How Will a Seabourn Cruiser Evaluate Viking Ocean Cruises?

[notjaded]

We are Platinum on Seabourn, nearing Diamond. We sometimes do SIlversea.

 

We are thinking of going on a Viking Venus Northern Lights Cruise, and wondering how others used to the Seabourn experience have found sailing with Viking?

 

(I know that the Viking ships have larger passenger loads, do not include gratuities in the stated price, and have more restricted complimentary alcohol service.)

 

Any feedback about fellow Seabourphiles on your experiences on Viking would be greatly appreciated.

[Kamfish642]

We recently sailed Viking Neptune on a trans-Atlantic crossing in December.  We enjoyed the Scandanavian decor and thought the service and food was comparable to Seabourn.  Unlike Seabourn, cruise price on Viking does not crew gratuities or unlimited alcoholic beverages.  While Viking did offer wine/beer at lunch and dinner, we chose to purchase beverage package to enjoy additional drinks on sea days and evening, before and after dinner.  Viking did offer a free excursion at various port calls; however, we found that these excursions can be crowded.  Viking also provided free access to the spa (minus treatments), which was nice on sea days.  We found Seabourn to be a little more formal.  Overall, you cannot loose choosing either Seabourn or Viking, and we intend to take a future Viking ocean cruise.  However, our choice is still Seabourn.

[imcpa]

I agree overall.  I have cruised old Crystal, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent, Paul Gauguin, Windstar and Viking (three ocean cruises on Viking).  I prefer Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea, but hope to cruise Viking again.  We also purchased the beverage package (which now includes Jacquart champagne, one of my favorites).  The DV rooms are little small and lacking in storage, but they are good enough.  Our last Viking was in a PV, which was great.

I enjoy the relaxed dress code in warmer climates and the buffet for dinner at times.  I know Viking is not in the luxury category, but the service and food are first class IMO and the ships are beautiful. Of course, YMMV.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by imcpa

[notjaded]

Thanks for the feedback!

[tv24]

See what you think about the included excursions.  Since we are usually DIY guys, we are not keen on lines that include excursions.

[FlyerTalker]

The "included" excursion is usually a "Highlights of XX" bus tour.  Nothing to write home about.  Viking is more than happy to sell you pricier, and nicer, excursions that actually show you things.

 

IMO, the included excursion is a marketing hack, where they can trumpet "XX thousands of excursions included" - as opposed to Regent where they include real tours.

 

 

[Vineyard View]

We just sailed Seabourn this year for the first time. We have sailed Viking several time, but pre-Covid. 
The decor is very different as mentioned. We like both.  
We really like the MDR much better on SB over Viking. The option to dine on two tops on SB with a bit of space between the tables is easier. Viking has some of these tables, but a large number are lined up next to each other banquet style with very little separation. While we have always enjoyed our food on V, we both felt that SB was a step up. Service is very good on both. 
A standard balcony on V will feel very small compared to SB. While we love the large walk in showers on V, we very much enjoyed the layout of the balcony on SB over V, and we have always sailed in their PV staterooms. So we give SB the win there. 
Alcohol - if you enjoy choices of wine with your meals, and drink any cocktails, then you will want to upgrade your drink package. 
Included excursions - we are DIY or private travelers. The included walking tours can give you a jump off place to go on your own for the day (tell your guide and if you want to return with them, find out when and where to meet - we still tip them if we do that). If it is not a walking tour, it will be mostly a drive by bus ride. The money charged in the fares for included excursions on V is not a selling point for us.
Viking-pre-payment policy is a big one. Pay in full anywhere from 12-18 months in advance unless you have another one on the books with them (then it is 6 months). 
Would we sail on Viking again, yes, with the right itinerary and attractive pricing. Their pricing has really bumped up for the delivered product in my opinion. We felt that the overall SB experience exceeds the overall Viking experience. 
 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Vineyard View

[Ovener]

I posted this last year, hope it’s helpful.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2889889-seabourn-sojourn-ob-v-viking-sky-owners-suite/#comment-64215577

The Viking cruise ships look great, the interior design is excellent, the staff are kind, the classical musicians wonderful, the port talks better than Seabourn…any yet, and yet…we found the food poor, the entertainment lacking, the ambience not so good, the pool area like a sauna, the tours meh. It’s a personal thing but we much prefer Seabourn. 

[Vineyard View]

1 hour ago, Ovener said:

I posted this last year, hope it’s helpful.

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2889889-seabourn-sojourn-ob-v-viking-sky-owners-suite/#comment-64215577

The Viking cruise ships look great, the interior design is excellent, the staff are kind, the classical musicians wonderful, the port talks better than Seabourn…any yet, and yet…we found the food poor, the entertainment lacking, the ambience not so good, the pool area like a sauna, the tours meh. It’s a personal thing but we much prefer Seabourn. 

You do have some valid points here for sure. We didn’t think the food poor, but we didn’t think,it was up to par with SB. As always, that is subjective. And when they cannot open the roof at the pool it can be really uncomfortable

[Carolfay]

I just returned from 13 days on Viking Neptune (Montreal to NYC) and will second most of the comments from Vineyard View and Ovener.  While I had a very enjoyable holiday and will continue to consider Viking cruises, I still think I give the edge to Seabourn and Silversea, both of which are a bit more to my liking.  Passenger numbers play a big role in my choices, as do the quality and selection of food and the included amenities.  I'm glad there are so many options these days - truly something for almost all tastes.

[MarciAnn]

 We reserved a Viking cruise because it was a great itinerary but upon further research cancelled because we decided Viking was not for us. The included tours are drive by  bus tours or dozens of passengers following guides holding flags which is not appealing to us.  The ships also hold close to 1000 passengers which is much larger than SB.  if you check the boards you will see that Viking creates tremendous anxiety by allowing reservations (including dinner) to be made in advance with availability depending upon how expensive a cabin you reserve.  It seems most passengers on Viking do not do their own private tours but sign up for the ship’s excursions (not the included ones).    People get up at dawn to log on to make reservations and then write on the boards endlessly about their anxiety about being closed out.  Just not for us.  They do have great itineraries though!

[SLSD]

12 minutes ago, MarciAnn said:

 We reserved a Viking cruise because it was a great itinerary but upon further research cancelled because we decided Viking was not for us. The included tours are drive by  bus tours or dozens of passengers following guides holding flags which is not appealing to us.  The ships also hold close to 1000 passengers which is much larger than SB.  if you check the boards you will see that Viking creates tremendous anxiety by allowing reservations (including dinner) to be made in advance with availability depending upon how expensive a cabin you reserve.  It seems most passengers on Viking do not do their own private tours but sign up for the ship’s excursions (not the included ones).    People get up at dawn to log on to make reservations and then write on the boards endlessly about their anxiety about being closed out.  Just not for us.  They do have great itineraries though!

I've come to the same conclusions.  

[Carolfay]

1 hour ago, MarciAnn said:

 We reserved a Viking cruise because it was a great itinerary but upon further research cancelled because we decided Viking was not for us. The included tours are drive by  bus tours or dozens of passengers following guides holding flags which is not appealing to us.  The ships also hold close to 1000 passengers which is much larger than SB.  if you check the boards you will see that Viking creates tremendous anxiety by allowing reservations (including dinner) to be made in advance with availability depending upon how expensive a cabin you reserve.  It seems most passengers on Viking do not do their own private tours but sign up for the ship’s excursions (not the included ones).    People get up at dawn to log on to make reservations and then write on the boards endlessly about their anxiety about being closed out.  Just not for us.  They do have great itineraries though!

Mostly in agreement about this.  I don't care for the caste system, which provides reservation priority based on how expensive your cabin is.  Based on my recent experience, however, it's usually not difficult to obtain restaurant reservations for the specialty restaurants.  I was in one of the cheapest rooms, but all I had to do was walk up to the reservation desk outside the main dining room and reserve a spot for either of the specialties (Manfredi's and Chef's Table).  They were quite accommodating, unless you wanted one of the 6 p.m. "early bird" spots.

[Vineyard View]

We have not experienced any problems on Viking getting into specialty restaurants - multiple times - once on board - just as we were able to obtain an additional TK rez on Quest. Viking’s  Mediterranean itineraries are mostly the same they have been for years, and once you have sailed them a few times, it’s very redundant. I think that is why we started looking elsewhere in the first place. If you do not like bus rides or following lollipops - as we do not -then the total price per day on Viking far exceeds their competitors, and in some cases Seabourn. Particularly if you compare like sized cabins. And overall SB experience is better in our opinions. 
But again, right itinerary, right price I would sail them again. That is not out there right now for what/where we wish to travel. 

[2SailingNomads]

Repetition and 7-day cruises is what has us looking elsewhere.   7-day Alaska cruises? Non-starter.  

While we didn't drink the Crystal kool-aid, we did like that the ships did not repeat for several months the same itineraries.  Seems like new owners appreciate that.  So does Explora which I am so looking forward to trying next year.  Someone at Seabourn should recognize that beyond the "world cruise" that is too many days, different itineraries for 25-30 days in the summer or winter that don't repeat ports and are not a bunch of 7 or 10 day cruises combined would have appeal to some of us.  Or we can vote with our wallets.

[SLSD]

6 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Repetition and 7-day cruises is what has us looking elsewhere.   7-day Alaska cruises? Non-starter.  

While we didn't drink the Crystal kool-aid, we did like that the ships did not repeat for several months the same itineraries.  Seems like new owners appreciate that.  So does Explora which I am so looking forward to trying next year.  Someone at Seabourn should recognize that beyond the "world cruise" that is too many days, different itineraries for 25-30 days in the summer or winter that don't repeat ports and are not a bunch of 7 or 10 day cruises combined would have appeal to some of us.  Or we can vote with our wallets.

Exactly, the stringing together of 7 day cruises is one of my chief complaints about Seabourn right now.  

[Vineyard View]

We have a 14 day booked next year on SB that is two seven days. Have become pretty worried about it since reading on multiple threads here the impact. There is a solid 14 day on Oceania that I found when a post Seabourn debacle was occurring and has me pulled as a result (never sailed O). 
I do not want to pay the price for SS and Regent included excursions when we are DIY so they are off my radar. Looked at Explora and they aren’t sailing where we want to be at the time we need to next year. Maybe as new ships are added they will. 

[2SailingNomads]

I like the Explora itineraries but as they add ships I am sure they will have repeated itineraries.  That is the disadvantage of a line with more than a couple of ships, unfortunately.

[notjaded]

OP here with mini-review follow-up. our first Viking cruise is complete. We went on the ship to search for Northern Lights and found them, so we are happy campers. 
 

Our Viking vs SB review:

 

1.  Like smaller size of SB, but we were not bothered by Viking. 
 

2. Enjoyed the Chef's Table food much more than SB’s TK. 
 

3.  Our V ship much more modern than those on SB we have sailed. Had a huge shower in their PH suite, much bigger than SB. 
 

4. Felt the staff were uniformly customer-service oriented, which was better than our last SB cruise. However, they were constrained by bureaucracy. and the guest services folks did not seem to have the same level of ability to understand and resolve problems without referral to corporate. 
 

5. Food in buffet restaurant superior to Colonade. Loved the noodle and sushi bars. 
 

Overalll, a positive experience and we would not hesitate to consider V on a unique itinerary. 
 

 

[notjaded]

OP here again with some additional thoughts:

 

1.  Ms Notjaded commented that the bathroom lighting on V was ill-suited to cosmetic application. She also thought the the placement and design of the makeup mirror impeded in the desk was poor. 
 

2. As the trip planner and higher-end cabin consumer, I absolutely loved that the higher the cabin status, the greater the priority for excursion and restaurant reservations. I understand this is not a popular view. 

[Breckski]

3 hours ago, notjaded said:

OP here again with some additional thoughts:

 

1.  Ms Notjaded commented that the bathroom lighting on V was ill-suited to cosmetic application. She also thought the the placement and design of the makeup mirror impeded in the desk was poor. 
 

2. As the trip planner and higher-end cabin consumer, I absolutely loved that the higher the cabin status, the greater the priority for excursion and restaurant reservations. I understand this is not a popular view. 

I've followed this thread as a Viking customer who has signed up for our first Seabourn cruise.  I think the comments relating to Viking have all been very fair.  The reason we're trying Seabourn, and signed up for a Regent cruise as well, is that the price differentials between these lines keeps decreasing due to the Viking price increases.

 

And don't feel alone, I share your opinion about the priority reservation system.  We normally book a PS suite and enjoy the early booking perk we receive.  To me the process is very orderly and known by all before they book the room.  Once on-board there's no class-system whatsoever.  

[ludditeluddite]

I like the larger showers on Viking, and not using the bath or requiring a second basin, would rather that space on SB be used to allow more room between twin beds. A choice of shower only cabins on SB would be welcome.

I prefer the specialty restaurant on Viking, and also enjoyed several of the included walking tours especially in first time ports, a good introduction. I did a combination of included and purchased tours.

I rather the main dining room on SB as it has more larger shared tables. Viking has many tables for 2, but they provide little privacy because of the closeness.

I would happily book Viking again, but if the itinerary made it a toss up, I would choose Seabourn. Solos are very well looked after, the hosted dinners are great and Seabourn Square is a very lovely area not replicated on any other ship I have been on.