First Time on a Viking Cruise

[No name 2563]

Doing the Jouney to Antiquities cruise in December (Athen to Rome).

Have spent quite a bit of time here on Critic already reading about the various ships of Viking.  We are on the Star.

Topics I am interested in any feedback on are:

Any secrets of the ship

Information on different shore excursion that may be available

What is there to do on board after 9:00 pm (we are night owls and stay up till 11 pm most nights- 😉)

Wife and I drink beer and wine (she will do a cocktail as well)... do we want the Silver Beverage Package?  It seems very reasonable compared to other cruise lines

How smooth are the transfers from airport? and any good hints regarding layovers...

Weather during late December (typical conditions)

Anything you experienced travlers can think I that I really should know but don't...

 

Thank you in advance for any knowledge you can impart.  It will be very appreciated.

 

[crystalspin]

5 minutes ago, No name 2563 said:

Anything you experienced travlers can think I that I really should know but don't...

Thank you in advance for any knowledge you can impart.  It will be very appreciated.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

The Viking Ocean forum is here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/689-viking-ocean/

 

There is not a Roll Call for your cruise yet. You can keep an eye for one here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?type=forums_topic&search_and_or=or&search_in=titles&nodes=787&q=Dec December

 

Or when you feel comfortable on the platform, you can start your own!

[No name 2563]

Thanks for the heads up.

😀

[CDNPolar]

15 hours ago, No name 2563 said:

We are on the Star.  Basically all Viking Ocean ships are the same layout.

Topics I am interested in any feedback on are:

Any secrets of the ship  Don't know what you mean by secrets, but perhaps these may help..  The basic Thermal Spa is free to use.  That includes the large thermal pool, the steam room, and snow grotto.  Respectively in each change room (male/female) there is a sauna and a cold plunge pool.  The gym is also free and it is a good size and decent equipment.  If you want other services such as massage, etc., you will pay for that.  At 4:00pm most days there is Tea in the Wintergarden.

Information on different shore excursion that may be available

What is there to do on board after 9:00 pm (we are night owls and stay up till 11 pm most nights- 😉). Torshavn is the lounge that opens in the evening and has the Viking Band - the resident band that has two singers and a back up group of three.  Other than that, there is really only the Explorer Lounge and the Living Room, but these are very sedate with only string, piano, or solo guitar entertainment.

Wife and I drink beer and wine (she will do a cocktail as well)... do we want the Silver Beverage Package?  It seems very reasonable compared to other cruise lines. The Viking beverage package is reasonable, but has been going up in the recent past.  It has also had price increases passed on to those who had already booked but not paid in full.  In reality, if you can still get everything on the extended drinks list by paying drink by drink.  You are not excluded from anything.  The fact that you get unlimited beer and wine at lunch and dinner (and this includes one sparkling wine if you prefer) then you can ask to top up the beer or wine when leaving the dining room and walk out with that glass and take to the lounge or where ever you are going.  If you look at the US pricing of $25 per night per person - for the two of you that is $50 per night.  Are you going to drink $50 per night or more?  The one big advantage for many people is that the beverage package gives you access to the full wine list, so if you are more of a wine connoisseur then you have full access to the complete wine list with each meal.  Also then you have access to spirits or cocktails when you want them.

How smooth are the transfers from airport? and any good hints regarding layovers...  The transfers that we have done - 10 now each way - have all been very smooth.  Viking have all your details and they know when you are arriving and they have reps there to greet you and help you along.  We have never waited.  Your transfer is free when you book air through Viking and you can also pay for the transfer if you are not booking air with Viking.  Layovers - if you are talking flight connections - we don't book any connection that is less than 2.5 hours.  Your flight from the USA to the first landing point in the EU will require you to go through passport control and security again.  If your flight out of the US is delayed, and your connection is short, then you will be running, literally running.

Weather during late December (typical conditions). My suggestion is Google this closer to your trip date.  Today we cannot count on any "typical conditions" with global weather patterns.  We were just in Europe over Christmas and the countries we were in were experiencing warmer than average temps and rain way above "typical".  Pack for warm and cool/cold.  The seas could be much cooler if you want to be on deck.

Anything you experienced travlers can think I that I really should know but don't...  With 10 Viking Cruises under our belts now, we love the Viking experience and product.  The crew are amazing and the food is amazing.  We most love the Resident Historian lectures that are daily on the agenda, and we never miss a port talk if we can help it.  The great thing of all the port talks, and lectures is on Viking Ocean they record these and they are all available on your cabin TV to watch later.  Just enjoy Viking and report back after!

 

Thank you in advance for any knowledge you can impart.  It will be very appreciated.

 

 

[No name 2563]

Thank YOU very much CDNPolar.

That is about the best answer/response I could have hoped to get from the inquiry.

VERY much appreciated.

The cruise is still a long way out so shore excursion list is not available, so I was looking for excursion list of what people have done recently while on the same cruise.

 

Again, thanks for ALL the great info.

[Essiesmom]

Go to the Viking Ocean board here and scroll down and back a few pages, see if anyone has done a Live from or post cruise review.  They may discuss the excursions they have taken.  EM

[CDNPolar]

18 hours ago, No name 2563 said:

Thank YOU very much CDNPolar.

That is about the best answer/response I could have hoped to get from the inquiry.

VERY much appreciated.

The cruise is still a long way out so shore excursion list is not available, so I was looking for excursion list of what people have done recently while on the same cruise.

 

Again, thanks for ALL the great info.

 

If you go to the main Viking site where you booked the cruise, find your cruise and then click on "Itinerary" just under the cruise name and on the left.

 

 

Then scroll down and click on each day of the itinerary, on the "Read More" and then you will see the shore excursions that COULD be offered.

 

 

 

NOW - NOTE that these are not guaranteed.  But this will give you some good advance reading before they come available for you to book on MyVikingJourney.

 

They have the disclaimer at the top "Shore excursions vary by each itinerary, and are subject to change."  You have to know that this is a sampling and you may see some of these in reality and not others, and you may also see some that are not listed here when they open for booking.

 

Additionally on this screen they do indicate what is an included excursion and that would be the free one when they open for booking.  But, again, this is not 100%

Edited January 23 by CDNPolar