Your thoughts: Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was (Podcast)

[Louise257]

Why am I hearing something different  from this podcast? He doesn’t say he would like a casino or karaoke, or that he doesn’t like the decor, or that a shared and consistent experience is a bad thing, or that he doesn’t want to learn about the culture. What he is saying is that Viking will not suit many - which seems fair enough to me.

[longterm]

38 minutes ago, Louise257 said:

Why am I hearing something different  from this podcast? He doesn’t say he would like a casino or karaoke, or that he doesn’t like the decor, or that a shared and consistent experience is a bad thing, or that he doesn’t want to learn about the culture. What he is saying is that Viking will not suit many - which seems fair enough to me.

I went back and listened again, just to see if perhaps I'd been hasty in my negative opinion of this podast. Unfortunately, my views of his podcast were worse on the 2nd listening.

 

He said, "Everyone was having the same, or similar, experience as I was..."

Not true. I can cite a few examples from 2 ports that he visited on his cruise:

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia - about 12 of us did the 2-1/2 mile wall walk there; 548 passengers clearly did something else. He said, "everyone went on the included excursions..." No, that's again not true; most people did other excursions, and there were about 12 to choose from. We spoke to several couples, and heard about different excursions--not all the same one.

Another point: if guests on Viking ships decide to choose the free excursion over the 11 paid excursions, is that a fault of Viking? Hardly. My wife and I traveled with my brother and his wife on a river cruise; my wife and I bought about 8 paid excursions, my brother and his wife bought only one. Different travel style, same cruise--not Viking's fault that they chose the included excursions.

2. Messina, Sicily - about 20 of us went on an excursion into the hills near Messina, to see sites where "The Godfather" was filmed; that left about 540 passengers, who had different experiences. We spoke to other guests who had gone on other excursions; again, there were about 6-8 available.

 

He said "On Viking, everybody does the same thing." Again, not true. Granted, lots of people opt for the free included excursions, but that's not from a lack of options, it's because they either don't want to spend extra money, or they don't really want to do a lot of walking and prefer the ease of many of the included excursions.

I don't mind a review where criticisms are mentioned; there are always places to improve any trip, whether it's a cruise, a guided tour, or a self-guided vacation. What I DO mind are inaccuracies.

 

Then, to add insult to injury, he even said that "everyone shares the same dining experience." Duh. It's a cruise ship; what would you expect, that guests are going to order from Doordash? Everyone shares the same dining experience on EVERY cruise ship; there are a finite selection. Because Viking's not a tacky noisy bloated megaship, there aren't 40 bars and 20 restaurants--which is why we devoted Viking travelers prefer it.

 

That's like saying, "In our local Chinese restaurant, everyone has the same dining experience." 

He also said, "They don't work through travel agents..." Another untruth.

All in all, a terrible podcast and not one I would ever waste time listening to again.

Edited May 15, 2022 by longterm

[Jammy Bun]

Seemed to me that he was trying to say that everyone shares the same dining experience as a positive, not a negative... in other words we ALL have a great choice and don't have to pay for speciality dining as on some other cruise lines.   It's certainly something that appeals to me - once you're onboard, all are treated exactly the same, regardless of where or how large your stateroom is.  (He often compares to Cunard, where there is a definite class divide.)  

[Liz Masterson]

He has previously posted more positive reviews of Viking.

 

There are as noted in other post some outright mistakes in this one.

 

With the title he gave it... I considered it click bait. And since we all clicked... it worked. 🤷‍♀️

[claranda]

We were on the same Med cruise as Gary in March. It was our first cruise with Viking and I’d looked at his earlier Viking reviews and thought them very positive. I can see where he’s coming from with these comments; Viking can appear paternalistic or controlling (or reassuring to some passengers) if you take into account all the extras you can opt in to - the flights, the pre/post cruise stays, the included excursions. The important part is that you don’t have to opt in, and we tend not to. And other cruise lines offer just the same options.

 

Like many others here, we enjoyed the lack of children and the casino and quite a lot of other aspects of a Viking cruise. There were also disappointments. We sailed on Seabourn in March, too (a result of various covid cancellations/postponements) and there were good and bad aspects there as well. I raised my eyebrows a little at Gary’s sudden turnaround on Viking, but found what he said of interest, as usual. 
 

 

[downsmead]

1 hour ago, claranda said:

 I raised my eyebrows a little at Gary’s sudden turnaround on Viking, but found what he said of interest, as usual. 
 

 

Perhaps his cruise wasn’t as ‘comped’ as his previous one had been 🤷‍♀️!

[CILCIANRQTS]

1 hour ago, downsmead said:

Perhaps his cruise wasn’t as ‘comped’ as his previous one had been 🤷‍♀️!

Bingo!
It sucks to be a self-appointed “social influencer”, always looking for handouts…

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, downsmead said:

Perhaps his cruise wasn’t as ‘comped’ as his previous one had been 🤷‍♀️!

Gary has stated he does not accept free cruises-though I do believe in a recent video he stated that he had received a complimentary upgrade on whichever line the review was about. 

[formernuke]

I find this thread interesting. I don't listen to podcasts, but I have watched many of Gary's You Tube videos, including essentially the same topic as this thread, and I actually find that he was pretty viking-positive (as he has been in several other Viking reviews he's done). There is something in his delivery that can sometimes make even positives sound negative. As many have pointed out, he is intentionally trying to generate interest in his product. It is also very possible to take some of his statements more literally than intended, like "everyone..."

[wine-wine-wine]

DW and I just booked our first Viking ocean cruise today (previously sailed Crystal and Silversea). It was actually Gary's YouTube videos that sold us on the line.  We like the fact that it is adults only, no casino, no huge noisy productions. So, clickbait or not, I'm glad that we watched several of his videos on Viking. 

 

We also watched Viking videos from "Visit With Us" that were highly encouraging.

 

While all of these are full of clickbait etc, they have also introduced us to lines we haven't chosen before. They're also a great way to relax with a glass of wine at the end of a long day at work.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, wine-wine-wine said:

DW and I just booked our first Viking ocean cruise today (previously sailed Crystal and Silversea). It was actually Gary's YouTube videos that sold us on the line.  We like the fact that it is adults only, no casino, no huge noisy productions. So, clickbait or not, I'm glad that we watched several of his videos on Viking. 

 

We also watched Viking videos from "Visit With Us" that were highly encouraging.

 

While all of these are full of clickbait etc, they have also introduced us to lines we haven't chosen before. They're also a great way to relax with a glass of wine at the end of a long day at work.

 

Congratulations on trying Viking. What cruise did you book?

[wine-wine-wine]

21 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Congratulations on trying Viking. What cruise did you book?

Thanks! We'll be on the South America & the Chilean Fjords cruise on December 18. Can't wait!

[eddieg07410]

On 5/15/2022 at 11:05 AM, CILCIANRQTS said:

Gary has done all the “basic” cruising topics, so he now has to venture into more esoteric ( and subjective) areas. As stated above, this also allows him to cast a wider net and try to develop a buzz about his offerings.

I too have viewed his very positive prior reviews of Viking. He must be an attorney, as he has an obvious ability to argue either side.

Like anything on the internet, opinions and accuracy will vary widely.

Despite the title and the initial comments I thought the podcast was quite complementa

ry toward Viking. In fact he pretty much stated that while his partner prefers the glitz of the less luxurious cruise ships he prefers the more understated feel of Viking. He also seemed to indicate it was one of his favorites and had nothing negative o say about the food.

 

[ColonyGirl2]

I listened to the podcast and thought it was fair. This is just his opinion. and he is allowed to share it.   He gets into trouble when he uses absolute terms like "Everyone."  Which of course is "never" true.  (pun intended)

The audience here is mostly HUGE Viking fans, and that is okay too.

I have cruised Holland more than Viking and I like both, for different reasons.  Yes Viking includes things like one excursion per port, specialty dining, and some alcohol at meals, but you pay twice as much up front for those perks.  We are booked on a 14 day Australian/New Zealand cruise next February where the similar Viking cruise costs more than 2X as much.  The Hal cruise has a better itinerary with 3 additional ports, and our promotion includes a drink package, 2 excursions of our choice, gratuities and 2 specialty dinners.  So a real bargain compared to Viking on a HAL ship with less than 2000 passengers.  I have never felt crowded on a HAL ship and so far, have not needed an escort at the airport.  I like Viking for their no children and no casino policy.

So my point is variety and choices are important to most people and different cruise lines offer different experiences.  

 

Everyone shares their opinions on Cruise Critic.  Gary has just found a way to make some money with his.  Good for him.

[Mich3554]

On 5/18/2022 at 12:29 PM, wine-wine-wine said:

Thanks! We'll be on the South America & the Chilean Fjords cruise on December 18. Can't wait!

This is an awesome cruise.  We did it twice (both directions) and would do it again.

[deec]

Agree it was a great cruise EVEN with the many covid related issues and no Falklands.

[Thisrose]

The ironic thing is that we bought a Viking ocean cruise based on Gary Bembridge’s rave review of Viking, only to see this subsequent fairly negative review after we’d booked our cruise.  Based on my research, it doesn’t seem that Viking has changed much in the interim, but that Gary has changed his opinions. We’re still feeling very positive about our choices but I  can’t say that I appreciate his approach to advising cruisers much…

[jmfdr]

On 5/14/2022 at 8:30 AM, -Lew- said:

Have you had an opportunity to listen to Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was Podcast?  It is a segment of the Essential Cruise Tips Podcast by Gary Bembridge.

 

As someone who have not yet sailed with Viking...I will in fall 2023...I am interested in comments on what is said in the podcast.

Hi Lew,

We are on your Celebrity Edge, October 24 TA cruise. Fred and I  have been dedicated Celebrity cruisers for the last decade or so.

 

I have not listened to the podcast your referenced, so can't comment on that.  However, we  took our first Viking Ocean cruise last November (Central America, Panama Canal) and  are hooked.   We will stick with Viking Ocean in lieu of Celebrity cruises unless an itinerary arises we can't refuse.  There are so many reasons why we prefer the Viking sailings---I'm sure you have heard them all.  Primarily we enjoyed the emphasis on lecturers and learning, not really into big production shows nor casinos, enjoy  the lower density of cruisers, and the truly all-inclusive nature of the cruise.

 

What cruise do you have booked for fall 2023.  We have the October 24, 2023 Hong Kong to Bali cruise booked.

Jan

[-Lew-]

14 hours ago, jmfdr said:

Hi Lew,

We are on your Celebrity Edge, October 24 TA cruise. Fred and I  have been dedicated Celebrity cruisers for the last decade or so.

 

I have not listened to the podcast your referenced, so can't comment on that.  However, we  took our first Viking Ocean cruise last November (Central America, Panama Canal) and  are hooked.   We will stick with Viking Ocean in lieu of Celebrity cruises unless an itinerary arises we can't refuse.  There are so many reasons why we prefer the Viking sailings---I'm sure you have heard them all.  Primarily we enjoyed the emphasis on lecturers and learning, not really into big production shows nor casinos, enjoy  the lower density of cruisers, and the truly all-inclusive nature of the cruise.

 

What cruise do you have booked for fall 2023.  We have the October 24, 2023 Hong Kong to Bali cruise booked.

Jan

 

Hi Jan...

 

After a number of cancellations, we are so looking forward to finally getting back to cruising.  Our next opportunity will be a B2B2B on the Celebrity Edge this fall culminating with the October 24th TA you mentioned.  This will be only our second Celebrity cruise...we had 50+ on Princess before turning to Viking and Regent which we have yet to sail.  You can see our cruise history and future plans by expanding my signature below.

 

Our first Viking experience will be 55 days on the Sky embarking in Rome on October 6, 2023.  This also is after a number of cancellations and FCCs that need to be used before they expire.  We're looking forward to the same reaction to our first Viking cruise as you.

 

We hope you meet you onboard the Edge.  Have you signed up for the Cruise Critic Connections party?  We're planning to be there.

[sugarside]

Since his infamous video I have seen a more recent one from Gary on Youtube where he recommended Viking for travelers who were destination focused and enjoyed learning about the world around them.

Also recommended Viking for those who are looking for a smaller ,quieter ship with less passengers.

I find all his Tips for travellers Youtube features very useful .

[wine-wine-wine]

8 hours ago, sugarside said:

I find all his Tips for travellers Youtube features very useful .

I agree - and yes, I take every YouTube channel and podcast on this topic with a grain of salt. I even watch some videos by Gary and others covering lines that I doubt I would ever consider - it's good to know what's out there.

[CILCIANRQTS]

Judging from the number of views of this thread, Gary has achieved exactly the result he was seeking by posting a controversial review.

Why do we continue to believe that his individual opinion is any more important than yours or mine, just because he considers himself to be a “social influencer”.

[jmfdr]

23 hours ago, -Lew- said:

 

Hi Jan...

 

After a number of cancellations, we are so looking forward to finally getting back to cruising.  Our next opportunity will be a B2B2B on the Celebrity Edge this fall culminating with the October 24th TA you mentioned.  This will be only our second Celebrity cruise...we had 50+ on Princess before turning to Viking and Regent which we have yet to sail.  You can see our cruise history and future plans by expanding my signature below.

 

Our first Viking experience will be 55 days on the Sky embarking in Rome on October 6, 2023.  This also is after a number of cancellations and FCCs that need to be used before they expire.  We're looking forward to the same reaction to our first Viking cruise as you.

 

We hope you meet you onboard the Edge.  Have you signed up for the Cruise Critic Connections party?  We're planning to be there.

Hi Lew,

Yes, we have signed up for the connection party on the cruise.  Will look to meet you on the ship.

 

Wow, a 55 day cruise!  Our Viking Orion cruise, Oct.24, 2023 is 27 days.  This will be the longest we have ever sailed in one go. 

 

The last Celebrity cruise we have booked is an Antarctica two week itinerary in February 2023. We have enjoyed this cruise some years ago and look forward to repeating it with friends.  

 

Off the sea, we have a couple safari's planned, delayed for two years-----Kenya this August and Botswana next June.  It is so, so good to be traveling again.

 

Hope you had a very happy birthday!

Jan

[-Lew-]

3 hours ago, jmfdr said:

Hi Lew,

Yes, we have signed up for the connection party on the cruise.  Will look to meet you on the ship.

 

Wow, a 55 day cruise!  Our Viking Orion cruise, Oct.24, 2023 is 27 days.  This will be the longest we have ever sailed in one go. 

 

The last Celebrity cruise we have booked is an Antarctica two week itinerary in February 2023. We have enjoyed this cruise some years ago and look forward to repeating it with friends.  

 

Off the sea, we have a couple safari's planned, delayed for two years-----Kenya this August and Botswana next June.  It is so, so good to be traveling again.

 

Hope you had a very happy birthday!

Jan

 

Hi Jan,

 

I had an excellent birthday...thank you, Jan.

 

I appears you have a lot planned through 2023.  We're all chomping at the bit to get back to traveling again.

 

We look forward to meeting on the Edge...