This was our 1st ocean cruise with Viking after doing 3 river cruises with them. We did the Australia/New Zealand itinerary. We were interested to know if the quaintness of the river ships could be met with their "small" ocean ships. We found the Orion to be a delightful experience. The ship itself is beautiful. Well decorated in an understated manner. Lots of public areas to meet up with friends, read a book or have a drink. The crew were all very polite and friendly.
Restaurants were all good quality meals with lots for choices. We did make our dining reservation when that became available online before our trip and were able to make additional reservations after boarding the ship. The Chef's Table was very good 1 night and good but not stellar the other night - but that was due to the menu was not really to our liking - this restaurant has a set menu that changes every 3 days. Manfredi's was our favorite. World Cafe does a very good job of having a variety of dishes to choose from. Sommeliers on board were very knowledgeable and so easy to work with. We did have the Silver Spirits package so that gave us a chance to try things we might not have otherwise.
Our room was spacious and well appointed with snacks and drinks replenished daily if needed. Our stewards were really the best we have ever encountered. They were so friendly and sweet each time we see them - which was several times a day.
Very nice room. We had a separate living room from our bedroom - which came in handy since my husband had some work calls very early in the morning. Walk in closet with lots of storage. Double sink vanity in bathroom with a large tub and a walk-in shower. Large wraparound veranda but we hardly got a chance to use it. Either due to weather or just no time. They do store the cushions for the outdoor furniture (which include 2 chaise lounges, table with 4 chairs and a large 2 person chaise lounge) in the living room of your room whenever you are at sea, so that takes away from the space you have and the ambience in general of the room.