viking ocean cruises cabin categories

The Roaming Boomers

How to choose the perfect stateroom on a viking ocean cruise.

Posted by David Porter on Friday, November 11, 2016 · 88 Comments  

Viking Ocean Cruises Stateroom Guide

How to choose the right stateroom on a viking ocean cruise.

Now that we’ve sailed with Viking Ocean Cruises on the Viking Star and have given you the first impressions from our sailing, we thought it might be helpful to circle back around and offer you some help on how to choose a stateroom that’s right for you.

One of the first things to know is that all of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships are identical, so our Viking Ocean Cruises Stateroom Guide will help you regardless of which of the Viking ocean ships you’re considering.

If you’re looking for our guide on choosing the right stateroom on a V iking River Cruise , then please click here.

The Viking Ocean Cruises ships hold a maximum of 930 passengers with 465 staterooms divided into the following categories:

• 42 Veranda (V) staterooms
• 272 Deluxe Veranda (DV) staterooms
• 104 Penthouse Veranda (PV) staterooms
• 32 Penthouse Junior Suites (PS)
• 14 Explorer Suites (ES)
• 1 Owner’s Cabin (OS)

As you can see, Viking Ocean Cruises has designed every stateroom to have a veranda with the smallest offering passengers a comfy 270 sq. ft. This size is quite a departure from competitor ships where many of the entry level staterooms can be as small as 150 sq. ft.

All right, let’s start  by exploring the specific differences between the various staterooms, and we’ll share our opinions at the end of this article.

Highlights of the Viking Ocean Cruises Staterooms

Note: click on all of the photographs below to see larger views.

Veranda Staterooms

There are 42 Veranda Staterooms (V) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships. These staterooms are located on Deck 3 with the V1 staterooms towards the front and the V2 staterooms towards the rear.

Each room has the following features:

• 11:00 a.m. embarkation
• 3:00 p.m. stateroom access
• Priority shore excursion reservations: 60 days prior
• King-size Viking Explorer bed with luxury linens
• Large flat-screen LCD TV
• Luxury toiletries

• Security safe, hair dryer, 110/220 volt outlets
• Interactive TV & movies-on-demand
• 24-hour room service

Deluxe Veranda Stateroom s

When choosing a stateroom remember that there are 272 Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (DV) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships with classifications going from DV1 – DV6.  Besides earlier access to your stateroom and shore excursion reservations, the biggest difference between these staterooms is the location on the ship.  You will also find a small difference in price between each of these categories.  Let me explain:

• DV1 – there are just a dozen or so of these staterooms and they are located in premium spots on the ship alongside the Explorer Suites.  These sell out quickly as there are so few of them.
• DV2 – there are quite a number of these stateroom located primarily mid-ship on decks 5 and 6.
• DV3 – again, just a handful located in desirable locations on the ship.
• DV4 – there are quite a number of these staterooms located primarily mid-ship on deck 4.
• DV5 – about 25 of these located on deck 4 fore and aft.
• DV6 – less than 20 of these located on deck 3 just behind the atrium.

The Deluxe Veranda Staterooms are physically identical to the Veranda Staterooms and offer the following improved features:

• 2:00 p.m. stateroom access
• Priority shore excursion reservations: 67 days prior
• 1 guaranteed priority reservation at each specialty restaurant (60 days prior to departure)
• Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
• Luxury robes, slippers & toiletries
• Direct dial satellite phone & cell service

Penthouse Veranda Staterooms

There are 104 Penthouse Veranda Staterooms (PV) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships.

These staterooms are the largest of the Veranda Staterooms, are located on decks 5 and 6 and come with the following more improved features:

• 1:00 p.m. stateroom access
• Priority shore excursion reservations: 77 days prior
• 2 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (70 days prior to departure)
• Mini-bar with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water & snacks, replenished once daily
• In-suite binoculars, coffee maker & cashmere blanket

• Shoe shine & pressing
• Bottle of champagne

Penthouse Junior Suites

There are 32 Penthouse Junior Suites (PS) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships.  These junior suites each feature a close-off between the bedroom and living area and come with the following features:

• 11:00 a.m. priority stateroom access
• Priority shore excursion reservations: 87 days prior
• 3 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (80 days prior to departure)

• Laundry, dry cleaning, shoe shine & pressing

Explorer Suites

There are 14 Explorer Suites (ES) on each of the Viking Ocean Cruises ships. Each of these suites is large, luxurious, has the very best locations on the ship with expansive verandas, and are certain to appeal to luxury travelers looking for the quiet ship experience that is found with Viking.

• Priority shore excursion reservations: 97 days prior
• 3 guaranteed priority reservations at each specialty restaurant (90 days prior to departure)

• * Stateroom configuration varies depending upon the location on each deck

Stateroom Comparison Chart

Note: click charts for much larger views.

After you choose a stateroom, the next decision is where on the ship you’d like your stateroom to be located.  So, to help with your choice, here’s a peek at the various decks on Viking Ocean Cruises ships.

Note: click on the images below for much larger views.

Putting it all together to choose the perfect stateroom

At the end of the day, I suppose it will be your wallet that will determine which of the staterooms will best suit your needs.  But once you choose a stateroom that best matches your finances, you will also notice that the staterooms also have a further division into various classes.  For example, the Deluxe Veranda (DV) has six different classifications (DV1 – DV6) depending on its location on the ship.  Therefore, a DV1 stateroom, as it has a better location on the ship, will carry a higher price tag than a DV6 stateroom.

In our opinion, Viking Ocean Cruises has built a ship that will nicely meet the needs of a great swath of the boomer travelers – you should be able to choose a stateroom that fits your needs perfectly.

Want Some Help?

It’s certainly no secret that you can call Viking Ocean Cruises direct to book your cruise.  However, if I can offer a shameless plug for our travel agency, here’s a few reasons you may want to consider having us come alongside and help you plan a fun Viking Ocean Cruise:

• The cost is exactly the same booking direct with Viking or booking directly with us.
• We sometimes have additional perks like shipboard credits to share with you through our various industry affiliations.
• If Viking finds that a particular cruise is selling tickets as well as they want, it is not uncommon for them to issue a special “flash sale” that will not appear on their website but we will have access to. We keep a close eye out for these sales and publish them in our Saturday morning newsletter.
• As we have personally sailed with Viking, and have been to many of the destinations they visit, we have a great deal of personal advice to send your way.
• And lastly, our first goal as a relationship driven organization is to earn your trust and bring value to the relationship.  We understand that you may need help with travel options in the future, and we’d love to have you as a client and help you with all of your travel needs. We are certainly not limited to just Viking! As a full-service travel agency, we can bring you help and advice on nearly any travel option you can dream up.

To book a fun Viking Ocean Cruise, or to get your Viking questions answered, call our travel agency at (480) 550-1235, or use our convenient online information request ( click here ) and we’ll reach out to you.

Link: Viking Ocean Cruises Website Note: all photos and charts courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises.

Category: Blog , Travel News & Tips · Tags: Travel News , Viking Ocean Cruises

88 Comments on “ How to Choose the Perfect Stateroom on a Viking Ocean Cruise ”

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We are retired so have flexibility. We would like to cruise the Mediterranean right after first of year. Should we book now or will better offers come along?

Hi Kathleen, I don’t know if you checked the availability on Viking’s website: http://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans?agenturlid=roamingboomers but availability is VERY limited.

Therefore, the hope of a special offer to increase bookings is very unlikely. Our recommendation is to book now. You might also enjoy this article that we just wrote about the best way to make a Viking booking: https://www.theroamingboomers.com/best-way-to-book-an-ocean-or-river-cruise/

For our help, call (480) 550-1235. Thanks! 🙂

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Your comparison of state rooms is very helpful. However perhaps you should point out that the Excursion booking in advance according to state room category means that those in the lower categories at the end of the line can be seriously disadvantaged. We are booked into a Veranda Stateroo for our upcoming cruise to Japan and have discovered that all the prime iconic sites are fully booked – the reason for spending so much money on the cruise was to be able to visit them and now we find we cant. e.g for the two days we are docked at Hiroshima not one paying excursion is available to us. Many other excursions in the cruise are also fully boked. We feel this to be very unfair,and that we have been discriminated against by wealth. Surely Excursions should all be released at the same time and not with a possible 40 ,day difference. Perhaps it would be helpful if you could warn your clients about this.

Hi Catherine,

Thank you for stopping by and sharing kind words about our website. Here is a link to a helpful chart that describes who can book what and when by cabin category: https://www.theroamingboomers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ocean-Stateroom-Amenities-Chart.pdf

First of all, don’t forget that everyone gets a complimentary shore excursion in every port. So, everyone gets a complimentary tour that will give you the highlights in each port.

However, after that, the optional shore excursions are bookable by stateroom category with the Suites getting first dibs and the regular Veranda staterooms getting the last availability. And as there are only 42 Veranda staterooms on the Viking ships, there are a lot of folks ahead of you vying for the available optional excursions.

With this being the case, we recommend that: 1) consider booking at least a DV6 if this is a problem for you. 2) Mark the date that the shore excursions come available to you and call right away. Most people forget and tend to want to book these shore excursions at the last minute.

If it’s not too late, maybe the best course of action would be to upgrade to a DV6 and get access to those shore excursions at an earlier date.

Again, thanks for stopping by, and we hope you enjoy your Viking Ocean Cruise in Japan.

I’m looking at the Romantic Danube Viking Cruise. What does River-view stateroom with half-height picture window mean (stateroom E&F)? Do you have to stand in the room to see out the window?Stateroom size: 150 sq ft River-view stateroom with half-height picture window

Trying to find out is the Deluxe Verandah and above can accommodate a couple and a 20 yr old grandson.

Hi Melissa,

Hi,I am trying to figure out what is the best part of the ship to not get Sea Sick. We are booked for the Viking Homelands which has been my dream for many years. I do get a little sick with a lot of ship movement so I was wondering what is best for that since this is an Ocean Cruise. Thank you so very much.

Hi Christine,

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We have booked a DV2 room on the Viking Star on level 6. It appears that this room is directly under the main pool. Have we made a mistake? Is there going to be a lot of noise above us?

If you can, you might want to move forward under the Wintergarden. If not, however, it’s not like this boat is full of 30-year-old partiers. The ship is going to be pretty quiet after dinner.

We’re sure we want a Deluxe Veranda category but as you said within that category there are different locations. We were leaning toward a DV4 but can you mention any other advantages of location on the ship in terms of forward, aft, which deck, port or starboard. Also just to doublecheck within the categories DV1-DV6 you get the exact same amenities? Thanks so much, your article is helpful!

The amenities for DV1 through DV6 are identical. The only difference is the location on the ship. I generally don’t make a big deal out of which side of the ship you sail on as you will ultimately be sailing in the shipping lanes 20 or more miles out to sea. That far out, you really can’t see much. The DV2 and the DV4 staterooms are popular as they are more midship and will offer less movement should you get into high seas.

We are booked for a 28 day ocean cruise in room 6060 on Sun across from the elevators….will this be noisy?

I wouldn’t worry about it. With these ships being full of baby boomers and older, the ships are pretty quiet and most everyone is in bed after dinner. 🙂 Have fun!

We’re looking at a Norway cruise in May of 2021. Will we spend much time on the veranda (we like it outside, did an Alaskan cruise in June, and spent most of the at sea time on the veranda)? Is it worth the money to upgrade from Penthouse Suite to Explorer Suite? I saw a review that said the ES 3000 (bow on deck 3) was noisy from anchors and thrusters – is that the case? And is it a good idea to use Viking Air to make flight arrangements? Thanks!

Thanks for stopping by. I wonder, with all of the questions, if it might make more sense for us to chat on the phone. Please feel free to give me a call at 480-550-1235. Thanks. I think the suite question is more of a personal preference kind of thing. If you plan to spend a lot of time on your deck, those Explorer Suites are very nice. My personal favorite on these ships are the Penthouse Jr. Suites. However, I would not likely spend a whole lot of time on my deck, so the Penthouse Jr. is kind of like Goldilocks, “just right”. Again, happy to talk on the phone.

Thanks very much! I’m at work – I’ll call from home either tonight or over the weekend.

We are booking a Viking Homelands cruise next May. We prefer an aft Explorer Suite. Wondering about the two suites on Deck 6 below the infinity pool. Any recommendation?

Well, if you’re not already working with a travel advisor, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend that you book with our company. Here’s an article that might help you understand why: https://www.theroamingboomers.com/best-way-to-book-an-ocean-or-river-cruise

With regards to your concerns about being below the infinity pool, keep in mind that Viking’s ships are full of 70-year-olds. Not a party ship by any stretch of the imagination. Therefore, the only sounds that you are likely to hear are the occasional movements of a chair on the deck above your head. And the most pronounced of this would likely be in the early evening as people are getting ready for dinner and the staff is preparing the area for the evening. And, as most are sound asleep by 10:00, I don’t know that I’d be too worried about it. I hope this helps. 🙂

We’re booked on a 2021 Western Mediterranean Ocean cruise on Viking (unfortunately rescheduled from this year) and I’m currently researching a possible 2022 In Search of Northern Lights cruise. The ships, although different names, look identical in their layout. We’re booking a DV4 on our first cruise and we’ll be on Deck 8. I noticed that on the ship’s layout there are only a few DV4 rooms on Deck 7 and Deck 8 and the rest are suites. Wondering if you’ve seen this layout on the cruise(s) you’ve been on and can comment on how the location is? Also can you comment on using Hurtigruten Expedition instead for Northern Lights? Thanks!

Hi Deborah,

Just so you know, Viking’s ships are all identical when it comes to stateroom layouts. The DV4 staterooms are all on deck 4 with a few DV1s on decks 7 & 8. If you don’t mind being towards the front of the ship, we like the location of the DV1s on decks 7 & 8. If you like, please give us a call and we’d be happy to help you with the booking.

With regard to Hurtigruten, they are a completely different kind of experience as they are expedition ships. We like that, you just have to be careful NOT to get on one of their “mail ships” that stop in every port along the way. Hurtigruten’s new expedition ships are beautiful and we look forward to sailing with them ourselves one day.

What are the differences between Explorer Suite 1 and 2. We already know about the location but my question is which has more windows and light in it, explorer Suite 1 (forward) or Explorer Suite 2?

Hi Dr. Burrus, thanks for stopping by. The ES1 suites, on the front of the ship, are larger with larger verandas. I’m not certain about the glass space from one to the other, but I would guess that the ES1, being larger, might have more light in the room. Did that answer your question? If not, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] .

We have the option of booking cabin 8001, but will this be noisy with the Explorer lounge next door and foot traffic to that area? Cabins are very limited on the cruise we are booked on. Basically, is upgrading to this cabin worthwhile?

Stateroom 8001 is a fairly quiet area of the ship. Generally speaking, folks are going to enter the Explorers’ Lounge from deck 7. If you’re booking is a new booking w/ Viking, without vouchers, give me a call as we have perks to share. However, if you are booking with a voucher from a direct booking w/ Viking, we can’t help. 480-550-1235

What a great help your website is. The comparison chart helps so much. You have done so much of the comparison work, I feel like I need to send you a fee.

LOL. You don’t need to send us a fee, but we’d love to help you with your booking. 🙂

We would like to talk with you. I have researched 2022 Baltic cruises pretty thoroughly and keep coming back to Viking. We haven’t decided between Russia & Baltic Sea and Viking Homelands but we know the door is closing on both. If we could design our own cruise, it would end in Copenhagen because we want to visit the south of Sweden for a short time. But we could travel from Stockholm or Bergen. And, we want to use our reward miles to fly first class or at least business. That’s a brief description of what we are working with. Per the Cruise Critic article today, I would love to think Viking would add more Baltic cruises next summer. We would like to know how you could help us and the cost for your service.

We are booked on the Viking Jupiter suite 408, DV4. It is just above the atrium, above the life boats and by the stairs. They chose this for us. we are light sleepers, Will any of these things cause problems? Thank you

Hi Sue, Viking’s staterooms all have 4 digits. Can you give me a better number?

Jupiter ship to Iceland in August. What about cabins on back of ship? Also is one side preferable to another? Traveling around country clockwise. Should we be on starboard side?

Thanks for stopping by. From a wave movement perspective, midship is desired. However, if not available, then the ship’s rear would be more desirable over the very front.

If you’re talking about Viking’s Iceland’s Natural Beauty, this itinerary sails clockwise around the island, so the starboard (right) side of the ship would be preferable.

If you would like our help to place the booking, just complete this form: https://info.theroamingboomers.com/personal-information-request

We are on the Viking Jupiter DV4 room 4080. Is this the same room you had and if so how was the room

When we last sailed with Viking, we were in a Penthouse Veranda #6001. We loved it. Have fun on your cruise. 🙂

hello, we are on the viking star world cruise jan 2022 and are booked in pv2. a room in ps3 just opened up, but is a handicap room. Would this be a better room? what is the advantage, disadvantage of a handicap room. thx

The handicapped rooms are designed for those who use a wheelchair. For example, a shower that can accommodate a wheelchair rolling in. It would NOT be a desirable room for those who are not handicapped.

We are scheduled to cruise on the Viking sky in room 5001 explorer es1. A balcony is very important to us. I am hearing that the es1 balcony is very closed in? Should I try to get a different room?

We prefer the suites on the back of the ship. While the deck is more narrow, it provides a fair amount of shade. Also, there is less wave movement in the back of the ship versus the front.

We are in a room DV2 on Viking Sky and across from the Lift. Are we able to hear the Lift each time it is used in evening?

We generally like to keep our clients away from the lift and the stairs. However, these are pretty quiet ships and don’t have kids running up and down the stairs. So, if you can move, do. But if not, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. I doubt you’ll hear a thing.

We are going on the Greek Odyssey Cruise at the end of this month. We are in DV6 3065 which appears to be somewhat midship. Any thoughts on this room? Also, we are probably going to book another cruise while on the ship. Can we use your agency as a referral?

You should enjoy that room. It’s relatively midship and not too far from the elevators. And when you’re ready for your next cruise, we’d be honored to help.

Which are larger in square footage on the Viking Jupiter: the ES1 suites aft on Deck 4 or 5? Thanks!

The ES1 suites are in the front of the ship. ES2 Deck 4 = 883 sq. ft ES2 Deck 5 = 980 sq. ft ES2 Deck 6 = 850 sq. ft.

We sailed with Viking in the ES2 on deck 6. You should know that if you get into some rough seas, it is possible that you could get some spillage from the infinity pool above your head on your day bed on decks 4 & 5. Just a little insider’s tip. 🙂

Yes, I misspoke about aft. I’m still interested in which of the ES1 suites are larger, Deck 4 or Deck 5. Thanks.

ES1 Deck 4 = 1259 sq. ft ES1 Deck 5 = 1130 sq. ft.

If we can help with a new booking, just give us a call. 🙂

Is PV1 suite 6008 back or front of ship? Also, is one level better than another … especially views and motion? Thank you! Marg

6008 is in the front of the ship. We prefer the PV1s towards the back for less wave movement. If you need help with booking, please feel free to give us a call: https://www.theroamingboomers.com/best-way-to-book-an-ocean-or-river-cruise/

Are the DV6 cabins located above the night club Torshaven noisy?

It depends on what is going on in there. I’d spend just a few more $ and get into a DV4.

We just returned from a Viking Ocean to Iceland and wished someone would’ve warned us about being in the back of the ship on deck 6(6096), as we heard constant noise from the crew above us dragging chairs/tables about from as early as 5a till well past midnight. It was unbelievable and totally ridiculous that there wasn’t some type of soundproofing put in during the building of this brand new ship(Mars). Hope folks will think about this when booking…I know we will if we ever go again.

We are interested in sailing on the Viking Sea for the Empires of the Mediterranean cruise from Athens to Venice. Do you happen to know the square footages on each deck for the Explorer Suite – ES2.

ES2 Deck 4 = 883 sq. ft ES2 Deck 5 = 980 sq. ft ES2 Deck 6 = 850 sq. ft.

Explorer Suites: ES3 – would you recommend/compare 3001 and 3095. Thank you

I would choose 3095. The view from the veranda is better as you’re looking right out over the ocean. 3001 has quite a bit of ship between you and the ocean. Also, it seems to me that the ride is better in the ship’s rear than the very front as the propellers seem to have a grounding effect. Although, I have no scientific proof of that. Give us a call, and we’d be happy to help you with the booking. And, we have perks.

Thanks for all your information. Very informative. We’re booking a 29 day cruise and will get a PS1 cabin. Do you see any advantage/disadvantage to 8016 and 8002? These are the two currently available. Thanks

I would choose 8016. It’s a little more midship and perhaps a better ride if you get into some waves. Please feel free to call our office for booking information. We’ve got VIP perks for you.

We have never cruised with Viking Ocean and are considering a Mediterranean cruise for 2023. Would Black Friday or Cyber Monday give any better pricing?

Thanks for stopping by. With Viking, the biggest challenge is availability for their Med cruises in 2023. Therefore, I’d recommend booking as soon as possible. Further, with great demand come higher prices, not lower. So while I don’t know what Viking may or may not do come Cyber Monday, I wouldn’t wait. Feel free to give me a call to discuss this further.

Hello, I found your website and it is great, information totally useful for anybody. We booked for first time a Viking Cruise (Neptune) for next 15 August 2024 from Bergen to London. We are worried because it is not a cheaper one, it is expensive but ship looks great. We book cabin 5056 (DV2), do you think is a good idea? good choice? We tried to upgrade to DV! but is full. Hope we are doing well. Thanks in advance and Regards Federico from Spain

Thanks for the article, we are booked on the Viking Neptune January 9,2024 World Journeys (121 days) in a Penthouse Veranda stateroom which is 338 sq.ft..

I am not sure the size is big enough for the long cruise and would like length ft X width ft of the stateroom to determine better if this is large enough for us. Is this available ?

I have considered a Penthouse Junior suite but non available. Does Viking have some sort of wait list?

Appreciate your feedback

I checked with our Viking representative, and he could not put his hands on a chart showing room measurements other than square feet. Also, Viking does not have a waiting list, so you’re best to keep an eye on their website for fallout. It’s not uncommon for there to be cancelations prior to people making the large final payment.

Hi – my husband and I are interested in the South American tour on the Viking Jupiter – looking at the Penthouse Junior Suite… My husband needs grab bars for getting off the toilet and for using the shower. He is not wheelchair-bound (although he does need it for shore excursions). We carry stick-on bars for the bathroom, but need a tile or glass wall for that to work – do you know if the shower wall next to the toilet is near enough for this to be feasible in the PJS? Which are the desirable suite numbers for this?

I’ll look into this for you and get back to you offline. Thanks for reaching out.

is there noise from the laundrettes on each floor?

Not much. Perhaps a little from people congregating and talking. But I wouldn’t be too concerned. When booking staterooms, we tend to avoid that area, but it shouldn’t be a serious worry if everything else is sold out away from the laundrette.

I’m interested in DV1 category starboard aft staterooms. Which is the best floor to be on, 4 or 5? I see floor 5 is under the infinity pool, stateroom 5211 specifically. Is stateroom directly below, 4123 better for unobstructed view?

I’m interested in the Mediterranean odyssey cruise 5/8-5/20/2024 delux veranda room on 6th level.. Is that a good location?

Please give us a call to discuss 480-550-1235

Please call to discuss 480-550-1235

Hello. I see in the earlier post here that the Viking ES2 aft explorer suites on the ocean. Cruises are stated to vary slight in size from the 5th deck to the 4th deck with the es2 aft being about 100 sqft larger on the 5th deck. Viking has told me twice now that ‘all es2 the aft are the same size’. Is this true? Can any compare being on the fifth deck for an es2 vs being on the fourth deck. Does the overhang from deck seven cause less sun on the fifth deck? I know the rooms are both great back there but curious about size and also overhang from above. Thanks!!

I sent you an email. Hard to answer this question here.

We cruised on Viking Sky in a PV2 suite. This time we are looking at Viking Star cabins 5025, 4039, 4041 or 5004 There is a substantial difference in price My concern is the lack of storage space i.e., drawers, and size of room. This is New York to Bergen. Could you provide information on these level of cabins

I just got this information from our Viking rep:

Cabins 4039 4041 are dv4 ( deluxe verandas ) 270 sq feet vs PV 338 sq feet The bathroom is the same size I imagine dressers and storage area would be same if not very similar to size Pv has 12 more sq feet on balcony and 56 sq feet more inside Dv 213 interior 57 veranda 35 bathroom Pv 269 interior 69 veranda 35 bathroom These are the cabin sizes in sq feet

The other big advantage to the PV staterooms is that you can book shore excursions before all of the DV staterooms. Plus, you get early specialty dining reservations, some stocked alcohol in your fridge, and earlier check-in aboard ship.

If you book with us today, we have $400 in shipboard credits to add to your booking.

Hi, thanks for your article and comments. Super helpful.

We are given the option of 3097 or 4097. Which is better to avoid seasickness?

Hi Mary Kay,

3097 is a DV1, where 4097 is a DV4. So there are price differences between the two. The DV4s and DV2s are generally the most midship, and generally, the staterooms folks gravitate to if they are worried about seasickness. However, 3097 is in the back of the ship and will give you beautiful 180º views. So, I would pick the DV1 if you don’t mind the additional expense.

Secondly, as it doesn’t cost you any more money to book with an expert travel advisor, I recommend finding one. And in particular, one that has been on these ships multiple times to guide you better. And, of course, we’d be happy to help. Just give us a call.

Also, if you are worried about seasickness, try the new Relief Bands now available. My wife used them with great success on our last cruise: https://www.reliefband.com/

Call us, and we would be happy to help you with this booking or take over the booking if made within the last 60 days.

David Porter 480-550-1235

I have never been on a cruise ship and was looking at Viking Sea to go up the Pacific Coastline, was interested in a PV1 cabin, one available 6015 or much further back, which would be better for comfort? Thank you

Thanks for reaching out. For less possible wave motion on the ship, we prefer the PV1s toward the aft of the ship. If you need help booking and would enjoy our additional perks, please call me at 480-550-1235. Thanks.

Hi David. we have done River Cruises (through your office of course) and are now looking at an ocean cruise. Italian Sojourn. I think we have decided on a Deluxe Veranda room but not sure about which category. Thinking of one of the less expensive ones. Considering where we are sailing, etc. what is your recommendation? Any specials going on? Thanks for the continued help!

Question- On the western Mediterranean viking cruise leaving from Rome, Is it best to be in an odd # stateroom on the right side of the ship? That way at port and at sea, you are facing the scenic landscape?

We don’t recommend that our clients worry too much about what side of the ship they are on. However, yes, if you can book the cruise facing the land, then that’s what we generally will look for first. However, keep in mind, that in many locations, you will be sailing in the shipping lanes that are 20-30 miles out to sea and there is very little land to see from that distance. So, yes, but the side facing the land, but don’t get hopes too high that you will always see land.

currently booked on viking mars sailing august 17 have pv2 cabin 5028 booked looking at pv1 cabin 5090.looking at changing to cabin5090 is $100 more . also looked at the penthouse junior suite. seem to pricey. are they worth it ?

Hi Tuxedo Pat,

When we book Viking’s Penthouse Veranda (PV) staterooms, we default for the PV1 staterooms towards the aft of the ship vs. the bow. There is more wave movement in the bow of the ship. I prefer the Penthouse Junior Suite over the Penthouse Veranda as we enjoy the larger bathroom, and one can close off the living area from the bedroom. I am an early riser.

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Viking Sea cabins and suites

Viking sea staterooms review, floor plans, photos.

Viking Sea cabins and suites review at CruiseMapper provides detailed information on cruise accommodations , including floor plans, photos, room types and categories, cabin sizes, furniture details and included by Viking Ocean (Viking Cruises) en-suite amenities and services.

The Viking Sea cruise ship cabins page is conveniently interlinked with its deck plans showing deck layouts combined with a legend and review of all onboard venues.

Owners Suite

Layout (floor plan).

The Owner's Suite is the ship's largest cruise stateroom and offers the following complimentary amenities and services:

• King-size / double bed with premium linens, cashmere blankets
• 2x large TVs (interactive / infotainment system with complimentary movies-on-demand and Internet)
• binoculars (in-cabin use only), Espresso coffee machine
• Mini-bar (replenished daily, complimentary) stocked with alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, bottled water, snacks
• Premium robes (thick cotton), slippers, brand toiletries, hairdryer
• phone (direct-dial, satellite and cell service)
• electronic safe (in the closet)
• 110/220 V power outlets
• complimentary Wi-Fi and Internet
• Welcome Aboard gifts (bottle of champagne)

Viking Ocean Cruises Owner Suite passengers enjoy the following bonus perks (complimentary amenities and services):

• Priority services - check-In, embarkation and early stateroom access, dining reservations, shore excursion reservations
• Complimentary services - shoeshine, pressing, dry cleaning, laundry, Internet

Explorer Suite

Explorer Suites offer the following complimentary amenities and services:

• Large flat TV (interactive / infotainment system with complimentary movies-on-demand and Internet)

Viking Ocean Cruises Explorer Suite passengers enjoy the following bonus perks (complimentary amenities and services):

Penthouse Junior Suite

Penthouse Junior Suites offer the following complimentary amenities and services:

• Large TV (interactive / infotainment system with complimentary movies-on-demand and Internet)

Viking Ocean Cruises Penthouse Junior Suite passengers enjoy the following bonus perks (complimentary amenities and services):

Penthouse Veranda Cabin

Penthouse Veranda cabins offer the following complimentary amenities and services:

Viking Ocean Cruises Penthouse Veranda passengers enjoy the following bonus perks (complimentary amenities and services):

• Complimentary services - shoeshine, pressing, laundry, Internet

Veranda Cabin

Balcony cabins ("Deluxe Veranda" and "Standard Veranda") offer the following complimentary amenities and services:

• 40-inch TV (interactive / infotainment system, Internet)
• Premium robes (thick cotton), slippers, luxury bath products, hairdryer

Deluxe Veranda passengers enjoy as priority services dining and shore excursion reservations. The mini-bar (replenished daily) is complimentary and stocked with soft drinks, bottled water, snacks.

Standard Veranda cabins (categories V1 and V2) are all located on deck 3 and have no minibars. The bottled water is complimentary and replenished daily.

Viking Sea cabins review

Follows the review of Viking OCEAN's ship Viking Sea staterooms as furniture, price-included amenities and complimentary services:

• Decor - light woods, nautical colors
• King-size bed "Viking Explorer" (deluxe mattresses and linens, Cashmere blankets), optional twin beds configuration.
• Luxurious private bathroom (with heated floor and heated mirror), glass door shower, hairdryer, premium bath products and toiletries (by Freyja), deluxe bathrobes, slippers, towel warmers, plenty of storage space.
• The seating area is furnished with a sofa, coffee table, vanity desk with chair, wardrobe. There is a full-length mirror (with mini lights) that can double as a night light. The switch on/off button is conveniently positioned by the bed.
• Satellite phone (direct-dial, located on the vanity desk), smart HDTV (3D, Infotainment / interactive TV system for Internet access, room service ordering, movies-on-demand, live webcams views, Viking Cruises channel for news, enrichment lectures and port talks), in-room binoculars, personal safe, individual climate control, 220V / 110V voltage power outlets (European and American standard plugs). The room's key-card must be inserted into a slot (located by the entry door) to power the cabin's electrical outlets and lights.
• Coffee machine, mini-bar (replenished daily with bottled water, soft drinks, snacks).

On all cabin decks, there is a launderette (free of charge passenger-use laundromats). These are self-service laundry rooms equipped with ironing boards, washers and dryers. Detergent is provided (also complimentary).

All cabin categories enjoy complimentary movies on demand and room-service (24-hour). All Suite-categories enjoy complimentary laundry, pressing, shoeshine (plus Deluxe cabins).

• Welcome Champagne bottle (Suites and Deluxe cabins).
• Priority cabin access: Explorer and Junior Suites (upon embarkation- 11 am), Penthouse Veranda (1 pm), Deluxe Veranda (2 pm), Standard Veranda (3 pm).
• Priority dining room reservations (in brackets- days prior to departure): Explorer Suite (90), Junior Suite (80), Penthouse Veranda (70), Deluxe Veranda (60), Standard Veranda (none).

All guests (excluding only those in Standard Balcony rooms) also enjoy priority reservations on each of the Viking Ocean cruise shore excursions.

Veranda and Deluxe Veranda cabins (categories V and DV) are very similar (sized 225 ft2 / 21 m2, with additional 45 ft2 / 4 m2 balconies). Each of those has lounge areas (2 armchairs, coffee table); and the balcony is furnished with 2 chairs plus 1 table (height suitable for outdoor dining). The difference is that V-Veranda cabins are without mini-bar, and their guests can't pre-book dinner reservations at the ship's restaurants. Veranda staterooms also have no binoculars, coffee machines and cashmere blankets (standard amenities for all other grades). Also, on embarkation day Deluxe Verandas passengers can check-in 1 hour earlier than veranda (at 2 pm instead of 3 pm).

Penthouse Veranda (category PV) balcony cabins are larger (sized 280 ft2 / 26 m2, with additional 60 ft2 / 6 m2 sized balconies) and with upgraded services. The veranda's furniture is the same as the lower balcony categories. The seating area has a sofa, coffee table, 1 easy chair. These rooms offer more storage space (extra drawers), slightly larger bathroom (incl larger shower stall). Extra services include priority dining reservations (at the MDR and both alternative restaurants Chef's Table and Manfredi's), also complimentary pressing and a shoeshine. On embarkation day, Penthouse Veranda passengers can access their cabins early (at 1 pm).

Penthouse Junior Suite (category PS) represent the ship's smallest suite accommodations (sized 335 ft2 / 31 m2 with additional 70 ft2 / 7 m2 sized balconies). The lounge area has a comfortable couch, coffee table, 2 easy chairs, 2 HDTVs (1 TV hanging across the bed, 1 TV for the seating area). The bedroom is divided from the living area with a curtain. Bonus amenities are early check-in on embarkation day (at 11 am), guaranteed dinner reservations (at the Chef's Table and Manfredi's specialty restaurants), complimentary laundry, dry-cleaning, pressing and a shoeshine. There are two wheelchair-accessible Mini-Suites offering roll-in shower and roll-out balcony.

Explorer Suite (category ES) cabins size vary between 460-700 ft2 / 43-65 m2, with additional 165-490 ft2 / 15-46 m2 sized balconies. These suites location is forward and aft (on the boat's corners) giving them panoramic views on two sides (plus portside or starboard). In comparison to the forward-facing Explorer Suites, the aft-facing suites have larger balconies (furnished with single beds), smaller living rooms, larger bathrooms (with windows looking out onto the balcony / the forward-facing suites are with TV instead of balcony window). Also, the fore-located suites are with glass windbreaks on their balconies (which also don't wrap around all the way like the aft verandas). Explorer Suite has a 4-seat dining table, living room (couch, coffee table, 2 armchairs, walk-in closet). Perks are similar to Penthouse Suites.

Viking OCEAN's Explorer Suite bathrooms are among the best-rated at sea. Each of those has a glass-enclosed shower-bathtub compartment with ocean views, a separate sitting area and a most spacious double-sink vanity area with plenty of storage drawers. Among the suite bathroom's features are also Italian handcrafted fixtures and the heated tile floor. You can see all the bath's details in the combo photo below.

The only one Owner's Suite (category OS, deck 7 location forward-starboard) is the ship's largest accommodation (sized 1320 ft2 / 123 m2, with additional 175 ft2 / 17 m2 balcony). The Owners Suite has a living room (couch, coffee table, chairs, wet bar), separate dining area (6-seat dining table), walk-in closet, powder room, separate bedroom (king bed, walk-in closet), separate boardroom (meeting room with locked doors, 10-seat table, guest bathroom, butler's pantry with a small oven), master bathroom (double sink vanity, large power-shower), oceanview sauna room (unique feature). The large veranda is furnished with 2-seat wooden loungers (cushioned), table, 2 chairs. Among the Suite's perks are custom stocked mini-bar, early check-in (at 11 am), guaranteed dinner reservations, complimentary laundry, dry-cleaning, pressing, shoeshine.

The complimentary 24-hour Room Service menu includes pasta (3 sauces are offered - bolognese, pesto, Pomodoro), grilled salmon, cured Norwegian salmon (gravlax/gravadlax), grilled chicken, burgers (incl veggie), chef salad, cheese plates. Breakfast options include hot/cold sandwiches, French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, fresh fruits.

Viking OCEAN cruise deals are all-inclusive, meaning they offer as complimentary (included in the Viking cruise fares):

• 1 complimentary excursion in each of the ports of call along the cruise itinerary route
• complimentary drinks, including alcohol (beers and house wines at lunch and dinner). The selection of wines includes red and white, and occasionally rose,
• free Wi-Fi (shipwide coverage), free Internet (unlimited access)
• free of charge specialty restaurant dining (excepting only the lowest category Balcony cabins).
• Tipping/gratuities - the recommended per day gratuity is USD 14 per person, is automatically added to the passenger's onboard account. Adjustments can be made at the customer service (reception) desk located in the Lobby area on deck 1. Alcoholic drink purchases levy a 15% gratuity (automatic).

All beverages served at the onboard lounges and bars cost extra. Prices are around $6 (cocktail), $4 (beer), $5-6 (wine by the glass). Viking Cruises "Silver Spirits" drink package costs $420 per cabin (for two passengers) and offers unlimited cocktails ($9 limit), beers and premium wines (by the glass), plus one bottle of sparkling wine, specialty coffees, unlimited soda (soft drinks).

Viking Sea cabin and suite plans are property of Viking Ocean (Viking Cruises) . All floor plans are for informational purposes only and CruiseMapper is not responsible for their accuracy.

Viking Ocean Cruises: The Ultimate Guide

Want to see more of the world while enjoying the relaxing comfort of a floating resort hotel? That convenience is a hallmark of a cruise. This article highlights the features of a Viking Ocean cruise that transports passengers to worldwide destinations. Viking is an industry leader for many reasons, including its appealing destinations, varied excursion options, attention to detail in designing private and shared spaces, and welcoming and hard-working staff members. 

Viking regularly receives industry accolades. For example, Travel & Leisure rated Viking the world’s best for ships with 300 to 799 cabins in July 2023. Similarly, Condé Nast Traveler awarded Viking the Readers’ Choice Award in October 2022.

My husband and I have cruised with Viking for years, and we have come to rely on their impeccable hospitality and interesting, varied excursion choices . On a Viking Ocean cruise, we enjoy the comfort and amenities of our stateroom, meeting new people on the ship, taking time to indulge in the spa services, cooling off in the pool, feasting on varied menus in the different onboard restaurants, sipping wine on our private balcony, relaxing in the Explorers’ Lounge while at sea, and enjoying the entertainment offerings in the afternoons and evenings . There’s so much to like about a Viking ocean cruise experience. No wonder they’re a perennial favorite for many cruisers.

Viking Ocean Cruise Ships

Viking’s ocean ships each have a capacity of 930 guests and are considered small ocean ships compared to other cruise lines with thousands more guests. Its smaller size at about 750 feet long often enables it to dock at ports that mega-ships (that can total 1,000+ feet long with 5,000+ passengers) can’t approach. This is an excellent benefit for Viking guests because they can often walk off the ship and begin exploring a destination. Otherwise, guests are tendered to shore on small boats — a practice most often required for mega-ships. On a recent 10-day Viking Ocean cruise, we were required to tender to shore only once. On that same cruise, we saw mega-ships tendering guests to port in other destinations while our ship unloaded us at the dock.

The Viking ocean ships have the same layouts in calming Scandinavian design, colors, and decor. Once you travel on one Viking ocean ship, you know what to expect from all the others. 

Destinations

Viking Ocean cruise ships travel to all the continents except Antarctica (although Viking Expedition ships sail there). The journeys span from 8 to 180 days and depend on the number of and distances between destinations. There are journeys in and along the coasts of Canada and the U.S. ; Latin America , including the Panama Canal; South America , including the Amazon; Europe , including Scandinavian and the Mediterranean ports of call; Asia , including India, China, and Japan; as well as Australia and neighboring New Zealand.

What Do Passengers Like About Viking Ocean Cruises?

Past passengers have their favorite aspects of a Viking ocean cruise, and their favorite memories include:

• not having to worry about anything once aboard a flight on the way to the embarkation point.
• the friendly staff and their service (this is a popular response).
• the quality and selection of food in various dining locations.
• the spaciousness of the ship and never feeling crowded.
• the interesting lectures … and the option to watch them later on the stateroom TV if unable to attend in person.
• relaxing in the Living Room, listening to a pianist play nearby.
• afternoon tea in the Wintergarden.
• sitting in the Explorers’ Lounge while watching the world go by.
• heated bathroom floors and anti-fog bathroom mirrors.
• a massage in the spa after a day out exploring.
• being able to order room service 24/7 (at no extra charge) .
• adults only (no passengers younger than 18), so no children are underfoot or running around.

Who Travels on Viking?

Viking caters to adults (18 years old and above) seeking to learn more about an area’s cultural, historical, and natural qualities. Viking states that their cruises are “thinking person’s” cruises. Most guests are aged 40 and up, traveling solo, as couples, as groups of friends, plus some traveling with their grown children and/or grandchildren.

Viking Ocean Cruise Excursions

Viking offers various excursion choices highlighting UNESCO heritage sites and local establishments, culinary and cultural experiences, and active outings in cities and national parks. Of course, excursion choices are dependent on the destination itself. Rest assured, there are plenty of options .

There are complimentary excursions in each port; these “included” excursions are usually walking or bus tours of a city and give a general overview of a place. In addition, several “optional” excursions are more focused on guests’ interests , such as visits to museums, castles, forts, concerts, farms, estates, and wineries, as well as recreational outings like hiking and biking. While there are no fees for the “included” options, there are charges for the “optional” excursions (that typically range from about $60 to $200+ each). In addition to the “included” excursions, expect about 6-10 “optional” excursions.

I’ve found it difficult at times to choose excursions. What helps me is weighing how much time an excursion takes (they can span from 2-8 hours), how active it is (a stroll through a town vs. a hike in a national park), and how long a bus ride may be to reach the excursion destination . I like to have a balance throughout the cruise, so I also have downtime on the ship, enjoying its amenities. 

For more details, please read my article on Viking Ocean Cruise excursions, their costs, options, planning tips, and how to book them .

Viking Ocean Cruise Staterooms

There are six stateroom categories ranging in size from 270 to over 1,000 square feet. All staterooms have private balconies and two chairs. My husband and I enjoyed spending time on our balcony: we sat there and ate breakfasts (from room service) in the mornings and sipped wine in the evening while enjoying the views.

Stateroom stewards take good care of guest rooms. They clean staterooms twice daily, restock the refrigerator, and ensure guests have what they need. Never hesitate to request something you need. If they have it, they’ll surely give it to you!

All staterooms have some common elements like a king-size bed that can be separated into two twin beds, a private balcony, plenty of storage, bathrooms with heated floors, a TV, a stocked mini-fridge, electrical outlets that accommodate USB, Type B (American standard) and Type C (Europlugs) outlets so there’s no need to pack adaptors. 

As the stateroom category rises, there is more square footage, more upholstered furniture pieces, and other appealing features. Some of those extra perks are the ability to access your stateroom earlier on embarkation day and book your excursions, dining reservations, and spa appointments earlier than lower stateroom categories. 

Rest assured that you can board the ship when you arrive on embarkation day, but you may have to wait on the ship – perhaps enjoying a buffet lunch – until your stateroom is ready. 

The Viking Onboard Experience

A few things set Viking Ocean Cruises apart from other cruise lines.

First, Viking cruises are for adults only . No passengers are younger than 18, so the atmosphere is calm and relaxed.

Second, Viking has been committed to providing excellent service . My husband and I are impressed with our cheery, positive interactions with the Viking staff. They seem genuinely interested in ensuring guests have a wonderful time aboard the ship. Many show interest in learning about us and where we live. Likewise, many welcome conversations about their lives as well as where they’ve lived and traveled.

Third, the variety of onboard activity options is quite appealing . The list is long and includes listening to live lectures by historians and other experts in their fields; spending time at the pool, the fitness center, or the spa; dining on delicious food from around the world; or simply relaxing in the Explorers’ Lounge, the Living Room, the Wintergarden, outside on one of the decks, any other shared space on the ship, or your stateroom. 

Finally, there are a myriad of exciting excursions offered at each destination . That means you’re covered if you’re a history lover, like to sample wines at boutique wineries, want to participate in a cooking class in a villa, prefer to be active by hiking or biking, enjoy scenic boat rides, visit workshops of local craftspeople, want to join a fisherman in a joint quest for a great catch, visit someone’s home or farm for a meal, or simply take a relaxing walking tour of a town.

Note that if you’re considering a spa treatment (massage, facial, mani, pedi, haircut, etc.) while aboard, it’s best to book online (at MyVikingJourney.com ) when the reservation window opens for your stateroom level. You can also book once on the ship, but to guarantee you’ll receive the service you want when you want it, try to do it before leaving home.

To learn more, please read Viking Ocean Cruise Onboard Experience: What You Need to Know .

Common Spaces Aboard A Viking Ocean Ship

Viking ocean ships have a variety of well-designed common spaces that provide a variety of settings to enjoy. There are three pools (the main pool, the infinity pool and hot tub on the Aquavit Terrace, and the thermal pool and hot tub in the spa), the Wintergarden , which is a relaxing, airy space enclosed in glass where afternoon tea is served, and a host of other relaxing spaces – both inside and outside the ship. Some popular places to unwind, read a book, gather with friends, or play a board game are the two-level Explorers’ Lounge, the Living Room, and the Atrium seating areas. 

Dining Aboard a Viking Ocean Ship

Guests can find just about any cuisine they imagine on a Viking Ocean cruise. The World Café offers a variety of options, served buffet style, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Restaurant is the main dining space with tables topped with white tablecloths; here, you can choose from classic menu items (like chicken, salmon, steak, and vegetarian options) as well as creative international dishes. 

The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant are specialty restaurants requiring reservations. Chef’s Table offers a five-course tasting menu highlighting a specific cuisine, such as Asian, British, or Chinese. Manfredi’s is a popular place for Italian fare and steak. 

In addition to the restaurants, guests can enjoy a meal at Mamsen’s , a small Norwegian-inspired café, order room service 24/7 (at no additional cost), or grab a bite at the Pool Grill or the Living Room bar.

I suggest you plan when you’ll want to try the specialty restaurants, so you can make a reservation online (at MyVikingJourney.com ) as soon as the window for dining reservations opens up for your stateroom level. For example, if you’re in an Explorer Suite, you can make your dining reservations 90 days from your sail day. If you’re in a Penthouse Junior Suite, you can make them 80 days before your cruise begins. And if you’re in a Deluxe Veranda Stateroom, you can do so 60 days before your sail day. Basically, the more expensive staterooms have priority over the less costly staterooms when it comes to booking.

Related Articles

Viking cruise articles.

• Viking Cruises: Best Action Steps to Take After Booking a Cruise
• Viking Ocean Cruise Dining: What You Need to Know
• Viking Ocean Cruise Excursions: What You Need to Know
• Viking Ocean Cruise Onboard Experience: What You Need to Know
• Viking Ocean Cruise Staterooms: What You Need to Know
• Viking River Cruises: The Complete Guide
• Best Sights to See on a Viking Grand European Tour Cruise
• Viking Antarctica Cruise: A Complete Guide for Adventurers

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• Expert Tips for Traveling to Europe for More Fun, Less Stress
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Final thoughts.

My husband and I have really enjoyed our cruises aboard Viking. We appreciate the soothing decor and furnishings, the comfortable staterooms, the variety of excursions, the varied commons spaces and spa areas to relax, and the high level of service from the dedicated staff. Apart from the ship itself, we like visiting exciting places without having to do detailed planning (for reservations for dining and tours) and getting transportation to each place. That’s all perfectly arranged while traveling in comfort. We still like planning our own trips because of the freedom it provides, but we also have come to appreciate cruising on Viking. Totally different experiences, but each has its advantages, and Viking has been a wise travel choice for us.

Please share your thoughts and experiences aboard a Viking ocean cruise. Your ideas could help future cruisers. Thanks! 🙂

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Traveling Tulls

Eco-Travel in Retirement – Nature and Sustainable Luxury Travel

Elegance at Sea: An Authentic Viking Ocean Cruises Review

Embarking on a Viking Oceans cruise promises a luxurious and immersive journey. I am just back from my first Viking voyage, a 12-night cruise on Viking Sea,. In this review, I will share various aspects of the Viking experience, specifically a Viking Sea cruise ship review, to provide insights into what you can expect on this ship. I hope sharing this Viking Ocean cruises review will help you decide on your next adventure.

As a seasoned traveler and occasional cruiser, I believe I am well-equipped to provide insights into the Viking Oceans Cruise experience. My first two European travels (1963 & 1968) involved transatlantic voyages as my Dad was afraid of flying. Cruise ships have come a very long way since those days. (The ”spa” in our first ship, the MS Saturnia, featured vibrating belt machines and a lukewarm tub in a windowless room. But we had Italian language lessons onboard and daily Mass where I, a young GIRL was allowed to serve as altar boy!) Jump ahead 60 years and I have sailed on Windstar’s small ships 6 times, and have also explored other renowned cruise lines such as Princess and Norwegian, offering a comparative lens for evaluating Viking’s unique offerings.

With an extensive travel background that spans 68 countries, and includes bespoke safaris, ,journeys with prestigious tour operators like Tauck and Abercrombie & Kent, and many independent adventures, I bring a diverse and discerning perspective to this Viking Sea ship review. Note: We paid all expenses for this trip. Viking did not discount nor incentivize our travel.

Table of Contents

Booking our first Viking Cruise

Viking offer three categories of journeys – river cruises, ocean cruises, and expedition cruises. We chose the Viking Oceans Cruise – Amazon & Caribbean Adventure – primarily for the itinerary. (Viking offers many unique destination-focused itineraries.) Visiting the Amazon has always been a dream of mine. And we were intrigued to try Viking ships having heard much about Viking River Cruises cultural and educational focus from friends. The Viking Ocean Cruises ships carry 930 passengers which seems like a lot to us but still considered a small ship by most cruisers.

Booking our cruise was a seamless process, with an intuitive online reservation system. However, for this trip, we chose to call Viking directly so as to secure flights that would work for us. We planned on arriving in San Juan a few days before the cruise to enjoy some sunshine and to forestall travel complications winter in New England can bring. The customer service representatives we spoke to during booking were very helpful and within minutes our trip was confirmed.

The next step in trip planning came when it was time to choose excursions. Viking has a unique (to us) reservation system for excursions and dining options. Each stateroom level has a date when reservation booking opens. For example, on our voyage the Penthouse Veranda occupants could make reservations 77 days before the cruise, the Deluxe Veranda 67 days, and the lowest category, Veranda, 60 days before the cruise. This was a stressful and unpleasant experience for us. By the time our category (deluxe veranda) was allowed to book, many tours were sold out. We managed to get much of what we wanted but honestly this added frustration and a sense of classism to the process. Note : Viking guarantees one or two included tours for everyone in each port. These are mostly bus rides or short walks.

Other than the above issue (and a few outside Viking’s control) things went well with Viking’s pre-cruise experience. We used Viking Air (got an offer for free airfare!) and got a direct flight, Boston to San Juan. Once we received our Delta confirmation code, we were able to upgrade our seats. (Some guests were able to upgrade from the My Viking page earlier but for some reason this was not available for our flight.)

A+ Where Viking Shines

The ship: a viking sea cruise ship review.

The focal point of any cruise is the ship. In the case of the Viking cruises which seem to leave ports earlier than most cruise lines we’ve used, the design is paramount. And fortunately, it shines! Viking Ocean ships are designed with elegance and functionality in mind.

The Viking Sea is the loveliest ship we’ve traveled on. The ship’s decor is sleek Scandinavian with bits of whimsy. Spend some time in the Wintergarden and you’ll find birds and iconic landmarks integrated into the ironwork. Birds can also be ‘heard’ in some of the public restrooms. 🙂

Throughout the ship there are unique spaces where you can get away for a quiet read. Thus even with 930 guests onboard the ship never seems crowded. Even the main dining room, the Restaurant, is designed with partial wall breaks to simulate small dining areas.

Other unique public spaces include the ‘Living Room,’ a three-story elegant atrium where you’ll find games, puzzles, and cozy corners to sit while enjoying performances by Viking’s musicians. The Explorers’ Lounge and Torshavn are the focus for evening cocktails, music, and conversation. There are outside terraces for watching the world go by and a sports deck for shuffleboard enthusiasts. Last but a far cry from least is a Viking Ocean Cruise highlight – the extraordinary spa with traditional Nordic elements like sauna, vitality pool, cold plunge tubs, and a Snow Grotto.

Our Stateroom

We’re in a mid-level cabin, Deluxe Veranda, which is narrow, but has a lot of storage and a roomy bathroom with a great shower. (Not always the case on cruise ships!) I haven’t seen the other category staterooms but know the next step up – Penthouse Veranda- offers a few more feet in width and a fridge stocked with wine, beer, etc. Our fridge has soft drinks replenished daily.

When all our things were put away, we had plenty of room in this cabin and veranda to enjoy some quiet time. (270 square feet in total)

Entertainment spaces with exceptional performances

[I neglected to get photos of the Star Theater, Torshavn and the Explorers’ Lounge, so I’ll try to describe each before I direct you to the Viking Serene Scandinavian Spaces webpage.]

• The Star Theater is the primary theater location for live music and is the spot where guests gather for tendering. It is similar in style to other ships’ theaters with alternating rows of bucket chairs and cushioned bench seating. Interestingly, the back of the theater has two spaces which can be closed to create two movie theaters.
• Torshavn is located just steps away from the Star Theater so attracts a lot of people after the evening’s performances. It has a nightclub vibe and is a great spot for late night dancing.
• The Explorers’ Lounge is on the 7th and 8th floor. It’s a thoughtfully designed space with panoramic windows affording lovely views. The Explorers’ Lounge is where you’ll find Mamsen’s, a homestyle eating spot with late night treats.

The onboard entertainment on our cruise was outstanding! We thoroughly enjoyed the Star Theater productions and planned our evenings around them. (We often skip the shows on other cruise lines.)

The entertainment is curated to appeal to a broad audience. The ship’s atrium, the Living Room, has either a classical pianist or a string duo playing almost all day. Lovely background music for your reading. Torshavn, the cozy club, and Explorers Lounge have shows each evening with more contemporary music.

But the best entertainment on this Viking itinerary was the evening show with the resident vocalists. They were immensely talented and the show’s choreography, stagecraft, and audio-visual elements made this a phenomenal experience.

Interestingly, it’s not just the ship’s vocalists that performed but also the cruise director! Big shout out to our cruise director, Ryan Bishop, who kept us informed and entertained all 12 days onboard. What a talent!

Including destination-focused enrichment is one of Viking‘s key attractions. On our Amazon and Caribbean Adventure itinerary we had a resident biologist, a resident historian, and a former CIA agent giving talks daily.

I loved the nature lectures. Dr. Philip Price included a lot of depth to his talks (bringing back much of my long-forgotten biology knowledge) but he seasoned his talk with humor so everyone could enjoy.

Having these short (45 minute) lectures definitely adds to the cruise experience. And best of all, if you’re unable to attend them in person, they are streamed all week on your cabin TV! We always watched one in the evening as we got ready for bed.

(The daily port talks are also available on your cabin TV. This was the first cruise when we actually used the cabin TV.)

The Spa (and fitness center)

What can I say! We loved the spa! It’s a subdued quiet space to relax and rejuvenate after a day touring.

There is an open area with a large ‘vitality pool’ (hot tub with waves and bubbles on demand), a traditional hot tub, heated spa beds and loungers. From this central area you have access to the Snow Grotto and steam room. In each dressing area there is a sauna and cold plunge pool. I valiantly tried everything the spa had to offer but didn’t stay long in the cold plunge pool 🙂

Somehow, I hadn’t time for a massage but exercised in the well-equipped gym before luxuriating in the spa. There are three sections to the fitness center all with large windows to enjoy the view. The aerobic fitness area had many treadmills, several cycles, and a few elliptical machines. The next two rooms focused on weight training and stretching.

B+ A cut above most cruise ships

Service and staff.

The service provided by the crew can make or break your shipboard experience. For the most part, the Viking staff, known for their friendliness and professionalism, elevated our overall experience. We did not rate the service as excellent because it seemed the staff may have had more guests than they could handle. In the Restaurant we had several mix-ups with our orders and sometimes had long waits to be seated or served. But when the waitstaff came they were always friendly and courteous.

We had some frustrations with guest services not following up on requests for post-cruise plans. Our charter flight was scheduled to leave at 6 pm from Manaus so we hoped to use that day to see more of the city and surroundings on a private tour. But three days before we arrived in Manaus, guest services still had no idea what time we’d be disembarking, what hotel we would be brought to, and when we needed to get to the airport. Needless to say, we couldn’t book our tour and spent 6 hours in a hotel conference room before our flight.

But while onboard Guest Services came through with a level of hospitality we hadn’t found on other cruise lines. A big thank you to guest services for hosting an impromptu gathering of participants from Cruise Critic. We enjoyed drinks and appetizers in the 8th floor Explorers’ Lounge as we met offline for the first time.

In general, the crew’s cheerful dedication made us feel valued and well taken care of throughout the trip.

Ambiance/Social Aspects

The ambiance of the ship plays a crucial role in shaping the overall experience. Viking Ocean Cruise ships boast elegant designs with lots of areas to socialize or enjoy some solitude. It’s a sophisticated and comfortable atmosphere.

Of course, there’s little you can do to predict how you’ll enjoy your fellow travelers but on this cruise we met many wonderful people. All were well-traveled, so it was fun to chat and compare notes. The demographics on our tour:

• overwhelmingly American
• almost all over 60 years of age and retired
• very little diversity
• quite a few people with some sort of health or mobility issues. Happily, it seemed Viking is prepared to help everyone participate in events and excursions. The crew were sensitive to the needs of people with mobility issues, quickly seating them on tenders, etc.

Viking Sea cruise ship review: the dining experience

One of the challenges of traveling anywhere is managing expectations. We have had great food on Windstar and read rave reviews of Viking’s food before the trip, so perhaps we came onboard with unrealistic expectations for a ship serving 930 passengers and 465 crew members.

Viking offers a variety of dining venues offer diverse menus, providing guests with many choices for their cruise experience. We greatly appreciated that Viking offered selections in all venues that mirrored the destinations visited. We also appreciated that there are no formal nights on Viking (though there is a dress code for the better restaurants.)

There are many options available, including options for gluten free and vegetarian diets. The food was mostly good but rarely exceptional. Service in the main dining room could be spotty. All the waitstaff was friendly but appeared to be a bit overwhelmed at times. Perhaps the area was understaffed on this trip.

As we’re dedicated to our readers, we tried each of Viking Sea’s dining options. 😉 Here we are ready to try Manfredi’s, the Italian restaurant – yum!

The Restaurant

This is the primary restaurant on the ship. It’s an elegant space with multiple divisions which belied how many guests were being served. The Restaurant offered a fairly extensive menu with some dishes offered every night, some specific to the destination, some vegetarian, and many daily specials. We had some excellent meals here but also several mediocre meals. Our favorite entrees : Beef tenderloin with horseradish mashed potato was my favorite, Dave’s was the Norwegian salmon which is offered daily.

The World Cafe is a cafeteria style option and is open for all meals. The quality of the food and selections offered were quite good. We enjoyed our meals here and understood why some cruisers only eat at the World Cafe. There is a small, shaded spot outside the World Cafe where you can bring your trays to enjoy some fresh air.

Be sure to frequent the World Cafe on Surf n’ Turf night! Lobster tails, shrimp cocktails, etc.! Yum! Dave gives a shout out to the gelato which he sampled daily for this complete review.

Note: the World Cafe is the only restaurant without a dress code. For more about this and other packing suggestions read Amazon and Caribbean Adventure: Your Ultimate Viking Cruise Packing List .

There are two (occasionally three) specialty restaurants on the Viking Oceans Cruises ships. On our trip the third option – the Kitchen Table – was not open. Reservations are required for these restaurants but if you’re not able to secure a reservation before the trip, check with the dining desk managers as there are usually spots available.

Manfredi’s is the Italian themed dining option. It’s a pleasant space with mediterranean design. The food was good and the service in this restaurant was excellent.

Chef’s Table

The Chef’s Table was an alternative restaurant where wine is paired with each course. The theme of the tasting menu rotates every three days, so be sure to check what options are available on the night of your choosing.

We attended Mexican night and enjoyed the wine but were underwhelmed with the food. Our amuse bouche was one tortilla chip topped with an octopus-based salsa. The appetizer was one tamale in a clear soup. The main course was very tasty, but again only a small serving – short ribs with mole sauce and a tablespoon of sweet potato mash artfully displayed. Dessert was a selection of chocolate treats. Note : other cruisers raved about the Asian menu, so give it a try!

Wintergarden

This was my favorite dining option on the ship!

A traditional tea is served in this spectacular space every afternoon with classical music accompaniment. I love afternoon tea so made sure to get there twice on our trip. Scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches, and sweet delicacies are served with your choice of dozens of teas. Relax, enjoy the music, and indulge.

There is no dress code for the Wintergarden, but many appeared to enjoying dressing as they might for afternoon tea at home.

Mamsen’s

This is a Norwegian homestyle spot (literally) tucked into the Explorers’ Lounge. The recipes and even the plate design come from the kitchen of the Hagen family’s Mamsen (mother). This is where you’ll find traditional Norwegian open-faced sandwiches and specialty desserts.

Definitely try the waffles here one morning! It’s a quiet change from the other dining venues and has a lovely view.

The Pool Grill, as you’d expect, serves burgers, hot dogs, and occasionally a tuna steak all made to order. Very good for a quick meal on deck.

Room Service

We ordered from room service a few times, once for breakfast on our first sea day, and twice when our excursion got us back to the ship after the dining areas were closed. After a steamy excursion it was nice to put our feet up and enjoy a platter of cheese or a Caprese panini.

More Viking Sea options

Honestly, I can’t speak to this very well. There are lots of options listed on the Daily – mahjong, crafters corner, wine and spirits tasting, shuffleboard competitions, just to name a few – but we didn’t partake of anything except team trivia in the Explorers’ Lounge.

There are tables in the Atrium set up for Scrabble and other games. These were always busy and it looked like people were having fun.

Ship’s pools

This is another category that is hard to rank. The main pool is in a gorgeous spot and has a partially retractable roof. I imagine this would be lovely if cruising in a cooler climate, but in the Caribbean and Amazon the roof opening was not sufficient to keep the space cool. We tried this for a few hours and gave up.

On the Aquavit Terrace at the rear of the ship there is an infinity pool and hot tub. This pool was perfect for a hot day in the tropics. Lovely refreshing water with enough space for several bathers. The only drawback here is that deck space is limited, and all loungers are in the sun.

Tips of first-time Viking cruisers

Cabin choice.

If you’re debating which cabin category to select, upgrade. As mentioned in the booking section above, there is a tier system for booking excursions and making dining reservations. If neither of these matter to you, choose whatever cabin you wish. But if you’re hoping to get on a specific tour, book a Penthouse Veranda or above. ( This was a real eye-opener for me. I felt a bit like a second-class citizen when I realized my mid-range cabin didn’t allow me to get some of the tours we’d looked forward to. Not a good feeling when you’ve booked a luxury brand cruise. )

There are 1-2 included excursions in every port of call. In addition, there are many optional tours with prices starting >$60 and up. We opted for two included shore excursions and many of the paid excursions. Most were very good to excellent. I’ve detailed our excursion experiences on Navigating the Amazon and Caribbean with Viking.

Note: Viking seems to leave ports earlier than other lines we have used. Our all-aboard times ranged from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. This made it more challenging to book tours with local companies (as we’ve enjoyed in other locations ), so we stuck with Viking’s offerings.

There are options to send out your laundry with a quick turnaround, but Viking is unique in providing free laundry facilities and detergent on each floor. This makes it easy to pack light for the cruise . The laundry room does gets crowded so plan on doing your wash in the off hours – during morning excursions, late at night or during dinner hours.

There are three onboard shops, one a jewelry store, one a small necessities shop, and one specializing in Nordic gear and souvenirs. Interestingly, though you have your choice of Nordic sweaters (on an Amazon cruise…hmm) there is no place to purchase a simple tee shirt. We had counted on this while packing so were disappointed. And before you say that the clientele was too upscale for tee shirts, believe me, most guests are wearing casual clothes including tees during the daytime hours and on excursions.

Silver spirit package

All Vikings Sea’s restaurants include wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. We’d heard that the included wine was of poor quality, but we enjoyed every wine we were served. (Mind you, we are not oenophiles.)

Purchasing the Silver Spirits beverage package for $25 per person per night affords the guest upgraded wines, beers, and unlimited cocktails and spirits. As this was our first Viking cruise, we decided to test the value of the package. We enjoyed the included wine and beer, but also ordered cocktails or an evening aperitif as we desired. In the end our bill was $174.50, far less than the $600 the Silver Spirits package would have cost. We’re moderate drinkers on vacation but I think the liberal pours over dinner kept our costs low.

An oddity of the included beverages policy is that at events where sparkling wine is poured continuously, I had to pay $4 for a ginger ale. Hmm…

Viking Air Services

We used Viking Air for our travel. Just a bit of reading online will show you that Viking Air gets mixed reviews with some people being booked on circuitous routes to their destinations. Fortunately, we did not have any of these issues. We were booked on a direct flight from Boston to San Juan, Puerto Rico to begin our vacation. On the return Viking booked charter flights to transport passengers to Miami from Manaus. We gladly agreed to this. As this homeward travel day was long and involved Viking put all passengers up in a Marriott hotel in Miami, served dinner and breakfast, and arranged luggage transport for each leg of the journey. From Miami we had a direct flight home.

Unfortunately, plane issues on both the charter and direct flight home from Miami caused delays. When ultimately our Miami to Boston flight was cancelled, we scrambled to find a flight home rather than spend another night in Miami. Viking Air likely could have booked something for us, but as time was of the essence so we did it ourselves. When Viking learned of our difficult day, they issued us a future cruise credit. Unnecessary as it was not Viking’s fault, but we were impressed and appreciative.

Sustainability Practices

I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) so we travel to get a few weeks in the sunshine each winter. We try to choose sustainable options as we did in Costa Rica , but sometimes we cruise. This year was challenging with losses of family and friends, so the convenience of a cruise was the best option. We chose Viking as it states a commitment to sustainability.

[Researching a bit, Viking receives mixed ratings for sustainability. Friends of the Earth gives Viking a poor grade despite acknowledging Viking has moved to advanced sewage treatment systems and exhaust scrubbers. The Cruise Line is kinder to Viking, giving the line credit for reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.]

As I don’t have the ability to precisely measure the environmental impact of the cruise line, I base my comments on what I encountered on the ship.

• Exhaust scrubbers to reduce air pollution
• Viking has discontinued some tours they deemed unethical, e.g. the pink dolphin experience.
• Paper straws are used in all venues when straws are requested
• Serving sizes in the restaurants were not excessive, so less waste here. (However, the buffets in the World Cafe undoubtedly generate a lot of food waste.)
• Time in ports was much too short to support local economies. On other cruises we try to frequent cafes, shops, and local guides, but with an early “all aboard”, on this itinerary we had to stick with ship tours.
• Towels were changed daily despite us hanging them up for reuse.

Value for Money

Viking Ocean Cruises aims to provide value for money. The cost of the cruise, considering the inclusions and amenities, is competitive in the cruise industry. With the cruise cost including full use of the spa, the entertainment, and wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, we felt that we got excellent value for our money.

We opted to use Viking’s air program and were pleased when offered a charter flight from Manaus to Miami and a hotel night in Miami before transiting home. And doubly pleased when we learned they organized a late (11 pm- 2 am!) dinner for us in Miami. Very professional of them to make these arrangements at their own expense after our cruise days had ended.

Viking Ocean Cruises Review: Conclusion

In conclusion, our cruise experience was a great blend of luxury, fun, and cultural exploration. From the ease of booking to the service on board, Viking Ocean Cruises offer a refined maritime adventure. The Viking Sea is beautifully appointed and without question a great ship. Whether seeking relaxation or immersive activities, travelers are likely to find their expectations exceeded on a Viking Oceans Cruise. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

For more information and recommendations for your Viking Ocean Cruises experience read:

• Navigating the Amazon and Caribbean with Viking: An Honest Review – a specific Viking cruise review
• Amazon and Caribbean Adventure: Your Ultimate Viking Cruise Packing List – packing tips for this unusual journey!

Pin for Later!

Amy, a writer on responsible bucket list travel, is your reliable source for insightful travel advice. With a career background in libraries, and a degree in biology and mathematics, Amy's approach to travel is rooted in meticulous research and planning, and her commitment to eco-conscious adventures.

Amy’s dedication to sustainable travel practices, including efficient packing techniques, ensures that every adventure leaves a positive impact on both the environment and the traveler's well-being. Trust Amy to guide you towards meaningful and eco-friendly travel, making the most of your retirement years.

A lifelong New England resident, Amy is also the source for insider tips on travel in the Northeastern U.S.

• Amy Tull https://travelingtulls.com/author/amy-travelingtulls/ 25 Tips to Conquer Travel Anxiety: How to Make Travel Easier (and almost stress-free!)
• Amy Tull https://travelingtulls.com/author/amy-travelingtulls/ Easy Elegance: 3 Capsule Wardrobe Templates for Travel Planning
• Amy Tull https://travelingtulls.com/author/amy-travelingtulls/ Navigating the Amazon and Caribbean with Viking: An Honest Review (2024)
• Amy Tull https://travelingtulls.com/author/amy-travelingtulls/ Amazon and Caribbean Adventure: Your Ultimate Viking Cruise Packing List

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4 thoughts on “ Elegance at Sea: An Authentic Viking Ocean Cruises Review ”

• Pingback: Amazon and Caribbean Adventure: Your Ultimate Viking Cruise Packing List - Traveling Tulls

I’ve been wondering about Viking cruises. I love that it is a kid-free environment but I didn’t realize the bulk of the people are 60+. That’s good to know. I’m saving this as a refresher when I’m ready to give them a try. Thanks!

I’ve never fancied a cruise but the ship looks lovely!

As someone who has never been on a holiday cruise, I found this very interesting. Thank you.

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• Oct 21, 2023

Tour the Staterooms on a Viking Ocean Ship

Updated: Feb 24

The experiences you get with a Viking Ocean cruise is unparalleled. From the magic of the included shore excursions, to the cultural flavors of the onboard dining, Viking puts a lot of pride into the value it's customers receive from their cruise vacation. One of the places that you will find the most value on a Viking Ocean ship is the accommodations, as every cabin is a veranda or above! You won't ever have to book an inside stateroom or enclosed oceanview with Viking Ocean.

Let's tour all the staterooms on board a Viking Ocean ship!

Staterooms & Suites

Each room category comes with different perks and amenities, including priority with boarding, reservations, and specialty dining. Be sure to reach out to your Harr Travel advisor about what is included with each room, and they will be able to help book the stateroom or suite that is best for you, your family, or group.

Owner's Suite

OWNER'S SUITE - This massive suite is over 1400 sq ft, and is the pinnacle of luxury onboard a Viking Ocean ship. The living area boasts and incredible amount of space, and includes a full dining table. There is a butler's pantry, private dry sauna, and library. In addition there is a private board room that can seat 12 for meetings or for dining. The bedroom features a king size bed, and the bathroom has a large walk in shower, heated floors, and double vanity.

As a guest in this suite, you will get immediate access to your room upon boarding at 11am, and will have access to book shore excursions 107 days out, ensuring you will be able to book whatever excursion you choose! You will also have 4 specialty dining reservations that can be book 100 days out, before anyone else, so you don't need to worry about finding a table at your favorite on board restaurants. You will also be able to book any spa treatments that you would like 100 days out as well.

Perks of the Owner's Suite also include complimentary pressing, shoe-shining, and an upgraded bottle of Veuve Clicquot upon arrival. You can also host parties and events in your suite, and have daily personalized tea and pre-dinner cocktails. You will also receive a complimentary shore excursion with a personal car and driver in one of the port stops on the cruise. In addition, you will also have access to a private guided tour with the ships officers, if you desire.

Owner's Suite - OS

Deck: Deck 7

Number of Staterooms: 1

Accommodates: 2

Total Approx. Size: 1,448 sq ft

Explorer Suite

EXPLORER SUITE - Located in the front and back of the ship, these suites range from over 700 sq ft, to over 1100 sq ft, giving you all the space you need to spread out and relax. These suites give you true separation of space, with your own private living room with a large sitting area, two chairs and a couch, and a full dining room table. In the bedroom you will find a king size bed with upgraded luxury linens and pillows, and a large bathroom with full soaking tub, walk in shower, and luxurious heated floors. Because of their locations on the front and back corners of the ship, the verandas are large, and have different views, so be sure to talk with your Harr Travel advisor, and they can help pick out the perfect suite location for you and your family. The verandas feature table, chairs, and loungers, so you can take in those beautiful views in comfort and style.

With these suites you will get to board the ship on embarkation day and go straight to your suite at 11am. In addition the onshore excursions can be booked 90 days out, as well as spa treatments and 3 guaranteed reservations at specialty restaurants.

Explorer Suite - ES

Deck: Deck 3, 4, 5, 6

Number of Staterooms: 13

Total Approx. Size: 757 sq ft

Balcony Approx. Size: 167 sq ft

Aft Explorer Suite

AFT EXPLORER SUITE (DECK 3)

Forward Explorer Suite

FORWARD EXPLORER SUITE (DECK 3)

FORWARD EXPLORER SUITE (DECK 5)

Penthouse Veranda

PENTHOUSE VERANDA - If you are looking for a bit more space than the Veranda Staterooms, the Penthouse Veranda Suite might be the option for you. The bathroom is large and has the signature heated floors and a good size shower. In the bedroom there is a queen size bed and sitting area with sofa and chair. You also have a larger veranda, which is a nice additional space to spread out.

Perks with booking this suite include complimentary pressing, shoe-shining, and a glass of bubbly upon arrival. You will also get early access to the suite on embarkation day, at 1pm. In addition to all this, shore excursions are open for booking 77 days out, and spa treatments and 2 specialty dining reservations can be booked 70 days out.

Penthouse Veranda - PV

Deck: Deck 4, 5, 6

Number of Staterooms: 104

Total Approx. Size: 338 sq ft

Balcony Approx. Size: 58 sq ft

Penthouse Junior Suite

PENTHOUSE JUNIOR SUITE - With plenty of room to spread out, this suite offers a queen size bed, vanity/desk, ample storage, and 2 flat screen tvs. The bathroom is huge with a double vanity, large step in shower, and heated floors. The sitting area and bedroom area can be slightly divided with a curtain, providing more separation of space, which makes a big difference. Out on the Veranda are table and chairs, and you can sit, relax, and enjoy the beautiful destinations you are traveling to, all from the comfort of your suite, with your morning coffee in hand.

Boarding for guests of this suite on embarkation day is 11am, and upon boarding, you will be able to go straight to your room. Access to booking excursions is granted 87 days out, and included with this suite are complimentary pressing, shoe-shining, and welcome champagne! You will also have access to book spa treatments as well as 3 specialty restaurant reservations 80 days out.

Penthouse Junior Suite - PS

Deck: Deck 6, 7, 8

Number of Staterooms: 32

Total Approx. Size: 405 sq ft

Balcony Approx. Size: 69 sq ft

Deluxe Veranda Stateroom

DELUXE VERANDA STATEROOM - These cabins are exactly the same size and layout as the Veranda, but with the upgrade to Deluxe come additional perks. When you book a Deluxe Veranda, you will have access to your room at 2pm on embarkation day, get access to book shore excursions 67 day out. You will also have 1 guaranteed specialty dining reservation which can be made 60 days out, and will be able to book any spa treatments 60 days out as well.

Deluxe Veranda Stateroom - DV

Deck: Deck 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Number of Staterooms: 272

Total Approx. Size: 270 sq ft

Balcony Approx. Size: 46 sq ft

Veranda Stateroom

VERANDA STATEROOM - The most cost effective option on their ships, the Veranda Stateroom is a luxurious and cozy option. Each cabin boasts a queen size bed, and small sitting area. The bathrooms are beautiful and have those signature Viking heated floors! Outside is your balcony where you can enjoy your morning coffee while watching the world go by! With these entry-level rooms, you will have access to your room at 3pm on embarkation day, and you can choose your shore excursions 60 days out as well.

Veranda Stateroom - V

Deck: Deck 3

Number of Staterooms: 42

BOOKING YOUR CRUISE

Now that you are ready to book your cruise on a Viking Ocean ship, reach out to the experts at Harr Travel. We know the spaces inside and out, and have an amazing relationship with the cruise line. Your advisor will help you book the right room or suite for you and your group, and give you the cruise vacation of a lifetime to some of the most incredible destinations around the globe!

[email protected]

• Viking Ocean Cruises

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Comentários

The ultimate guide to Viking cruise ships and itineraries

Some cruise lines try to be all things to all people. Viking isn't one of them.

Since its founding in 1997, the upscale cruise brand has carved out a niche catering to a certain type of thoughtful, inquisitive, generally older traveler looking to explore the world and learn a thing or two along the way.

Most Viking customers are approaching their retirement years — or are already there — and they're eager to finally see all the places they didn't have time to visit when raising kids and establishing careers in their younger years.

For more cruise guides, tips and news, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

For this subset of travelers, Viking offers a wide range of both ocean and river cruise itineraries that have a heavy focus on the destinations visited. These aren't cruises where it's all about the ship.

Viking voyages bring a lot of extended stays in ports where passengers get more time to explore historical sites and experience the local culture than is typical on cruises. Unlike most lines, Viking offers included-in-the-fare tours in every port, allowing every passenger on board to get a guided experience during stops without having to pay extra. (In general, Viking voyages are highly inclusive, in keeping with its "no nickel-and-diming" philosophy.)

On board, Viking's programming revolves heavily around what the line calls "cultural enrichment" — lectures by experts on topics related to the places its ships visit, as well as cultural and culinary offerings that often have a local tie-in.

What Viking ships don't offer is a lot of onboard amusements aimed at families and younger travelers. In fact, the line doesn't even allow children under the age of 18 on its ships. It's one of the only major cruise brands in the world with such a rule.

Viking ships also don't cater to the party crowd. If it's a floating celebration you're looking for in a vacation, this isn't the line for you.

As Viking founder Torstein Hagen likes to say, a Viking cruise is the "thinking person's cruise, not the drinking person's cruise."

Related: A beginners guide to picking a cruise line

3 things TPG loves about Viking

• Its focus is on destinations and enrichment.
• The elegant, Scandinavian-influenced design of its ships.
• Its "no nickel-and-diming" philosophy.

What we could do without

• The lack of fitness centers on Viking river ships.

The Viking fleet

Viking has more ships than any other major cruise brand in the world, more than 90 in all. It also has both ocean ships and river ships — something that is unusual among major lines. Despite this, it has one of the easiest-to-understand fleets.

That's because the vast majority of Viking's ocean vessels are carbon copies of each other. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Ditto for the line's river vessels.

Viking currently operates 11 ocean ships, nine of which are nearly identical. The exceptions are two recently unveiled Viking ocean vessels specifically designed for expedition cruising — a type of cruising that involves traveling to remote, hard-to-reach places on hardy vessels that carry their own landing craft.

The nine nearly identical ocean ships — Viking Saturn, Viking Neptune, Viking Mars, Viking Venus, Viking Jupiter, Viking Orion, Viking Sky, Viking Sea and Viking Star — began rolling out in 2015. Each has the capacity for 930 passengers. Six more nearly identical vessels are scheduled to debut between 2024 and 2028, and Viking has options with a shipyard to order four more of the ships for delivery in 2029 and 2030.

At 47,800 tons, these ocean ships are less than a fourth the size of the giant megaships being built by the likes of Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, in keeping with Viking's focus on intimate, upscale voyages. Big floating resorts, they aren't.

Note that there is one more vessel in this same series, called Zhao Shang Yi Dun, that has been permanently transferred to a joint venture that operates for the China market. When it debuted in 2017, it originally catered to the North American market and was called Viking Sun.

Viking's two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, are smaller than the above vessels, as is typical for expedition ships, and carry 378 passengers at maximum occupancy.

Then there are the river ships. At last count, Viking had 80 river ships in its fleet — an astounding number that is the result of blistering growth over the past decade. (As recently as 2012, the line operated just 29 river ships.)

As noted above, almost all of Viking's river ships are of the same basic design and are known as the Longships — a reference to the historic vessels used by Vikings in the Middle Ages.

Most Viking Longships are 443 feet long, the perfect length to fit into the locks on many of Europe's rivers. Viking has also built slightly shorter versions of the Longships measuring 262 feet, 361 feet or 410 feet in length specifically to sail on rivers where lock sizes or other navigational factors require a smaller vessel. The 410-foot-long versions of the vessels, for instance, were specifically built to be able to sail into the heart of Paris on the Seine River.

While most Viking river ships are Longships, there are a few exceptions in the Viking river fleet. Viking operates several smaller, purpose-built vessels on the Nile River in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. It also has several older river vessels that predate the Longships that operated in Russia and Ukraine until recently. (For now, river cruise itineraries in both countries are on hold due to the Ukraine war.)

Viking also recently began sailings on the Mississippi River with a new ship specifically designed for the river and its tributaries.

Related: The 3 types of Viking ships, explained

Destinations and itineraries

Viking has one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries of any cruise line, mostly due to the fact that it operates both ocean cruises and river cruises.

Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note.

You'll find Viking river ships operating on the Rhine, Main and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; and the Moselle and Elbe in Germany. Until recently, Viking also operated cruises on the Volga in Russia and the Dnieper in Ukraine. (As noted above, sailings on the latter two rivers are on hold due to the war in Ukraine and may not resume for many years.)

Viking also operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and it recently began trips on the Mississippi River.

The line's ocean ships can be found in nearly every ocean and sea around the world, from North America to Europe and Asia.

Viking's ocean ships have a major presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which the line considers its home turf. (The company was founded by a Norwegian family.) It's also a big player in the Mediterranean. You'll find Viking's ocean ships in other key cruise destinations as well, such as Alaska, the Caribbean and Panama Canal, Canada and New England, South America, Asia and Australia.

In addition, in early 2022, the line began its first cruises to Antarctica with its first expedition ship, Viking Octantis. That summer, the same vessel launched the line's first voyages in the Great Lakes — a destination that only a handful of cruise operators visit.

You'll find everything from eight-day cruises in the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages among the line's voyages.

Related: The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Viking ship

Who sails Viking

Most Viking passengers are North Americans who are approaching retirement age or already retired. The company's core market is people who range in age from 55 to 75 years, although it does draw some passengers who are younger or older.

In general, it's an educated crowd, with many passengers coming from professional backgrounds or a life of running their own businesses. They're often people who have spent years focused on work and building up savings for retirement, and they're finally ready to start enjoying the fruits of their labor by spending some of the savings on travel to places they've long put off visiting.

They're also people who can afford a relatively high-end vacation experience. While Viking doesn't market itself as a luxury line, some would call it that. Viking vessels are full of luxury touches, with the pricing to match (see more on what Viking trips cost at the bottom of this story).

In general, you'll find a lot of couples on Viking ships and some solo travelers. You'll also find the occasional multigenerational group — a retired couple traveling with their working-age adult children, for instance.

However, unlike nearly every other cruise brand, what you won't find are families with young kids. As noted above, Viking doesn't allow passengers under the age of 18 on its ships — a key differentiator for the brand as compared to other cruise lines.

Cabins and suites

Is a balcony something you can't live without when staying in a cabin on a cruise ship? Viking could be your line.

Viking is one of the only cruise brands in the world that offers a balcony with every cabin on every ocean ship it operates — even the least expensive, smallest cabins. That's something that even the most upscale of Viking's ocean cruise rivals including Oceania Cruises , Azamara , Seabourn , Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises can't say.

Viking's ocean ships also offer a large number of suites, many of which are quite spacious. Even the smallest cabins on Viking's ocean ships are large by cruise ship standards at 270 square feet, and the largest suites measure nearly 1,500 square feet.

If you're looking for a big open room on an ocean cruise (and are willing to pay for it), Viking offers you plenty of options.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking cabins and suites

Viking also offers lots of balcony cabins and suites on its river ships, something that isn't always the case in the river cruise business, where space on vessels is at a premium. Unlike its ocean ships, Viking's river ships aren't all-balcony-cabin vessels.

Designwise, Viking cabins and suites across all categories are modern and elegant in an understated sort of way, with Scandinavian-influenced furnishings and decor that tie to the Norwegian heritage of the company's founder.

You'll find beds topped with crisp, white duvets and Scandinavian throws, comfortable contemporary sofas and chairs in neutral tones, and light-wood desks and side tables that combine to offer a residential feel in bedroom areas. Soothing, minimalist colors — think creams, grays and lighter blues — are the order of the day.

Bathrooms in Viking cabins are serene, modernist escapes with luxurious travertine-lined walls, Scandinavian-influenced wood-veneered vanities, shiny white sinks and chrome fixtures.

In keeping with the high-end nature of the brand, Viking cabins and suites have a lot of upscale touches, from sumptuous bedding that envelops you to heated floors in bathrooms. The rooms aren't overly flashy, though.

What they are is eminently functional, with storage in all the right places, lots of outlets for charging your devices and lighting right where you need it. We love the reading lights built into the fabric headboards, which are in addition to the lamps on bedside tables. You won't have trouble seeing the pages of the Viking Daily activity newsletter while lying in a Viking cabin bed.

Other little touches in Viking cabins that show a line thinking about functionality as much as decor include the large and clear lettering on the Freyja toiletries that you'll find in every Viking cabin bathroom. The toiletries were specifically designed with bigger and clearer lettering than is common for toiletries on cruise ships and at hotels so that the line's older customers would have no trouble differentiating the body wash from the body lotion and shampoo.

Restaurants and dining

The number of restaurants and other dining options that you'll find on Viking ships will vary greatly depending on whether you are sailing on an ocean or a river ship.

All of Viking's oceangoing ships, which are much bigger than its river ships, have at least four and usually more outlets serving food of some sort.

Every one of the line's 930-passenger ocean ships has a main restaurant (called, simply, The Restaurant) with rotating menus that include dishes that tie to the destination where the vessel is sailing. There also are casual buffet eateries called World Cafe on every vessel. You'll probably eat most of your meals in one of these eateries.

The main restaurants on these ships are notable for their walls of glass that can slide open to create al fresco dining, something that is unusual in the cruise world.

Each of the 930-passenger ocean ships also has two smaller restaurants with specialized cuisine: Manfredi's, a high-end Italian eatery, and The Chef's Table, which offers a five-course tasting menu themed around a specific cuisine that changes every few days.

There's no extra charge for dining in the smaller restaurants, but reservations are required. Each passenger is only allowed to make one to three reservations per cruise at the eateries, depending on which category of cabin they have booked.

Viking's bigger ocean ships also have poolside grills that serve made-to-order gourmet hamburgers and other grill items. Passengers can grab a snack — with a Norwegian twist — at the forward-facing lounges atop the ships, which are home to a small food counter called Mamsen's. Named after Viking founder Torstein Hagen's mother (Ragnhild "Mamsen" Hagen), it offers authentic tastes of Norway such as traditional heart-shaped waffles, specialty cakes and the brown goat cheese that is found around the country.

Passengers will also find finger sandwiches, scones and teas in the afternoon at the glass-topped Wintergarden lounge at the top of every vessel.

The line's smaller expedition ocean ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, offer four of the above venues: The Restaurant, World Cafe, Manfredi's and Mamsen's.

Viking's river ships, by contrast, typically offer just two eateries: a main restaurant where passengers eat most of their meals and a smaller, casual buffet with indoor and outdoor seating.

Fun fact: The Manfredi's restaurants on Viking ocean ships are named after former Silversea Cruises owner Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, a friend of Viking founder Torstein Hagen. Some Silversea ships, in turn, have lounge areas named after Hagen.

Entertainment and activities

Many of the activities on board Viking's ocean ships revolve around "cultural enrichment," to use a phrase often used by Viking executives. On any given day, you might find an expert on one of the destinations you're visiting lecturing in the theater, or a classical musician performing in the central atrium, known as The Living Room. The ships also offer some traditional entertainment, including production shows with singers and dancers.

On the line's river ships, you'll also find onboard lectures, usually related to the destinations the ships are visiting, as well as destination-related demonstrations and tastings. (On a Seine River voyage, you might have a tasting of local French cheeses or French wines, for instance).

You'll also find live piano music in the evenings in river ship lounges.

Theaters, lounges and shows

Each of the line's ocean ships has a theater at its front that is home to production shows, movie showings (with fresh popcorn available) and enrichment lecturers.

In keeping with Viking's focus on cultural immersion, lecturers often have expertise related to the places you'll be visiting on your sailing. The line also draws a wide range of interesting and accomplished people from all walks of life to serve as guest lecturers, including well-known academics, diplomats and even astronauts.

In addition to the theater, a secondary lounge space on the ships called Torshavn is home to musical entertainment at night. It's also known for an extensive collection of Armagnacs, with one from almost every year of the past eight decades. (A fun game is to try the Armagnac from your birth year. Just be careful — some years are far more expensive than others.)

You'll also find musicians including pianists and guitar players performing at times in the Viking Living Room — a three-deck-high, atrium-like space at the center of the ship. Filled with comfortable seating areas and home to a bar, the Viking Living Room serves as a central meeting point for passengers throughout the day and night. It's also home to the ship's Explorers' Desk — the equivalent of a guest relations area on other ships.

There's also live music at night in the Explorers' Lounge, a two-deck-high observation lounge and bar area at the very top of the ship. The Explorers' Lounge also is home to Mamsen's, the food counter serving tastes of Norway mentioned above.

The pool deck and other venues

The centerpiece of the top deck of each of Viking's ocean ships is the main pool area, which is home to a pool, hot tub and rows of lounge chairs, as well as comfortable seating areas.

The entire main pool area is covered with a glass magrodome that can be opened on short notice on warm and sunny days — or closed if the ship encounters inclement weather.

Just behind the main pool area on each of the ocean ships is a lovely, glass-topped lounge with comfortable seating called the Wintergarden that is home to afternoon tea. A den of serenity, it's one of our favorite places on these vessels.

A secondary pool area with an infinity pool is at the back of each of the ships.

Other interior spaces that are part of the ocean ships include a stylish spa with a thermal suite area that is open to all passengers at no extra charge (something that is not common on cruise vessels) and a fitness center.

Note that Viking river ships do not have fitness centers, which is relatively unusual for river ships. Viking has long argued that few of its customers use fitness centers and the space that would be devoted to one is better used for other things. However, if you're fitness-obsessed, Viking river ships may not be the best choice for your river trip.

Related: The 12 cruise ships with the most spectacular attractions at sea

Children's program

Viking does not allow children under the age of 18 on its vessels and thus has no children's programs on any of its vessels.

What to know before you go

Required documents.

Viking operates international itineraries where a passport is required. Passports must be valid for at least six months. Note that it is important that the name on your reservation be exactly as it is stated on your passport or other official proof of nationality.

Viking adds an automatic service gratuity (which it calls a "hotel and dining charge") of $17 per person per day to final bills, depending on your cabin category. If you are unhappy with the service you receive, you can adjust this amount before disembarking at the Explorers' Desk. (You can also increase the tip amount if so desired.) Also, a 15% gratuity is added to bills at bars and for drinks at restaurants.

Related: Everything you need to know about tipping on a cruise ship

As part of Viking's "no nickel-and-diming" philosophy, the line offers free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships throughout sailings. Note that internet service can be slow at times of heavy use, as is typical on cruise vessels. In addition, in order to ensure fair usage for all, the line limits some heavy-bandwidth applications, downloads and software upgrades.

Related: Wi-Fi on cruise ships: 5 things to know about internet use on board

Carry-on drinks policy

Unlike many lines, Viking allows you to bring your own wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. The line also doesn't charge a corkage fee.

Smoking policy

On all ships, smoking (including electronic cigarettes) is only allowed in designated outdoor areas. It's forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.

Some Viking ships, including all of the line's ocean vessels (including its one expedition vessel), have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. The launderettes are stocked with detergent for the washing machines that, unlike on many cruise ships with launderettes, do not come with an extra cost.

In addition, most Viking vessels offer laundry and pressing services. Such services are complimentary for passengers staying in certain categories of cabins. Otherwise, fees are comparable to what you'll pay cleaners at home. Dry cleaning is available on the line's ocean ships but not on Viking river ships.

Viking's recently unveiled Mississippi River ship offers self-service launderettes but no send-out laundry and pressing service.

Related: Everything you need to know about cruise ship laundry services

Electrical outlets

All of the line's vessels have standard North American-style, 110-volt outlets in rooms as well as European-style, 220-volt outlets and USB ports in cabins.

The currency used on Viking ships is U.S. dollars.

Drinking age

You must be 21 to consume alcohol on Viking ships.

During the day, there is no specific dress code, and people dress casually. If it's a sea day in a warm-weather destination, and you're bound for the top deck, a short-sleeve shirt and shorts are just fine.

Evenings have an official dress code, but it's not too formal. The line asks passengers to keep things "elegant casual" when heading to any of the ship's dining venues, performances or special events. To Viking, that means a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse for women, and trousers and a collared shirt for men. A tie and jacket for men are optional. Jeans are not permitted.

This evening dress code is not enforced at the casual World Cafe eateries on Viking ocean ships, where passengers can go even more casual in the evenings.

Related: Cruise packing list: The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Viking cruise loyalty program

Viking doesn't have a loyalty program in the traditional sense — one where passengers earn points every time they travel with the brand and progress through multiple tiers that bring an ever-expanding array of perks. However, it does offer a few basic perks for past guests.

Once you travel with the brand for the first time, you will automatically be enrolled in the Viking Explorer Society. As part of this society, you will receive:

• A credit of $200 per passenger anytime you book a Viking voyage within one year of your last Viking voyage. If you reserve within two years, you receive a $100 credit.
• An invitation to a members-only Viking Explorer Society cocktail party when sailing on Viking ships.
• Early word by email or regular mail on new Viking Cruises itineraries and new ships, as well as special limited-time offers.

Note that the credits mentioned above cannot always be combined with promotions the line offers.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking's cruise loyalty program

How much does a Viking cruise cost?

Viking sailings aren't inexpensive. Ten-night "Greek Odyssey" voyages to the Greek Islands start at $3,999 per person. That works out to roughly $800 per day for a couple sharing a room. Some of the line's more exotic sailings, such as its expedition trips to Antarctica, cost even more. Fourteen-night Antarctica trips start at $13,995 per person — about $2,000 per day for a couple.

Related: 6 ways to travel to Antarctica in luxury and style

Still, as is typical for cruise lines at the high end, Viking includes a lot in its base price. In addition to a room on board and all meals, the fares include beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; specialty coffees, teas and bottled water around the clock; shipboard Wi-Fi; and (perhaps most notably) a shore excursion in every port. The latter is something relatively few lines roll into their base fares, and shore excursions can be expensive.

Viking also includes access to the thermal areas of its spa in its base fares. Such access almost always comes with an extra charge on cruise vessels.

Viking fares do include port taxes and fees, which can add up to hundreds of dollars per sailing. Most other lines do not include port taxes and fees in their base fares and add them later in the booking process.

Note that Viking does charge extra for two key things that many luxury lines such as Silversea, Seabourn and Regent do not: alcoholic drinks at bars and gratuities. This is one reason some cruisers do not consider Viking at quite the same level as those other brands.

How to book

If you're sure you know what sort of cabin you want, on which ship, on which itinerary — and about a dozen other things — you can head over to Viking.com and book directly.

That said, given the complexity of booking a cruise — there are a lot of decisions to make during the booking process, trust us — we always recommend that you use a seasoned travel agent who specializes in cruises.

A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent can also help you if something goes wrong before, during or after your voyage.

If you're sure that Viking is your line, look for a travel agent who specializes in trips with the brand. You want someone who knows all of the line's many itineraries in detail and, preferably, has sailed on or at least inspected some of the line's vessels, too, to understand the various cabin types and onboard amenities.

Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles

Whether you use a travel agent or not, make sure to maximize your credit card spending when paying for the cruise by using a credit card that offers extra points for travel purchases . This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve , which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card , which offers 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel (and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining).

Bottom line

Viking can be defined as much by what it isn't as what it is. It's not a line for families with young children. It's not a line that offers megaships topped with every sort of amusement known to humans. And it's not a line for the party crowd.

What it is is a line that has focused very specifically on "thinking person's cruises" that offer a deeper dive into the destinations that its ships visit than is typical at many lines. It's all about exploring the world and doing so in comfort.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
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• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
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• What to pack for your first cruise

Home » Cruise » Viking Ocean Cruises Veranda Cabin Review

Viking Ocean Cruises Veranda Cabin Review

Our latest stateroom review looks at the brand new Viking Jupiter where we provide our honest Viking Ocean Cruises Veranda Cabin Review.

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The staterooms on Viking Ocean ships are mainly located on Decks 3 through 6. Although, there are also some suites on decks 7 and 8 forward.

For the most part, many of the standard veranda rooms feature the same amenities. What mainly separates the categories are additional perks such as being able to book shore excursions and specialty dining pre-cruise at earlier times. In addition, our room came outfitted with a coffee maker and binoculars. 

This meant that with our DV2 Deluxe Veranda room we could book our shore excursions a week earlier than a traditional veranda room, at 67 days out from our sailing. We also had priority booking for spa treatments at 60 days.

With our cabin, we were also entitled to one pre-cruise reservation at each of the specialty restaurants. We could book those 60 days before the cruise. With a few tech issues on the Viking website, we secured one dining spot at the Italian restaurant Manfredi’s for night 6.

Related Post : What’s Included in Viking Ocean Cruises

Inside the Veranda Cabin on an Viking Ocean Cruise Ship

Upon entering the room, you are greeted with a pretty typical cruise cabin layout. Similar to the public venues throughout the ship, this room is designed in a functional, yet elegant manner. The furniture is streamlined with a muted color palette. Still, it is comfortable and maximizes space.

While the website claims the cabin is 270 square feet, we did not find it to be much roomier that cruise balcony cabins on other lines. Most of the additional space is likely found in the bathroom and depth of the cabin.

Our setup had the bed closer to the door, with a small seating area featuring two chairs and a table near the balcony. The bed was comfortable, and was lined with premium linens. The seating was functional, though it ended up becoming mostly a storage area during our trip.

Immediately past the bathroom door is a small storage area housing the safe, four drawers, and a coffee maker. This area ended up being my designated storage area for clothes. Admittedly, we are over packers, but for 8 nights we had to get creative to store all of our clothing.

Closet space in the room was pretty standard as well. About half the closet included a full length clothes rack, while the rest had a clothes rack with a dresser consisting of four drawers below. Those were all taken up by the Princess’ belongs, including her abundance of shoes.

The desk was also claimed by the Princess. While it had limited storage, including the mini-fridge, she used this area to do her hair and makeup. That was fine as I was able to use my night stand as our traditional tech-center. On both sides of the bed, Viking Jupiter featured two USB outlets, one 220 volt outlet, and one 110 outlet. This was a definite bonus!

Related Post : Viking Jupiter Ship Scorecard Review

Upgraded Features in Viking Ocean Cruises Veranda Rooms

What separates this cabin from those found on contemporary cruise lines is certainly the bathroom. It is considerably larger than typical stateroom bathrooms, with a roomier shower. This tiled bathroom and shower made you feel like you were staying in a luxury hotel, not some cramped cruise cabin.

These bathrooms also featured a large mirror and premium, over-sized Freyda toiletries which were replenished as needed by our room steward. Perhaps the Princess’ favorite feature was the heated tile floors. This is a nice touch when retreating to the room in the evening or when getting ready during those chilly, early mornings. 

The veranda too was full sized. There was plenty of rail space along with two full sized chairs and a table. Unlike some newer ships on other lines, the veranda on Viking Jupiter was an ideal size for watching sail away. Or, you could snuggle up in the morning with some room service breakfast and watch the sunrise. We wish we had more time to utilize the veranda. Although, with long days in port, there were only a few instances when we used this outdoor space. 

Recap of the Veranda Cabin on Viking Ocean Cruises

Our deluxe veranda cabin on Viking Ocean cruises was certainly anything but basic.

The room provided plenty of comforts and makes you feel right at home during your cruise. Given the size and layout, the cabin might not exactly have the same feel as a luxury hotel room, but it was among the most pleasant veranda staterooms that we have seen on a cruise ship. 

The additional add-ons in the bathroom, the premium bedding, and the additional electronic outlets were all welcomed additions. Like other aspects of the ship, it is the little things that separate Viking Cruises from the rest of the cruise lines. Offering full-sized shower products and having a simple to use remote and entertainment system all align to the company’s core mission as well. 

While the room itself does not differ much from the lowest tier veranda cabin, upgrading to a deluxe cabin might be worth it. Having the ability to pre-book specialty dining is a nice perk. In addition, getting a head start at securing shore excursions ensures you get your ideal start times. When we cruise on Viking Ocean Cruises in the future, we would certainly book a Deluxe Veranda stateroom as it included everything we needed and then some. 

Have you sailed with Viking Cruises? Have you stayed in a deluxe veranda stateroom on a Viking Ocean Cruise ship? Drop us an anchor below with your review of this popular cabin category. 

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This room appears to be across from the laundry. Was there much noise associated with that?

I agree with your assessment of the deluxe veranda. My wife and I recently sailed on Viking Mars-Into the Midnight Sun. It was the second sailing for this brand new ship. Our room was 4005 -a DV5 Deluxe Veranda. One perk I would point out is earlier boarding with this type. As for priority booking of shore excursions, our trip had delay after delay while Viking was trying to line up tour operators and was way past the 60 days prior as cruises were just getting back to “normal”. Also the storage area by the coffee maker was larger as the safes for this ship were not delivered and installed before it sailed.

I booked DV6 on 27 day Viking cruise to Scandinavia and Iceland… should I pay extra for a Penthouse Veranda stateroom (PV3)? Is $2600 extra justifiable/with it? Please advise! Thank You!

DB & The Princess

Welcome Aboard! We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. We took our first cruise vacation together 13 years ago and have been hooked ever since. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Are you ready to embark on your journey to “sea the world, one port at a time”?

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Veranda (V2) Features

• Size including private veranda: 270 sq ft
• 11:00 AM embarkation
• 3:00 PM stateroom access
• Shore excursion reservations: 60 days prior to departure
• King-size Viking Explorer Bed with luxury linens & pillows
• Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
• 42" flat-screen, interactive LCD TV with intuitive remote & complimentary Movies On Demand
• 110/220 volt outlets & USB ports
• Mini-bar with soft drinks, water & snacks; security safe; hair dryer
• Direct-dial satellite phone & cell service
• Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated bathroom floor & anti-fog mirror
• Premium Freyja® toiletries; plush robes & slippers
• Purified water refilled daily
• Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping
• 24-hour room service
• Spacious closet & drawers
• View the Veranda Stateroom in our 360° Ocean Ship Tour

• River Cruising

Viking Moscow Tour

By cadreamer , May 19, 2010 in River Cruising

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I would like to find out if the Viking tour in Moscow goes inside the Armory Museum. For some reason no one at Viking is able to answer this question. I appreciate your help.

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alexandra cruiser

not sure if still doing it....look on website,,,it should say see armory museum,,,,or try calling again and speak to supervisor ,not just phone operator....if not, you can go on own when they drop you off at Red Square...gave us a few hrs. Also, we took a taxi back,not bus, to stay in area longer...but,,,do get the docking directions in Russian for taxi driver.About one half hr.drive from city to dock....you ll love the trip...one of our favorite....small cities are great too...do get guidebook for more info...envy you....:)

We asked Viking to send us the day by day itinerary LONG before our upcoming 6/10 trip so that we could analyze just what was included and what we needed to do a private tour for.

I did not see any indication of going to the Armory Museum so we have arranged to go there as part of our private tour on one of Viking's "at leisure" days.

Yes, our Viking tour of the Kremlin included a guided tour of the Amoury. More info on what is included in the Armoury can be found at this site - http://www.kreml.ru/en/main/museums/armoury/

Can you advise specifically where you were told you'd have a guided tour of the Armory? I just reviewed the day by day itinerary from Viking and although I see a Kremlin Tour on Day 4, I don't see anything about the Armory???

I also see an OPTIONAL TOUR on Day 3 to the Military Museum, but I didn't think that was the same as the Armory???

Thanks for the additional info. Sorry if I'm being a PITA.

know on ours it was inc. when we took Kremlin tour...very close in Red Square area....it was only 1 hr tops, so you may want to call Viking and see ....if you re really into that stuff ,as my husband is, it may not be long enough for you and will appreciate taking your own private tour...its been a few yrs.and they sometimes change tours...maybe even names of things in Russia,maybe now more politcally correct than Armory,eh? Regardless, great cruise.....we loved the smaller towns too,very scenic,quaint,etc....hope they still have the vodka tasting class onboard,,,quite well attended,hahaha...also, had great lectures by a female PH,d in history that were very informative.It was one of my favorite cruises,,you ll have a great time....:)

Yeah, I don't see it in the itinerary either. I agree you should call Viking again and ask what's specifically included in the Kremlin tour. We toured the armoury and one church, plus the grounds. The Armoury has some arms and weapons, but also has fabulous silver, clothing items, and the royal carriages. It's not all military. So if they mention including those types of displays on the Kremlin tour, they should be able to follow up and confirm that it's the Amoury for you.

We had great time on this cruise - even on an older boat!

We were with Viking last July, and the armory was definitely part of the Kremlin tour. It is my understanding that it is always part of the Kremlin tour if it is open.

If you are interested in military items, plan to go on the optional tour to the military museum, which should be offered on the second full day that you are in Moscow.

Rivercruiseresource

Hi ! let me disclose that I work for Viking, and then, let me answer the question. Over the last few years, getting tour groups into the armory has become increasingly difficult. It has gotten to a point where we felt if became impossible to provide people with a good experience as part of a group visit to the Kremlin, which is why, with heavy hearts, we decided to not bring our groups there any longer. You will find, however, that there is plenty of free time in Moscow and while we offer things to do, we can also assist you in making your own plans, should you want to visit the armory on a private tour. The ship's staff is happy to help. We hope you'll have a wonderful cruise !

Rivercruiseresource - Thank you so much for your informative reply. This is just the information I needed. I appreciate your responding. I will make private plans to visit the Armory and maybe the Diamond Fund.

• 3 weeks later...

laverendrye

I have just returned from a St. Petersburg-Moscow cruise on the Viking Kirov and the above advice is not accurate, at least in my experience.

The number of visitors to the Armoury are limited, so it is is not part of the included tour of the Kremlin. However, it IS available as an optional tour added on to the regular Kremlin tour.

On our cruise, 100 places were available (and all were taken) at a cost of 32 units (ie Euros) per person. Thus of the six buses that went to the Kremlin, four included the Armoury and two did not.

The Armoury tour took about an hour or so (1hr30 is the max allowed) and I thought that this was adequate--although the collection is so stunning that one could study these exhibits for much longer. The tour did not include the Diamond Fund exhibit, but I didn't really miss it given the splendours of the rest of the exhibits.

After the Armoury tour, we continued the rest of the Kremlin tour, which included the interior of the Uspensky Cathedral. The non-Armoury tours also visited the interior of another cathedral (not sure if it was the Archangel or the Assumption).

All in all, it was a most interesting and enjoyable tour.

• 2 months later...

Search words Viking Kirov + Armory + Kremlin + war museum

I just returned from Moscow Sunday Aug 22, 2010.

When it comes to reading reports, check the dates first.

I went to the Armed Forces Museum which is totally different than the Armory. The AFM has the wreckage of the U-2 Gary Powers flew. They have many glass case exhibits of small arms, a small tank or two, WW2 Lend Lease documentation. Information about their atomic bomb and all things war related.

Evidently there was lots more that was not on exhibit.

In the back yard they have rocket launchers, several MIG airplanes, a few helicopters, a few bigger missiles and an armored train. It was raining and damp and I did a quick tour taking pictures of the planes and then following up with a picture of the exhibit description so I could “connect the dots later,”

The Armory is inside the Kremlin. It is totally different. You will find all kinds diamond encrusted swords, daggers, medals, Faberge eggs. Purportedly the diamonds on the swords “were to blind the enemy” and gain an advantage. Then there is clothing, jewelry and all things not war related like multi-ton horse drawn carriages. Yes, one was one that was 5000 pounds that took several horses to pull it. Make an attempt to touch an exhibit and an alarm goes off letting everyone know what you did.

Be prepared to go through a thorough airport security screening type of entrance. If you look carefully, there are cameras in the ceiling everywhere and motion sensors too. Remember, this is the home of the former KGB and you never know who is watching you. So, keep you hands in your pockets.

The Military Museum was 39 units or Euros

The Armory tour was 32 Euros.

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

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Everything you need to know before booking a European river cruise

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European river cruises offer year-round adventures, from autumn hues along the Douro River to Christmas markets in winter.

If you’re thinking of going on a European river cruise, here’s everything you need to know about your first river sailing, writes Tiana Templeman.

Choosing the right river

European river cruises are available year-round, from sailings that take in the autumn colours along the Douro River in Portugal to Christmas market cruises during winter, tulip cruises in the Netherlands in spring, and summer sailings along the Rhine, Danube and other popular rivers.

If you’re finding it hard to know where to start when it comes to choosing the best river for your first cruise, it can be helpful to think about what you enjoy most and choose your river cruise itinerary accordingly. For example, the Danube is widely regarded as one of the most scenic river sailings in Europe; or you could indulge your love of food and wine along the Seine in France.

Keep an open mind

No matter how carefully you choose your itinerary, there will almost certainly be a few things on it that don’t particularly interest you. But it pays to keep an open mind. As someone who’s never been interested in war history, the prospect of touring Normandy’s World War II sites didn’t thrill me. However, learning about what happened at Omaha Beach and walking through the thousands of crosses at the Normandy American Cemetery was one of the most poignant and memorable moments of my trip.

When to book

While it’s possible to cruise year-round in Europe, choose your sailing date with care, as itineraries that are early or late in the season may be impacted by high or low river levels. If this happens, you could end up being bussed between ports instead of sailing. While it’s impossible to accurately predict river levels in advance, a mid or shoulder-season sailing is more likely to be hassle-free.

Choosing your cabin

No matter what line you sail on, river cruise cabins tend to be smaller than those you’ll find on ocean-going ships. If having more room to move is important to you, you may want to book a slightly higher cabin category with a larger floor area.

If you’re travelling on a tight budget, opting for a cabin with a window instead of a balcony is an easy way to save money. While the panoramic views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in a river ship balcony cabin are lovely, you’ll probably spend most of your time out and about in port or chatting with other travellers.

What to pack

The standard of dress on river ships tends to be more relaxed, even when you’re sailing with the same cruise line. For example, on my Viking River sailing in Portugal, most of the gents wore polo shirts to dinner, but long-sleeved collared shirts and dressy slacks were the norm on my Viking Ocean cruise.

As river cruise itineraries can involve long days of touring, pack comfortable clothes you can layer, a pair of worn-in walking shoes that can handle cobblestones, and wet weather gear. If your ship has a plunge or spa pool on the top deck, don’t forget your swimmers.

Booking excursions

With so many excursions included in your river cruise fare, there’s no chance of getting bored on a river cruise. Work on your fitness before your trip so you can make the most of your days in port, and pre-book any “must-do” excursions as soon as bookings open as these can fill up fast. Also, don’t rule out the extra for-a-fee excursions, as these often cater to special interests.

It’s okay to go your own way

One important thing to understand about river cruising is you don’t have to do every activity just because it’s included in your programme. Opting out can be a great way to balance independence verus group interaction and have the kind of European holiday that’s right for you.

For example, if you’re an art lover and want to spend a full day exploring the Louvre, the ship’s one-hour walking tour will be a disappointment, no matter how great it is. Sometimes it’s smarter to book an independent tour or go as you please for the day.

Interacting with your guides

Your cruise director is an expert on your itinerary and the areas you’ll visit, so don’t be shy about asking questions when you’re aboard. Also, take advantage of the cruise tour guides in each destination. They’re local experts and the perfect people to ask where the best lunch spot is, how to find shops with locally-made souvenirs, or where to hang out with the locals.

Allow for some downtime

While it’s natural to want to take advantage of the included activities to get the best value from your river cruise, it can be a mistake to book up every minute of each day with excursions. Being able to spend time relaxing and soaking up the beauty of the river from the top deck is one of the joys of river cruising, whether you’re in port or sailing along one of Europe’s beautiful rivers.

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