Viking Emerald Review
Rating by category
Additional details
The cultural experience in China was excellent. The guides and ship staff were pleasant and hard working. English language skills were very good.
The Viking Emerald, however, leaves a lot to be desired. Although the on-line information states that the ship was built in 2011, it is obviously a much older ship, possibly refurbished several times. The cabin floors were uneven and the bathrooms were very dated. The ship sported several different names on signs on midship and on the bow, so perhaps it is used by different cruise lines simultaneously.
Food in the dining room was all right, as long as there were western-style meals served. If the menu was announced as "traditional Chinese dinner" you could count on really cheap cuts of meat, flavorless noodles and sauces and little variety in vegetables. We found it humorous that the chef's biggest claim to fame was the breakfast yogurt--which was good, but hardly something to write home about.
Cabin Review
The worst part was the air conditioning, which despite making the air in the cabin cold, also kept it very damp. All clothing and paper in the cabin was saturated with moisture at all times. It was dryer out on the balcony in the middle of summer than it was inside the cabin.