We recently completed a 10-day cruise on the Viking Star in the Caribbean. We cruise very frequently, but this was our first experience with Viking. Overall we found the Viking Star to be very nice, the staff friendly and we enjoyed the small-ship experience.

Ship Features

The layout and features of the Viking Star are much the same as other modern, mainstream cruise ships. There is one main dining room, two alternative restaurants, a buffet, a pool grill, and, as a new twist, a Norwegian deli. There is no separate pizzeria, but pizza is available in the buffet at lunchtime (and maybe at dinner, but we didn’t check that out). There are two pools – the main pool and an Infinity pool at the ship’s stern. The infinity pool is too small to swim in – it is just a place to relax. The main pool has a retractable cover which was convenient during the occasional rain showers. There is a theatre which has two alcoves that can be closed off to create two smaller “cinemas”. The Explorer’s Lounge is two stories with a panoramic view off the bow of the ship. There is no formal library, but there are niches throughout the public areas with shelves of books. The Viking Star provides free wi-fi, but there were only four computers available for the 900+ passengers. At times one had to wait in line for the computers. I guess Viking figures that more people will bring their tablets or smartphones and make use of the free wi-fi. Read more