We had wanted to take a Mediterranean cruise and after going on a Viking River cruise in 2015, we were anxious to try Viking Ocean. We enjoyed the experience on the river cruise and felt that an ocean cruise with Viking would be just as enriching and relaxing.

We had Viking set us up with a pre-cruise stay in Rome for two days. They set us up at the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi which is right in the heart of Rome. We were within easy walking distance of many of the major Roman archeological sites. Our first day we walked to Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and more. Our second day we took two tours I had set up ahead of time through Get Your Guide Tours of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum (After Dark). We had a wonderful time both days and the guides we had for our tours were tremendous.

On Saturday, November 5th, Viking arranged to transport us to our ship which was docked in Civitavecchia. When we arrived at the dock, we were able to get onboard right away and check in to our room immediately. Our luggage was delivered within minutes and we were able to get unpacked and settled. Our room steward showed up and introduced himself and took care of all of our needs. He was always available from then on and we enjoyed his friendly demeanor and willingness to make sure we were comfortable. Read more