If I could rate Viking with a 10 star review, I would. We were on the 30 day Australia, Indonesia, Asia leg of the Ultimate World Cruise. When we signed up for the cruise we were worried about wildfires, volcanoes, and possible riots in Hong Kong. Who would have thought we would be faced with the Coronavirus outbreak? The itinerary we signed up for was definitely not the one we took. The ports pretty much changed on a daily basis with our original disembarkation in Hong Kong, being moved to Singapore, and finally Bali. Because we needed to bypass China and Malaysia, we spent 22 days in various parts of Australia, visiting some very interesting added ports. We even sailed to New Caladonia. The crew were short handed as many were not allowed to board in Sydney because of the regions they had came from, but the service was still excellent throughout the cruise. When we got to Indonesia things really changed, as we were not allowed to dock in Surabaya or Samarang because of a rumor that we had coronavirus passengers on board. We were also turned away from Bali for a day because of the same rumor, and then it all became political between the Indonesian countries. We had our temperatures checked in Komodo, Samarang, and Bali. Al three times everyone on board, including crew were deemed healthy, no fever. An executive from Switzerland flew out to negotiate with the Indonesian government in Bali, and we were finally allowed to dock in Bali for a day of tours and disembarkation. Who knows what that negotiation cost Viking, I am sure they paid dearly. The main reason for the 10 star review was how well Viking went far beyond anything we could have expected to keep us safe and healthy. Our original air itinerary was changed 4 times, everytime with the intention of keeping us safe and out of Asian airports, thanks to the wonderful and capable people in Guest Services. Our Cruise Director, Beven, was remarkable. He dealt with the whole situation with humor, transparency, and an ability to keep us all feeling safe and calm throughout all of the uncertainty. We were all in the same boat, so to speak. We were always kept informed as to what was happening whenever staff knew. The real downside was the flight from Bali, to Dubai, then home to San Francisco, 35 hours total, but again, to keep us safe. Since our flight left at midnight Viking put us up ia a lovely beach resort for the day, including a nice room and meals. We met some amazing people onboard and everyone seemed to interact more openly with each other because of our shared situation, which was really nice. We almost cancelled the trip last minute, but we are really glad we didn't, as we had a great time overall. This was our 5th Viking cruise and the entertainment was by far the best we have ever had. The talent, from the singers and dancers to the cruise director, and the asst. cruise director were extraordinary. The excursions were not the best, but with the constant change in itinerary, Viking did their best with last minute arrangements. The food was varied and very good. They had to be creative, as provisions were sometimes delayed because of the port changes. We were also nicely compensated with a very generous future cruise allowance. Overall, we are again greatly impressed with Viking and their regard towards safety for all of the passengers onboard. We felt much safer from the Coronavirus on board the ship than we feel being back in the US. As the Captain reminded us daily, WASH, WASH, WASH, and take care of each other. Thank you Viking Cruises! Read Less

We are experienced cruisers, having done a Viking Ocean in 2018 (Rome to Lisbon on the Viking Sun), a Viking river cruise in 2015 (Budapest to Amsterdam) and since 1990,, 5 other cruises on Carnival, Princess and Holland America. Each of those ships were 1500 to 2000 passengers. On this cruise we arrived in LA a day early and met with several others who had set up the meeting through Cruise Critic. Our ship came in and docked close to our hotel, and after embarkation we left the ship to do a museum tour of the USS Iowa, a great Battleship permanently docked within a 10 minute walk. Our first 7 days of this cruise were at sea, as we made our way to Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesa Islands. None of our previous cruising had prepared us for the delights of several back to back days at sea. The weather was good, with a couple of lumpy days, and the activities on board were enough to keep busy. So much to do that you would need to go out of your way to get bored. We especially liked the musical entertainment, As Roger McGuinn, front man for THE BYRDS was aboard, and had a very good set of shows , starting with "Mr. Tambourine Man" a autobiographical walk down memory lane for our age group, and others that he presented later in the cruise. Also on board for a shorter journey was Louis Shelton, Lead guitarist of THE WRECKING CREW. He did a few shows that also took our age group down memory lane. In addition to those headliners, there were several younger musicians, all very accomplished, who put on great shows. And not least were the Viking vocalists, starting with our Cruise Director. There were also intellectual talks, put on by several lecturers well versed on the history of the south Pacific, the anthropology and the culture. All were the best I have encountered on any cruises. Service was superb at all times. After meeting some of the bar staff on the beach in Nuku Hiva, we got to know some of them far better than had been the case on any other ship. They all strive to give the best possible service at all times. Dining was excellent. In the "Chef's Table" restaurant, I had the best meal I have ever eaten. Manfredi's restaurant was also very good, as was the main Dining Room. Several times on the voyage a special meal was set up in one of the 7th level areas, and those were excellent as well. Ports and Shore excursions became challenging for the crew to set up once the weather prevented us getting to the Cook Islands. We got to Tonga early and a hastily assembled set of guides was not up to the task. Tonga is a very poor country, doesn't have much to attract cruise ships, so perhaps was not the best choice of destination. Fiji, was also disappointing. Our tour took us through many very poor areas of Suva, and though we still enjoyed getting to see Suva, I won't be going back to Fiji. All of the other shore excursions were excellent. We did a small bus tour to Rotorua that was a delight. We had front row seats at a Maori cultural display after touring the Geysers while they were quite active. New Zealand will likely get us going back. By restriction, passage to over 18s, not having a Casino, and having only a very few smokers on board, Viking has captured the essence of great cruising. Overall, this cruise exceeded our expectations by a mile. Time to start saving for the next one. Read Less

Why did we choose this cruise? Honestly, it was a last minute decision based on a really good price offered by Viking. We have been on two River Cruises with Viking, and knew that Viking was 5 star all the way. We were not disappointed. The ship was lovely, our room was perfect, and the amenities on the ship were stellar. Particularly, we enjoyed dining at the Chef’s Table. The multi-course menu with wine pairings was something we had never experienced before. And, they change the menu every 3 or 4 days. We also enjoyed the smaller ship with less than 1000 passengers, and adults only environment. Our cruise director, Vicki Van Tassel was also outstanding. She organized some outstanding entertainment. We were on board over Christmas and New Year’s and Viking arranged outstanding Chocolate buffets on Christmas Eve, and an amazing brunch on New Year’s Day. We will certainly cruise with Viking again. Read Less

As expected from our experiences with Viking River Cruises, this was five stars all the way, from transfers to and from the airport, to luggage handling, to greeting on the ship. We stayed in a deluxe veranda, which is one of the smaller suites, but still had plenty of room and a fabulously comfortable king size bed. Besides, who wants to stay in the room? LOVED that there were only 900 passengers - it makes disembarking at ports uncrowded. We appreciated that this was not a “party cruise” - no casino, for instance. And no passengers under the age if 18 !! nstead there were lots of interesting lectures: a naturalist, a historian, a travel writer, and an astronaut on board to give talks. The food was (as expected) wonderful: a buffet style restaurant with live grilling, a Norwegian deli, a pool bar with grill, a table service restaurant with ever changing menu and (one of our favourite things) open seating so you could eat as a couple or meet different people each night. In the afternoon, the upper deck Wintergarden served full English cream tea. The 2 specialty restaurants (no extra charge) were fantastic: Manfredi’s Italian, and The Chef’s Table. We especially enjoyed the curated menus at the latter. On sea days, there was also a pop-up restaurant on the pool deck: the king crab day was spectacular! Christmas Eve’s chocolate buffet in the “Living Room” was amazing - chocolate sculptures highlighting thousands of delicious treats. We were also on board for NYE, which was a fantastic party, followed by an amazing NY Day brunch. Entertainment included music everywhere (grand pianos in 3 places, classical string duo, acoustic guitar, and nightly shows by both the onboard talent and acts flown in from Vegas!! The ports of call and included excursions were carefully chosen to give us a taste of the “real” South America, but side excursions were also offered to the more well-known tourist attractions like Macchu Pichu. Must mention the fabulous fitness facilities and Nordic spa (with a snow room!), as well as terrific estheticians, massage therapists, and wellness instructors. Overall a fantastic trip. The 27 days were over too soon. It really was an excellent adventure! Read Less

The itinerary is what first attracted us to this cruise and decided last April to book it through 6 Star Cruises. We have previously done many cruises with Regent, Azamara, Oceania and Seabourn, all of which we have enjoyed. This is the first with Viking but were very impressed indeed - the itinerary, ship, food, staff and value for money were all excellent and we'll be looking to sail with them again. The ship, Viking Sun, was only around two years old and it showed in every way with a very thoughtful and efficient layout which showed the design reflects what cruise passengers want. The ageing Renaissance class ships of Regent etc couldn't hope to compete with this particularly when you look at the cost of Regent cruises these days which definitely do not represent value for money. Even when you add in all the included shore trips, which they seem to have cut back costs on, I feel they are starting to price themselves out of the market. Just a few negatives :- • Although the retractable roof over the pool area was a fantastic idea, enabling the pool area to be covered in inclement weather, I found that even with the roof open in hot climates there was a distinct lack of air movement making the area rather hot and stuffy. This was strange given that there appeared to be many vents around that area but with no air seeming to be coming through them - maybe there was something wrong with the system. • Given the above, it would have been nice to have had some shaded areas up on the sun deck where you could sit on a lounger and enjoy the view and sea air without having the sun beating down on you. • I loved sitting on our balcony, reading and enjoying the view and sea air but found the hard, poorly shaped, balcony chairs to be desperately uncomfortable - they need to have detachable cushions for the base and backrest. Read Less

My experience on Viking is one to be remembered. It was my 16 th cruise but first on Viking. At first I found the decor rather bland but got to like the calm atmosphere it reinforced. I liked that there were, no kids, not that I’m against kids, but the pools were accessible and there were no loud noises and such from misbehaved kids. My Veranda room was great, save for the bed which was the most uncomfortable, even with three layers of extra bedding to help. It didn’t really do anything. The mattress needed replacement. The maid constantly came in the room while we were in it and would clean until we put the sign on the door for privacy. I found that odd, at least she was working. She taught us how it worked. The help everywhere was exceptional overall. Kind, friendly, attentive and ready to please. There were only a couple of people that were less than warm. Room service was great, they were quick, had lots of options and provided great service. Highly recommended. Food was excellent. Lots of great options to choose from and I sent one thing back for being unchewable and only Heard- of another complaint. Always another opti was provided. Going over my special menu often was awkward for me with diet restrictions because they would come to the table and go over every item in a way that made me feel like the message was That I was over ordering my appetizers though it was never said. Sometimes they didn’t show up? Usually I got what I ordered and it was delicious. Main entrees came with few vegetables which I missed. You’d have to order on the side. Emphasis on Salads always seemed a bit minimal unless you built your own or went to the pool area to access the larger bowls of greens instead of the very small salad greens they served indoors. The bar had options indoors, just one featured daily salad and the cramped area for greens. Not a big deal, just a work around. The Muslim bar for breakfast was great with GF options. I requested they also offer almond milk as they only had soy and reg. The free wine and beer was enjoyable. The wine was fine, sometimes better than others, but you’d want to order a bottle if you wanted better. The spa was lovely with many options, however it didn’t open until 8 which meant I only got to use it once. The classes they offered, yoga, fascia I enjoyed if in sometimes less than ideal locations due to sun, wind, weather and a/c. Their entertainment was good, just not quite the caliber of shows as on other lines. I’d give them overall a B+ though I enjoyed a number of performances very much. Vicki Van Tassel our cruise director was talented and quite fun to watch! The asst. Cruise director Elmer was also quite a talented singer. The lectures were very good, the art class was taught by a professional artist and art professor. They had quality people to keep everyone educated and entertained. The service desk was open 24/7....amazing! They had excellent free tours included and went out of their way to insure guests would be taken care of. The food on tours was great from what I had. The guides varied in knowledge and enthusiasm. Some were way better than others, some not so well informed, based on my experience and what I was told. Overall it was the best service, best food, most relaxing cruise, wonderful spa, that I’ve yet enjoyed. I can highly recommend Viking. Read Less

The Viking Sun is a beautiful ship with luxury amenities. Staff is very friendly and will strive to meet any requests. The food is very good (we did have some bad experiences at Chef’s Table) and menus are varied with top quality ingredients. The spa and fitness center were far above our expectations. The size was impressive and robes, sandals, extras provided. The spa hot tub was massive and the snow room quite a surprise. Lots of exercise equipment. Included shore excursions were usually very good. Unfortunately, in several cases the transportation time was so long our time at the destination was very short. Not enough time to enjoy the location or shop. We did several extra excursions, 2 were great, 1 was terrible. We noted our disappointment and Viking removed the fee. They do an excellent job organizing the tours providing water, modern, clean buses, and guides proficient in English. Always had a red carpet, tent, and plentiful staff at disembarkation. Often had staff in the main town to assist. The included wine and beer during meals was very generous. The quality was good and a specific type of wine could be requested (merlot, moscato, etc.). We were surprised that no type of limit was imposed and waiters frequently asked about refills. Entertainment was generally very good. Besides the larger productions there was a guitar player/singer, 4 piece band, and stringed duo that played in various locations on the ship. The music was almost exclusively from the 60’s and 70’s which became too repetitive so we stopped going to the shows. Even the room radio stations were stuck in this time warp. A printed newsletter was delivered to the state room every evening that listed all the coming day’s activities, weather, exchange rates, etc. We arrived in Santiago 4 days early. We did this portion of our trip on our own. Viking arranged the airfare however they will not provide transportation to the departure city. If going straight from the airport to the ship, this transportation is included. No exceptions to this. The cost can be quite expensive - almost $200 in our case. The staff is amazing, always smiling, and take time to chat. Many remember your name after only a few interactions. Every day we woke up and said “we are so lucky to be here”. This was our first Viking Cruise and we are already looking at booking another. Cannot stop talking about this wonderful experience. Read Less

Viking Sun - Ocean Cruises Pacific – Chile to Los Angeles Dec19 to Jan 20 De-luxe cabin deck4 Viking ships are beautiful, beautifully kept, cabins and bathrooms are spotless and the TV is very clever with all ship info online. Free wi-fi works well. Food is good and wine/beer included with meals and gratuities included. Plenty of lectures and the entertainment singers/team are top notch. Everything is well organised including the excursions. The weaknesses are: Storage/wardrobe design in the cabin is very poor Dinner sometimes not hot enough Activities weak, not enough to do, especially compared with cheaper ships. Not enough staff for activities only two compared with say four by competition. One does not want to go on a cruise and sit all day in the lecture room. Often in their ‘daily’ they include the fact that shops are open – obvious padding Excursions not good, only average, and all a bit too safe, always catering for the slowest. Guides often very average. Read Less

We chose this cruise to be away over Christmas and New Year and because we wanted to explore more of South America. It was nice to have four full weeks rather than rushing through two weeks. We arrived early in Valparaiso and enjoyed spending some time in this colourful town. The Viking Sun, which is identical to its sister ships, was once again a haven of understated comfort and elegance. Although smaller than many ships the Viking ships never appear crowded, there is never a mass of people even around the central pool and there is always a quiet spot to sit and read or watch the world (and the dolphins) go by. The ship is pristine and gleams showing the obvious attention to detail and cleanliness. Although decorated for Christmas they did not go overboard with garish decorations and instead focused on keeping the ambiance soft and gentle. Of course that gentle calmness went out the window New Years Eve when we had a blast of a party, fortunately at sea where no one could hear us. Best New Year ever. This was followed by an amazing New Years Day buffet which served every kind of food imaginable. The king crab legs were awesome. The gym on board has excellent equipment and of course a great sea level view. This was one leg of a record breaking world cruise so some passengers had been on quite a while and as a result the relationship between passengers and crew was definitely different. The crew are so nice, always smiling, always helpful but because of the longer time spent with passengers they became almost friends while maintaining a respectful regard. I have scored the entertainment a little less than perfect simply because although the artists were good there is in my mind need for a little more variety rather than always singers. The local performers brought on board were excellent. The guest lecturers were very interesting, particularly the naturalist and the Astronaut. We did run into disappointment on one of the excursions but Viking handled the situation well. Looking forward to our next cruise with Viking. Read Less

We chose this cruise for several reasons: the Viking reputation, the cruise itinerary and the mixture of excursions and sea days. We were not disappointed. We had a penthouse veranda cabin, which was roomy with plenty of drawers and storage space. This was important for a 27 day cruise. The ship is lovely - at no time did we ever feel crowded. There was plenty to do on sea days - I found a group to play Mah Jongg with. My husband found a group for board games - including Catan. There were opportunities to take bridge classes, knitting classes, and watercolor classes. The lectures were superb. The resident pianist, guitarist, cellist and violinist provided wonderful music during the late afternoon and evenings. Shore excursions were very organized with detailed information. Service was outstanding - from our room stewards - to dining - to guest services - to excursion staff. All questions were answered, all concerns addressed. The food was terrific - plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish - a biggie for me. Viking planned appropriately for the holidays - we expecially appreciated the attention given to Friday evening Shabbat services (a separate space, kosher wine, challah, and prayerbooks) and Hanukkah (menorah, latkes, fried doughnuts, and wine for 8 nights). We loved our cruise and have planned another with Viking. Read Less

We wanted to visit Australia and New Zealand and other islands in between. Heard how wonderful Viking Ocean Cruises were and wanted to experience them ourselves. I had been on. River Cruise previously and had enjoyed that. Already booked another ocean cruise. Staff w As great and went over backwards to help. Cabin was good size and room steward was excellent and kept our room immaculate. Spa area was very relaxing and our masseuses made us feel even more relaxed. Experiencing the steam room and snow grotto was wonderful. We went down often just to unwind. Having a great bridge teacher was wonderful on sea days. We met lots of new people and truly learned from them as well as we played Duplicate Bridge on sea days in the afternoons. We had a great experience on the ship and we look forward on our next journey. Viking knows how to make their guests feel welcome! Read Less

The staff was excellent - from the captain to the housekeeping gals & guys. Each and every one was willing to do whatever was needed for the guests. Our cruise director (Vicki Van Tassel) was the best! She made every event memorable. The Viking Sun is elegant - lots of beautiful wood & leather furniture plus floor-ceiling windows in most common areas. The Sun never felt crowded. You could always find a spot to relax with friends or a book. The spa is amazing and never crowded. The lecturers were all very informative and not at all boring! Really liked that the lectures were all available to watch on TV in case we missed them. We both enjoyed the entertainment and we attended all but 3 performances. The food in the dining room and the specialty restaurants was excellent. The pool grill was especially good and even the buffet was well above average. The celebrations for Christmas & New Years were over-the-top and far above our expectations (and any past experience on larger ships). We enjoyed all of the ports as they were new experiences for us. In each port (except 1) we did the included excursions. Only one was below our expectations. This was a segment of the 245 day Ultimate World Cruise. Read Less

This is the second Viking Ocean Cruise for us.. We have cruised over 100 times on various lines. The word we like to use for our Viking Ocean Cruise is "seamless". From the time of booking there is no detail that was not perfectly performed by Viking: air arrangements and transfers, embarkation procedures, room accommodations, menu choices and meals, hospitality desk assistance, room stewards, dining/beverage servers, visibility and friendliness of officers, shore excursions and shore excursion staff, gym/spa facilities, comfortable and inviting public spaces around the ship and the quality of on-board lectures. We are early risers and early to bed meaning we usually do not attend evening entertainment. The quality of the included shore excursions was appreciated and the guides were excellent! We are still managing business transactions and appreciated the WiFi and can't say enough how important that is to us. The hospitality desk was so helpful in helping us. Thank you! The itinerary was over the winter holiday season. I was so looking forward to having a slice of Stollen with my morning coffee. I did not see it at the Living Room coffee bar or at the World Café. I asked if Stollen was ever on the menu and to my absolute delight and surprise I was personally presented with a superb loaf of Stollen by the head pastry chef himself! WOW!!! In talking with other passengers during the cruise we were pleased to hear affirmations of our same positive thoughts and experiences. There is never a doubt we will thoroughly enjoy whatever itinerary we choose to sail and we are looking forward for our next opportunity to book another Viking Ocean cruise! Thank you Viking for your excellent ships and crew! Read Less

My name is Michael J (Mike) Murphy and I do the background research on Viking Cruises for my wife, Sheri and I, so we can make informed choices regarding our cruises. We decided on this particular cruise for several reason: The timing was right for us as I had been laid up for the past 2 years due to several surgeries; The route interested us very much, going from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile; several family members (younger the us) had very serious health problems and so we decided to travel while we still could as I am 73 and Sheri is 72; and lastly, we have now been on 3 cruises, 1 River and 2 Ocean, all with Viking and enjoyed them so much we didn't see any reason to look at any other company. A wonderful young man at Viking booking in California, has helped us arrange all 3 tours and has been marvelous to work with. His help and suggestions really made our voyages enjoyable. I have some difficulty walking distances so he arranged our cabins so that they were very convenient for me to get around. The Viking Sun was fantastic, clean, quiet, convenient, with the staff from the Captain down went out of their way to make the trip enjoyable for all aboard. The Captain did make 2 adjustments to our itinerary due to inclement (dangerous) weather and we appreciated his actions. Our cabin was great, with everything we needed. We took most meals at the World Café as we preferred the casual atmosphere and the food and service there is great. The entertainment & activities were to our taste and we really enjoyed the shore excursions. We are trying to plan several more Viking Cruises. Read Less

Wanted the itinerary that it offered and the price was right as it included r/t air. The Viking Cruise ships are furnished with blonde wood throughout; comfortable nooks and crannies are found around the ship and all have curated libraries -- amazing book collections abound; contemporary art work hangs on most public space walls, including interesting photo collections; there is an emphasis on Nordic culture and history in displays throughout the ship; the cultural amenities include a cellist and piano duo playing music each evening while a huge screen displays photographs of the work of the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. On board pianist and guitarist also play at various times and venues thoughout the ship. The staff are friendly, accommodating, and well-trained. The food is good to excellent depending on the choice of dining venue. Two speciality restaurants are available for no extra charge. The Spa is also available with no extrs charge for the sauna, steam bath, whirlpool and hot tub. There is even a snow room to get the Scandinavian thing going after a stop at the sauna. The shore excursions are generally well thought out and there is always one free excursion at each port stop. We signed up for two additional cruises while on board -- we were quite taken with this introductory Viking cruise. We have previously cruised on Oceania and Star Clipper. Read Less

I chose this cruise as the itinerary appealed to me as I would not be apt to travel to South America on my own. I was disappointed in the few shore days however the ship activities were sufficient to keep the sea days interesting and spectacular in the Chilean fiords.. The ports of call where we saw the penguins were wonderful. The 4x4 jeep ride to see the penguin colony on the Falklands was great fun as was the speedboat ride to see them on Magdalena Island. Our Captain chose to keep us safe by changing course, omitting a port of call in order to avoid a bad storm. The result was we had amazing weather for the rest of the trip, specially at the Falkland Islands and when we rounded Cape Horn, both of which many cruises have to forego because of the weather. The entertainment on the ship was wonderful. The entertainment director was very cooperative when my companion suggested for sea days that a canasta group be arranged. The dining staff were wonderful and a lot of fun.The chef was outstanding with his choice and preparation of great menus. As I am a vegan I was very pleased that I had choices from a special vegan menu. I hope this will be continued and enlarged upon on future cruises. The dining room manager was amazing at making sure I was looked after wherever I chose to eat. Overall a wonderful experience!! Read Less

We flew from Miami to Buenos Aires. We where lined up in an orderly fashion to go through customs when suddenly a mass of passengers from another area of the airport poured into the area and totally disrupted the line. It was chaos. It took over two and one half hours to get through customs. Embarkation went smoothly once we got through Argentina customs. Viking representatives gathered our luggage and got on buses to the ship very quickly. We have traveled on Viking ocean ships in the past and are familiar with the layout of the ship and cabins. We had a jr. suite on deck 8 which was a good location. We like the size of the suite and the fact that Viking stocks the refrigerator at no extra charge.We were close to the pool deck, reading areas, the Winter Garden restaurant and the pool grill. Dining on Viking is a great experience. The food preparation is excellent and there are many different restaurant to chose from. Our favorites were the Winter Garden, grill and more formal The Restaurant. We enjoyed the variety and professionalism of the lecturers, Viking Band, singers dancers and theater staff. The cruise director Vicky was terrific. She was easy to get to know and accessible. She is a talent proformer. Service was excellent. What a friendly and professional staff. Many of the staff knew our names and went out of their way to be helpful. We hope to see them again on our next cruise with Viking. As always the ports and Shore excursions were designed for almost everyone tastes and abilities. We disembarked in Los Angeles and Viking went over above expectations. We had a late night flight back to Orlando, FL and we had to be off the ship by 9:00 am. Viking provided a free tour of La that lasted until early afternoon. Then provide a large room for guests awaiting their flights from LA at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Food and beverages were provided gratis. Read Less

Service is outstanding as always. Manfredi's the onboard Italian restaurant is excellent. Chef Table is a bit disappointing at times. World Cafe is consistently very good. The Restaurant is also very good. The wines are not as good as the selections for the River Cruises in Europe, which is a bit surprising given both Argentina and Chile produce excellent wines at a very reasonable cost. The beers are very good in contrast. I have to give a shout out to the bar staff for hosting many wonderful tastings including Single Malts, Bourbons, Gin, Vodka Armagnac and Cognac. There was even a Martini tasing which unfortunately I missed. I wish they would expand to include tequila next time. I learned a lot! The Spa and the gym are among the best I have been. The enrichment lectures were quite informative, Most of the shows were outstanding and a couple were not quite our taste. We had to skip two ports because of weather concerns which is a pity. However, we were rewarded with perhaps the best weather ever for Falklands, Cape Horn and Ushuaia. Extending Ushuaia by one day does not make up losing one day in Falklands and Puerto Madryn. We also lost one day at Puerto Montt because the swells were too rough for the tenders. We noticed another cruise ship able to discharge its passengers because it's anchored closer to shore. Our ship had to give up out initial spot to the other cruise ship and move out further despite getting to port before them. It seems they had a higher pecking order than us. It also seems we spend extra days at sea going no where quick. While cruising the fjord and viewing the glaciers is fascinating, I think we could have easily cut out three sea days. Given the unpredictable weather in this part of the world, I was hoping for a little better contingency planning where we could visit a backup location. I do understand how much work is required to visit a port and arrange for excursions but it would be better than just adding more sea days. The Shore Excursions did have a few rough spots and is local guide dependent. When we compared notes with other passengers, the experience can be quite varied. Some guides spoke much better English and were informative, others not so much and some even skipped stops. While you can't complain too much with the included panoramic tours, one might expect the optional tours to have gone through better due diligence and guide selection. There is some room for improvement here compared to other Viking River Cruises. The Volunteer Point optional tour in Falklands got sold out very quickly and we had to find a local tour ourselves. The Captain did not inform us of his plans to skip Puerto Madryn and proceed directly to Falklands two days earlier than schedule until very late. Our local tour guide actually informed us two days before so we were lucky to be able to plan ahead and make adjustments. Overall we enjoyed the trip very much despite some of issues which were not easy to plan around. Read Less

We will only sail with Viking. The longer the cruise the more opportunities for things to happen beyond anyone's control. We had a couple of those happen (missed port to due weather) but Viking is well prepared to adjust and compensate for those changes. The consistent effort by all Viking employees to make the passengers feel appreciated and important was evident here. We love the specialty restaurants. Manfredis' is a sure thing for great food; the Chef's table is always an adventure. Dining there introduced me to food I never would have tried or for that matter, encountered, and probably never will again, but we were SO glad we had the opportunity...delicious and amazing!. The poolside grill does a great hamburger and the gelato at the World Cafe is the most popular place on the ship. We are not an especially social pair and we find we can join any number of activities when we desire, yet have all the privacy we want.(without spending all day in the cabin) Lastly, the shore excursions. Some are better than others...but some locations are better than others. We find the variety of opportunities to be excellent, the included tours are always worthwhile, but caution reservations for excursions are made by cabin class and Viking is not always able to "just add another excursion" as some suggested. They are limited to what is available locally. Sailing with Viking is easy. So easy we have three more cruises planned with them. ALWAYS check on board for deals on future cruises...the deals are worth it! Read Less

My brother, who had taken previous Viking Ocean cruises, talked me into it because my wife and I had taken several river cruises on Viking and had enjoyed them. The four of us had cruised before and enjoyed each others company. We very much enjoyed and were impressed with the Amazon River experience. I would have greatly appreciated wider WI-FI coverage. We had to very frequently rejoin the wi-fi because of lost signal. Perhaps some wi-fi repeaters placed strategically throughout the sip would help. I was very unimpressed with the pancakes and waffles on the breakfast buffet. An improved batter recipe is needed! The disembarkation in Buenos Aires amounted to a completely wasted day. We had to get out of our cabins before 8:00 and had nothing to do until leaving the ship at 10;30. Upon arrival at the Hilton, we were unable to get our rooms until 1500 and the luggage wasn't available until 1800. An entire day spent waiting. Perhaps a four to five hour shore excursion beginning at disembarkation and ending at the hotel.could be arranged. Read Less

Looked forward to this So American sojourn as we have never been to So America previously. The port destinations and the available tours were excellent. We particularly liked the 1,000 miles into the Amazon. There is a gem of a show put on by locals at your second Amazonian port! This is your normal, Viking extraordinary trip, with only two blips on the radar. This itinerary is rich with sea days, and they needed to cancel the Recife Port due to slow timing in the Amazon. It was disappointing, as it seemed that time could have been made up. We had an extension In Buenos Aires, and the hotel check in and tours information during the extension left MUCH to be desired. Not to be missed if you stay in Buenos Aires is the evening dinner & tango show in a historic building, a perfect experience! I must comment that when we shared our disappointment with Viking, they did their utmost to make it right. Read Less

The embarkation was excellent, plenty of staff to check in all the guest with very little waiting time. We were upgraded to an Explorer suite which was a pleasant surprise. We were impressed with all the amenities in our suite. We had booked a Penthouse Junior suite. The food, as usual was outstanding as was all the dining room wait staff including the hostess who remembered our names and also remembered our choice of seating. We were surprised to learn that we were on just one leg of a world record breaking cruise. The Amazon was the primary reason for choosing this cruise. i wished we had more time and exploration in the Amazon. The Piranha fishing excursion in Santerem was the one most like the Amazon we expected. There was more time at sea than I expected but the lectures helped minimize the time and were a good way to make up for that. The Cruise Director was outstanding as was pianist in the library. The Viking Sun singers left something to be desired. Read Less

After well over thirty ocean and river cruises, we were excited to board the Sun for our first ocean adventure with Viking, From the moment we were greeted at the airport, Viking made us feel like honored guests. Everything was well planned with little delay (OK there's not much anyone can do about the traffic between LaGuardia and midtown Manhattan at 5 PM on a Friday). Our stateroom was spacious with plenty of storage areas. The bathroom was well apportioned with a sizable glass enclosed shower (plenty of storage there, too). The veranda was spacious allowing plenty of room to maneuver around the two chairs and table. The cabin steward cleaned the glass daily. Due to the tail effects of a recent hurricane our first couple days at see were a bit rough, but we found plenty to do and enjoyed relaxing in the room and at the Explorers' Lounge. Dining was a nightly 'event' the food was prepared to order and well presented. We found the wine selection was just right or our tastes. The planned a couple of tours on our own, which we enjoyed, but the included excursions were great, too. While onboard we booked another cruise (24 Days) on the Viking Sky for later this year. Read Less

Travelling to the Amazon and visiting Rio were the reasons for choosing this trip. The Included trips were good but the additional excursions were excellent. The submarine ride in Barbados was a o e in a lifetime experience. On board, we both enjoyed the lecture series. We learned so much about the people,history, and politics of each country we visited. It made the shore excursions so much more interesting and valuable. The musical shows and skits were wonderful. Meeting new friends and then going on to a fabulous dinner together was a real treat. Dining on this cruise was a real experience. It took several days to figure out the best times to go to the restaurant, where the best places were and who knew we could have room service every morning if we had wanted. That was a very pleasant surprise we enjoyed very much. Last but not least, the crossing the equator ceremony was so much fun! We truly enjoyed every minute. Read Less

The itinerary of this cruise was great and as it was a segment of the world cruise the entertainment and lectures were superior Our cabin was upgraded to a penthouse suite from a veranda This gave us more space for the longer cruise. Additionally we enjoyed complementary drink package so that we could have cocktails anytime of the day and not just beer and wine at lunch and dinner. My wife enjoyed being part of the Viking Choir while in the cruise. We greatly enjoyed the cruise director and the enrichment lectures. The chef cooked local delicacies in port which added to the meaningfulness . The service was superior with all the staff friendly and greeting us throughout the day. Having one shore excursion included at each port with additional shore excursions available was a plus. We have been on other cruise lines and definitely feel that Viking and in particular Viking Sun is a great value for the money. Read Less