This was our first cruise. We wanted to see Norway without frenetic travelling. It suited a couple who like the quieter things in life. It didn’t fail to please. Lectures and points of interest calls made for an interesting trip aboard a ship with helpful, friendly staff. Accommodation was in clean, adequate cabins and there was plenty of really delicious food. The itinerary was amazing. The Norwegian coast is truly beautiful. The northbound trip allowed daytime trips to Trondheim, Tromsø and the North Cape, while an extra day spent in Bergen allowed us to take in the sights there too. All longer stops can be enjoyed as excursions or as we did, using local sources or just a map! Hurtigruten operate a well-oiled machine. Clear information was forwarded prior to the trip. Transfers were included, including the optional extra day in Bergen. It allowed us to take a truly relaxing break. The polar outside cabin pretty well always faced shore, northbound, though in fjords, cabin side did not matter. The ship offered a fairly smooth trip. The highlights - late night sail into the Trollfjord, the breathtaking North Cape and a glimpse of the northern lights. Read Less

We like Viking and we liked the itinerary. The public spaces were lovely, the service was great with providers encouraged to interact with guests. Manfredi’s was disappointing, but the main restaurant and the World Cafe were excellent. The view from our balcony was amazing, and the excursions were well run and informative. I am an early riser and especially enjoyed the quiet spots on the ship early in the morning. We were very lucky with the weather - the sea was like glass through most of the trip. The only slight rockiness was later at night when we we rocked in the bosom of the deep. Since we were there in the summer, most nights it didn’t get truly dark. We kept our curtains open and watched the sea go by. Early in the morning on port days we had fabulous views of fjords and mountains. A truly enjoyable experience. Read Less

The cruise was FANTASTIC. Best cruise of our 17 cruises to date. The scenery was SPECTACULAR along the Norwegian Fjords. Visiting the northernmost point of Europe at 71 degrees north was a thrill. Visiting Scotland and London was equally as exciting. The Viking Sun is a VERY well managed ship. the crew was VERY friendly and professional. The ship was spotlessly clean and the food was well above our Viking expectations. The itinerary kept us constantly in awe of the beauty of the Norway coast and the British Isles. During the cruise we took 7 of our 9 tours as the included tours and felt like we saw everything and had wonderful experiences with very knowledgeable and friendly guides. Our two special tours were above and beyond for cities we have been to before (Edinburgh and London). But the regular tours were above expectations. While the first look at cost of traveling Viking appears to be higher than other cruise lines, you must take into account that you get (at no extra charge): and include tour in each port, Viking Air transport to/from airport, wine/beer with meals, specialty restaurants, soft drinks and cookies between meals, mini-bar snacks in our room, 4pm high tea, the spa, and lectures on the cultures and areas we were visiting and this was all with 5-star service and professionalism. Basically, it included EVERYTHING. Read Less

We went on recommendation from a friend. The cruise is designed for the older person and not really suited for families, certainly not for teenagers. The ship is smaller than a traditional cruise ship but this leads to a more personal and friendly atmosphere aboard the ship. There is no traditional entertainment, however the lectures and gatherings are brilliant, entertaining and informative. The ship is also a working ship calling at 34 ports, sometimes at night which can lead to some noise as cargo, cars and passengers may be embarked/ disembarked. Our cabin was on deck 5 on the starboard (right hand) side, which was ideal as all loading/ unloading was on the port (left) side so any noise did not disturb us. The ship had a well fitted exercise room, which we used, male and female saunas, and outdoor hot tubs. The restaurant was superb, with excellent choice of breakfast and lunch buffet and set, mainly traditional meals for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are sit anywhere whilst dinner is set times and tables. There were 6 sittings for dinner ranging from 6pm to 8.30pm, I would advise that you request early or late dinning when making a booking. However we were allocated an 8pm sitting which was far too late for my digestion but when asked for a change we were reallocated a 6.30pm slot sharing a table of 6 with charming company. We did get to see the northern lights on 3 nights although this is obviously dependant on climatic conditions. The excursions off ship that we did were great and well worth what on the face of it looks to be a lot of money. The pick was getting off the ship in the dark early evening and snowmobiling over the mountains, stopping to possibly seeing the northern lights and then continuing to pick up the ship in the next port. Alcoholic drinks on board are very expensive, however at most ports where you could get off the ship for a few hours there were bars or supermarkets where alcoholic drinks could be obtained. Although supposedly not permitted we had no problems taking some on board. In Norway you are allowed 1 litre of spirits and 3 litres of wine duty free, and as you pass through the duty free shops at the airport on the way in you can pick up some supplies to get you started. Overall a brilliant trip which was more an adventure than a holiday, with lots of downtime to relax and chill out and admire the passing scenery from the observation lounge. We are going back in the summer to see how it all looks in the midnight sun Read Less

Just returned from a 11 day Northern Lights voyage along the Norwegian coast to Kirkenes and back to Bergen - and it was mind blowing. I've returned relaxed, pampered and looking to book another cruise - with Hurtigurten. Never will I grace Royal Caribbean, or Princess again No casinos, no spas, no entertainment crews - it was education, relaxing and no hard sell. Cabins were basic, clean and well thought out, Bathrooms small and efficient. Staff were incredibly professional and charming Its a working ship, and the dress code was refreshingly casual..no dressing up for dinner. We loved every minute of it and the food was amazing. Fresh, locally sourced, not a french fry, burger, hot dog, pizza or hot dog in site. Excursions were expensive, but worth every penny - and no more expensive than the private ones which you can arrange independently Yes, alcohol is expensive, but this is Norway, and the prices on the ship were cheaper than the mid range hotels in Bergen. Embarkment and disembarkation were incredibly fast - we were in our hotel in less than an hour of leaving our deck - straight into a taxi. Tips - bring a kettle if you don't buy the premium package - learn how to use your camera for photographing the northern lights ( we had 6 nights of this spectacular) - bring a pair of slippers, good books, knitting/craft/watercolours - something to do when you are sailing along do at least 3 expeditions ( we did dog sledging, the ice hotel and the marble mines. All were incredible) Ignore the moaning minnie reviews. There are hundreds of thousand of people who have done this voyage. final words, don't hesitate book it! Read Less

Highly rated on other review sites. Looked unusual and good value at around £100 a day. (2018 prices). Turned out better than expected. All flights and transfers were included. Where else could you stop 66 times in 12 days? The Hutingruten is a working ferry so this allowed us to get a real flavour of Norwegian coastal activities. Several major stops were over 3 hours and since Norwegian towns are not too large it was possible to see all major points on interest by just wandering around. Thanks to some forethought, maps were provided at major stopping points. Extensive organised trips were available and those who went on them gave glowing reports. No problem with the language as all the crew speak English. This ship carried special crew members called an Expedition Team who lead some of the more adventurous trips. Extremely attractive , very knowledgable, and competent in at least 4 languages between them. Lectures, information films and expedition briefings were held throughout the trip - even the Captain explaining the aids to navigation through the many islands (23,000) along the coast. The dress code is very casual, no dressing up at all although you might change for dinner if you would like. No pressure! No caberet (thank goodness) - bring your cards, play games, read books, or talk with other people on the trip. Ladies or gents - bring your knitting or crochet or contribute to the ship's blanket, by making granny squares. Or just sit and admire the ever changing view. Try this trip if food is your thing as much of it is loaded on board freshly every day and reflects the local cuisine in the main evening meal. Buffet breakfast and lunch cater for a wide range of tastes and as much as you can eat. Every meal has been superb. The service cannot be faulted. Most people go teetotal for the trip as alcohol in Norway costs twice as much as in the UK. Mobile phones work without any extra charge; internet access is available on various reasonably priced packages. We saw the Northern Lights! Read Less

In the Wake of the Vikings - Ocean Cruise (Sep 2018) Sep 01 - SAN DIEGO - FRANKFURT * Flew on Lufthansa First Class (excellent service) * Arrived in Frankfurt and was met at the plane with a wheel chair for Glenn and full assistance transporting us to our departure gate. (Excellent service) Had a couple of hours layover in Frankfurt. Ate lunch at airport. Sep 02 - FRANKFURT - OSLO * Flew to Oslo, Norway (short flight) * Our arrival was late afternoon. * Transfer from Airport to Hotel - provided by Viking - Private Mercedes Benz Limo. * Joe Christian was our driver. (Exceptional service) * Hotel was excellent. * Due to our arrival in the early evening our visit to Oslo was limited. Sep 03 - OSLO - BERGEN * Breakfast at hotel (Food was delicious, procedure for seating in dining room was chaotic) * Transfer from Hotel to Train Station via included Bus tour of Oslo - (Tour Guide was very good) * Train to Bergen - There was confusion regarding the seating on the train. * (The arrangement for lunch on board was unexpected, but the boxed food was hot and good) * Transfer from Train Station to Hotel did not go well. (Guide was late, unapologetic and very unprepared. * Bus driver and passengers were kept waiting with no explanation from the Guide). * Hotel was excellent. We had dinner in the bar as the dining room was full. Sep 04 - BERGEN * Breakfast at hotel (excellent) * Transfer to from Hotel to Ship via included Bus Tour of Bergen did not go well. * Tour Guide was not organized, very difficult to understand. * We literally drove in circles and passed the same locations two and three times. As a result we were not able to spend sufficient time at the Gamle Bergen Open Air Museum * Tour Guide did not clearly point out the difficulty of negotiating the open air museum to our physically challenged passengers. * This included tour has the potential to be so much better. Sep 05 - BERGEN * Breakfast on Ship * We chose to walk on our own from Ship to Funicular in the morning * Strolled through town back to ship seeing some sites along the way * Set sail in the evening for Lerwick, Shetland Islands (UK) Sep 06 - LERWICK - SHETLAND ISLANDS * We chose to skip the tours and took a shuttle bus from the dock to Downtown Lerwick. * We strolled the streets and enjoyed our visit. Sep 07 - TORSHAVN - FAROE ISLANDS ALTERNATE PORT - KOLLAFJORDUR * Our cruise hit a major snag here. After the Captain docked, he was informed by the port authority that we could not dock there. Apparently the dock was double booked and our ship eventually (after 2 hours of discussions) had to relocate to another port on the island. * After relocating we were finally able to disembark and take a two hour bus tour of the area. OK but nothing to write home about. Captain to be commended for his handling of the situation. * Sad thing was the town of Torshavn lost out on our visit entirely. And some of the tours had to be cancelled. * The alternate port was nothing more than a dock and no village. * Very disappointed that none of us were able to visit Torshavn due to the dispute with the port. Sep 08 - AT SEA Sep 09 - REYKJAVIK, ICELAND * We docked without incident at this port. * Glenn took a bus tour of the city. * Pat went to the Blue Lagoon. Very well done with one exception - we were told to bring a towel with us to the lagoon. However when we arrived at the lagoon we were informed that towels were provided as part of our tour package. * This was the only port of call where some of us encountered rain. Sep 10 - AT SEA Sep 11 - NANORTALIK, GREENLAND (aborted) ALTERNATIVELY - AT SEA * Due to bad weather conditions in the area it was decided to skip this port and continue to Qaqortoq, Greenland. * As a result we had an extra day at sea. * Because we had the time the captain took us through a couple of magnificent fiords on the way. Sep 12 - QAQORTOQ - GREENLAND * We woke up this morning in this charming village community. * We tendered in. * We opted out of any tours and wandered around the village on our own. * Viking did an excellent job of greeting us on shore. * The weather was picture perfect. Sep 13 - AT SEA Sep 14 - L’ANSE AUX MEADOWS, NEWFOUNDLAND (aborted) ALTERNATE PORT - SAINT ANTHONY, NEWFOUNDLAND * Due to dangerous weather conditions in the area we continued to an alternate port, St. Anthony, which proved to be a delightful and very friendly community. * Glenn stayed on board the ship. * I took a tender into town and did a lot of walking, exploring and hiking. * Another picture perfect day for weather. * This port should be on the itinerary Sep 15 - AT SEA Sep 16 - SAGUENAY, QUEBEC, CANADA * The scenery as we left the Seaway and went up the river to Saguenay was beautiful. * We arrived in the morning to great fanfare. Several of the town folk came to the dock to greet us with dancing and music. * Upon arrival we were taken in busses to a very large auditorium for a major theatrical production. Excellent. * The port provided wheel chair and electric cart service for the physically challenged from and to the ship. * The transfer from ship to theater and back to dock was a bit chaotic, but short. * Back on board we freshened up, had lunch and then did some walking along the harbor. * Our ship had the best docking location. * There were three other ships in port at the same time and they all had to tender in. * Crew and Staff were on shore to welcome us back to ship with music and champagne! * Another picture perfect day for weather. Sep 17 - QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC, CANADA * Pat toured the town on his own including a trip on the funicular and coffee and sandwich at Starbucks. * Glenn took a guided bus tour of the city. Excellent Tour and Tour Guide. * We did not get the ideal docking position but there was a shuttle that transferred us between ship and the city. * We felt that an overnight with an extra day in Quebec City would have been preferred. * Another picture perfect day for weather. Sep 18 - MONTREAL * Arrived in Montreal. Disembarkation went very well. Viking Staff there to help and give directions inside the Terminal. * Short Transfer to Hotel via a large van. * Settled into the Westin hotel and began our explorations on our own. * No included tours here. * We had lunch and dinner at the hotel. * The Hotel and Dining Room was excellent. Sep 19 - MONTREAL - Extended stay * Enjoyed our included breakfast at the Hotel. * We set out on our own and toured the city including a visit to the Bank of Montreal and Notre Dame Basilica. * As suggested by the Hotel concierge we had an excellent lunch at the Portus 360 revolving restaurant with commanding views of the city. * We then continued exploring the city on foot, including a visit to St. Patrick’s Basilica and the Olympic Monument. * We attended the night show AURA at Notre Dame Basilica followed by a delicious dinner back at the hotel. This should be highly recommended to all clients in advance so as to get a seat. Very popular. Reservations should be made well in advance. We purchased our tickets on line from home before the trip. Sep 20 - MONTREAL - PHILADELPHIA - SAN DIEGO * Enjoyed our included breakfast at the Hotel. * After breakfast Pat took one last walk through Montreal Old Town * We had a private included transfer from Hotel to Airport in the afternoon * Flight was late leaving Montreal - no one at the airport kept us informed * Arrived in Philadelphia and was met at the plane with a wheel chair for Glenn and full assistance transporting us to our departure gate. (Excellent service) * Arrived in San Diego late at night and took cab home. The ship - Viking Sea * It is important to note that there was a serious problem on board this ship. Based on our own personal experience and conversations with some of the passengers - there is a noise problem that needs to be addressed. * Our cabin, 4084, was so noisy we could not sleep at night. * We invited engineering into 4084 so they could hear the noise as well and they did. Not at all clear what the cause was but it was intermittent and even occurred when the ship was not moving. It was a very loud booming sound and vibrated one wall in the cabin. * After two nights in that cabin - Viking relocated us to cabin 5026 which was identical to 4084 except without any noise. * The staff was excellent. The public areas were comfortable. * Attention to detail could be better. Example: the tile floor in the World Cafe is chipped and cracked in places and the grouting appears dirty. Food Service & Entertainment * Food on board the ship in the main dining room and the World Cafe was creative and delicious. The food was not often hot and only mildly warm. Warm plates were offered as an alternative to the cold plates under the counters at the buffet. This needs attention and better notice. * For one of the meals in the main Dining Room Glenn had to ask the waiter for a replacement of the main course as the one delivered was barely warm. * Meals were creative, excellent presentation and flavorful. * Eric, the maitre’d, was outstanding. He was attentive and helpful. Prior to the cruise we were not able to get an earlier seating in the Chefs Table and Manfredi’s restaurants. Eric took care of that and we were able to dine earlier. * The Pool Grill provided nice simple options for meals. * The waffles in Mamsen’s were outstanding. * Both Alternative Dining Rooms were excellent. Service excellent and food excellent. * Wintergarden Afternoon Tea very well done. * The Afternoon Brunch in the Wintergarden was outstanding. They did run out of some of the items too soon. * Table 131 in the main Restaurant is a very bad table to sit at. There are glaring fluorescent lights from the kitchen area visible in parts of the dining area. Recommend a modification so the light is not visible to guests. * Entertainment on board was good. Drew, the Cruise Director, was amazing. His ability to sing, play musical instruments and his knowledge of the ports we visited - incredible. Read Less

This was an area of the world that we have always thought of visiting. To say the least, we had an outstanding cruise! Having a day in the originating and departing port was a bonus and exactly what we wanted. Checking into the ship was a breeze, no line and greeted warmly. There were more excursions than we could ever take on one journey so maybe we’ll have to do this again? Since we didn’t think we would ever do this again, it was hard to decide on just one a day! Our excursions were outstanding, the coaches were new, air conditioned, comfortable and never crowded. Our drivers were amazing and our tour guides were very knowledgeable and personable. There were excursions for every ability level and the transportation accommodated our needs for part of the family needing additional assistance. One of our excursions was scheduled for the building opening time so we were the very first group in the church and there were at least 2000 people outside waiting. Viking books their excursions well. The dining was always just right, from the specialty restaurants, to the main dining room to the buffet. We utilized room service each morning so we could sleep in just a bit longer before heading out on our excursions. This was wonderfully convenient and the food was hot and tasty. The common areas were impeccably clean and inviting. The staff in these areas were there to take care of you but not a nuisance. Every staff member on this ship is there to make you happy and they did. We chose Viking because pretty much everything is included and that included one excursion per port per day. There was no nickel and dimeing you on this cruise line and everything was top notch service oriented. I will only sail with Viking for any of my future adventures. Thank you to the Captain and Crew of the Viking Sea for a wonderful Family Adventure 2018! Read Less

Smooth embarkation in Bergen and an offer to upgrade to a suite set the standard for this travel! Luggage was properly retransferred to the new cabin while we left Bergen comfortably seated in deck-chairs bathed in the afternoon sun (uncommon for Bergen as this is a really rainy city!). The first of many very good dinners was then enjoyed in the restaurant. The dinner menues were prepared to use mainly local food from the actual region we sailed along each day. One dinner was even completely vegetarian; a bold but successful grip. The breakfast and lunch buffets were abundant. There are several activities that one may attend: the Explorer team may accompany you on foot, by bus or even small expedition boats. We did not use any of these as we preferred walking on our own when we had the time during city stops; We mananged to walk to the cathedral Nidarosdomen (Trondheim), the National Air Craft museum (Bodø) and nearly up the hill to Aksla (Ålesund), the latter actually involved quite brisk walking as the ship was mostly 15 minutes delayed to every port so the port-time was consequently shortened. We really enjoyed sitting on the deck, the view of the fjord- and mountain- landscape meditatively passing by was relly relaxing, (Fortunately the internet Connection was good enough to do some computer work in between when we had some cloudy hours..) This ship was suitable for perons using wheel-chairs, althoug a young man balancing the coffee cup in his lap while manoevring his slim wheeler looked very risky on a somehow rolling ship. He even managed rolling by himself down the steep gangway to Svolvær (backwards, gripping the rail). Disembarking in Harstad following a last early breakfast ended our journy. We will be back; preferably pursuing the Norwegian coast line up to Kirkenes the next time! Read Less

Cruising the fjords of Norway has been a long time ambition of mine. I chose Hurtigruten because of reports that I had heard and their 100 year plus of experience of working in these waters. I say working because their ships do work with cargo as well as passengers this all adds to the interest. Something like 32 ports of call o the round trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back. Some with only a 15 minute stay but other with several hours stopover. A large number of excursions are organised and I found the ones I went on were very good. They are graded in fitness levels with those numbered 1 for old fogeys like me and those graded 3 for the fitter of us, I had a mini suite cabin which was excellent including a television connected to a camera on the bow of the ship so you missed little of the scenery. The TV can pick up BBC worls service TV as well as other English speaking stations. The suite had twin beds, a 2 seater settee, 2 armchairs and a large double wardrobe. Hurtigruten operate a Coastal Kitchen concept so much of the food on board is picked up from ports of call on the cruise. This provides a great variety of food and helps local farmers. Food on boardwas very good. An extensive breakfast and lunch buffet and a waiter service dinner which was nuovaue ciusine style but excellently done. There is also a a la carte restaurant if the fixed m,enu option is not to your liking. You can buy a wine or beer package for the cruise but this means you will have to drink every night. There are talks on board about the Artic and other related issies. I found these excellent. Bot too long, informative without being too heavy. Read Less

The journey with Hurtigruten on the MS Finnmarken was the most wonderful I ever made. The norwegian fjords are fantastic and this fresh arctic air makes you stay on the upper deck all day, you get addicted to it. Most comfortable thing was the sauna and the two jaccuzis on the rear deck - it is too lovely to sit in the hot tub and see the ship leaving Kristiansund or Tromso or whatever!! LOVELY. The interior in an Art Déco-style is nice and they even had a piano in the salon. Best thing for those, who doesn't want to go outside, is the panorama-salon on deck 8, watching the scenery passing by slowly is the best way to travel. The only thing, that was really bad for me: I am an allergic person and the food i got was ridiculous! For breaktfast they just got me two slices of glutenfree toast, nothing else (for the rest I had to check the buffet - which didn't provide much for me). And dinner (when there was no buffet). was just terrible. Mostly it looked like the leftovers of the lunchbuffet, smashed into the pan with some old beetroot. And always styrofoam chickpeas. Or Potatoesoup with no taste. Considering, that the others got a five star menu and that the chefs are actually professionals the dishes for allergic people were a shame! That was the only complaint, but a major one. Still the journey was so beautiful, that I am gonna do it again next year summer. Read Less

We have just returned from a South to North trip. Some of the experiences were great, the ship was comfortable and the crew friendly but we will not be going again in the late spring for the wildlife as we'd originally intended. From the UK everything is very, very expensive. More than we'd anticipated. £10 for a lager, £40+ for a run of the mill Pinot Grigio, £80-£100 for a 2 hour sightseeing tour, etc. And many of the excursions are a rip off because either they are too time limited due to the ships schedule or take place in the dark. Eg, at Trondheim our guided bus tour of the town (including a viewpoint lookout) was in the dark. It could have been run an hour later. At Saltstraumen, the tide was hardly running, so no 'maelstrom', and worst of all the 'Sailing in the Polar Night' aka 'Silent Whale Watching' (they changed the title as there were no whales), supposedly under an electric engine and maybe sail, is a farce. The captain confirmed they never raised the sail on that trip, most of the time we were under noisy diesel power, no whales are the norm this year as the herring have gone further north, and, of course, after the first half hour it was in the dark so the wonderful scenery we were told of was invisible. When the excursion sheet says the trip is say 3.5 hours for the dog sledding, you have to allow for time getting to and from the venue by coach and kitting up, safety talk and making a fuss of the dogs so this only a half to three quarter hour actually out. I didn't do this trip as I have mobility problems and thought it would be too long. It wasn't. Mobility wise on the ship there is a lift between floors, the outside doors have automatic button opening and there are shallow stairs with a rail and then a ramp for embarkation. Do as much homework as you possibly can before you go. There are maps provided for each port where there is time ashore and if you are of average fitness I would recommend using these and on-line information and doing your own excursion. Many did and saw so much more than we did on the organised trips. Read Less

We chose Viking Ocean because of a positive experience on a Viking Long Ship in 2015. We were not disappointed. The cruise was comfortable, relaxing and informative. There were no fancy nights so one could just relax full time. The food was great and decent wine flowed freely. The included tours were quite good and the few extra tours we took were fairly priced. I loved the spa which included hot whirl pools, steam, sauna and snow room. Everything was very invigorating and Viking supplied everything you needed. The ship is very stylish and has good lecturers. The price for a Viking Cruise is not cheap but the deliver all they promise. I'll go back on another Viking Ocean Cruise readily. My wife had a walker and Viking was very accommodating. In addition the staff was very helpful to her. Indeed the Hotel Director went out of his way to help her on several occasions. Read Less

We wanted to see an area that we had not visited. We also wanted to do the tour on a small ship. I do not like the confusion of the large ships. It was much easier for me to tour the ship since I am handicap and use a scooter to go most places. We enjoyed the many port excursion and the lectures related to the ports. The only minor inconvenience was exiting and entering the ship with my scooter. However the crew was very helpful. We enjoyed our two days in Saint Petersburg Russia. Fortunately we toured the museum early in the day because it became very crowded and hectic later in the morning. The dining choices were great and the wait staff was great. We always found the restaurant areas with great accommodations. We often enjoyed the buffet areas. Our cabin staff was pleasant and very effiecient. The medical staff was great; unfortunately my wife became sick but was given drugs to correct the problem. Read Less

Wanted to see the fjords of Norway, we saw up close and with the size of ship we went in close in where other cruise ships could not reach. The cabin although small was comfortable (single) and was glad to have a inside cabin because of the 24hr daylight. You could not fault the staff they where most helpful and efficient, the food was great and a a large choice. The excursions was well organised and gave you a great insight to Norways countryside, mountains and culture. There was no entertainments as such on board there was a good choice of lectures and talks. On the down side the only thing was the noise when the ship docked and the whole ship vibrated, the ship called into many ports day and night (if you can call it night) because it was delivering and picking up cargo from many communities, but this work did infringe on the cruise side except for the for mention noise. But overall I would put up with noise or anything else because its a great cruise and would recommend it to anyone. Read Less

First we went to Iceland for the precruise holiday and Viking did an outstanding job. Arrived in Bergen, Norway, and we were bussed to the port. Very easy embarkation, and our room was ready when we arrived. Bags arrived shortly thereafter while we were having a drink on the explorer's lounge. We purchased the silver spirits beverage package which for us was a great deal. My husband had his Italian liquors every night along with his brandy, pool drinks and wines. My husband tried every drink on the pool menu, lol. The bar staff was terrific, from the girls on the pool or at night in the atrium. As for the meals, we never had a bad meal at any restaurant and service was great every night. Definitely recommend the cheif's table with wine pairings, very unique menu, went here four times. Manfredi's has great risotto, pasta, ossobuco, and their zabaglione with berries is just as good as what I make at home. And the rib eye steak is like butter. The restaurant prepares the lobster dinner, and it was done to perfection. I had escargots and they were delicious. We also ate at the world cafe on a number of nights also. I had the the New York strip which was good but at one port, they had fresh catch salmon which they cooked on the outside patio and that was the best. But the next day, they made a fish soup which was equally as good. Great breakfast here, never tried the restaurant for breakfast because we had early morning tours. Mansen's waffles were delicious but we shared it because it was so filling. Oh yes, don't forget the gelato bar, delicious. Also, room service was excellent and the food was hot. Never did try the afternoon tea as we were stuffed from eating at the pool grill. Entertainment was great, there was always something going on. The entertainment director was Suzanne and her assistant was Jaime. Both were terrific. In the atrium, they had santo playing guitar, Eve playing piano and the had a group that played violin, and other instruments. Each sessions was different and the music was barely repeated. Now the night time shows we're exciting, a quirky musical adaptation of get smart, very funny. The rat pack show was excellent but get your tickets early. Abba was great if you're a fan of momma Mia. Then they tried a new show with broadway shows, I think that this was my favorite. Then they had discussions, all day, my husband loved these sessions, especially the smaller ones. Loved our cabin, suitcases went under the bed and we found that between the draws and shelfs in the closets, we had plenty of space. Loved the warm bathroom floors, the outside veranda was great but because it was chilly outside, we didn't use it that often. Check your vox boxes because the previous guests had not left the ear phones. The refrigerator was small and the bar person exchanged the tonic water for club soda. Our steward Rio was great and offered us great advice at different stages. The spa was great, just know that their hot tubs are not that hot but I found they were confortable. The main pool was deep so be aware of this. We didn't try the infinity pool but expect to try it on our next cruise in February. We originally chose optional tours but three were cancelled due to lack of interest. So we chose included on those days. Honestly, every tour was great except for rudeness among some of the cruisers. If you're in a foreign country, don't make fun of the tour guides when they speak English, it's not their first language and oh yes, the bus drivers are not deaf and they also understand English. Also aquavit is nit sold on the ship but in Tomso, we found a liquor store at a local mall close to the pier, prices were excellent and staff were very helpful. Word of advice, everything is expensive, but handmade items are worth purchasing. Finally purchased my Norwegian sweater and I purchased it at a fair price. Had a great time in the Orkney islands, Shetland islands and Scotland. Just a world in advance as to souvenirs, if breakable then let security know before you put it through the scanners, unfortunately, a piece of painted glass art didn't stop when it went though the scanner and ended up breaking. Security felt terrible when we saw it fall and break but what are you going to do, accidents happen. If you follow instructions at each port, then getting off for tours is very easy. People with handicaps take elevator to get down to tenders or to ramp when your group is called. Look into getting a folding all terrain walker for the tours, made it more enjoyable when I participated in tours and staff on busses were very accommodating. Read Less

I heard of this trip through a friend who had taken and recommended that I take it. I had been to Iceland a few years back and loved it. I wanted to see the Northern Lights as I didn't get to see them in Iceland. We were able to experience spectacular Norwegian scenery and choose from the many excursion offered. Although there was no entertainment on board, Hurtigruten did keep us entertained with having a fisherman come on board, with his catch of the day....red crab. He explained to us where it was caught, why it was so expensive and who was the biggest supplier. Also, when we crossed the Arctic circle, Neptune the God of the Sea came aboard and baptized us. So much fun. The food was great, plated meals in the evening. All of the foods were local as they were able to get fresh food as we stopped at many of the ports along our way. Read Less

My wife reluctantly agreed to this cruise. She worries about sea sickness and hates being cold! No problem. Apart from one night which was slightly rough for about 3 hours, the rest of the trip was virtually like a mill pond. Apart from being out on deck, the ship was warm enough for shirt sleeves and the cabin heating controls worked extremely well. We booked the inclusive package with Hurtigruten, which included flights from Gatwick to Bergen. The charter airline "Germania", was spot on both ways and although they don't operate a scheduled flight from the UK, if they should do so in the future, Easy Jet beware! We choose a mini suite, on the "Richard With", which was well worth the extra money. This included a wine/water package for one person, which we found perfectly adequate. The alternative was to buy a bottle of wine, the cheapest being approx.,£45. We did buy some in port for use in the cabin, which was a lot cheaper. Yes, these are commercial ships, but the passenger accommodation and food was just like any other cruise. Plenty of variation, especially fish. My only complaint was that the hot food, could have been hotter. The staff were very accommodating and helpful. There is no entertainment, but we knew this before we went. My wife by the 4th day said she had never felt so relaxed! Just sitting in the observation lounge watching the spectacular scenery go by, was very therapeutic. We saw the northern lights 3 times (which is why I wanted to do this cruise) and although they were not as spectacular as you see in some photos, (they are the best) they were well worth the trip. Apart from walking around the port towns en route, we only did the Ice Hotel and dog sleigh excursion. Unfortunately, due the lack of heavy snow, they ice hotel was not built, but there was snow and the dog sledge ride was a wonderful experience. Overall a marvellous trip. Stunning scenery, good accommodation and food, and I would recommend it to anyone! Read Less

We chose In the Wake of the Viking cruise because of the route it sailed from Norway across the North Atlantic/Labrador seas to Montreal. And the ports it stopped at during the cruise Ship was always clean and orderly. And staff very attentive. We had excellent cabin attendants. Dining was very good, especially the World dining buffet. Great variety of food and excellent preparation. We were disappointed that we could not book the Pre City - Oslo. Apparently space was very limited so if you didn't book it when the cruise was first offered there was no chance to get in on it. We missed one or two of our port stops because of a severe storm. We were actually in a port, not able to dock and found out that they wanted to get ahead of the storm so decided to pull out. Well we sailed right into the storm and had about 4-8 hours of very very rough seas. Found it interesting there were no overhead announcements of what the passengers should do to remain safe. People were in dining rooms and service continued with dishes/glasses flying off the tables. Quite a few passengers we spoke to thought safety of the passengers was not handled well. The ports/excursions we did get to take were very enjoyable and well organized. We may try an ocean cruise again but only in the Mediterranean region. We have always enjoyed your river cruises. Read Less

A dream came true. One of the best holiday experiences. Exillent service and food onboard. Ship is overall clean and in good condition. Panorama salon is nice to be in during bad weather and evenings. There is a very nice and friendly atmosphere on board. Breathtaking views as you sail by. We were on two excursions by rib boats, Saltströmen and crabfishing, both worth to go on. Trondheim and Tromsö is nice to go ashore. In Trondheim you should visit the cathedral with a guide provided. In Tromsö is a very nice Arctic museum and a modern church. Unfortunately we were not able to attend a concert but think there is a fantastic acoustic in the church. We saw whales and northern light although not so strong. A special praise to the restaurant. Nice table settings, excellent service and fantastic food, 2 kg:s + in one week!! Would have appreciated some evening entertainment, live music etc. Don't wait, go NOW. Read Less

Zuiderdam I sailed from Bergen to NYC.Sailing through Hermine the captain made the correct call missing Nova Scotia and head for NYC. I enjoyed the city for a full day.Hop on hop off for$64.00 with ferry. It appeared as though they are short staffed rarely extra staff was called in when it got super busy.I was disappointed in finding out the ship had no self serve laundry.$30.00 abag or $110.00 unlimited.Very hard working staff and friendly. I was surprised to hear the ship ran out of 4 or 5 different beers.The onboard entertainment could be better and a longer show to boot.The milk cartons were the worse you had to punch a straw through the top, good luck trying to open it to pour.I suggested to the cruise line to offer extended days in certain ports.1 day in Reykavik was not enough I hate to rush to see as much as I can.They decided to fix some area on the lido area interrupting seating.I feel the whole needs reconfigurating.not enough seating at prime time.The casual smart dining menu is similar a lot if the times.So if you want to sit for an hour and a half or two it,s up to you.I also don't know why they only offer happy hour in just 2 locals.I heard they are going to dry dock the ship in the near future. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the number of ports. Started in Bergen, Norway and ended in Athens, Greece. This was our first ocean cruise and it was fantastic. The ship accommodated around 930 passengers, our cruise had a little over 700 passengers, but it never felt crowed which was one of our biggest fears in booking on a ship this large. Our Veranda Suite was extremely roomy, the food and service was excellent, along with great entertainment, and the common areas on the ship were comfortable and nicely decorated. My husband walks with a rollator (a rolling walker), and there was plenty of room on the ship and in our room for him to move around comfortably. We had included shore excursions at every port and enjoyed every one of them. I would highly recommend this trip, this ship, and this cruise line, and will definitely take another ocean cruise with Viking. Read Less

We had been on a Viking Rhine River Cruise. I do not like too much sun and heat so the Baltic had appeal. The Viking Star was beyond wonderful. The brochures do not do it justice. The care and attention to detail was exceptional. We were impressed by the warmth and sincerity of the staff and crew. The organization of tours was outstanding. I appreciated the security measures for leaving and returning to the ship. The optional shuttle bus for those who wanted to stay beyond the tour was a bonus. We loved the World Cafe! The choices were varied and I was always able to choose a fish portion. I love fish and was pleased to discover that Norwegian farm salmon was superior to Canadian farm salmon! The attention to detail was evident in service and cleanliness. There were so many options on board and at no time did we feel crowded. I commented to a friend back home that the lobby of the Royal York Hotel in Toronto was busier than any area of the Viking Star. If any one needs to be singled out for service above and beyond it is Rob Riddell, who did the tour outline for the port talk presentations. Our flights were delayed due to a strike by pilots of SAS. Bob appeared, took over, ushered us to a more comfortable area, gave us vouchers for coffee and snacks, dealt with the situation, updated us a regular intervals, and after nine hours gave us vouchers for taxis to and from the hotel. When we arrived we only had to say our last name and we were given room keys! Well done Rob Riddell. You removed so much stress for us and made a glitch an experience. We are so pleased we booked the flights through Viking. While on board we booked another cruise for 2018 to see Italy. I have wanted to see Italy for sometime; Ed was not too interested but after his Viking experience he is thrilled to go anywhere with Viking! Read Less

We had sailed with Viking on two previous river cruises, and respected their reputation for a customer-focused product. We were not disappointed. We like the quality level of Viking (very high), the inclusion of at least one tour per port, the outstanding food and restaurant offerings, and the itineraries. The ship was faultless and our cabin was spacious and very comfortable. The service is impeccable. We were not subject to ANY "gotcha's" or extraneous charges for this, that, and the other thing. We felt absolutely coddled the entire cruise. The excursions were uniformly terrific. The only criticism I had for Viking was that the pre-cruise extension in Iceland (before the Baltics cruise) was not up to the luxury standard of Viking. I hope they have responded to my concerns and improved that offering. Specifically, travelers to Reykjavik arrive in the very early morning (around 6 am) after travel on Icelandair (which offers no food whatsoever). The hotel room (which leaves a lot to be desired) is not available until mid-afternoon. If they are going to offer Iceland as a pre-cruise option, they need to have a hotel room available upon arrival. There were dozens of us who were miserable for at least 36 hours--the uncomfortable flight on Icelandair and the hours waiting for our hotel in a hungry and exhausted condition. That said, I would still highly recommend Viking. Read Less

Hi there, We have just returned from a cruise on the MS Trollfjord from Bergen to Bergen. We were first time cruisers and our party consisted of 3 people one of which was in a wheelchair. The cruise was fantastic and the staff helpful. Unfortunately my parents could not get off at many ports due to the extreme weather conditions (snow). Alot of areas had not been cleared hence being unable to get the wheelchair around. The excursions were fantastic and everything ran smoothly so we have not complaints at all. We were advised before hand that it was very expensive so prepared for the worst, not as drastic as we thought. The cruise had several nice touches i.e passing the arctic circle was a celebration so there were drinks and a gift, passing a specific Fjord you could purchase a beautiful gift mug etc The cruise was extemely enjoyable and the hilight certainly being the Northern lights - which we were lucky enough to see. I took pictures of everything and they were stunning, unfortunately, i managed to delete half of them and have no idea how so i was devastated when i tried to download them. If anyone has any photos of the Northerncape, snow hotel, huskies, Trondheim cathedral and Allesund, i would quite happily buy copies of them. Many thanks and happy cruising if you decide to go ahead. Gayle Read Less