Live from the Viking Star

[rjscott]

What is the name of the hotel where you stayed in Venice?? Thanks!

 

We stayed at the Hotel Colombina. Very convenient to St Mark's square and shopping & restaurants. Such a nice hotel, and the staff were wonderful. A very nice breakfast was included. From what I understand, they do have an annex building, and those rooms, while less expensive, are not as nice.

 

Becki

Edited April 23, 2015 by rjscott

[rjscott]

OneBag, my husband and I also have some foot issues, so maintaining comfort is important when we are going to be on our feet day after day. Thank you, my husband's ankle is much better. The ship's doctor had him ice it for 6 hrs immediately after he fell, and then wear an ankle support bandage after. He missed out on our walking tour of Kotor, but nothing else.

 

Beckiq

[roothy123]

This is the best sit for Venice walking itineraries especially with someone mobility challenged, it is from The City of Venice website and they detail several accessible routes with maps and vaporetto info. Enjoy!

 

http://www.comune.venezia.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/1381

 

thanks for the link. hadn't explored that one yet.

[NancyiNJ]

We are taking the 8-8-15 trip from Bergen with a back to back to Venice. I have enjoyed and appreciated everything that has been written by the first travelers on the Star. There are two questions that I have not seen asked so I am hoping someone has the time to answer these. On the long all day 6, 8, 10 hour excursions what is the transportation like. Are you on a large bus or small shuttle, add to that what is the availability of restrooms? And are these long excursions worth the time and money. The other main question is about laundry service. DH says he doesn't like my "wasting" time in the laundry room and on other cruises we have used the whole cruise special for a laundry service, laundry and dry cleaning. Is this available? Thanks for all of the wonderful info.

[id4elizabeth]

So far the long Viking bus tours that we've been on have involved some pretty longish bus rides to get where we're going. Today, for example, Corfu was a 7 hour optional tour and I would guesstimate that about 3 1/2 to 4 hours of that was a bus ride through the very scenic coastline.

 

Laundry - we're fortunate that ours is included in our stateroom price as we're on the whole 50 days and we would have a hard time without the laundry service. The basic price for 2-day service seems comparable to other cruise lines. 2-day service means get it outside by 9:00 am and get it back by 7:00 pm the next day. Same day service is 50% more. I have not seen any "laundry specials" advertized.

[algaes]

3 hr bus tour of island with ride to two overlooks. Both times there were toilets for use. The tour companies used so far have been very aware of mentioning the opportunities for making what Viking guide in China called "Happy Song".

 

First overlook was of the coastal inlets and was very beautiful even in overcast lighting from cloud cover.

 

Second overlook was of Mouse Island and island runway baking up to the bay. I'm only reporting that there were mumblings about the worthiness of that stop and LaGuardia's runways over water seem more dangerous to me.

 

Other stops were pull-over photo opportinities for photos that naturally work better for those on the side of the bus with the complete view.

 

At the first stop, we discussed with the Viking escort and local tour guide the possibility of being dropped off in town at Esplanade and leaving the tour. That way we could explore the old town and ride the Viking shuttle back to the ship. We thought it was all understood and agreed to, but alas it never happened. We were all taken back to the pier drop off where you can walk or catch the Terminal shuttle.

[algaes]

We are taking the 8-8-15 trip from Bergen with a back to back to Venice. I have enjoyed and appreciated everything that has been written by the first travelers on the Star. There are two questions that I have not seen asked so I am hoping someone has the time to answer these. On the long all day 6, 8, 10 hour excursions what is the transportation like. Are you on a large bus or small shuttle, add to that what is the availability of restrooms? And are these long excursions worth the time and money. The other main question is about laundry service. DH says he doesn't like my "wasting" time in the laundry room and on other cruises we have used the whole cruise special for a laundry service, laundry and dry cleaning. Is this available? Thanks for all of the wonderful info.

I'll scan in the laundry order form, but I'm going to post it in a higher level message of its own as I think there will be general interest in the form and instructions.

[roothy123]

Hi Becki. Hope you or someone who was on your cruise is still reading these posts. Now that my "reverse cruise" from Venice to Istanbul is less than 4 months away, I've ramped up my research and still have questions. "Empires of the Med" is not repeated until our cruise, so I'm hoping you can answer at least one or two of my slightly oddball questions.

 

Here goes:

 

Dubrovnik: A shuttle was reported. Can I assume that it went both from AND to the port? We're in Dubrovnik until midnight, and while I imagine the shuttle doesn't run at night, I'm at least hoping it runs all day, both directions. I know cabs aren't that expensive, but I'm not crazy about using them, so a shuttle would be wonderful. Oh, and on the included tour, did they take you to that viewpoint up in the hills where you can view all of Old Town, with the water in the background? I hear it's near the cable car, but without the cables that get in the way of pictures.

 

Athens: Did you happen to hear any feedback on the Cape Sounion excursion? I've been to Athens and am looking for something different to do there. Besides, there are tons of ships there that day - whew! I know there's a bus ride involved, and it might be a full busload of people, but that doesn't bother me. I'm just wondering what the site and tour are like.

 

Pula: Did you happen to hear any feedback on the Rovinj excursion? (Rovinj is about a 45 minute drive from Pula.) If you took the included Pula excursion, did they take you down to the basement of the Arena, or was it just mostly just an up top tour?

 

Venice: Did you visit the basilica at St. Marks? If so, when, and was the wait really long? Can I get in there with a very small backpack or a purse? (I hear you have to check backpacks). Also, just because I'm curious: How does Viking get people from the ship to the airport if you have purchased transfers? Does everyone get on a bus right at the ship, or in Piazalle Roma after taking the People Mover, or what?

 

Kotor: I think I remember you went up to the fortress, or at least part way. I'm hoping to get up to the church that is either 1/3 to 1/2 way up, depending upon who you ask. Can you venture a guess as to how long it might take me to go up to the church, or at least halfway up the walls?

 

Santorini: If people were not going on an included or paid excursion, was there a separate tender for them? Did they have to wait until all the excursion people were taken to the other location, or did they get off the ship in a reasonable amount of time. (Some cruise lines do this better than others.) When tendering, do you have to go get a tender ticket or can you just get on one when you're ready?

 

A couple ship questions:

My husband wants to know if the laundry rooms are popular. If so, is there a good time to use them (maybe while people are at dinner or else early morning?) The water IS adjustable, right? My husband and I like to use cool water for most things.

 

I'm not much of a spa person, but if some of the things in there are free, I'll check them out. Can anyone use the thal-therapy spa and the snow room, or do you have to book a spa treatment to use them? What's complimentary in there?

 

Thanks for any info you can give me, and sorry if my questions are just way, way too oddball to be answered! Also, I apologize if you covered any of this before. I have NOT gone back to read your posts from April - although I probably should!

[rjscott]

Roothy,

Dubrovnik:

We had to be back onboard at 4:30. The shuttle ran continuously to/from the port to Pile Gate until 4pm, departing the ship at 3:30pm. I would assume, depending on the hours of shops/restaurants, they may adjust the shuttle times to be somewhat longer, since you are in port longer. You could check with the Explorer's Desk, but I would also check the Daily, as the most reliable info when you get off the ship.

On the included tour, we did have a photo op of the entire city, walls and all with the water. I didn't even notice the cable car at the time, as we had a very foggy morning. But, it was still an awesome photo op. I'll try to post my photo here.

Athens: Did not hear of anyone taking the excursion you've asked about. Maybe check Trip Advisor?

Pula: No feedback on Rovinj; but, yes, we did go down in the catacombs. Interesting.

Venice: We did go to St. Mark's Basilica and it was so awesome! You know, it might look like the line is really long at one time; walk away and come back in a half hour or an hour, and there may be no line. We encountered really long lines like 3 times, and then no line at all. As for backpacks, I always have a string backpack and no one made me ditch it. Maybe for larger ones, they make you surrender it, but mine is not that big. Carries a couple umbrellas and bottles of water is all.

Can't speak to the transfer experience at Venice, as we took a water taxi from the ship to our hotel and from the hotel to the airport. Not sure how most people did their transfers from the ship to the airport, or airport to ship.

Kotor: We were planning to do the hike to the fortress or at the very least to the church, but then my husband had his fall at Perast and so we didn't even get to do our walking tour in Kotor. :( But, on another thread, I read that to the church, it is about 35-40 min. I think that is on one of the port threads.

Santorini: Yes, there was one separate tender for those not on an excursion and that left at 9:30 for Thira, not the port of Athinios. So, then you would need to take the cable car up or walk or ride a donkey. If you take the included excursion, you get a cable car ticket for the ride back down. Then, once all excursions had left they had tenders all day back and forth to Thira.

 

Laundry: We were on deck 3 and only once did I have a problem finding an empty washer out of 3. Of course, our ship was only 2/3 full. The last day before departure, I went just b/f dinner and threw in 2 loads and all washers and dryers were available, so that was evidently a good time to go. Yes, you could choose your temp and type of wash.

Spa: The spa facilities are available to everyone, but you may have to sign up for some in advance. Perhaps take a tour when you get onboard to see what you might be interested in (that's what we did) and then ask what, if any, require reservations.

No problem with questions. I enjoy reliving my experience. :) Despite what some of the reviewers might have you believe, I believe you will have a great time, as I did. Were there a few minor annoyances? Yes, but overall it was a great cruise, with a great crew and a beautiful ship.

 

Becki

[sitraveler]

We did this excursion on the maiden.

 

There were about 20 of us. There was a guide and escort. We used our headsets. The temple is closed off, but we were able to walk around the outside. Enjoyed the bus ride, some descriptions provided. Enough free time at the site. I don't remember many happy from the included tour of Athens.

[roothy123]

Sorry - duplicate post, so I deleted it!

Edited June 4, 2015 by roothy123

[roothy123]

We did this excursion on the maiden.

 

There were about 20 of us. There was a guide and escort. We used our headsets. The temple is closed off, but we were able to walk around the outside. Enjoyed the bus ride, some descriptions provided. Enough free time at the site. I don't remember many happy from the included tour of Athens.

 

Thank you for the information. The "temple closed off" part sounds a little discouraging as I'm a photographer who dislikes fences, but I can certainly understand why people are not allowed to just walk around in there at all times of the day and night! At least the bus ride sounds scenic, the cliffside location sounds scenic, and the excursion price is very reasonable.

 

The included Athens tour sounds like a typical tour in a huge, spread out, crowded city like Athens, and a good one for people with limited time or mobility. We have not seen ALL the monuments in Athens, so it may still be a possibility for us. I thought of taking a ferry from Piraeus to a nearby island (Aegina is one) but so far that's not making it to the top of my list, so I'm still looking around for something that grabs me. Perhaps I'll look more at the Viking excursions. I'm not really into history that much, but I do enjoy drives into the countryside.

 

Anyway, thanks for the input!

[roothy123]

Sorry - I should really go and use a desktop computer, as I've made a mess of this post. Anyway, what I wanted to say was this:

 

Thanks for the info! You answered more questions than I was hoping for!

 

It sounds like the Dubrovnik view was the one I was asking about. If what I've read on Trip Advisor and CC Ports is correct, you can get a similar view from the cable car but there are cables in the way. If the weather's good, I want to take a picture from where you went (no cables). While I can take a cab or a rather strange and limited cross-town HoHo bus, that is not my preference. So I'm happy to hear that you were taken up there (were you able to get out of the bus to take a picture?). I hope that part of the tour isn't changed in September, but since we're there late, at least there will be plenty of time. (Might need to get kunas, though!)

 

Glad you and your husband made it to Perast. That's on my To Do list for Kotor. Of course, my Kotor list has grown so long I may need to give it a haircut! It's kind of funny - the places I least expect to enjoy (Lanzarote on Canary Islands comes to mind) or places where I'm told "there isn't much there" (Gibraltar comes to mind) usually turn out to be places I love.

 

I'll let you know later on this summer if I think of more questions, and yes, there is no doubt in my mind that I will enjoy a most wonderful cruise!

[algaes]

Unless Viking changes their operation, shuttles ran every x number of minuted in ports where they were offered, That means they were idle at the route ends until the next scheduled departure time. To me continuous would mean a certain number of shuttles would be provided which would leave the route ends immediately after exchanging passengers.

 

I don't recall the Viking Daily mentioning the shuttle departure schedules but the ashore on scene coordinators knew the timetables so ask.

Edited June 4, 2015 by algaes

[sitraveler]

We were there 2 times on the Istanbul to Barcelona.

 

Both times there were shuttle buses from the ship and back, every half hour. The bus goes back and forth only from the old town. The included tour drives to the scenic overlook, but on our first visit the town was foggy in the AM which is when our tour was. The narrated walk about was fine.

Our second visit we took an private tour, went up to the cable car station in the AM, a little higher than the scenic overlook, and it was sunny.

 

Neither Viking or we could control the weather, but if the town was fogged in for the private tour the guide would have flipped the tour itinerary-Viking doesn't.

[roothy123]

algaes and sitraveler, thanks for the additional information. I'll definitely ask about the shuttle schedule before heading out, especially the time of the last one! I don't mind waiting a little bit - people watching can be amusing!

 

I'm thinking it will be sunnier in September than in April, but who knows? Also, with a long day there (instead of a long day in Pula) I can probably do a tour later in the day instead of first thing in the morning. Sometimes those cities by the sea/ocean can be foggy in the morning and by afternoon they're in full sun. With a shuttle, I can probably even do my own exploring for a while in the morning, come back for lunch, and go back out on an included or paid tour to see what I missed in the morning. Luckily there are only a few ships there when we visit - and they're small ones.

[id4elizabeth]

We were on the Viking optional tour that included the cable car. The guide insisted we go up even though the top was obviously shrouded in fog, not to mention having to stand in line for 1/2 hour to get on the cable car. We went up, could see only 10 feet in front of us, had to stay there for 45 minutes doing nothing and then came down. Then we went on a walking tour of the city center. After the walking tour the fog had lifted. As Leo said, if she had flipped the itinerary we would have had a great tour. Instead, we wasted a good couple hours.

 

Dubrovnik is the place where I waited for about 10 minutes for the shuttle bus to arrive. Then I got on board and the bus driver pulled out his paper and told me we wouldn't be leaving for 1/2 hour. I went to the nearest Viking ShoreEx person to ask " I thought these shuttle busses were supposed to run continously?" The reply I got was "It is continuously - you can't expect to walk off the ship and immediately be driven into town." In total I waited close to 45 minutes. May be Viking's idea of continuous operation, but not mine.

 

The second day we were in Dubrovnik we did our own thing. We did the wall walk (have to have kuna or credit card - they don't take Euros or USD), saw several churches and the Rector's Palace Museum. Dubrovnik is a wonderful town - we had a great time there, particularly the day on our own.

[rjscott]

Roothy,

I knew I would forget to post my photo. Duh! Here it is, fog and all:

[roothy123]

Roothy,

I knew I would forget to post my photo. Duh! Here it is, fog and all:

 

Ooh, that's actually kind of cool with the fog! And yes, that's the view I've seen in a lot of photos. That fog looks like the "fog" that the Chinese tour guides talk about. Only trouble is, most of that "fog" is really smog!

 

Elizabeth, I'll be sure to take kunas and dollars in case I don't like the shuttle schedule.

[rjscott]

Roothy,

Lol! Luckily, that was indeed fog and it did burn off, but it was much later in the day. At the time of year you will be there, perhaps that won't be an issue.

 

Becki

[id4elizabeth]

Although there are taxis that will take you from the port, we were told (by Viking) that they were about $17 one way to the Pile Gate which is a bit much. However I believe Rick Steve's in his Mediterranean Port Guide book describes how you can use the public bus to get there much cheaper, although I don't know how accurate that is since we took the shuttle bus. Others on our cruise said they got a taxi to take them up to the viewing spot and then to the Pile Gate and had a "mini-tour" by taxi. But I didn't think to ask them how expensive that option was.

[roothy123]

How strange - this is the second time Opera has refused to let me to post to Cruise Critic. The little ball just spins forever. I like Opera as it has no ads, but it has been acting very strangely with Cruise Critic lately. I'll try to recreate my post, after switching to Chrome. If it happens again, I'll just start copying and pasting stuff!

 

Anyway, yes, I've checked out the public buses, which are pretty convenient, as they come very close to where the cruise ships dock. Of course I'll need kuna for those. I've also read about hour-long tours for the Croatian equivalent of $52 for a taxi driver to take you across the bridge, up on the northern side of Gruz and Dubrovnik, stopping at the viewpoint, and dropping you at Pile Gate. I'm a cheapskate, though, so I'll probably pass on the expensive but scenic ride to Old Town! Someone also reported getting a cab last year straight to Pile for 12 euros. There's also a rather weird Hop On Hop Off - type bus. Here are notes I took, just in the unlikely event someone else reads this and wants to use it:

 

"Designed for visitors to enjoy views over Old City in east & bridge in west. Includes guide & transport on local buses. http://www.libertasdubrovnik.hr/cabriobus. 60 kn ($9), starts at Gruz bus station 9:30, goes west by some hotels, ends up at Pile Gate. Goes up Jadranske cesta/Vidicovak for photo break (lower than Bosanka, in between cable car & Bosanka views). Also photo stop at bridge. Doesn’t look like can get off anywhere except at the two photo stops."

 

At this point I have no clue what I'll do, but at least I have plenty of options - and I've done my usual "over the top, plan for everything" research! For me, the planning is almost as much fun as the doing! I'm even planning on a cruise where I don't necessarily need to plan. If I want, I can just sign up for an included tour and be done with it! Oh well, I guess there's at least one or two people like me on every cruise ship!

Edited June 5, 2015 by roothy123

[porrah]

We were in Dubrovnik four years ago and had no difficulty with the bus. There was a bus station right outside the port and they had a window where you could get kuna. The bus drops you right at the gate. Friends of ours had told us about a lovely little bar on the walls with a great view, so we trudged all around the wall only to find it was closed. Maybe we'll be lucky this time.

[rjscott]

We were in Dubrovnik four years ago and had no difficulty with the bus. There was a bus station right outside the port and they had a window where you could get kuna. The bus drops you right at the gate. Friends of ours had told us about a lovely little bar on the walls with a great view, so we trudged all around the wall only to find it was closed. Maybe we'll be lucky this time.

 

There was a bar open when we walked the walls. Our friend who was walking with us got himself a drink and continued to walk, but there were others sitting and enjoying the beautiful day and view. Hope you get to enjoy that this time around! :)

 

Becki

[roothy123]

Sounds like I'll have an easy time in Old Town, if I ever decide how to get there! ☺

I've certainly had enough time to plan - 2 plus years?!?

 

I've read about that bar you guys are talking about, although it sounds easier to see when you're on top of the wall than it is to find when you're down lower!