I have sailed with Viking on 10 cruises. I have wanted to sail on their new expedition ships and I have wanted to go to Canada. This was the perfect trip for that. I have to admit that getting there wasn't easy, since Air Canada cancelled my first flight and delayed my second one. I didn't get to Toronto until 9pm instead of 1pm. I wasn't able to get to the ship until 11pm. That's another ...
When Viking announced their new expedition ships and posted the Octantis itinerary in 2020, we wanted to be among the first to try this new experience. The itinerary from Toronto through the St. Lawrence Seaway, around Nova Scotia and ending New York appealed to us for several reasons. With the pandemic raging when we signed up, we liked the idea of staying within North America. We liked the ...
Stateroom - Exceptional, roomy and upscale...best ever. Room attendants were exceptional as well, never under your feet but always there when needed. Large window was a fine substitute for a balcony given the chilly weather and rain. Had a big TV that had little to view unless you liked 5 different news channels.
Guest Services - Available without out a line most of the time. Helpful, ...
I choose Viking for many reasons but the recommendation from my brother and sister in law was truly the deciding factor. I loved all the different excursions both included and extra, being able to dine in all the dining rooms without extra cost. Shipboard entertainment was perfect, love the afternoon teas . Entertainment was fun and no matter where you were on the ship there was always ...
We chose this cruise as a replacement for a COVID-cancelled French river cruise. Making the reservations two years in advance, we were hedging our bets about a cruise to which we could actually drive if we had to.
The Octanis is a lovely boat. The Viking staff is superb, professional and warm. We had a plumbing problem late at night and it was fixed within minutes with a minimum of disruption. ...
We are Viking loyalists, and when we discovered their Expedition Cruise of Niagara Falls and the Great Lakes, we immediately booked! I can only say wonderful things about this cruise. The ship is beautiful and well thought out. Our stateroom was spacious and even included a drying closet. The food was the best we've had on any cruise. The chef was visible at every meal and in every dining ...
The ship was gorgeous! Obviously one of the cabin designers was a woman because there were more drawers and closet space than on any other ship I've been on( and I have been on 25+ cruises)! Heated bathroom floor, two sinks, heated towel rack....Viking spares no expense with luxuries! Thermal pool and spa services were fabulous!
We ate at Manfredi's, The Restaurant and the World Cafe for ...
The title of the trip was "History, Seafood and Nature Reserves" This was a cruise from Halifax to Boston.
We heard no more than ten minutes of history daily (and some of it was wrong--we were told John Smith founded Boston....), the seafood was mostly Alaskan cod (nothing regional), and there were only three nature reserves over the week of the cruise.
Communications were terrible ...
We chose this cruise because we heard great things about Viking and wanted a non-Alaska US cruise. We greatly enjoyed the experience. The ship was fabulous and a great size. Our accommodations were very comfortable. The crew was the highlight of the trip, from the great care our room steward gave us, the fabulous chefs and wait staff, the experts on board, and the captain and his staff. ...
We wanted to see the Great Lakes. Aside from Mackinac Island, the onshore options were very limited. We loved the special boat and the tour of all the "toys". However, most of the other options for excursions involved Zodiacs, canoes, or kayaks. I was having my hip replaced after the cruise so those options were not good for me. On the ship, the library was very nice with a puzzle or two. ...