Storage in Explore suite on Viking

[tgetz]

We have not been on a Viking cruise yet but are booked on the 2023 world cruise in an aft explorer suite. I can find a few videos of explorer cabins on other Viking ships but they just sort of quickly go over the closet. I am assuming the Neptune will be the same as all the others?  I can see there are two drawers in the bath area, and two tiny drawers on the night stands but are there any other drawers? Are there drawers under the bed? Are there drawers in the  closet? I can't even really tell how much actual closet space there is. We plan to take a Viking cruise when things settle down before final payment is due on the world but not sure we would book an Explorer suite and not sure I could get someone in an Explorer to let us in to look at the actual storage. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thans in advance

[TayanaLorna]

I can't imagine not having enough storage in an Explorer's Suite.  We were in a Penthouse Veranda which is two steps down from the Explorer's and had ample drawers.  There are 2 good sized drawers in the bathroom with open shelves below.  Explorers is double sink so could be more.  The hallway had 3 drawers.  Each bedside table had 1 small drawer and open shelf below.  We had a long low dresser (credenza) with 3 drawers on each side of the open middle shelf space.  There was a desk with the fridge on one side of the knee hole and a door on the other side which opened to reveal 2 more drawers.  We had room for 4 suitcases under the bed.  Are you bringing steamer trunks?  (Just kidding :<) ) And the PV does not have  a separate bedroom, its all one room whereas the Explorers has a separate bedroom and probably has more dressers in there.  I think you get laundry service included too.  Wow, enjoy!!

[aungrl]

We were in an Explorer Suite to celebrate a special birthday for my mom.  You will have PLENTY of storage.  In addition to the features in the PH Veranda tayanaLorna points out, I can tell you that the closet is a large walk-in, with several drawers and shelves and plenty of hanging space.  There are drawers tucked everywhere, and room under the bed for our two large suitcases and our two smaller backpacks.  But we only needed to use them for dirty clothes, before taking them to the laundry or sending them to the  be laundered.  There was ample storage for everything we packed, with much room to spare.  Sorry I'm fuzzy on the specifics, but we were still finding places we could have put things had we needed to about 4 days into the cruise.  For the world cruise, you'll have much more than we did, of course, but I can't imagine you won't be able to put it all away - even if you need to utilize suitcases under the bed for the out of season items and then rotate them.  Enjoy!  From what I'm reading vicariously both here and on the Roll Call, it's shaping up to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.  

[tgetz]

Our last world cruise was 128 day and had cold weather, hot weather, and an African safari. We were in a Neptune Suite on Holland and since luggage shipping each way was covered we took- please don't laugh, but total of 17 bags. One bag was just our formal wear, which we won't need this trip. One bag was a case of wine for my husband- he loves his wine. Won't need that this trip.  One bag was scuba gear, not sure about that yet. One bag was for the safari, not doing that and I took way more than I needed of cosmetics and stuff. Really hope to take way less this time. But I will say I had everything I could possibly want. 🙂 My packing list was three pages two columns' on each.. Now you can laugh at  me.  I even took 2 fold up hammocks which were great for extra storage and more chairs in our cabin. We do like to entertain. Thanks for your help

[aungrl]

LOL!  Okay, you might want to take what I wrote about ES storage with a heavy grain of salt, in that case.  Even eliminating the wine, formalwear, safari clothes, and potentially scuba gear, sounds like you could easily end up with more stuff than storage space.  I definitely took advantage of the included laundry service for things I didn't mind being washed in hot water - they do encourage you to put special instructions on the laundry slips, and others on this board have had good luck with doing that, but I've never quite trusted it with things I know could shrink, etc.  So I also to advantage of the laundry facilities on each deck.  For a world cruise, it might be possible to utilize both those options once/week and take less stuff overall.  But, it's a WORLD CRUISE - a huge trip for anyone - so I'd be the last person to laugh or criticize if you ended up with 13 suitcases!  

[Heidi13]

I completed a review of an Explorer's Suite on the 2020 WC - note it was a fwd cabin - 4000

 

Select the link to view the report and photos.

 

https://andyandjudi.com/2020/04/16/viking-ocean-explorer-suite-es-1-review/

 

[JM0115]

3 hours ago, tgetz said:

Our last world cruise was 128 day and had cold weather, hot weather, and an African safari. We were in a Neptune Suite on Holland and since luggage shipping each way was covered we took- please don't laugh, but total of 17 bags. One bag was just our formal wear, which we won't need this trip. One bag was a case of wine for my husband- he loves his wine. Won't need that this trip.  One bag was scuba gear, not sure about that yet. One bag was for the safari, not doing that and I took way more than I needed of cosmetics and stuff. Really hope to take way less this time. But I will say I had everything I could possibly want. 🙂 My packing list was three pages two columns' on each.. Now you can laugh at  me.  I even took 2 fold up hammocks which were great for extra storage and more chairs in our cabin. We do like to entertain. Thanks for your help

Wow! Thank you for the entertainment value! I don’t think I OWN 17 bags worth of clothing! We are going to take 2 carryons and one large which we are preshipping. 

[Mich3554]

8 hours ago, tgetz said:

Our last world cruise was 128 day and had cold weather, hot weather, and an African safari. We were in a Neptune Suite on Holland and since luggage shipping each way was covered we took- please don't laugh, but total of 17 bags. One bag was just our formal wear, which we won't need this trip. One bag was a case of wine for my husband- he loves his wine. Won't need that this trip.  One bag was scuba gear, not sure about that yet. One bag was for the safari, not doing that and I took way more than I needed of cosmetics and stuff. Really hope to take way less this time. But I will say I had everything I could possibly want. 🙂 My packing list was three pages two columns' on each.. Now you can laugh at  me.  I even took 2 fold up hammocks which were great for extra storage and more chairs in our cabin. We do like to entertain. Thanks for your help

We saw another couple coming off the trans Atlantic 12 day cruise we took with a total of 12 bags.  This was our first cruise and we had taken a 22” carry on roller bag and a backpack each.  So far, we have used this combo for up to a 6 week trip.  Both bags do extend another 2”.

 

I am hoping that we can do the 22-23 WC with just another full sized suitcase each.

[tgetz]

Since we will be responsible for getting our bags home from the UK, I am definitely taking less on this cruise, but I always like to be prepared for anything so no way could I get by with a carry on and one bag. ------

Do they offer popcorn on Viking when there is a movie? I know some friends that even though Holland does have popcorn at the theater, they did take a popcorn machine on their world cruise? Nah, I probably won't take that. What I did take on the last  world, was a door decoration for every holiday, Christmas, New Year's, Valentines, Mardi Gras, etc. Then they came up with a new rule and nothing could be on your door. Since this time we are way on the  back of the ship, I won't be taking decorations, no fun if we can't share them.

But this does bring up a new question. On the world cruises does Viking store your luggage if requested?

[Jim Avery]

yes

[tgetz]

thanks

[aungrl]

21 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

I completed a review of an Explorer's Suite on the 2020 WC - note it was a fwd cabin - 4000

 

Select the link to view the report and photos.

 

https://andyandjudi.com/2020/04/16/viking-ocean-explorer-suite-es-1-review/

 

Now how did I miss this?  I followed your blog with much anticipation every single day!  Oh well, memory is the second thing to go, they tell me....

[Senior Gators]

Andy,  

 

Thanks for posting your review of your thoughts and observations of staying in an Explorer Suite aboard one of Viking's wonderful ocean cruise ships. It brought back wonderful memories of our accommodations and Transatlantic Crossing several years ago on the Viking Sea. We were fortunate enough to stay one deck below your suite in ES 3000 and find that our accommodations were exactly like the ones you showed in your review of ES 4000. We normally book Penthouse Jr Suites on deck 6, but splurged a couple of times for Explorer Suites. The other one was all the way aft in Suite 3095 (different layout but all of the same features) on our 1st Viking Cruise. That was in 2015 on board the Star and was a 22 day cruise across the Mediterranean from Istanbul to Barcelona.  

 

With FCC from cancelled cruises this year, we have been able to book a South Atlantic Crossing for November 2021and have once again booked an Explorer Suite (3001 this time) on the Jupiter. It was at no additional cost to us above the PS-3 fare we had on our cancelled Alaskan cruise on the Orion and extension on the Rocky Mountaineer.

 

 Hopefully the world will be moving towards normality by then or we will be once again rescheduling or cancelling a much anticipated sailing with Viking.

 

Andy, your postings are greatly appreciated along with Jim Avery's.  The Inside knowledge and perspectives that you both bring to the table are what helps these boards educational and interesting. 

 

Thanks again,

 

Senior Gators (Richard & Margie)

Edited December 30, 2020 by Senior Gators
Text editing

[TayanaLorna]

On 12/28/2020 at 10:28 PM, Heidi13 said:

I completed a review of an Explorer's Suite on the 2020 WC - note it was a fwd cabin - 4000

 

Select the link to view the report and photos.

 

https://andyandjudi.com/2020/04/16/viking-ocean-explorer-suite-es-1-review/

 

I too missed this review having read your other stories.  Great info and what a cabin!  If I ever booked one I think I would go aft due to anchor noise and curtain closing (which makes sense for night sight).  Was salt spray encrusting your deck an issue?

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

I too missed this review having read your other stories.  Great info and what a cabin!  If I ever booked one I think I would go aft due to anchor noise and curtain closing (which makes sense for night sight).  Was salt spray encrusting your deck an issue?

 

Negative on salt spray, but also note we didn't experience any rough seas when in 4000. When crossing the Pacific and Tasman it could be different.