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Viking Star Review

Our Cruise Review of the Viking Star Ocean Cruise Ship

 

 

Viking Cruises' Viking Star Cruise Ship Review Our Onboard Cruise Ship Review
by Raye & Marty Trencher/ October 12, 2016

Note: All Viking Ocean Cruise Ships are virtually identical. Viking’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, was built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard and was delivered in March 2015. The second, third and fourth ships – Viking SeaViking Sky and Viking Sun – were delivered in March 2016, January 2017 and September 2017, respectively. The fifth ship, Viking Orion, is under final construction and will be delivered in summer 2018. Two additional ships are on order for delivery in 2021 and 2022.



 

Viking Cruises' Viking Star is unlike most ocean going cruise ships. It's beautiful, with understated elegance built around modern Scandinavian décor and design. We have cruised (Viking IDI - 11/2015) on one of Viking River Cruises Longships, and felt right at home on Viking Star.

You'll find excellent service, and a friendly staff. The same ambiance, service and style distinguish Viking Star from other cruise ships. Viking Star’s clean lines, light woods, create a calming tranquil effect from the serene Wintergarden,  perfect for a calming cup of tea; to the Scandinavian-inspired Spa, a Nordic sanctuary of wellness.

The Main Pool has a retractable roof, and you'll find such unique amenities like an infinity-edge pool cantilevered off the edge of the ship, and a spa complete with a snow grotto.

The ships has many more "quite-zones" with ample seating for reading, playing cards, scrabble or just enjoying the company of fellow passengers.

There's even a Viking heritage exhibit, and in the stairwell landings, tapestries depicted the end of the Viking Age in 1066. In the two-deck Explorers’ Lounge the décor is themed around ancient Viking trade routes. 

The ships' itineraries are focused on the ports-of-call. Viking Star offers one complimentary shore excursion in each port of call. The Quietvox system used for shore excursions on their river cruises is also found on Viking Star.

Viking Star's Culture Curriculum, an exclusive onboard program, brings local culture to life with informative lectures on history and art; tastings of regional food and wines; and enriching Destination Performances featuring folkloric shows and musicians. On included and optional shore excursions, Viking Star provides the perfect overview of must-see cultural and historic highlights, plus delightful surprises. 

Fine dining can be found in The Restaurant, which serves three full meals and the wide choice of culinary options. Viking Star's alternative restaurants, the World Café, The Chefs Table and Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, serve both regional specialties and American classics. 

All staterooms feature balconies on Viking Star, and at no charge, there’s 24/7 room service. Staterooms are beautifully designed, featuring a streamlined Scandinavian interior, well appointed contemporary comfort for which Viking is known. Viking Star's well-appointed ceramic stone bathrooms with Freyja bath amenities focused on the small details like the radiant heating in the bathrooms. 

There are 464 staterooms, each with a balcony. Staterooms range from a 270 square-foot veranda to a 760 square-foot Explorer’s Suite. Each stateroom has ample connections to charge all your devices. 

Viking Star offers complimentary beer and wine during lunch and dinner; and WiFi, is free, just as it is on Viking River Cruises. Viking Star has no casino nor Broadway style entertainment. It's not a mega-ship. Only 930 guests.

Viking Star is a thoughtful, authentic and well-designed small ship experience that brings you closer to the world’s cultures. 

You will not find casinos, kids, umbrella drinks or needless distractions. Instead, Viking Star cruises to intriguing and often little-known ports, enjoying ample time ashore, many overnight stays and an included excursion in each port of call.

Viking Star’s Inclusive Approach

If you have sailed on the larger, mega-sized cruise ships and have felt that you were nickle-and-dimed at every turn, you'll find Viking Ocean Cruises refreshing.

Viking believes that you should not have to open your wallet every time you want a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or an excursion ashore. Instead, they have chosen to provide guests with great value, giving you more for your money with a cruise fare that includes everything you need, from meals and beverages to shore excursions and Wi-Fi. So it comes to no one's surprise, that Viking was named the #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure readers in the World’s Best Awards 2017, overtaking the spot previously held by a luxury cruise line for 20 years. The world’s newest ocean cruise line is now the world’s best ocean cruise line.

So much is included , the value cannot be understated. Even the specialty restaurants where you can dine are at no charge. Choose Manfredi’s Italian venue or take in a wine-pairing experience at The Chef’s Table or visit Mamsen’s, the casual café.

What's included:

  • Complimentary transfers between airports and ship with Viking Air arrangements
     
  • Complimentary shore excursion in every port
     
  • Complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
     
  • Complimentary specialty coffees, teas and bottled water
     
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi internet access
     
  • Complimentary self-service laundry
     
  • Complimentary 24-hour room service
     
  • Complimentary specialty restaurant dining
     
  • Complimentary mini-bar [except Deluxe Veranda and Veranda staterooms]
     
  • Access to top-rated spa
     
  • Port taxes and fees

Viking estimates that these included features offer a value of $203 per person, per day.

What to Wear

Resort casual for your evenings, and during the day, shorts, and jeans but limited your swimsuits and workout clothes to the pool, gym and spa areas. Viking Star passengers can dress up in the evenings, even though there are no formal nights. If you want to dine at the World Cafe buffet, daytime wear is acceptable. Onboard currency is the U.S. dollar. A daily gratuity is $14 per person, per day is automatically added to your onboard account, settled at the end of your cruise. An automatic 15 percent tip is applied to all bar purchases.

This cruise line that doesn't "do" sea days. Viking's priority is creating a destination-intensive experience for its passengers. For the most part, there are no days at sea at all (except for repositioning  or long voyages, holidays etc.). A choice of free included sightseeing tours in every port; and for an extra cost, other shore excursions option are also available. On port days, all most all passengers are out exploring. The few that stay onboard have the ship practically all to themselves. There's not a lot of nightlife onboard ( no big production stage shows ) because its ships stay late, or overnight in ports-of-call.

Who is likely to sail on Viking Star?

Viking Ocean Cruises’ will appeal to 55+ travelers, who are affluent, like exploring each destination's food, culture, people and customs. Note: no children are allowed on board.

Note: All Viking Ocean Cruise Ships are virtually identical. Viking’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, was built at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard and was delivered in March 2015. The second, third and fourth ships – Viking SeaViking Sky and Viking Sun – were delivered in March 2016, January 2017 and September 2017, respectively. The fifth ship, Viking Orion, is under final construction and will be delivered in summer 2018. Two additional ships are on order for delivery in 2021 and 2022.

If you have cruised with Viking before, you'll love this ship. And if your new to Viking, the experience is well worth it.

If you prefer an elegant, serene ship ambiance, more time in each port and an inclusive experience complete with exquisite dining and thoughtfully curated shore excursions, the world’s best ocean cruise line was created for you.

On a Viking Ocean Cruise, you can choose to sail through Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean. Even port calls in Cuba!

Overall, we like what we saw. A lot.

Raye & Marty Trencher

Darren Trencher

Certified Viking Master River Cruise Experts

800.365.1445

 

Ready to start planning your next travel experience? Talk to us.


Are you looking for advice and expertise from a travel & destination expert, from travel advisors who are subject matter experts and specialists in Viking river & ocean cruise travel. We'll listen to you and understanding your unique preferences and interests, we'll share our "been there-done-that" destination expertise and help you curate a journey that's tailored made specifically for your wants and needs. We know you're looking for the ultimate value, and we know you want a professional to handle all the details, so you’ll travel with confidence. You know, savvy travelers turn to trusted experts for advice and expertise. That expertise plays out through all stages of the process, from expediting planning to providing a higher level of service and knowledge. For example, according to Travel Weekly’s 2016 Consumer Travel Survey, nearly half (47 percent) of all travelers who use travel agents find those agents online. The majority are searching for travel agents who demonstrate expertise in the area of the travelers interest.
 

For some, the decision about who to do business with is easy. Even though we created websites that set the scene to help build excitement and desire for travel, people want more. People want to read about our background, our passion and our extensive experience traveling throughout the world. 18 years ago, we fell in love with cruise travel, and we wanted to share our first-hand experiences with everyone. And so we offer personally curated cruise packages, many of which are based on our own experience.
 

We know you have choices, so why choose us?


• Take advantage of our first hand "been there-done-that" knowledge, recommendations and experience.
• Our service begins with putting a personality and a face, a real knowledgeable well-traveled cruise expert, not an order-taker, behind the phone line.
• Chances are that we've been where you want to go and, our local knowledge is second to none.
• We help you sort through all your options to make informed decisions about what to do and when.
• We assure you receive the very best value and all the bonus extras available, no matter your bucket list or budget.
• We have access to the best deals and biggest discounts, special offers and the perks you want.
• Perks like free cabin upgrades, onboard credits, special amenities and more.
• We know you lead a busy life, so we help manage the many and important details.
• We recommend memorable shore excursions and land adventures.
• We provide advice and support before, during and after your trip.
• We build dream vacations, Not orders: Understand that we're not a something-dot-com just taking orders.
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• There are no hidden fees, no pressure, no time line. You can call us, ask all your questions, get the answers, with never an obligation to book.
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• We don't just provide information. We share with you a wealth of insight, insider tips, expertise and true inspiration
 

Our Commitment To You
Technology, innovation, social interaction, and lots of news and information have always been at the heart of what the internet is all about. However, we believe that personalized service tops them all. So, when it comes to service, we’re committed to doing the very best we can for your entire planning and booking experience.
Our commitment to every guest:
Respect your time.
We created a proactive and personalized service platform, with Certified Rivers and Ocean Cruise Experts, you can actual converse with over the phone. Unlike others, who have call centers staffed with uninformed and untrained order takers. Frankly, speaking with us and sharing our insights, expertise, and experiences with you is the best way to communicate. Call us toll-free at 800.365.1445. Have that conversation, it will be time well spent.
Simplify your experience.
Providing our guests with helpful information with direct connections to our Rivers and Ocean cruise line partners. No need to waste time and energy browsing back and forth all over the internet.
Make the experience the best possible
From our travel offerings to our people, we’re committed to delivering the best experience possible, so you can do more on your vacation and enjoy more of what you love when you get there.
Ready to start planning your next travel experience? Talk to us. Cruise travelers have thousands of advisors to choose from. Why should you choose us among all the others? Simply said, it's our knowledge, expertise and passion in everything we say and do for clients. If you love what you’re doing in life, clients recognize that. Call us at 800.365.1445. The call is free and so is the advice. Take all the time you want. Ask all your questions. And even if you don't book with us, we're still happy to share of travel experiences with you. Speak to one of our Certified Master Viking River & Ocean Cruise Experts to discuss your dream " bucket list" vacation.
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