My husband and I have traveled with Viking on 6 of their riverboats. Three years ago, we decided to see if their approach to river travel could be successfully translated into ocean cruising and we booked a cruise from Venice to Athens on the Viking Sea just a few months after her maiden voyage. We were absolutely delighted with our experience at the time and were really excited about sailing on her again.

We chose this itinerary because it stopped at several islands we have never visited before and because we were looking for a quick mini warm weather vacation. I was particularly interested in spending more time on the ship as our first cruise on her was in Europe and we much busier exploring the Mediterranean ports of call.

We booked a deluxe veranda cabin. I love the staterooms on the Viking ocean ships. They all have king sized beds with the most luxurious linens and pillows, a large flat screen television and more electric outlets and USB ports than you will ever see on older vessels. The bathrooms have heated tile floors and heated mirrors that never fog up. The shower is one of the most spacious we have ever enjoyed at sea and has a glass enclosure rather than a curtain. I also appreciate the indirect night lighting that is available in the bathroom. Our mini-bar was restocked with complimentary snacks, juice, sodas and water by our room steward every day. He asked our preferences when we boarded the ship. We also enjoyed the free WIFI. We found it a bit slow a few times but mostly it worked just fine - so nice to easily keep in touch with home. Read more