Live from Viking Sky on Mediterannean & Adriatic Sojourn

[DrKoob]

Good morning Viking cruisers

I am going to do my best to live report our entire 21-day cruise on these pages. I might miss some days but hopefully, that will be an infrequent occurrence. I will be doing a blog with a lot of photos on my personal blog you can find by Googling my name (Jim Bellomo). For reasons of keeping Cruise Critic happy, I can't post a direct link here.

So this is our (my wife who posts as BellKat) and I are first-time Viking Cruisers. We have a very close friend who has been telling us to try them for years. We are long-time cruisers with more than 30+ cruises behind us. Most were on Celebrity,, HAL, Azamara and RCL (with the kids). We are traveling with my brother, his wife, her sister and her husband. My usual practice is to do posts as I am sailing so here goes.

 

We did the Viking pre-cruise in Athens. Two days at the Athens Marriott. The hotel was just fine but the location left a lot to be desired. I am a walker and a photographer. On most of our trips, when we are on land, I like to get out pre-dawn and shoot photos. But the Marriott is nowhere near the center of historical Athens. I tried and walked four miles and got to nothing I really wanted to take photos of as it is a very industrial area.

 

When we arrived at the Athens airport (we had flown down from Amsterdam) we didn't even have to put on our Viking stickers, their rep saw us and walked over and introduced himself before we even had our luggage. He helped us load up and then got us to the coach which was a full-size bus just for six of us and we were off to the hotel. The pre-extension we had reserved included two nights at the hotel (which has the GREATEST water pressure ever), breakfast but no tours so we arranged our own through a company called Tours By Locals. We were beyond lucky to get the incredible George C. as our guide. He took us to all the usual spots including the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Museum of Antiquities, the original Olympic stadium and the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknowns but the best place he took us was for lunch. One of the most amazing meals we have ever had. And it was at what George called, "A momma place" because they cook like your Greek momma. They brought us some of everything and we loved every bit of it. So much food and so many courses plus lots of excellent Greek wine. We ate outdoors on a shady patio next to a farmer's market. What an outstanding Greek experience. I even got a chance to do some street photography in the farmer's market. We did have reservations at a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves in the Plaka district but decided to cancel them after this HUGE lunch. We don't feel like we missed anything. 

The next morning (Saturday) was our embarkation day on the Sky. We had to have our bags outside the hotel rooms by 7:00 am. We got them out and went down to an excellent breakfast. Lots of choices and great service. We were on bus four of four to go to the ship. Each one left about 15 minutes apart. The Viking machine at the hotel was incredibly well run. Got us on, took 15 minutes to the port, off and onboard within another 10. Total time hotel lobby to Viking Sky living room was 30 minutes max. I do want to mention that due to a strange Greek rule, we had to take a COVID test the day before (between 7:00 and 8:00 am) in order to LEAVE Greece. Not sure why they care who is sick when they leave. Viking has no testing scheduled at all. Viking took care of our tests and I was told that not a single person had a positive test. 

 

Once onboard we were greeted with champagne and told that we could go up to the World Cafe (buffet) for lunch. When we had checked in on the pier we were told our staterooms would be ready by 2:00 pm. The rest of our party who were on the deck below us were told 3:00 pm. Needless to say, we were a little upset (i said a little—we were on a cruise 😜) because we thought our staterooms (based on our stateroom class) would be ready by 1:00 pm. But in a surprise under promise/over deliver situation, as we were finishing an excellent lunch, the announcement was made that ALL staterooms were open before 1:00 pm. 

We are incredibly pleased with our stateroom. It is huge by cruise ship standards, a full 338 square feet (our Celebrity stateroom was about 230 square feet). The only part of the stateroom we don't like is the bed. We have frequently found European beds ot be harder than US beds. At home, we sleep on a Tempurpedic and we love it. Sleeping on the bed here was like sleeping on the floor. My brother had the same problem and mentioned it to his cabin attendant who said he had a foam mattress topper he could add to it. We are. having the same done to ours for tonight so hopefully, things will improve and I will get a better night's sleep. I was going to include a video or photographic tour of the stateroom but I found one online that is much more professional that you can see by clicking here.

 

The rest of the ship is beautiful, the crew has been outstanding so far. The food at lunch was superb...but let's not talk about dinner. Well, let's talk about dinner. We decided to have dinner in The Restaurant (the ship's main dining room) around 7:00. We went for a drink in the living room first and then we headed to The Restaurant at around 7:05. No one was waiting in line and we were seated (our party of six) at a table for eight right near the door. Here's our timetable for dinner. We got to the dining room and were seated by 7:10. We had bread and water on the table by 7:20. Our order was not taken until at least 7:40. In fact after we got the bread and water, we didn't see anyone else for almost 20 minutes. Our server came by and asked if we wanted wine. She had a German red and a German white. She said, "Sorry, I don't have time to do the winelist with you tonight but I will go over it with you tomorrow." Really? 

 

So there we were at 7:45 with six glasses of German wine when our server took our orders. That took almost 10 minutes while the server attempted to enter the orders on a very small screen iPhone or iPod. Once the orders were taken, appetizers showed up about 10 minutes later, followed by our entrées about 20 minutes after we had finished the appetizers. Dessert was at least 20 minutes after finishing our entrées. The wine was refilled twice but we had to ask for it. Same with water. We were finally done with dinner and left The Restaurant at 9:15. Sorry, but that's two full hours to eat a meal. That's too long. 

 

And to be honest, the meal was not that good. I ordered the Chef's Regional Menu which was a Greek-themed menu including a lentil soup, moussaka and baklava for dessert. I can make all three better at home. I have made all three better at home. That's just sad. My lovely bride ordered the chorizo-coated sea bass. She ate about half and just didn't want anymore. My brother had the same thing but about 10 minutes after the rest of us. They forgot his order so we all waited while they got him a new one. It was just sad. We had such high hopes for The Restaurant after all the videos we have seen but last night did NOT live up to them. But we are very willing to give them a second chance. The food in the buffet this morning and yesterday at lunch was excellent so we know they can make the food we love. And tonight we are eating at Manfredi's, which is Sky's Italian restaurant so I will share our experiences there tomorrow. 

 

To sum up...love the ship, love the crew, love the buffet and only had two experiences we didn't like: dinner in The Restaurant and our very HARD bed.

 

 

Edited September 4, 2022 by DrKoob

[Hobson1754]

That doesn’t sound too good - did you mention your issues with e.g. Maitre d? Hopefully just start of cruise teething problems.

[rollie]

Your guided tour in Athens, was it just the two of you?  What was the name of the Athens restaurant you had lunch at, how were the prices?  Thanks for your great review. 
 

Rollie

[Mr Luxury]

I would have left when the sommelier offered a German Red and White.😁

Did you not ask to see the wine list and buy something decent?

Two hours for dinner is not long if you are with friends having good conversation and great food.

[keokukjoe]

7 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

I would have left when the sommelier offered a German Red and White.😁

Did you not ask to see the wine list and buy something decent?

Two hours for dinner is not long if you are with friends having good conversation and great food.

I agree. Did the sommelier not ask if you had purchased the SSBP? The quote from DrKoob,

"Sorry, I don't have time to do the wine list with you tonight but I will go over it with you tomorrow." Really? " doesn't evoke the service that I would expect. Did you complain to the restaurant manager?

[TayanaLorna]

9 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

I would have left when the sommelier offered a German Red and White.😁

Did you not ask to see the wine list and buy something decent?

Two hours for dinner is not long if you are with friends having good conversation and great food.

We usually take two hours for dinner with friends but it us lingering over wine, food and conversation not waiting for the wine and food.  And she said I don't have the time to go over the wine list?  Unacceptable.  Do you have the Silver Spirit Package?

[LindaS272]

Sorry for your poor experience in the Restaurant, Dr. Koob. Make friends with the dining room manager; you will find that Viking will bend over backwards to make it right for you. I hope that’s happening as I’m posting this! 🤞

[deec]

I always take a glass of wine or cocktail into dinner with me.  That way if they are SLOW getting to us with bread, water, rolls I am not impatient.  We sometimes  found that if we are dining with folks who don't have the Silver Spirits Package they get their wine long before someone comes to see what we would like.

 

Agree the beds are hard...no one has ever offered us a foam topper but room stewards put a duvet under the sheet and that seems to be enough.

 

Thanks for doing this day by day!

Edited September 4, 2022 by deec

[flare3192]

We are doing this cruise in reverse in May. We have not taken many cruises at all so I am devouring what you write.

I have a question about the driver you had in Athens -- I have been researching guides and found out that there are differences between guides and drivers. The driver cannot go into the places with you but can tell you about them before you go into it. Did you find that was enough -- did you hire a guide inside the places in addition?  Which of his tours did you take?

On our cruise there are almost two full days in Athens and we have never been there. We arrive at 7am and depart at 6pm the next day. So I am trying to figure out what we should do.

Thank you

[TayanaLorna]

1 hour ago, deec said:

I always take a glass of wine or cocktail into dinner with me.  That way if they are SLOW getting to us with bread, water, rolls I am not impatient.  We sometimes  found that if we are dining with folks who don't have the Silver Spirits Package they get their wine long before someone comes to see what we would like.

 

Agree the beds are hard...no one has ever offered us a foam topper but room stewards put a duvet under the sheet and that seems to be enough.

 

Thanks for doing this day by day!

Ah yes, carry the "stroller" into the Restaurant.  The house wine of the day is the first offered.  We usually look at the wine by the glass menu when in the bar and decide on which one we want and order it right away rather then wait for the somalier.

[FetaCheese]

Dr koob, Garry, from most recent world cruise, had a daily blog.  He posted a link to it here on CC every day, so one could read it if desired. 

 

I believe you would be able to include your link here.

 

Was on Greek Odyssey, Dec 2021.  They served Greek wine every night (included, no bev pkg.)

 

I found the Greek dest. menu every night to be exceptionally fine.  They also served a Greek buffet lunch one day, which was truly authentic, well prepared, very delicious, with a multitude of cheeses, salads, entrees and deserts.  Also individually prepared sauteed shrimp at aft station.  Hope you get to experience that lunch.

 

 

 

[Hobson1754]

I think the worst part of the Restaurant review is the fact 

7 hours ago, DrKoob said:

My brother had the same thing but about 10 minutes after the rest of us. They forgot his order so we all waited while they got him a new one.

For us this would be the worst part of poor service in a restaurant - by the time you wait for someone’s  misplaced meal to turn up your meal is cold and, cold or barely warm food is my pet gripe.  I agree with you TayanaLorna that I don’t mind taking my time over a meal, as long as we all get it at the same time.

[Sleep7]

👏Yay! DrKoob!

So glad to see that you are blogging and I love your play by play style.🤗

I'm looking forward to following along for the next 3 weeks as your journey unfolds.

Thanks for taking us along!

P.S. I'm sure the bed will get softer and the Dining Room better.😊

 

[Azulann]

So happy  to  read a live trip report or blog here on Viking forum. So glad you had a great guide and wonderful Greek lunch  in Athens.  

Hope the Restaurant service   is better  the next time you dine there.  I love Manfredi. I try to  order smaller portions because it is so much food , and I love it all. 

[Jjg34219]

We just completed our first VOC…Orion Alaska. We dined in the Restaurant first 3 nights, then tried World Cafe one night, and we never returned to the Restaurant. Not really because of food or service, we just felt options overall were better, especially for wife who leans vegetarian. We really enjoyed Orion!

we are doing Empires of Mediterranean in a couple years with the pre stay in Athens too so good scoop on your tour…thanks!

Edited September 4, 2022 by Jjg34219

[mydogislulu]

Love your critique.  We are doing the reverse in June 2023 and look forward to hearing of your touring in ports.

 

we did Viking Homelands in 2019 on Viking Sky.  Found Viking to be fabulous. The cabins are large, especially the bathroom, which even had heated floors and plenty of storage.  Organised our own land excursions in most ports.

[miami mama]

I found the beds on Octantis to be much more comfortable than the ones I have had on the ocean ships. On Ocean I always have to ask for extra  padding. On the cruise for next year, I will be putting in a request ahead of time so that I don't have to suffer through the first night. 

 

DrKoob, the service you received in the restaurant certainly sounds like a one-off. Hope things have gotten better. 

[DrKoob]

23 hours ago, rollie said:

Your guided tour in Athens, was it just the two of you?  What was the name of the Athens restaurant you had lunch at, how were the prices?  Thanks for your great review. 
 

Rollie

I wish I could tell you the exact name. There were six of us that went. I will post two photos. One of the name of the place and the other of the street sign on the corner. Hopefully you can find it. We had all that food (at least 8 dishes to try) with wine for 25 Euros per couple. We were flabbergasted at how low a price that was. I would have paid twice that. 

[DrKoob]

On 9/4/2022 at 2:48 PM, Hobson1754 said:

That doesn’t sound too good - did you mention your issues with e.g. Maitre d? Hopefully just start of cruise teething problems.

Not yet. We are willing to give them a second chance. It may have just been an opening night problem. Or a new server just starting out. We are going back tomorrow night (Manfredi's yesterday and a Greek buffet tonight) and we shall see.

[DrKoob]

23 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I would have left when the sommelier offered a German Red and White.😁

Did you not ask to see the wine list and buy something decent?

Two hours for dinner is not long if you are with friends having good conversation and great food.

We were not offered a wine list that night. We were also not offered a wine list last night in Manfreddi's. They just asked, "red or white" and started pouring. Total wrong assumption as we would have ordered a bottle or two. The server came back about 15 minutes later and said, "I forgot to offer you a wine list. I will try to find it my tomorrow." And two hours is too long when you really want to go to bed because you have jet lag or have to get up for an early shore excursion.

[DrKoob]

23 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

We usually take two hours for dinner with friends but it us lingering over wine, food and conversation not waiting for the wine and food.  And she said I don't have the time to go over the wine list?  Unacceptable.  Do you have the Silver Spirit Package?

No we do not. With the wine and beer options as well as the refreshed liquor in our PV stateroom, we figured we would buy by the drink if we wanted anything else. With as long as this cruise is (21 days) the package was almost $1000 for the two of us. 

[DrKoob]

20 hours ago, flare3192 said:

We are doing this cruise in reverse in May. We have not taken many cruises at all so I am devouring what you write.

I have a question about the driver you had in Athens -- I have been researching guides and found out that there are differences between guides and drivers. The driver cannot go into the places with you but can tell you about them before you go into it. Did you find that was enough -- did you hire a guide inside the places in addition?  Which of his tours did you take?

On our cruise there are almost two full days in Athens and we have never been there. We arrive at 7am and depart at 6pm the next day. So I am trying to figure out what we should do.

Thank you

We used a company called Tours By Locals (www.toursbylocals.com). Our driver/guide was George C. And you are correct. He is a driver/guide. For instance, he can not lead us on a tour on the Acropolis (this is just like Pompeii where our guide we had for the day cannot do tours inside Pompeii). When we went up the hill to the Acropolis there were big lines to get tickets. We found a number of "LICENSED" guides and they already had tickets. We had Athena (you can see all this in photos on my blog at www.jktravelredmond.com) and she took us around. She was great. I highly recommend George C. We were just fine with his wonderful narration and he would drop us off at a venue he had told us all about and then swing back to pick us up and tell us about the next one on our way to it.

[DrKoob]

14 hours ago, Sleep7 said:

P.S. I'm sure the bed will get softer and the Dining Room better.😊

 

Not yet Sleep 7. 

[Hobson1754]

23 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

Not yet Sleep 7. 

Oh dear - we are also going to be 1st timers on Viking in 3 weeks & our expectations are very high - primarily based on what we’ve read on these boards and the fact that this is the most we’ve paid for a cruise, so I’ve got everything crossed for you (and ourselves) that certain aspects of the cruise improve 🤞🤞

[miami mama]

If you haven't gotten some kind of mattress topper yet, please do so. This is not an uncommon request. If you already have one and it is not enough, ask for a a second one or speak to the manager to see if there is another solution. We have found people on the ship to be most accomodating and will go the extra two miles to make sure you are well rested and feed.