Considering Viking Ocean-1st timer & have questions

[need2travel1]

Hi All,

We're interested in possibly booking a Viking Ocean cruise & have questions/are looking for info. It would be for one of their Mediterranean cruises but aren't sure which one yet. I figured Cruise Critic is the place to start.

 

Quick background-it's Husband & I, early/mid 50's.  We're big River Cruise fans (have done 5 w/Uniworld) & are not fans of large cruise ships (did 1 on RC & didn't like it, not our vibe at all).  Have also done 9 land tours w/ Tauck World Discovery.  We both love history & enjoy seeing new places & learning about the areas we visit.  We don't need nightlife & hate umbrella drinks (but love a good glass of wine).

 

1:  Would Viking Ocean possibly be a good fit for us?  Their advertising makes it sound like they are.

2:  Is there a set dining time for the dining venues?  Are you forced to share tables w/ other people?

3:  How are the included shore excursions?  Are they good or are they just ok so Viking can say they included one in each port?

4:  Can anyone give a very rough idea of how much the other shore excursions are?  I realize they are all different prices & styles but just a ballpark amount. 

5:  Finally, we've heard horror stories of how Viking runs their River Cruise division-canceled departure dates, leaving people stranded mid-cruise if water levels are too low, etc.  How is it dealing w/ their Ocean division? Are problems dealt w/ swiftly/professionally?

 

Sorry for all the questions but we're novices to Viking/ocean cruising & don't want to make a big mistake!  Any & all info is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[Iloveketo]

6 minutes ago, need2travel1 said:

Hi All,

We're interested in possibly booking a Viking Ocean cruise & have questions/are looking for info. It would be for one of their Mediterranean cruises but aren't sure which one yet. I figured Cruise Critic is the place to start.

 

Quick background-it's Husband & I, early/mid 50's.  We're big River Cruise fans (have done 5 w/Uniworld) & are not fans of large cruise ships (did 1 on RC & didn't like it, not our vibe at all).  Have also done 9 land tours w/ Tauck World Discovery.  We both love history & enjoy seeing new places & learning about the areas we visit.  We don't need nightlife & hate umbrella drinks (but love a good glass of wine).

 

1:  Would Viking Ocean possibly be a good fit for us?  Their advertising makes it sound like they are.

2:  Is there a set dining time for the dining venues?  Are you forced to share tables w/ other people?

3:  How are the included shore excursions?  Are they good or are they just ok so Viking can say they included one in each port?

4:  Can anyone give a very rough idea of how much the other shore excursions are?  I realize they are all different prices & styles but just a ballpark amount. 

5:  Finally, we've heard horror stories of how Viking runs their River Cruise division-canceled departure dates, leaving people stranded mid-cruise if water levels are too low, etc.  How is it dealing w/ their Ocean division? Are problems dealt w/ swiftly/professionally?

 

Sorry for all the questions but we're novices to Viking/ocean cruising & don't want to make a big mistake!  Any & all info is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

The shore excursions vary so much. On our first cruise in January of 2020, the included excursion was a wonderful visit to a Mayan ruin in Belize. We loved learning about and seeing it. On our 33 cruise to French Polynesia in January they had such a diverse amount of lectures that many of us joked that we should be getting graduate level credits for attending. Another nice thing was you ran into these lecturers in the pool, on excursions, at tea, at dinner on the aquavit terrace, etc. It was incredible!

One thing about the optional excursions, if you book Deluxe Veranda or Veranda they might be SOLD OUT by the time you can book. This happened to us on our Iconic Mediterranean cruise this November. It was made worse

because some people started the cruise farther east in the Mediterranean about a week earlier. So many things are done by cabin category. So, check out what you get for each category. 
We prefer to eat when we want and by ourselves. This is so easy to do on an Ocean ship. 
I hope this helps somewhat. We love Viking and feel that they try extremely hard to make the best of any situation. 

[katlew]

I can give you a few ideas as someone who has done one Viking Ocean and has another coming up this winter.

 

1. It sounds like you like all the things Viking is about, smaller, quieter ships. They don't have casinos, kids, auctions, photographers, & that sort of thing. They have pretty good wines included with meals & also a list you can pay for or get with the Silver Spirits package. 

2. At the main restaurant and World Cafe (buffet) you can eat anytime you want. We've never been seated with anyone else. The two optional restaurants, Manfredi's and the Chef's Table require reservations. 

3. The included excursions tend to be what they call panoramas or highlights which are bus tours with maybe a few stops. We've had some we enjoyed, like the one in Lerwick Shetland took us to a Shetland pony farm. The guide was a local with lots of wonderful information. Some are not great, in Edinburgh we ended up stuck in terrible traffic & stops were a little tricky. Typically, they do not take all your port time & will leave you in the city center to explore on your own after if you wish. I think if you just want a basic overview of a place with very little walking, the included tour is just right.

4. The price range on the other excursions is all over the place. On our upcoming cruise, they range from $89 for a nature preserve visit to $2000 for a helicopter tour. I would say most though are between $150 and $300. There are other higher priced things such as golfing which runs around $500.

5. We did not experienced a cancelled port on our last cruise, so I can't speak to that. 

[Heidi13]

55 minutes ago, need2travel1 said:

Hi All,

We're interested in possibly booking a Viking Ocean cruise & have questions/are looking for info. It would be for one of their Mediterranean cruises but aren't sure which one yet. I figured Cruise Critic is the place to start.

 

Quick background-it's Husband & I, early/mid 50's.  We're big River Cruise fans (have done 5 w/Uniworld) & are not fans of large cruise ships (did 1 on RC & didn't like it, not our vibe at all).  Have also done 9 land tours w/ Tauck World Discovery.  We both love history & enjoy seeing new places & learning about the areas we visit.  We don't need nightlife & hate umbrella drinks (but love a good glass of wine).

 

1:  Would Viking Ocean possibly be a good fit for us?  Their advertising makes it sound like they are.

Based on your interest in smaller ships, history and learning about the ports visited, I believe that Viking meets all those points. The ships are spacious and very well designed, with lots of quiet nooks & crannies to sit and relax. They have an onboard library of 1,000 to 2,000 books distributed around the various lounges and public spaces. Since Viking treat you like an adult, reading the books is on the honour system, as no check out is required. Each ship has a resident historian, who presents lectures and hold small round table chats. The lectures are excellent.

2:  Is there a set dining time for the dining venues?  Are you forced to share tables w/ other people?

MDR - is normally open 18:00 to 21:00. No reservations are required or accepted. They have lots of tables for 2, or you can request sharing

World Cafe - is the buffet and the hours are posted in Viking Daily newspaper delivered to your cabin daily. It is drop in and also has many tables for 2

Alternative Restaurants - reservations are normally required. Opens at 18:00

3:  How are the included shore excursions?  Are they good or are they just ok so Viking can say they included one in each port?

The Included Shore-ex are normally an overview of the area, being a guided walking tour, or a 3 hr bus trip. All the Included shore-ex we took were good to very good, with the quality of the guide often being the determining factor. In a few ports, the Included tour is much longer and in others it is the best tour available (Komodo Island)

4:  Can anyone give a very rough idea of how much the other shore excursions are?  I realize they are all different prices & styles but just a ballpark amount.

Optional shore-ex are priced based on length of tour, content and location. Since they vary from about $60 to $15,000 it is impossible to provide a dollar figure. When I compare the price of comparable Viking & Princess shore-ex in 2019, generally Viking were cheaper.

5:  Finally, we've heard horror stories of how Viking runs their River Cruise division-canceled departure dates, leaving people stranded mid-cruise if water levels are too low, etc.  How is it dealing w/ their Ocean division? Are problems dealt w/ swiftly/professionally?

We were on the COVID curtailed 2019/20 World Cruise, which Viking were forced to terminate in Dubai. Viking arranged flights for every passenger, regardless of whether they used Viking Air, or not. To compare with HAL, which cancelled their WC in Freemantle - HAL arranged flights for those pax using HAL Air, but pax not using HAL Air were disembarked on their own.

In Dubai, about 90 Canadian & US pax remained aboard when the local airline ceased operations. Viking arranged a charter flight to Newark, but the US refused to accept the 8 Canadians. Viking kept all 8 of us aboard with a full crew.

 

Please see answers to your questions in red

[Moonlion]

We've been on two Viking river cruises and one Viking ocean cruise.  I agree with everything said by Iloveketo and Katlew. I've added a few of our thoughts on some of your questions:

 

1:  Would Viking Ocean possibly be a good fit for us?  Their advertising makes it sound like they are. From what you've described about your likes and interests, I think you will love Viking Ocean.  The ship is beautiful and there is a very peaceful, calm, low-keyed vibe that we love.  There are no sales pitches or someone trying to sell you something. The evening "entertainment" is fairly low-keyed as well. However, there are several lectures (about the history and culture of the region) and enrichment activities each day.  We also took a megaship cruise about 10 years ago and hated it.  We loved our Viking ocean cruise so much we booked two additional cruises while onboard.     

 

3:  How are the included shore excursions?  Are they good or are they just ok so Viking can say they included one in each port? As Iloveketo said, the quality varies greatly. I've been on some included excursions that have been excellent and others that are little more than a bus ride (basically a drive-by the sites and a few quick stops for photos).  Those listed as a "panoramic tour" tend to be bus rides.  It also depends on the guide you get.  Some are great, others not so much. However, we've also been on optional excursions that have ranged from excellent to disappointing.   

4:  Can anyone give a very rough idea of how much the other shore excursions are?  I realize they are all different prices & styles but just a ballpark amount. For our upcoming British Isles Explorer cruise, most optional excursions range from about $100 to $250/pp depending on length of tour, type of transportation involved, whether lunch is provided, etc. You can also look into booking private excursions which tend to cost less than a similar ship excursion and often involve a smaller number of passengers.    

5:  Finally, we've heard horror stories of how Viking runs their River Cruise division-canceled departure dates, leaving people stranded mid-cruise if water levels are too low, etc.  How is it dealing w/ their Ocean division? Are problems dealt w/ swiftly/professionally? Ocean cruises, of course, don't have a same challenges as river cruises with too low or too high water levels (no ship swapping in the middle of the Atlantic ocean 😉). However, there can be last-minute cancellations of port stops once at sea, usually because of weather-related issues.  On our Northern Lights cruise last January, we missed two ports because of weather.  One of the ports was replaced with a new port at the last-minute; the other lost port became a sea day.  In our experience, the crew bend over backwards to reschedule port stops if possible or to make the sea day more enjoyable. There is also the possibility that the itinerary can be modified before the cruise departs. This can be frustrating especially if a port you want to visit is swapped out.      

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

I have also done far more river cruising than ocean cruising and prefer it to ocean cruising. River ports are typically right in the middle of the city while ocean ports tend to be farther away from attractions you want to visit, necessitating longer travel times to get to where you really want to go. They are just a different experience.

 

That being said I think Viking is a great match for what you are looking for. They started out a a river cruise line so their emphasis has always been on the destinations and education more than social activities on the ship. No casinos, no photographers, no auctions, no children, etc. Their on board historians and speakers present interesting and entertaining presentations relative to your itinerary. To give you a flavor of what to expect, one of the speakers on our trip to France gave a fabulous presentation on the Mona Lisa. During the pandemic Viking had him present his lecture on Viking.TV. You can watch it here:

https://viking.tv/tv/this-week-on-viking-tv/wednesdays/exploring-the-mona-lisa-with-writer-and-lecturer-russell-lee

 

The dining venues have standard times when breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available. There is no single dinner setting as on river cruises. Tables for two are always available. You won't be forced to sit at a large table of strangers. As noted above, the World Cafe is open seating and the other main dining venues require reservations. The Pool Grill is open for lunch. Mamsens is a favorite for breakfast, and also serves other items during the day. One big perk is 24 hour room service is included at no extra charge. The afternoon high tea in the Wintergarden is one of our absolute favorite experiences on board.

 

Optional excursions run the gamut in pricing from under $100 to several hundred. One thing to look for is Viking often has "privileged access" to some venues. This can mean off hour tours, difficult to obtain tours, a special experience not offered to the general public, or places off the beaten track that might be off your radar.

 

I've never had an issue with dealing with Viking so I can't address problem resolution. Their service has always been excellent and the crew goes out of their way to assist you any way they can.

 

Next spring we will be on the Mediterranean Odyssey from Venice to Barcelona. We expect to have a fabulous time.

 

You also might want to follow this thread where people post the latest discount codes and offers:

 

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by OneSixtyToOne

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The dining venues have standard times when breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available.

Generally standard, but they may vary based on special days, special events, early excursions, early disembarkations. Also, lunch is not available in the MDR on port days, generally. But as noted above, the Viking Daily will give all opening/closing times for restaurants/bars/Mamsen’s/Wintergarden teatime.

 

Also generally, Guest Relations onboard is stellar. We too were caught out during the COVID shutdown on Viking Jupiter in SA but were able to finish the cruise in BA as advertised. Viking scrambled like crazy to rebook people not already on day of disembarkation flights, even if you didn’t have Viking Air (we had Viking Air).

[TayanaLorna]

Putting my 2¢ in for cost of Viking excursions.  What I found was the cost of optional excursions is based on what country you are touring and the length of the tour.  For example in Iceland they were rather expensive but so is Iceland.  Most of the excursions were $150 to $300 per person but many of them were 8 hours and included lunch.  In Norway they were also at the higher end.  Then when we did a TA from Barcelona to SJ, PR the cost was less in more the $69 to $189 range.  The higher end one was an all day incl lunch.  South America was about the same as is our upcoming Caribbean and Amazon River.  The very costly excursions involve an overnight or a helicopter ride or some such trip.

[Azulann]

Great answers from other Viking Cruisers above . 

I love the  resident historian  lectures and round-table discussions.  Also  on the Itinerary  listing on Viking web site there is a Resource category . It included  a curated reading list and film list to read and view for  the individual sailing. Viking  treats  their guest as educated adults who love to learn and explore  first and foremost.

Their offerings of excursions vary. I chose the ones I want based on all my research and what I definitely want to visit or explore at each port.  Some of the included excursions walking tours  are just fine if you have a good guide. Also having time to just explore the  port town after your tour is an option. Viking did have free shuttles at Spanish ports we visited in the past. 

 I am looking forward to my 4th Viking Cruise next June " Scenic Scandinavia" on the Viking Jupiter 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Azulann

[IkonIke]

How many people can we expect to tour with on most Viking shore excursions?

[need2travel1]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so much for your insights into Viking Ocean!  It sounds like it's a pretty perfect fit for us so now the fun research begins.  I know I'll have about 100 more questions as we go forward but you've given us a great place to start & a terrific overview.  

 

We're limited to July/early August-I know the hottest time of the year to do the Mediterranean but he's a teacher so there we are.  Right now I'm intrigued by four:  Empires of the Med, Iconic Western Med, Venice, Adriatic & Greece & finally Italian Sojourn.  

 

Thank you all again!!

 

 

[Moonlion]

27 minutes ago, IkonIke said:

How many people can we expect to tour with on most Viking shore excursions?

Most included excursions and many optional use a standard size bus so I'm guessing anywhere from 25-50 passengers. 

[OneSixtyToOne]

6 minutes ago, Moonlion said:

Most included excursions and many optional use a standard size bus so I'm guessing anywhere from 25-50 passengers. 

Just to add, each bus has their own tour guide. So even if it’s the same walking tour, you will be in your own small group. The guides do a good job in staggering their starts or taking slightly different paths. 

[Heidi13]

6 hours ago, IkonIke said:

How many people can we expect to tour with on most Viking shore excursions?

 

It varies depending on the size of bus, or other mode of transport. However, we have not taken a Viking shore-ex and had the bus filled to capacity. Always had a number of empty seats.

[Twitchly]

You can also book your own tours via Viator, etc. We have done a mix of included, optional, and third-party tours. 

[Busy Mum]

I'm following this topic with much interest as Hubby and I are also very keen to experience Viking for the first time.  We are particularly interested in the Norwegian Fjords and would also like to thank everyone for your input and it's also answered some of the questions I had.  Vicki. 🙂 

[Vineyard View]

You  may want to look at the ports of call section on CC. We have used independent excursion/tour recommendations many times in various parts of the world. Most often the cost of small group, or even private tours are much more attractive than cruise line costs (not just Viking), and are usually more efficient due to the maneuverability of a car/smaller than bus vehicle and those accompanying number of people. It’s worth a look. It has been interesting that in many countries these independent tour operators are required to be formally educated in tourism at universities. I have also heard good reviews on Tours by Locals, but have not experienced them. 
Either way, you cannot loose with choosing Viking. We have sailed them both oceans and rivers, and are looking to do so again in 2024. 

[FetaCheese]

Sorry, found answer on another V forum.

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by FetaCheese

[kctwinmommy]

On 10/12/2022 at 12:56 PM, need2travel1 said:

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so much for your insights into Viking Ocean!  It sounds like it's a pretty perfect fit for us so now the fun research begins.  I know I'll have about 100 more questions as we go forward but you've given us a great place to start & a terrific overview.  

 

We're limited to July/early August-I know the hottest time of the year to do the Mediterranean but he's a teacher so there we are.  Right now I'm intrigued by four:  Empires of the Med, Iconic Western Med, Venice, Adriatic & Greece & finally Italian Sojourn.  

 

Thank you all again!!

 

 

Your post has helped me too! We're just starting the research process, having never cruised on Viking at all, but my parents have. We feel we're ready for this level of cruising though.

 

We're looking at the Empires of the Med one in April, 2024.

[longterm]

On 10/12/2022 at 12:56 PM, need2travel1 said:

Right now I'm intrigued by four:  Empires of the Med, Iconic Western Med, Venice, Adriatic & Greece & finally Italian Sojourn.  

We did the Italy, Adriatic & Greece trip, going from Rome to Athens, in March of this year, and I would do it again.
 

We spent 5 extra days in Rome before getting on-board, and also added the post extension in Athens; I'd recommend both. We both felt that 5 days in Rome was a good length of time, although we could easily have spent 5 more and not seen the same areas twice. In fact, I've already sketched out a train trip that will stretch from Zurich to Rome, and we'll plan a few days in Rome for that trip as well.

 

We particularly loved all the stops in Croatia and Montenegro; Venice was wonderful but not long enough (will be part of our train trip), and next time we'll see some areas we didn't get to, like the Amalfi coast and Cinque Terre, but the Viking cruise hits some great places (Bari and Crotone weren't much, but we did find a great silk rug in Bari). 

 

One of my favorite stops was in Sicily, where we did an excursion and saw the sites of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather;" as a big fan of those movies, I was thrilled to see the actual locations of some of the scenes in the movie.
 

Walking the wall in Dubrovnik was memorable as well, and the food there and in Split was simply amazing. 
 

If I were advising, I'd suggest the same itinerary we did--5 days in Rome pre-trip on your own (we stayed at the Argentina Residence Hotel--5 minutes from the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Farnese), and the post extension in Athens is well worth it as well. 

[Clay Clayton]

On 10/12/2022 at 1:56 PM, need2travel1 said:

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so much for your insights into Viking Ocean!  It sounds like it's a pretty perfect fit for us so now the fun research begins.  I know I'll have about 100 more questions as we go forward but you've given us a great place to start & a terrific overview.  

 

We're limited to July/early August-I know the hottest time of the year to do the Mediterranean but he's a teacher so there we are.  Right now I'm intrigued by four:  Empires of the Med, Iconic Western Med, Venice, Adriatic & Greece & finally Italian Sojourn.  

 

Thank you all again!!

 

 

I am in agreement with all the advice you have received above.
 

Just wanted to add that I don’t recall reading of Viking stranding anyone mid-river. Changing to a bus and doing doing a boat swap around a low or high water portion of a river yes-but flat out cancelation no. 

 

if you haven’t already you may want to take a look at this thread-it has great advice about how to make the most of your first Viking Ocean cruise:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2416372-tips-for-new-viking-ocean-cruisers/page/62/#comment-62141739

 

[donaldsc]

On 10/12/2022 at 12:11 PM, OneSixtyToOne said:

Just to add, each bus has their own tour guide. So even if it’s the same walking tour, you will be in your own small group. The guides do a good job in staggering their starts or taking slightly different paths. 

 

This also happened on our Viking river cruise excursions.  They were well organized.

 

DON