Cruise lines similar to Viking but less expensive

[Steerpike58]

We just completed our first ever cruise, a delightful 14 day cruise with Viking Ocean (VO) in Europe.  We chose Viking based on a variety of criteria, and were very happy with the choice.  We loved the 'understated' elegance, the 'clean lines', the high quality food, the (relatively) small number of guests, the lovely cabin, the great staff, the lack of 'party' atmosphere (no drunks).  The entertainment was only 'OK' for us, but we don't really care for evening entertainment so not really an issue (and the 'classical duo' (piano/violin) was great! 

 

The availability of excursions was a challenge; having a 'lower grade' cabin only entitled us to book excursions late in the process, by which time many desirable options were already booked. But we were reasonably happy with what we got. 

 

So the only real concern with a Viking Ocean cruise is the cost! At over $600/day each ($1,200/day for two), (not including airfare) that's not cheap!  You can do a lot with $1,200 / day!  I see that Viking Cruises are selling out (most cabin classes) years in advance, so they clearly don't need to be discounting their rates. We were in the smallest cabin category (which on Viking is not small - 270 sq ft including veranda) but we opted for a decent location (DV2). 

 

So - are there any other cruise lines that match many of the Viking elements, but charge less?  I've seen dozens of 'Cruise Line' reviews, but none have taken the specific approach of suggesting which cruise line is most similar to another (obviously) so I was wondering if anyone could offer an alternative?  Or is $600/day ($1,200 for two) a reasonable rate for what you get on VO? 

 

We loved the fact that Viking have only 930 passengers, and felt this gave us an 'uncrowded' feel, but I guess a bigger ship with more restaurants could achieve a similar feel. We have friends who travel on Holland America, so maybe that's an alternative to explore. We would want to get the same high quality food as we found on VO. 

 

[bbwex]

I have not compared Viking's prices recently, but look at Oceania.  Their ships are small -- 672 pax to 1250 pax -- give excellent service and the food is great.  The cruises are port intensive and though we have rarely used a ship's tour, we have never had a problem finding a space.

 

That being said, you might want to consider looking at private tours on your next cruise.  There are several companies that operate tours in many cities worldwide,  and there are small operators as well.  I sometimes get some personal recommendations or spend a good bit of time on the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic and read lots of comments to get a real sense of how well some tour operators do.  Do not go by a single recommendation.  Reputable private tour operators depend on their being reliable, and I have never heard of a single case where they got their customers back late -- that tends to be a problem when people go out without any guide.  Private tours are usually cheaper (if you get four or six other people on your roll call to join you), are much more intimate, cover more ground, and can be customized if you read about some place on the Ports of Call section that was not going to be included.

[Steerpike58]

5 minutes ago, bbwex said:

... I sometimes get some personal recommendations or spend a good bit of time on the Ports of Call section of Cruise Critic and read lots of comments to get a real sense of how well some tour operators do.  ...

I thought I saw a rule on CC against mentioning Tour Operators by name, but looking over in the 'Ports of Call' section, I don't see such a rule so ... maybe I was mistaken!   Thanks for the suggestion. 

 

I'll look at Oceania also. Thanks! 

[CruiserBruce]

6 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

I thought I saw a rule on CC against mentioning Tour Operators by name, but looking over in the 'Ports of Call' section, I don't see such a rule so ... maybe I was mistaken!   Thanks for the suggestion. 

 

I'll look at Oceania also. Thanks! 

The rule is you can't mention travel agents or agencies by name or discuss them. Other things, like tour operators can be recommended only if you have actually used them. As suggested, if you look on the Ports boards, you will see many tour operators mentioned.

[crystalspin]

3 minutes ago, Steerpike58 said:

I thought I saw a rule on CC against mentioning Tour Operators by name, but looking over in the 'Ports of Call' section, I don't see such a rule so ... maybe I was mistaken!   Thanks for the suggestion. 

Have not sailed with any luxury lines. We are mostly loyal to HAL. They have apparently abandoned 'production shows', but found them pretty cheesy when they did do them. We like their classical ensembles, which have gone from being piano+violin (named Adagio on all ships), to a quartet or quartet+piano called Lincoln Center Stage. The larger ships have more music types/venues and also a third specialty restaurant (Asian-Fusion as well as Steakhouse and Italian) in addition to the included food options. The smaller ships (Zaandam and Volendam specifically) have fewer music venues, no Asian Fusion, but obviously -- fewer passengers! Also more a feeling of being on a ship, not a floating resort.

 

When I pointed out an Oceania or maybe Seabourne ship in one of our Alaska ports, and said to my MIL: that's a luxury line (ten members of my family were on the Zaandam). She said, what could be more luxury than what we have!

[Essiesmom]

I honestly haven’t researched the cost of lines such as Azamara,  Regent, though we did score a bargain on a Crystal cruise before they folded.  I would do some research/reading on the Azamara board, and the boards for MSC and Celebrity which have upgraded areas for their suite guests with separate restaurants.  Some rave about the Haven area on NCL ships.  I personally don’t like the humongous ships, although I will admit to sailing on QM2 and MSC Seaside, enjoying both.  EM

[LHT28]

I would  say Viking  might be cheaper than Oceania & Azamara   they are more premium lines   than Luxury

The smaller the ship  the more $$ 😉

 

 Depends on what you consider Luxury to be

 

 

[Hlitner]

51 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Have not sailed with any luxury lines. We are mostly loyal to HAL. They have apparently abandoned 'production shows', but found them pretty cheesy when they did do them. We like their classical ensembles, which have gone from being piano+violin (named Adagio on all ships), to a quartet or quartet+piano called Lincoln Center Stage. The larger ships have more music types/venues and also a third specialty restaurant (Asian-Fusion as well as Steakhouse and Italian) in addition to the included food options. The smaller ships (Zaandam and Volendam specifically) have fewer music venues, no Asian Fusion, but obviously -- fewer passengers! Also more a feeling of being on a ship, not a floating resort.

 

When I pointed out an Oceania or maybe Seabourne ship in one of our Alaska ports, and said to my MIL: that's a luxury line (ten members of my family were on the Zaandam). She said, what could be more luxury than what we have!

Hmm.  I guess that fits the "ignorance is bliss" definition 🙂   It reminds me of the guy who spent his entire life riding in an old VW Beatle and would say it was the most luxurious car on earth.  Nothing wrong with HAL, but we cruise several other lines that are far superior in most ways.

 

Hank

[mom says]

If price point is the line in the sand, then you may find that the luxury, or even "luxury light" like Oceana,  are a step too far. But time of year can also make a really big difference in price. Perhaps look at cruises outside the peak demand times.

 

If you can tolerate a somewhat larger ship, (not a nega ship) but with an ambiance and design esthetic that doesn't scream party all night long, you might consider Celebrity, HAL, or Princess. Celebrity suites come with some pretty sweet perks, even at their entry level. And even their non suite life may hold a lot of what you are looking for, without the high price tag.

 

[jsn55]

Viking is sold out for years because they spend billions on relentless advertising.  And they offer people nice discounts that can only be obtained by prepaying a cruise ... no matter how far out.  I'm sure that some TAs can get around this. 

 

I agree with our colleagues ... find all the ships of a size you want,  read reviews, then read more reviews.  There are so many factors that go into what people 'like' that you really have to dig into it all and make up your own mind on all the various categories.  That's what I do when planning any kind of travel ... just keep at it until your mind knows exactly what to book.  Use the various boards to ask specific questions. 

[Capt_BJ]

maybe I'm wrong

 

but I believe the D and DV cabin are exactly the same size ... the difference is only the location and the 'amenities' 

 

V vs DV you get a coffee maker and restock of mini bar with soft drinks and 'snacks' and some assured ressies in the special restaurants . . . we sailed DV last time and doing 'less' this time as the DV gain was  . . . . go UP and the booze in the mini bar is also restocked ..... (p.s. the drink package on V is about $25 pp/day ..... after beer wine included for lunch/dinner)

[Steerpike58]

5 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

maybe I'm wrong

 

but I believe the D and DV cabin are exactly the same size ... the difference is only the location and the 'amenities' 

 

V vs DV you get a coffee maker and restock of mini bar with soft drinks and 'snacks' and some assured ressies in the special restaurants . . . we sailed DV last time and doing 'less' this time as the DV gain was  . . . . go UP and the booze in the mini bar is also restocked ..... (p.s. the drink package on V is about $25 pp/day ..... after beer wine included for lunch/dinner)

You are correct; V and DV are the same size (225 sq ft cabin + 45 sq ft veranda).  In addition to stuff like coffee maker and mini bar (which we didn't use - much better coffee available in the cafes and restaurants!), 'DV' gets one reservation at each specialty restaurant (which we could have lived without), and you get earlier access to excursions (still sold out though!). The lower the number of DV category (DV1 being best), the better the location on the ship. We went DV rather than V for the cabin location primarily, and ended up at DV2 to secure a good location on deck 6. 

[Steerpike58]

1 hour ago, jsn55 said:

Viking is sold out for years because they spend billions on relentless advertising.  And they offer people nice discounts that can only be obtained by prepaying a cruise ... no matter how far out.  I'm sure that some TAs can get around this. 

 

I agree with our colleagues ... find all the ships of a size you want,  read reviews, then read more reviews.  There are so many factors that go into what people 'like' that you really have to dig into it all and make up your own mind on all the various categories.  That's what I do when planning any kind of travel ... just keep at it until your mind knows exactly what to book.  Use the various boards to ask specific questions. 

The sense of space, and 'peace and quiet', on Viking was really enjoyable to us (especially due to Covid). We never felt like we were in a crowded space, which I can imagine is more difficult to experience on a ship with more passengers (but - they are physically bigger, so who knows!).  

 

Based on some earlier replies here, I've been reading comparisons between Viking and HAL, and Viking and Oceania.  The HAL comparison was a bit weak, in my opinion; saying things like "Choose Holland America if you want a variety of cabin types" - no-one wants a 'variety of cabin types' - you want 'a specific' cabin type (which HAL may have a better chance of offering). The Oceania comparison was a bit more useful, but both comparisons highlight the difficulty in making these comparisons; while Viking is somewhat unique in having a single ship design, HAL and Oceania have a range of ships with different capacities, so harder to do any sort of comparison. The Oceania comparison compared the Viking Sky to Oceania's Riviera, which is a similar size to the Viking line.  

 

I did some quick comparisons between Oceania and Viking, choosing similar cabins and destinations, and the pricing came out quite similar - maybe a tad cheaper on Oceania but that could be due to factors I'm not understanding. 

 

I'll keep reading ... 

[cruisemom42]

You're not going to find a line exactly like Viking for less. Period. 

 

Oceania tends to focus on the onboard experience, particularly food, more so than itineraries, IMO. Viking emphasizes the itineraries (although most of them are rather cookie-cutter), more so than the food. That's not to say that they don't both have good food and good itineraries, it's just what matters most to you.

 

HAL is a much bigger and more diverse line. Yes, they offer some ships with regular Caribbean and Alaska runs. But they also feature a number of longer and unique itineraries, if that's what interests you the most. Their newer ships are the bigger ones, but even they are not "big" compared with most other mass market lines. 

 

There was a discussion recently about lectures -- most mass market lines won't have those either, except perhaps on certain itineraries. I know Viking does have them, so just making sure you have a fair comparison.  (Cunard offers a fair number of lectures but these may or may not be tied to your itinerary.)

 

Smaller ships charge more per passenger as there are fewer passengers to spread the fixed operational costs among.

[navybankerteacher]

Back on topic:  the way to understand OP's question is to see it realistically:  the less like Viking it is, the less expensive it is likely to be. 

 

Do you really expect a bargain line to compete quality-wise (on the basis of price) with a premium line?

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: find a highly regarded cruise specialist TA who will interview you regarding your travel experiences, preferences and expectations and recommend a short list of cruise lines/ships as well as itineraries that are within your means.

 

We prefer Oceania, which fits our travel profile perfectly. The small ships (<700 or <1200 passengers with excellent crew and space ratios), “finest cuisine at sea” and flexible menu of included amenities supporting a wide range of multi-segment itineraries that crisscross the globe with numerous unusual stops come together at a value laden price.

We’re currently on O’s Marina having combined four segments (total 47 days) that will move us across BCN-ATH-FCO-BCN-MIA.
 

In a word- STELLAR. 

 

[Steerpike58]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Back on topic:  the way to understand OP's question is to see it realistically:  the less like Viking it is, the less expensive it is likely to be. 

 

Do you really expect a bargain line to compete quality-wise (on the basis of price) with a premium line?

I'm not sure it's that easy.  One reason Viking looks expensive is because they don't have the same 'lower end' options that other lines offer. Specifically, Viking don't have any 'inside' rooms, nor do they have any 'view' (no balcony / veranda) rooms. Further, they include many things in their price (excursions, wine, etc).  I just priced out a comparable cruise on Oceania, choosing a similar sized room, and a similar destination, then calculated the per day cost, and it was quite similar. I'm now in the process of pricing out a relatively comparable cruise on HAL, though I'm struggling to understand their room descriptions (their 'Verandah' rooms (on Vista class) have a stated size of 'from 212 to 359 sq ft incl. verandah' - which is a huge range). So far, HAL is looking considerably cheaper (with a ship that carries 1964 guests). 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, Steerpike58 said:

…..So far, HAL is looking considerably cheaper (with a ship that carries 1964 guests). 

Sure it may look “cheaper.”

But, then on HAL (or even Viking) ships, you’re stuck with their food.😳

If all that matters to you is $, do a true “net daily rate” comparison - door to door - of all required and optionally preferred amenities (and don’t forget airfare or an air credit which lines like Oceania offers). 
That comparison may surprise you particularly if you then add the qualitative components of food, service and ambiance.

Do your homework and you’ll most likely v find Oceania on your short list.

[LHT28]

10 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

. So far, HAL is looking considerably cheaper (with a ship that carries 1964 guests). 

Do you drink specialty coffees or sodas  eat in the specialty restaurants  ?  (These are included on Oceania )

Do not forget to factor those costs into the  comparisons

 

Are you comparing Oceania  with or without air prices ?

 

For us  we are not foodies  but  Oceania  food was so much better than the HAL  cruises we were on

but food is  subjective  so  YMMV

 

Enjoy  whatever cruise you choose

[Sea42]

11 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

HAL, though I'm struggling to understand their room descriptions (their 'Verandah' rooms (on Vista class) have a stated size of 'from 212 to 359 sq ft incl. verandah' - which is a huge range).

Some of that difference is that the larger cabins are handicap accessible. You can see which those are by checking the deck plans.

[Heidi13]

23 hours ago, Steerpike58 said:

We just completed our first ever cruise, a delightful 14 day cruise with Viking Ocean (VO) in Europe.  We chose Viking based on a variety of criteria, and were very happy with the choice.  We loved the 'understated' elegance, the 'clean lines', the high quality food, the (relatively) small number of guests, the lovely cabin, the great staff, the lack of 'party' atmosphere (no drunks).  The entertainment was only 'OK' for us, but we don't really care for evening entertainment so not really an issue (and the 'classical duo' (piano/violin) was great! 

 

The availability of excursions was a challenge; having a 'lower grade' cabin only entitled us to book excursions late in the process, by which time many desirable options were already booked. But we were reasonably happy with what we got. 

 

So the only real concern with a Viking Ocean cruise is the cost! At over $600/day each ($1,200/day for two), (not including airfare) that's not cheap!  You can do a lot with $1,200 / day!  I see that Viking Cruises are selling out (most cabin classes) years in advance, so they clearly don't need to be discounting their rates. We were in the smallest cabin category (which on Viking is not small - 270 sq ft including veranda) but we opted for a decent location (DV2). 

 

So - are there any other cruise lines that match many of the Viking elements, but charge less?  I've seen dozens of 'Cruise Line' reviews, but none have taken the specific approach of suggesting which cruise line is most similar to another (obviously) so I was wondering if anyone could offer an alternative?  Or is $600/day ($1,200 for two) a reasonable rate for what you get on VO? 

 

We loved the fact that Viking have only 930 passengers, and felt this gave us an 'uncrowded' feel, but I guess a bigger ship with more restaurants could achieve a similar feel. We have friends who travel on Holland America, so maybe that's an alternative to explore. We would want to get the same high quality food as we found on VO. 

 

 

Welcome to Viking and good to read you enjoyed the experience. Unfortunately, as with everything in life, you get what you pay for. You will find many cruises with cheaper base fares than Viking, but with most cruises, the base fare is not a true reflection of total cost.

 

We have completed 2 World Cruises, first on Princess and then 5-years later on Viking. The Viking cabin was almost twice the cost of Princess. However, at the end of the cruise, the total cost per day was identical, as the Viking cruise was all-inclusive. Having spent 40 yrs both working for and cruising with Princess, it was our final cruise with them, as their standards kept dropping. The Viking cruise was vastly superior in every regard.

 

With Viking, since all the V & DV cabins are identical, except for location, you can reduce your daily cost by dropping to DV4, which are midships on Deck 4. We had no issues in this cabin category. Viking also have different per diem pricing in different regions, with some DV 4 cabins around CAN $350 pp/day. When I last compared pricing across regions, Europe was the most expensive.

[pilot123texas]

After 40 years of cruising, there are not many cruise lines that we have not been on at least once. We aren't particularly loyal to any one line (depends on itinerary, timing, etc) but we generally book either one of the Premium lines (we like HAL but we also do Celebrity and Princess) or one of the Luxury lines, like Regent. I had been wanting to try Viking, prompting us to book Viking for a cruise last year.  I am sure some will disagree with me, but we had a hard time seeing the luxury line comparison. Yes, it has some all inclusive features that the luxury lines typically have. Small ship. Small ratio of staff to passengers. Still, we felt the overall experience was more in line with a premium cruise line, not a luxury line. And probably closest to HAL in comparison. With that in mind, I'm going to compare it to HAL.   One thing we have learned over the years is that it's not necessarily a matter of which line is "better" but which line fits your travel style and itinerary desires the best. So please take my thoughts with that in mind. 

 

 Like Viking, HAL is a bit of an older crowd, more low key. We found the food on Viking "ok" but not as good as that on HAL. We normally prefer the specialty restaurants, however, it was difficult, if not impossible, to make reservations of any kind in the specialty restaurants, unless you wanted to eat at 9:00. Everything was booked by the time I was able to make reservations.  I can normally always manage a reasonable time reservation on HAL once on board, even if I wasn't able to online. That was absolutly not possible on Viking. We don't need a lot of entertainment in the evening and generally find the big productions cheesy, but we do like the music venues on HAL. In contrast, we found very little evening entertainment at all on Viking, and what was there was more in line with what you would find on a riverboat cruise. I can't comment on the tours as we were in the Caribbean which is always a "relax, read a book in a deck chair, and don't need a tour" cruise for us. When we are someplace where we want a tour, we typically book a private tour.

 

Overall, we felt HAL provided just as nice an experience overall, in a comparable balcony cabin, similar vibe, but with better specialty restaurant options. While it does seem to me that in comparing "all in" costs, HAL is still the better value, particularly if you are doing a HIA package, our final determination was not really based on price. For us, HAL seems to be an overall better fit for our needs than Viking IF you are comparing to a premium cruise.    

 

One last consideration is the size of the ship. HAL ships, particularly the Pinnacle class ships that we like, are certainly bigger than the Viking ships, although not as big as the monstrous mega ships with some of the other cruise lines. We find the Pinnacle class a nice size for us. But if you would prefer to stay with a smaller ship, then you might consider trying one of the luxury lines. 

 

 

[mjkacmom]

22 hours ago, jsn55 said:

Viking is sold out for years because they spend billions on relentless advertising.  And they offer people nice discounts that can only be obtained by prepaying a cruise ... no matter how far out.  I'm sure that some TAs can get around this. 

 

I agree with our colleagues ... find all the ships of a size you want,  read reviews, then read more reviews.  There are so many factors that go into what people 'like' that you really have to dig into it all and make up your own mind on all the various categories.  That's what I do when planning any kind of travel ... just keep at it until your mind knows exactly what to book.  Use the various boards to ask specific questions. 

Lol my parents took a Viking cruise around 20 years ago, they passed years ago and I still get a large mailer every day in the mail addressed to them.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, pilot123texas said:

……but we generally book either one of the Premium lines (we like HAL but we also do Celebrity and Princess)

How ever would you consider any of these a “premium” line?

[Cruzaholic41]

16 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Sure it may look “cheaper.”

But, then on HAL (or even Viking) ships, you’re stuck with their food.😳

When did you sail Viking to make that assertion?  I’ve sailed Viking and Oceania and I thought Viking had better food.