We are avid cruisers and have done 40+ cruises including 2 river cruises. Our cruise line of choice is Oceania as we like smaller ships and good food. We saw some great reviews of Viking Ocean and wanted to go back to the Baltic in May. As Oceania didn't start until June this looked like a good fit and we loved the itinerary.We went with another couple. We did not like having to pay in full a year ahead and could not avail of better offers that came out during the year without major penalties. As well although we were leaving from the same airport we were on different flights and we met several others on board who had the same experience. On arriving in Stockholm we were greeted very quickly by Viking reps but had to wait over 2 hours to be brought to our bus to go to the ship. We arrived during the lifeboat drill. Check in was fast and easy and we could go to our rooms immediately. The cabin was very nice and quite well laid out. All the staff were very pleasant and helpful .We had booked our tours ahead on line and there was at least one free tour in each port but you could not always get the time you wanted as they booked out..The shio itself was beautiful with lots of quiet spots .Free internet was much appreciated. Dining was abit disappointing as it was difficult to get hot food. The restaurant the main dining venue had a good selection but some times the portions were very small 3 scallops as a main dish and it was hard to get food at the right temperature. We really enjoyed Manfredi's The world Café was a very good buffet but laid out badly and it took a while to realize both sides are not the same. Gelato was excellent but as it was on one side only the line up was long. The chef's table you either loved or hated as it is a set menu with no choices .Entertainment was vey good with a very talented cast. The guest lecturers were nearly all excellent and appealed to a wide audience. Service overall was excellent although further training would help in the Dining Room. Cabin steward was fantastic. He even noticed a birthday and had cake delivered.

Viking Sea put on a great Meet and Mingle with 6 officers present and all sorts of hors d'oevres. It was a bit embarrassing as only 4 couples attended. The ports were very interesting and the tours were adequate to fantastic. The voiceboxes worked very well. We were incredibly lucky with the weather as it was mainly warm and sunny with only one cool overcast day in Stavanger. Every where else was hot and sunny Overall Viking Ocean have an excellent product ticking all the right boxes Nice size ships well laid out,good shore excursions free shuttles in any port needeg open seating in restaurants Great free spa .good enrichment lectures.free internet. With a little tweaking it could be excellent. Our major problem was with pre cruise documents ,their onlie booking ahead and the quality and temperature of the food. Compared to the mainstream cruise lines it is definitely a step up but we stiil prefer Oceania. Would I cruise with them again? Definitly if the itinerary was right