We went on this repositioning cruise because of the unusual itinerary. Norway, Shetland Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Newfoundland, Quebec and Montreal. It involved following how Vikings made their way to North America. The Viking Star was not quite ready for the heavy seas it encountered that cause quite a bit of broken dishes, glass and even one elevator. The crew we talked to said they had never seen this type of situation. They did not know how to secure things. We had a glass carafe broken in our room, which the crew took care of quickly.They were handling broken glass in many of the rooms. Maybe they needed plastic instead? Stateroom counters are not made for heavy seas and everything just flew all over the place. I am sure the designer never went out on a ship in a storm. We were in the buffet restaurant when the crashing of dishes and glasses started. The cook/server behind the counter looked bewildered when the dishes started crashing. One sliding door kept slamming open and shut to the kitchen and no one bothered to secure it. An announcement from the captain to secure all loose items in your room would have kept breakage to a minimum. Our dresser lamp and telephone flew on the floor. Everything was tossed like a salad. Nothing appeared to be secured, like other ships. We heard our balcony chairs outside sliding back and forth during the storm. One stateroom had a chair crash through their window, according to our shipmates. Making our way back to our room was not that easy without rails on many of the hallways and byways. Our trip to the Faroe Islands was cancelled because of the swells would not allow tendering.

The crew were extremely friendly and helpful. In previous reviews, I have read how wonderful they are and it's true.

I am not a gourmet or anything near that, but I agree with the reviews that the food is not as good as it should be. Boring and bland. Even in the specialty dining, it was boring. Breakfast was the same every day and it took forever to get an omelet. The coffee was weird. We could drink 4 cups and it was like there was no caffeine. It tasted off and cheap. The worst veggie burger in the world is available at the grill. The same grill's hot dogs with sauerkraut were my favorite meal on the ship. Very little fresh local fare was to be found on the menu. Read more