A committed Princess cruiser sailed the new Viking Star- a comparison

[Shoalwater]

After over 30 very enjoyable cruises aboard Princess ships we were invited by friends to join them on the Viking Star this past Feb. 21 out of Barcelona. I don't plan an exhaustive review or comparison between lines, but just some major points of observation in no particular order with a "winner" in the category determined.. We were in a DV4 cabin on deck 5.

 

Passenger load: Personal choice but we prefer smaller ships vs larger 3,000+ passenger loads. The Viking ships are set at 900 pax.

 

Cabin: Hard to compare because of different categories and we haven't sailed the newer Princess ships. However, the Viking mattresses were superior.

 

Bathroom: Viking. Large shower, room can accommodate 2, doesn't steam up, and the heated floor is great.

 

Passenger Services Desk: Viking by a smidgeon.Smaller passenger load allows for better individual service. No real desk, but friendly reps seated at tables with a computer. No real lines either.

 

Shore Excursion Desk: Hard to strictly compare, but again Viking by a nose. I was missing a pair of tickets discovered just at the meeting time and they printed them out on the spot, no questions asked.

 

Staff responsiveness: A subjective comparison for sure. I did write a note with a suggested area for improvement and received immediate feedback by phone from the dining room head and head of ship services. I was impressed at the speed and personal call. Viking wins here.

 

Food: Viking, no contest. however to be fair, the per diem cost of the viking cruise was significantly higher than Princess, so they have more to work with.

 

On board ambiance: Again hard to make a fair comparison because of the cruise fare. Viking has no photo department and no casino. Much of what princess pesters you for by way of extras (beer, wine, coffee etc) is included with Viking. however, Viking wins my preference because i am not asked continually to pay for these items. It is a personal preference, but IMHO worth the cost. You don't think twice about some things.

 

Specialty restaurants: Again hard to strictly compare, but my chips here go to Viking. Better food, great service, and no extra up-charge as it's all included. We ate in the Italian restaurant 3 times and twice at the chef's table. The included wines poured were from the port regions we had just visited and were of excellent quality.

 

Main dining room service: Princess without a doubt. Viking will figure it out, but our experience was the service at breakfast was abysmal. Orders were mixed up, came out piecemeal and waiters were hard to grab for more coffee or such. We tried breakfast twice but it was so disconcerting that it put us in a bad mood at the start of the day and so we used the buffet. Dinner was a little better, but slow.

 

Informational talks (port talks, enrichment): Princess. While available on demand on the Viking TV, we prefer to see them live. However they were scheduled during the 6-8PM time, when we like to eat dinner and so we never made a one. Of course with every day a port of call, it's operationally hard to schedule them otherwise, but we still prefer the Princess scheduling.

 

Entertainment: Hard to make a call, but for now I'll go with Princess. The Viking theater is intimate, more of a cabaret style and no glitzy production shows. Like Princess, they use computer graphics for sets and all recorded music (no band). The entertainers seemed less experienced than Princess' singers/dancers. but still put on enjoyable shows. Only one show per night, at 9PM. The theater was never filled.

 

Laundromat: Being Elite with Princess we enjoy complementary laundry, but the Viking laundromats are free, easy to use and even add their own detergent. Edge here goes to Viking because they're free with supplies.

Spa: While we don't use the spa proper, Viking has a superb salt water pool, sauna, steam room, and amenities. They provide robes, slippers, towels etc., all included with your fare. Very nicely done and the winner here is Viking.

 

There are probably other things I could compare, but these are my major highlights. We'll continue to sail Princess until they are fully engrossed in the mass market ship sizes with mega passenger loads, but have booked our next two new cruises with Viking. Quality pays...it doesn't cost.

[mreasier]

Hi. We sailed together on the 2013 Grand South America. Thanks for your comparison. We have been interested in Viking Ocean. We are waiting until their summer 2017 Med. schedule come out and may book one then. Couple of questions: How were the included excursions? Were they worth spending the time or would it be better on our own? Also, did you have any trouble making reservations at the specialty restaurants?

[Shogun]

Hi shoalwater

 

Hope you are well, thaks for posting,

 

Am waiting to see what Virgin offers, think I may try them,

 

 

yours Shogun

[Shoalwater]

Hi. We sailed together on the 2013 Grand South America. Thanks for your comparison. We have been interested in Viking Ocean. We are waiting until their summer 2017 Med. schedule come out and may book one then. Couple of questions: How were the included excursions? Were they worth spending the time or would it be better on our own? Also, did you have any trouble making reservations at the specialty restaurants?

 

Well, it was not really possible to arrange group private tours. Our Roll Call for this voyage was up for one year and only 12 people posted a total of 72 messages. Viking passengers for now don't have the activity we see with princess. Heck, our April 17 Caribbean Roll call is approaching 4500 posts!

 

The included tours are hard to categorize in general. Some were excellent, but others wee like the HOHO bus. You have to read into the description. We went on our own in a few places we had visited prior so we could do something new, but attempts to interest people in a private arranged tour was not effective.

 

We had no problem making reservations for the specialty restaurants if attempted early in the cruise. You can book ahead. The real conundrum was we were torn between going to the specialty restaurants and the MDR, which itself had wonderful offerings. I had a Chilean sea bass in the MDR that rivaled the best I ever have eaten.

[Shoalwater]

1) No problem bringing your own wine or liquor aboard.

 

2) You can get sparkling water in your cabin by just asking your steward. An included item.

 

3) Room service was speedy...I mean speedy.

 

4) Internet is also included..unlimited use, and FAST!!!! I was able to have video-conferences using Google Hangout while at sea with no problem. I refuse now to accept any story from Princess that internet at sea has to be slow. Viking gets a major win in this category.

[Shoalwater]

Hi shoalwater

 

Hope you are well, thaks for posting,

 

Am waiting to see what Virgin offers, think I may try them,

 

 

yours Shogun

 

Steve,

 

Aside from no casino, I think you would like the overall experience. The ship is dotted with nice, cozy spaces and there are many Norwegian related antiques. One of my favorite was a nickel meteor found in the 1500's in Norway suspended by magnets, or ancient viking battle helmets and short swords. There are library shelves dotted throughout as well with some very interesting books for you to enjoy. High tea came with a selection of 14 different teas from around the world to choose. Oh, real clotted cream and great strawberry jam for the scones.

[cruzsnooze]

I liked Viking River cruises which I took last year so I have been wanting to try their ocean voyages. So far their itinerary hasn't interested me. Great comparison.

[Rosethorn40]

Thank you for providing an easy to read comparison. I've taken 2 Viking River Cruises (Which I loved) and would very much like to try one of their ocean liners.

[Trekkie38]

Know I will get slammed by lots for this but... I would also love to try the Viking at sea. Have done Scenic for river cruise am a big Princess supporter (leave on one in less than 2 weeks) and have done an amazing cruise on Seabourn. They are like comparing apples and oranges for ocean cruising. One is luxury and one is a great premium. They both have their wonderful points. I do appreciate the comparison of various areas as long as people understand the difference between the lines. Please no offense intended and no long rebuttals hopefully.

[Retiring cajun]

Where did you go on this ship?

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comments on the Star.

[Colo Cruiser]

Know I will get slammed by lots for this but... I would also love to try the Viking at sea. Have done Scenic for river cruise am a big Princess supporter (leave on one in less than 2 weeks) and have done an amazing cruise on Seabourn. They are like comparing apples and oranges for ocean cruising. One is luxury and one is a great premium. They both have their wonderful points. I do appreciate the comparison of various areas as long as people understand the difference between the lines. Please no offense intended and no long rebuttals hopefully.

 

 

 

Why??? :confused:

[easyboy]

Thanks for your objective comparison.

[tml1230]

i really enjoyed your review… it was most informative ...thanks for posting. After 25 princess cruises and 2 river cruises on Viking, you certainly have us thinking about a viking ocean cruise.

[Clarea]

Thank-you for the comparison, I found it useful.

[Keith1010]

Thank you for putting this together.

 

Keith

[LoriPhil]

As a new Princess elite I thought nothing would tempt me to try another line but your review was thoughtful and interesting. We're thinking about a River Cruise but had not considered Viking for a sea cruise - now I want to check their itineraries!

[Coral]

Thank you!

 

I have a good friend on Viking Sea in June.

 

I think the ships look beautiful. They definitely look very appealing!

[OhioDogLover]

Thanks for the review. Interesting comparison.

 

Ohiodoglover

[amyr]

Lovely comparison, thank you. As frequent Princess and Celebrity cruisers, we took the maiden voyage of Viking Star. I had almost exactly the same thoughts as you.

 

The ship itself is breathtaking. I can't say enough about the visual appeal, the comfort, the spaciousness - all of it. An elevator always waiting for you, a cozy place to sit no matter the time of day, it was amazing. It was always a short walk to anywhere you wanted to be. We also were surprised at how good the food was, especially since Viking isn't known to be the best culinary experience on the rivers. Good yes, but not the best.

 

I would have hoped the dining room service would've improved since our trip, sad to hear it hasn't. I assumed it was early inexperience. Fortunately the wine pours were constant enough to battle it :D I also struggled with the dining hours, being used to eating whenever we pleased on Princess. They shut down breakfast everywhere on the ship by 9 or 9:30, which was hard when we were jet lagged. The food was also shut down from the end of lunch at 2:00 until dinner, which freaked me out a couple of times when we came back hungry from an excursion and wanted to eat late afternoon and skip dinner. The river ships operate like that, but the ocean ships shouldn't. They would benefit from Continental breakfast until, say, 11 in a corner of the buffet, an International cafe, something like that. They have a gorgeous place for noshes called Mamsen's, but it only operates during restaurant hours. It would be perfect for off peak dining. When we do another cruise, I will adjust my expectations, and eat a good lunch on land knowing dinner won't be until 6:30 or so. I did discover (a little too late) that the pool grill had expanded hours, and it was absolutely fantastic. Much, much better than your average hamburger and hot dog grill experience.

 

Also, while the standard balcony cabin (there are no insides or oceanviews) is more comfortable and roomier than the balcony cabins on Princess, and the bathroom is AMAZING for a cruise cabin, the storage fell far short of Princess. In an effort to streamline the look and make it seem more airy, they lost all the storage. Three drawers and a smallish closet that could only be accessed from one side of the bed. That was it. Even the desk only had the mini-bar (all free!) in it. My husband had stuff stacked on the chairs, which made it feel cluttered. Nothing beats the walk in closets Princess has. They did put a charging outlet by the bed though, so that was great, and it's a true king sized bed. Comfort was +++

 

The itineraries could use a boost too, I agree. I still think Princess has the best itineraries at sea, at least for the mainstream cruise lines. Viking has set itineraries that don't seem to vary at all, and with each new ship coming on, they just do the same itineraries three or four days later, much like the river ships do. One of the shortest itineraries, Empires of the Mediterranean (what we did) repeats, with each ship departing within days of each other.

 

I liked that the cabins only hold two people, and that there is no children's program. I liked that the magnificent spa facilities were free. Free internet, at least one free 'follow the lollipop' excursion in each port, free soft drinks, wine, beer, and coffees. Oh, and all but the lowest category of verandah cabin has a coffee pot in it. So nice to make your own cup when you wake up. So nice.

 

I'm excited to try them again when (if?) they expand their itineraries. All the company higher ups were on our cruise (very friendly) and they said the plan is for 10 identical ships. Surely they'll branch out by then?

 

A link to photos: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-fRJjNw/

Edited March 19, 2016 by amyr

[AF-1]

Amyr, I love your photo shoot from your Viking cruise. Very nice; thanks for posting the link.

[Colo Cruiser]

Lovely comparison, thank you. As frequent Princess and Celebrity cruisers, we took the maiden voyage of Viking Star. I had almost exactly the same thoughts as you.

 

The ship itself is breathtaking. I can't say enough about the visual appeal, the comfort, the spaciousness - all of it. An elevator always waiting for you, a cozy place to sit no matter the time of day, it was amazing. It was always a short walk to anywhere you wanted to be. We also were surprised at how good the food was, especially since Viking isn't known to be the best culinary experience on the rivers. Good yes, but not the best.

 

I would have hoped the dining room service would've improved since our trip, sad to hear it hasn't. I assumed it was early inexperience. Fortunately the wine pours were constant enough to battle it :D I also struggled with the dining hours, being used to eating whenever we pleased on Princess. They shut down breakfast everywhere on the ship by 9 or 9:30, which was hard when we were jet lagged. The food was also shut down from the end of lunch at 2:00 until dinner, which freaked me out a couple of times when we came back hungry from an excursion and wanted to eat late afternoon and skip dinner. The river ships operate like that, but the ocean ships shouldn't. They would benefit from Continental breakfast until, say, 11 in a corner of the buffet, an International cafe, something like that. They have a gorgeous place for noshes called Mamsen's, but it only operates during restaurant hours. It would be perfect for off peak dining. When we do another cruise, I will adjust my expectations, and eat a good lunch on land knowing dinner won't be until 6:30 or so. I did discover (a little too late) that the pool grill had expanded hours, and it was absolutely fantastic. Much, much better than your average hamburger and hot dog grill experience.

 

Also, while the standard balcony cabin (there are no insides or oceanviews) is more comfortable and roomier than the balcony cabins on Princess, and the bathroom is AMAZING for a cruise cabin, the storage fell far short of Princess. In an effort to streamline the look and make it seem more airy, they lost all the storage. Three drawers and a smallish closet that could only be accessed from one side of the bed. That was it. Even the desk only had the mini-bar (all free!) in it. My husband had stuff stacked on the chairs, which made it feel cluttered. Nothing beats the walk in closets Princess has. They did put a charging outlet by the bed though, so that was great, and it's a true king sized bed. Comfort was +++

 

The itineraries could use a boost too, I agree. I still think Princess has the best itineraries at sea, at least for the mainstream cruise lines. Viking has set itineraries that don't seem to vary at all, and with each new ship coming on, they just do the same itineraries three or four days later, much like the river ships do. One of the shortest itineraries, Empires of the Mediterranean (what we did) repeats, with each ship departing within days of each other.

 

I liked that the cabins only hold two people, and that there is no children's program. I liked that the magnificent spa facilities were free. Free internet, at least one free 'follow the lollipop' excursion in each port, free soft drinks, wine, beer, and coffees. Oh, and all but the lowest category of verandah cabin has a coffee pot in it. So nice to make your own cup when you wake up. So nice.

 

I'm excited to try them again when (if?) they expand their itineraries. All the company higher ups were on our cruise (very friendly) and they said the plan is for 10 identical ships. Surely they'll branch out by then?

 

A link to photos: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-fRJjNw/

 

 

 

Incredible photos!! :)

[VTX-AL]

Lovely comparison, thank you. As frequent Princess and Celebrity cruisers, we took the maiden voyage of Viking Star. I had almost exactly the same thoughts as you.

 

The ship itself is breathtaking. I can't say enough about the visual appeal, the comfort, the spaciousness - all of it. An elevator always waiting for you, a cozy place to sit no matter the time of day, it was amazing. It was always a short walk to anywhere you wanted to be. We also were surprised at how good the food was, especially since Viking isn't known to be the best culinary experience on the rivers. Good yes, but not the best.

 

I would have hoped the dining room service would've improved since our trip, sad to hear it hasn't. I assumed it was early inexperience. Fortunately the wine pours were constant enough to battle it :D I also struggled with the dining hours, being used to eating whenever we pleased on Princess. They shut down breakfast everywhere on the ship by 9 or 9:30, which was hard when we were jet lagged. The food was also shut down from the end of lunch at 2:00 until dinner, which freaked me out a couple of times when we came back hungry from an excursion and wanted to eat late afternoon and skip dinner. The river ships operate like that, but the ocean ships shouldn't. They would benefit from Continental breakfast until, say, 11 in a corner of the buffet, an International cafe, something like that. They have a gorgeous place for noshes called Mamsen's, but it only operates during restaurant hours. It would be perfect for off peak dining. When we do another cruise, I will adjust my expectations, and eat a good lunch on land knowing dinner won't be until 6:30 or so. I did discover (a little too late) that the pool grill had expanded hours, and it was absolutely fantastic. Much, much better than your average hamburger and hot dog grill experience.

 

Also, while the standard balcony cabin (there are no insides or oceanviews) is more comfortable and roomier than the balcony cabins on Princess, and the bathroom is AMAZING for a cruise cabin, the storage fell far short of Princess. In an effort to streamline the look and make it seem more airy, they lost all the storage. Three drawers and a smallish closet that could only be accessed from one side of the bed. That was it. Even the desk only had the mini-bar (all free!) in it. My husband had stuff stacked on the chairs, which made it feel cluttered. Nothing beats the walk in closets Princess has. They did put a charging outlet by the bed though, so that was great, and it's a true king sized bed. Comfort was +++

 

The itineraries could use a boost too, I agree. I still think Princess has the best itineraries at sea, at least for the mainstream cruise lines. Viking has set itineraries that don't seem to vary at all, and with each new ship coming on, they just do the same itineraries three or four days later, much like the river ships do. One of the shortest itineraries, Empires of the Mediterranean (what we did) repeats, with each ship departing within days of each other.

 

I liked that the cabins only hold two people, and that there is no children's program. I liked that the magnificent spa facilities were free. Free internet, at least one free 'follow the lollipop' excursion in each port, free soft drinks, wine, beer, and coffees. Oh, and all but the lowest category of verandah cabin has a coffee pot in it. So nice to make your own cup when you wake up. So nice.

 

I'm excited to try them again when (if?) they expand their itineraries. All the company higher ups were on our cruise (very friendly) and they said the plan is for 10 identical ships. Surely they'll branch out by then?

 

A link to photos: https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-fRJjNw/

 

Great photos !!!!! But where are all the people ? I cant imagine being on a cruise on any line and being able to get amazing pictures like that with virtually no other passengers "cluttering up" my pictures ! :rolleyes: :D

 

...VTX-Al

[Shoalwater]

Great photos !!!!! But where are all the people ? I cant imagine being on a cruise on any line and being able to get amazing pictures like that with virtually no other passengers "cluttering up" my pictures ! :rolleyes: :D

 

...VTX-Al

 

While our voyage was not sold out, there were 800+ aboard, but it was hard to find a "crowd" in the public spaces. I will add that this and the dining arrangements make it difficult to meet & greet new people like we do on Princess. Best to cruise this line with friends or figure you will be a couple adrift at sea.

[amyr]

Ha! I ran around when we first boarded, and also got up early the first morning when everyone else was still passed out from jetlag. Thanks for the compliments though :)

 

Shoalwater, we also struggled to meet people because it felt like everyone we met was traveling with at least one other couple. Seemed most people were veterans of Viking River and were sold on the Star while onboard a river cruise. I'm sure that will change. We finally met up with a couple at dinner who were going to be onboard for 50 days, and they were sitting at a large table waiting for the maitre d' to seat others with them. We made fast friends at that table. It's very, very easy to eat alone on Viking, so if you enjoy the group atmosphere, you're right, travel with friends. If you prefer tables for two? Viking was perfect for that.

 

Shoalwater, when you were onboard did you get a feel at all for when the next ships after Star, Sea, and Sky will hit the pipeline?