Viking Star Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We booked our cruise after reading a promotional flyer in July 2013. The next two years we spent following the progress of the ship's being built and tested. This to say that, as seasoned travelers who had never taken a cruise and who live in Europe, we were very much anticipating this different adventure. We were not disappointed.
Since we handled all our arrangements in terms of arrival and departure, we cannot write about theses issues, but can say that our embarkation and debarkation were handled smoothly and professionally.
The ship itself was wonderfully laid out, with so many different lounges, the spa, and quiet corners that I'm not sure we discovered all of it on our time aboard. The Explorer's Lounge is quiet, seemingly private and very comfortable. I met with a group of friends (who all met for the first time on the second day out) nearly every day in the upstairs of the Explorers Lounge. We all had a common issue and, for the most part, were able to share our experiences, solutions and challenges in some privacy.
Cabin Review
Our cabin and the service in our cabin were superb. The bed was very comfortable with two different types of pillows for both of us. Pillows are a big deal for us (we have six on our bed in the States, and four in Spain) so this was a plus for us. The light in the closet had a motion sensor, the bathroom floor was heated—which I loved—and the coffee maker got a lot of use and never failed to satisfy.
The room itself was a little cramped, but we got accustomed to it, and the huge window out onto the veranda and view of the water—or port—made up for any sense of lacking in space.
Our only complaint was that the television sound traveled through the wall from the cabin next door. Since we're night owls, this wasn't a big problem, but it could be for others.
I'm sure you know the wifi was abysmal. We were unable to upload any fotos to the Cloud or send any to family and friends. A First World problem quickly remedied once we were in a flat in Stockholm with fast wifi.