viking ocean cruises best rooms

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)

penthouse_jr_suite_500x275v2_hrztl_tcm13-2539

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)

viking-ocean-explorer-suite-configurations

* 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 Ocean Cruise Staterooms: What You Need to Know

Are you considering booking a Viking Ocean cruise and wondering about your stateroom choices (in a floating hotel room)? Viking Ocean cruise ships have an excellent array of stateroom options that range from 270 to over 1,000 square feet. There are some basic amenities that all staterooms share, like private balconies, mini-fridges, upholstered furniture, bathrooms with heated floors, and TVs. Soothing Scandinavian colors are the hallmarks of Viking staterooms and shared spaces like the Explorers’ Lounge and Living Room.

Stateroom stewards take good care of guest rooms. They clean staterooms twice daily, restock the refrigerator, and ensure guests have what they need. For example, on the first evening before dinner, I asked for extra hangers for my clothes, a top sheet (as the bed was outfitted with just a duvet), and a tea kettle. When my husband and I returned from dinner a few hours later, we noticed that the bed was remade with a top sheet, and I had the extra hangers and tea kettle. Perfect!

Stateroom Conveniences

All staterooms come equipped with the conveniences listed below. Higher (and more expensive) stateroom levels have more overall space and additional furniture in the living area, double sinks in the bathroom, and other amenities. Two staterooms (Penthouse Junior Suites #6020, #6021) are wheelchair accessible . All staterooms have:

Private full-size balconies with two chairs and a small table .
King-size bed that can be configured into two twin beds. (The default selection is “Together.” If you prefer two twin beds, go to MyVikingJourney . com and choose “Separated”: Onboard Experience > Preferences > Stateroom Preferences > Edit > Separated.)
Comfortable upholstered furniture in the living room area.
2 USB and 2 Type B (American standard) outlets on either side of the bed
2 Type C (Europlugs) and 2 Type B (American standard) outlets by the desk
Closet with wooden hangers. Request more hangers from your stateroom steward if you need them.
Dresser drawers for clothes.
Desk with lift-up lid with storage for makeup, pens, paper, etc.
Under-bed storage for luggage. Store your suitcases here after unpacking.
Safe. You set the code so it’s easy to remember. It easily holds passports, other travel documents, jewelry, and money. One tip we learned is to put a shoe (just one!) in the safe the day before you check out. Having to look for the show on the last day will remind you to open the safe so you don’t forget your valuables.
Heated bathroom floor and heated towel rack. (These two amenities can help dry wet shoes and clothing if you get drenched on an excursion. It worked perfectly for us!)
Anti-fog mirror.
Hair dryer.
Freyja toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion).
Shower and toilet.
42” TV to view daily port talks, lectures, and maps to see the ship’s current location, other Viking programming, major TV networks, movies, and other shows.
Free Wi-Fi (though connection speeds vary depending upon location).
Full-length mirror .
Coffee machine with a variety of coffee and tea selections . Let your stateroom steward know if you have special requests with types of coffee or tea pods for the machine.
Mini-fridge with sodas and snacks refilled daily . Let your stateroom steward know of any special requests like stocking it with diet instead of regular soda.
Pitcher of purified water (that will be refilled daily) and two glasses . Viking also offers guests a bottle of water when leaving the ship on excursions.
QuietVox receivers on lanyards (with earpieces) for excursions . Keep these in the charger when you return to your stateroom after excursions so they’re ready for the next day.
Laundry services are available by completing a form in your stateroom. They are complimentary for guests in the Owner’s Suite, Explorer’s Suite, and the Penthouse Junior Suite staterooms and at a nominal cost for guests in other stateroom levels. For instance, laundry charges are $3.50 for a pair of jeans or pants, $2.50 for a men’s sports shirt, $6.00 for a dress, and $1.00 for a pair of socks. Regular service means that if the laundry is picked up in your stateroom by 9:00 am, it will be returned by late afternoon/early evening the next day. There is a 50% surcharge for same-day service.
Self-service launderettes are on decks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and are complimentary for all guests. They have washing machines and dryers. Viking provides complimentary laundry soap they want guests to use in their machines. Viking does not allow dryer sheets to be used in their dryers. In addition to the washers and dryers, the launderettes have ironing boards and irons.

Stateroom Perks

There are six levels of staterooms aboard Viking Ocean cruise ships. They all have some of the same conveniences (as detailed in the previous section). As the stateroom category prices increase, there is more square footage, living room space, and perks. Some considerations impacting passengers’ decision-making include when you can board the ship and book excursions, specialty restaurants, and spa services. The schedule is as follows.

11:00 AM: Owner’s Suite, Explorer Suites, and Penthouse Junior Suites
1:00 PM: Penthouse Veranda Staterooms
2:00 PM: Deluxe Veranda Staterooms
3:00 PM: Veranda Staterooms
Owner’s Suite—107 days from the sail date
Explorer Suites—97 days from the sail date
Penthouse Junior Suites—87 days from the sail date
Penthouse Veranda Staterooms—77 days from the sail date
Deluxe Veranda Staterooms—67 days from the sail date
Veranda Staterooms—60 days from the sail date
Owner’s Suite—100 days from the sail date
Explorer Suites—90 days from the sail date
Penthouse Junior Suites—80 days from the sail date
Penthouse Veranda Staterooms—70 days from the sail date
Deluxe Veranda Staterooms—60 days from the sail date
Veranda Staterooms—No priority reservations

Stateroom Locations

There are 9 decks for passenger use on Viking’s ocean cruise ships (with staterooms on 6 of those decks):

DECK 1: The Chef’s Table restaurant, Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, The Living Room, Guest Services, Spa, Fitness Center
DECK 2: The Restaurant, Atrium, Torshavn (nightclub), Star Theater
DECK 3: The Atrium, staterooms, launderette
DECK 4: staterooms, launderette
DECK 5: staterooms, launderette
DECK 6: staterooms, launderette
DECK 7: Aquavit Terrace with infinity pool and hot tub, World Café, the main pool with pool grill and bar, Wintergarden (for afternoon tea), The Explorers’ Lounge (lower level), Mamsen’s (Norwegian café within the Explorers’ Lounge), 10 staterooms
DECK 8: Sun Deck, The Explorers’ Lounge (upper level), 20 staterooms
DECK 9: Sports Deck with shuffleboard and other outdoor amusements

The medical center is located on the deck beneath Deck 1, considered Deck A. It’s the only Deck A area open to cruise passengers.

Stateroom Tips:

If you arrive before the embarkation time for your stateroom, you can relax on the ship – and have lunch – before your stateroom is ready.
Before your trip, you can reserve, cancel, and change excursions, dining, and spa reservations online at MyVikingJourne y .com . Once aboard, you can use the Viking Voyager app (active once you board the ship) to manage your reservations.
If you think you’ll want to provide an extra tip to your stateroom stewards , you might want to pack some thank you notes to share your thoughts on the service provided. I know that’s always appreciated.

Viking cruise articles.

Viking Ocean Cruises: The Ultimate Guide
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 Cruises: Best Action Steps to Take After Booking a Cruise
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

Trip Planning Articles

Best Apps and Websites for Savvy Travelers
Expert Tips for Traveling to Europe for More Fun, Less Stress
How to Use Google Translate While Traveling
Travel Lightly: Top Ten Tips for Your Next Trip

Travel Planning Timeline

Final thoughts.

My husband and I prefer having extra space in our stateroom as we like to read, enjoy a leisurely room-service breakfast, or just unwind after a busy day in our room. That’s why our top choice is a Penthouse Junior Suite. We could only book a Deluxe Veranda stateroom on an upcoming popular cruise because all the higher-class staterooms were sold out. However, I regularly check the Viking website for cancellations for a Penthouse Junior Suite so we can upgrade. Time will tell. Truth be told, we’d be happy with a Deluxe Veranda stateroom even though we prefer the other.

One feature I like is the private balconies with each stateroom. My husband and I enjoyed spending time on our balcony: we sat there and ate breakfasts (from room service) some mornings and sipped wine in the evening while enjoying the views.

Some passengers prefer a specific side of the ship – port or starboard. Whatever stateroom you have, I think it’s nice knowing they all have some outdoor space to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way.

Feel free to share your suggestions and experiences with Viking Ocean cruise staterooms. Your thoughts could help other travelers. Thanks! 🙂

Best Sights to See on the Viking Grand European Tour River Cruise

A Viking River Cruise ship is docked along a river in Europe.

The Complete Guide to a Viking River Cruise

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Viking Cruises: Best Action Steps After Booking Your Cruise

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.

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.

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Viking Venus

Launched in May 2021 from Portsmouth, England, Viking Venus features modern amenities and a contemporary design. The ship can hold 930 passengers and 465 crew members. Amenities include multiple pools and shops, as well as a cinema, a live performance theater, a jazz lounge, a spa, a fitness center and a salon. Plus, you can attend a lecture or discussion with the onboard historian, who helps educate passengers on the cultural aspects of each destination. An onboard cooking school, The Kitchen Table, also allows guests to learn about each destination's unique cuisine.

Cruisers can enjoy daily updated food options at The Restaurant, diverse cuisine at the World Café, expertly paired tasting menus at The Chef's Table and Italian favorites at Manfredi's Italian Restaurant. There are eight dining venues on board in total, in addition to the ship's cooking school at The Kitchen Table and 24/7 room service.

When it's time to rest, there are six types of accommodations to choose from – all with private verandas. The standard Veranda Staterooms measure 270 square feet and feature plush beds, free Wi-Fi access and flat-screen TVs. Higher-tier rooms come with extras like priority shore excursion reservations, priority spa reservations, in-room coffee and free laundry services. Plus, travelers in these cabins will have more space: Rooms reach up to 1,448 square feet and may include separate living and dining areas.

The Viking Venus sails to popular European destinations like Barcelona , Athens , Bangkok , Istanbul , Rome , London , Sydney and Stockholm .

Viking Saturn

Debuted in May 2023, the adults-only Viking Saturn has the capacity to hold 930 passengers and 465 crew members. Travelers love the ship's clean Scandinavian design and compact size, which allows it to dock in smaller ports that larger cruise ships cannot reach.

On board, travelers have access to a slew of amenities, including a fitness center, a spa, a library, a state-of-the-art theater, a hair salon, an infinity pool and more. A resident historian is also on board to offer lectures and educational programming about upcoming port destinations. When hunger strikes, Viking Saturn offers an array of dining options, from fresh seafood at World Café to afternoon tea service at Wintergarden to traditional Norwegian cuisine at Mamsen's. Or, learn how to prepare regional dishes from your itinerary at the onboard cooking school.

Starting at 270 square feet, standard staterooms come equipped with king-size mattresses (which can be converted into two twin beds), flat-screen TVs, full-size verandas and bathrooms with heated floors. What's more, each accommodation includes 24-hour room service. Travelers who opt to stay in one of the ship's upgraded suites (which reach up to 1,448 square feet) have access to additional perks such as separate living areas and dining rooms, complimentary laundry services and a welcome bottle of Champagne, among other luxuries.

Viking Saturn sails to a variety of destinations in northern Europe (such as Bergen, Norway; London and Stockholm ) and the Mediterranean (think: Barcelona, Spain ; Rome ; Athens, Greece ; and Istanbul ).

The 930-passenger Viking Sky – which debuted in February 2017 – receives rave reviews from past cruisers for its port-heavy itineraries (fares include one complimentary excursion per port) and luxurious, comfortable staterooms. Cabins offer between 270 and 1,448 square feet of space and include balconies, complimentary Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs and bathrooms with heated floors, among other amenities. Those who opt for an upgraded stateroom or suite are treated to additional perks, like priority reservations at the spa and specialty restaurants.

Viking Sky's activities include classes at the fitness center, treatments at the spa and destination-focused lectures. The ship also offers two pools and two whirlpools, including an infinity pool on the stern of the ship. In the evenings, passengers can enjoy live performances in the theater or watch destination-related movies in one of two cinemas.

Guests also have their choice of cuisine, from alfresco dining on the Aquavit Terrace to Manfredi's Italian Restaurant. With 550 crew members on board, the ship maintains a nearly 2-to-1 guest-to-crew ratio.

Viking Sky sails to the Mediterranean, Europe, Central America and more. The ship also offers world voyages.

Viking Mars

Viking's newest ship, the Viking Mars accommodates 930 passengers and, since it's a smaller vessel, it can dock in many ports where some of the larger ocean-faring cruise ships can't reach. The all-veranda accommodations on this ship, which debuted in May 2022, range in size from around 270 square feet to 1,448 square feet. In-room amenities include free Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs, safes, minibars filled with drinks and snacks, robes, slippers and 24-hour room service.

Visitors will find a relaxing spa, a hair salon, a yoga area and a well-equipped indoor fitness center (plus an outdoor fitness center) aboard the ship. Those looking to unwind with a book in one hand and a cocktail in the other should snag a cozy spot in The Living Room. Like other Viking ships, the Viking Mars offers educational programming, lectures, cooking classes and more on board.

Cruisers can also enjoy amenities like the main pool and hot tub, the infinity pool, the cinema, the theater, a jazz lounge and various bars. Dining options on this ship include Manfredi's Italian Restaurant, Aquavit Terrace, World Café, The Chef's Table and The Kitchen Table.

Viking Mars receives rave reviews from recent cruisers. The variety of excursions, the delectable onboard dining and the comfortable cabins are a few things previous guests highlighted as superb. However, the staff received mixed reviews: Some experienced attentive and friendly employees, while a few noted they were expecting better service across the board for the price point.

Upcoming itineraries on the Viking Mars include cruises with ports of call in Iceland, Norway, Greece, Italy, Spain, the U.S. and Canada.

Viking Jupiter

Debuted in February 2019, Viking Jupiter is the cruise line's sixth ocean vessel. The ship sleeps up to 930 guests in luxurious staterooms that include everything from large bathrooms to comfortable king-sized beds. As an added bonus, each room is equipped with free Wi-Fi access.

Travelers will have the opportunity to indulge in several onboard activities. They can visit the spa's snow grotto and chill beneath the snowflakes, go for a swim in the infinity pool or let their worries melt away in the hot tub. The Bar and The Living Room offer additional spaces to unwind with a cocktail or mingle with fellow cruisers.

For afternoon tea and light snacks, travelers can stop by Wintergarden, or for a heartier meal, the main dining room, Manfredi's Italian Restaurant or World Café offer scrumptious European delicacies, Chinese fare and everything in between. In the evening, cruisers can catch a live show in The Theater or a destination-themed movie in one of two onboard cinemas.

Recent travelers were wowed by the ship, appreciating its tasteful, minimalist decor. They also found the food delicious and suggested purchasing the upgraded drink package.

Viking Jupiter visits ports in Buenos Aires , Barcelona and more on both regional and transatlantic cruises.

U.S. News Insider Tip: Viking Jupiter and Viking Orion are the only two ships in the fleet that have a planetarium called the Explorer’s Dome. Refer to the daily program, the Viking Star, to see what shows are available during your voyage. – Gwen Pratesi, Contributor

Launched in April 2016, Viking Sea is the second vessel in Viking's Ocean Cruises fleet. Carrying 930 passengers, the ship's small size is designed to allow direct access to smaller ports around the world.

Viking Sea's staterooms range from 270-square-foot Veranda Staterooms to the 1,448-square-foot Owner's Suite. All accommodations include balconies, flat-screen TVs, king-sized beds, complimentary Wi-Fi access and bathrooms with heated floors. Those who splurge on upgraded staterooms receive extra perks like priority reservations for excursions, spa treatments and specialty restaurants.

The ship's facilities include a fitness center, a Nordic spa (complete with a snow grotto), an outdoor gym and yoga area, a theater and a one-of-a-kind infinity pool on the stern of the ship that gives the illusion of swimming in the ocean.

When you work up an appetite, the Viking Sea offers a variety of dining options to quell your hunger. They range from casual Norwegian cuisine at Mamsen's to alfresco dining on the Aquavit Terrace. Recent passengers report a stellar onboard experience, describing the food as delicious, the ship as comfortable and the service as top-notch.

Viking Sea sails to ports across Alaska, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and the West Indies.

Viking Star

Debuted in 2015, Viking Star was the fleet's first ocean liner. Welcoming up to 930 passengers, the ship features all-veranda staterooms ranging from 270 to 1,448 square feet. The Owner's Suite offers a dining area that can seat six, an ocean view dry sauna and a 12-seat boardroom, among other amenities.

Beyond their rooms, passengers will find a spa, several shops, a theater that hosts live performances and lectures, two cinemas for screening movies and two pools, including a glass-backed infinity pool cantilevered off the stern.

There are eight dining options to choose from, all with no additional charge or fee. For fine dining, there's The Restaurant, Manfredi's Italian Restaurant and The Chef's Table, which touts a multicourse tasting menu with wine pairings. For a more casual atmosphere, passengers can stop at Mamsen's for Norwegian deli-style eats or the Wintergarden for afternoon tea.

Viking Star sails to destinations in Europe, Central America, the Mediterranean and more.

Viking Orion

The 930-passenger Viking Orion set sail in 2018. All staterooms on the Viking Orion are equipped with balconies, flat-screen LCD TVs and minibars. Cabins also feature bathrooms with glass-enclosed showers and heated floors.

When it's time to relax, cruisers can head to the spa for a treatment or – for a unique experience – cool their body temperatures down in the snow grotto (where snowflakes fall) before jumping into the sauna or hot tub to warm up. Recent travelers said this spa experience is not to be missed.

The ship is also home to a fitness center, a living room that hosts live entertainment, a library, shops, a salon and two movie theaters. The main pool area is expansive, featuring ample lounge seating, a retractable roof and a poolside bar. At night, the ship screens poolside movies under the stars.

Viking Orion's guests can enjoy meals at several onboard restaurants, including the main restaurant where menus rotate daily. Or, guests can book a private dining room for intimate gatherings. Recent cruisers raved about the service and food quality across the ship. Come nighttime, the ship's theater offers live performances ranging from themed shows to history and art lectures.

Viking Orion sails to Australia and New Zealand, Asia and Alaska.

U.S. News Insider Tip: One of the most relaxing spaces on Viking Orion (and all of Viking’s ocean ships) is the glass-enclosed Wintergarden, which is located next to the pool area. Afternoon tea is served every day, and it’s not to be missed at least one time during your cruise. – Gwen Pratesi, Contributor

Viking Neptune

Viking Neptune sailed its maiden voyage in December 2022. Those familiar with Viking Cruises may notice this ship is not the first Viking Neptune; an earlier vessel from the early 2000s was the first to bear the name.

The new 930-passenger, 470-crew boat resembles its sister ship Viking Mars with its modern features and contemporary Scandinavian design. Amenities on board include a spa, a fitness center, a jazz lounge and theaters that host destination-focused live entertainment and movies.

The all-veranda ship allows guests to enjoy ocean views from any room. The standard Veranda Stateroom measures 270 square feet and features a king-size bed, 42-inch flat screen TV and free Wi-Fi access. Travelers looking for more spacious accommodations can opt for a Suite room. These rooms can reach up to 1,448 square feet and may include separate living and dining room spaces.

Cruisers have eight restaurants to choose from. The Restaurant – the ship's main dining facility – provides regional cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, while the World Café serves up international dishes. The ship also has a few specialty restaurants included in the fare, such as Manfredi's Italian Restaurant and Mamsen's, a Norwegian specialty cafe. Just keep in mind, these specialty eateries require guests to make reservations.

Viking Neptune sails to ports throughout Europe , the Mediterranean, Canada and the United States . The ship also offers transatlantic and world cruises.

Disclaimers about ship ratings: A ship’s Health Rating is based on vessel inspection scores published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If a ship did not receive a CDC score within 22 months prior to the calculation of its Overall Rating, its Health Rating appears as N/A; in such a case, the ship’s Overall Rating is calculated using the average Health Rating of all CDC-rated ships within the cruise line. All ship Traveler Ratings are based on ratings provided under license by Cruiseline.com.

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Best of Moscow by high speed train

By shuguley , February 15, 2014 in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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If you are considering this on the 2015 June Baltic cruise on Voyager; my suggestion is don't. There is so much to do in St. Petersburg and although a train is one of my favorite ways to travel the time would be far better spent in St. P.

Thanks for the advice. Yes, this would be on the Voyager during the 2015 season but not yet sure exactly which cruise.

We did the Moscow excursion "on a different luxury line", but from your brief description it sounds very much like the same trip, so I will operate on that assumption. It is a VERY long day! We left the ship at 5:30 AM and returned at 12:30 AM. The highspeed train trip is comfortable, and while they call it "Business Class" it does not compare well to the equivalent class on say Rail Europe. When we did it in 2011, we did have highspeed both ways, and the trip back seemed much longer as the adrenaline and excitement had worn off!:D

Moscow itself is not that terribly different from any other big city in the world, but this Cold War kid never thought he would ever stand in Red Square, never mind walk the grounds of The Kremlin, or tour The Kremlin Palace, or see (but not visit) Lenin's Tomb, or visit The Armoury. But he did, and he loved every minute of it! Yes, it is a long day, and you barely scratch a scratch on the surface, but it is worth it. There is a tremendous amount to see in St. Petersburg, but every Baltic cruise goes to St. Petersburg, so you can go back if you choose to. Not every cruiseline offers you the chance to see Moscow.

I have not personally done this tour, but our last time in St Petersburg, the private guide that we hired for a day was leading the regent tour to Moscow on the high speed train the next day. He said it was way better than the previous alternative, which was flying to Moscow and back. He said that you actually got to Moscow faster because you didn't have to deal with airline checkin etc. it did seem like a very long day to me, and there is so much to see and do in st. Petersburg that I didn't consider doing it.

countflorida

We toured to Moscow from St. Petersburg via the hi-speed SAPSAN train last September, from a Baltic cruise on the Oceania Marina. You need to have a two-night, three day port call in St. Petersburg to take this tour because the tour typically leaves the ship around 5:00 - 5:30 AM and doesn't return until after midnight the next day. We didn't take the ship's tour; we made private arrangements with TravelAllRussia for three days of touring, the first and third days in St. Petersburg and the second day the tour to Moscow by train. Our cost for the private tour for three days was about the same as what the ship charged for the excursion to Moscow alone. There are a number of private tour agencies that operate in St. Petersburg and offer the Moscow train tours; we would strongly recommend them over the ship's tours.

All three days had private guides with car and driver. The second day, the driver picked us up at the ship and took us to the train, but we were alone on the train, and met in Moscow by the guide on the station platform. After our tour and dinner, we were brought back to the train and after the return train trip met by the driver and taken back to the ship. Because you are alone on the train you must have your own Russian visas.

If this is your first visit to St. Petersburg, I would agree there is much more to see there. We found Moscow somewhat a disappointment, particularly Red Square. The Kremlin and the cathedral in Red Square were also worth seeing. But the best thing we saw was the Moscow subway! I worked for the Washington Metro system back in the 1980s as it grew from 40 to 80 miles and although I was in the computer area, I learned a lot about the challenges of running a subway system. We used the Moscow system to get across the city from where we had dinner to the train station, and I was amazed at the cleanliness', speed of operation, the short headways maintained, and the courtesy of everyone involved. A very impressive experience!

We had been to St. Petersburg before, and so had the time to take a day and go to Moscow. Also, I really like trains, and the SAPSAN is a German train set running on Russian rails. Seats are like first class domestic air, spacious but not too plush or comfortable, but with enough room. Not too much recline, and almost 8 hours on the train in two shots is a lot for an old man. They come through and sell drinks, candy, etc. but the sellers don't speak English and no one around us helped, so we had just poor coffee once coming, and brought stuff with us for the trip back. Not too much to see from the train either, particularly on the return when it is night the whole way.

If you decide to go, take a private tour and avoid the overly expensive ship's tour. I'm glad we did it, but wouldn't bother to repeat the tour; we've seen Moscow.

Thanks so much to all of you for the thorough and thought insight. Yhe information you have provided is most helpful.

countflorida: Your detailed post is very helpful. We are not quite ready for a Baltic cruise but should do so within a year. Time enough to do our pre travel research, bookings and visa gathering.:) Thank you!

Emperor Norton

Sure would appreciate someone who has taken "Best of Moscow by high speed train" from St. Petersburg could please share their impressions of this shore excursion. From the description this sounds like a very long day. Wondering how the 4 hour train trip was in terms of accommodations, etc. Also what time did you leave the ship and what time at night did you return? Were both legs of the trip on the high speed rail (I read that slower trains also travel the same tracks)? My wife and I are considering this excursion. We thought that if we are making all the effort to go to Russia then how could we pass up going to Moscow, walking in Red Square, seeing St. Basil, etc.

I did this on Seabourn. IMO DONT. Take Aeroflop (er Aeroflot). The train has non folding seats where you are literally knee to knee with your fellow passenger (facing each other). Further they don't believe in air conditioning. It's also the worlds slowed bullet train. I think I would have found more enjoyment wandering around the St. Petersburg and Moscow airports.

Countflorida,

This is a little off topic,, however we had planned a river cruise in Russia but decided we would rather stay on land and have booked about two weeks with Travel-All-Russia using the private guide and driver. I'm curious as to how you found them as a tour company.

The guides they provided were fine. We had a different guide each of the days in St. Petersburg, but both were flexible, pleasant, knowledgeable and spoke English very well, as did the guide in Moscow, incidentally. She was a bit aloof, distant, not too friendly, but otherwise fine. In fact, she was the one who suggested taking the Metro, which unexpectedly became one of the highlights of the Moscow excursion. If I have a complaint with AllTravelRussia, it is with their plan and its execution (more later).

I had requested emphasis on World War II (in Russia, the Great Patriotic War) sites and info. In scheduling us, they weren't careful about dates and a couple of the sites we wanted to see were scheduled on the third day, after we'd been to Moscow. But both sites were closed that day of the week, and that info was readily available, right on web sites describing them. Also, the included meals (lunches in St. Pete, dinner in Moscow) were not what we asked for: light meals with some choices, so we could avoid things we didn't like and choose things we did like. My request was ignored; we were given full Russian meals with a fixed menu, no choice. On the first day, a fish dish was the entre, but I am allergic to fish. Fortunately, I had the e-mail I'd sent with me and showed it to the guide, and she was able to change my entre to chicken, which was very good actually. But we didn't want a 3-4 course lunches or dinner (in Moscow). We had the guide drop the lunch the third day, although we never got any credit or refund. But, particularly in contrast to the ship's tours, the prices were so reasonable we didn't worry too much about it.

The people who were on the ship's tour to Moscow saw us boarding the same train for which they were forced to queue up and wait on the way back, and asked us what we had done. I was candid and open so they were not happy when I explained what we had arranged and particularly what it had cost. Also, when we returned to the ship, we found they had laid on a late supper for those who had gone to Moscow, so up we went and had something. Well, it turns out the late supper was supposed to be just for those on the ship's tour, but we and others on 'independent' tours, there were a dozen or more of us, crashed the party, actually got there first, and they didn't realize it until the larger group arrived and there weren't enough tables/places set. By that time, the 'independents' had all gotten served and were eating; what could they do?

A couple from the larger group sat down with us and asked us about our tour, and they were the ones I told about our arrangement and its cost. They turned to others who’d been with them and announced the details, loudly enough so the whole room heard, which started a lot of bitching and complaining. I gathered they weren't very happy with the ship's tour to begin with, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. We finished up and beat it out of there, but overheard later that one of the excursion staff came to check on something and ran into a real mess. I caught a cold on the trip, which forced me to bed the second day following in Tallinn, so by the time we reappeared we heard about the contretemps' but apparently no one recalled who started it, thankfully.

Because of what happened to us, I would probably not use AllTravelRussia if I were to go again, or if I did, I would be sure to get confirmation of every detail of the tour. They do have good reviews generally, and we were certainly helped by their visa department and liked the guides and drivers. Their weakness, I say now with full 20:20 hindsight, is that once the sales person who plans the tour, sells it to you and collects your money, he (or she) transfers the plan to their Russia office for implementation; there is no follow-up to make sure it gets done right. And that is where our problems arose; we paid for a custom tour but got a standard package with a few destinations switched, and no one checked them out, even to see when they were open the day we were scheduled to go. If you check every detail that’s important to you, it should be OK, but that’s a hell of a way to have to do business, in my opinion.

Thank you for the 20/20 hindsight observation on your Russian tour operator, and better priced than the ship's excursion cost.

Thanks very much for the feedback.

We had the same experience as you so far as price. We originally booked a Viking Cruise but, hearing some things about the river cruises that made us unhappy, looked into other options. T-A-R cost the same or less than a cruise and had us in hotels for 11 days. We opted for the private tour. They have three tour levels, based on hotels. We originally opted for the four star as it did not cost much more than the three star hotels. Finally we decided to throw it all in and upgraded to five star. In Moscow we will be at the newly opened Kempinsky which is two blocks from Red Square. In St. Petersburg it is the Grand Hotel Europe, one of the most vaunted luxury hotels in Russia. Location is important for us as the tours use up only part of the day so being in the center of everything for our independent touring is important. As with many other cities, the less you pay, the farther out of the center of town you are.

We have been working with our salesman in D.C. and he seems to get back to us with the changes we want. He recently returned from Russia so is up on everything. When I asked they said they paid the full TA commission if I wanted so I got my usual TA on board so he is watching our back and giving us that extra level of comfort. He also set up our air, which I know pays him little or nothing, and got us business class for much less than T-A-R wanted for economy, though it took working for a while with a consolidator. He's happy to get his 10 percent on this trip without having booked it. He also took care of the trip insurance. We've been doing a lot of research on the CC sister site Trip Advisor and will write a report there. We will, I guess, become a source of info for CC members after having spent 5 days in Moscow and 6 in SP.

4 months later...

scubacruiserx2

Anybody considering a day trip to Moscow from St. Petersburg on the Sapsan may want to look at our travelogue filled with pictures.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1927687

Very informative. Thanks dor sharing. Jeff

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The 7 best cruise ship spas

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The best cruise ship spas are so tranquil and relaxing they may become not just your personal sanctuary at sea but also the “happy place” you visualize the next time you go to the dentist.

Like most onboard spas, these zen retreats typically feature a thermal suite with a sauna, steam room and maybe a hot tub; a menu of massages and facials; and a salon with hairdressers and manicurists. However, our favorites go above and beyond with spa-inspired shore excursions, calming accommodations and unique treatments and programs aimed at bolstering your mental and physical wellness.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG’s cruise newsletter .

Here are our picks for the best cruise ship spas that are sure to wipe all your stress away.

LivNordic Spa, Viking Ocean Cruises

The thermal suite on Viking ’s adults-only oceangoing ships is notable not only for its gorgeous design and unique hot and cold treatments but also because it’s complimentary for every passenger on the ship. You don’t need to book a spa treatment or buy a day pass to relax in the calming space, with its gray stone finishings and beautiful faux fireplace.

Viking’s coed spas are distinctly Scandinavian, and include a resistance pool, sauna, lounge chairs lined in heated tiles, steam room, bucket-style ice shower and a snow grotto. The snow grotto is just what it sounds like — a snow-filled, neon-lit space designed to cool you off, therefore mimicking the Scandinavian tradition of rolling around in the fluffy white stuff after your time in the sauna.

Related: Mistakes cruisers make on sea days

If you’re willing to open your wallet for additional pampering, you’ll find an impressive menu of spa treatments, including a Scandinavian spa night option and an array of hard-to-find Norwegian spa products that take advantage of regional ingredients, such as cloudberries.

The line’s two expedition ships have the added benefit of floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can watch whales breaching while you relax in the pool.

Cost to access the thermal suite: $0.

The Spa at Seabourn

Seabourn ’s spa stands out from the crowd thanks to the line’s signature Mindful Living program, which was put together with famed integrative medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weil.

The program includes yoga, guided meditation, “earth grounding” massages, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine consultations and even crystal sound baths. Other lines also offer Eastern-inspired wellness lifestyle options, but the Dr. Weil branding on Seabourn’s ships provides an air of authenticity.

Related: 7 extra-charge items on cruise ships that are worth the cost (and 7 that aren’t)

The rest of the spa is also impressive. Seabourn’s newest ships offer spacious spa areas with fitness centers and salons, as well as thermal suites with steam rooms, monsoon showers and heated tiled chairs.

Even the line’s expedition ships, Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, have 3,700-square-foot Adam Tihany-designed spas. Each features an airy sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Cost of Mindful Living program: Some activities — such as seminars, meditation and yoga — are included in the cost of your cruise. Others — such as acupuncture ($29) and earth-grounding massage ($179) — require a surcharge.

AquaSpa, Celebrity Cruises

On Celebrity Cruises ’ fabulous Edge-class ships – Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond and the soon-to-launch Celebrity Ascent — you’ll find everything you would imagine in a major city’s top spa and fitness center. Picture a stunning spa with cutting-edge treatments, such as an antigravity massage, and a thermal suite featuring an infrared sauna and a room designed for swinging meditation.

The salon area includes a teeth-whitening program and the first hair salon at sea branded by the Parisian Kerastase line. The 24-hour fitness center is also impressive — with Peloton bikes, barre and high-intensity interval training classes, and even bungee-based classes.

Related: How to turn a voyage on a mass-market ship into a luxury experience

Book an AquaClass category cabin, and you get amenities that take the experience to another level.

Expect complimentary fitness class and Sea Thermal Suite passes, access to a spa concierge, healthy room service options and a yoga mat to use on board. You’ll also find wellness offerings curated by Goop (Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand; she serves as a wellness advisor for the line), including a signature smoothie and in-room fitness menus.

Finally, AquaClass provides guests exclusive access to Blu — a restaurant focused on healthy “clean cuisine” options and vegan choices. Don’t miss the muesli, prepared tableside, which was the best I’ve ever had.

Cost of Sea Thermal Suite passes and fitness class passes: A one-week Sea Thermal Suite pass is $219; fitness class passes range in price depending on the types of classes included.

Serene Spa, Regent Seven Seas Cruises

The Serene Spas on Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ newest ships are especially striking — picture plenty of marble flooring, a curved wooden desk and Swarovski crystal sculptures. You might never want to leave the stunning infinity-edge pool set on a teak deck at the back of the ship.

The spacious spas have all the usual fixins – yoga classes, sauna and steam rooms, a full roster of facials and massages, and nail and hair salons. The dual thermal suites are single-sex and bathing-suit-optional, with saunas, steam rooms, showers and a cold room.

Related: First look inside the most expensive luxury cruise ship ever, Regent’s Seven Seas Splendor

You could easily spend the entire day at the spa, but you can also take the pampering off the ship. Regent offers over-the-top wellness tours featuring relaxing experiences in the destinations its ships visit. Look for a visit to the Thermal Baths of the Popes in Viterbo, Italy — just outside of Rome — or a meditation class on the Mediterranean island of Palma de Mallorca.

Cost of wellness tours: Some tours are included in the cost of your cruise (such as sunset yoga in Tenerife and meditation in Mallorca). Others incur a surcharge, such as $139 for the thermal bath experience in Italy.

Senses Spa, Scenic Cruises

The spa on Scenic’s oceangoing expedition vessel, Scenic Eclipse, is a gorgeous place to retreat after a day of exploring on land — whether you’re in the Northwest Passage or Antarctica.

Hang your expedition attire up in the mud room (a place to take off muddy boots after a day of hiking in the tundra) and make your way to the thermal suite, with its gorgeous sauna, indoor Scandinavian plunge pool and outdoor pool, too. (We understand if you skip the outdoor pool in Alaska.)

The stunning slate-lined thermal suite is available to all passengers on board, free of charge, regardless of cabin category or whether they have booked treatments. The spa and salon menu includes facials, salt scrubs, manicures, blowouts and hot stone massages — which would be especially welcome after trudging through the snow to see penguins in Antarctica.

Related: These 6 luxury ships are like nothing you have ever seen before

Like the impressive onboard amenities — which include a submarine and a helicopter — the spa also goes above and beyond with its spa suites. The exquisite spa suites on decks 8 and 9 of Scenic Eclipse have Philippe Starck-designed bathrooms with mist showers that incorporate a range of color selections, giant Jacuzzi tubs that look out onto the sea through a private veranda and glass partitions to the main room that become opaque at the touch of a button. They, of course, offer special access to the spa.

Redemption Spa, Virgin Voyages

Virgin Voyages has worked hard to add playful experiences to its adults-only ships, and its spa is no different. In addition to spa treatments and a healthy juice and smoothie bar, the line’s “well-being” program touts the ship’s coolest, most-talked-about feature – the Squid Ink tattoo parlor. Because we all know that self-expression is another way to promote wellness.

Related: I just got a tattoo on a cruise ship — here’s why you should, too

If the thought of needles makes you break out in a sweat, you can turn up the heat with Virgin’s free fitness classes and alfresco yoga instead. Or feel the temperatures rise in Virgin’s thermal suite, which beckons with heated lounge chairs, an indoor hydrotherapy pool, a hot tub, an unusually large sauna and a steam room.

Then cool off in two cold plunge pools, a mud room (as in a place to smear therapeutic mud all over your body) and a salt room. A three-hour pass to the spa is $39 per person on port days and $59 on sea days.

Another fun feature is a mini salon for men called Stubble & Groom, which features hot-lather shaves and pedicures. You’ll definitely want some manscaping to complement your new tattoo.

Cost of tattoos at Squid Ink: $150 (and up).

Otium, Silversea Cruises

Silversea Cruises ‘ new Otium (pronounced aught-zium) spa concept extends wellness and lavish living from the spa to your suite. The best part is that most of the experiences beyond the actual spa treatments are included in your fare.

The signature Otium Experiences are 100 minutes of heavenly indulgence, combining aromatherapy, massage and body treatments inspired by the gods. Your bliss doesn’t end with the conclusion of your massage. You will be escorted to a relaxation room with indoor and outdoor lounge chairs, access to a steam room and sauna, and decadent nibbles consisting of sparkling wine, cocktails and housemade truffles and marshmallows.

You can keep the hedonistic vibe going upon your return to your suite by requesting an aromatherapy bath with your choice of scents. Or, swaddle yourself in a cashmere blanket on your balcony and ring for lobster and caviar in brioche with lemony mayonnaise or potato fries with truffle oil and Parmesan, all from the Otium Comfort Food Dining menu.

Related: This cruise line is betting big on caviar, Egyptian cotton and other spa-like indulgences

When you are ready to turn in for the night, you’ll find the spa’s reach has extended to your bed. The Otium Soft Touch mattress, with its 400-pocket spring system infused with essential oils and 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, by luxury Italian designer Rivolta Carmignani, will soothe your tired limbs and whisk away any residual stress you could possibly be feeling on vacation.

The Otium Spa can be found on Silversea’s Silver Dawn and soon-to-debut Silver Nova.

Cost of Otium in-suite spa amenities: $0

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
15 ways cruisers waste money
15 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
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Request a Galapagos Quote for 11/1/2020 – Galapagos Inner Loop – 7 Nights Roundtrip Baltra | From $8,512

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All fares are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, and reflect promotional savings, are for new bookings only, are subject to availability, and must be booked by September 1, 2019. Promotional savings in categories F-B on the December 21st sailing and categories C-D on the December 27th sailing only. *Included roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles or San Francisco is based on availability in class of service. Offer may be combined with applicable 3rd guest in stateroom offer but may not be combinable with other offers. Port, security, and handling charges of $149 per person are additional. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Call for details. Ship’s registry: Bahamas.

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

How to Choose a Stateroom on a Viking Ocean Cruise
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.
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An Explorer Suite bathroom on a Viking ocean ship. VIKING CRUISES. ... Related: The best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise. ... The living room of an Owner's Suite on a Viking ocean ship. VIKING CRUISES. The Owner's Suites, of which there is just one on each traditional Viking ocean vessel, are truly sprawling and impressive ...
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Balcony: The Veranda and Deluxe Veranda cabins, the smallest staterooms on Viking Sea, are nearly identical, both coming in at 270 square feet, including the balcony space. Each features a small ...
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There are 9 decks for passenger use on Viking's ocean cruise ships (with staterooms on 6 of those decks): DECK 1: The Chef's Table restaurant, Manfredi's Italian Restaurant, The Living Room, Guest Services, Spa, Fitness Center. DECK 2: The Restaurant, Atrium, Torshavn (nightclub), Star Theater. DECK 3: The Atrium, staterooms, launderette.
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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 ...
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The Perfect Retreat. Begin each day refreshed in any of our five categories of spacious rooms, including some of the largest suites at sea. All come with king-size beds, large showers, heated bathroom floors, LCD TVs, multiple US/EU outlets and USB ports, private verandas, 24-hour room service and more.
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What's the difference between the 6 Viking Ocean Cruise Cabins (or Staterooms)? In this video, I highlight the main differences between the Veranda, Deluxe V...
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The Owner's Suite is a luxurious way to cruise with Viking Ocean cruises. It is the largest suite onboard including an expansive private veranda and multiple rooms. It's truly remarkable design includes: Largest suite onboard: 1448 sq ft. First opportunity to reserve shore excursions: 107 days prior to departure.
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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 ...
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As to much difference a few decks up, or a few decks forward. Depends on the current sea state and each persons tolerance of motion. Caribbean is usually calm and less of an issue. As to view - always look at the deck plans yourself to see if that would matter much. Almost all cabins face the side of the ship.
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Even the line's expedition ships, Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, have 3,700-square-foot Adam Tihany-designed spas. Each features an airy sauna with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Viking River Cruises
Pricing - On this 13-day itinerary, youll tour iconic landmarks such as Moscows Kremlin and Red Square, and Catherine Palace and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. But youll also experience the other side of Russia: quaint Golden Ring towns like Yaroslavl and Uglich that only a rive (15601)

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