Live from the Viking Star

[Vineyard View]

Roothy, we travel very similar. We enjoy busy days and early mornings, so few late nights....but the thing I am hearing is that often the included excursions are at different times, which is great for early birds and night owls!!

 

We aren't looking for all the huge gym space /spa/casino/clubbing amenities that are found on large ships - and there are those who these features are important to - so Viking will suit some more than others. I truly believe that Viking will get the kinks worked out and turn oceans into the same class act that rivers is.

 

That all said, I am sure that experiencing these first days of kinks can be frustrating....and your feedback to Viking is invaluable. So please accept my sincere appreciation for smoothing the way some prior to boarding in Barcelona!!

[swimmerim]

Hope your husband's ankle gets better quick. Glad you went out on your own though. Take care and thanks for all of your posts.

[roothy123]

Becki, that's awful about your husband's ankle. However, I imagine (and hope) it's OK today, as Dubrovnik awaits! I am also planning to go to the little church on the island out from Perast, plus explore Kotor. I'm not sure if I'll do that by public bus or a Viking excursion (which I assume is what you did) but it kind of fascinates me....

 

OK, I'll beat a dead horse and then quit: I really think people need to keep in mind that Star has literally only been out a little over a week, and what's iffy now will likely be ironed out in a month or two. I also think they'll probably add some more stuff as time goes by. (I know Oceania certainly did!) The vast majority of people cruising are only on short cruises, and they can probably live without ice buckets, hair coloring services and abs crunching! I can live without the bow camera. If not, they'll just go back to cruising on whatever cruise line provides all those things they're asking about. I also think that now that Viking is up and running, they will not likely require all of us to pay a year and a half pre-cruise (or whatever it was we paid)! I just looked at my receipt, and we first put money down in June 2013!!

 

Hope your husband feels better, Becki, and enjoy your fourth country in little more than a week!

[kathy9]

Sorry to hear about your DH's ankle, hope he can walk about Dubrovnik today!

When we had dinner with Paul the cruise director last night he said that all the guests onboard with their complaints, suggestions and praise are forming what will be Viking Oceans. So he asked that every guest fill out the daily surveys and speak up about what isn't and what is right.

Kathy

[PopsA]

Hi Becki,

 

It has been nice to read your upbeat reports. I'm sorry to hear about your husbands ankle injury. Hopefully he will be back to full strength in no time. I'm still waiting for your review of the afternoon waffle station. You must have amazing will power if you have stayed away this long.

 

Keep the good information flowing!

[rjscott]

Thank you everyone for your good wishes! My husband is feeling better today, has the ankle support on and will go on our included tour in Dubrovnik. If he cannot keep up with the group, he will park himself and people watch until we are done.

It was difficult for him, as we try to wring every minute out of our time in port and had planned to walk up the steps behind the city, if not to the fort, at least to the church to get that wonderful overview I'd read about. But, at least he's up and about today. :)

 

Becki

[coco-girl]

Morning Becki,

 

I think it is highly commendable that yourself and your husband took your CC reviewing of the Star so seriously that you went as far as testing the Medical Facilities!! Your husband deserves a medal for 'taking one for the team' :D

 

Seriously though, I do hope your husband isn't in too much pain and discomfort, and your trip isn't hindered greatly by his unfortunate injury.

 

My best wishes to you both.

 

Coco

Edited April 18, 2015 by coco-girl
typo

[Azulann]

Sorry to hear about your DH's ankle, hope he can walk about Dubrovnik today!

When we had dinner with Paul the cruise director last night he said that all the guests onboard with their complaints, suggestions and praise are forming what will be Viking Oceans. So he asked that every guest fill out the daily surveys and speak up about what isn't and what is right.

Kathy

 

What a wonderful opportunity for all of the pioneers/explorers of the maiden voyages on the Viking Star to give constructive feedback to make Viking Ocean its own unique cruise line. I look forward to your trip reviews of those who are so busy enjoying their cruise. And thank all of you again who take time away form your day to post here on CC.

Cheers!:)

[rjscott]

Well, Coco, someone's gotta do it! Lol!

He is doing much better today. All that time on the ice yesterday and elevating it last night really did the trick. Well, that and wearing the ankle support. ;). He was quite the trouper today, even walking the walls of Dubrovnik halfway around. Of course, right now he has the ankle on the gel pak the Dr gave him, but that's mainly a preventive measure.

We had such a great day in Dubrovnik. The morning dawned so gloomy and threatening looking, we packed our umbrellas, just in case. But, by midday, the sun came out and it warmed up and it was another great day to be cruising.

As our guide walked us through the market near the square, some ladies were passing out samples of their dried fruits. The one lady smiled at me and asked, "Scandinavian?", because of my fair skin and hair. When I told her Hungarian on my grandparents side, she said, "ohhh" , smiled broadly and patted my arm. It was so sweet. Actually, my grandparents were Yugoslavian, then Hungarian and their country is now Serbian. So, very similar to what the Croats have been thru. When we did the Viking 'Passage to Eastern Europe' last June, I was able to visit the town that my grandparents were from and see my grandfather's baptismal record at the church where he was baptized in 1890. It was an amazing moment I will never forget.

Our walking tour took us to a Dominican Monastery, which was a beautiful building and very peaceful. There was also a museum within, with some lovely paintings and artifacts. Our guide pointed out most of the churches and notable buildings, but other than the monastery, we didn't go inside any. We then could have about an hour of free time and return to the ship with her or stay longer and return to the ship on a free shuttle available until 4pm. We opted to stay. We walked around for a bit , found a café we liked and got some food & drink. They were happy to take kunas, euros or credit cards. My friend and I also bought some small pieces of jewelry at a shop. He offered a discount for cash, including $ or euros. So, we had a good day in Dubrovnik! :D

 

Becki

[rjscott]

After we returned to the ship today, it was time to go pick up our passports, which had been held since embarkation. Only those not disembarking in Venice were excluded from the passport pickup.

Following that, my friend & I decided to go to the afternoon tea. However, we went too far, got as far as Mamsen's and a nice waitress asked if she could help us. We mentioned we were looking for the tea. She advised us it was in the Wintergarden, but also that it was usually very crowded, and wouldn't we like to just have some dessert and tea served to us right there? Well, why not?! So, PopsA, here's where I took one for the team and had a waffle, just in order to describe it to you.

The waffle was fresh out of the waffle maker; very fragrant and in a lovely shape around the edges. It was thin, but not too thin. I had it topped with fresh raspberries, blueberries and chocolate sauce and a dollop of sour cream on the side. It was perfection. A little crispy around the edges, nice and soft with the fruit and chocolate, but not mushy. Yum!

 

 

Becki

[Vineyard View]

Thanks for taking that one for the team Becki!!!rough job, but someone had to do it!! 😯😂

[PopsA]

You deserve a medal Becki! A medal in the shape of a little waffle with a little knife and fork dangling from a short silver chain.

 

Thank you for the vivid description. It has helped fill me up enough to make the two weeks until we board and can order my own.

[roothy123]

I bet you're a bit sad, realizing that the cruise is winding down. Those waffles sound like trouble to me. I will probably eat too many.

 

I was wondering if you happen to know if the shuttle that was available in Dubrovnik is one that's offered by the city or port or something Viking arrived. I'll probably stay in town after the tour there - a shuttle would be great.

[rjscott]

Roothy,

This was specifically a Viking shuttle, and it was a large bus that ran every ten minutes. As you exit the Pile gate, you will see a Viking rep with a 'Viking Shuttle' sign to direct you to the bus. The MSC Magnifica was also in port with us and they also offered a shuttle, so it was good to have our rep there. Those poor MSC people only had 4 hrs in port; can you imagine?

 

Thanks for the commendations for my strength in getting thru the waffle challenge. :p. I just didn't want to let you down.

 

Today is our last port, Pula. It is a tender port. We are just taking the included tour and then spending some time exploring the town on our own. Our friends are taking the tour to the olive oil farm.

 

The time onboard has flown by. It has been a wonderful cruise. I know you have read many complaints elsewhere and also a few here. For me, the few I and our friends have had were minor annoyances that you find in everyday life. And the good we found onboard far, far outweighed the bad. Can some improvements be made? Absolutely! Do I think Viking will address those that need improved? I do.

 

Becki

[PopsA]

Hi Becki,

 

Is it possible to bottle your wonderful attitude? It would be great if could be added to the morning coffee of those on the Star who are suffering through what appears to be one of the worst vacation experiences of their lives.

 

Perhaps there are two Viking Stars? The fun, happy, problem solvers sailing the ship you are on. And the forgetful, angry, misled passengers suffering on the other Star.

 

You will be sorely missed! I hope to sail with you and your DH along with your infections positive attitude in the future. Viking should hire you as a professional cruiser so you can work the passengers and raise spirits (wine included).

 

Enjoy your last day magnificent Star!

 

Brian

[Azulann]

Hi Becki,

 

Is it possible to bottle your wonderful attitude? It would be great if could be added to the morning coffee of those on the Star who are suffering through what appears to be one of the worst vacation experiences of their lives.

 

Perhaps there are two Viking Stars? The fun, happy, problem solvers sailing the ship you are on. And the forgetful, angry, misled passengers suffering on the other Star.

 

You will be sorely missed! I hope to sail with you and your DH along with your infections positive attitude in the future. Viking should hire you as a professional cruiser so you can work the passengers and raise spirits (wine included).

 

Enjoy your last day magnificent Star!

 

Brian

 

i too will miss Becki posts of her cruise and sharing with all of us.

 

I hope from reading your post on these threads PopA, that your posts during your upcoming sailing will be just as delightful and informative? I do know that there is a travel writer who will be boarding with you in Barcelona. I am following him on Twitter. Look forward to the Star journey around Europe and the reports from all you explorers.

I am still ready to book when the 2017 sailings are posted.

It is a cruise line that I was looking for with smaller ships and a different model of cruising.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Azulann

[roothy123]

Well said, Brian and thanks for saying it. Becki, thanks for all the great info. Hoping to see at one more post on unique Venice and disembarkation.

[Vineyard View]

Brian, thank you for your observations and pointing out what I have been noticing as well.... Becki, wish you were still going to be on board when we join in Barcelona!!! I have enjoyed reading your posts.....very much. Enjoy Pula!

[rjscott]

Thank you all for your kind words! Wow! Well, maybe you will take them back when you read my review of our trip to Pula...

We had decided to take the included walking tour of Pula (our friends were taking the Olive Farm tour followed by the walking tour). It seemed that most of the ship had decided to take the included tour, so there were several groups assigned to the walking tour. Our assigned group was to be at the Theater at 9am. We did not get onto a tender until 11am, and the tender ride was 30 min. So , by then, nearly half our day in Pula was over, as the last tender was at 4:30. Not a good end to our cruise. But we made the most of it. We enjoyed our walking tour, seeing the Roman arena, the Triumphal Arch, the Double Gate and other interesting structures around the town.

My husband and I hoped to meet up with our friends after their tour, so we thought we'd just get a snack at a gelateria. We asked the vendor if he took euros, and he said, "kuna, euros, dollars, it's all money". So, we each got a cone. But, when I went to pay with a 20 euro bill, it turns out he was joking. He really only wanted kuna, but would take euro if we had exact change, which we didn't have. Ooops! So he says he will be there until 6 pm, we can just bring him back the 2euro anytime by then. We go find our friends, have a little lunch, get a bit of change and go back and pay him. He doesn't seem in the least surprised to see us. That was just the best part of my day!

So this afternoon was packing up. Not too painful,as I'm fairly organized. Packed our one carryon for our 2 night stay in Venice, and then went for our last dinner onboard. Swordfis frsh from Croatian waters. It was delicious! The food has been consistently delicious and so beautifully presented.

One last breakfast and we are off to Venice!

Becki

[Azulann]

What a wonderful story about the shop keeper to end your wonderful posts about your maiden voyage.:)

 

Thank you for giving this armchair cruiser a peek into your wonderful journey.

Hope to meet you someday on a cruise.

[roothy123]

Well, another cruiser reported that the tender took 40 minutes versus your 30, although I know the time can differ a bit due to swell, tides, etc. At least this gives me an idea of what to expect, as reports on Pula as a cruise destination are almost non-existent. Of course, after seeing on Marine Traffic where the ship had to anchor, I can see why it took so long, as it's not exactly close to the shore. Oh well, perhaps I'll scale back my Pula plans into something a little more realistic.

 

The story about the Croatian vendor is one to remember, and it's those little stories and experiences that seem to linger in my mind more than the memories of buildings and landscapes. By the way, I've read that not very many vendors in Croatia take euros, so I'm not completely surprised about the euro part.

 

I just checked, and Star is heading slowly towards the coast of Italy. Seeing that, I wondered what time it would pull into Venice, and if you guys would be up in time to get a wonderful view of St. Marks Square as you passed by. That's one thing I'll miss, as we're boarding in Venice, and leaving at midnight, so I'll miss what looks to be a great sailaway (and sail in).

 

I suppose you won't be able to answer this in the craziness of disembarkation day, but if so: Does Viking have a very simple "get off when you want to, as long as you're out of your stateroom by X and off the ship by Y" disembarkation process? I haven't heard anyone mention any assigned times, colored coded luggage tags, etc. so I suppose not, but still thought I'd ask.

 

Hope your husband's ankle is totally fine by now, that you enjoy Venice (I'm pretty excited about it - totally unique city from what I can tell), and thanks again for posting your impressions!

Edited April 19, 2015 by roothy123

[rjscott]

Roothy,

You know, it was funny about Croatia; in Dubrovnik, many vendors seemed to accept euros, less so in Pula. And, I too had read that few would take euros in the country, and so I always asked before buying anything. In fact, we sat at a café in Pula to meet our friends and have some lunch. Before we sat down, we asked if they took credit cards or euros, as we had spent all our kunas in Dubrovnik. The man who seated us said no credit cards, but yes to euros. When the waitress brought the bill, she tried to refuse accepting euros. Huh?

 

As for disembarkation; since we were 'independent travelers', meaning we had arranged our own air & transfers, we rec'd white luggage tags, meaning we could disembark as soon as the ship was cleared. We were to be out of our cabins by 8:30am. We were off the ship by 8:45, quickly found our luggage in the terminal, and went to the water taxi counter nearby to order a water taxi for transport to our hotel, the Hotel Columbina. The hotel has its own jetty, so we were able to be delivered directly to the door of the hotel, no lugging luggage thru the streets and over bridges.

 

The hotel is very nice. Our room is large, with a nice large bathroom and breakfast is included. After checking in, we wandered over to St. Mark's Square to just take it all in. Then we browsed the shops for a bit until coming upon some gondoliers who persuaded our husbands we needed to take a ride. This was not something I had planned to do for several reasons, but I have to admit, I did enjoy it. We returned to the hotel for a short while to rest before taking another boat ride the hotel had arranged. This was down a couple of side canals and then down the Grand Canal. Lots of good opportunities for photos. We then went in search of dinner; pizza & pasta, and called it a night.

 

One more day in lovely Venice before returning to reality.

 

Becki

[rjscott]

What a wonderful story about the shop keeper to end your wonderful posts about your maiden voyage.:)

 

Thank you for giving this armchair cruiser a peek into your wonderful journey.

Hope to meet you someday on a cruise.

 

Ann,

Thank you for following along and it would be wonderful to meet you one day on a cruise.Thank you for your positive feedback!

 

Becki

[roothy123]

Roothy,

You know, it was funny about Croatia; in Dubrovnik, many vendors seemed to accept euros, less so in Pula. And, I too had read that few would take euros in the country, and so I always asked before buying anything. In fact, we sat at a café in Pula to meet our friends and have some lunch. Before we sat down, we asked if they took credit cards or euros, as we had spent all our kunas in Dubrovnik. The man who seated us said no credit cards, but yes to euros. When the waitress brought the bill, she tried to refuse accepting euros. Huh?

 

As for disembarkation; since we were 'independent travelers', meaning we had arranged our own air & transfers, we rec'd white luggage tags, meaning we could disembark as soon as the ship was cleared. We were to be out of our cabins by 8:30am. We were off the ship by 8:45, quickly found our luggage in the terminal, and went to the water taxi counter nearby to order a water taxi for transport to our hotel, the Hotel Columbina. The hotel has its own jetty, so we were able to be delivered directly to the door of the hotel, no lugging luggage thru the streets and over bridges.

 

The hotel is very nice. Our room is large, with a nice large bathroom and breakfast is included. After checking in, we wandered over to St. Mark's Square to just take it all in. Then we browsed the shops for a bit until coming upon some gondoliers who persuaded our husbands we needed to take a ride. This was not something I had planned to do for several reasons, but I have to admit, I did enjoy it. We returned to the hotel for a short while to rest before taking another boat ride the hotel had arranged. This was down a couple of side canals and then down the Grand Canal. Lots of good opportunities for photos. We then went in search of dinner; pizza & pasta, and called it a night.

 

One more day in lovely Venice before returning to reality.

 

Becki

 

Thanks for the disembarkation info. We disembark in Istanbul, so things might be slightly different, but at least that gives me an idea of how things are likely to go. I'm laughing, because I'm a bit of a cheapskate, and the price of those gondola rides is making me not care whether I go on one or not. However, I'm guessing my husband will push me into it. Oh well, Venice has been on my bucket list for a good while, so I need to lighten up and go with the flow.

 

It's good you're there without a ton of cruise passengers choking up the place. I hear it can get pretty ridiculous at times in Venice.

[OneBag]

It would be enormously helpful if those of you who have done Viking excursions -- both complimentary and optional -- could give a brief review of their general experiences with Viking regarding organization, quality, size of groups, etc. We're a few days away from our booking window and I've got a mix of optional and complimentary excursions on our Wishlist along with a couple of "on our owns" but I'm not fully committed to this plan. Input from those of you who have taken Viking's excursions would be very much appreciated! P.S. Your ports aren't my ports, so unless you're feeling generous with your time for the benefit of others, general information is all I am looking for.