Viking Passengers

[rbslos18]

What do you think distinguishes Viking passengers from other upscale line passengers?

RB

Edited December 30, 2020 by rbslos18

[DrKoob]

In my humble opinion as a travel professional, the biggest difference is that Viking pax are travelers before they are cruisers. They are more about where the ship is going than the ship itself. If the ports aren't interesting and there aren't a lot of them, why go? 

For instance we are booked on a Med Cruise in autumn 2022 that is 21 nights without a single sea day. We have mentioned this to other friends who cruise (Celebrity, HAL, etc) and they respond with horror that there are no times for just laying around the pool, reading or playing cards. The only reason I like them is that it gives me an opportunity to catch up on photos but I can do that at night. 

 

Most Viking pax that we have met have been between 50 and 80 and almost everyone is active. Most have grown children and like the fact that Viking is child-free. I have booked families on Seabourn and  Regent so that means there are kids. My kids are grown. If we want to take them on a cruise, we would never take them on Viking. They want the cruising experience of an RCL big ship, which we love if we are with them. 

 

These are also people who don't like all the upselling that goes on no matter where you are. And no casino, no smoking, no photographers...all things that drew me there. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Jim

 

 

[duquephart]

2 hours ago, DrKoob said:

In my humble opinion as a travel professional, the biggest difference is that Viking pax are travelers before they are cruisers. They are more about where the ship is going than the ship itself. If the ports aren't interesting and there aren't a lot of them, why go? 

For instance we are booked on a Med Cruise in autumn 2022 that is 21 nights without a single sea day. We have mentioned this to other friends who cruise (Celebrity, HAL, etc) and they respond with horror that there are no times for just laying around the pool, reading or playing cards. The only reason I like them is that it gives me an opportunity to catch up on photos but I can do that at night. 

 

Most Viking pax that we have met have been between 50 and 80 and almost everyone is active. Most have grown children and like the fact that Viking is child-free. I have booked families on Seabourn and  Regent so that means there are kids. My kids are grown. If we want to take them on a cruise, we would never take them on Viking. They want the cruising experience of an RCL big ship, which we love if we are with them. 

 

These are also people who don't like all the upselling that goes on no matter where you are. And no casino, no smoking, no photographers...all things that drew me there. 

 

Hope this helps. 

Jim

 

 

 

Well said!

[vslparis]

 I am not sure what lines you are including in the upscale category ( I would consider Regent , Seabourn, Silversea in the luxury category, Viking , Oceania and maybe Crystal in the Premium Plus or upscale  category ), but I would agree that many Viking passengers , along with passengers on Regent and Seabourn , are on board as curious and engaged travellers as opposed to those that just want to cruise ,perhaps to destinations that hold no appeal beyond a beach. There is a place for those types of cruisers also which is why there are many different cruise lines. 

 

To me, the Viking difference offers an upscale relaxed ,non fussy, adult only experience at a good value for money , travel with others that have similar interests ,and without the somewhat more formal dining atmosphere on Seabourn , Silversea , Regent and even Crystal . I also like the fact that there is no extra charge for the two specialty restaurants, the included Thermal Spa area. The ships  have been  designed in a very well thought out way .  

There are many locations on board where you feel as if you are in a 5 star hotel and can relax in a well appointed , comfortable space.  I love the fact that there is no "library" but multiple spots throughout the ship that have  bookcases filled with a large variety of subjects and comfy seating areas to relax in.  Especially like the "fireplace" in a section of the Explorer's lounge.  The friendliness and service of the staff is the icing on the cake. To me, all of these thing contribute to that "AHHH" feeling you get when you come on board or walk around the public spaces .  It is like coming home . 

 

[vslparis]

Yikes, @DrKoob , 21 days on a cruise and no sea days !  I don't think that I would be able to move after that one 😉. While we prefer lots of ports, we still like to enjoy at least a few days at sea to enjoy the ship and lectures ( well at least I enjoy that last one ) .  We did a trip from Santiago Chile to Sydney about 18 months ago that was 33 days and had 21 days at sea ; 11 at one shot . Don't think that you would have liked that one . That is the great thing about cruising ( or travel for that matter ) there is something for everyone.

[rbslos18]

Thanks for sharing. We enjoy visiting ports but especially love the relaxation of just being on the ship at sea. So for us the more days at sea the better. What brought us to Viking is its elegance without being ostentatious. The luxury cruise lines just weren’t for us. 

RB

[orchestrapal]

1 hour ago, rbslos18 said:

Thanks for sharing. We enjoy visiting ports but especially love the relaxation of just being on the ship at sea. So for us the more days at sea the better. What brought us to Viking is its elegance without being ostentatious. The luxury cruise lines just weren’t for us. 

RB

We found Viking casual rather than elegant however you will probably love it!

 

[zalusky]

Yea I don't think I can take a lot of continuous port days.  We both like to sleep in and in fact most times we miss breakfast on sea days.  We need time to recharge from getting up at 6 or 7am.

 

This is one thing that is turning me off considering a Mediterranean itinerary for now.

 

 

[shank63]

1 hour ago, zalusky said:

Yea I don't think I can take a lot of continuous port days.  We both like to sleep in and in fact most times we miss breakfast on sea days. 

We have been on 2 Oceania cruises which were port intensive, Mediterranean and Baltic.  The continuous port days can be taxing, so we booked excursions for only the ports that were of high interest for us and did site-seeing on our own for the other ports.  The excursions are highly recommended for ports like Rome or Florence if you have never visited them.  St. Petersburg is basically a required excursion due to Russia’s visa requirements.  Many ports can be enjoyed after your leisurely breakfast, on your own or using a hop on & off bus, and return to the ship for afternoon tea at 4 pm and/or Happy Hour at 5 pm.  

Edited January 1, 2021 by shank63

[Cienfuegos]

Viking's absence of "formal nights", photographers, casino noise, etc is attractive to me  The ability to dine in Manfredi's etc without a surcharge, etc is very nice.

 

The relatively small number of passengers also makes for a less congested experience in the corridors, etc and a less crowded feeling in the buffet area.

[lackcreativity]

22 hours ago, zalusky said:

Yea I don't think I can take a lot of continuous port days.  We both like to sleep in and in fact most times we miss breakfast on sea days.  We need time to recharge from getting up at 6 or 7am.

 

This is one thing that is turning me off considering a Mediterranean itinerary for now.

 

 

Viking's included excursions are generally offered several times a day. Some of those have been very good/excellent and just about all of them are satisfactory. We have chosen afternoon time slots  in ports that might not be high priority on our list, so we get to have an easy morning and still get at least an introduction to the port. The risk is that sometimes the ports you don't know really surprise you, and you wish you had more time!

 In many ports, Viking offers free shuttle service to a central location, so you can make your own schedule if you like touring on your own. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by lackcreativity

[lackcreativity]

Sorry, duplicate post.

Edited January 2, 2021 by lackcreativity