We (DH and I) had a bad experience on a mass market ship several years ago, so we were a bit apprehensive. But, our Viking Homelands cruise was wonderful from start to finish! We were very lucky in that we only had one day of rain the entire two weeks. As has been stated many others reviewers, the ship is beautifully designed in a modern Scandinavian decor, lots of light bright areas and it never seemed crowded. The staff were all so helpful and willing to assist with any request or question. Our stateroom was very nice, good use of space and loved the bathroom with no fog mirror and heated floors. Dining was very good and tried all of the options. Mamsen's and Manfredi's were our favorites. The only venue that we did not enjoy was The Chef's Table. We are not picky eaters and enjoy almost all cuisines, but did not find the food that appealing. Manfredi's was excellent and had dinner there twice. Spa was nice and was not busy both days I used the steam room and pool. We attended several of the port talks and lectures and two of the evening shows. All were great and especially enjoyed the Beatles/ABBA show!! We took a mixtures of excluded tours, optional tours and private tours. If there is one weak link, it would be some of the excursions. We are active walkers/hikers and it would have been nice to separate groups by pace. On a few occasions, several travelers could not walk well on the tours, thus slowing down the guide. We did leave several tours early due to waiting for very slow walkers and wanted to maximize our time. Read Less

We loved the Viking Sea Baltic Cruise which we are completing in 2 days. The ship is gorgeous The food is too good and we loved the fancy cream tea served every day from 4-5. The staff, cabins and service were top notch. Because of the size of the ship we never had to tender in 2 weeks. Surprisingly the entertainment was quite good and there were great free movies etc in the cabins. There was great turnout for the evening performances in the theatre and the various lounges. My one major criticism is that the “included” panoramic tours and walking tours are very poor. This is in contrast to tours on river cruises of this and other carriers. The optional tours coat hundreds of dollars more. For a cruise line that is advertising an all inclusive experience they have to do a whole lot better on their included outings. 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

We chose this cruise for its ports of call, length of cruise and recommendations of friends. We loved the entire experience - our cabin was quite comfortable, the crew was professional and always had a smile and the food was excellent with many wonderful choices. This was our first cruise together and we loved the experience and will definitely book another Viking ocean cruise. The only complaint we had is that there were too many ports for the length of the cruise. We definitely would have liked more time in Copenhagen and maybe cut out the Alborg, Denmark stop. The guides make such a difference in the success of the shore excursions and we had fantastic guides in all ports but one. The crew was also a highlight of the trip - they came from 32 different countries and they had such an excellent attitude and always asking if we needed anything. Overall, this was a truly memorable experience for my husband and me and we look forward to our next Viking ocean cruise in Asia a year from November. Read Less

We have really enjoyed two river cruises and wanted to try an ocean cruise. We had not visited Northern Europe so thought the Viking Homelands cruise would be perfect. It gave us a chance to experience lots of different countries and cities. We also wanted to be able to spend some time in St. Petersburg. Our cabin was very comfortable. We enjoyed the food options - especially being able to have meals in various locations. The public areas were numerous and extremely comfortable. The entertainment in the evenings was varied and very professional. We also enjoyed the various lectures by the historians on board that gave us historical perspectives of each of our destinations as we were approaching those destinations. The service on board the ship was outstanding, including the staff when we were boarding and disembarking; the meals; the loungesand the housekeeping personnel. We also felt that each of our guides on each of our excursions in the various ports were professional and interesting and entertaining. Read Less

We chose the Viking Homelands cruise for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that we've never been to Scandinavia or Russia and were intrigued by the itinerary. We chose Viking having been on a Viking river cruise the previous summer and loved the experience. Viking is more expensive than most cruise lines, but the service and food are top-notch. Our cabin on the fifth deck midship was not spacious and lacked storage space, but for the amount of time we actually spent in it, it was more than adequate. A penthouse suite would have provided some extra space and we may consider that next time, although I'm not sure it's worth the upcharge. We were located close to the stairway and elevator, as well as the launderette, which was very convenient. Our cabin stewards were first rate and provided us with great service. We were always amazed that they remembered our name and could pronounce it correctly from the very first meeting. The food on board was excellent and occasionally exotic (reindeer consommé). We never lacked for sustenance. The ice cream and gelati were a daily treat that we're still trying to work off. The entertainment was superb. Usually on smaller ships, the entertainment suffers. Not so on the Sea. We also loved attending the historical lectures each day by the three onboard historians. A real plus! Read Less

We had a great time on our Baltic Sea cruise. So many ports to visit! The enrichment opportunities on board are excellent. The entertainment was very enjoyable. The staff was fantastic! The sights were amazing! We chose to eat, mainly, on the 7th floor. We found that when we ate in the dining room, we were squeezed in ( even if it wasn't very crowded) almost sitting at the same table with strangers. My husband really disliked eating this way. Most of the guides were quite knowledgeable, but many weren't that engaging. We found that on a River Cruise, all guides were spectacular and were actually from those towns (many for generations). Ocean just wasn't like that. In Germany we had a college student, not even from Germany. I mentioned this on our River Cruise Evaluation too, but is there any way to provide a magnifying mirror with lights in bathrooms? The lighting isnt spectacular and most of your passengers are over 50. Read Less

First of all, this cruise has a wonderful itinerary and spends the 16 days in the right places. We started in Oslo, and spent a few days there beforehand on our own. If you’re not comfortable doing that, take advantage of Vikings pre-sail offering. Oslo is a must see. We took the scenic train to Bergen, again on our own but Viking offers this as well. The scenery especially of the glaciers is stunning. The 3plus days in the Norwegian fjords is lovely. Spectacular scenery and great activities. 2 days in St Petersburg was enough for what we wanted, and the remaining mostly full days everywhere else were also enough to get a taste of the rich history and food! The ship itself is 5*. The service was great and to a person the staff was friendly, helpful and one step ahead of us. The food, honestly, was some of the best we’ve ever had and we are well travelled (4 of us from major metropolitan areas) . On our day at sea, we went to a cooking demo with the Executive chef, Eric (a hoot and we learned a ton), took a cooking class (small group of 9) and then went to the spa for a massage (inexpensive @ $135 for 50mins) . Then it was cocktails on our deck. Our cabin (we upgraded a few levels) was a decent size, well equipped and our mini bar was replenished daily. We also participated in a few yoga classes I can’t say enough about this cruise, but if you’re at all considering it, take it. You will be so glad that you did. Read Less

My husband has always wanted to see The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. We have never cruised before, and when our friend said she found the perfect cruise for us that included Russia, we said ok. We started booking this cruise through a good friend Kathy Geremia (Bullfrog Travel) two years in advance, and had no idea what it would be like. We traveled to Bergen a day in advance of August 7th, and when we took a walk to the port where The Viking Sea was docked we were speechless at its size! The next day we boarded this ship, and everyday for 14 days, the experience took our breath away and exceeded our every expectation. The Viking Sea is a 5 star floating hotel, with 400 staff who work to make everyday on board a wonderful experience. The 7 different restaurants are all excellent in their own way, and we were never disappointed at the quality of the food or the excellent service in each one. I have many food allergies and food sensitivities and from day one the staff knew of them all and prepared food that was incredible, and kept me from any dietary problems! All of our excursions were run with precise timing (especially since they were moving 930 people around daily) and the guides were very informative. The staff on this cruise was exceptional! They knew our names, always had a smile, and nice things to say to each guest. They made everyone feel special. Everyone worked hard to make this cruise wonderful for everyone on board. We set the bar extremely high for our first cruise, and will highly recommend this Viking Ocean cruise. It truly was the trip of a lifetime! Thank you Viking for creating wonderful memories for my husband and I. Read Less

The route and expected subject matter of the lectures and shore excursions were what we were looking for. We found the Viking Sea trip appropriate for our age and physical limitations and we always found helpful the understanding staff and their listening to our concerns and goals. The eating options were very fine with outstanding healthy food and good choices. The classical music and entertainment in the Star Theatre was top notch and we had a good time with others. We would recommend this route and Viking highly, especially for those with historical ties and appreciation of Northern European culture and history and art. I felt that several of the excursions were overpriced and not clearly explained as to difficulty of walking required. I think it would be an improvement to offer more ideas how travelers could explore the ports on their own. Panorama bus tours are not very satisfying especially if the guide talks too much and doesn't listen more to the participants. Read Less