Norway's fjords on Viking Ocean?

[poss]

I'd very much appreciate hearing from people who've done a Norway/Sweden (maybe Denmark too) tour on Viking Ocean. We're long time Regent cruisers, but may wish to try Viking. (I would miss the many included excursions on Regent, but other aspects may be worth a try.)

Thank you.

[philw1776]

Check this site for the many reviews of Viking Homelands cruise. It visits the countries you mention as well as other interesting Baltic ports.

[jiminyC_fan]

We took the Viking Homelands cruise this past May/June. Absolutely loved every aspect of it. We did some of their included tours, explored on our own or hired a private company.

[jiminyC_fan]

Here is at thread that I started. Maybe it is something that can help you. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2508341

[vnb2003]

Here is at thread that I started. Maybe it is something that can help you. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2508341

 

Oh, I remember this thread! I followed you in my research for the same cruise :) Thank you very much!

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'd very much appreciate hearing from people who've done a Norway/Sweden (maybe Denmark too) tour on Viking Ocean. We're long time Regent cruisers, but may wish to try Viking. (I would miss the many included excursions on Regent, but other aspects may be worth a try.)

Thank you.

 

Not speaking from personal experience, but posts on Cruise Critic indicate that on Regent the promised included excursions often fill up -- while on Viking all included excursions are guaranteed to be available.

[roothy123]

We did "Into the Midnight Sun," which included a lot of Norwegian fjords but no stops in Sweden, just Scotland and Great Britain. I thought it was a pretty incredible cruise, as there was such great scenery while cruising, which is a bit unusual for most ocean cruises. If you really want to see the Norwegian fjords, I would recommend Midnight Sun. You can see some fjords and scenery on other cruises that go to Norway for a day or two, but if you want total immersion, go way up north and back down on Viking.

 

We did the Baltic on Oceania, and that was an incredible cruise as well, but for different reasons. I haven't cruised on Regent before due to price and my feeling that perhaps Regent is a little too formal for me, so I can't say how they compare. However, I would guess that you would find Viking a great line. Their service and food are great, and the ship is modern, beautiful, and spacious.

[jiminyC_fan]

Oh, I remember this thread! I followed you in my research for the same cruise :) Thank you very much!

Glad I could offer a little help!

 

For me, I chose the Homelands cruise because of it stopping in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and it seems poss is interested in them as well. The countries were just as important to me as the fjords. The itinerary most definitely satisfied me.

[vnb2003]

Glad I could offer a little help!

 

For me, I chose the Homelands cruise because of it stopping in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and it seems poss is interested in them as well. The countries were just as important to me as the fjords. The itinerary most definitely satisfied me.

 

That is exactly why we decided to choose Homelands. We've never been in those 3 countries. We fell in love with Norway - it's so beautiful!

[luvnps]

Same for us. We chose Viking Homelands cruise because of the itinerary. We did not want to go to that part of the world and see only one country. We loved Stockholm, Tallinn, etc. and St. Petersburg was amazing. We traveled on the July 15th cruise from Stockholm, and we arrived in Stockholm 2 days early and very much enjoyed it. After departure from the ship on July 29 we spent 2 additional nights in Bergen (took the Sognefjord in a Nutshell trip), took the train from Bergen to Oslo and spent 3 days in Oslo on our own. Best trip ever! We loved everything about the cruise. Norway is spectacular, but I would not have wanted to miss Stockholm, Denmark, St. Petersburg and the other ports.

[jiminyC_fan]

That is exactly why we decided to choose Homelands. We've never been in those 3 countries. We fell in love with Norway - it's so beautiful!

 

We fell so much in love with Norway that I am thinking about planning a land trip. Just have to figure out where to start.

[poss]

I'm very grateful for these responses and of course I hope there will be more. I also appreciated jiminy's thread and the one for "Newcomers to Viking." I'm learning a lot.

 

I've been to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn, St Pete, etc. a number of times, so not so much interested in that part of the Baltics. Really want to see Norway (and Iceland, though not as much as I want to see Norway, villages, fjords, etc) (I've also been to Alaska a number of times and love it.)

 

About included excursions: In all my years (dozen or so) of cruising Regent, I have never been unable to get an excursion I desired. Never. On rare occasions, when I was very late in putting in our druthers, a tour may have been full, but ALWAYS space opened once we were on board.

 

One thing that concerns me (in addition to not having that palette of excellent -- almost always-- included excursions) is that I noted some people mentioning being able to hear their neighbors (and hallways) on Viking. I know that many people do not, but if even some do, I'd be among them. Regent has tremendous sound-proofing and I've never heard a peep from next door or the hallway. Hearing someone's t.v. would drive me bats.

 

Thanks again for the input. Happy sails to all!

[clasater]

Never heard a peep in 15 days on the Viking Sea. Very quiet we thought. Never heard anyone else complain.

[poss]

Yes, I really do understand that many people have never heard a peep. But the fact is that some people have. No need to debate the point. Viking Ocean sounds like a very fine product-- nice to hear that so many people enjoy it. I will continue to do research.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm seeing the prices comparable to Azamara, between the Midnight Sun itinerary and Az's fjords trip. Both the same length, somewhat different itin. Az starts in Edinburgh and ends in Copenhagen, so no London or Shetlands or Orkneys. But more Norway.

 

If I'd have seen the Viking itins before I booked the Azamara trip, I might seriously have considered it, but can't see changing. Cabins are a bit bigger, however.

[fairbourne]

Poss - it drives me nuts too to hear neighbours. I have very sensitive hearing! The worst we found ourselves in an interconnecting stateroom on Oceania (Regatta)! Our mistake for not checking the deck plans carefully enough!

 

Second was on Regent, our neighbours had a very loud alarm every morning at some ungodly hour followed by their butler arriving with a very heavy hand on those door bells and loud voice announcing their room service breakfast! We were also across from a crew/crew laundry door and several times I had to venture out and ask them to stop yapping!

 

So you just never know!

 

On Viking - not a cheep except if I happened to be in the bathroom at the same time as our neighbours flushed - I just about heard it!

 

We live a short one hours flight to Norway and we've been there before but not up to the very North and the Fjords - having been to Alaska which we loved we were not sure how it would be. Would it even compare? Well, now we've been (Into the Midnight Sun) - we should have gone years ago! We loved it! And no long haul flights!

 

We also enjoyed the included excursions - they are what they are, so go in with an open mind. I thought the same when we booked to go on Regent for the first time. But we enjoyed them too!

 

(FWIW -There seems to be a lot of misinformation being posted on another (Regent) thread mainly by a feline poster, just saying! ;))

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

We also enjoyed the included excursions - they are what they are, so go in with an open mind. I thought the same when we booked to go on Regent for the first time. But we enjoyed them too!

 

(FWIW -There seems to be a lot of misinformation being posted on another (Regent) thread mainly by a feline poster, just saying! ;))

 

Fairbourne, thank you for this. How did the included excursions compare to those on Regent? And did you pay for any value-added excursions?

[Host Jazzbeau]

I'm seeing the prices comparable to Azamara, between the Midnight Sun itinerary and Az's fjords trip. Both the same length, somewhat different itin. Az starts in Edinburgh and ends in Copenhagen, so no London or Shetlands or Orkneys. But more Norway.

 

If I'd have seen the Viking itins before I booked the Azamara trip, I might seriously have considered it, but can't see changing. Cabins are a bit bigger, however.

 

You can get the missing ports by booking Viking's British Isles itinerary [bergen to Greenwich] next year! Azamara does the Norwegian Fjords really really well, and their smaller ships allow sailing all the way into Troll Fjord, turning around, and sailing back out.

[fairbourne]

Hi Wendy - well we found the included excursions gave us a good overview but some were better than others. You know we like our private smaller groups - happy memories of that lunch in Tangiers! :D So when we first decided on regent we weren't sure how we would like the included excursions - but I did as it certainly meant a lot less planning work for me!

 

Back to Viking - For example in Molde the included we took was a visit to an open air museum (unfortunately it was rainy and quite cool that day) but the coach took us to the museum, a short drive away and we thought we would just wander around and then take a coach back. The coaches were running as a shuttle, so you could decide how long you stayed. What we didn't know was the local school children were putting on a display of traditional dancing and singing for us in one of the old barns. This was after visiting some of the other old buildings including a church (more chapel). Anyway these kids had been rehearsing all year for the tourists to come and it was good fun - they even managed to get some of our group up dancing!

Now after that a lot of people seemed to rush off back to the ship (complaining about the rain and cold) but what they missed was the brand new museum and a small street with traditional cottages and the kids showing us how they made traditional flat bread and butter. Molde was the last town the norwegian King and his family reached (being chased by the Germans during Second World War) and were rescued by the British Navy there so the museum had lots of photos etc on all of that history which we really enjoyed.

 

Of course everyone went to Nordkapp and you could choose the time you wanted and it was very well organised so when you got there it wasn't everyone all at once! Thankfully we had a dry day and not too much wind. They were short of guides I think as we did not have a guide going up on the coach but on the way back we did.

 

The other trip we really enjoyed was the drive around Shetland - mainly because we visited some Shetland ponies. We took a couple of the lovely wrapped apples Viking always has as you disembark the ship for the ponies. They went down very well!!

 

We were on a Baltics cruise with Regent and the included excursions were much more extensive I would say particularly St Petersburg. Longer coach drives and more palace /musuem type visits. We did take a couple of optional excursions in St Petersburg. And a few canal type trips in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Bruges.

 

Norway is more about the outdoors and scenery I think. Geiranger Fjord was stunning - I'm afraid I chickened out on the included coach up and around those (in)famous hair pin bends but DH went and thoroughly enjoyed it and I was happy sitting in the Living Room with my perfectly made tea with some delicious cake from Mamsens! So we were both happy! We thought Viking gave us a good taster in every port where we took the included excursions. We didn't take any optional excursions and chose to do our own thing in Edinburgh (Rosyth) and Greenwich.

 

One thing I think you and your DH would enjoy is the camaraderie on the ship - I know you found Oceania sometimes a tad quiet at times but we managed to keep the bar busy a fair bit on our cruise - maybe it was all those light nights losing track of time! LOL!!! The Living Room we particularly enjoyed and that was our go to spot after dinner. We also enjoyed Torshavn, the nightclub type bar.