Viking Sea disappoints long-time ocean cruiser

[Captain_Morgan]

Captain Morgan, I can not agree with you more.....we have not been on Seaborne, but have enjoyed several of the balcony & suite options on other lines. We truly enjoy Viking......Oceans and Rivers.

Great food, great ships, open comfortable spaces, employees that are top of the line......it's a good package without doubt......with the exception of their wine....and that is not at all pedantic.....it is someone (actually a whole lot of us) who like to enjoy nice wine.....☺:-)

 

Don't get me wrong, to each their own...i'm just saying that there's so much more to the cruise experience than what's in a glass at meal time :D

 

Compared to Seabourn or some other luxury ocean lines, the Viking Ocean ships may seem large -- but compared to any mass market or premium ocean ship they are quite small. Even compared to Oceania's new ships they are small! And the space-per-passenger and crew-per-passenger ratios position them very well in the super--premium category with Oceania and Azamara.

 

Hopefully those Viking River cruisers appreciated the dramatically more upscale food you described. River ships, because of their small size, are not able to offer much in the way of customized food -- and Viking River ships have more passengers than the other brands, packed in the same space. The food on Viking Oceans sounds quite wonderful and again marks a welcome elevation of the brand.

 

Viking is used to organizing included shore excursions on their river ships -- but they only have 200 passengers to deal with. I would imagine it has been something of a shock to them to have to scale up by several times (even assuming many people DIY or book the optionals). I have observed their river cruise excursions and they always seemed more crowded and regimented than other river cruise lines' tours -- I hope they can bring the level of the included ocean tours up the same way they have with the food. If they do that, they will be knocking on Regent's door and offering killer value!

 

They seem to have gotten a better handle on things from what I've seen and heard from others who've been more recently as instead of dropping 500 people off at once and wondering why they're stood outside in the rain (as it were) they seem to have reduced the group sizes to a more manageable number which means the transition between included tour times is less hectic!!

[TERRIER1]

Great food, great ships, open comfortable spaces, employees that are top of the line......it's a good package without doubt......with the exception of their wine....and that is not at all pedantic.....it is someone (actually a whole lot of us) who like to enjoy nice wine.....☺:-)

 

I love a good glass of wine but have no problem drinking the "free" wine. What is nice is that you can bring your own bottle of wine and they will open it without a corkage fee. This worked well given the really excellent inexpensive local wines that can be purchased in the Mediterranean ports.

[UpcountryTravelers]

Why would you feel that you were entitled to better service then other people, just because you paid more?......

 

THAT... is the strangest sentence I have read lately. If you pay more, OF COURSE you should get more. (Do you fly coach and expect first class service?)

 

We usually book balcony (or verandah, as some call it) but occasionally mini-suite. In no way would I expect to get the same as someone who booked a full suite! But I would expect more than if we booked an inside.

 

Face it, if you pay more you should get more. It's simply logical (and economics).

[CharTrav]

THAT... is the strangest sentence I have read lately. If you pay more, OF COURSE you should get more. (Do you fly coach and expect first class service?)

 

We usually book balcony (or verandah, as some call it) but occasionally mini-suite. In no way would I expect to get the same as someone who booked a full suite! But I would expect more than if we booked an inside.

 

Face it, if you pay more you should get more. It's simply logical (and economics).

 

 

I think you're missing the point. One does receive extra bennies based on your cabin class which I won't list since they're clearly delineated in their literature. And that you pay for. Beyond that, I don't know what you want. Do you actually want passengers to be treated differently by the crew based on their cabin class too? Some cruise lines may do that, I wouldn't know. But I'm glad that Viking does not; every Viking passenger is treated with first class regard.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[garycarla]

THAT... is the strangest sentence I have read lately. If you pay more, OF COURSE you should get more. (Do you fly coach and expect first class service?)

 

We usually book balcony (or verandah, as some call it) but occasionally mini-suite. In no way would I expect to get the same as someone who booked a full suite! But I would expect more than if we booked an inside.

 

Face it, if you pay more you should get more. It's simply logical (and economics).

 

Service in the cabin might be different, but service in the dining room really is/should be the same for all. Service on the tours would be the same. Service at the bar would be the same.

 

Comparing first class/coach on a plane is not the same thing.

[Ruthieofthesea]

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

We sailed Viking Sea in an Explorer Suite (top category besides the one Owner’s Suite) on Into the Midnight Sun and Baltic Jewels, 28 days back to back, 6-19-16 from Harwich.

This was our first Viking experience of any kind, and it will likely be our last. Let me say that we didn’t expect that our stateroom class meant we were to be pampered, but, where appropriate, should have been acknowledged or attention paid to specific issues. We have sailed more than 25 cruises on 10 different lines, so this review is based on past experiences.

 

We have previously reported pre-sailing issues to Viking, but to summarize here:

* Getting our air payment refunded after booking our own air took more than six weeks; in spite of several calls from our travel agent and ourselves, it wasn’t until the complaint was posted on Cruise Critic that our money was refunded.

* In spite of several calls in advance, we did not receive boarding documents in a timely manner. Friends on the same cruise received theirs 6 weeks in advance (booked direct with Viking) and 4 weeks in advance (booked through same travel agent we used). 14 days ahead of sailing ours had not arrived; a call to Viking resulted in a rushed set (no My Viking Journey booklet—just non-personalized generic luggage tags and a few Xeroxed pages), which arrived less than 24 hours before our bags to be shipped were picked up. Viking explanation: “We have no idea why yours were not sent; we use an outside vendor.”

 

As to the cruise itself:

 

First, the good: as so many have said, the ship is beautiful, with many well-designed public spaces and good, thought-out features in staterooms. Never did the ship feel crowded except on those occasions where it is supposed to be—Dance night, Blue Nose ceremony, Beatles jam session, etc. The technology was first class—internet available everywhere, video presentations during shows were great, information screens at every turn. There are other great design details: reasonable height furniture, a highly functional opening pool roof, very smooth sailing--little ship motion felt. The Explorer Lounge was a favorite spot; it had an outside forward deck with rail beyond the two-story windows. Books are everywhere; lots of nonfiction. There are electronic game tables in the Atrium on deck 2. The promenade deck is nice to have. Temperature varies widely over the ship's enclosed spaces; Atrium is especially cold, so guests should be prepared. We saw many people wearing fleece layers indoors. Or course, we were in Norway!

 

Without elaborating too much on the small things that could use improvement (see notes at end), there are two areas of major concern--the poor experience booking excursions on line combined with the incompetence and inattentiveness of the excursions staff in planning and executing excursions, and major supervisory lapses in the restaurants.

 

First, let me repeat and emphasize the advice given by others. Do not assume anything about reservations (or excursions) booked online. We booked both our excursions and our dining reservations 90 days in advance. Our restaurant reservations included wrong day, wrong time, and wrong restaurant. Fortunately, since we checked as soon as we boarded, all got straightened out.

 

Food and Drink

 

There are plenty of eating venues with a wide variety of choices; we liked the small portions (true except for Manfredi's); service in general not very fast but acceptable. The food in the Restaurant and World Café seems to totally repeat each two weeks, except for some of the time offering a different three-course selection of regional food (Restaurant) and a few Café specialities. In general, we found Restaurant and Café food fairly bland, without much flavor in sauces; always a roast, and steak is always available. Pasta is unremarkable for the most part.

 

The bigger problem in the restaurants is much of the management staff and systems.

 

World Café: We had many meals in the self-service World Café where the tables were not bussed during the meal between courses. Sometimes the wine pourers stop every few minutes, but no one picks up dirty dishes. World Café staff have not been trained to not stand in the main passageway, nor to try to move out of the way of guests. Management stands around talking to guests or supervisors, blocking traffic, instead of managing the wait staff. It's fine to visit with each table, but there appear to be too many suits and not enough staff. In both here and the Restaurant, staff are not assigned regular stations, so it is difficult to get to know them, and service varied a lot. Specialties in World Café are mussels each week, sausages in Germany, and sushi, sashimi, crab, and shrimp every night, which we thought was terrific.

 

The Restaurant (main dining room): the Maître d' often takes the first persons in line and personally shows them to a table, thus leaving the rest of the line waiting 2-3 minutes for him to return. Why not have a few waiters to show people their table, and keeping the line moving? We did see that on occasion (after we mentioned it on a mid-cruise critique), but not all the time. The Maître’ d always checked our stateroom number, but more than once we were seated in very high service and guest traffic areas when much better tables were available. They do a nice job of personalizing utensils course by course. Tables are very close together, so even dining alone it feels like sharing. We were never asked if we wanted to share a table.

 

Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s: Service varied here as well, but was better than the others. Chef's Table is creative food prep and presentation; we tried four menus (Asian, Gastronomical Journey, Venetian, and Scandinavian), mostly good but wouldn't do twice except the Asian. Manfredi's is all about large portions (too large for us, but perhaps not for others) of mostly hearty meats--with always a fish selection and some nice pastas, but once a week is enough.

Mamsen's. The waffles are terrific; soups rotated every day (same soup as in World Café) and little sandwiches and desserts were the same every day. A nice, light option, if usually crowded.

Room Service. The extremely limited menu is a big disappointment. The Explorer Suite has a dining table (two actually, one inside and one outside), but when Room Service was called, they reported nothing except the limited menu was available. We reported this conversation to our room attendant, and through her intervention, we were later told for a special occasion we could order from one of the restaurants as well. We did once, and that service was wonderful. Room Service (also Guest Services and Housekeeping) do not have caller ID; we usually had to repeat room number several times.

 

Excursions

 

But the huge disappointment is the excursions. While the quality was overall quite good, even the included tours, it's the management that is awful. The most grievous problem is the reservation system and the unwillingness of excursion management to communicate with guests the time of excursions until the night before.

 

For example, I had booked a morning excursion and an afternoon excursion in Geiranger. The tickets I received on boarding had no times on them, so I expected the times confirmed on My Viking Journey several months prior would be correct. When the Viking Daily appeared after dinner the night before, both my excursions were departing in the afternoon. I couldn't do both; there was no time to rebook. Viking had to have known when their booking window closed that my morning one had been cancelled. Why not give me the chance to alter my plans? Even worse, the excursion staff really didn't care. On another occasion, a tour reserved for one time was assigned to a much later time, ruining dinner plans. Again, no notice until the night before. If you can stay truly flexible, you may not have a problem with this, but we were traveling with friends, and the uncertainty (until 12 hours before) made it impossible for us to plan our port time effectively.

 

Another time the bridge determined that we would leave a port 5 hours early; we never received an announcement; it’s just chance that we noticed the small sign posted at the gangway. And not everyone made it back in time, so departure did wait for them.

 

On another occasion where the excursion time was moved, necessitating a cancellation, we were told we couldn’t get a refund, as the cancellation deadline was several days earlier. How can they not refund when we did not know there was a conflict until the night before? It took considerable effort to get the credit applied to our shipboard account. Likewise, in Bodó, Viking must have known the included concert (which was great) was to be several hours earlier than promoted--advance notice would be nice for planning.

 

Yet another example: a Tallinn chocolate-making tour at 8:00 am was marked sold out from the first day it appeared on the website. When the excursion booking form was passed out (halfway through the four-week cruise), an 11:30 version of same was listed as available, and I booked it. (It was not on the website in the two months that I checked). Then, the night before, my time was changed from 11:30 am to 8:00 am, posted in the Viking Daily.I made it, but the change should have been personally communicated.

 

Viking also hasn't learned a good way to disembark a lot of passengers at the same time. The space for gathering ready to disembark on either deck is totally inadequate; the gangplanks are poorly designed, too narrow, sometimes steep and downright dangerous for those without very sound footing. When steps are required at the bottom, there are no handrails for the steps. Instead of assigning buses in a gathering place (such as the theater), someone stands at the bottom of the gangplank (or sometimes a little further away), wants to see the ticket, clicks a counter, then directs to a bus, leaving others lined up on the stairs. I will say the interior signage directing people to where the gangway is located was generally excellent.

 

Shore excursion staff seem to have no input to how systems work, yet face the brunt of guest unhappiness/complaints. Petra was an exception to staff who mainly didn't care—or were just tired of hearing complaints.

 

Included excursions ranged from special to typical old town walking tours, and were all acceptable or better. Most optional tours we took were very good; some special experiences were included; prices were not unreasonably high. However, since port lectures were during the dinner hour the night before, it was difficult to attend them. And, of course, useless if you wanted to learn something about the port before planning your day or booking an excursion (which closed several days ahead of the lecture). Since these were canned, and read from a teleprompter or computer, there is no reason they could not be provided in a timely manner.

 

Other observations

 

Clientele. On our cruise, there seemed to be many Viking River customers, with limited ocean experience, or mid-level cruisers (HAL, Princess, NCL, etc.). This seems to be Viking's target: we didn't find much high-end experience. Many people we talked to seem very happy with the experience, especially food and the 'free' wine (mostly very marginal, in our opinion), whereas we are somewhat spoiled in our experiences with better food, more high-end dining, and better wine selection (we were never offered a wine list unless we specifically requested it).

 

Cabin attendant/point of contact. Our attendant was great and took ownership of many of our issues. She was our point of contact for way more than we felt she should be. With the Explorer Suite and its amenities (no literature in room welcoming guest and explaining amenities and whom to contact), there should be a single point of contact to take ownership of issues. We were called several days into the cruise by the Service Desk manager, but no direct phone number was provided. Housekeeping was very responsive; suite was serviced right after we left room almost every time.

 

Stateroom. Explorer Suite 5109. The sound insulation is excellent--both between rooms and with engine. The beautiful bath, with picture window, has lots of extra drawer space. Unfortunately, the bath floor is heated, and requires a special visit by Engineering to turn it off. Viking should allow guests to turn it on or off on future ships. Great location and quantity of all the 110 and USB outlets. Deck furniture is very flexible and nice. There is great storage/closet space in this suite, and the layout is fine.

 

Air conditioning effectiveness varies widely. Had to call for maintenance twice. We were on a northern itinerary—solution to bright sunny days was to close blackout drapes. We wonder if the stateroom would be intolerably warm in warmer climates (e.g., Caribbean).

 

Enrichment. Seemed like there were too many lecturers for an itinerary of 25 out of 28 port days. Many of the talks were scheduled at inconvenient times, such as the dinner hour. Most (but not all) speakers were very good, even those pushing goods in the shops.

 

Entertainment. Entertainment was good for the size of the ship—combination of staff and guest entertainers, and a nice variety of types and times (although staff productions repeated every two weeks). Nice to have multiple venues for entertainment—and some special programs in the Atrium. Guitar player and classical trio were very good. The theater has both benches and chairs—good idea—and lots of legroom. Small wings for cinema were useful, although lighting should be improved; we saw several people stumble and fall while we were sitting there. Good views of stage; good acoustics if sometimes too loud.

 

Other

· Mid-cruise comments never responded to.

· Future cruise desk hours were often posted inaccurately. For a Fall 2018 cruise Viking required full payment in 2016. We passed.

· Several issues around minibar service and what was included. This was eventually resolved.

· No clocks anywhere except TV/video screens—not even in stateroom.

· No public trash disposal except in bathrooms and one small can on deck three of atrium.

· Service desk was generally responsive, although two different people had no clue how to handle luggage to be shipped home via a shipping service. Invoice was incorrect; had to be adjusted to show all shipboard credit used.

 

The good news is that the ship is truly great; if Viking can figure out how to do excursions properly, and work on its restaurant dining issues, we might consider again, but not till we hear things have improved.

[algaes]

We who were on Star's 50 day maiden voyage in Apr-May 2015 had to swallow the bitter "start-up" excuse. But to have operational problems in core activities like room HVAC, dining, and excursions should be unacceptable to cruising public. Sad that design issues identified by passengers from day 1 on Viking Star were not addressed in build-out of Sea. Glad to hear there is workable internet access - that's a victory!

[Jay23]

What does HVAC mean?

[Fpacifico]

I love these types of reviews, it allows me to see what type of people that I will be cruising with. First, for myself, I would never take a maiden cruise, one word, titanic. Second, yes when you pay for a higher end cabin , you expect more and as another person already pointed out, it's laid out for you what you receive for the money. Third, yes, when you go on vacation, you want to get your money's worth and you don't want to get aggravated. For myself, if times are not printed on excursion tickets, I have to go to the desk for clarification. Sometimes you meet really competent people and sometimes they are less competent, is it annoying, of course but don't let it ruin your vacation. As to wine and beer, it's free so you know you're not going to get top of the line. That's why I prefer the beverage package, so I have a choice. Every cruise that I've been on , if you don't like the food you order, they are always happy to bring you another dish. That's the beauty of cruising. My husband and I like to share dishes so we get to taste a little of different dishes. And folks, I've learned that staff likes a smile or a thank you or to be asked how their day is going. Yes we pay to be pampered but it doesn't affect my vacation to be nice to the staff who go out of their way for us. I can't wait till my cruise, even though I know that things may not go right on everyday. Like many others on this site, I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. So happy sail day to all, hope to meet up with you on line for dinner.

[Spursgirl]

We have recently returned from our first Viking cruise on Sea. We were not in a high end cabin and did not expect special treatment. However happy to report that every crew member we encountered was gracious, helpful and always smiling. Many of them went the extra mile and helped make our cruise the lovely experience it was.

 

Have been on a couple of maiden cruises in the past. Enjoyed them very much even though there were one or two minor glitches but then isn't that to be expected on a maiden voyage?

[philw1776]

What does HVAC mean?

 

Heating & air conditioning

Items one would expect to be thoroughly vetted before a 1st cruise with paying guests

[Fpacifico]

Heating and air conditioners always are issue. They constantly need tweaking

[Jay23]

Heating & air conditioning

Items one would expect to be thoroughly vetted before a 1st cruise with paying guests

 

Thanks. We may need some heating on our up and coming cruise in the Mediterranean. J

[garycarla]

What does HVAC mean?

 

Google is awesome - Heating ventilation and air conditioning

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVAC

[Military Guy]

I appreciate the original posters review, both pros and cons. Personally I have no problem with someone who paid 10 times more getting extra perks.

[lackcreativity]

I certainly agree that people who pay more for the larger sized and higher end cabins are entitled to the additional perks as described on the website. If they are able to sign up for excursion that I, in my lowest level Veranda cabin, am closed out of, then I accept that as an established rule of the game.However, the original poster, I believe, implied that there should also be a superior level of service that accompanies that puchase. That, in my opinion, should not, and does not happen on Viking Cruises.

[philw1776]

I certainly agree that people who pay more for the larger sized and higher end cabins are entitled to the additional perks as described on the website. If they are able to sign up for excursion that I, in my lowest level Veranda cabin, am closed out of, then I accept that as an established rule of the game.However, the original poster, I believe, implied that there should also be a superior level of service that accompanies that puchase. That, in my opinion, should not, and does not happen on Viking Cruises.

 

Precisely.

Viking states on their website which perks you get when you pay more, say for a Penthouse Veranda cabin. Besides the larger cabin you get for example earlier access to making advance dinner reservations, advance excursions and alcoholic beverages in your cabin fridge.

If that's not enough for your money, don't buy the upgrade or sail with another line that offers even more differentiating perks for your money. That's the beauty of having more than one excellent cruise line, more choices where folks can find something more suitable.

Viking's approach is suitable for me. I'm sure some would prefer something else on a different cruise line.

[Military Guy]

... unless they affect other cruisers.

 

Example.

"Yes" to a separate entrance with carpets, flowers, porters for people who pay more. This is an additional perk.

 

"No" to delayed embarkation for people who pay less. This is low culture.

 

I understand your POV but to be honest it doesn't bother me. To me it's like flying on an airplane. 1st class and business class board first, exit first, eat real food, get free drinks, etc. I get it sitting in the back all cramped up, it's all about the $$$. :-)

[mort&fran]

I understand your POV but to be honest it doesn't bother me. To me it's like flying on an airplane. 1st class and business class board first, exit first, eat real food, get free drinks, etc. I get it sitting in the back all cramped up, it's all about the $$$. :-)

 

And I’m between you and ronbe65: I’m not offended if, for the extra dollars first and business class passengers paid, they board first, exit first, eat real food, get free drinks, etc. However I’ve sat with my back against the metal fuselage of a C-47, with a parachute strapped to my back, and cramped and virtually uncushioned seats are not justified no matter what fare was paid.

[Military Guy]

And I’m between you and ronbe65: I’m not offended if, for the extra dollars first and business class passengers paid, they board first, exit first, eat real food, get free drinks, etc. However I’ve sat with my back against the metal fuselage of a C-47, with a parachute strapped to my back, and cramped and virtually uncushioned seats are not justified no matter what fare was paid.

 

Thank you for your service.

 

:-)

[Fpacifico]

And I’m between you and ronbe65: I’m not offended if, for the extra dollars first and business class passengers paid, they board first, exit first, eat real food, get free drinks, etc. However I’ve sat with my back against the metal fuselage of a C-47, with a parachute strapped to my back, and cramped and virtually uncushioned seats are not justified no matter what fare was paid.

 

You are so right, thank god you made it home

[garycarla]

....."No" to delayed embarkation for people who pay less. This is low culture.

 

This is unfortunately how some people look at things.

 

They are NOT giving the "regular passengers" delayed boarding. They get to board at the normal time.

 

As a benefit to those paying extra money, they get to board earlier. You might call it semantics, but is it really a big deal?

 

Would they feel better if they delayed those that paid extra and had them board when EVERYONE boards?

 

I feel sorry for those that think they are getting the raw end of the deal.

[Peregrina651]

"No" to delayed embarkation for people who pay less. This is low culture.

 

On Viking we all have access to the ship at the same time, which is basically once they have disembarked the current occupants. However, access to our cabins is a different story and for this, there is a pecking order (suites first, etc.)

[Celiac Cruiser]

Well, this was a lively post. Good food for thought. I was a long time Ocean cruiser and thought "been there done that" - no more ocean cruises ....until my Viking River cruise last year. I just had to give Viking Ocean a try and I am headed for VH in May!! Yay.

I am optimistic and will have a Great Time.... how "great" will decide if we sign up for another.

[Military Guy]

Well, this was a lively post. Good food for thought. I was a long time Ocean cruiser and thought "been there done that" - no more ocean cruises ....until my Viking River cruise last year. I just had to give Viking Ocean a try and I am headed for VH in May!! Yay.

I am optimistic and will have a Great Time.... how "great" will decide if we sign up for another.

 

You'll have a great time, no worries.

 

I loved it.

 

:-)