Viking Ocean Cruises
Cruise Categories:
Ship Category: Small Ships - Under 1500 passengers
Capacity: 930 passengers
Ships: 10
Customers: Premium Customers, Adults Seeking an Enrichment Experience
Description and Background:
Viking Cruises has been one of the leading river cruise companies for decades offering dozens of itineraries throughout the waterways of Europe and Asia, and special destinations like the Nile River and Russia. In 2015, the company entered the ocean cruise business with its first seagoing vessel. By 2019, the company was winning awards and receiving strong reviews from premium and luxury cruise customers. The cruise line has successfully targeted adult cruisers over 50 interested in spending time on a ship with spacious common areas, visiting interesting destinations, and enjoying cultural enrichment activities while foregoing amusement park features and family outings.
Viking now has nine vessels with a capacity of 930 passengers. It is also adding two expedition ships to its fleet in 2022 which carry 378 passengers and will visit some new cruise destinations. The special features of the Expedition ships include a waterside hangar at the back of the vessel which allow the launch of zodiacs, inflatable boats, kayaks, and even a six person submarine.
Notable Features of Viking Ships:
Viking’s promotional material accurately describes the features and priorities of Viking ships. The interiors are modern and spacious with Nordic architecture and furnishings that would likely be found in a boutique hotel in Stockholm. Many spaces are set aside for talking and reading including the comfortable, two-story Explorer’s Lounge in the front of the ship which is popular among guests. The outside deck features a main pool with hot tubs and an infinity pool located in the rear of the ship. The indoor Spa area is excellent. It includes a large metallic sided pool with thalassotherapy waters along with plentiful sauna and fitness facilities. There is also a Snow Grotto for those that like the true Nordic experience. Spa treatments are available for an additional fee.
Each Ocean ship has numerous dining options. Fine dining is available in two different specialty restaurants, Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant and The Chef’s Table, or in the main dining room which offers group or couples seating. Upstairs, the World Cafe cafeteria is set up with a variety of serving stations and outside seating. A bar and grill in the pool area and a café located in the central atrium with light sandwiches, deserts, and coffees provide additional food offerings. There is always some smoked salmon or other Scandanavian favorites available at mealtime.
All of the staterooms on Viking ships include a veranda and are well appointed. Their 270 square foot size is larger than many other cruise lines. This allows for ample closet and drawer space, a separate seating area between the bed and the veranda, and a bathroom you can turn around in. The suites have a separate sitting room and a bathroom where guests can watch a TV located in a glass panel at the front of the bathtub. The stewards provide housekeeping service twice each day.
Ship Activities:
The Viking main stage offers professional entertainment productions by a small troupe of performers several times during each voyage. The stage and the atrium are also used for daily musical performances and other presentations. Viking has designed its “onboard enrichment” program with the goal of creating a “thinking person’s” cruise. The activities and presentations include guest lecturers, TED talks, resident historian lectures, port talks, a cinema, destination related performances, a serious library and even daily interactive kitchen activities. One unusual feature of the Viking Orion and Viking Jupiter ships is they have a circular planetarium known as the Explorer’s Dome which uses 3D high definition projections to display shows about space and exploration. Since the theater seats only 26 people, reservations are required for this amenity. The cruise line boldly states that “it is not trying to be all things to all people” so Viking cruises do not include casinos, bookings for children under 18, photography sales, art auctions, amusements such as ziplines, formal nights or sales tactics.
Itineraries:
Over the past seven years, Viking Ocean has developed numerous itineraries focused upon Europe, Asia, and North America. Their 2022 schedule also includes cruises that include port stops in the Caribbean, Canada, South America, and Australia. Some interesting destinations include multiple cruises to Bali, Iceland, and New Zealand. Except for several world cruises and grand journeys, Viking has avoided shifting ships around each season or scheduling long transoceanic voyages. Most short European cruises are for 8 nights and the long ones are 12 to 16 nights. There are few overnights in port, but most port stops allow ample time for a meaningful excursion. The Expedition ships will focus on some new regions such as Anartica, The Arctic, and the Great Lakes.
Editor’s Personal Observations:
The features of the Viking ships, the cruise line’s philosophy, and the continued expansion of its itineraries make Viking an excellent choice for adults with some travel and cruising experience. If you are going to places which you have not been to before, the excursions will take up most of your day but you will still get back in time to have a swim before dinner and a nice meal. Beyond that, you are pretty much on your own to fill your time with reading or writing, going to a talk on an interesting subject, chatting with fellow passengers, or having a drink and snack while listening to some light musical entertainment. It really depends on your mood. If you need constant stimulation, then a shorter eight-day cruise on Viking might be best rather than one that has a lot of sea days or an extended schedule.
Based on our last Viking experience which was a 15-day cruise from Bangkok to Bali, I have three observations. First, the food in the dining room, Manfredi’s Italian restaurant, and the World Café was consistently good but not spectacular. We were underwhelmed with our two visits to the Chef’s Table where the chef prepares a limited menu each night. Second, the excursions were well organized and the special ones we booked for Bangkok, Borobudur, Bali, and Jakarta provided a worthwhile experience. However, the complimentary shore excursions we selected for Surabaya, Indonesia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were disappointing. In Surabaya, they drove the tour bus over an ordinary concrete bridge to a nearby island to show us the bridge. Every cruise line faces challenges when they visit a place infrequently since it takes time to identify tour operators who can organize an informative and interesting itinerary, so greater attention is needed to this process. Third, the cleanliness of the ship and diligence of the staff to hygiene issues was impressive. Even before the pandemic, the captain immediately shut down all the pools and ordered extra cleaning details for a day and half because a few staff members and passengers had experienced stomach discomfort. We have booked one of the Viking Expedition voyages to the Great Lakes for 2023 and look forward to experiencing that new vessel.
Average Daily Price Per Person excluding airfare for Basic Veranda Stateroom and Meals:
Over $500 _X__ $350 to $500 ____ $200 to $350 ____ Under $200 ____
Services Provided without Additional Charge
Gratuities to staff
Internet Use
Excursions – One designated complementary excursion in each port
Entertainment
Specialty Coffees, Teas, and water
Wine, Beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner
Lectures and Destination Talks
Laundromat
Specialty Restaurant dining
Editor’s Overall Report of Cruise Line Quality and Value- 4.40
4.5 to 5.0 is Outstanding / 4.0 to 4.5 is Very Good / 3.5 to 4.0 is Acceptable / 2.5 to 3.5 is Fair / Less than 2.5 is Poor
This profile is based on information published by the cruise line or gathered from other published sources. Other information listed in the profile as the Editor’s Personal Observations and Overall Report reflects the personal experience and opinion of the Editor which may or may not be applicable to other guests traveling on the ship.