We chose this cruise for the itinerary. Was absolutely blown away with our experience. Our exceptional Egyptologist guide Hazem Khalaf solidifies our experience . From the moment we arrived in Cairo we were well taken care of! The Uniworld staff took very good care of us. The Tosca staff whether it was attentive details to our stateroom or assistance from the front desk. Dining experience from the helm of Chef Hamdy - to Restaurant Manager - Ehab Abdelsamd , to oversee perfection. Well done! Entertainment was unique and everyone joined in the fun:) We loved it! Special thanks and shout out to Mohamed and Sayed for the exceptional relaxing Spa treatments Nothing better than a good massage after a long day touring, including a lot of walking. To Mahmoud (Shopping experience) your pleasant personality and professional knowledge made our jewelry shopping a breeze . Love my purchases! River Tosca is a great ship . Read Less

Very comfortable well run ship with an excellent crew. All but four of the cabins on the Ra are suites, with a separate living room and bedroom, and a balcony. The décor is clean Scandinavian, similar to the European long ships. Dining is at set hours. There is a good variety of foods, including Viking standards (salmon, steak, burger) and middle eastern foods. The fresh made pita bread and hummus was especially delicious. Meals are usually a combination of buffet and menu. There is no room service. There was a pianist/DJ playing pleasant lounge music each evening. There also were special performances by local entertainers. The Ra has a small swimming pool and jacuzzi. The temperature was over 100 F each day of our cruise, so not much traffic in the jacuzzi. The crew of this ship was excellent. Our room steward was most efficient. The bartenders and dining room crew were fun and engaged. A special note about the two tour directors, Ahmed and Ihan. Incredibly knowledgable and outgoing. They made this cruise so much richer. I don't think there is any place in the world that can out shine Egypt for shore excursions. The Great Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza, Valley of Kings and Queens, Temples at Karnak, Luxor, Dendara, Kom Ombo - every one was more than we expected. Notes: Our suite had two very nice TVs, but no programming except soccer. Not even BBC. Children are not allowed on this cruise. The shore excursions require more physical exertion than you might expect if you have been on other river cruises. Sadly, many of our fellow cruisers spent most of the cruise on the ship because they couldn't manage the long walks with steps and very uneven footing. Read Less

Heard about the cruise specials offered from work colleagues . Had never been on a cruise before and thought this trip would be a good idea. Kids still on nappies can be a problem as such is not catered for. Short cruises tend to be a problem as some of the facilities such as the kids day care and activities are only discovered midway through the cruise. Perhaps it would be better if a special invite or mandatory checklist could be given to folks with kids before boarding so they can make the most of this facility. The process to embark seemed a nightmare especially for people with kids and going through customs. First day boarding, was late due to the ship docking late(weather), however once boarded everyone is directed to one dining hall for lunch with queues of people,which I thought could have been better managed if the other dining halls were functional at the time however considering the late docking perhaps only this hall could be made available considering the short time. There were four jacuzzi's on board which are hogged by a select few. Rather have a time period for use of facilities so more people can enjoy the facilities ( better policing) Facilities such as the steam room also come with an extra charge. Inability to accommodate requests at the buffet area -especially disappointing for those who don't like their eggs sunny side up or half raw or those who refrain from eating pork/beef. Pros The abundance in entertainment ; facilities and shopping was well Read Less

One reason I choose to Cruise was to have fun and try out new experiences, how is it like to be in a titanic a 5 star moving hotel. The first time you enter the ship the ship smells 5 star and looks 5 star all the way, the decorations inside are amazing you even forget That you are inside a ship. The embarkation que is horrible, you can't wait for a while before entering the ship, and didn't like the fact that they only open few service desk during embarkation. The stuff members are super great and friendly especially the man responsible for our deck 8, even when most of them didn't know how to communicate in English but they tried. MSC is one hygienic cruise hotel I ever seen, every corner you turn there is sanitation thats what I loved. The food is super Healthy and they don't compromise on taste, everything I ate I could taste that it's quality food. The dinning areas I loved them because you get the opportunity to dress up and be fine and finned, only problem is you have to buy soft drinks all the time, I don't mind them selling alcohols wish they could have gave us maybe complimentary soft drink for every fine dinning meal or 5 drinks per Cruz then the rest you purchase. I loved Eric the voice from above the program director all his shows were fun and entertaining. The parties organized by stuff were super great problem they only last for an hour. Deck 13 buffet area was home to most cruises and would like to give blow to the stuff there at deck 13 because they are forever working, especially the pizza guy 24 hours pizza. Our cabin was in front so every wave the ship cut through we felt it, and you couldnt stand straight which resulted in sea sickness, so would advice you to book balcony center cabin. The excursions on the island were expensive hence did not do them. I hated the fact that we did not go to Pomene Island and they could not take us to a different island like Maputo instead of Portuguese Island which had nothing to see the second day and the waters were unclean to swim at them. Pomene has been giving them a problem why don't they start looking for an alternative to island or take it out on your markets because when I booked I saw two island and wanted to visit two not one island. The disembarking program failed them a bit, stuff was not properly assigned to guide people were they should go,whuch made things to go slower. The photo package is expensive and it would be nice if the price could go down or be included as our take home package because we got nothing as complementary everything you have to buy. Despite all the negatives would still go and advice people to go is an experience you don't want to miss. Read Less

This was my second time on MSC cruise. This time the embarkation was a disaster. But this could have been caused by the bad weather. It took more than 2 hours to board. My daughter was restless and tired. The ship sailed late and was driven very fast, I think this was to catch up the lost time, this unfortunately made some of us very sick. Which wasn't great at all. The food/buffet was much better than Sinfonia. Musica was much cleaner and beautiful. The service was great. The cabins were much bigger which was a bonus. The down site was there was a sewage stench. Maybe they had a drainage problem. But you could only smell it outside on the deck not inside. The kiddies club did a great job entertaining the kids & keeping them safe. My daughter had a great time, she was sad to go. Overall we had a great time and yes I will do this again in the near future. Read Less

It was our first cruise experience and we enjoyed it through out. We did not have enough time to even look all parts of the ship. Its huge. They have lots of entertainments to keep us busy. Rooms are very neat and compact, cleaning service is 100% perfect. Issues are resolved soon. Only suggestion is to have some difference in break fast, every day it was same menu repeated. We did easy on board, highly recommended, you dont have to wait for long. I would even prefer easy off boarding during disembarkation. Go earlier for breakfast, otherwise it is going to be crowded. We did not have chances to enjoy the lunch, we were busy with various other activities. You will have other food always like pizza, bread, salads etc. Food is not only provided at buffet area, there are other restaurants supply the same food during breakfast and lunch. Dining alone food menu is different between restaurant and buffet area. For fine dining, they say strict, but its actually not that strict, I have seen people dining in shorts. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the destinations and the price was reasonable. We cannot express in enough terms how disappointed we were with this ship. We purchased an Aurea pkg. which included: priority boarding (that did not happen, we were kept waiting on the docks in the sun for nearly 25 mins. Pkg. also included a 'solarium area' . This area was no different to any other area except that it was on a different deck and had no shade what so ever, uninviting we never used it. There is a policy that towels are not to be left for over 30 mins. on deck chairs, what a joke. Staff were afraid to say anything because of reprisal from the passengers. Pkg. also included sauna, steam room and gym. The sauna and steam rooms were often very cool or inoperable. Juices offered in the buffet area were like cordial, the food often cold and seating hard to find as people would sit around talking for ages after they had eaten. The other option was the dining room where it was difficult to get any ones attention to get served, it was chaos. It was quite obvious that the staff were all new and did not know what to do. Staff were observed coughing and sneezing into their hands then carrying on working. No wonder that there were many people with the flu on board. The quality of food in the evening dining was cafeteria style. Never again. The dining room staff in the evening were excellent as was the cabin steward. All this has been reported to the travel agent who reported to MSC line with one reply having an excuse for everything. Read Less

The cruise was over populated with passengers. No dining facilities available at breakfast & lunch. By the time you waited for a seat the buffet was closed.At excursions we were treated as if we were in a government facility where we need to stand in long lines. The braai on the Island did not have any proper meat, as per braai. I've been on four cruise thus far and this was the worst. No body was asked to put on life jackets from the ship to the island. South African staff working on the ship were quiet rude. The were hardly any crew members available for assistance. No real live entertainment on Deck as they usually do. " The Spice of the cruise has died off" I'm very disappointed as I always enjoyed and anticipated the cruise yearly. I would appreciate it if I heard some feedback from you soon. Read Less

My family and I we had an amazing time the kids loved it and they were busy through out. We love the cruise. However the price on some items was expensive e.g studio photos. In general we enjoyed the cruise. The cabin was clean and the house keeping was on point. The public area pool, bars, kids area and clubs and so on were well managed and the the service was excellent. Entertainment inboard was good however thank you to the intertainment team. And the performers. Food was good and all the restaurants well well managed and the service and house keeping was on point. I understand that the Ship own by the international company. I think it would do the comp company better if you could be mindful of the price when doing SA tours especially drinks. Over all I was happy and I will surely do it again with MSC THANK YOU. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it left from Durban, South Africa which allowed us to tick off a stay at Kruger National Park as well as a visit to Petra in Jordan. The cruise embarkation in Durban would have to have been the longest, most shambolic and most disorganised we have EVER experienced. The staff, apparently (or so we were told) were new. All we can say is that they hadn't been trained properly (if at all) or they were just inept. They were unfriendly, even to the point of being surly, they had NO idea what they were doing and didn't, really, even seem to care. The LIFE BOAT drill was a joke apart from showing the passengers how to put on their life vests the rest was a garbled, incomprehensible mess, delivered over the loudspeakers (and that's an overstatement, you could hardly hear them) At dinner the waiters were inefficient and had no idea how to serve. Bread was offered from a basket, and bad luck if you were the last served, you got whatever was left. White wine was just left on the table - you had to ask for an ice bucket. Water - you had to buy a bottle or go without, tea or coffee - again you had to buy it or go without. The food was poorly presented and poorly cooked - the choice was limited. The Maitre D was a rude and arrogant man who stood around doing nothing. Tender, at, mercifully the one port, was horrendous - the ship docked at 8.00am, we got off at 12.30pm. Laundry - in by 10.00am, promised for a return by 5.00pm the next day - more likely by 5.00pm 4 days later (and then, only after repeated complaints, to out cabin steward) The lecturers, consisted of just TWO people - a charming lady who talked about the various ports and a gentleman who talked about boats, ships etc. - he was very interesting but he had all the delivery skills of a wet lettuce. The ENTERTAINMENT in the theatre was good - although a lack of LIVE music or stage sets was rather disappointing as was the brevity around 30 minutes. The Cruise Director insisted on introducing each show in about 5 languages - she droned on and on and on The Captain - was a ghost, saw him once. The ship in general, was reasonable, although the pools were rather limited and there was no poolside dining options as with other ships. An oddity was that on the quite wide promenade deck - NOT one chair was to be seen, not one. The one good thing was their alcohol prices - the cheapest we've ever experienced. OMG - for me to EVER travel on MSC again - they'd have to be dirt cheap or be taken over by PRINCESS CRUISES. Read Less

We are frequent MSC cruisers This was our 10th MSC cruise And was the worst Bar service was short staffed and very hard to get a drink We waited to long Guest service was rude and non helping Just the general overall service was terrible Could not get off at Pamome island and has always been like that for the past 10 cruisers Only the northern parts Have never seen or been to Barro lodge Bazzaruto and now pamome Weather was bad do we didn’t get off the boat to Portuguese island but yet they still charged us for or luxury beach loungers When I complained I was told tough luck There has always been entertainment on the deck, but on this cruise there was not such entertainment In the past they kept the people pumped up and dancing but nothing excursion desk never open Staff looked like that they had no interest of being on the boat Read Less

Excellent I just think that the drink books should be added to you cruise card, because we loose our books a few times because of all the wonderful cocktails :) Children dont want to go off the Boat, was a life time experience for them. Yes Yes I would like to go again. Is it possible for trips from Namibia (Walvis Bay) because air plain tickets are expensive. PI was beautiful. Entertainment is world class. Embarkation and disembarkation do go smoothly, very well organized. Overall good service and our waiter was so nice with children we all loved him so much. Cant wait to get enough money to go again one day. Thank you for the memories Musica. Photos on board are just a bit pricey, I so much wanted more pics. Activities on board are something not to be missed at all. Yes we did explore our departure city before the cruise. Read Less

Love cruising. Always take friends and family with. It's a relaxing and enjoyable way to travel. Love the evening shows and shopping for something special. The service from the bartenders is sometimes rude The service from the photo area is very poor,they are simply rude. The cabin steward in our suite was not helpfull. Towels wher not fresh everyday,as with qall our previous cruises. There was a very bad smell in some of the areas in the vessel. The smell was very bad on the pool deck,near the restaurant.The food in the top buffet restaurant,was really a bad experience. Always the same food in that restuarant and really not something to look forward to eating. But all the bad set aside we love cruising and will be back again and again. Love the cocktails in the Blue Velvet bar. Loved the shopping,they just need more Buckley of Londen jewellery. Also love buying swaroski jewellery Read Less

Entertainment & Activities: We really thought that due to the fact that the ship is called the Musica, it will be a cruise full of music and entertainment. You can't compare the entertainment of the Musica with that of the Sinfonia. On our Sinfonia trip the Entertainment team kept us busy throughout the day and night especially on the deck area. Even the kids entertainment were a lot better on the Sinfonia as well as the kiddies pool area. The transfer to the Island was very slow compared to our previous trip, it took forever to get everybody there and back again. However, the beach lunch was very nice and we enjoyed the time on the island. We were very disappointed when the Pomene stop was cancelled as we have booked this trip especially due to the fact that it would include a second island excursion. Maintenance & Service: There were a lot of broken chairs on the deck which was never removed but just kept in the corner. Tables were also not cleaned properly and timeously. The one day they actually renovated one of the bars on the deck so you could not utilise it, surely they could have done scheduled maintenance work when the boat was not on a trip. Furthermore, various toilets got blocked during the trip and then left unattended for people to continue using them and eventually it would overflow and then the floor would be full of urine. Room service was also poor as on both the occasions that we have order coffee and tea for our cabins, it was either an incorrect order or the coffee containers were empty. I also feel that they take very long to clean up the rooms, even by 14:00 the rooms was still not services. The second day on the ship our room was not cleaned at all because when they wanted to clean late in the afternoon, our daughter was taking her nap. Dining: We did not go for dinner at the formal restaurant as on the previous trip, we experienced the fact that you are put on a table with complete strangers and then basically forced to rush your meal so that they can clean up for the next dinner sitting. We had our meals at the cafeteria which was average as their is not a lot of variety on the dishes served each day. I can also recall that the 24 hour meals were of better quality and variety on the Sinfonia. Read Less

Overall I had a really good experience on the ship. However I am not happy/pleased about the following: Coffee & Tea & Juice from the buffet were terrible coffee tasted like hot water with a hint of coffee, tea was the same and the juice....I do not know what juice that was but it definatley was not juice at all. The care of passengers luggage is very poor and with the result two of our bags got terribly damaged and cannot even be used again (Baring in mind they were brand new suitcases). Bar staff on the outside deck were extreemly rude, yet Bar staff inside were super friendly and helpful. I would maybe suggest that the handling of luggage gets seen too as i think this is very unfair to the passenger. The buffet food was nice but a starting and end point need to be clearly marked so that other passengers can see which way to go as most times people would just bump into you and half knock you over. Other than that I had an awesome experience. Read Less

We wanted to go to Pomene so we booked on this cruise for that reason, only to be told during dinner that the Pomene stop is cancelled due to increment weather and for passengers safety. The next day the sea was so clam and the weather forecast showed that the weather in Pomene was near perfect, i queried this at the transfers desk where a senior lady advised that they struggle to go there due to the following reasons: Sailing too close to the coast and the potential harm to the coral reefs, the boat trip top the island is a bit rough and they find it hard to navigate there. The Cruise Director at the Q& A also then confirmed that in the last 18 months of sailing they only managed to dock there 3 or 4 times! Ridiculous. Why then do you advertise it if it is near impossible? The food was not as good as expected from previous experiences: The eggs were all pre-fried and cold. The cream for flapjacks and waffles was hidden under he counter every morning and you had to ask for it? The hot chocolate was so bad it was like gross milky water...and i can go on, but we also pre-bought 2 x non alcoholic packages and a coffee package. The sad thing is: we could not use it at breakfast even at formal dining - you had to go to a specific bar to get speciality coffee/hot chocolate or an espresso after dinner, then they ran out of stock of chocolate cappuccino and white chocolate (coincidentally the more expensive items) so the pre-packages are worked out on the most expensive drink and those you cannot get...so when you work out what you pre-paid vs what you get; you actually pay more!!) Then we ended up having to buy a soda package on board as you can't get non-alcoholic drinks like mocktails, milkshakes and smoothies - you must go to deck 13 to get it at a specific bar, not to mention that the smoothies is one fruit juice mix and not the freshly squeezed ones that they make...so its all really false advertising. It was the worst cruise ever. The entertainment was not too bad but the 2 lead singers were painful to listen to. Brayn Miles as excellent and the gymnasts were amazing... Some staff were great - in the general buffet and public areas, there were 2 that stood out Jorgi from Cuba and Eduardo from Mexico that were fantastic. I am also very disappointed with MSC's response and handling of their customers. I will not book an MSC again Read Less

Amazing services,hospitality and entertainment activities. Specially cruise director Eric,Salsa teacher Natasha were very impressive . Ship was fabulous , Restaurants facilities was superb , you feel like a king . Shore excursion was good , staff was taking care of everything when you get to port. I would like to go again as I loved it very much. I had been there with my wife and her suggestion to go again there.She loved it so much and photographers over there were so excellent in their work that we took almost all photos of us. My best friend was also with me and he enjoyed it too much , all bars, lounges ,dining . he is choosy about food but he was eating so much over there as too many options you had to eat like Indian,Italian cuisines . Finally I would like to say that it was an amazing experience and must go there. Read Less

We wanted to go to Dubai and are experienced cruisers world wide. This is our 12 th cruise and it started in Mumbai. Mumbai should never be visited unless you like crazy traffic with shanties everywhere. Way way worse than the poorest town in Mexico. The next 3 ports were literally gravel pits with commercial cranes and little access to leave the ship. At one port my wife and I barely made it back through port security. The 3 rd & 4 th port of Furjariah and Abu Dhabi were better with the last actually having easy on and off the ship access. Finally one UAE country figured how to cater to guests . Then we find out at 2 pm they cancelled our Qatar stop and have to spend another full day here. Not that much to do that one day doesn’t suffice, so we will sit by the very small pool and eat the fly invested food I guess! The staff were friendly but the food is a disaster , they don’t have .orange juice now two days in a row for breakfast! I am serious about the flies! We have a suite and have been awoken each night except last night with the cleaning crew on deck 8 around midnight. The ship is outdated and we heard is scheduled for a referb soon, can’t be soon enough. The captain has made 4 announcements and I didn’t understand a single word he said. He should not be allowed to use the PA. Besides the 4 out of 5 ports that literally are a shit hole, we paid $22,000 US and I cannot see any value. I would recommend Oceana or another line. I will not sail with these guys again. Read Less

I traveled with my 84 year old mother, as a cruise has been on her bucket list for a very long time and having been ill with cancer for 3 years and a recent stroke we decide the cruise was now or never. Unfortunately we were not aware that it was a predominately Afrikaans cruise and that the entertainment would only be in Afrikaans! Very disappointing as she was looking forward to seeing a show whilst on board. But we decided to make the best of it and spent time in the casino and watched a number of singers in the various bars. We completed the special needs form and requested priority boarding so that my mother would not have to stand for long periods of time (she relies on a four wheeled walker.) Our embarkation was handled very professionally, was quick and simple and the staff were very friendly. If you are a big eater you can eat 24/7 in the various restaurants and cafeteria's . Food is produced for the masses, we are not big carb eaters so avoided the pizza, pasta, breads, chips, hamburgers and hotdogs and opted for salads and the limited veggies. The juice station was very welcome in the morning, however paying over $5 for a small freshly squeezed juice was over the top! Dinner at night was a set menu with a couple of choices, again very limited veggies but the kingklip was delicious. The entertainment crew (unfortunately we only saw them on the final day of the cruise) were great fun and had my mother "dancing" to Michael Jackson. They were respectful of her age but had her having fun and I'm sure they are a huge asset to the cruise when not occupied by Afrikaans singers. Would I go again? Unfortunately I don't think my mother would be in a fit enough condition to do it again (she felt very unsteady when the weather was bad) I would be willing to go again but definitely not on a themed cruise. Read Less

My wife wanted to go on the RSG Oppiwater cruise. We travelled to Durban by bus as a first ever experience. Was a good way to travel.... no toll gates to pay, relaxing and very cost effective. The size of the ship overwhelmed us... Like a huge big mall floating on water. We suggest you go with a group of friends to maximise your experience. I would like to do the 21 day cruise to Europe. That would be really relaxing It was really easy to finding our way around the ship with 13 lifts and lots of stairs. The food was good BUT the hot water for the tea and coffee war always luke warm instead of hot! This must be due to the 2500 passengers on board moving in and out of the reataurant on deck 13. This facility os open 24 hours a day so you can pop in anytime for a pizza or a late night snack Read Less

For a brake in live, we enjoy a boat cruise, no phone or laptops no work. The boat have enough lay back entertainment lounges with live music or top deck pools and bar. Don't forget to get some cocktails!! Food for Africa and the evening dining a must. The rooms is service daily. A daily time table for info for the next day activities is delivered. We sleep with the balcony door open, how nice to fall a sleep with the noise of the see. We travel with no children but there is enough to do for them, playrooms etc. At Promene we walk to the Old Hotel (only 5km), and were back for lounge. Remember to take enough water and a hat with the walk the sun is hot !! The other people enjoy the see. We are already booked for next year Walvis Bay boat trip can't wait. Read Less

Our trip to Durban to embark was an adventure of colour, vibrancy and excellent sight seeing. uShaka Sea World lived up to its wonderful reputation and provided entertainment, information and an awareness of our responsibility as custodians of the earth. Embarkation procedures to get aboard the Musca went without a hitch and the staff are to be commended for logistical excellence. The welcome was warm and the ship is massive and beautiful. Our balcony cabin was very comfortable and beautifully appointed. It took a while to work out where everything was, but signage is excellent and staff extremely helpful. Dinner was an absolute treat, as was brunch. For those who preferred other fare, deck 13 was the answer to everything. The arts festival aboard was excellent and anyone who complained about boredom had only themselves to blame. The excursion to Pomene Island was interesting given its limited facilities. Transfer from the ship to tender boats and back again went smoothly and was actually an exciting part of the adventure. The beautiful lounges were aesthetically pleasing and to see the transparent grand piano and hear an accomplished pianist perform was a wow moment. Disembarkation was smooth. Kudos to the wonderful crewnod MSC Musica. It was a dream holiday and we will definitely be back. Read Less

I travelled with the Oppiwater Kunstefees. The embarkation and disembarkation was very slow but allwrite. The food was good but not excellent, the cabin was very good/excellent. The shore excursion was good and interesting but not excellent. The ship is very big and it takes quite some time to accustom yourself and not get lost. The informal dining room was to crowded, to few tables. The services was excellent. I would not go again and next time prefer a smaller ship or a river cruise. I did not travel with children. The kunstefees which I attended was excellent.. The swimming pools area was good and the deck chairs also good. The services allover was excellent and the staff very friendly and professional. The venues for the shows was excellent, although a lot of the shows started late. The embarkation and disembarkation was very slow but very efficient, I suppose its nessasary for the officials to be very complete. The information on the ship was also excellent with the day to day papers. Read Less

The cruise was good, restaurant, bar and housekeeping staff were exceptional, but if you had to deal with the cruise director, there was no service, just talking down to you very rudely. The shore excursions were very good, however all the best tours were already booked, as it was a world cruise, which we were not aware of, so almost all of the deluxe tours that you had to pay for were full. We enjoyed the Captain's daily message at noon each day to give everyone the details regarding weather, ocean conditions, and location and how far we were from the next port of call. We found the 7 sea days to be very long, as there were not enough interesting things to do on board. They did have activities such as bridge, different talks and trivia, but they were all on the dry side. We did purchase the beverage package, but at the end, it was not worth it, as we certainly didn't get our money's worth, and you can only drink so much. Beer and wine were included with the meals, so if you are happy with that, you probably don't need to buy the beverage package. We found the food very good, and mainly ate in the World Cafe, as we preferred to serve ourselves, rather than waiting for service in the other restaurants. The ship was beautifully decorated everywhere, and the rooms were very good. Read Less

We have cruised on Seabourn for our previous 7 cruises, but we liked the Viking itinerary from Durban to London because we have dear friends that live in Durban, whom we visited a couple of days before our cruise. A few days after booking this cruise, we got a flier from Viking offering the same cabin on the same itinerary for $1000 less/pp. We called our travel agent as we do when that happens with Seabourn to get the best price guarantee. What? Not only do you not get a best price guarantee, Viking made us cancel our existing booking, pay a significant cancellation fee and rebook the same cabin. Not cool and definitely not Seabourn. Oh well, price is less expensive than Seabourn......or not. Tips are included in the price of your cabin with Seabourn. Not so with Viking. Only later after you have booked do they offer you the privilege of pre-paying your tips at close to $900/pp. Embarkation was a breeze- faster than Seabourn. The Viking Deluxe Veranda suite was significantly smaller than Seabourn’s standard Veranda Suites.- No walk in closet, no sofa, no capacity to close off seating area from sleeping area. If you order room service, you must eat your food hunched over a coffee table because there is no room for the food cart and two chairs that you get on Seabourn. In other words it is not really a suite on Viking unless you spend more money for a Junior Suite. Dining on Viking was inconsistent, with Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s Special restaurants usually being very good to excellent. The Restaurant main dining offerings varied from excellent to inedible. The World Cafe had excellent sushi, sashimi, soups and breakfast omelettes. The dishes on the buffet varied from very good to terrible. You had to order the deluxe wine package to get wines comparable to the standard wines on Seabourn. Some of the Viking included wines were good, but many of the white wines were undrinkable ( 2 Buck Chuck ). Standard “Champagne” was a Viking brand- use your imagination. Service from our room steward, Ferdy, was the best we have ever had. He was thoughtful, personable an anticipated our every need. The restaurant and bar staff were very friendly and usually very good. Too many, however exhibited a lack of training. You would ask for a refill ( seldom have to even ask on Seabourn) and some would spend 5 minutes talking to other cruise passengers, completely forgetting about your refill. Sometimes we’d have to ask 3 different service persons before we got something we wanted. Some would take your plate without asking if you are finished. Entertainment was very good to excellent with virtuoso guitarist, string duo, pianist and talented singers. Did not see ballroom dancers like Seabourn has. The shore excursions were fun, well organized and informative. The ports of call were excellent, but wish we had more time in the beautiful Canary Islands and Cape Town. The Viking Sun itself was the best part of the cruise. It gave us a very smooth ride for the size of the ship. It was pristine, has a sliding cover for the pool for use in any weather, has a jogging track and many quiet places to read a book or just relax on sea days. The two level Explorer Lounge and bar is amazing and offers wonderful views. The Viking Sun is more casual than Seabourn with no formal ( tuxedo ) nights. Overall, I’d have to say that the Viking Ocean ships are as nice or even nicer than some of Seabourn’s. However the Veranda Suites, food, standard wines and restaurant service are not in the same class as Seabourn. You could pay extra and get a junior suite and premium wines on Viking. My preference is the 5 star floating hotel, restaurants and royal treatment experience that we get every time on Seabourn. Read Less