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Not What I Anticipated: Right here’s What It’s REALLY Like On A Viking Ocean Cruise 

Once I instructed buddies, household, and followers on-line that I used to be headed off on a Viking Ocean cruise to Alaska, I used to be struck by how a lot misunderstanding and myths all of them had about what it’s actually wish to go on a Viking Ocean cruise. As a result of it had been some time since I’d final been on a Viking Ocean cruise, I additionally had many questions on what it was like today and the way and what had modified or was completely different.

Grownup-Solely

Viking Ocean remains to be an adult-only line, you have to be 18 or older to cruise. This was one of many causes I selected this cruise as I needed to go to Alaska on a cruise line that had no children. Having been there earlier than on strains filled with households taking on. I needed an adult-only expertise.

I discovered it nonetheless attracts cruisers on the older aspect. I’m 65, and like on previous journeys, I felt like one of many youngest on board.

Similar Ships

It additionally actually hit me that it’s nearly unattainable to inform what ship you might be on. I’ve cruised on Viking Venus, Viking Sky, and now on Viking Orion and I couldn’t inform the distinction between the ships. All Viking Ocean ships have the identical format and décor, with a couple of delicate variations on some, like on Viking Orion that I’ll contact on later. Even their latest ships like Vela and Vests which might be coming into service are barely longer, however they’ve the identical format.

All have the identical Scandinavian Nordic decor with a number of mild wooden and delicate color palette. The prevailing fleet have 930 visitors, the brand new longer ones have 998, and all cabins have balconies. They’ve 6 cabin grades (Veranda, Deluxe Veranda, Penthouse Veranda, Penthouse Junior Suites, Explorer Suites, and one Proprietor Suite).

All ships have the identical venues. This features a dramatic atrium with an enormous signature 2-deck staircase, with a lounge seating space and library, Viking bar and visitor companies the place you may as well do shore and restaurant bookings on Deck One.

Additionally on Deck One is the relatively good Liv Nordic spa and the fitness center, which has a thermal spa space, use of which is included within the fare.

On deck two, they’ve the Star theatre the place they do the reveals, the enrichment and port talks. Additionally they have Torshavn, a nightclub and night music venue. On this deck, the ships all have a Viking historical past museum, which do have barely completely different artefacts, however are mainly the identical.

Different Public Areas

The opposite public areas are up on deck seven, with a beautiful pool space with a retractable roof, the Wintergarden Lounge the place they host afternoon tea, and on both aspect of which might be seating areas, which they name the Lanai. On the entrance of Deck Seven is the decrease degree of the Explorer Lounge and bar, and on the rear is an Infinity Pool on the Aquavit Terrace. Up on deck 9 is a sports activities deck with loopy golf, varied deck video games, and desk tennis.

By way of the eating places, they’re the identical on all of the ships, however I’ll speak about them later as there are some vital issues to learn about eating on a Viking Ocean cruise.

The cabins are additionally the identical throughout all of the ships with a powerful Nordic model with good loos.

All of the ships even have visitor laundry rooms and art work by Scandinavian artists, photographers, and sculptors.

The one distinction to different ships I’ve been on that I got here throughout on Viking Orion, was a planetarium as a part of the Explorer Lounge. Though it was not functioning after I was on.

There are a couple of key variations to many ocean cruise strains.

Low Key

First, there’s mainly no upsell on board. They don’t have a photographer, they do a few wine tastings the place there’s a small cost. They’ve a spa however don’t push it that onerous.

Procuring is low key with a merchandise and clothes retailer, jewelry retailer, and a perfumes, baggage and ornaments retailer, they don’t do buying tables with promotions, nor have they got on-board port buying promoters pushing land-based shops.

Second, there isn’t any on line casino. I’ll discuss later extra about why, as this ties into the on-board expertise and program, and a few downsides I see of Viking Ocean cruising today.

However earlier than that, I wish to speak about one other constructive factor I discovered frequent cross all ships: eating.

Viking Cruise Eating

On all journeys, I discovered the meals on Viking nice, and for small ships there are various choices. Seven of them.

The Restaurant

The principle eating room is known as The Restaurant. It’s open most days for breakfast, on sea days for lunch and dinner each night. The meals is nice and the menus giant.

It’s open seated eating, and I like which you could get any desk measurement you need. So, even for me cruising solo there isn’t any subject with me having a desk to myself. They don’t ask or supply individuals to share and folks that like to try this organized that themselves I famous and arrived collectively.

For dinner the menu had an “at all times obtainable” part with classics like New York Strip Steak, Norwegian Salmon, Roast Rooster and Crème Brulé. There’s a vacation spot menu linked to the placement, for instance on my first evening it was Alaska Salmon Poke and Alaskan Snow Crab Bake. Then there’s a day by day a la carte part, and at last a vegetarian part.

World Café

Then there’s the World Cafe, the buffet restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Whereas not large when it comes to alternative, there’s a respectable vary of stations. It’s a pleasant area, and the meals there was good.

Pool Grill

There’s a Pool Grill, largely for lunch. They’ve issues like their signature Viking Burger, sizzling canine, and that sort of stuff.

Some evenings they’ve occasions that use the Pool Grill. For instance, we had a barbecue one night with Dancing Beneath the Stars, though as a result of it was chilly in Alaska it was with the roof closed.

Additionally they had a surf and turf evening on the market one night.

Mamsen’s Norwegian Deli

All ships have the Mamsen’s Norwegian Deli which is a signature venue. It’s not notably huge and is positioned as you enter the Explorer Lounge. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and it has snacks late afternoon.

Right here they serve the signature Viking waffles, primarily based on a recipe from the Viking creator’s spouse’s grandmother with conventional Brunost Norwegian cheese that takes a little bit of getting used to. However I’ve come to actually prefer it.

Manfredi’s

They then have two speciality eating places, one is known as Manfredi’s, which is an Italian restaurant. It’s named after Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio who used to personal Silversea. He is a superb good friend of Viking’s founder Torstein Hagen.

It has an expansive menu of Italian classics of top quality. The menu is identical each evening. In the event you go there greater than as soon as, you could have the identical menu.

The Chef’s Desk

Then there’s The Chef’s Desk, with completely different themed menus round completely different culinary kinds that rotate throughout the cruise. I went twice, and I had completely different Asian influenced menus each occasions.

Afternoon Tea

Viking do an unimaginable afternoon tea, day-after-day from 4pm to 5pm within the Wintergarden with completely different sandwiches and desserts every day, together with a alternative of scones. It’s executed effectively and as a fan of afternoon tea, it charges extremely for me. I’m going typically.

24-Hour Room Service

There may be 24-hour room service and the Viking Bar on Deck One has snacks related to the time of day.

In the event you’re happening a Viking Ocean cruise, one of many issues that I believe you may count on is nice meals.

Costume Code

One thing else on Viking Ocean cruises I discovered is a relaxed costume code, and total individuals don’t dress up. Viking ask that us gents put on a collared shirt and slacks, and girls equal sensible costume for dinner, however one may actually get away with denims if one needed to.

Service

One huge factor to notice is that the service degree is excessive. It’s pleasant, attentive, and personalised, as with 930 passengers and over 400 crew they did get to know me and my likes. For instance, the Viking Bar crew remembered I had a decaf espresso with skimmed milk and in The Restaurant they knew I appreciated to have alcohol-free beer with my meal.

The Senior Crew had been seen and fascinating with us passengers, and there have been fixed surveys. For instance, one checking on embarkation, mid-cruise, for each tour and an finish of cruise survey. I felt a way of the crew being desirous to please.

However earlier than I dive into the on-board expertise today in additional depth, I wish to take a slight step again to take a look at the prices and challenges round reserving a Viking Ocean cruise. It’s completely different to many strains, and one thing that I believe will put some off.

Viking Ocean Fares

A Viking Ocean cruise is a relatively costly choice.

They function within the small ship luxurious area alongside strains like Oceania, Windstar and Azamara. So, between premium strains with larger ships like Princess, Holland America, Movie star, and Cunard, and the ultra-luxury strains, like Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, and Regent.

Right here’s what my cruise value me. I booked a 10-night Alaska voyage with a cruise-only fare with out flights, in a Penthouse Veranda cabin. That could be a center vary of all of the cabins. It value me £10,700 / $13,500. That’s $1,350 an evening. That’s the value for 2 individuals, however as a solo individual I needed to pay the identical. They very hardly ever do solo journey offers.

Let’s take a look at what that fare consists of although to see whether or not that mitigates a few of the additional prices on different strains.

It included all my eating, together with specialty eating. Beers, wine, and mushy drinks at lunch and dinner. Drinks outdoors of that I paid for advert hoc, although I may have purchased a drinks package deal for $25 per individual per evening for limitless drinks. Specialty teas and coffees had been included, as had been gratuities and one tour per port. Extra on excursions later!

It additionally included Wi-Fi, however I discovered it irritating and limiting as a result of they blocked streaming and don’t supply an improve choice. The Wi-Fi was not nice due to that added to by typically poorer protection in Alaska despite the fact that they’ve Starlink. My VPN wouldn’t work on the Wi-Fi to attempt to obtain reveals off my native Netflix and BBC both. And even video calls house was at occasions not nice.

Viking Reserving T&Cs

Relying on the place you might be, the Viking reserving course of could not enchantment, and it appears to vary by nation.

I booked within the UK, the place they seem to work extra direct than through journey brokers. For instance, my normal journey agent can’t ebook Viking for me, though I imagine some can. However cost phrases weren’t that onerous, as I paid a deposit of 25% and the ultimate cost was due 10 weeks earlier than, so not too completely different to some other line.

Nonetheless, I found that USA travellers, particularly it appears for first-time travellers, once you ebook it’s essential to pay 100% of the fare upfront. For instance, I did a dummy reserving for a cruise two years away utilizing a VPN inserting me in america. It required cost in full. Though they’d maintain cash for that lengthy, cancellation kicked in at 120 days or 180 days for World or Grand Voyages. If you’re a repeat traveller, you appear to get much less onerous phrases however nonetheless manner up entrance.

Viking Cruise On-Board Program

Let me speak about what it’s best to count on from the on-board program on a Viking Ocean cruise. I don’t assume it is going to enchantment to some, as it’s relatively sedate and critical in nature, I discover.

Torstein Hagen, the founding father of Viking, describes it because the “considering individual’s cruise, not the ingesting individual’s cruise”.

Like different small ships, the day by day program is mild, and I felt may do with some extra light-hearted points and enjoyable.

In abstract, every day on my journey there have been a number of enrichment talks by the 4 visitor audio system, together with a Resident Historian on the cruise. A port discuss with an outline of the port historical past and all of the excursions by the Cruise Director and Excursions Supervisor,. One day by day trivia competitors, a present in the principle theatre by a gaggle of 4 singers or from the Cruise and Assistant Director with no visitor entertainers to complement them, dwell music at varied occasions within the atrium, the Explorers’ Bar, and in Torshavn by both the classical duo, resident pianist, resident guitarist or Viking band (who additionally performed for the reveals), and afternoon tea. On some days there have been some craft and artwork courses and a cooking demonstration.

Dated

I do wish to discuss concerning the reveals and music typically. I discovered it relatively dated in format with music additionally too previous. I’m 65 years previous, so I’m no teenager, however the music felt extra my dad and mom’ technology. For instance, that they had a Fred Astaire themed present, a High of the Pops, however with solely ’60s and ’70s music and a musicals one, but it surely was largely from previous movies. The 4 younger singers and the band had been proficient, and I really feel could possibly be given tougher, up to date and considerate reveals.

Saying that, the reveals had been at all times packed, and lots of I spoke to loved them.

Included Excursions

I discussed the fare consists of one included tour per port, nevertheless that is inferior to it sounds. I discovered them largely primary and unsatisfying, in comparison with what was obtainable to see within the ports.

They had been one among 4 varieties: a strolling tour of the native city or neighborhood, like in Ketchikan a stroll round a neighborhood Totem Park, a panoramic drive like in Skagway up the White Move, a devoted hop-on hop-off bus service with entry to some native points of interest like in Valdez the place it went to a few museum (Valdez Museum, the Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum, and the Previous City Museum) and the fourth kind was entry to native attraction close to the ship like in Seward to the Alaska Sea Life Centre and in Icy Strait Level tickets for the cable automobile.

I felt they didn’t give me the prospect to see the most effective and must-see sights, so I spent some huge cash to ebook the add-on excursions.

The opposite factor that I discovered fascinating with the excursions, and it might hyperlink to the truth that they see themselves as a considering individual cruise line, I felt they missed a few of the enjoyable excursions in a port.

For instance, one of many enjoyable issues in Ketchikan is the Nice Alaska Lumberjack Present. It’s sort of foolish and a bit tacky, however that was not provided as an choice. I booked tickets for that myself.

Bookings Based mostly on Grade

Additionally, in terms of excursions, reserving opens primarily based in your cabin grade. The upper your grade, the sooner they open for you. I found the onerous manner on previous Viking cruises that I wanted to get in quick as Viking regulars bounce in as quickly as their slot opens to get the most effective occasions for included ones and added-cost excursions earlier than they promote out.

On my Alaska cruise, despite the fact that I had a mid-range cabin, one of many excursions that I needed, the White Move Prepare luxurious carriage was bought out by time my slot opened. I did get the common carriage one, and I used to be fortunate to get the final remaining area on the Juneau Canine Sledding tour on the Mendenhall Glacier.

That additionally impacts eating, as reserving for the speciality eating places opens primarily based in your grade.

Personally, I got here away from this, like my different Viking Ocean cruises, conflicted. I like the ships, meals, service, itineraries and concentrate on enrichment, however I miss some power and enjoyable, largely within the evenings. It does really feel to me total a bit sedate and critical. However I do know I’ll return for the fitting itinerary, as they’ve some unimaginable ones all all over the world.

 

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