Viking Star Review

Viking Star from Barcelona, Spain to Bergen, Norway

Review for the British Isles & Western Europe Cruise on Viking Star
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Cadodge
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
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Dining
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Entertainment
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Sail Date: Apr 2017

This was our second cruise on this ship. As with their River Cruises, Viking excels in attentive service on board and they did not disappoint. The staff, from the cabin attendants to the servers and entertainers make every passenger feel as though they are the only ones who matter to them. As expected, it was an older crowd - generally with an average age of 55-60ish. We did have a few younger couples, in their early 30s and they seemed to really enjoy themselves even without a casino and late night party atmosphere. One grandparent had their young granddaughters in their 20s, and they also seemed to have a good time, but I bet they would have preferred the more festive atmosphere of Princess or even Carnival. No children under 16 are allowed, nor would they enjoy themselves I suspect. It is an "upscale ship" aimed at the more sedate. (Particularly like the heated bathroom floors in the cabin). However, the days are active with included excursions in each Port.

The ports were, Barcelona, Malaga, Lisbon, Porto (cancelled because of weather), A Coruna, Cherbourg, Le Harve, Southampton, and Haugesund, Norway. Bergen was simply the port used to disembark and get to the airport. Could have done without Haugesund - not much to see, and would have loved a day to explor Bergen.

The weather was generally good. We did have a few rough sea days in the Bay of Biscay and the North Sea. The Captain did determine to not to try to dock in Porto Portugal as the winds were too strong and he did not think it was safe. An extra sea day at not charge! The included excursions in each port were generally very well done. The highlight of the trip for me was the "D Day" tour at the beaches in Normandy and the American cemetery overlooking the beaches with 9700+ American bodies lost during WWII in interred. Very moving. My wife thought the visit to Monet's gardens and the area surrounding Giverny France was worth the entire trip. If we did it again, I think I would spend some extra days in Barcelona prior to boarding. Not enough time there. 3 days would be the minimum, IMO.

Cabin Review

Cabin Deluxe veranda

The cabins are all beautiful and decent size -- all have a veranda. The high point for most everyone is finding the bathroom floor is heated. In-room safe, multiple entertainment choices on the T.V ranging from Ted Talks, to the enrichment lectures tapped earlier in the day, to news channels to movies. If you need more hangers, ask. They even supplied distilled water for my CPAP. All have a mini-refrigerator stocked with soft drinks, fruit juice , water and two candy bars restocked each day free of charge. Most all outlets accommodate American 110 volt and there are multiple USB ports. Wi Fi is free, but temperamental as it is by satellite, 24 hour room service.

Port Reviews

Seville

Interesting and historical 16th century port.

Malaga

Drive to a pretty "artist village." Nice shopping if you like local crafts, handbags and prints and walking in a pretty setting,

Lisbon

A lot of road construction and traffic impeded our progress. Not enough time to spend in town, but decent overview of the city and historical highlights.

La Coruna

Also an historic 16th century port. Good walking tour and history.

Le Havre

Wonderful visit to Giverny, Rouen and the French Normandy countryside.

Southampton

Interesting ride on beautifully restored steam train, but you are dropped off and have a pub lunch in a rather mundane village.

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