Viking more expensive than Oceania?

[oskidunker]

Did an 18 day trip on oceania. Paid about the same as 13 trip on Viking next March. I know it depends on where you go. Would interested in thoughts from those who have cruised both as to food etc.

[Heidi13]

This is a rather misleading title, as you have not provided any information in your initial post as to what was included with Oceania. Lots more than where you are cruising dictates the cost of a cruise, not the least of which is supply and demand.

 

By chance is your Viking cruise the 13-day Amazon & Caribbean, which requires compulsory 24/7 pilotage for many days of the cruise. This significantly increases the per diem costs, especially on smaller ships.

[oskidunker]

Search for the Northern Lights. 
 

the oceania cruise included 5 free excursions, no beverage package, no internet.  Was from Portsmouth to Bilbao. 

[njhorseman]

54 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Search for the Northern Lights. 
 

the oceania cruise included 5 free excursions, no beverage package, no internet.  Was from Portsmouth to Bilbao. 

Viking includes beer and wine with lunch and dinner.

Oceania fare always includes internet.

[KBs mum]

There are the intangibles to consider, such as decor, cabin design, formal nights (or lack of) dining options, itinerary preferences, ambiance. 

All have no obvious cash value, but will be deciding factors when choosing which line to book with

[oskidunker]

Neither line has formal nights. 

[TERRIER1]

I think both cruise lines are good but there is a lot to consider based on individual tastes and expectations. Viking inlcudes wine and beer at meals and Oceania doesn't. Viking includes an excursion in every port however I have found that the included excursion leaves a lot to be desired depending on your wants and needs. It is usually a panoramic pass through on a bus or a walk in town that you can do on your own. Oceania has a tendancy to be more diverse in the ports that they visit and stay longer. Food is subjective and I have  had no problems with either line but Oceania is better but than you can always get a cruise with food not up to expectations. When we sailed Viking in its inaugural year it wasn't that different in price but now it appears to be more expensive than Oceania so I agree with you. 

[Heidi13]

7 hours ago, oskidunker said:

Search for the Northern Lights. 
 

the oceania cruise included 5 free excursions, no beverage package, no internet.  Was from Portsmouth to Bilbao. 

 

The Northern Light cruise is similar to the Amazon in that many days of the cruise the ship is in compulsory pilotage waters, which increases the per diem. Norway also has a very high cost of living, so increased port expenses. 

[CDNPolar]

I have many friends that say:

 

"Oh my, I would never sail Viking because they are so expensive.  I have looked at their cost and it is just too much."

 

But for the friend or two that finally agreed to sit down and actually compare what they paid for AFTER the cruise fare that only included their stateroom, then they were amazed at how close the cost was sailing with Viking.  It all depends on what you are looking for and how you perceive price vs. value.

 

We have looked at Oceania vs. Viking, and we have looked at Uniworld vs. Viking and it gets complicated because it is not apples to apples - ever - in our opinion.

 

Some of the things that Heidi13 has said, I never considered before as well.

 

I think that the only way to start to compare is to only compare exact itineraries and then do so on a spreadsheet side by side.

 

I have an Excel Spreadsheet that I have designed that I put all costs in to compare.  Everything is included in this spreadsheet from our airport transportation to insurance to pre/post stays.  The spreadsheet takes into account if there are additional fees to dine in specialty dining rooms, or for specialty coffees.  In the end, we can afford to travel on some of these luxury lines, but we do our comparisons, and in some cases we have found HUGE difference with some cruises and we have found Viking to be better value.  We have also found other cruises and lines to be better value too. We have also decided that some are virtually the same cost and therefore we choose Viking because we just like Viking very much.

 

 

[sabrefan]

I have done 5 cruises on Oceania and 2 on Viking. I have another one on Viking booked in May 2023 and on Oceania in September 2024. These cruise lines are very similar. However even though food quality is subjective I feel that Oceania has the edge on this one. Regarding wine and beer with lunch and dinner on Viking this is a benefit but so is on board credit option on Oceania with O-Life which you could use for drinks. The big advantage that Oceania has is you don’t have to pay in full, a year or six months in advance of cruise departure.  There is something to be said about cash flow since there are other things in life outside of cruising.

[lackcreativity]

This topic is of interest to me. We have only cruised five times, all with Viking, and have been very pleased with each experience. We have two more booked for 2023. The only reason I have even been looking at Oceania is their greater variety of ports in the Mediterranean, and it seems like a very good option. 

 

Price wise, the hardest comparison to make for me is the shore excursions. We have almost always used Viking's shore excursions, either the included or the optional ones. We would be comfortable using a shuttle to explore on our own, but a good guide can add so much to the experience. Private tours are an option, but that takes more research and time and while we are still working it's not really an option I want to explore yet. Prices for shore excursions for a cruise two years in the future aren't available for comparison between the two lines. 

 

The easiest solution, for me, is for Viking to add some new ports in the Mediterranean! 

 

[KBs mum]

For us included excursions have no value as we don't go on them. On the few occasions we have we were just using them as transport to somewhere one way as an alternative to a taxi. 

We don't mind them being cheap to operate as we don't want to be paying more than necessary for things we won't use. Similarly on Viking the entertainment is inexpensive, as we avoid it we don't mind.

All comes down to research and  picking whichever best suits your requirements. There is no universal correct answer

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, lackcreativity said:

This topic is of interest to me. We have only cruised five times, all with Viking, and have been very pleased with each experience. We have two more booked for 2023. The only reason I have even been looking at Oceania is their greater variety of ports in the Mediterranean, and it seems like a very good option. 

 

Price wise, the hardest comparison to make for me is the shore excursions. We have almost always used Viking's shore excursions, either the included or the optional ones. We would be comfortable using a shuttle to explore on our own, but a good guide can add so much to the experience. Private tours are an option, but that takes more research and time and while we are still working it's not really an option I want to explore yet. Prices for shore excursions for a cruise two years in the future aren't available for comparison between the two lines. 

 

The easiest solution, for me, is for Viking to add some new ports in the Mediterranean! 

 

You may find this of use. I posted it on the Oceania board following our first cruise with them last month. One couple’s opinions. 🍺🥌

 

 

[oskidunker]

Great review. I agree. We were on the Sirena. Also it when it was  Ocean Princess. Nice remodel.Also cruised Pacific Princess before it was sold. Loved  those ships, except the bathrooms. . 

[KBs mum]

A major plus for us is that the Viking ships are nearly identical within class, makes it easy to book, none of the gibberish from some other lines about which ship is on which itinerary, has what cabin configuration, dining or facilities. 

Having chosen an itinerary we just phone and ask which dates our preferred cabin numbers are available on, pick one, pay deposit, job done

[rizello]

I so appreciate this topic.  I have been trying to compare and it is a big headache.  The one advantage to Viking is the almost all-inclusive fares.  Oceania fare structure seems so very confusing and I agree you need a spreadsheet to compare apples to apples.  Viking does make it easy to just pay one price and have less to think about.  And the ships are beautiful and rooms very spacious and comfortable.

[1985rz1]

36 minutes ago, rizello said:

I so appreciate this topic.  I have been trying to compare and it is a big headache.  The one advantage to Viking is the almost all-inclusive fares.  Oceania fare structure seems so very confusing and I agree you need a spreadsheet to compare apples to apples.  Viking does make it easy to just pay one price and have less to think about.  And the ships are beautiful and rooms very spacious and comfortable.

If it matters to you, Viking requires full payment 12 months out, compared to Oceania's around 4 months out (dates vary with length of cruise).

Edited December 10, 2022 by 1985rz1

[LindaS272]

3 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

If it matters to you, Viking requires full payment 12 months out, compared to Oceania's around 4 months out (dates vary with length of cruise).

And once you have a cruise scheduled, you can ask for the next one booked to be PIF at six months.

[KBs mum]

14 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

If it matters to you, Viking requires full payment 12 months out, compared to Oceania's around 4 months out (dates vary with length of cruise).

For UK, Australia and New Zealand it's around 90 days, as we have higher non refundable deposits 

[1985rz1]

12 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

And once you have a cruise scheduled, you can ask for the next one booked to be PIF at six months.

Yes, we took advantage of that when we were onboard.

[1985rz1]

2 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

For UK, Australia and New Zealand it's around 90 days, as we have higher non refundable deposits 

In the US, deposits with are fully refundable up to 1 month before final payment, then a $250 pp penalty sets in for Oceania.  For Viking (in the US) it's a $100 pp cancellation fee.

[KBs mum]

29 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

In the US, deposits with are fully refundable up to 1 month before final payment, then a $250 pp penalty sets in for Oceania.  For Viking (in the US) it's a $100 pp cancellation fee.

UK deposit is 25% refundable on a sliding scale depending how close to departure etc. In exchange we have better consumer protection laws 

[1985rz1]

2 hours ago, KBs mum said:

UK deposit is 25% refundable on a sliding scale depending how close to departure etc. In exchange we have better consumer protection laws 

It would be nice to have better Consumer Protection Laws here in the US, but, purely based on CC postings...no other information... it seems like the UK has more predatory Travel Agents that the US.  Or we have just been very lucky in our choice.  Hope you haven't had a bad experience.

[KBs mum]

4 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

It would be nice to have better Consumer Protection Laws here in the US, but, purely based on CC postings...no other information... it seems like the UK has more predatory Travel Agents that the US.  Or we have just been very lucky in our choice.  Hope you haven't had a bad experience.

What is a predatory travel agent? As with any sector, some companies have good customer service, some don't, on occasion the customer has to go the legal route. 

Most problems seem to occur when people book via resellers such as Viator or trip adviser rather than direct or via a registered TA

 

[Tarwood3]

How is the Viking loyalty program?  I was trying to find info on the website about it and it says something about travel credits or something like that?  For those who sail on other lines besides Viking…do you like it better or worse than other lines you sail on?  

 

We have been looking at booking Viking for the first time…we sail Silversea, Seabourn and Celebrity the most, with a couple Oceania tossed in there