We have just returned from our Viking Star Mediterranean Odyssey cruise and it was truly the trip of a lifetime. From the moment that we checked in at the Venice cruise port until the we disembarked in Barcelona we loved every minute. Embarkation was very smooth and well organized and our cabin was ready for us as soon as we arrived. That first night we enjoyed a magical gondola ride in Venice and followed it up with a wonderful excursion to Murano, Burano and St. Marks square the next day. We booked optional excursions for Venice, Naples, Rome, Monte Carlo, Toulon and Barcelona and every one of them was worth the price. About the only thing we noted was that local guides were not always as familiar with how to operate the Quiet Vox system as those of us who have sailed with Viking before. There were several who could not seem to get their microphone positioned properly and one guide who didn't realize he did not have his equipment until we reached the excursion destination but even then it did not detract from our enjoyment.
We also took the included tours in Split, Dubrovnik, Corfu and Florence (Pisa) and enjoyed all of those as well. If we had to pick one excursion that stood out about the rest it would be the Gaudi Architecture tour in Barcelona. Our guide, Antonio, was the best of the best, so clear, focused and always making sure we had the best spot for taking pictures. We followed up this tour with a personal self guided audio tour of Gaudi's Casa Batllo on one of the two extra days we spent in Barcelona.
The highlight on board was the specialty dining, specifically The Chef's Table and Manfredi's, We dined 3 nights at each and every meal was superb as was the service. We also enjoyed Mamsen's for breakfast and lunch and had several nice meals in The Restaurant. We only ate in the World Cafe once and found it too crowded for our liking. It seemed to be the favorite of passengers who had cruised on other ships where they are used to buffet dining but it has never been one of our favorites.
What's not to like about an Explorer suite? We enjoyed every aspect of this wonderful cabin with its dining room table (perfect for room service breakfast on early morning excursion departures), walk in shower and tub, huge walk in closet and wonderful living room with comfortable seating.
Great tour of Burano with a nice visit and demonstration of lace making with lots of free time to stroll around and grab a coffee and pastry.
After our Murano and Burano tour we were dropped at St, Marks Square and had time to stroll to Rialto Bridge, grab a quick lunch and then take a shuttle back to the Viking Star.