World cruise day 5/152 - COVID rears its ugly head...so let's take photos

Cruise day: 5/152
Ports: 2
Ports days: 2
Sea days: 3
Countries: 2
Continents: 1

It appears we were sleepy.  They expect to be able to retrieve the daily spit test vials by 8 AM each day.  I looked up (Arlona brought a ceiling projection clock - another pro tip) and wow - it was already 8:05!  We got up, spit, sealed the vials, and clipped them to the outside of our cabin door with a magnet clip.  We didn't want the cabin steward barging in while we were getting dressed for breakfast.

Today - more bridge learning, defending our trivia title, reading, and perhaps swimming.  Or so we thought...

Every day at noon, the Captain makes his daily announcement - ship's position, speed, heading, sea depth, distance traveled, next port, and so on.  After breakfast, we were going to walk for a bit on deck.  Deck 2, where the walking track is (four laps to the mile) was absolutely soaked from the sea spray.  OK, new plan - deck 8.  Deck 8 has an abbreviated open area where you can walk. I'm guessing perhaps six laps to the mile, but that's a guess.  

Before we could head up to deck 8, bong-bong-bong over the loudspeaker, and it was the Captain with an unscheduled announcement.  My experience is that unexpected announcements from the Captain are never a good thing.  Today was no exception.

He presented a COVID update - currently, nine passengers and two crew infected and in isolation plus eight close contacts, also isolated.  In addition, even given the new CDC guidance for how to treat vaxxed and boosted folks that are infected, that guidance is for normal life, not life confined on a ship.  Therefore Viking is dialing up its protocols.  How exciting. (sarcasm intended)

Basically, everything on the ship is canceled today.  No classes.  No lectures.  No entertainment.  No gatherings of any kind.  At least the bars and restaurants are still operating.

With that cheery news, we headed up to deck 8 and walked for a while.  I did six laps and Arlona continued on while I took care of some ship business.  The distracted agent who checked us in never took an onboard credit card so we needed to register one with the Explorer's Desk.  It appears we aren't alone because at least three others received that letter in their stateroom and were down doing the same.

So, let's recap today's activities: more bridge learning, defending our trivia title, reading, and perhaps swimming.

At 10:10 AM, the cruise director, Aaron popped on with another announcement.  They decided to go ahead with live port talks and lectures as scheduled, but with a twist.  They will all be done as live lectures on your stateroom TVs.

We ate lunch at the World Cafe and Arlona decided to try to finish up a book on her Kindle before the loan from the library ended.  It is nice that with the internet on the ship, we can check out books from the library (Marion County, Florida) as well as download them from Amazon Prime.

Her reading and the lack of activities allowed me to walk around the ship and photograph it.  Hang tight as this is going to get long and photo-heavy.

The Viking Star, as well as her sister ships, the Viking Sea, Sky, Orion, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, are all 930 passenger ocean-going vessels. At only 754 feet long and 94.5 feet wide, these are considered small for ocean cruise ships.

There are several things you see everywhere on the ship.

The first is the facial recognition scanner and temperature check station.  Every guest is expected to present themselves once per day.  They are located at the entrances of most main dining venues, so it isn't an inconvenience.

The second, and standard for cruise ships these days are the hand sanitizer stations scattered everywhere throughout the ship and at the entry to all ship venues.

I thought this was an interesting one.  Viking provides each guest with a 10-pack of disposable face masks.  Each elevator has a trash can dedicated to receiving those when they need to be tossed.

Finally, the other thing you find throughout the ship is Viking's friendly crew.

Let's take a look at the ship, deck by deck.  In the interests of brevity, I will skip decks 6, 5, 4, and 3 as they are all guest rooms.  You can only take so many interesting hallway photos.  Here's a rundown of what's on each deck.

Deck 9

This is the sports deck and is only located on the front of the ship. On the port side, they offer shuffleboard and pin bowling.

On the starboard side, there is a short putting course and more shuffleboard.

At the very front, they offer seating on both sides and a nice view off the front and sides of the ship.

The back of the sports deck overlooks the retractable roof over the pool and the ship's exhaust stack.

Deck 8

Deck 8 is known as the Sun Deck.

All the elevators have touch screen information stations and a stylish carved floor number so you don't get lost.

A prime future of deck 8 is the upper level of the Explorer's Bar. On this level, you can find extensive seating, expansive views, and a nice collection of Norse memorabilia. 

Behind the upper level of the Explorer's Bar, deck 8 is open with a walkway around the middle of the ship.

You can see the retractable roof over the pool and its track in the photo above.  Looking through the side of the roof, you can get a nice view of the pool, hot tub, and poolside dining area below.

They have only been slightly opening the roof so far.  I'm not sure why.

At the back of deck 8, you can get a nice view off the back of the ship and also see the infinity pool, hot tub, and outdoor dining tables below for the World Cafe.

Deck 7

Deck 7 is where you find the buffet, or in Viking lingo, the World Cafe. The World Cafe is not like the buffets you make have been to on other cruise lines.  The food is all top-notch and you can get custom-cooked items as well.  It is our favorite dining venue.

There are several tables on the back of the ship as well as a few on each side.  Here is a view on the port side, looking forward.

The following is a view from the back of the ship, looking forward, again on the port side.  There is another set of serving stations and seating areas located on the starboard side as well.  Each side has a cold serving area, typically for cold cuts, sushi, crab legs, shrimp, and such, a hot area for the day's main features, and a dessert area.

At the very back of the inside portion, there is a lovely bar with panoramic views.

This is a view on the port side from the front entry into the World Cafe.

Moving forward from the World Cafe, we enter into the pool area and see the pool bar.  The pool bar features hot dogs, burgers, steak sandwiches, and other handhelds.  We have been pleasantly surprised at the quality and taste of the burgers.

There is poolside area seating to enjoy your meal. You can see the partially opened retractable roof as well.

Here's a look at the pool area.

Continuing our walk forward along the port side of the ship, we see Wintergarden, where they hold afternoon tea.

Outside Wintergarden, on each side of the ship, are large seating areas where people go for quiet activities like reading.  Both sides provide terrific sea views.

Moving to the front of the ship on the starboard side, at the entry to the Explorer's Bar, we find Mamsen's - a Nordic eatery that features more traditional Norse fare.

That brings us to the other main feature of deck 7, the Explorer's Bar.

The Explorer's Bar is the premier beverage location on the ship.  With its forward-facing floor-to-ceiling windows, the views are spectacular.  There are a variety of seating areas where you can enjoy an adult beverage and marvel at the sea. Musicians play in the Explorer's Bar nightly.

If you want to go higher, curved staircases on either side lead you to the Deck 8 area of the Explorer's Bar.

If you don't wind a little breeze, doors on each side lead out to a front deck,

Decks 6 - 3

Decks 6, 5, and 4 only contain staterooms.  Deck 3 is open to the atrium, but you'll see that in Deck 2.

Deck 2

Deck 2, or the Promenade Deck has the main performance venue on the ship, the Star Theater.  The theater takes up the entire front of the ship.  This is where all the specialty performers and production shows take place.  There was a rehearsal going on so I wasn't able to photograph the inside.

Right outside the theater is a small bar that caters to show attendees.

Deck 2 is called the Promenade Deck because there is a walking/running path that runs around the entire deck.  Four laps of the deck equal one mile. The front and back portions of the walkway are inside structures but are otherwise open.  Here are views from midship, looking in both directions.

Deck 2 also contains the main shopping venues.  If you're familiar with the over-the-top high-end shopping as well as discount shopping on other lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity, you'll see nothing like that on Viking.  Shopping on Viking is at best described as modest.  Some clothing, a modest collection of mid to higher-range jewelry, and some Viking branded souvenirs. Do not expect the $10 t-shirt sales you see on other lines.

Right in the middle of deck 2, we find Torshavn.

Torshavn is the ship's nightclub.  It doesn't open until 9 PM and it stays open until the last guest heads to their stateroom.  It features live music every night and a higher-end selection of spirits.

As we move farther back, there are open areas on deck 2 near the atrium that feature tables.  Many passengers use these for gaming tables for cards, dominoes, and other games.

Deck 2 is also at the top of the ship's main staircase that forms the center of the atrium.

The atrium is open from deck 3 down to deck 1.  All three floors feature plenty of seating.  Pianists and violinists play in the atrium regularly.

Deck 2 also features a Viking heritage area with a ton of information available to view.

The back of the ship is taken up by The Restaurant, the ship's main dining venue for those that prefer table service rather than buffet dining. The offerings in The Restaurant and typically similar to the World Cafe.  It is all a matter of whether you prefer a slower, more relaxed dining experience with full service, and a faster, buffet style.

Deck 1

Below The Restaurant, on deck 1, there are two alternative dining venues, The Chef's Table, and Manfredi's.  These venues are used during the day for groups, like bridge players, Mah Jongg players, and so on.

On the port side, we find The Chef's Table.  With a series of menus that change every three days, The Chef's Table features a choice-free menu.  The design of the menu is so that they can feature specific wine pairings with each course.  Of course, if you don't like different styles of wine, like us, they will accommodate you.

On the starboard side is Manfredi's Italian Restaurant.

Manfredi's Italian Restaurant features traditional Italian fare and attentive service.

In front of Manfredi's, the Viking Bar features bar seating as well as table service for a large area.  This is right next to the main atrium staircase and the piano and violin performers.

Right in front of the performance area is the bottom of the main staircase.  The digital screen at the top typically shows a rotating selection of art from Edvard Munch.

In front of The Chef's Table is an area that is known as the living room, again, featuring comfortable seating for relaxing and socializing. The guest services areas are immediately in front of that, with dedicated dining, service, and excursion desks.  Under the staircase, there are several public computers with printers that are available for passenger use.

Moving forward on the starboard side, Viking has a reading area that features a book exchange.  Finish a book?  Leave it here for other guests.  Need another?  Grab one that interested you.

Continuing forward, we find the Viking Shop for essentials like batteries and snacks, because you just can't find enough food on a cruise ship.

Across from the Viking Shop is additional shopping.

At the front of the ship, personal care dominates the landscape.  From the spa (that was closed due to COVID restrictions), the salon, the gym, and the spa facilities like the sauna, snow grotto, and therapy pool, deck 1 forwards is where all the personal care services can be found.

Deck a

Deck a contains the medical center and is where you pick up tender boats when in ports where the ship cannot dock.

That wraps up the ship tour. We are dining at The Chef's Table tonight.  Tomorrow, Cartagena, Colombia.

UPDATE - 8:00 PM

As we were enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail in the Explorer's Bar - bong-bong-bong, another unexpected announcement from the Captain.  Again, never good news.  And it wasn't   Columbia had, repeat, had, a 2% passenger limit for COVID infections or contacts to allow a ship to dock. They decided that they should halve that to 1%.  So, for us, with nine passengers, two crew, and eight close contacts - we are over the limit, so Cartagena is gone from the schedule.  One port, one country, and one continent gone.

On the good news side, venues will open tomorrow, so bridge and trivia are back on the schedule.  Plus, since we have nowhere to go in a hurry, rather than get to Panama the next morning, we will be docking tomorrow night and we might have the opportunity to visit Panama tomorrow as well as Thursday.

Dinner at The Chef's Table was nice.  It was California Cuisine tonight and we enjoyed it.