The whole experience of this expedition voyage was absolutely wonderful. We chose the cruise mainly because we wanted to see the Northern Lights and we decided to go on the Astronomy tour, when there would be an astronomer on board. We have never travelled on a ship for so long, and for us this was a great voyage of adventure and not a run of the mill "cruise". It certainly surpassed our expectations. Hurtigruten organise everything superbly and the expedition team on board are very knowledgeable, helpful and add to the overall experience during the voyage. There is a schedule each day that also has important information on it and points of interest are highlighted on the way, often with a gathering about the sight. The astronomy talks were brilliant and added to the overall experience and we were so lucky to see so mainly northern light displays during our voyage, and with the astronomer , John, who shared his knowledge about this wonderful natural phenomena. The food on board was excellent. Lots of it and lots of choice too. Evening meal except 2 nights was 3 course a la carte, which was very nice. Tea and coffee is also available at certain places on the ship throughout the day and after evening meal for those on a package. All staff are really helpful and polite and will do anything to help. Drinks are expensive as is the case in Scandinavia. We opted for a house wine drinks package. All in all a glass of wine is around £10, so we thought the wine package would be more economical. There were about 6 different choices of wine on this package, either red or white and most were nice quality. There are also beer packages as well. We went on 2 trips which we highly recommend. North Cape on day 6 and snowmobiling on day 7. Very well organised. The only point to make is that we booked our excursions prior to the holiday, as we were told it would get booked up. We were told that one trip was fully booked so we opted for another instead. However, on board all the trips had places advertised by the expedition team and you could book with them very easily on board and the trip we originally wanted had lots of space. if we did it again we would probably wait to book excursions until on board. A great variety of hikes were on offer as well. Even though we did not venture on these we heard from others how great they were. There is plenty of opportunity, depending on the weather, to get off the ship. More so on the Northern voyage. There are plenty of great areas on the ship to view the wonderful scenery from inside and deck 9 has a large outside deck area that was the main place to view the northern lights. The cabins are clean and have plenty of storage space. We were on deck 6 which has the viewing areas and the muster station. We would definitely go again. Read Less

There were so many interesting locations to view and visit while enjoying luxurious service, dining and comfort. Viking spoils their passengers. Service is impeccable and wonderful selection of restaurants onboard. Cabin service is excellent, from cleanliness to accommodation. This was my fourth trip with Viking River and Ocean cruise and I’m now planning my fifth. Viking makes traveling so easy for you by collecting you at the airport and retuning for your flight home. It’s obvious Viking takes the time to properly train their employees. I actually walked into my once and found someone cleaning under my bed. You’ll find from the stewards, bartenders, servers will help you with anything you ask. The concierge will go out of their way to grant any request you have. Viking has wonderful entertainment. From dancing, singing, comedy etc. to a large current selection of movie and tv programs. After a day of fascinatingly excursions it’s nice to have dinner in or out of your room and then relax with a movie. Again, I’ll say Viking absolutely spoils their guests. 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

This was our first Cruise, we chose Viking due to the high ratings we had read. Our goal was to experience the Scandinavian Countries first hand. We knew it would just give us a taste of the port cities we visited, but it has spurred us to book another trip in 2018, starting once again in Bergen, Norway. I cannot say enough about the quality of the Staff. They were from all over the world and made the experience even richer. The educational programs were well done, the Professors and Ambassador did an excellent job explaining the History and Politics of the associated countries. The Food was absolutely excellent, we had to make sure we got enough exercise to keep off unwanted pounds. While this is a British idea,Tea Time and the treats are highly recommended. We have been spoiled by Viking and hope to be back on board many times in the future! Read Less

Had never seen this area of Northern Europe and this cruise offered stops at several countries, plus there was an included tour in each city as well as many optional tours. Everything on this cruise was perfect and a great value for the price. This was our third Viking cruise in the last 18 months. We have found that Viking cruises offer high quality dining with a great variety and selection of foods. I especially loved the house special ribeye steaks at Manfredi's Restaurant. I ate 7 of them over the course of the cruise. Best steaks I have ever eaten. The staff on the ship was outstanding. We truly felt pampered. This was by far the best cruise we have taken and frankly I was not a cruise fan before our first Viking Cruise. We have considered checking out other cruise lines but feel we get such a great value for the dollar with Viking Cruises we will continue to cruise with them. Read Less

We sailed on a river cruise and were favorably impressed; we signed on for this ocean cruise. The ports were fine and we enjoyed a free excursion at each stop. We got the sample of Northern Europe we were looking for. What really stood out was Viking`s interest in making it a great trip. The staff was exceptional. The food was consistently impressive. Perhaps most appreciated were the little things. Free wi-fi in the room, free water on excursions, free wine with lunch and dinner. .....24 hour free room service. Having done Holland America cruises where everything is a profit center and passengers are there to be herded, this cruise really stood out. We`ll take cruises in the future (we`ve done 10-12); they will all be on Viking. As a result of Viking`s performance, we signed up for a 4- month cruise next year. When were back, we`ll find another river cruise. Read Less

This was our first "ocean" cruise with Viking (we previously did a river cruise). This company REALLY knows how to take care of their guests. They ship was just the right size and so beautiful. Our room had plenty of space and they provided binoculars, umbrella, extra bedding when requested, free snacks and drinks...I could go on and on. We definitely will use them again. The included excursions were top notch. I believe we only paid for an extra excursion in St Petersburg. We loved the difference in the various ports...small, large urban, historic, party town, etc. Some guests had a bit of a hard time with all the uneven cobblestone, so be forewarned about the older towns. We did a LOT of walking in the ports and had no issues (all four of us in late 50s early 60s). We appreciated that we could watch all of the port talks in our cabin and did not have to attend in person. Read Less

Admiring spectacular fjords and experiencing midnight sun embarked us on this journey, and Viking Ocean Cruise - Into the Midnight Sun far exceeded our expectations. We were (and are) very happy that we chose Viking and took the trip. The crew met us at the airport in Bergen and escorted us to a very comfortable looking bus. We were given a bottle of water, much needed at that moment having traveled hours. Needless to say, the bus ride to the ship was smooth ensuring us of a good trip. Checking-in was thorough and efficient, and friendly. We went to our room. Our steward, greeted us friendly but discreetly. He was informative, introduced each feature of the room and his service. Bags were delivered. We unpacked. Afterward, we walked around the ship. There were lots of reading areas! An actual library too! An atrium (where daily digital showing of Munch's collection accompanied with live music took place), five (5) culinary restaurants, gym, spa, theaters, etc. Modern, yet warmly yet cooly welcoming decor and furnishing. For the following 15 days, we enjoyed our home on Viking Oceans: tasted culinary delights, immersed ourselves in cultural and intellectual enrichment on board programs, participated in included and optional excursions learning and experiencing visiting villages, town and cities, and nurtured our body with stretching exercises at the gym or a run around a 1/4 mile track around the ship - incredibly freeing experience running in the ocean. We thank Viking Ocean Cruise and the crew. Read Less

We had not been to Scandinavia or the Baltic states and were anxious to go to this area. Viking's ocean cruise there seemed to offer all the places we wanted to go with the luxury of not having to pack and unpack and sail from one location to another while we slept. It was the perfect choice. Loved everything about the trip. The Viking Star was a lovely ship and the staff/crew was outstanding in every way. We had done a Viking river cruise and loved it so that is one reason we chose Viking over other options. The shore excursions were numerous with many options in each location, sometimes hard to decide which one to take. The local guides provided great insight into the region. I wish we could have had more time in St. Petersburg, especially at the Hermitage. There was so much to see and not enough time and we had no control as to the areas we visited in the museum. We had good weather and only one day with rain, which did not hamper or tour or "dampen" the experience. The food was excellent and varied with a nice number of restaurants to chose from. We could chose to have fine dining and linger over the dinner table or we could do a buffet meal quickly to move on to our next activity. There was so many choices on board of things to do we never get to do them all. We were never board. The entertainment while on the Viking Star was outstanding with options varying from the concert pianist, string trio, the ship's band to the performers (singers and dancers). The Aba show was really fun and the digital set state of the art. The young performers were very talented and always put on a superb show. We are already planning out next trip with Viking Ocean and have talked to a number of friends about joining us. (we went with a group of 3 couples) Bravo Viking Star! Read Less

Loved our trip from beginning to end. We had been really keen to visit the Baltic ports and in particular St Petersburg and finding a cruise without unnecessary days at sea which included Norwegian fjords was suc a bonus. Everything was included in the price including most of our trips and we found we spent surpringly little on our holiday. We sailed from Bergen first north to Sogne Fjord and All the way up the Fjord to Flam. The scenery and sunsets were beautiful, helped by the long summer days. At Flam we chose an optional extra trip up the railway and cycled a very easy and beautiful route back down the valley. Memorable. Next stop Stavanger-great included walking tour and a lovely town. Oil museum was far more interesting than expected and enjoyed the best hot chocolate ever outside one of the colourful little restaurants. This made the pattern for an excellent trip. We used the included tours in most ports of call apart from St Petersburg where we took a very good 2 day tour with ballet included. Both in Stockholm and Copenhagen we also went on a boat trip-all so easy as Viking put you in the heart of the town. Everything on this trip was done for your comfort. There were shows and talks and very good preparations for the following day. All in all there was a real sense of peace on the boat, ALL staff spoke to you and would have helped in any way. We also loved the quiet corners with books provided, the piano, guitar and quartet playing in different parts of the ship and the afternoon tea in the Wintergarten. We enjoyed this so much we have already been on our second cruise with Viking Ocean. One other good point. We never had to queue for anything and embarkation and disembarkation we very easy. Usually the ship was in the town and we were told at 7 or 7.30 the gangway was down and we could go ashore if we chose. Read Less

We booked this cruise just three weeks ago and took advantage of a newspaper advertisement for 8 days in the Fjords/Orkney Island for less than '£700 for the two of us. We thought OK an inside cabin will not be the best but for the price we went ahead and booked it anyway. Wow were we surprised as our cabin was very large with a wardrobe each and two sets of drawers for our clothes. The cabin was very bright with mirrors making it seem even larger. The food was excellent and equally the evening entertainment. The staff were fantastic and the hosts were amazing. We met so many nice people on board and shared experiences of past cruises. Didn't use the pool but did enjoy the three jacuzzis in the sunshine - beware take plenty of After-Sun if you burn easily like I unfortunately do. The gym was quite modern and I used it twice. There were daytime activities such as Bingo, Quizzes etc but we didn't take part in these as we were happy to relax with a book instead. Daily news-sheet to keep up-to-date with all the news back home. My husband's birthday was lovely with the ship's crew singing and playing Happy Birthday even though we never mentioned it, he just wanted a quiet birthday away with no fuss LoL. Two formal nights and the rest either casual or semi-formal. There was always the opportunity to dine in the buffet restaurant if preferred. We chose the 8pm sitting and enjoyed the entertainment at 10pm followed by cabaret etc into the wee hours. Ports of Call were: Hellesylt, Andalsnes, Olden, Skjolden, Bergen and Kirkwall. They were all very different and there was plenty of time to explore them all and enjoy the beautiful spectacular scenery. Would we go again? You bet!!! Read Less