Loved our first trip (Mediterranean Odyssey 2017) so much, decided on this longer trip soon after arriving home. Hotel Barcelona excellent pre cruise hotel, short cab rides to see the Market, Musica Catalana etc. Embarkation was 15 minutes and on the ship and our room was ready early. Several of the days cruising around the south and west of Spain were rough sea days but only an annoyance and slept great in our 8th deck room! Lisbon and Porto great excursions with tram ride with refreshments and than a dozen of us to a winery outside of Porto! Paris excursion a mess with non-working VOX, everyone confused and meal on Eiffel Tower terrible. Knew when to meet at base, didn't know only 3 or 4 get on each time to go down on elevator. After 35 minutes waiting most of us began long trek down steps. At least we got our exercise! Only other disappointment was a trip thru Kiel canal at night instead of day because of accident damaged a lock a month before. Amsterdam was great, walked 6 mile round trip thru the city with friends from the ship. Stopped at a couple of pubs and markets! While on the English Channel a coast guard helicopter dropped 2 guardsmen on top deck with rope, flew off then came back and picked them up. We watched them from other side of deck overlooking pool! Berlin excursion great. A quick 2 hour train with refreshments, a solemn visit to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and then a bus tour of city with several stops and lunch. Tallinn walking tour with another excellent guide was very nice! St Petersburg was great, saw all the great palaces, Church of Our Saviour on Spilt Blood, an evening performance of The Ballet and a couple great meals, one with entertainment and Vodka! Helsinki bus tour was a little wet and cool but bought and ate several things at harborside vendors stop. Stockholm was great for after cruise stay! Explored old city for 2 days with friends from ship. A lot of shopping and excellent cafes, a little like Venice.
Shipboard restaurants are all very good to excellent, wifi good enough for us to call and text home. Enjoyed a Viking Ocean cooking class on a sea day with 10 other people, we all helped prepare the meal then sat down and enjoyed it with some wine! Crew beyond great as they were on our first cruise. Enjoyed the size of ship could enjoy a drink by ourselves or with friends. Will never cruise on a large ship again! Debarkation very easy, put our luggage outside cabin on last night and didn't touch again till we got to our Radisson Blu Waterfront room. One more item, our plane was delayed out of Detroit. Got on Delta site got a flight out 4 hours late, connecting thru Amsterdam instead Paris. Got to Barcelona 4.5 hours later than expected! Figured we would have to handle our luggage and get our own transportation! Did not even put our Viking stickers on. Got near the the luggage conveyor and young man walked up to us, seeing our Viking luggage tags and asked us who we were by our last name! Turns out they were waiting for us and one other couple! They got our luggage and hailed and paid for our cab to take us to our hotel! What a relief and great great service!
Very nice and quiet. Cabin steward very nice and took great care of room!