DV1 (Deluxe Verandah) or PV3 (Penthouse Verandah)?

[bzv143]

Help needed. :confused: I am looking at booking the Viking Star for a Caribbean cruise in the winter. I have a hold on an aft DV1 (5110) on Deck 5 that is directly under the infinity pool. My TA is offering a complimentary upgrade to a Penthouse Verandah 3 on Deck 4 forward. Should I give up the prized position of an aft deluxe verandah for a forward Penthouse Verandah?

Helppppppp!

[Pugwash123]

Help needed. :confused: I am looking at booking the Viking Star for a Caribbean cruise in the winter. I have a hold on an aft DV1 (5110) on Deck 5 that is directly under the infinity pool. My TA is offering a complimentary upgrade to a Penthouse Verandah 3 on Deck 4 forward. Should I give up the prized position of an aft deluxe verandah for a forward Penthouse Verandah?

Helppppppp!

 

Personally I would go for the extra space in the Pent house veranda but then I would never have the problem as my OH hates rear facing cabins. May I suggest you take a close look at the cabin differences, including the value of the upgrade, make your choice and then forget all about it.

 

pugwash123

[id4elizabeth]

The Penthouse Veranda has a lot more space, particularly storage - as in drawer space. A lot more room to move around in as well; and more area in the seating. My only caveat would be how far forward? I would not want to be in the first cabin in the bow - but several cabins back would be fine. We found the Star to be equally rocky or not rocky no matter where you were on the ship. We had a few rough seas last year, and it didn't seem to matter where you were, it was about the same. (Princess ships which is my only comparison, seem to be much more unstable at the bow and more stable at the stern, but not so on the Star.) So as long as you weren't the first forward cabin, I would DEFINITELY go with the upgrade! Have fun whatever you decide.

[almelanson]

I would go for the upgrade. We were in the 3rd deck DV1 below the pool and even though the views were great leaving the fiords in Norway I would go for the additional space. I think there are also other benefits in the suites.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Senior Gators]

bzy143,

 

One way of making a logical decision about your choices is to look at Viking's comparison of cabin's table and see what the differences are between the PV and DV amenities. Determine what you like better by setting up a list and putting "+'s" and "-'s" in the appropriate column for each class of stateroom. Add them all up and make a decision on what provides you with the most of what you want.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Senior Gators

[bzv143]

Thanks, wonderful people! I went for the upgrade to 4018, 9 cabins down from the bow. :D Actually, my DH helped, as he voted for more room and less fear of soot on the back balcony, which we have had on some ships.

[pukekolive]

Hi,

 

We have just returned from the 18/03 Empire of the Med cruise on Viking Star.

 

Our stateroom was DV1, 8012 and it was our first cruise so we wondered about seasickness being so far forward.

 

Yes there is a door to the Upper Level of the Explorers' Lounge from Deck 8 - the 'door to Narnia'we called it as it is not marked on either side, to preserve our privacy on that Deck I think.

 

We ate most of our meals in the Buffet aft on Deck 7 and this is the only downside to Deck 8 I think (but this is worth it I think), the restaurants are situated mostly aft so the choice is:

 

Use the forward elevators and walk aft to the restaurant of choice

 

Go onto the open Sun Deck (Deck 8) and walk to the aft, through the doors and down the aft elevators.

 

Go down 1 set of forward stairs to Deck 7 and walk aft to World Buffet

 

We lost count of the number of times we used the aft elevators and had to go down a level to get to the forward lifts or walk on Deck 8 in the cool evening weather

 

On a number of occasions we arranged to meet friends on the upper level of Explorers Lounge and were glad we did, the most memorable and magical was when the Kiwis and Aussies were having late night drinks and realised we were waiting to enter Istanbul harbour, everyone else was in bed at midnight this night and we had a privileged seat to one of the most amazing sights in the world!

 

This continued when we got to our stateroom on the left side of the ship (port?) as Istanbul's lights were spread out in front of us!

 

The theatre and spa are forward on a lower Deck so the bow elevators are fine for these.

 

I would not hesitate to book a cabin on this deck again, I did not like the other 'residential'decks when I visited the laundrette as they were just a long impersonal corridor of cabin doors.

 

I am sure that the balconies on other cabins were as nice, but it was great that we did not hear 100s of other people on verandas, as there were only 9 cabins beside us and 10 below on Deck 7.

 

We could feel the rhythm of the ocean quite clearly and hear the bow hitting the waves but this became a familiar sensation once we got over the novelty of it and we had no seasickness. For clarity, we did have 15ft waves at one stage and I believe bigger on our one sea day but the ship dealt with it very well and we were not concerned.

 

The only seasickness remedy I took were 'Gin Gins'ginger candy and these worked very well, particularly in Athens on the Acropolis and in Kusadasi when I felt 'reverse seasick' on land and felt like the ground was moving under me.

 

I hope this helps you make a decision on which Deck to book, I would now never choose a lower deck having enjoyed my time on Deck 8 so much.

 

We were happy with the space in DV1 8012 but there is no alcohol in the complimentary mini-bar, only soft drinks and snacks, I believe a PV has alcohol. Also, we had 2 armchairs only, not a sofa and there was no curtain between the sitting and sleeping areas. I noted also that the PVs had a larger veranda but we were OK with our table and 2 chairs which were perfectly satisfactory and not too small for me as a larger lady. The bathroom was huge anyway ... I believe there is a difference in the layout of the wardrobe within the room but this did not concern us either.

 

Finally, I would say if you are not big drinkers then don't buy the Silver Spirits package as we only spent US$150 on drinks over and above our cruise included beer and wine so it is not economic. Cocktails are US$6 and beers US$4 on the bar menus.

 

Prepare for a busy cruise but find time to relax in all the lovely public spaces, don't miss Teatime in the Wintergarden!

 

Elaine from New Zealand

Edited April 9, 2016 by pukekolive

[Gator3]

They say complimentary alcohol in the mini-bars, refreshed daily. Really?

[Gator3]

They say complimentary alcohol in the mini-bars, refreshed daily:):). Really?

[old biddy]

Yes really, all alcohol consumed is replenished daily. The only hiccup we had was a whisky was replaced by a vodka one day. We have been back from Star for 3 weeks, we had a PV1 (6084) it was amazing. We are seasoned cruisers, 17 to date, 3 more booked. I can honestly say it was probably the best yet! Yes the initial price appears high, but by the time you have taken into account all that is included it makes a lot more sense. In 10 days our bar bill came to £40, never heard of before, that was for a pre dinner drink.

Go and enjoy!

[Vineyard View]

We had PV for 29 days last year. We were totally comfortable in this cabin. It was really well laid out. the alcohol replacement was nice to enjoy a drink prior to dinner - there were initially 4 different types I believe. We requested having just two types replenished going forward, and that worked well - there were two of each every day. As well as a bottle of champagne to start your trip.....snacks replenished daily, and a coffee maker. The room was wider than DV, more storage, and comfortable sitting area. We really enjoyed our space. I think that you made a good decision!!

[WAPAVO]

Help needed. :confused: I am looking at booking the Viking Star for a Caribbean cruise in the winter. I have a hold on an aft DV1 (5110) on Deck 5 that is directly under the infinity pool. My TA is offering a complimentary upgrade to a Penthouse Verandah 3 on Deck 4 forward. Should I give up the prized position of an aft deluxe verandah for a forward Penthouse Verandah?

Helppppppp!

 

If you are on the same cruise as me (Oct 145, 2016) and don't take this offer, tell Viking, I will be happy to accept their offer.

 

Whatever you do, have a great cruise.

[kd1044]

What type of coffee maker was it? Keurig or Nespresso?

[HUNKY]

Hi KD!

 

I did a photo search of the Viking Star, and the coffee machine is made by Paulig. Paulig is based in Finland.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/viking-star-748/penthouse-veranda-cabin-205894/penthouse-veranda-cabin--v10512176/

 

I'm not a coffee person, but I will admit that I enjoy using a Keurig type machine when I get the chance.

[Sailoraz]

We had the Penthouse Veranda on 5 - 5015 which was perfect. There isn't that much movement and the movement of the ship at night is wonderful.

Really this cabin was perfect. You get an extra dresser with this with more space to put things. With my neat husband that was a plus. We did not get in each others way and your main closet is as you enter the cabin and not up against where the bed is. There is no decision to make here go with the PV. We were on 15 days last fall and loved everything about the ship

[Travel2Learn]

Do the deluxe veranda and penthouse veranda staterooms have the same menu for breakfast room service?

[Sailoraz]

I don't know if there was any difference. We had a nice variety of choice, muffins, breads, sausage, fruit, coffee, tea. We were satisfied. We found that our times for the ship included tours were pre set (we didn't get to pick a time) and were with our packet when we arrived. We were always assigned the early am so we had breakfast delivered while we got ready and that was a good decision. They delivered right on the time you ask for it. But it saved time going to the dining room, accidentally visiting too long and then rushing to get with your tour group. The desk in the PV and DV is a refrigerator on one side and 2 drawers on the other. With the PV we had the second dresser with 3 drawers on either side with the middle having 2 shelfs. This extra space was a blessing. Where the closet is, there is a set of 3 drawers I think and the coffee maker etc is on top. The suitcases fix nicely under the bed and we had good space for the couch and sitting area. I had the beds separated so that changed the space a little. The first thing I said when we got on the ship is the the PV2 was well worth it and we booked that for our April 2017 trip. Hope this helps. Happy to ask anymore question. Oh there is laundry facility on the port side. My husband irons his shirts carefully so when we arrived, he sent his shirts out and there was no charge for that.

[Travel2Learn]

I don't know if there was any difference. We had a nice variety of choice, muffins, breads, sausage, fruit, coffee, tea. We were satisfied. We found that our times for the ship included tours were pre set ...

 

Sailoraz, thank you for the information. It is helpful.

 

When cruising solo, I would be OK in a deluxe balcony instead of a larger stateroom. However, room service details could be a deal-breaker. So if someone could comment on the room service breakfast menu for a deluxe balcony, it would be appreciated. Are eggs on the menu? Is room service, including a full breakfast, available the morning of debarkation?

 

How early are the complimentary tours? Do I have a choice of times for these tours?

[Krisval]

I suggest looking at http://www.solentrichardscruiseblog.com, he has great information on the Star, similar to Sea, and you may find answers to questions there. I'm not sailing on the Sea until December, but have been reading the various Viking community discussions and have read that the room service menu is the same for all cabins (maybe the owner's suite gets a rose- just kidding), eggs are included (Richard's review has a photo of the menu), that you book your shore excursions in advance of the cruise and when you are able to book is based on your cabin category, and that breakfast is available the morning of disembarkation. The iexcursions appear to be shcheduled in the morning and one in the afternoon. Again, check out the blog as I found it to be very informative.

[Carol From California]

Thanks, wonderful people! I went for the upgrade to 4018, 9 cabins down from the bow. :D Actually, my DH helped, as he voted for more room and less fear of soot on the back balcony, which we have had on some ships.

 

We too have booked a Caribbean cruise (West Indies RT) and have a PV3 (cabin 4025), which is the same cabin we had on our Mediterranean cruise last year on the Star. We thought the cabin location was just fine. If you haven't already, add your name to the roll call for your cruise. Our cruise is next year (February 15). Which one did you book?

Edited July 11, 2016 by Carol From California