The first, and the only one from Marghera
Before 2015, Viking sailed rivers only. Viking Star is the ship through which
the line moved from the river to the sea, and it still carries the marks of that
first attempt. It is the only one of the series built at the Marghera yard, near
Venice. The nine that follow all come out of Ancona.
One naming point is worth settling immediately: there is also a river ship
called Viking Star, with nothing to do with this one. If you search online,
always specify the ocean ship, or you will read deck plans that are not the
right ones.
The hull
Two hundred and twenty-eight metres, 47,842 gross tons, nine decks, 930 guests
in 465 cabins and about 465 crew. One crew member per guest, which explains the
service.
Every cabin has a private veranda. No inside cabin is sold, which is rare and
changes the nature of the choice: you are not deciding whether to have a window,
only how much floor area you want.
Delivered in March 2015, the ship opened a format repeated identically across
nine further hulls. Viking Sea belongs to the same series, as does Viking Saturn.
What this ship does
Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Baltic, with crossings depending on the
season. The programme plans long days ashore, often a full overnight in port,
which lets you see a city in the evening rather than leaving it at four.
For comparison, Viking Vela belongs to a newer and larger series, and Viking Octantis is an
expedition ship of an entirely different nature.
Included, and not included
Included: one excursion per port, all meals, beer and wine at the two main
meals, Wi-Fi with Viking's own note that speed varies, access to the Nordic Spa
and the fitness centre, port taxes and fees.
Not included: gratuities. It is the point travellers used to high-end river
cruising notice first, because the practice there is often the reverse. They are
prepaid or settled aboard.
Also not included: optional excursions, drinks outside mealtimes, spa
treatments and flights outside the line's air package.
A ship without a casino or a kids' club
Viking fits no casino, no children's programme, no production show and no
formal night. The fleet is for eighteen and over, checked on embarkation day.
Cabins have no third berth: there is physically no room for a family.
The line's founder explained the choice by the time spent ashore. In the
evening, the ship's life sits in lectures, a pianist, a quartet and a library.
It is not less. It is something else.
From Montreal
The port of embarkation is reached by air, with a connection in most cases.
Arriving the day before is the prudent rule. On polar itineraries, where the
flight ends at Ushuaia or Longyearbyen, the margin should be wider still.
Voyages AquaTerra operates under a licence from Quebec's Office de la
protection du consommateur. Your payments are held in the trust account required
by the Travel Agents Act, and the Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel
Agents covers your file.
