There’s so much to like about a Viking ocean cruise experience. My husband and I have really enjoyed our cruises aboard Viking. We appreciate the soothing decor and furnishings, the comfortable staterooms, the variety of excursions, the varied commons spaces and spa areas to relax, and the high level of service from the dedicated staff. Apart from the ship itself, we like visiting exciting places without having to do detailed planning (for reservations for dining and tours) and getting transportation to each place. We still like planning our own trips because of the freedom it provides, but we also have come to appreciate cruising on Viking. Totally different experiences, but each has its advantages, and Viking has been a wise travel choice for us.
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Menu & Deck Plan Navigation
The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant are specialty restaurants requiring reservations. Chef’s Table offers a five-course tasting menu highlighting a specific cuisine, such as Asian, British, or Chinese. Second, Viking has been committed to providing excellent service. My husband and I are impressed with our cheery, positive interactions with the Viking staff. They seem genuinely interested in ensuring guests have a wonderful time aboard the ship.
Travel Planning Timeline
Every one of the line's 930-passenger ocean ships has a main restaurant (called, simply, The Restaurant) with rotating menus that include dishes that tie to the destination where the vessel is sailing. There also are casual buffet eateries called World Cafe on every vessel. You'll probably eat most of your meals in one of these eateries. The number of restaurants and other dining options that you'll find on Viking ships will vary greatly depending on whether you are sailing on an ocean or a river ship. In addition, in early 2022, the line began its first cruises to Antarctica with its first expedition ship, Viking Octantis. That summer, the same vessel launched the line's first voyages in the Great Lakes — a destination that only a handful of cruise operators visit.
Cabins and suites
Viking's two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, also have three categories of balcony cabins with a similar array of amenities and services. They also have a different type of balcony that makes them feel more spacious than their square footage suggests. My husband and I have cruised with Viking for years, and we have come to rely on their impeccable hospitality and interesting, varied excursion choices.
Ocean cruises
For more details, please read my article on Viking Ocean Cruise excursions, their costs, options, planning tips, and how to book them. There are many options available, including options for gluten free and vegetarian diets. All the waitstaff was friendly but appeared to be a bit overwhelmed at times.
Learn about our immersive shore excursions and reserve one or more for each port on your voyage. If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to Viking.com and book directly. Ten-night "Greek Odyssey" voyages to the Greek Islands start at $3,999 per person.
Viking cruise cabins and suites: A guide to everything you want to know
Bathing suits, cover-ups and exercise clothing may only be worn on the pool and sports decks and in the fitness center. Viking's passengers are generally English-speaking, well-traveled cruise veterans in the 55-and-older age bracket. They're active and want an itinerary packed with ports and ample time for meaningful exploration. There's no extra charge for dining in the smaller restaurants, but reservations are required. Each passenger is only allowed to make one to three reservations per cruise at the eateries, depending on which category of cabin they have booked.
Viking Ocean Cruises
Join Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen and Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø, the ship’s godmother, as they celebrate this major construction milestone. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Viking fares do include port taxes and fees, which can add up to hundreds of dollars per sailing. Most other lines do not include port taxes and fees in their base fares and add them later in the booking process. Viking's recently unveiled Mississippi River ship offers self-service launderettes but no send-out laundry and pressing service. Each of the line's ocean ships has a theater at its front that is home to production shows, movie showings (with fresh popcorn available) and enrichment lecturers.
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Dining
In addition, there are destination-focused lectures, TED Talks, and documentary films throughout the cruise. The lectures and port talks are presented in the Star Theater and are available later on your stateroom TV if you miss the live presentation. Expect an interesting array of education and entertainment onboard a Viking Ocean cruise ship. In addition to the restaurants, guests can enjoy a meal at Mamsen’s, a small Norwegian-inspired café, order room service 24/7 (at no additional cost), or grab a bite at the Pool Grill or the Living Room bar. Viking offers various excursion choices highlighting UNESCO heritage sites and local establishments, culinary and cultural experiences, and active outings in cities and national parks.
Plus, you can bring wine on board (perhaps from shopping while on an excursion), and a bartender will gladly uncork the bottle for you — at no charge. Finally, there are a myriad of exciting excursions offered at each destination. Just a bit of reading online will show you that Viking Air gets mixed reviews with some people being booked on circuitous routes to their destinations. We were booked on a direct flight from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico to begin our vacation. On the return Viking booked charter flights to transport passengers to Miami from Manaus. As this homeward travel day was long and involved Viking put all passengers up in a Marriott hotel in Miami, served dinner and breakfast, and arranged luggage transport for each leg of the journey.
Detailed information on the subject of data protection can be found in our privacy policy found below. Design-wise, Viking's cabins are relatively upscale, with soothing, Scandinavian-influenced decor and lots of luxury touches like heated floors in bathrooms. In a similar nod to functionality and ease of use, Viking had the remote controls for cabin televisions specially designed so they would only have a few buttons.
If you're sure that Viking is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who knows all of the line's many itineraries in detail and, preferably, has sailed on or at least inspected some of the line's vessels, too, to understand the various cabin types and onboard amenities. Viking doesn't have a loyalty program in the traditional sense — one where passengers earn points every time they travel with the brand and progress through multiple tiers that bring an ever-expanding array of perks.
Note that the credits mentioned above cannot always be combined with promotions the line offers. Viking operates international itineraries where a passport is required. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.
This is an excellent benefit for Viking guests because they can often walk off the ship and begin exploring a destination. Otherwise, guests are tendered to shore on small boats — a practice most often required for mega-ships. On a recent 10-day Viking Ocean cruise, we were required to tender to shore only once.
Last but a far cry from least is a Viking Ocean Cruise highlight – the extraordinary spa with traditional Nordic elements like sauna, vitality pool, cold plunge tubs, and a Snow Grotto. Viking boasts a fleet of small, all-veranda, modern ocean ships. Each sister ship is engineered at a scale that allows direct access into most ports. Classified by Cruise Critic as “small ships,” the fleet features understated elegance and Scandinavian design.
Once you’ve booked a Viking ocean cruise, you can log into MyVikingJourney.com, which has detailed information on your cruise (including entry information to the countries you’ll be visiting). The Owner's Suites, of which there is just one on each traditional Viking ocean vessel, are truly sprawling and impressive complexes that measure 1,448 square feet. They are true owner's suites in that they are used by Viking founder and chairman Torstein Hagen when he sails on the ships, and they feature some of his personal mementos, including family pictures.
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