Here is the order of rollout, as I understand it, of the Viking Ocean Cruise Ships:

2015 – Viking Star;  2016 – Viking Sea;  2017 – Viking Sky and Viking Sun;  2018 – Viking Orion;  2019 – Viking Jupiter;   2021 (planned) – Viking Venus;  + more planned!

There have been some various posts in many different areas on the differences in ships, but I thought I would put down my observations on what I have seen, while I am on the Jupiter.  No doubt there are additional changes that I failed to notice or forgot about, but I hope this helps people.   It would be interesting to know if there were any small updates from Orion to Jupiter as well.   The major highlights are of course, the Planetarium (Explorer's Dome), the controls for bathroom floor heater, and the replacement of shelves on DV rooms for drawers.

Please see the attached pdf file.

Viking Jupiter - changes from other Viking Ocean Ships.pdf

 

[zitsky]

Thanks for posting this new thread.

[Maggers]

Thank you for taking the time to write this up and post it.  Will be on Jupiter in just over a month - our first VO cruise!

[Hunding]

CCWineLover

Many thanks for your post - now I'm really looking forward to our three weeks aboard Jupiter!

[cocopico]

Great list!  We recently completed a cruise aboard Jupiter, having previously sailed on the Star, Sea and Sky.  I didn’t note some of the things on your list as being new, but maybe I wasn’t paying as close attention!  The highlights definitely include the domed theater, the controls for the bathroom floor heater, the dimmer on the cabin lights and extra drawers in the closet (we were in PV cabins).

 

 A few things I didn’t see on your list:

-expanded smoking area, with extended shelter and more furniture (not sure I was happy with this change)

-the removal of all the bolted down exercise equipment on the sports deck (that I never saw anyone use anyway!)

-the new ping pong table, which may have been on Orion but wasn’t on the Star, Sea or Sky (sports deck)

-the consolidation of the sundries store and the gift shop (which may have been retrofitted on all ships now)

 

Also a first for us on Jupiter (but I’m sure not limited to Jupiter): we had a “chocolate feast” at the base of the main staircase (see below) that was pretty amazing on the second to last night of the cruise!  

 

[moatenote]

Wow, can't wait until the chocolate feast!!!  That looks yummy!!

We've been on the Star three times, and in the laundry room the soap was dispensed automatically into the washer.  So now, we have to add this step to the process???   (guess I can do that okay while daydreaming about the chocolate feast).  Thank you so much for writing this list--I love it!!

[zitsky]

I hope they have tongs to pick up all that chocolate.  I can see people using their fingers. Yuck.

[CCWineLover]

Cocopico - we haven't had the Chocolate Fest yet...    But we are about to arrive in Bruges, so perhaps after that!

Good points on your other items, as I do remember those now. (Saw people play pingpong the day it was not windy).  I also remember seeing a bocce ball court, which I don't remember on the Sea and Sky (but may have been there).

 

Another item:   We had an incredible 10 am - 1 pm brunch during our last sea day - it encompassed the entire pool deck area and the wintergarden and had multiple (like 10?) stations of various items for breakfast and lunch, including cheeses, chocolats, other desserts, fresh fruit, fresh pasta to order, other grilled foods, and my favorite - the fresh swordfish grilling station (under the movie theatre screen area.  With all the new sets of tables and chairs in the pool area, and the Wintergarden, they could fit quite a number of people!  The chefs were out dishing up to us all.  The Food Manager told us this was only the 3rd time they have done this and the goal is to not only provide us a great set of choices in a nice non/restaurant environment, but to allow the chefs and others to meet and engage with the guests.   I took many pictures and will try to compile them.

[CCWineLover]

New updated washer/dryers on the Jupiter - so easy to understand and use now!

 

[Pushka]

17 hours ago, cocopico said:

Great list!  We recently completed a cruise aboard Jupiter, having previously sailed on the Star, Sea and Sky.  I didn’t note some of the things on your list as being new, but maybe I wasn’t paying as close attention!  The highlights definitely include the domed theater, the controls for the bathroom floor heater, the dimmer on the cabin lights and extra drawers in the closet (we were in PV cabins).

 

 A few things I didn’t see on your list:

-expanded smoking area, with extended shelter and more furniture (not sure I was happy with this change)

-the removal of all the bolted down exercise equipment on the sports deck (that I never saw anyone use anyway!)

-the new ping pong table, which may have been on Orion but wasn’t on the Star, Sea or Sky (sports deck)

-the consolidation of the sundries store and the gift shop (which may have been retrofitted on all ships now)

 

Also a first for us on Jupiter (but I’m sure not limited to Jupiter): we had a “chocolate feast” at the base of the main staircase (see below) that was pretty amazing on the second to last night of the cruise!  

 

Look at those strawberries! And nuts in chocolate. Oh my. 

[cocopico]

5 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Cocopico - we haven't had the Chocolate Fest yet...    But we are about to arrive in Bruges, so perhaps after that!

Good points on your other items, as I do remember those now. (Saw people play pingpong the day it was not windy).  I also remember seeing a bocce ball court, which I don't remember on the Sea and Sky (but may have been there).

 

Another item:   We had an incredible 10 am - 1 pm brunch during our last sea day - it encompassed the entire pool deck area and the wintergarden and had multiple (like 10?) stations of various items for breakfast and lunch, including cheeses, chocolats, other desserts, fresh fruit, fresh pasta to order, other grilled foods, and my favorite - the fresh swordfish grilling station (under the movie theatre screen area.  With all the new sets of tables and chairs in the pool area, and the Wintergarden, they could fit quite a number of people!  The chefs were out dishing up to us all.  The Food Manager told us this was only the 3rd time they have done this and the goal is to not only provide us a great set of choices in a nice non/restaurant environment, but to allow the chefs and others to meet and engage with the guests.   I took many pictures and will try to compile them.

We had the fabulous brunch as well.  It was incredible, and the crew worked through the night to set it all up (and then took several hours to take it all down).  I couldn't believe all the effort they went to but people really seemed to enjoy it.  In addition to a large ice sculpture, the crew carved exotic birds out of melons, etc.  They even had a "Welcome to Brunch" sign made out of baked bread.  Made for a great sea day event!

Edited May 5, 2019 by cocopico

[cocopico]

12 hours ago, zitsky said:

I hope they have tongs to pick up all that chocolate.  I can see people using their fingers. Yuck.

Yes, they had tongs.  No need to revisit the infamous "upside down glasses on the place mats" thread here . . .  🙂

[zitsky]

In the Jupiter launderette what is the difference between

 

Temperature

Dryness

Moisture

 

Do the controls on the left work for the bottom dryer or the top?

[Etexvrc]

We've cruised on the Star, Sun, Sky and (most recent) Orion.  Starting their first year (2015).

 

We've seen 'improvements' along the way.  Some for the better, some not so favorably.  But all are minor changes that we enjoy noticing.

 

Little things like.....

 

On the Star, their first ship, the drains for the showers in the spa dressing room wasn't designed with enough capacity so they tended to 'overflow'.  But nothing a few towels couldn't take care of, and has been improved on other newer ships.

 

On the Sun (I believe) they had installed automatic, powered curtain closers/openers.  IMO more of a problem than a convenience.  Only one ship we have been on had this feature.  Probably a short-lived experiment.

 

On the Orion the addition of the planetarium was a big plus, although a couple of the scheduled shows could be improved.  One in particular 'Mission to Mars' I believe was the title, was more geared to something that would be enjoyed by a teenager than the typical Viking cruiser.

 

Sometimes the Wintergarden on deck 7 is not as cold temperature-wise than other ships.

 

We enjoyed the chocolate fest on the Orion (our last cruise in Dec 2018) and hope it's incorporated into all ships!

 

As a photographer, the photos used during the port talks were distracting bad.  Color saturation is WAY off.  Beautiful photographs ruined by color manipulation.  (I nit pick, I know)

 

The menu at Manfretti's changed ever so slightly.  Still very good (my favorite specialty restaurant), but our first couple of cruises was better.  Hope they return to that original menu.

 

We LOVE Viking Ocean cruising, and none of the above diminishes that love.  It just gives each Viking ship it's own unique personality.  

We are excited about boarding the Sky in about 4 days to see what changes are on that ship.

 

[Dauntless]

5 hours ago, Etexvrc said:

We've cruised on the Star, Sun, Sky and (most recent) Orion.  Starting their first year (2015).

 

We've seen 'improvements' along the way.  Some for the better, some not so favorably.  But all are minor changes that we enjoy noticing.

 

Little things like.....

 

On the Star, their first ship, the drains for the showers in the spa dressing room wasn't designed with enough capacity so they tended to 'overflow'.  But nothing a few towels couldn't take care of, and has been improved on other newer ships.

 

On the Sun (I believe) they had installed automatic, powered curtain closers/openers.  IMO more of a problem than a convenience.  Only one ship we have been on had this feature.  Probably a short-lived experiment.

 

On the Orion the addition of the planetarium was a big plus, although a couple of the scheduled shows could be improved.  One in particular 'Mission to Mars' I believe was the title, was more geared to something that would be enjoyed by a teenager than the typical Viking cruiser.

 

Sometimes the Wintergarden on deck 7 is not as cold temperature-wise than other ships.

 

We enjoyed the chocolate fest on the Orion (our last cruise in Dec 2018) and hope it's incorporated into all ships!

 

As a photographer, the photos used during the port talks were distracting bad.  Color saturation is WAY off.  Beautiful photographs ruined by color manipulation.  (I nit pick, I know)

 

The menu at Manfretti's changed ever so slightly.  Still very good (my favorite specialty restaurant), but our first couple of cruises was better.  Hope they return to that original menu.

 

We LOVE Viking Ocean cruising, and none of the above diminishes that love.  It just gives each Viking ship it's own unique personality.  

We are excited about boarding the Sky in about 4 days to see what changes are on that ship.

 

 

At the port talks go:

I love the color saturation and find it to be much more interesting that the presenters.

 

The cruise director does not seem to interact with the presentation and sometimes you would like to know where these things are that are presented.

 

The shore excursion person on our first cruise was a 'personality' donor.  He may have known his business but he brought nothing to the presentation other the a reading of information that had all been exposed to months before in a monotone droning voice and once he started the crowd would 'scamper' to find an exit.

[eylarson]

Viking Sun 2019 World Cruise--Sun has adjustable floor temp, 3 room gym, drawers in DV closet, dimmers for sconces over the bed and a pool brunch for at least each segment of the most recent World Cruise.  Laundry instructions in both pictograph and English.  No chocolate buffet through, hard enough to maintain weight during 4.5 months at sea.  Manfredi's menu changed slightly throughout the World Cruise.  Smaller portions than I remember from Sky in 2017, for which I'm thankful.  We had sparkling and still water on tap in the World Cafe, but ice machine only on port side coffee bar.  We also had the new quietVox sets.  

[zitsky]

How are new quietvox different than old ones?

[lackcreativity]

We experienced the chocolate feast on one of our Viking cruises, but it was the second one of three, so it is not a regular event. I think Viking is working on adding special events on each cruise, and they may vary. We haven't experienced the brunch buffet that someone mentioned, but we did have the best Mexican themed buffet on our last cruise. I like having something of a surprise to anticipate!

[zitsky]

56 minutes ago, lackcreativity said:

We experienced the chocolate feast on one of our Viking cruises, but it was the second one of three, so it is not a regular event. I think Viking is working on adding special events on each cruise, and they may vary. We haven't experienced the brunch buffet that someone mentioned, but we did have the best Mexican themed buffet on our last cruise. I like having something of a surprise to anticipate!

 

Is the chocolate feast self serve or does staff help you.  Golden Corral does a chocolate fondue station but it gets gross with all the stuff that gets dropped in.  Don't mean to compare Viking.  It's the only thing I can compare it to.

[lackcreativity]

7 hours ago, zitsky said:

 

Is the chocolate feast self serve or does staff help you.  Golden Corral does a chocolate fondue station but it gets gross with all the stuff that gets dropped in.  Don't mean to compare Viking.  It's the only thing I can compare it to.

Honestly, I don't remember. There was staff there, but don't recall if they were serving or just assisting.

[Dauntless]

13 hours ago, zitsky said:

How are new quietvox different than old ones?

 

You can now use you own earphones.

[zitsky]

9 minutes ago, Dauntless said:

 

You can now use you own earphones.

 

Is this just on newer ships or all of them?  Thanks.

[Dauntless]

1 minute ago, zitsky said:

 

Is this just on newer ships or all of them?  Thanks.

I was on the Star, the same one you will be on, for both my cruises.  

[zitsky]

Got it.  Just trying to keep straight new vs old.

[TayanaLorna]

On 5/5/2019 at 8:54 AM, cocopico said:

We had the fabulous brunch as well.  It was incredible, and the crew worked through the night to set it all up (and then took several hours to take it all down).  I couldn't believe all the effort they went to but people really seemed to enjoy it.  In addition to a large ice sculpture, the crew carved exotic birds out of melons, etc.  They even had a "Welcome to Brunch" sign made out of baked bread.  Made for a great sea day event!

Wow, we have 8 sea/scenic cruising days on our SA cruise.  Sure hope they do a brunch...and a chocolate fest!