Having been a loyal customer of another cruise line, but having recently enjoyed the Viking River Cruise experience, we gambled and took our 1st cruise with Viking Ocean. What a GREAT Decision. Viking ticks all the boxes for us. No photographers chasing us around the ship, no formal nights and no wasted ship space for a gambling area. The smaller ship with fewer guests was a welcome change and the enrichment lectures exceeded our expectations. Lots of space on the Sky for just sitting alone and taking in the view. The quality of the interior of the ship was just 1st class! Regarding the food, the lunches and dinners were well done (the breakfast were so similar that I would call this an area for improvement). The Sparkling Wine & Glasses delivered to our room on our 25th Anniversary was a surprise!

With the exception of one photography tour in Iceland, all the shore excursions were well enjoyed by my wife and I.

Although the cost of the cruise sounded high initially, when you factor in all the included excursions, alcohol at lunch/dinner, free bottled water, and all the other extras, we felt this cost was probably equal to or less than our past cruise line. Read more