Viking Ocean Sun - questions

[blmjcs]

Hello,

We will be cruising on the Viking Ocean Sun this November. This is our first time cruising on Viking Ocean. What our your thoughts/opinions on the ship, meals, entertainment, etc. We originally were looking at cruises on Silver Seas but the itinerary and dates worked out better for us on the Viking Ocean Sun. Thank you

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Azulann]

Hello,

We will be cruising on the Viking Ocean Sun this November. This is our first time cruising on Viking Ocean. What our your thoughts/opinions on the ship, meals, entertainment, etc. We originally were looking at cruises on Silver Seas but the itinerary and dates worked out better for us on the Viking Ocean Sun. Thank you

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Viking Sun is the most current new build of Viking, but not for long. The Orion will be launched later in 2018.

All the ships are the same except for some added drawers to closet on the Viking Sun.

Lots of information on their web site which is well done for a cruise line.

Viking Sun is currently on the first world cruise for Viking. Check out the thread on this forum for the lastest information. Also I think there are some reviews already for the Viking Sun on Cruise critic.

[dln929]

All the Viking Oceans ships are the same so if you read through the posts on any of them, you will come away with a good idea of what it's like to be on Viking.

[philw1776]

I enjoyed Silverseas. Here's a brief contrast between S and V.

Have done Silverseas & Viking. Liked Silverseas very much, but Viking is superior.

If cabin elegance is a big issue, the more austere Viking may be a problem. Silverseas has much bigger bathrooms. Top notch.

Viking's many varied and excellent dining venues at no extra charge are a big plus. Manfredi's & Chef's Table were excellent. Silversea main restaurant service seemed better although I was fine with Viking's. Viking has friendly service where they get you what you want but not over the top attentive NYC style personal service.

I like that there is no suit coat required for dinner on Viking. However, Viking's casual elegance sometimes looks like a homeless shelter as a population of Viking guests pride themselves in traveling with just carry ons and no luggage.

I was surprised that my wife loved eating at the Viking World Cafe buffet so much. They have the same selections as the Restaurant and many more items like sushi, pizza, whatever. Self service food. Beer & wine table service plus you can ask them to get you X and they will bring it.

The Viking ships are bigger than the Silversea ships but seem emptier. VERY well designed.

 

Tours seemed to be of the same quality. Note that if Viking says Panoramic Tour it is code for a bus tour, with a few stope for photos and such.

Walking tours are great. Just tell the guide you're off on your own and leave. Most often there will be a meeting place and time to get back on the bus if there is one. In many ports Viking will be running a shuttle for those off on their own. Viking encourages and supports you touring on your own. Bring back wine and they will serve it to you with no fuss or corkage fee.

No liquor included in the Viking price. Many buy the Silver Spirits package which includes liquor and a better selection of wines. I like not paying for other passengers' liquor. On Silversea all liquor included plus we could ask ,"Got any more of that excellent wine we had Wednesday?" and they'd know it and bring it.

No butler service on Viking. That is fine for us.

Forced to choose, I'd let itinerary and dates drive my selection, assuming roughly equal prices.

[lackcreativity]

I like that there is no suit coat required for dinner on Viking. However, Viking's casual elegance sometimes looks like a homeless shelter as a population of Viking guests pride themselves in traveling with just carry ons and no luggage.

 

Phil,

I have seen you use this comment in another thread, and at the time I let it go, as I usually think you are an even-handed and informative contributor to cruise critic. This time, I am compelled to respond with two points.

 

First, I enjoy getting a bit dressed up, and I am somewhat disappointed that life today has definitely taken a turn in the other direction. However, I have never seen someone on Viking who was not clean and presentable. We met some very nice people who dressed more to the casual end of the "casual elegance" spectrum, and enjoyed their company immensely.

 

I also must take issue with your choice of the phrase "looks like a homeless shelter". As we sit here on Cruise Critic discussing our very First World problems of dress in the cruise ship dining rooms, upgrades to business class on our international flights, and what brands of vodka do they serve in the bar, let's keep in mind how very fortunate we are. Not everyone is so lucky, and that can be for quite a variety of reasons. For you, that may have just been a throw away line, intending to make a point. For me, it missed the mark by a wide margin.

 

I hope my comments do not swing too far in the other direction, as I do not wish to be personally insulting. This just left me disappointed, and wished you had selected another way to get your point across.

[Steve Q]

Lackcreativity: Thank you so much for your reply. Amen.

The earlier comment was uncalled for and unnecessary. We are all very very fortunate to even have the health and financial means to be cruising.

[Cyber Kat]

Lackcreativity: Thank you so much for your reply. Amen.

The earlier comment was uncalled for and unnecessary. We are all very very fortunate to even have the health and financial means to be cruising.

 

 

 

I agree! It was bad enough the first time, but to repeat it was totally unacceptable. I was just looking for my response and then I realized it must have been in the other thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[blmjcs]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

[lackcreativity]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

 

blmjcs,

 

I am sorry if I sent your thread in a different direction than the information you were seeking. Our first experience on Viking last spring in the eastern Mediterranean was really exceptional, so that we have already booked two more trips with them. I will admit that this was our first ocean cruise of any kind, so evaluate my opinions as you wish.

 

Traditional large ship ocean cruises held no appeal for us. As with many other Viking passengers, we began with a river cruise down the Danube, which we really enjoyed. When we heard about Viking's new version of ocean cruising, we decided to give it at try.

 

The ship was beautiful, and we loved the ports we visited. We loved everything we ate (well, except for a piece of duck in the World Cafe, but then I had never tried duck before, so maybe I just don't like duck?). We used a mix of included excursions and a few optional ones. Only one excursion was disappointing (Zadar, Croatia - a less that stellar guide), the rest were good to excellent. In several ports, we used the free Viking shuttles to extend our time after the excursion. We attended most of the enrichment lectures, and in particular, one of the guest lecturers was truly a delight.

 

I do think that the highlight of the trip was the people. The staff was across the board the most pleasant and helpful group of employees I have ever encountered. In addition, the fellow passengers we met were very interesting and friendly. Several times we arranged to have dinner or drinks again with people we met.

 

Sincerely hope you enjoy your upcoming cruise as much as we did ours.

[garycarla]

We love Viking, and as said - all the ships are the same.

 

As comparing to SilverSeas... that is another story to which I can not help. I would suggest reading some reviews of Viking Ocean cruises to help.

 

Small suggestion - try to be more descriptive in your title to get better responses. (ex: Viking vs Silver Seas Comparison Questions)

[blmjcs]

No worries. Thanks for the additional information. We are booked this fall on the Viking Sun for their Mediterranean Odyssey cruise. We also booked an additional week in Barcelona to explore Barcelona and the surrounding areas. We have been so pleased with all of the great information on Cruise Critic it has been most helpful.:)