A change in itinerary gave this trip a total of 10 consecutive sea days. I wondered whether that would prove to be too many for us and whether we would be bored on a small ship with only a handful of fellow passengers. Turned out I should not have worried. The Octantis is very comfortable and perfectly familiar to anyone who has cruised on Viking Ocean previously. The small size made for a more intimate and comfortable trip. It was a unique experience.

Crew was extremely attentive and the expedition staff provided a steady stream of interesting programming while we traveled from the Southern hemisphere to the North. The restaurants are indistinguishable from those on Viking ocean ships. If anything, I preferred the buffet on the Octantis as it included several stations not present on the larger ocean ships. The Chef's Table restaurant, a favorite of ours on the Viking Ocean ships, is missing on Octantis, but we certainly were not bored by the cuisine even after two weeks.

Public areas are gorgeous and refined, staterooms very comfortable and the small size of the vessel means you're never more than a few steps from your cabin, your favorite lounge or refreshment. Read more