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Viking Ocean Newbie Questions


SabreSailor
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We are about to book the 2019 Far East Discovery cruise in October 2019. While we have been on many cruises (mostly HAL), we only know what we read in brochures about Viking Ocean.

 

So here goes - thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

1) We are looking at Penthouse Junior Suite #6023, deck 6 opening into the forward elevator lobby. Any issues with noise from above, below, or from the elevators?

 

2) Business class air seems reasonable at $4000 compared to October 2018 rates (JFK-Beijing, Hong Kong-JFK) and for $50 more, you get to choose your flights. Any recommendations on the best airlines for business class on these routes?

 

3) The Viking website says that minibars in Penthouse Junior Suites are replenished daily with alcoholic beverages? Spirits as well? Is this complimentary?

 

4) How large are the balconies in the Penthouse Junior Suites? Just two chairs and a table?

 

5) The Penthouse Junior Suites are located about halfway between midships and the bow - some more than halfway. Any issues with motion?

 

6) It's tough to tell how large the closet(s) are in these suites - are they adequate? I realize that the tux and gowns stay home for this trip, and that laundry and dry cleaning are complimentary....

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We are about to book the 2019 Far East Discovery cruise in October 2019. While we have been on many cruises (mostly HAL), we only know what we read in brochures about Viking Ocean.

 

So here goes - thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

1) We are looking at Penthouse Junior Suite #6023, deck 6 opening into the forward elevator lobby. Any issues with noise from above, below, or from the elevators?

 

2) Business class air seems reasonable at $4000 compared to October 2018 rates (JFK-Beijing, Hong Kong-JFK) and for $50 more, you get to choose your flights. Any recommendations on the best airlines for business class on these routes?

 

3) The Viking website says that minibars in Penthouse Junior Suites are replenished daily with alcoholic beverages? Spirits as well? Is this complimentary?

 

4) How large are the balconies in the Penthouse Junior Suites? Just two chairs and a table?

 

5) The Penthouse Junior Suites are located about halfway between midships and the bow - some more than halfway. Any issues with motion?

 

6) It's tough to tell how large the closet(s) are in these suites - are they adequate? I realize that the tux and gowns stay home for this trip, and that laundry and dry cleaning are complimentary....

 

SabreSailor, welcome to Viking Oceans. My wife and I have sailed 4 times with Viking and have 2 more booked. We love the Penthouse Junior Suites on Deck 6 and have stayed in 6019 twice and will be staying in 6021 and 6023 in out next 2 cruises. We can provide you with some answers to most of your questions based on our experiences.

 

They are as follows:

1. We experienced no problems with sound from outside our cabin.

2. Sorry, no experience here and will leave it to others to comment.

3. Daily refills are complimentary and include beer, and 4 nips (one of each) rum, gin, vodka and scotch. We have also requested wine and had that placed in the minibar too.

4. Balconies are the same width as the cabin itself, approximately 15 or 16 feet and about 5 feet deep. You are correct that they are furnished with a table and 2 chairs.

5. We haven't had any problems with motion. The cabin you have booked is not so high or far enough forward to experience the more pronounced motion that is inherent to those locations. That being said, it is our experience that Viking's sister ships are quite stabile even in modererately heavy seas. The ship's motion is more dependent on what angle the waves meet the ship than anything else.

6. Closets at the Penthouse Junior Suite cabin level are quite generous - full length and about 6 feet wide with double sliding doors and a full length overhead shelf. One of the nicest things about staying in a Penthouse Junior Suite is the complimentary laundry. We have used it extensively and appreciate the the good care they give our clothing. One very minor downside is the small, adhesive labels they use to identify your cabin's laundry. They can be difficult to remove.

 

Hopefully, this information will be helpful to you.

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# 2 - We paid the $50 pp to select our airline preference, as we have BA Avios, so prefer to fly on One World airlines.

 

Out of Hong Kong we flew with Cathay Pacific, who at the time were reputed to be the world's # 1 airline. Their service depends on the type of aircraft, as we did long haul & short haul flights. I suspect they would use B777's or A-350's which should have reasonable service.

 

Can't comment on New York/China flights.

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We are about to book the 2019 Far East Discovery cruise in October 2019. While we have been on many cruises (mostly HAL), we only know what we read in brochures about Viking Ocean.

 

So here goes - thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

1) We are looking at Penthouse Junior Suite #6023, deck 6 opening into the forward elevator lobby. Any issues with noise from above, below, or from the elevators?

 

2) Business class air seems reasonable at $4000 compared to October 2018 rates (JFK-Beijing, Hong Kong-JFK) and for $50 more, you get to choose your flights. Any recommendations on the best airlines for business class on these routes?

 

3) The Viking website says that minibars in Penthouse Junior Suites are replenished daily with alcoholic beverages? Spirits as well? Is this complimentary?

 

4) How large are the balconies in the Penthouse Junior Suites? Just two chairs and a table?

 

5) The Penthouse Junior Suites are located about halfway between midships and the bow - some more than halfway. Any issues with motion?

 

6) It's tough to tell how large the closet(s) are in these suites - are they adequate? I realize that the tux and gowns stay home for this trip, and that laundry and dry cleaning are complimentary....

 

We’ve had two PV cabins in that general area and never had any issues with noise. I would note, though, that the deck diagram is not always completely accurate. We had a junior suite on the 8th deck (8017) which on the diagram looks like it is several cabins in front of the elevator lobby. In fact, our door was right at the elevator lobby. Even there, however, we heard no noise from the elevators. (Those elevators don’t get near as much traffic as the aft elevators.)

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We are about to book the 2019 Far East Discovery cruise in October 2019. While we have been on many cruises (mostly HAL), we only know what we read in brochures about Viking Ocean.

 

 

 

So here goes - thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

 

 

1) We are looking at Penthouse Junior Suite #6023, deck 6 opening into the forward elevator lobby. Any issues with noise from above, below, or from the elevators?

 

 

 

2) Business class air seems reasonable at $4000 compared to October 2018 rates (JFK-Beijing, Hong Kong-JFK) and for $50 more, you get to choose your flights. Any recommendations on the best airlines for business class on these routes?

 

 

 

3) The Viking website says that minibars in Penthouse Junior Suites are replenished daily with alcoholic beverages? Spirits as well? Is this complimentary?

 

 

 

4) How large are the balconies in the Penthouse Junior Suites? Just two chairs and a table?

 

 

 

5) The Penthouse Junior Suites are located about halfway between midships and the bow - some more than halfway. Any issues with motion?

 

 

 

6) It's tough to tell how large the closet(s) are in these suites - are they adequate? I realize that the tux and gowns stay home for this trip, and that laundry and dry cleaning are complimentary....

 

 

 

We did the WC in 7008 Penthouse Jr Suite and we couldn’t have been happier with the accommodations.

I will try and answer your questions with a man’s perspective.

1. Noise from above or below ? None - only once or twice did we hear a tv that wasn’t ours

2. We’ve done Viking Cruises from Asia prior to the WC and we used Cathay Pacific Premium Acc and they are Wonderful and we saved a bundle over business class . On the WC we used American Airlines and they where fine . Didn’t want to use British Airline due to older planes on our routes.

3. Yes ,you should meet with your cabin attendant and spec the brands you would like .They will try to get what you want . It free to the cabin owners

4. Big -not a problem . My wife brings a folding stool to rest her legs while she reads her books . I think Amazon has them under camping supplies

5. No motion out the ordinary wave action .We like the PjrSuites on deck 7 due to only having 8 cabins on that floor. Not much traffic,most go by the Owner’s Suite and then to the elevators . Plus the Explorer’s Lounge is near by .

6. The storage in the closets is fine . They have plenty of space if you use the draws in the closets and under the TV’s .

 

Put your items that seem to be overflow-items back in your suitcases and put them under your bed . If you need them, just pull out the suitcase .

 

You may want to think out doing your own delicate items in the smaller washing machines . The laundry is great but they can be rough on things.

 

We loved all our experiences with Viking and we hope you do too.

 

 

 

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Haven't been in a suite on VO, but can tell you that VO's ships are very stable. We just cruised on our other favorite cruise line and I did notice motion - though not enough to bother me. Mid ship is supposed to be good for less motion, so I doubt you'll feel much of any motion, especially on VO.

 

One thing we liked about VO's veranda rooms is that there was a dresser in the closet, although I don't know if that applies to all ships and all rooms.

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Haven't been in a suite on VO, but can tell you that VO's ships are very stable. We just cruised on our other favorite cruise line and I did notice motion - though not enough to bother me. Mid ship is supposed to be good for less motion, so I doubt you'll feel much of any motion, especially on VO.

 

One thing we liked about VO's veranda rooms is that there was a dresser in the closet, although I don't know if that applies to all ships and all rooms.

 

No, this does not apply to all of the ships. Unless they have been retrofit since we sailed this past January, Star and Sea do not have drawers in the closet.

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Those wonderful drawers were so important to us on the WC!!! Hope they can retrofit the older ships ASAP! I am also wondering how much smaller the gym will be on the Sea?? We have only been on the SUN and SKY, both with the larger gyms!

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No, this does not apply to all of the ships. Unless they have been retrofit since we sailed this past January, Star and Sea do not have drawers in the closet.

 

 

 

I thought the drawers were only put into V and DV cabin closets because they don’t have the credenza under the TV, or in the desk like the PV and up.

 

We had a PV for our cruise and we had plenty of drawer space. There were 3 drawers below the coffee station under the safe. There were 3 on each side of the credenza, 3 in the desk and a small one in each nightstand.

 

 

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I thought the drawers were only put into V and DV cabin closets because they don’t have the credenza under the TV, or in the desk like the PV and up.

 

We had a PV for our cruise and we had plenty of drawer space. There were 3 drawers below the coffee station under the safe. There were 3 on each side of the credenza, 3 in the desk and a small one in each nightstand.

 

 

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There is also large drawer at the bottom of credenza below the shelf and between those side drawers (PV1). I discovered it by accident :)

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There is also large drawer at the bottom of credenza below the shelf and between those side drawers (PV1). I discovered it by accident :)

 

Well, gee. Here I am on the Sea, 9 days into the Homelands cruise, and you have just called my attention to the drawer I have been looking for. I have been storing all our big heavy sweaters on the shelf above the coffee maker. I just moved them. 81 degrees in Denmark today. Thanks for the tip!!!

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We've never packed for more than 14 or 15 days, and are no-nonsense packers, so we seldom need more space than what we find when all space in a veranda cabin is utilized - nice big drawers in bathroom, long shelf inside closet (above hangers) and the drawers. I guess if you're short, that shelf in the closet isn't a great option, but at 5'6" it works for me. I put pants and things that can be folded up there. I love the little cubbyholes in the desk for miscellaneous stuff. These days, it seems like we travel with more "stuff" than clothes - camera stuff, phone, etc. To cut down on clutter, I put anything I'm not likely to actually use (warm coat, for example) in my suitcase under the bed.

Edited by roothy123
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Well, gee. Here I am on the Sea, 9 days into the Homelands cruise, and you have just called my attention to the drawer I have been looking for. I have been storing all our big heavy sweaters on the shelf above the coffee maker. I just moved them. 81 degrees in Denmark today. Thanks for the tip!!!

 

You are very welcome! :)

 

I had live Homelands on Star Now last July. I mentioned this drawer there. ;)

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