Viking UK 15 day cruise in 2023 or 2024

[Prost Seattle]

So in general I’m extremely green to cruising.  The partner and I are looking at one of the Viking cruises that either start in Greenwich and end in Bergen or the opposite.  Doing the research Viking seems like a good fit, as my partner would be very interested in the the speakers offered, and a shore excursion being offered in each port.

 

I guess my question is whether it’s the best value spending more on Viking or trying to build something similar on a line like Celebrity.  Is one of the advantages that it’s just ‘easier’ on Viking to plan your vacation?  

[mhb1757]

Well that’s certainly an advantage but probably not the main one. Viking is a very different product than the mass market cruises like Celebrity. You may already know this but just in case…. There are 900+ passengers max on a Viking ship vs 2500 and up on Celebrity. All cabins on Viking have verandas and are quite large in comparison to many other lines. Internet access is free, no additional charge for specialty restaurants, access to the spa, wine, beer and soft drinks are included at meals, etc. so if you added up what you would spend on Celebrity for a decent sized veranda cabin, an excursion at every port, internet charges, a spa pass, wine with dinner every night and a few dinners at specialty restaurants you might be surprised to find the price difference really isn’t that great but the product is much different. 
 

Viking doesn’t appeal to everyone.. No kids, no casino, entertainment is pretty low key. Itineraries tend to be port intensive, they have excellent historians and scholars for lectures. Excellent food, great service on board. It’s definitely our choice for ocean cruising. 

[Twitchly]

1 hour ago, Prost Seattle said:

So in general I’m extremely green to cruising.  The partner and I are looking at one of the Viking cruises that either start in Greenwich and end in Bergen or the opposite.  Doing the research Viking seems like a good fit, as my partner would be very interested in the the speakers offered, and a shore excursion being offered in each port.

 

I guess my question is whether it’s the best value spending more on Viking or trying to build something similar on a line like Celebrity.  Is one of the advantages that it’s just ‘easier’ on Viking to plan your vacation?  

I’ve never taken a cruise on Celebrity. 
 

We chose Viking because it has certain features that set it apart from other cruise lines — smaller ships, fewer people, no casino, no pushy vendors trying to get you to buy stuff you don’t need, no kids, no fee for specialty restaurants, no butlers or “reserved” areas for elites, no frat party atmosphere. Instead, Viking offers a strong focus on the ports you visit, interesting lectures, gorgeous Scandinavian-themed decor, all balcony rooms, and room to breathe. You get treated like an adult, too.
 

Which makes me very sad that our upcoming cruise with Viking will be our last for the foreseeable future. Because Viking has one feature that outweighs all the rest and is a huge negative for us: daily Covid testing and the resulting quarantines, often off the ship in a foreign country. Some see this as a positive; if that’s you, then I can heartily recommend Viking. As for us, we have begun the search for something else.

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Twitchly

[BigBee51]

The OP is looking at a cruise in 2023 or 2024. I doubt that daily COVID testing will be a thing two years from now.

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, BigBee51 said:

The OP is looking at a cruise in 2023 or 2024. I doubt that daily COVID testing will be a thing two years from now.

Arggg...  don't jinx things!!  😞

 

[Prost Seattle]

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On 4/14/2022 at 12:34 PM, mhb1757 said:

Well that’s certainly an advantage but probably not the main one. Viking is a very different product than the mass market cruises like Celebrity. You may already know this but just in case…. There are 900+ passengers max on a Viking ship vs 2500 and up on Celebrity. All cabins on Viking have verandas and are quite large in comparison to many other lines. Internet access is free, no additional charge for specialty restaurants, access to the spa, wine, beer and soft drinks are included at meals, etc. so if you added up what you would spend on Celebrity for a decent sized veranda cabin, an excursion at every port, internet charges, a spa pass, wine with dinner every night and a few dinners at specialty restaurants you might be surprised to find the price difference really isn’t that great but the product is much different. 
 

Viking doesn’t appeal to everyone.. No kids, no casino, entertainment is pretty low key. Itineraries tend to be port intensive, they have excellent historians and scholars for lectures. Excellent food, great service on board. It’s definitely our choice for ocean cruising. 

I appreciate the feedback as it sounds to me what is important to you also appeals to us.  

[Krazy4Kruisin']

We just booked the Bergen to London cruise for Aug 7, 2023. We've never done a Viking Ocean cruise, but have done the river cruise.

[CCWineLover]

10 hours ago, Krazy4Kruisin' said:

We just booked the Bergen to London cruise for Aug 7, 2023. We've never done a Viking Ocean cruise, but have done the river cruise.

I'm sure you will enjoy Ocean Cruises!   As you likely know, they are so very different (not better, not worse) than the River Cruises.  Completely different experiences!