This was our first ocean cruise, and we chose Viking because of the small ship, no photographers, no casino and no kids. We thought that we would be overwhelmed with people after our experience with the 100 passenger Viking river cruise ships. Not so, the ships facilities were such that we never felt any crowding in any location. We had upgraded to a penthouse veranda and the extra space was very much appreciated. The cabin was roomy with lots of storage and closet space.The bed was very comfortable and perfectly located for the large screen TV. The bathroom was luxurious, however the toilet was loud and intimidating when flushed. Lots of hot water and a wonderful shower and quality toiletries.

The crew were exceptional. The cabin stewards introduced themselves on the first day and from then on addressed us by name anytime they saw us. The cabin was always kept in immaculate condition. Restaurant and bar service in all of the restaurants was personal and professional and the food and drink were of outstanding quality. We ate multiple times in both of the specialty restaurants and were not disappointed. We had no issues with reserving the restaurants throughout the trip. We woke up to room service most mornings and drank our coffee and ate a light breakfast on the veranda...Very nice way to start the day. Since this was a 14 day repositioning cruise we started in the cold of New York and had several sea days before we reached Bermuda. My only regret is that the stay was way too short. The at sea days were no problem since the ships many facilities allowed us to relax and enjoy the down time.

In general, the shore excursions were good and we spent as much time swimming snorkeling and sailing on the uncrowded catamarans as possible. The rafting trip in Jamaica was very enjoyable. Although not advertised, be sure to sign up for the galley tour and the bridge tour which give you a behind the scenes look at the ships operation. Read more