First Viking Cruise Review

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

My wife and I just completed our first Viking Ocean cruise. We did the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages on the Viking Jupiter, which departed Bergen on September 24th. I decided to share my thoughts on our experience to include what we liked and what we didn’t like. I realize that there are a lot of Viking cheerleaders on this site and I’m asking everyone to accept that these are my opinions. Please don’t put me down for having opinions that may differ from yours. I say this because while we were on the cruise, I posted how slow the internet was. I had people jumping on me for this and some asking why I even cared about the internet since I was on vacation. Everyone has different things that are important or not important. So without further ado here are my thoughts. 

 

Ship and cabins: The ship was absolutely beautiful. We loved the size of the ship and how easy it was to get around. It didn’t have all the bling of other cruise lines, but that was just fine with us. There was an understated elegance about the ship that is difficult to describe. Since we aren’t gamblers, we appreciated that we didn’t have to walk through a smoke filled casino. The other nice thing about this ship and it’s passenger/space ratio was the ease of getting an elevator.

Our penthouse veranda cabin was roomy and comfortable. When we first got to our cabin and tried the beds, we felt the mattress may be too hard. But, after sleeping on it we found it very comfortable. The bathroom was very nice and the shower had plenty of room and water pressure. The only negative about the cabin was the closest storage space. The cabin had a lot of drawers, but the space to hang clothes was somewhat limited considering the size of the cabin.

 

Grade  A

 

Staff and service: All of our service on the Jupiter was impeccable. The staff was friendly and quick to meet our every need. I’ve never been on any cruise with service that came close to what we experienced on the Jupiter. After saying this, I was surprised that in the two weeks we were on the ship, never once did our cabin steward come to our cabin and introduce himself. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do a good job; he did. It just means we never knew his name. I know, I know, we could have made the effort to introduce ourselves, but this just seemed a little strange to us. 

 

Grade  A

 

(To be continued)

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Entertainment: This is probably an area with many different opinions. Everyone has different ideas as to what they like. For us, the entertainment was a letdown. There were some very good shows in the Star Theater. We loved the Abba and Beatles tributes. We also really liked the Decades show. But, there was little variety in the entertainment. There was a guitarist named Michael in the Explorers Lounge who was good, but it was the same thing night after night after night. There were two young ladies who played strings in the Atrium over and over and over. I was talking with a fellow passenger who was a retired music teacher. He said that these violinists were technically proficient, but he said their play told him they were bored. Probably no more so than the guests who had to listen to them. Viking doesn’t have formal nights and much of the vibe is very relaxed, which my wife and I appreciated. That’s why I can’t understand why their entertainment seemed so stuffy. The crowd went wild during the Decades show with the music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Which tells me that being the age of the passengers most would have appreciated a more lively band playing rock and roll. And how about bringing a comedian on board?

 

Grade  C+

 

Food: This is another very subjective area. I will base this primarily on my tastes because my wife is a very picky eater and doesn’t like fish in any form. We ate twice in Manfredi’s. This is arguably the best food on the ship. We definitely were not disappointed. I thought the calamari, scampi and ribeye were excellent. My wife likes Italian food so she had no issue finding something to eat at this venue. We only had one disappointment here and it had nothing to do with the food or service. We couldn’t get a reservation that would allow my brother-in-law and his wife to join us at a reasonable time. The only dining times available for four were after 9:00 pm and that was too late for us and them. They never were able to eat at Manfredi’s. I had some very good meals in the Restaurant and some that were just okay. We never tried the Restaurant for breakfast or lunch. The food always arrived timely except for one night and that was the night that lobster was on the menu. We waited and waited for our meal and it was because I ordered the lobster. And then after waiting all that time, I was very disappointed. The lobster took up the entire plate and there was very little meat in it. I don’t know what kind of lobster they used, but it wasn’t worth the wait. 

 

We ate breakfast every morning in the World Cafe. This food was good, but dare I say, boring. The only thing that changed from day to day was the donut flavor. I’m a bacon, sausage and egg eater. I really appreciated the made to order eggs and omelettes. I didn’t like the sausage at all. It was flavorless and had a strange texture. And it was the same sausage every morning. Why not change it up? I was also disappointed in the bacon. It was very meaty and over cooked. For some people this may have been fine, but it wasn’t to my taste. 

 

We ate lunch at either the grill or the World Cafe. We both really like the grill. They make a great hamburger and hot dog. The food in the World Cafe was always good, but again, lacking somewhat in choices. My wife did like the pasta station and I loved the gelato. This is a smaller ship than we have usually sailed on so I can understand that they can’t prepare the type of spreads and have the variety found on larger ships. 

 

Grade  B

 

(To be continued)

Edited October 12, 2022 by Poulsbo Cruisers

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Excursions: For us, this was an area of major disappointment. We took the included excursions in most ports. We paid for upgraded excursions in three ports, but one was canceled due to the ship arriving in Falmouth late due to wind. I will discuss each excursion separately. 

 

Bergen: This began with a bus tour of the city followed by a walking tour of the old town. There was way too much time spent on the bus tour and not enough time (20 minutes) exploring the old city. Our first stop on the bus was just to look across the water to the old city I’d rather be walking through. Then we stopped at someone’s statue and had a 15 minute history lesson of Bergen. All of that was a little too much for us. 

 

Amsterdam: Luckily, we have been in Amsterdam several times or this excursion would have been even more disappointing. We only went on it because our family members had never been to Amsterdam before. The excursion consisted of a canal cruise, which sounds just fine. It was raining hard, but I won’t let that fact impact my review. The problem was the boat they put us on. I don’t know if they ran out of boats, but we were put on a boat that must normally be used for dinner cruises. We all sat around tables with half the people facing backwards. The tour guide would often point out things by saying over there. Over where? In case, you feel I’m being too harsh we had a very recent experience with a similar excursion. Two months ago, we were in Amsterdam on an Avalon river cruise. The included excursion also consisted of a canal cruise. It was on a much nicer boat, the excursion was longer, we saw more canals and then ended with a walking tour. The Viking excursion paled in comparison. 

 

Bruges: We did the included Burges on your own excursion since we have been to Bruges before. We enjoyed this excursion and had plenty of time on our own. 

 

LaHavre: Canceled due to one day strike in France. We don’t hold this against Viking. 

 

Portsmouth: There isn’t a lot to see here. It’s a good port to take an optional tour to Bath, Stonehenge or Windsor Castle. Since we have already seen these places we just did the included excursion, which was an okay bus tour considering that there isn’t much here. 

 

Falmouth: The wind was blowing hard when the Jupiter was scheduled to leave Portsmouth. Our departure was delayed five hours resulting in a late arrival in Falmouth. Viking had to cancel all of the optional excursions as there was no time to complete them. We had booked an optional tour and Viking rebooked us on the included excursion. This was a complete waste of time. The bus trip was an hour each way only to park at a beach where you could view St. Michael’s Mount from a half mile away. 

 

Porto: The included excursion was just fine. Probably the best of the included excursions in our opinion. It was well organized and included a mix of bus and walking tours. We were able to leave the tour at the end and stay in Porto to make our own way back. 

 

Granada: We opted for the optional Alhambra Palace and Gardens tour. We knew this would be a long day and a demanding tour, but have always wanted to see the Alhambra. We enjoyed this tour, but felt we could have done without the included lunch buffet at a hotel near the Alhambra. We would have liked this excursion better if we were given free time in the old city of Granada to explore and get a meal if we so desired. Interestingly, my brother-in-law and his wife booked a private excursion to the Alhambra as the one offered by Viking was sold out. They were in a 15 person van, spent more time at the Alhambra, had free time in Granada for less than we spent. We did have a major incident on this excursion that impacted three couples. To get into the Alhambra, one must have a ticket with one’s name on it and it is matched against your passport. During the bus ride to the Alhambra, the tour guide gave out the tickets to the Alhambra. He had six tickets without a corresponding passenger and six passengers without tickets. Evidently, these six individuals were able to book this excursion a few weeks before the cruise when several people canceled. Even though Viking left the excursion ticket in their cabins allowing them to board the busses, Viking didn’t change the names provided to the Alhambra. Needless to say, there were six very angry people. They were not allowed to enter the Alhambra. They ended up having a long bus ride and a buffet lunch. 

 

Murcia: We didn’t do a Viking excursion here. The Jupiter docked close to town so we just walked in on our own and enjoyed this pleasant town and Roman ruins. 

 

Barcelona: We took the optional excursion to Montserrat Abbey since we have been to Barcelona several times in the past. It was well worth the money. One of our favorite excursions. 

 

Grade: D+
 

(To be continued)

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

Internet and Viking app: The internet is something that most cruise lines struggle with and Viking is no exception. I guess I was hoping for more at this price point. It was very slow and at times unusable. I was also disappointed in the Viking app. I believe it’s a mistake to only allow it to be used while using Viking’s internet. I wanted to check something on the schedule one day while off the ship only to find out I couldn’t do so. Why? I was able to do this type of thing on two other cruise lines this year. It’s not rocket science. 

 

Grade  F

 

Flights and transfers: We booked our flights through Viking even though we knew the charged a lot for their flights. We did this because we had credit to use up. I’m not going to ding Viking for their high airfares because we had a choice not to use them. Our flights worked out well and Viking’s transfers are exceptional. There were Viking crew all over the airport in Bergen to assure and easy transfer and the departure transfer was just as impressive. 

 

Grade  A

 

(To be continued)

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

In Summary:
 

Regardless of some of the negatives covered above, we had a very nice experience on our first Viking Ocean cruise. The question for us is whether or not we would sail with Viking again. We have to balance the beautiful small ship experience and impeccable service that Viking offers with the fares they charge. We found the food to be good, but not exceptional. For us the entertainment was lacking and even though excursions were included, we didn’t find the included excursions that compelling. I can understand why some people love Viking, but for us, it’s one and done. The things Viking does very well does not justify, for us, the fares charged when including those areas we feel were lacking. We do not mind paying higher fares when we feel we are getting what we paid for and we hope to try other smaller ship cruise lines in the future. 

[MikeyB]

I really like Viking and I enjoyed reading your review. Very nicely written.

 

PS.....Since you are "one and done", in about 3 (?) to 6 (?) months when you start receiving Viking literature with promotional codes that save $, please post the codes!  Ignore the EBD code.

🙂

[Selion]

30 minutes ago, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

even though excursions were included, we didn’t find the included excursions that compelling

Agreed, and the quality of the included tours depended largely on the tour guide.  One of our best excursions on our last (and only, so far) Viking cruise was an included excursion.  The guide was very engaging and entertaining with the group and made tour worthwhile.  On the other hand, we had 1 included tour that was a complete waste of time and another that fell into the "would've, could've, should've, but didn't" category.

[Jim Avery]

Thanks for taking the time.  Overall I have to agree with your review.  The negatives are not that important to us.  Our big thing is the size and beauty of the ship and the crew.  Food everywhere has highs and lows. On a Viking WC there was a patch of not being able to stock a number of things.  I asked a complainer to think of their favorite restaurant back home.  Then imagine eating three meals a day there for months.  I bet there would be complaints at the fave place too.  As you said, food is a very subjective subject.  As to entertainment we are fine entertaining ourselves.  Certainly don't need the big ship shows and are not really fans of the Star Theatre.  It is crammed into one deck when it needs to take up space on two decks to get adequate sight lines.  Thanks again for posting.

[OneSixtyToOne]

I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy Portsmouth. It was one of our favorite stops. We took the included tour and near the end, we were dropped off right at the gate to the navy base. There we visited the incredible Mary Rose Museum  and toured Nelson’s flagship the HMS Victory.

The museum contains the wreck of Henry VIII’s ship propped up on it’s side in a climate controlled room, where they project video of what a day in the life was like on each deck. Also there are incredible artifacts, including the remains of the ship’s dog. You can read more about it here: https://the-past.com/review/whats-on/the-mary-rose-museum-portsmouth/

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by OneSixtyToOne

[duquephart]

The steward did not present him/herself and show you around the cabin? I thought that was SOP.

[shadowlover]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post a review!  I agree about the food- people rave about it and I think it is good to very good at times.  We are foodies though.  I don't really care about the food on a viking ship however I DO care about the quality of excursions.  Your review is really helpful and we will plan on doing our own excursion in Granada.  The entertainment leaves a lot to be desired but we have been so tired from touring on our previous trips that this didn't matter to us.  You think they could change up the Abba and Beatles thing though.... time for a change.  This is coming from an abba and beatles lover too 🙂 

[Mimiya11]

We are taking our first Viking cruise in March.   I appreciate your honest review.  

 

I too am surprised that the cabin steward did not introduce himself/herself on the first day.   Did you not seek them out?   

[CCWineLover]

Your cabin steward experience is unusual.  We’ve done 10 cruises and only had 1 time like yours.  I hope you let Viking know.

 

as to food and entertainment I would agree but as Jim said, they aren’t as important to us.  And yes eating at anyones favorite diner would also get boring over time.

[Jim Avery]

OneSixty, thanks for bringing up Portsmouth.  I was going to take issue with that but it slipped right out the cracks.  Portsmouth is full of history and is a nice looking town.  Nothing like walking the decks of the Victory...

[LindaS272]

I was interested in your review because you folks live in my region (we’re on Bainbridge). Sorry that you won’t likely cruise again with Viking. We’ve been on five VO (none on River) and are loyal, repeat customers. We’ve always had stellar stewards and interacted with them frequently, so something went wrong in your case. We love the pampering on the ship and don’t complain about the food—can always find delectable dishes in every venue. Excursions are a mixed bag and you just need to do your research on finding a good included tour, paying for an optional, booking a private one, or going on your own. We’re seasoned independent travelers but primarily go with Viking for the “luxury” 😉 and pampering. As for the entertainment, we’ve never been interested in ABBA and the Beatles shows, but usually attend the others—particularly with guest performers or local performers that board for one or two shows.

 

We’re still doing some independent travel but started cruising with Viking to be pampered after numerous health challenges. Thanks for taking us along on your journey and giving an assessment through new eyes.

[Mrs Miggins]

Excellent review. but no mention of Torshaven or the Spa.  Both great favourites of ours.  However I do agree with most of your review,  Didnt book another cruise onboard for the first time.  

 

[TayanaLorna]

Good review, thanks.  Very surprised about room steward.  They have always stopped by.  On first Viking cruise we got a very thorough room tour by our steward.  On subsequent cruises, our steward lingered even after we told him we had sailed with Viking. LOL on our last cruise we couldn't get rid of our steward until we agreed to sit down and watch the required safety movie on the TV.

 

I was also surprised that you thought the WC had lack of variety.  Did you know the WC can have different food items on the port and starboard sides?

[Azulann]

Thank you for your very detailed review.

 I too  absolutely loved the ships . For me,  the openness,  comfortable  elegant Scandinavian furniture, and the ability to  see the sky and  sea  from most of the common areas keeps me sailing Viking.  I had sailed on Celebrity before and cannot believe how dark  some their lounges are and overly glitzy most of the common areas are compared to  a Viking ship.

Glad you  gave tried Viking  now you  can move on to another cruise line based on your criteria.

Thank you again for posting your  review and sharing your  experiences.

My friend  just arrived home after doing the same itinerary on the Viking Mars. As a first time  cruiser , she  had a fabulous time and plan to host a French dinner that she learned to cook form taking  the Viking  Cooking class with the Chef while on board. 

It is good there are a variety of cruise lines for folks who love to cruise.

 

[NanciEA]

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a detailed review. I noticed you did not mention any lectures. I assume you did not attend (or watch in your cabin) any of them? We have taken two Viking Ocean cruises, one pre and one post Covid and one of the many highlights for us have been the amazing lecturers. 

I agree with you on the included excursions. For our next Viking cruise we plan to book more independent, private shore excursions.

[SJD117]

We’ve been on five VO cruises and have yet to see a Beatles or ABBA show. Instead, we enjoy the specialty entertainers, solo performances, and the abundance of informative lectures that Viking presents. To each his or her own!

[Camden lady]

Thank you so much for this detailed review.  It was very informative and even though I disagree with some of your assessments I totally respect your right to your opinion.  I like the pampering, the fact that Viking takes care of you from start to finish and I have had no complaints with the food.  I am one of those people who can find something to eat and enjoy anywhere. 🙂   I totally agree with everyone that the Beatles and Abba shows have to go.  Enough already Viking.  Please put something else in the line up as once you have seen them...you have seen them.  My sister has mobility issues so the included tours are fine for her.  I would love to be able to do more but I stay with her so mostly take the included ones also.  I hope you find the cruise line that offers your preferences and you continue to enjoy cruising.   Isn't it wonderful that not everyone enjoys the same things?    Your review was very well written and listed your likes and dislikes in a very cordial way.   Enjoy the world and keep seeking places to explore.   Thank you again.

 

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

@Poulsbo Cruisers - Your review was most enjoyable, fair, & balanced. I'm only sorry that ultimately you didn't get the WOW from Viking that many of us have. Cruising perspectives & expectations are so subjective as you & others mentioned. 

 

I agree completely with your points regarding service, food, & entertainment. The overall service delivery is the best I've ever experienced. To have a server remember my name & dining preferences after two years from previously sailing with him(Denys-Ukraine) is exceptional. The multiple sessions of the classic duo playing nightly is overkill. New production shows in the Starlight Theater whenever that happens will be most welcome. However good the food is, it's not really epicurean fine dining. I actually expect better from a line at this price point. Although I'm mostly evangelical about Viking, in truth there is room for slight improvement.

 

The biggest draw is the ships themselves & sense of a calm dignified, never stuffy onboard atmosphere. These ships are type they mostly stopped building 30 years ago. Everything in the design is about passenger enjoyment, not revenue production. I absolutely love all the public lounges chock-full of floor to ceiling windows looking out to sea. Excellent detail to the recorded piped music playing always at an appropriate background decibel. 

 

Fortunately Viking is a company that is receptive & proactive to passenger comments. On a back-to-back Bermuda cruise last year the little issues I mentioned on the comment card on the first week were gloriously rectified the next cruise. Whichever line you sail aboard next I hope that it be a better match for you.

 

This reminds me of when Celebrity first started sailing the Horizon/Zenith. The travel press couldn't praise them enough. Celebrity was the new toast of the cruise town. Some people even saying it was the new Sitmar. All that hype was a mystery to me on my first Celebrity cruise. Got off that Zenith cruise very underwhelmed & disappointed. 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by Myrtle Ave. Mayhem

[duquephart]

"Everything in the design is about passenger enjoyment, not revenue production."

Bottom line.

[Jim Avery]

3 minutes ago, duquephart said:

"Everything in the design is about passenger enjoyment, not revenue production."

Bottom line.

That's why we pay up front.  Actually I am happy to see unhappy reviews.  Think about how crowded and hard to get, not to mention even more expensive, Viking could be.  It's terrible!  Gross food!  Nasty people doing belly flop contests in the pool.  Stay away from Viking...  Far, far away.  Now we wait for the 2 for one sale....🍸

[Iloveketo]

On 10/12/2022 at 9:07 AM, Poulsbo Cruisers said:

My wife and I just completed our first Viking Ocean cruise. We did the Trade Routes of the Middle Ages on the Viking Jupiter, which departed Bergen on September 24th. I decided to share my thoughts on our experience to include what we liked and what we didn’t like. I realize that there are a lot of Viking cheerleaders on this site and I’m asking everyone to accept that these are my opinions. Please don’t put me down for having opinions that may differ from yours. I say this because while we were on the cruise, I posted how slow the internet was. I had people jumping on me for this and some asking why I even cared about the internet since I was on vacation. Everyone has different things that are important or not important. So without further ado here are my thoughts. 

 

Ship and cabins: The ship was absolutely beautiful. We loved the size of the ship and how easy it was to get around. It didn’t have all the bling of other cruise lines, but that was just fine with us. There was an understated elegance about the ship that is difficult to describe. Since we aren’t gamblers, we appreciated that we didn’t have to walk through a smoke filled casino. The other nice thing about this ship and it’s passenger/space ratio was the ease of getting an elevator.

Our penthouse veranda cabin was roomy and comfortable. When we first got to our cabin and tried the beds, we felt the mattress may be too hard. But, after sleeping on it we found it very comfortable. The bathroom was very nice and the shower had plenty of room and water pressure. The only negative about the cabin was the closest storage space. The cabin had a lot of drawers, but the space to hang clothes was somewhat limited considering the size of the cabin.

 

Grade  A

 

Staff and service: All of our service on the Jupiter was impeccable. The staff was friendly and quick to meet our every need. I’ve never been on any cruise with service that came close to what we experienced on the Jupiter. After saying this, I was surprised that in the two weeks we were on the ship, never once did our cabin steward come to our cabin and introduce himself. That doesn’t mean he didn’t do a good job; he did. It just means we never knew his name. I know, I know, we could have made the effort to introduce ourselves, but this just seemed a little strange to us. 

 

Grade  A

 

(To be continued)

Two things surprised me about your review. The first that you needed more area to hang things. We travel carry on only, so that probably accounts for our difference of opinion. Second we have been on 4 Viking cruises and they cabin attendants always stop by first thing to introduce themselves and ask if we needed anything. I always need more hangers. They also go over everything in the cabin, such as the heated floors and what we want in the fridge. So hopefully you will try Viking again and get introduced.