Viking Sea Review

Great cruise, lots of interesting unique sites

Review for the Mediterranean Cruise on Viking Sea
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LadyImpactOhio
2-5 Cruises • Age 70s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Feb 2017
Cabin: Veranda Stateroom

We were on the Viking Star 2 years ago for a cruise of the Baltic and were extremely happy so we came back. We started out with the 2 night pre-cruise in Barcelona and were on our own. We took the hop on/hop off bus tour of the city which was great.

We stopped in Toulon, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Tunis, Algiers and Valencia. Personally I would have skipped Sardinia as it was a long way to cruise and only 4 hours in port. I would have liked to spend the night in Tunis to see more.

This is an extraordinary itinerary most people will never get to experience. The highlight for many including me, was going through the Messina Strait between Italy and Sicily and seeing the volcano Stromboli smoking. In Tunis the ship was met at the pier by a small band and camels you could ride. Also there were men with Falcons to put on your shoulder. All for a small price, of course.

Cabin Review

Veranda Stateroom

Cabin V2

Viking ocean, all cabins have a veranda. There are several categories with the same size room but the location determines the price variation. Last cruise we were in V1 which was perfectly acceptable. It was at the back of the ship, this one for about $500 more was in the front. We were able to totally unpack and put everything away, including suitcases under the bed. Bathroom storage is impressive. So is the closet and built in drawers. We had a coffee table, 2 chairs and a desk with a chair. Cabin was 270 sq ft. Layout was excellent.

Port Reviews

Barcelona

Hop on/hop off bus. We got off at this mountain. Not Montserrat. Took the funicular up. There is a church and amusement park at the top. Well worth it.

Toulon

Nice little French WWII military town. Easy to navigate. Visit the outdoor market and the eating places along the sea.

Monaco (Monte Carlo)

I was sick (bad cold) fir the morning tour but got on a trolley tour in the afternoon. About 30 minute tour takes you to the palace, the casino and downtown. No stops.

Monte Carlo is difficult to navigate. Lots of walking and elevators in the mountain just to get to the shore.

Florence (Livorno)

It was raining and cold. We walked about 7-8 miles, very trying but worth it if you want to see a little of a lot of things in a short amount of time. Pisa really is leaning, in case there are doubters.

Onboard service was a bit lacking. Stateroom staff was excellent but restaurant and bar service not up to the same standards as our last cruise. They appeared to be understaffed and had a lack of training. Many times at the buffet, waiters would walk right by dirty tables, including ours, and not clean up or ask for a refill of water, etc. Many times at the buffet we couldn't find a clean table, although they were empty, and has to grab a waiter to ask one to be cleaned.

One day I was in the infinity pool and I'm sure I wasn't noticed. A man in a suit was ragging in a low voice to a bunch of waiters who were rearranging tables, chairs, and table plants while mopping the outside deck. I heard him tell the guys "see, if you do it right the first time you won't have to do it again." Major faux pas. If you are going to chew out staff, make sure none of the passengers are around to hear you.

The quality and amount of food was never an issue. There is 24/7 room service at no extra charge. I was sick in bed with a cold one morning and had breakfast delivered to my stateroom in about 20 minutes.

There are issues with the electrical sockets though. They have several each of American and European sockets, however, issue is the placement. The American sockets are too close to the ground and in positions where there isn't enough clearance for the large charging plugs. Major design fail. My husband's computer has a large 3 prong plug and even with any type of adapter, couldn't get it charged. The Viking Sea does now have 2 USB outlets on each side of the bed. They are useful but charge much slower than plugging directly into a socket. I recommend not taking a laptop unless you want to use it in a common area. I noticed better placement of the outlets there. Tablets are the way to go. They do have 4 hard-wired computers to use for free, but most times I saw there was a wait.

One other thing I argued about. I called Viking before I left and asked if they would accept euros as payment toward our shipboard account in case we had any left. I was told "yes." The pre-cruise booklet also states ( I still have it) US dollars, British pounds and euros will be excepted. However, when I tried to use euros at the desk I was told there would be a 10% fee. I showed the woman the page in the book which had no mention of a 10% fee. She wouldn't budge so I didn't give up the euros. The next day I spoke with a supervisor and we were able to reach an amicable arrangement.

I got a terrible cold on board. I had bought cold medicine from home but ran out. The ship store sells cold medicine, but the store is not open while they are in port. We were in port for 2 days and it was frustrating because I could see several types of cold medicine through the window but couldn't buy it. Pharmacies in port are skeptical to me plus there wasn't enough free time to hunt one down. Thomas, at the spa, was very kind and sent me to the medical center but they told me they don't sell cold medicine. I asked at the desk and they said no as well. When the shop finally opened, I asked the woman running the shop about the policy. She told me Guest Services is SUPPOSED to stock a supply of items for illness only to purchase. Too late for that.

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