We sailed the Viking Octantis Undiscovered Great Lakes cruise (Thunder Bay to Milwaukee). First the ship is exceptional as are the crew members. Very, very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed the itinerary, especially the three days in Canadian waters where the ship's "toys" could be used. We were fortunate to be able to go on the sub dive, Zodiak and Special Operations Boats. We did not try the kayaks but heard from others that it was great with a wonderful leader as were the leads for the other excursions. The presentations made by the expedition team were great as were those by other crew members. Be sure to go to the Hide in the evenings where crew members talk about their adventures including one who climbed Mt. Everest.

Food: The World Cafe is overall good. We enjoyed the filet mignon & lobster tail combo a couple times. Prime rib was good too. The cookies and muffins were dry and crumbly. We commented on this to one of the staff and the quality seemed to improve somewhat. Gelato and other desserts are not to be missed! We ate at both the Restaurant and Manfredi's. Manfredi's was very good. The Restaurant had a more limited menu with a focus on Norwegian foods. Freshly made to order omelets each morning were great. We tried room service a couple times for breakfast and it was very good. Timely delivery of the food and well-made. I fell in love with the mini Nespresso coffee machine in the cabin and now have one in my home.

Embarkation: There was NO communication from Viking as to where to embark in Thunder Bay. Turns out it was at the Delta Marriott Hotel, then shuttled to the ship. Some guests who did not receive Viking airport transfers or came in a day early, took cabs from the airport the ship only to be sent to the hotel. Many of us brought this to the Viking's attention, so hopefully, this won't be an issue for future cruises. The vendor at the hotel who handled check in was great. Read more