Viking Neptune Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Based on our favorable impressions during a Spring 2022 Viking river cruise, we decided to use available cruise credit to try a Viking Ocean cruise. We specifically chose a trans-Atlantic crossing since this is something we had never done before. The cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale consisted of 10 full sea days with port calls in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) and St. Martin (Caribbean).
Being an early/mid-December cruise from Europe to the Caribbean and Florida, we packed both cooler and warm weather clothes. However, once we passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and approached the Canary Islands the temperature was in the low/mid 70 degrees Fahrenheit with calm seas. As such, we wished we had packed more warm weather clothing.
Pre-Cruise Excursion: We chose to book the pre-cruise extension in Madrid, Spain. We were able to get a direct flight from Miami to Madrid, which arrived just before 6 am. The Viking Representative was present after we left Customs/Passport Control and picked up our bags; however, I had to search for him since he was not in the location designated in the itinerary. We were taken by tour van with one other couple to the Intercontinental Hotel, which allowed us to immediately check into our room and catch a quick nap before hitting the streets of Madrid. The hotel was beautiful with an excellent breakfast buffet. The excursion provided by Viking included a quick bus tour of the city, followed by a walking tour of key areas including areas around the Palace. We then reboarded the bus and headed off for a guided tour of the Prada Museum. Following the Viking tour, we walked ourselves about 2-3 miles to tour the Palace and the adjacent cathedral, which along with the Prada Museum is a must see. Only caution was that the walking part of tour includes paths through city street, cobble stone sidewalks and narrow passages, so may not be appropriate for anyone with walking difficulties.
Cabin Review
We had a Category V2 Cabin located on Deck 3, which we found centrally located to facilities on Decks 1 and 2, with a quick elevator access to Deck 7. Being close to the waterline and near amidships, we did not have any significant issues with rocking/rolling of the ship as we crossed the Atlantic.
The cabin had a separate closet and shelves with a safe, as well as adequate storage area under the bed. The bathroom had a single sink and glass shower, with adequate side shelves and drawers for storage. A heated bathroom floor and mirror was also a nice touch. One caution is that since the cabin was on Deck 3 so close to waterline, the siding door to balcony was heavy and difficult to open, which could be a problem for an elderly person. For a two-week cruise, space was adequate since we spent majority of time outside cabin, but this may be an issue for longer cruises where a larger cabin would be preferrable.
A good-sized table was provided on the balcony that easily allowed for meals on the balcony. Cabin also had two chairs versus a sofa bed arrangement, which we enjoyed.
Port Reviews
St. Maarten
We arrived early morning in the port of Philipsburg on the Dutch side of Island, but only had 4 hours to take an excursion of tour on your own, since all on board was Noon. While we have been to St. Martin a number of times before, for someone new to the island, it would be nice to have additional time to take an excursion and tour the town/shops.
We chose an optional catamaran/beach excursion, which was only a short walk from village at the end of cruise pier to the private piers where catamaran was docked. Luckily, excursion was exclusive to Viking cruise and there were only 26 passengers on this larger catamaran. Overall, excursion was an enjoyable sail to a small beach area with plenty of rum punch and beer being served, as well as a small sandwich. Disappointing to several people was that the catamaran did not sail up to beach but rather anchored about 20 yards from beach. As such, you had to swim to beach.