Viking Oceans - Alternative to HAL

[Ship's Wake]

For those who love the smaller ship experience and are considering alternatives to HAL due to cutbacks, policy changes, etc. and don't want to move up in price to Oceania, Azamara, Seabourn etc., you may find the recent Viking Oceans announcement of some interest.

 

On Monday Viking Oceans (the fairly new ocean cruising division of Viking River Cruises) announced that they will be building an additional two ships, giving them by 2017 a fleet of 4 cruise ships that are 47,800gt and hold 920 passengers.

 

First ship will be launched in 2015, two in 2016, and one more in 2017.

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/viking-cruises-orders-another-pair-of-ocean-ships-at-fincantieri.html?nspPage=2

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/

 

For those who may not be aware, Viking is run by Torstein Hagen, former ceo of Royal Viking.

 

There's nothing any of us who like to cruise can do about continued cutbacks by Carnival Corp lines except to either reduce our expectations and accept them or look for other cruise alternatives.

 

Viking is not in cutback mode/reducing the quality of their experience and their new ship design looks very enticing.

 

It's more of an inclusive approach, and the cruise fare includes some shore excursions, wine/beer/sodas with lunch and dinner, wifi, laundry, and specialty restaurants in the pricing.

 

My guess is that their itineraries will be primarily Mediterranean and Baltic.

 

I'll be watching Viking Oceans closely and will likely try them out on a 2016 sailing.

 

I hope they will provide a credible alternative to HAL and provide a quality cruise experience like the one HAL used to deliver.

[Ship's Wake]

Also of note is that these Viking ships will have a full wraparound promenade deck, a pool with retractable roof, and a Crow's Nest type of lounge at the front of the ship.

Edited December 18, 2013 by oysterdam

[solocanadian]

For those who love the smaller ship experience and are considering alternatives to HAL due to cutbacks, policy changes, etc. and don't want to move up in price to Oceania, Azamara, Seabourn etc., you may find the recent Viking Oceans announcement of some interest.

 

On Monday Viking Oceans (the fairly new ocean cruising division of Viking River Cruises) announced that they will be building an additional two ships, giving them by 2017 a fleet of 4 cruise ships that are 47,800gt and hold 920 passengers.

 

First ship will be launched in 2015, two in 2016, and one more in 2017.

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/viking-cruises-orders-another-pair-of-ocean-ships-at-fincantieri.html?nspPage=2

http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/

 

For those who may not be aware, Viking is run by Torstein Hagen, former ceo of Royal Viking.

 

There's nothing any of us who like to cruise can do about continued cutbacks by Carnival Corp lines except to either reduce our expectations and accept them or look for other cruise alternatives.

 

Viking is not in cutback mode/reducing the quality of their experience and their new ship design looks very enticing.

 

It's more of an inclusive approach, and the cruise fare includes some shore excursions, wine/beer/sodas with lunch and dinner, wifi, laundry, and specialty restaurants in the pricing.

 

My guess is that their itineraries will be primarily Mediterranean and Baltic.

 

I'll be watching Viking Oceans closely and will likely try them out on a 2016 sailing.

 

I hope they will provide a credible alternative to HAL and provide a quality cruise experience like the one HAL used to deliver.

 

Sounds enticing. Let's hope they can deliver their promise.

[rkacruiser]

Their reputation is good. Their experience is in River Cruises. How will they fare on the ocean cruising? I will be watching them as well. But, I hope more diverse itineraries than just Europe will be offered.

[Ship's Wake]

Their reputation is good. Their experience is in River Cruises. How will they fare on the ocean cruising? I will be watching them as well. But, I hope more diverse itineraries than just Europe will be offered.

 

The ceo Torstein Hagen has a background with ocean cruising - former board member at Holland America and former ceo of Royal Viking.

 

Hopefully this translates into running an ocean cruise line in today's world.

 

 

Their target market is very similar to HAL:

 

 

http://maritimematters.com/2013/05/viking-star-to-shine/

[hypercafe]

I have looked at them, ships look very nice however they are just in Europe right now. I felt their prices were in line with Oceania and Azamara. If it matters the ships will not have a casino.

[igraf]

$421 per person per day sounds like another expensive small-ship cruise line to me. Why are you comparing this to HAL at about $150 (varies) per person per day? Perhaps you are only thinking of only the most expensive HAL suites.

 

The web article did not mention any type of entertainment showroom other than "two small cinemas". No evening shows on the Viking ship?

 

igraf

 

 

 

For those who love the smaller ship experience and are considering alternatives to HAL due to cutbacks, policy changes, etc. and don't want to move up in price to Oceania, Azamara, Seabourn etc., you may find the recent Viking Oceans announcement of some interest.

 

....

 

I hope they will provide a credible alternative to HAL and provide a quality cruise experience like the one HAL used to deliver.

[PSR]

The cruise line website deckplan has a showroom in the front of the ship, between the 2 cinemas. The website link is in post #1.

Edited December 18, 2013 by PSR

[Hlitner]

We already cruise on many different cruise lines (including HAL) and welcome the new entrée into the market place. However, to make a statement that "Viking is not in cutback mode" is kind of strange since the cruise line does not even exist (we have been on Viking river cruises and they are an excellent product). Only time will tell as to whether the quality of the new ocean cruise line will measure up (or exceed) their competition. Operating a large cruise ship is entirely different then running a large fleet of river boats and it will be very interesting to see how Viking meets the challenge.

 

We also must agree with the prior post regarding Viking's pricing. Although HAL pricing really does vary, we have been on HAL cruises (in the past 13 months) that were much less expensive then the proposed Viking prices. We have taken HAL cruises that were priced less then $120 per passenger day.

 

Of course one will have to wait and see whether Viking is able to hold their pricing or will be forced to discount. One needs to keep in mind that even lines like Seabourn have sometimes discounted their cruises to less then $400 per passenger day.

Hank

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds nice.

But sadly we are no longer able to fly long distances to the Med cruises, etc.

[Ship's Wake]

$421 per person per day sounds like another expensive small-ship cruise line to me. Why are you comparing this to HAL at about $150 (varies) per person per day? Perhaps you are only thinking of only the most expensive HAL suites.

 

 

 

igraf

 

No doubt the pricing will be more competitive when they have more than one ship to fill - at least that's what I'm hoping for.

 

On a random date I looked at fares currently come out to $320 per day pp for the beginning verandah room. Bear in mind also that the pricing is inclusive of other items than just the cruise fare.

 

Pricing seems to be more in line with the Prinsendam than other HAL ships.

 

My point here is that for those who indicate they are willing to pay more to get the experience they are used to, this line represents another option to be considered.

[TracieABD]

I received a very glossy booklet from Viking. The ship in the artist's depiction looked lovely.:)

[RuthC]

That the CEO has a background at Royal Viking speaks well of it right out of the blocks. They were a top-notch line, and I did not appreciate them for what they were when I sailed them.

I've had the new line in my sights for a while now, but am also interested in seeing how they settle in before I make firm plans.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Viking Oceans looks very enticing to me too, based on the brochures. But Viking Rivers looks very enticing based on its brochures, and the reality (based on many CC threads in the River Cruising forum) is less so: never rated in the top 3 for food, and one of the worst 2 river cruise lines for coping with this summer's weather disasters. [i recognize that both these items can be challenged as subjective.]

 

Two other points that are more objective:

• Viking Oceans demands 100% payment much earlier than ocean cruisers are used to

• The smoking policy on Viking Oceans is very different from HAL:

All Viking ship interiors, staterooms, and verandas are non-smoking. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area.

This may be a deal-breaker for some HAL fans.

[1of4]

I requested and received their brochure and it all looks lovely...BUT...we were late becoming parents and feel so blessed that we were able to after cancer - so now that we hit their demographic we would not sail with them because we won't leave our children behind. Although they will be young teens when we are in our mid 50s we have no interest in being seperated. Life does that every day to us and vacations are our family time. No family cabins so it is not for us at this time.

 

I am axious to read the reviews though, by the time we are in our mid 60s we may be interested.

[hypercafe]

I would say if a HAL cruiser is looking for a upscale change Crystal is much more like HAL. Their ships are similar layout to HAL before HAL started to add cabins, they are formal with fixed sitting, service is the way HAL used to be before all the cutbacks. I am told they have great prices for solo travelers, and they are all inclusive. They also have lots of enrichment programs. However they are not cheap!!

[stlouistravelers]

At some point I plan to sail on Viking to see Eastern Europe. However, all of the "deals" seem to be for a small window at the top of the room. To get a balcony room is quite expensive. Comparisons need to be apples to apples and oranges to oranges. JMHO

[realnurse2]

Viking Oceans looks very enticing to me too, based on the brochures. But Viking Rivers looks very enticing based on its brochures, and the reality (based on many CC threads in the River Cruising forum) is less so: never rated in the top 3 for food, and one of the worst 2 river cruise lines for coping with this summer's weather disasters. [i recognize that both these items can be challenged as subjective.]

 

Two other points that are more objective:

• Viking Oceans demands 100% payment much earlier than ocean cruisers are used to

• The smoking policy on Viking Oceans is very different from HAL:

All Viking ship interiors, staterooms, and verandas are non-smoking. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area.

This may be a deal-breaker for some HAL fans.

 

In addition to the smoking policy, what will be the dress code? Formal wear or smart dress casual? :confused:

[Host Jazzbeau]

In addition to the smoking policy, what will be the dress code? Formal wear or smart dress casual? :confused:

 

"During the day on board and ashore dress is casual and comfortable, including shorts, jeans, and sturdy shoes for walking tours. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for poolside and in the gym. For evenings, while there are no “formal nights,” the recommended onboard dress is Elegant Casual for most restaurants, performances or other special events. Suggested attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional, but not required. Dinner in The World Café remains comfortable and casual, with daytime dress deemed appropriate."

[GeriatricNurse]

Viking Oceans looks very enticing to me too, based on the brochures. But Viking Rivers looks very enticing based on its brochures, and the reality (based on many CC threads in the River Cruising forum) is less so: never rated in the top 3 for food, and one of the worst 2 river cruise lines for coping with this summer's weather disasters. [i recognize that both these items can be challenged as subjective.]

 

Two other points that are more objective:

• Viking Oceans demands 100% payment much earlier than ocean cruisers are used to

• The smoking policy on Viking Oceans is very different from HAL:

All Viking ship interiors, staterooms, and verandas are non-smoking. Each ship has an outdoor smoking area.

This may be a deal-breaker for some HAL fans.

 

"During the day on board and ashore dress is casual and comfortable, including shorts, jeans, and sturdy shoes for walking tours. Swimsuits, brief shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for poolside and in the gym. For evenings, while there are no “formal nights,” the recommended onboard dress is Elegant Casual for most restaurants, performances or other special events. Suggested attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional, but not required. Dinner in The World Café remains comfortable and casual, with daytime dress deemed appropriate."

 

 

Based upon these statements, I believe that I would be very interested in booking a cruise with 'Viking Oceans'! :)

[California Traveler]

We were plaaning a two week river cruise with Viking upon our retirement in 2016. I like their new modern all balcony ships for Europe rivers.

CT

[Typhoon1]

Based upon these statements, I believe that I would be very interested in booking a cruise with 'Viking Oceans'! :)

 

Sounds like a good possibility.

[MermaidWatcher]

Their reputation is good. Their experience is in River Cruises. How will they fare on the ocean cruising? I will be watching them as well. But, I hope more diverse itineraries than just Europe will be offered.

 

What I have seen.... there is one route called theViking Homelands, sailing from Stockholm to Bergen, but everything else looks like pretty standard Med ports.

The ship looks to be very intriguing, with a "cosmopolitan" for lack of a better word décor, much classier than the fairly gaudy typical cruise ship. Their advertising is typical of their river cruise boats, touting 2 for one prices and lots of stuff included in the price, but I have not looked hard enough to have an opinion on the validity of either claim. They seem to be going after the more mature, financially secure customers, IMO.

Edited December 21, 2013 by MermaidWatcher

[travel09]

Perhaps we are a minority but...is this not the cruise experience we all long for ..a smaller ship, gracious and spacious , who ever thought HUGE is best, so many of us ...I think... would simply never go there...This is surely the way of the future in cruising, and must be so much more manageable than MEGA ships, in every way. I think this beautiful ship will be filled in no time at all...! One hopes the companies take heed, and there will always be these beautiful ships, for the genuine traveller, who is more interested in the itinerary and comfort along the way...Climbing walls and Malls...Please NO...!!!

[suz1607]

We cruised on a Viking river cruise this Fall and the food did not compare with HAL. In fact, in all my cruising experience [over 100 ] I have never been served food that was as consistently unappealing and I don't consider myself "hard to please". They even ran out of most German foods the day they served the German buffet! Based on just this one experience, I could not recommend Viking to anyone.