We booked this cruise not long after we did our first Viking river cruise in August of 2016. We loved that whole experience so much, we knew we wanted more Viking. We also wanted something different from what mainstream cruise lines offer. We like the smaller ship with only 930 passengers.
The itinerary for this cruise was originally: San Juan, Tortola, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Martin/Maarten, St Thomas, then back to San Juan. The back to back hurricanes last fall, did a a lot of damage on quite a few of the ports, so we finally ended up with: San Juan, St Croix, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Martin/Maarten, St Thomas, then back to San Juan. Tortola was off the list, replaced by St Croix.
Like the previous reviewer, Azulann, I loved the look of the Viking ships from the very first brochure I received - both river and ocean. The Viking Sea did not disappoint. The clean modern decor feels warm and inviting - never cold and unwelcoming. The public areas are spacious with lots of comfy seating, and the ship never felt crowded. Viking pays a lot of attention to details - interesting artwork, small plants and succulent arrangements, interesting sculptures and Viking themed artifacts, electronic games, traditional game boards, and lots of books. This is true through all aspects of the cruise.
I mentioned earlier that we got an upgrade. The Penthouse Veranda (PV1) was outstanding! I've seen suites on other lines that weren't as nice or as roomy. There is a king-sized bed with a very comfortable mattress, and a nightstand on each side with shelf, small drawer and both regular plug and USB plug.
The PV rooms are also considerably wider than the DV rooms - the width of a credenza wider. The closet is roomy with real hangers - not the attached kind. There is a shelf with a coffee maker and 3 drawers under it. One is a door for the safe. The big flat screen TV is interactive and has a credenza underneath with lots of drawers and 2 shelves. We had tons of storage space.
The PV category room includes 2 robes, 2 pairs of slippers, an umbrella, their own brand toiletries (bar soap, body wash, shampoo, creme rinse and lotion), lots of plugs & USB ports (check the lamp on the desk), awesome hair dryer that works like a real one, nice big safe, mini bar with soft drinks, a selection of liquor, sparkling wine, beer, bottled water & snacks (replenished daily - no charge), carafe of purified water, binoculars and a coffee maker with coffee. There is also a lift up mirror in the desk top that has a place for cosemetics or hair care items.
Bathrooms have glass enclosed showers with a seat/shelf and heated floors! Large sink with drawers on each side and the waste basket in the cabinet under the sink. Shelves on each side of a large no fog mirror, also 2 nice plastic cups, soap dish and a tooth brush holder.
We booked this same cabin for our next Viking Ocean cruise.