After sailing almost exclusively with Regent, we decided to try Viking for our next Ocean cruise. They offered an itinerary not available with Regent at an attractive price. It was a 16 day Los Angeles to Hawaii return. This long post maybe helpful for those who are considering switching or choosing between the two.
We called this a personal perspective because it relates to our particular circumstances and should be read in that context.
To wit, we are a retired couple in our late 70s. Other than a 4 night mini cruise with Holland America, all our ocean cruises have been with Regent where we have Gold status. We also did 4 Viking River cruises and one with Avalon. Our exploring and adventure seeking vacations are now in our rear view mirror with the main items on our bucket list having been ticked off. We now prefer quite pampered relaxation with lazy seas days and short excursions but with the opportunity to meet interesting people. Mega cruise ships are not for us.
Before getting into a detailed review, there was a serious issue we encountered on this cruise that threatened our overall enjoyment and we should deal with this first. That issue was annoying noises coming from two different sources.
The worst was from our neighbour's TV. The cabins are mirror images with the TVs fixed flat against the walls across from the beds. We could distinctly hear our neighbor's TV audio but no other sounds from their room. It was so loud that we had to report it to Guest Services three separate days (early mornings) before their TV maximum volume was remotely lowered by IT. The lower level was still annoying at times but thankfully our neighbors no longer used their TV in the early morning. We do not blame our neighbors, as they were likely hard of hearing and not malicious in intent and they had every right to enjoy their TV.
The fault we believe is having the TVs attached directly to the steel walls without sound absorbing backing. This only amplifies the sound. By comparison, Regent has their TVs on a swivel mount in the sitting area. Guest Services did offer to move us to another cabin which we appreciated but declined because the situation did improve and there was no guarantee that the same problem wouldn't occur in the new room.
BTW, we heard no sounds from our opposite wall neighbors.
The other and less serious source of annoying sounds was from the rocking and rolling of the ship, especially in heavy seas. We are very familiar with the normal creaking sounds that a ship makes while sailing and these can be almost soothing like white noise. We are talking intermittent clanging, banging, clicking etc that is the result of loose fittings and fixtures. The Star is only 10 years old and apparently refurbished in 2022, so this should not be a problem. By comparison, we did not experience this to the same extent on either the Regent Navigator or Mariner which are much older.
We are assuming and hoping at this time that this noise issue was peculiar to this cruise and our neighbor as we have three more cruises booked with Viking, the next in October. If we experience it again we will cancel the last two.
The following aspects of the cruise compares Viking to Regent. Most of the differences were not big issues for us,
Cabin: Category DV (second lowest)
· Smaller at 270 sq ft overall than Regent's lowest category H with at least 300 sq ft.
· There is no walk-in closet and the seating area cannot be curtained off
· The decor is tresh and bright vs what we would call staid on Regent
· Ceiling Lights give off heat that can get uncomfortable
· Lack of drawers for storage (due to furniture design)
· No daily fruit or pillow chocolates but candy bars and nuts replaced daily
· TV fixed on wall across from bed and not the best viewing from sitting section
· Bathroom has heated floor, no bath but a very good shower,
· Beds are firmly comfortable like Regent but pillows too soft
· Limited room service menu compared to Regent
· Unlike Regent, news channels not available most sea days
· Movies on demand not as extensive as Regent but more than sufficient
· Balcony have chairs, not reclining lounges
Food and Drinks:
· Less variety of items to choose from, lunch and dinner, and less high end options but otherwise same quality on same type items as Regent
· There is a buffet option for dinner as well as two no-fee, reserve only specialty restaurants which are about on par with Regent's as to the experience.
· Like Regent, the main dining room was our go-to dinner location. Also like Regent, for us the specialty restaurants were not really that special.
· House wines are a notch or so below Regent but adequate for us. Asking for a different choice is possible but need to be patient to get it
· Based on simple calculations, you need to drink the equivalent of 5 cocktails a day (per person) to economically justify the beverage package. FYI, it is acceptable to carry a glass of wine or beer back to your cabin after meals or take your own cocktail to a lounge/public place/restaurant if you brought your own alcohol on board.
The ship: Viking Star (the oldest of the fleet but otherwise same layout as the others).
· Overall, the ship has a better functional design than Regent ships.
· More inviting/interesting public areas for quite relaxation or for meetings or games/activities and they all seem to get well used by the guests
· These public areas are essentially extensions of the lounges and the lounges are more like public spaces, if that makes sense
· Main dining room and speciality restaurants not as opulent as Regent and seating for 2 usually comes with close neighbors
· No casino
· Nicer gift shop but strangely located in an out of the way location
· Pool area has retractable roof that provides functionality in all weather conditions
· Access to Spa including use of sauna and Ice Grotto is free but personal services are extra
· No free laundry service but very good free laundromat
Entertainment:
· Tends to be more highbrow, but not in a bad way. Less 60's music and more semi classical. Big on enrichment lectures several times per day.
· No mini-Broadway type revues
· Specialty night club called Torshavn tucked away in an out of the way spot for evening/late night dancing where the drinks are said to be more expensive
Fellow Travelers:
· Seemed to be older, if that is possible, than found on Regent. Unlike Regent, Viking has a no-kids policy.
· Men are more casually dressed in the evening (T-shirts, jeans, sneakers, not unusual).
Service:
· Equal to Regent when being served but the lower staff-to-guest ratio is obvious at times.
· We are convinced that wait staff are instructed to not make eye contact with guests unless directly serving them. This can be annoying if you are trying to get their attention as they pass by.
Excursions:
· The one free (included) excursion per port is normally a bus tour provided by a local company. Not nearly as good as the included tours we experienced on Viking River but similar to the basic bus tours usually offered by Regent as one of their several free options per port.
· We did not do any of the optional Viking tours but they did seem overpriced for what was offered. That said, we always thought that Regent's included excursions were not that great either.
Cost/Value:
Comparing cruises on an apple and apple basis is very difficult because no two cruise lines offer exactly the same itineraries on the same dates, same length, same amenities with the same cabin categories. The following two examples are close but not perfect comparisons. We included a beverage package and standard crew tips for Viking and assumed no additional cost for paid excursions for either cruise line. All prices are USD.
New York City To Montreal, September 2025
Viking DV5 - (12 nights) - $8,505 or $709 PP
($6,900 cruise + $500 air + $650 beverage + $455 tips)
Regent H - (11 nights) - $12,500 or $1,136 PP
($12,000 + $500 air)
We picked this example because it is one of the future cruises we have booked with Viking. Regent costs 60% more per night which is hard to justify
Athens To Venice, June 2025
Viking DV5 - (9 nights) - $8,850 or $983 PP
($6,400 + $1,600 air + $500 beverage + $350 tips)
Regent H - (10 nights) - $11,650 or $1,165 PP
($7,650 + $4,000 air (business))
We picked this example randomly and were surprised with the results. Regent is less than 20% more expensive per night but includes business class air. That alone would tip the scales in favor of Regent for us.
Summary Thoughts
In our view and for the given categories, Regent is definitely a notch above Viking with it's larger size cabins, higher staff to guest ratio, slightly better food and drinks, more included excursions and intercontinental business class air. However, these extras come at a price and it comes down to how much one is willing to pay for them. For us, that would be 10 to 20% per night, all other things being equal. The 20% would be if business air is included. Otherwise, Viking is a great alternative and in some ways (eg ship design, cabin decor, no kids) superior.
