Comparison of cabins

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, sleepybobo said:

Late to this.  The travel consultant we spoke to onboard suggested starboard would be better side for the Trade Routes sailing from Barcelona to Bergen because it would be the side of the coast line.

We been on this itinerary and you do not see land 99% of the time. You go through the Straights of Gibraltar in the middle of the night. 

[Microman123]

1 hour ago, sleepybobo said:

Late to this.  The travel consultant we spoke to onboard suggested starboard would be better side for the Trade Routes sailing from Barcelona to Bergen because it would be the side of the coast line.

Well, we’ll soon find out. We left Bergen this morning headed to Bruge on a 2 days at sea leg . (We were supposed to have departed Bergen yesterday evening, but rough seas in the North Sea led to a departure delay. We miss our Amsterdam port call). 

 

I was in 5109 (Starboard) for the Homelands portion, but moved to 4120 (Port) for Trade Routes. 
Side didn’t make much difference for Homelands because of the many islands we were sailing between. I’m anticipating that Port side will give us more coastline views as we approach European ports from the North. 

[Moby_Spout]

Microman, what was your opinion of 5109 in terms of sway with waves, etc?

[Microman123]

17 minutes ago, Moby_Spout said:

Microman, what was your opinion of 5109 in terms of sway with waves, etc?

We didn’t really have any rough sea issues on the Homelands cruise, so I can’t give you an opinion on 5th deck, aft. We did have very rough seas today (4 meter waves according to CruiseMapper). We are on 4th deck, aft as well and there were no issues for us. I had to redevelop my sea legs quickly but neither I or my wife had any nausea issues. We did take Bronine and I have a Scopolamine patch as preventatives. 
 

I might add that the bedroom in 4120 is at least 2 feet shorter than 5109. The distance between bed and Veranda curtain is VERY narrow, whereas in 5109 there was enough room for my exercise mat. 

Edited September 11 by Microman123
Missing word

[bookbabe]

6 hours ago, sleepybobo said:

Late to this.  The travel consultant we spoke to onboard suggested starboard would be better side for the Trade Routes sailing from Barcelona to Bergen because it would be the side of the coast line.

We went port side for our Trade Routes, mostly because we had Iconic Med right before it and 5108 worked better for Istanbul to Barcelona. 😉

Overall, you’re generally far enough from land that you can’t see much, and when you are close to land and it happens to be on the other side of the ship, when you have an aft ES you can look across and see both sides easily enough.  While I’m not happy about the change, I can see why the best of the ES2 cabins are now categorized as ES1 on the Vela.  They really are the best cabins on the ship.

 

[Messybill]

On 9/11/2024 at 1:58 PM, sleepybobo said:

Late to this.  The travel consultant we spoke to onboard suggested starboard would be better side for the Trade Routes sailing from Barcelona to Bergen because it would be the side of the coast line.

It is true that on that particular cruise the starboard side will be the one that is most often facing the coast -- however, in our experience most cruises are have more equitably distributed segments of the "coast" sides.  That said, there are very few times that the coast is actually visible from one side of the ship and not the other.   Entering and leaving ports there is typically something to see on each side.   Going through the straits of Gibraltar there is something to see on both sides (assuming you go through during daylight -- we didn't).    It seems to me unlikely that either side of the ship would see anything from Lisbon until England (where the port side is "preferable").  Finally, the rear ES cabins have a remarkable field of view and even from the "wrong" side you can get an excellent line of sight of anything on shore as the ship passes it.

 

We used to consider this (port vs starboard) an important factor but in fact have found it pretty much irrelevant -- in PS cabins, it is a short walk to the Explorer's Lounge, which has the best view on the ship, and in the rear ES cabins you won't miss anything as long as you can wait for the ship to pass by.

Edited September 16 by Messybill
typo

[CCWineLover]

On 9/16/2024 at 4:04 PM, Messybill said:

We used to consider this (port vs starboard) an important factor but in fact have found it pretty much irrelevant -- in PS cabins, it is a short walk to the Explorer's Lounge, which has the best view on the ship, and in the rear ES cabins you won't miss anything as long as you can wait for the ship to pass by.

Cannot agree more!   Port vs Starboard on ocean ships for the most part doesn't matter at all.  People who place too much emphasis wind up being disappointed.

 

I can speak from experience - the Trade Routes cruise you don't see that much when out to sea.  About the only time it might make a difference to you - is if you want to watch them dock from your cabin.  However, our experience is that it's best to be out and about if you want to watch docking (and/or leaving) at a port, rather than just be on your balcony.  I've been keeping track of which side they dock on, and even though they say it's 50/50, I don't believe that.  For us it's been mostly starboard (maybe 75/25) - which we like in one sense because we can look out and see when passengers are leaving the ship and/or coming back.

[CDNPolar]

We do look at the direction of the route and we will book on the side that faces the shoreline.  However as many have said, you often don't see anything.

 

For sail away and for arrival, we are generally on the top deck anyway.  

 

For us the balcony is to "feel" the temperature before leaving the cabin and knowing how to dress, and occasionally to sit on, but not often.

 

When there is anything of value / beauty to see, we are on deck.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

We do look at the direction of the route and we will book on the side that faces the shoreline.  However as many have said, you often don't see anything.

 

For sail away and for arrival, we are generally on the top deck anyway.  

 

For us the balcony is to "feel" the temperature before leaving the cabin and knowing how to dress, and occasionally to sit on, but not often.

 

When there is anything of value / beauty to see, we are on deck.

Good points!   Another thought I had that we try to do.  As in the Trade Routes (or even others), we tend to like to pick the side that has the sunrises (which we are more likely to see from our room in the morning.  They make the room nicer, brighter, etc.   Sunsets are wasted in the cabin, as we are usually always up above in one of the lounges or out on the fantail.

Might be something to keep in mind!  I've even been known to calculate what azimuth the sunrise is compared to where the ship is likely heading to figure this one out.  Of course some cruises are 50/50.

[Redtravel]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:08 AM, Redtravel said:

We were in a penthouse jr suite on our most recent cruise.  There was lots of space. .  We were on excursions daily and really didn’t spend much time in the cabin.   I did like the complimentary laundry.  Next time, I would book a smaller cabin.  

In August we were on Viking again. This time we booked a penthouse veranda on deck 6 forward.  It was perfect for us.  Bathroom had one sink and a slightly smaller shower compared to the pjs.  It was ok.  The storage space is the same as the pjs.  Pjs includes free laundry.  With the difference in cost between pjs and PV, you can buy laundry.  

[sleepybobo]

@CCWineLover Do you mind sharing why you did Trade Routes twice? Did you enjoy it so much the first time that you wanted to take the same cruise again. I’ll do this one in 2026, so I’m curious,

[CCWineLover]

12 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

@CCWineLover Do you mind sharing why you did Trade Routes twice? Did you enjoy it so much the first time that you wanted to take the same cruise again. I’ll do this one in 2026, so I’m curious,

Yes we liked it a lot!  One of our favorite itineraries.  The first trip was the same set of ports to the north from Barcelona except that we finished in Copenhagen instead of Bergen.  It was in 2019 and on the Jupiter just after it came into service.  We enjoyed all the ports and there was so much to do that we thought going again would be a treat - we did all different tours and explorations on our own - so it was like 2 different cruises!

[sleepybobo]

13 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Yes we liked it a lot!  One of our favorite itineraries.  The first trip was the same set of ports to the north from Barcelona except that we finished in Copenhagen instead of Bergen.  It was in 2019 and on the Jupiter just after it came into service.  We enjoyed all the ports and there was so much to do that we thought going again would be a treat - we did all different tours and explorations on our own - so it was like 2 different cruises!

Thanks for your input.  Trade Routes is indeed an interesting itinerary.  I've been thinking about doing it quite some time and finally booked it while on board last month.  There are many things to do in Barcelona and Amsterdam.  I'm still not sure whether to see Alhambra or Rodna in Granada.  

 

I never considered repeating the same itinerary until we did Iceland's Majestic Landscapes.  While we were looking at our pictures over the weekend, we thought it'd be great to do this sailing again in 5-6 years.  

 

I wonder why Trade Routes and Iceland aren't more popular. 

 

Getting off-topic here. Lol

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, sleepybobo said:

I'm still not sure whether to see Alhambra or Rodna in Granada.

The Alhambra is amazing and is a hard ticket to get. It sells out very quickly. There is only one bus allowed per day per cruise line by the venue. Tickets have to have the user’s name pre-printed on it so if there are cancellations aboard the ship, the cannot offer it to other passengers, so no waiting list. If you decide you want this excursion, make sure it is the very first one you purchase as soon as your way now opens on MVJ. Put it in your cart and pay immediately. It will sell out in minutes. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LindaS272]

We just booked the Alhambra for our upcoming TA in October, though our initial booking time was June 23. For various reasons, we had opted not to include it this cruise (one of which was that we will also do this port stop on the Malta cruise next March). But we decided we might want to go this time after all, so a few days ago we checked and saw there were openings. We booked over the phone with a Viking rep and were told there were still 10 slots open. She told us there were 200 available for our cruise, not just one busload per cruise ship per day. I believe I had read a while ago that the restrictions were eased from the smaller number allowed.
 

As for once in a lifetime, this is twice for us as we went on our first European trip together in 1984 and got to stay in the paradore within the grounds.

Edited September 24 by LindaS272

[CCWineLover]

26 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

We just booked the Alhambra for our upcoming TA in October, though our initial booking time was June 23. For various reasons, we had opted not to include it this cruise (one of which was that we will also do this port stop on the Malta cruise next March). But we decided we might want to go this time after all, so a few days ago we checked and saw there were openings. We booked over the phone with a Viking rep and were told there were still 10 slots open. She told us there were 200 available for our cruise, not just one busload per cruise ship per day. I believe I had read a while ago that the restrictions were eased from the smaller number allowed.
 

As for once in a lifetime, this is twice for us as we went on our first European trip together in 1984 and got to stay in the paradore within the grounds.

Linda - we did the Alhambra Viking Excursion last May when on the Trade Routes Cruise.  There were SIX Viking buses that went up to the Alhambra.  At roughly 40 apiece I figure there were 240 slots.  So no one should ever give up if they want to go!  We met several people who only got their reservations while on board.   So you are right, the restrictions must have been lifted somewhat.

It was indeed a bucket list experience.  And, the late lunch we had at a Michelin restaurant was beyond good - much better than we expected!!  We were still full when we got back to the ship, not long ahead of sailing.  Needless to say we had a late (8;30?) dinner that night.  It was a pretty amazing day - and I hope you'll enjoy it.

 

[millybess]

Wow guys, I'm also guilty of thread drift........but maybe a new thread?

[CCWineLover]

9 minutes ago, millybess said:

Wow guys, I'm also guilty of thread drift........but maybe a new thread?

You are absolutely correct!  I started a new focused thread as this topic deserves!

[JF - retired RRT]

12 hours ago, millybess said:

Wow guys, I'm also guilty of thread drift........but maybe a new thread?

I was thinking the same thing. Cabins???

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I was thinking the same thing. Cabins???

You must not have read my post #93.

[JF - retired RRT]

1 minute ago, CCWineLover said:

You must not have read my post #93.

Yeah...I did...that's why I was agreeing with you.

[RobEsson]

Ok, back to cabins. Before I saw that comparison, I had never given a thought to the plain V cabins, having sailed the previous two times and our forthcoming trip in DVs on Deck 3. The first was a DV1 (3096) looking over the stern which was great although I'm not sure it was worth the difference in price, and the next two will be DV6's on Deck 3. I like Deck 3 because it is the lowest deck and therefore, in rough weather, will experience the least motion. If given a choice I'd aim for the middle too although the Vs are for'ard. However, in looking at the differences between DVs and Vs, there's virtually nothing that concerns us, so I may aim for a V in future. The lack of coffee maker might be a problem, if, and only if, this means that we couldn't do what we usually do which is to get the stewards to take the coffee maker away and replace it with a kettle. And I suppose we'd need the tea pot and cups. Does anyone that has used a V in the past know about the cups etc., because if that could be solved I think I'll be a cheapo guy in the future 😁!

[sleepybobo]

4 minutes ago, RobEsson said:

Ok, back to cabins. Before I saw that comparison, I had never given a thought to the plain V cabins, having sailed the previous two times and our forthcoming trip in DVs on Deck 3. The first was a DV1 (3096) looking over the stern which was great although I'm not sure it was worth the difference in price, and the next two will be DV6's on Deck 3. I like Deck 3 because it is the lowest deck and therefore, in rough weather, will experience the least motion. If given a choice I'd aim for the middle too although the Vs are for'ard. However, in looking at the differences between DVs and Vs, there's virtually nothing that concerns us, so I may aim for a V in future. The lack of coffee maker might be a problem, if, and only if, this means that we couldn't do what we usually do which is to get the stewards to take the coffee maker away and replace it with a kettle. And I suppose we'd need the tea pot and cups. Does anyone that has used a V in the past know about the cups etc., because if that could be solved I think I'll be a cheapo guy in the future 😁!

I had never stayed in V2s. But I stayed at 3022 (V1) twice.  The only complaint I had was the noise from the theatre during showtimes and rehearsals.  I also like Deck 3 because it feels more open with the Atrium in midship. IMO, the best staterooms on Deck 3 are from 3031 to 3039.  These rooms are far away enough from Torshavn but not close enough to the theatre. 

[RobEsson]

3 minutes ago, sleepybobo said:

I had never stayed in V2s. But I stayed at 3022 (V1) twice.  The only complaint I had was the noise from the theatre during showtimes and rehearsals.  I also like Deck 3 because it feels more open with the Atrium in midship. IMO, the best staterooms on Deck 3 are from 3031 to 3039.  These rooms are far away enough from Torshavn but not close enough to the theatre. 

Many thanks for this - I've just found out that I'm in 3042 (had been GTY up until now) for my Christmas cruise which seems to be above the shop and a little way from Torshavn. Once I have my hearing aids out, I'm deaf as a post, but I just hope that it'll be far enough from Torshavn that my wife won't hear it ...

[sleepybobo]

7 minutes ago, RobEsson said:

Many thanks for this - I've just found out that I'm in 3042 (had been GTY up until now) for my Christmas cruise which seems to be above the shop and a little way from Torshavn. Once I have my hearing aids out, I'm deaf as a post, but I just hope that it'll be far enough from Torshavn that my wife won't hear it ...

3042 should be great. We were in 3038 last time and there's no noise at all.  The bed in 3042 also faces forward, which is a plus for me.