Viking Star Review

5.0 / 5.0
2,051 reviews

Sadly Missed Expectations

Review for Europe Cruise on Viking Star
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id4elizabeth
6-10 Cruises • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Apr 2015

I have procrastinated in writing this review because I have had difficulty determining a rating for this 50-day Viking Empire cruise. We had a fantastic time seeing so many different ports of call, seeing sights I never thought we’d get to see, meeting some fabulous people, eating great food, enjoying massages and facials, and experiencing a ice cold grotto after a steam room. On the other hand, this cruise also provided an inordinate amount of unnecessary stress and frustration. Of course we knew this was a maiden cruise and we should expect some amount of glitches and problems, and no I would not call it the “cruise from that-bad-place-we’ve-all-heard-of.” The ship did not sink, we were not set adrift without power, and we were not attacked by pirates. But there was a rather constant drip, drip, drip of daily problems that continued well beyond the first week or two. Some things were never fixed in the whole 50 days we were aboard.

I’m listing the good things first and then those items that caused this Viking experience to lose its five star rating:

1 – The Ship and its esthetics are wonderful. The clean lines, uncluttered and calm décor are set off by some small and interesting touches that make the ship a delight. (I particularly liked the huge colorful Murano glass fishes in the first floor Atrium.) Small luxe details like leather railings, doorknobs, and desk tops add an upscale feeling. There are plenty of spaces to sit and relax, join others in conversation, or take in the sun. We never felt crowded, although I’m not sure the ship was ever at full capacity either.

Cabin Review

Cabin Penthouse Junior Suite

Three reason NOT to get cabins 8019 or 8018. First - These two cabins are the last ones in the row of staterooms on the 8th floor. They are adjacent to the Sun Deck. There is an exterior door that’s right outside each of these cabins. It is heavy and it slams shut and makes a very loud crashing sound that even vibrates the beds in the cabin. It starts being used about 6:00 am and finally stops about midnight. I believe the door next to our room on the starboard side got more usage than the port side because the smoking area is on the starboard side of the Sun Deck, so smokers would tend to use this door more often than the port. Second - Your private balcony is not private. The top of the flight of stairs that leads up to the 9th floor Sports Deck overlap the top of your balcony. This would be OK if not for the fact that the risers of the steps are open. When people use these stairs and get close to the top, they look right down into your balcony. We were out on our balcony after a swim, only to be surprised by a voice calling our name and waving to us through the risers. Three – One wall of the cabin is shared with the exterior wall of the Sun Deck. Most of the time this is OK except when a live band is playing in the Pool Deck area and the retractable roof is open. During the day, no problem, but at night, particularly during the “sail-away” parties that sometimes happen at 11:00 pm, you will hear the boom-ditty-boom of the drums very clearly in your cabin. And yes, I expressed my concerns about these issues with Viking Management on numerous occasions to no avail. Note: these issues should not be a problem with the other 8th floor cabins…just these two.

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