The Jupiter is absolutely beautiful. We took the Iceland cruise, one of the first post-COVID announced (75% capacity, just after the first 50% capacity shakedown cruise) and the scenery was just as you've read about. Technically the Jupiter was three years old but because it had been mothballed during COVID, it was essentially a brand-new ship. Perhaps due to that, or perhaps it is simply a vessel made with better care, the ship and stateroom suffered from none of those annoying creaks and whines that are inevitably part of living - and sleeping - aboard a ship underway.

You already know not to expect big broadway shows and gambling casinos; what we did not expect was the ridiculous level of punctuality. Everything, and I mean everything, was shut down 15 minutes or sometimes even half an hour before whatever was posted. Main dining hall closes in half an hour? Better get up there to grab what's left! Except all food has already been put away, so they must have started putting it away at least 45 minutes prior to posted closing. We had tickets to the much-acclaimed planetarium on the last day and, knowing by then their penchant for punctuality, arrived five minutes early. No matter: show already started and doors locked. I don't know if this is a reflection on the Viking line generally or if it is a personal management quirk of the captain, but it was quite frustrating to see events posted daily for X o'clock but without stating that passengers are expected to arrive at least 30 minutes early.

Likewise the excursions and vendors are a bit off and even misleading. We took a quad off-road volcano excursion - quite exciting! - but were flabbergasted when after booking we were informed (having already paid, you understand) that the per-person x 2 price didn't get us two separate vehicles but two of us on one vehicle. I protested that this is not what was advertised and that if we happened to have been in different cabins we would have each gotten our vehicles. I was told that no, we would have been forced to ride with a stranger on one quad. Well, that sounded more than a bit fishy (1. they are going to force passenger A to ride with passenger B - who is responsible for passenger B's injuries when passenger A crashes? and perhaps even harder to argue 2. COVID! Clearly a violation of the ship's, and for that matter Iceland's, rules in effect at the time). Well we went on the excursion anyway only to discover that sure enough, guests who were by themselves got their own vehicle. So either ignorance, or just flat-out lies, by Guest Services. Read more