We chose this cruise to finally visit the African continent. When we booked, Casablanca and Dakar were scheduled ports. A couple of months before embarkation Dakar, Senegal was changed to Cape Verde. We were disappointed because Cape Verde is a very poor replacement port, but Casablanca was still on schedule. Viking booked us on Lufthansa from Chicago-Frankfurt-Barcelona. Warning-Lufthansa business class is crowded and miserable experience on their 747's. The pre-cruise stay at Nobu Hotel in Barcelona was wonderful. Viking staff were available for any issue. Breakfast buffets were very good.

Embarkation at Barcelona became a problem for my wife. She can walk but not for long distances. Barcelona terminal is very large, and no wheelchair service is available. Okay, my wife manages to walk and deal with lines in terminal. However, there are several ramps to negotiate from terminal to entrance of Viking Jupiter. Unlike other cruise lines, Viking Ocean does not provide wheelchair assistance. Passengers must bring their own equipment and able-bodied assistance. This is confirmed in the "FAQ's" section of the Viking website. After a few rest stops, we finally boarded. Two days later the captain informed the passengers that Casablanca was cancelled. It was replaced with a quick six hour tender stop in Funchal, Madeira. Not much could be seen on the two hour bus tour. On to Cape Verde. The excursion was a jarring bus ride on rough road to the top of the mountain. Air was too hazy for a view. The guide tried to improve spirits by passing around some 140 proof local rum. T

ransatlantic crossing to Recife, Brazil went well except for buffet running out of salad greens. It remained that way for the rest of the cruise. A medical emergency caused a twelve hour diversion to Salvador. This meant a late arrival to Rio de Janeiro and cancellation of Montevideo. Arriving late in Rio meant our excursions had to negotiate a huge LGBTQ+ festival and parade. Traffic was a mess, excursions ran late, excursion lunches were cut short, and ship departed two hours late. Buenos Aires went well for the tour day but be warned again: It's a very large terminal and no wheelchair assistance. Read more