I will make this as honest and impartial as possible. We expected a 3 star budget cruise and it struggled to reach this standard. I will start with the embarkation. Singapore is not a good port to board from at the best of times but when CMV had every passenger embarking at the same time (3PM) and no-one giving any direction the whole process was a complete shambles, however when we did get on board our suitcases were at our cabin door. Dinghy drill was scheduled for around 8PM on deck at your muster station. Problem with this was that everyone had been on board for 5 hours, all had dinner and of course a few drinks and in some cases quite a few drinks. So we get to our muster station, everyone is merry and talking while the PA announces what we are supposed to do. When it came to donning of life jackets, we already had then on (as directed earlier). The crew at our muster station were supposed to demonstrate but as we found out they were new crew and did not know how to don them themselves. Heaven help us if there was a real emergency. The cabin itself was clean with a comfortable double bed and dated decor. The bed we found strange because we had a double base sheet made of something like rough flannelette with 2 single dona's on top. We also found having a spa bath was odd. Would hate to be old or have a disability because it was very difficult to get in and out of. We also had an external leaking pipe on our veranda that was leaking some sort of thick black liquid which dripped onto the deck. I complained and all they did was put more tape over the tape that was already there. See photo's. The rest of the ship had received a makeover from when it transferred from P&O and we were happy with all areas. Lot's of comfortable areas to go and hide, meet people, read etc. We rated it well above the 3 star we expected. There was a lot of crew from Eastern block countries that had difficulty smiling but that is their nature and we accepted that. If one took the time to get to know them they did display a lot more of their friendly side but it had to be initiated by us. Another strange quirk. We had a drinks package and could drink almost any alcoholic beverage to our hearts content but is we wanted a tea/coffee we had to pay 50% of list price. Bizarre. Overall the food was ok but rarely changed in the buffet. Still don't know what the "bacon" was tho because it definitely was not bacon Evening meals in the main dining area were good with nice variety. Hated the Asian one. We thought you could choose between all the mains but you got everything! Still cannot understand why they would dish up a Thai green curry, an Indian fish curry and a Korean beef dish together. Horrible is an understatement. We did not each much that night and never went back. We only had one evening show each night because of the low number of passengers and it was the same singer, dance team most nights which were very average. We persevered for 2 1/2 show and gave up. As for the gust performer they had a Rod Stewart something or another. He was not an impersonator, did not sound like him, kept singing songs inter dispersed with some extremely poor comedy. A lot of people got up and walked out. He was on again the next night and performed to only a handful in the audience. Freya was the cruise director and it was her first time as cruise director. Only ever saw her at the end of a show and heard her over the PA each day reading from the printed days schedule which we all had anyway. What did she actually do? If it was organising the daily events she did a poor job. 3 quizzes a day with 3 other repeated events like bean bag tossing, nerf gun shooting at plastic cups and skittles. Oh you could go to other classes like what to do with used toilet paper rolls and pay $5 for the privilege. Plus there was bingo with 3 games, 1 line, 2 line and full card, all played on the same card. Weird. We also heard they had a Captain on board. Never saw him! Our original cruise was supposed to dock at Sandakan with it's famous orangutan sanctuary but 2 weeks before the cruise someone discovered we could not fit into the channel. Glad someone checked. Thought they would have done that when they were planning to itinerary. Had my fingers crossed they had checked all the other ports. Lot's of disgruntled passengers who had booked the cruise because of this port. Sihanoukville was a shocker of a port. The whole city is under construction with the Chinese building 105 casino's all at the same time. On top of this all the roads and underground pipelines were being replaced at the same time. So we visited a construction zone with dust everywhere. Why it was on the itinerary is anyone's guess. We did hear from a crew member or two that the Captain was not a happy chappy. We tendered at Koh Samui and the organisation of this was abysmal. Only 4 tenders were used. We were lucky to be called for the second lot of departures and arrived onshore 90 minutes after the whole process commenced. The only good thing about it was we had Rod Stewart on our tender and when he boarded everyone sang "we are sailing" for him. The return was just as bad. Must also mention our arrival into Laem Chebang. Thai officials decided on a last minute change of plans to have a face to face with immigration off the ship. So we all had to get our passports but rather than call deck by deck and 1 person per cabin to collect them there was a general announcement instead so everyone and I mean everyone went to deck 6 at the same time. The was only i queue so you can imagine the pandemonium. Then when we went ashore there was another queue that spread almost the entire length of the ship standing in 30 degree heat waiting to see immigration. There was none to guide us and no one bothered to think we might need to have some water. Disgusting organisation! As for disembarkation it was seamless but strange there were no PA's advising on when you could disembark. So to our pro's and con's. The pro's: The bed was comfortable. The cabin air con worked well (in our cabin) The decor of the ship was good. We liked the layout of the ship. The cons: The food was average. The bath was stupid, a lot of people would struggle to get in and out of it. The Eastern Block crew were stone faced and most did not understand English. We got brown water running from our sink tap after 12 days. The overhead pipe on our balcony leaked a dark black liquid. See photo The daily entertainment almost never changed and was boring. The evening entertainment was the same troupe every night except for the worst show ever - a very poor Rod Stewart singer/comedian (not) Never saw the Cruise Director except after the evening show. Don't know what she actually did. Never saw the Captain. Very poor communication. Very poor organisational skills. Would we recommend this ship? If you expect more than 2.5 stars don't cruise with them because 2.5 is all you are going to get. Would we cruise with them again? If there was an itinerary that interested us and we could get it very cheaply then yes but we would probably prefer to cruise with other companies first and cruise CMV as a last resort. Read Less

Having experienced their river cruise previously, wanted to try the ocean version with Viking. I was not disappointed by the experience. I found the company extremely professional in their approach to just about everything. The organisation/logistics efficiently well managed. Catering on board....great choice of restaurants/food and beverages and wonderful crew service at all times. The cabin (Penthouse Veranda) was worth the upgrade cost....very well designed with more than enough storage for 2 people and space to relax as well as the balcony of course. A complementary mini bar, was a welcome feature with guests able to ask the stateroom attendant for their favourite tipple! Entertainment was a good mix, catering for the demographics of the guests and the itinerary. Inclusive excursions were a bit basic, but gave you a rough idea to be able to navigate your own way around the ports at you leisure later. Some of the optional excursions were, I thought rather expensive, however, some of my fellow passengers (more seasoned than me!) had made their own arrangements with alternative providers at a better rate for the same excursion. A lesson for future cruises...! I also felt that the descriptions provided by Viking on their web site, at the point you might be considering booking these, were a bit scant on operational details. For example, the trip over land to the Arctic Circle involved a 4/5 hour return coach journey out of a 7 hour total excursion. Leaving little time to explore the features 'sold' to you on the web description. Also, on this particular trip, the actual Arctic Circle Centre we found on arrival was closed for the winter!! This fact was never mentioned previously!! Another point worth mentioning as regards the pre/post extension on this particular trip. The hotel chosen was the Radisson Blu in Bergen. An international chain, of course and in a great location right on the Bryggen. However, the over all experience at this hotel was poor. From the amenities offered, customer service and guest information....all below par for a 4* standard of hotel. Again, some guests had made their own arrangements hotel wise, and I think this might be valid suggestion for future bookings, despite having the convenience of Viking making all your on shore arrangements. I felt it did not represent good value for money at £389 for 2 nights bed and breakfast! The embarkation process at Tilbury could have had a smoother process for guests arriving into Tilbury town....no transport was immediately available to take people from the town to the dock area and a walk would involve c.20 minute route (with suitcases in tow!). So despite some of the above niggles I've mentioned, I would still highly rate Viking on the back of this Northern Lights Cruise and would not hesitate to make another booking with them. I have of course learned of some alternative options as detailed above and, with most things have a bit more experience to do things a bit differently next time. All crew and staff worked very hard to make your experience a 5* one, and with the few exceptions mentioned, I think they achieved this goal. Read Less

It was my 70th Birthday and we saw an Add in October for a 70 day cruise to London going to taste many places I could not afford to normally travel to. Covid-19 was in the news and we had China and Honkong removed from the ports to be visited. I checked with our agent the week before and he said it would go ahead. I noted the Travel insurance would not refund us if we pulled out. 25th February we left sydney and visited The whitsundays and the Yorkes Knob. We saw from new articles that there was issues and asked the management team are they going to abort the cruise, they said no all is good. Aday out of Yorkes Knob we were told we will not be going to New Guinea and Japan and the ship would visit Darwin. By the time we got to Darwin we could seem more ports on the cruise are closing to cruise ship. I wanted to get off but there was a lot of money at stake. We left Darwin and went to Bali, Lombok and Semerang. We were going to Jakata and seriously considering flying home. On the Thursday 12th March we were told the cruise was cancelled but we were to go north to swap ships and go back to Perth on the Vasgo De Gama. on the 18th we swapped ships off Thailand very easy transfer. By the way we had no virus on either ship. We headed for Perth. We arrived on Friday the 27th and the ship wanted us all of the boat by saturday afternoon, unbeknown to the ships Captain the WA Government unfortunately stepped in and we were held on board until late monday night. We were put in to isolation until Good Friday with very very poor food, no grog, no excercise etc. The disembarkment was amess and too 8hours for us to get to our hotel room. In conclusion I believe CMV should have cancelled the cruise in Darwin. There was enough information out there to make that decision. We spent 16 days at sea from the time we were told the cruise was cancelled until we got to Perth 11 Days in Lockdown, another week waiting for a flight home. The Crew, Both ships, Reading about eastern european I agree with others, they were not happy people, and did not want to be on board, some were outright rude. BUT the Asians were great, both ships had great performers. Now we are trying to get our promised refund as its now 80 odd days from the cancellation we are being fobbed off by the Travel Company, now looking at legal action. Probably we do another Cruise with CMV if we get a refund but not as long. Read Less

We wanted to celebrate our 70 th birthdays this year and to see the Northern lights if possible. The Norovirus situation ruined the cruise. For it to happen is unfortunate. To happen on two consecutive cruises is worrying but for the problem to still not be resolved on a third trip is irresponsible. We were told that the ship would be delayed for a deep clean due to one or two cases of Norovirus. There was no mention of the true scale of the problem. By day two people were going down with the bug in droves. We were made to feel that it was entirely the fault of passengers not being hygienic. I suspect that the transportation of sick passengers from the previous cruise infecting the vehicles which were then used to transport new passengers to the ship for the next cruise might have been one source of the Norovirus. There could not have been enough deep cleaning in the turn around time. The ship infected us, not the other way round. So many activities were curtailed as attempts were made to bring the virus under control. We were fortunate in that we got to do some of the trips before my husband succumbed to the bug and we were confined to our cabin for 4 days. Also people in several cabins on either side of ours all became victims at the same time . How do you explain that, Captain Julian? We had washed our hands very very carefully and avoided the public areas as much as possible yet we both went down with it. It is hard to think of any positives for this cruise. The ship was very stylish and the crew cheerful. It was so difficult for them. There were some very entertaining and knowledgeable speakers and it was possible to see recordings of their talks on the tv in the cabin. The whole two weeks became an endurance. We were so glad to get home. It was our first cruise with saga but have been on several other cruises. This was a total waste of money and an experience we would never wish to repeat. Read Less

Being a solo traveller I normally holiday with companies who specifically target this market and I had been wary of cruising since I split up with my ex about 8 years ago. We had done about 20 cruises but I know that solo travellers weren't catered for on any of the cruise companies I had been with previously. However the Cruise Director on the Spirit of Discovery arranged for a pre-dinner Solo Traveller Cocktail Hour in the Britannia Lounge every night. This was marvellous, there were about 30 to 40 ladies who turned up every evening and half a dozen gentlemen. We could then all go to the the various restaurants together and then on to the theatre etc. We also arranged to meet for lunch on the sea days and to do the various activities together. Although it was lovely talking to all the passengers who were travelling as a couple I always find it quite nerve racking going into dinner alone and I definitely don't want to sit in a bar on my own. Even though there was Norovirus on the ship and a lot of activities were cancelled a lot of us agreed that being part of a group and having such a laugh together made this one of the best cruises we had every done. Read Less

Brand new ship and wanted to see Northern lights, plus all inclusive. Trouble started when a stop at Narvik was cancelled and then our pickup was deferred twice, On arrival we waited an hour and 20 minutes before we were allowed on board and shown by a guide to the cabin we had booked to find it already occupied. Over the next few hours/days we discovered that the delays were caused by norovirus rife on the two previous cruises causing deep cleaning to be done prior to boarding at two turnarounds . It was obviously not the right thing or not done well enough because people started dropping like flies almost immediately. One poor person vomited in the centre of the dining room during dinner. It was absolutely not acceptable that we were not prewarned with an option to defer or cancel as their contract says. All told we missed 2 planned stops, one important, and another nondescript stop substituted. The Captain was on the PA every day telling us how to wash our hands and to use sanitisers available everywhere. At one time he said the crew was clean and that it was the passengers fault. I think the ship was not fit to take on new passengers at the beginning of the cruise. The highlight was the helicopter evacuation on the last day. The entertainment we saw was good to excellent, but a bit sparse around the ship during the day, quizes good but no prizes??? mean! Production shows excellent, lots of lovely costumes, some of the singing a bit stretched. visiting turns also good. Lecturers also usually good, but one very boring. Library emptied of books, most public toilets locked, with guards on the few that were open. Freedom dining very good and food good but a little pretentious. spoilt a bit with the episode described above. Service a bit variable. I fell sick about 40 hours before arrival at Southampton, the immediate response from the nurse was good, but there was absolutely no follow up, we were only contacted by the medical team when I phoned for instructions. We were then sent off the ship before the 2 day quarantine period was up and given to a taxi driver who had no idea what was going on. I'm afraid they had their chance and blew it. Read Less

This cruise was advertised as a 'boutique cruise' with all facilities included. It started badly with our (included) taxi being delayed twice - on enquiry we were told 'the ship had a bug and was being deep cleaned' We were NOT told this was Norovirus, nor that the previous two cruises had been contaminated. So we finally got to board the ship after 8.30pm and had to rush our first meal as the safety drill was to be held shortly. Had to unpack cases in small hours of morning - hardly a restful start. From the beginning it was evident that Norovirus was present - tannoy announcements reminding everyone to wash their hands and use the sprays scattered all over the ship. Most of the public toilets closed and those that were open had staff sitting outside in shifts (presumably to check everyone washed their hands). Staff in decontamination suits cleaning various places. More announcements to say if you are sick or have any gastric problems whatsoever, call the medical team and stay in your cabin. It is obvious that you cannot properly decontaminate a ship of this size in a few hours between cruises. Most of the services that we had paid for were not available - a library with 3,500 books advertised - no books. Laundry facilities advertised - closed. Various activities such as bridge - not available. Room service included - suspended (unless you were confined to your cabin). The adverts say you have a choice of various gourmet restaurants - yes we did, if we could actually get a booking. That problem was not in their brochure which says 'you can eat when and where you like'. Yes, we did have rough weather - but was that really the reason the Captain said we would not be making our last port of call at Kalvag? He denied he had been refused entry at the port, but this was what had happened on a previous trip at Gibraltar. So we had our last four days totally at sea, with very limited activities available (nothing extra offered to make up for the loss of a port). It even got to the point where we could not have butter, jam, sugar or condiments on the table but had to ask the staff for them while our meals got cold. We consider it very unethical of Saga to bring older people onto this cruise without at least warning us beforehand of the limited facilities and the likelihood of catching this virus. We should have been offered the chance to delay - but of course that would cost them money! However, they will be the losers in the long run because many people said they would never use Saga again - including us. At a cost of around £4,000 each (plus extra for trips out) this was definitely not good value for money - especially for the elderly couple who had come to celebrate an 80th birthday and found themselves confined to their cabin for 8 days out of 15. Yes, this is a beautiful ship and the cabin was fabulous - although some of the seating in the lounges was uncomfortable - designed for looks rather than comfort. Willl I use Saga again? NO Would I recommend to anyone else? NO A couple of positives - the staff were really great, always polite and helpful, especially considering the pressure they must have been under. The shows in the theatre were basically very good, and the onboard lectures were interesting and could be watched on the cabin TV if preferred or missed. However, this still did not make up for all the other problems. Read Less

We have done several Viking cruIses before so we were expecting more, The shore excursions were less than expected - even the extra cost ones were less than expected. The buses were full and uncomfortable. One couldn't even make it up the hill out of town and all the guide was worried about was if she was going to be back in time. The walk to the buses was long and over wet and slippery paths. A port was missed due to weather but nothing was added to fill the time. The food was repetitive and uninspiring. Never had a piece of meat done to the right temperature. The included wine has gone so down hill as to be undrinkable, Nothing on the buffet was ever hot. Sadly the best food was the pool grill and room service. The crew tried very hard to please and did their best to be helpful. Read Less

This was our first booking with Viking Ocean Cruises, and really this was due to the fact that they were the only cruise company in Norway during February. Having sailed with many 5/6 star operators including Regent, Oceania, Cunard (QG;s) we didn't have any raised expectations of what Viking would be like so as not to be disappointed - which we have been on our last Oceania cruises In a nut shell we thoroughly enjoyed Viking, the service being exceptional in all areas. The ship was absolutely spotless, even on the outer areas we struggled to spot rust which is most unusual. Our room was very comfortable and modern, cabin stewards superb, and all other areas of the ship were immaculate. On many occasions we would watch the army of cleaners who would be constantly wiping, dusting, plumping cushions up as soon as guest vacated a chair. It really was noticeable, and Viking must be commended as these are often unsung heroes of the ships crew Food was of a good standard in all restaurants, matched with service Everything was on time, especially during tours so again great organisation by Viking We were genuinely surprised, and Viking has now become a favourite so we are actively looking at their schedules in preference to competitors - in fact we have just booked our second cruise with them (Bergen to Barcelona Oct 2020) The included tours are just enough to give you a taste, leaving time to self explore each port. Of course there are longer tours for the more adventurous or those wishing to be looked after for a whole day The only slight disappointments were that we missed one port due to wind - Bodo, but obviously that can't be helped. We would like to see the dress code for evening meals adhered to in restaurants - I have no issue with a more casual feel for buffet, but I think there should be more effort made by guests in the main and speciality restaurants I hope the service is as good on all ships, we are about to find out - but at the moment we would certainly recommend taking a cruise with them Well done Viking! Read Less

Excellent service and food. Although the ship was sold out, we never felt crowded. There was always a place to sit and relax or read. During the evening there was always a live entertainment in the Living Room. With the main, buffet, and specialty restaurants, we never had to wait more than a few minutes. We had meals in each restaurant and never felt rushed to leave. We especially like the No Photographers running around taking pictures and wanting to sell you them. There shopping on-board was perfect and did not feel like another "profit center". The no-charge water and soda is a nice touch. The Viking Star's staff was wonderful. Service was always prompt and served with a smile. We cruised during February and they logistics of moving passengers off the ship and to their excursion was amazing. There were no long waits and the few "passenger" jams were resolved quickly. We were waited in the excursion bus instead of standing in line outside of the ship in cold weather. Viking staff had us stay in the warm bus until the wait to board was minimal. Read Less

Viking Star sailed to Norway above the Arctic Circle and gave us the opportunity to realize a dream and experience the northern lights. And we did see them--TWICE! We most enjoyed the optional excursion to visit the Sami people in their wilderness camp and go on a romantic reindeer sleigh ride underneath a full moon. We loved the Viking Star and the comfort of the Explorer's Lounge, the fantastic food in all the restaurants, the fitness and yoga rooms, the lectures and learning opportunity, the entertainment, and friendly and efficient staff and crew. Your ceremony for initiating us into the Blue Nose Society to celebrate the Arctic Circle crossing was fun and delightful. The included bus tours were very good. I especially liked the Alta Cathedral and Borealis Alta exhibit, and Alta Museum and rock carvings. Tromso tour was good, but wished we could have gone inside the Arctic Cathedral. The Planetarium visit was also a highlight. We enjoyed all 4 Lecturers. The two best were Ian Ridpath and Tim Hodges was informative about photos. I learned about Vikings from Dr. Bazin, and conservation from Professor Mazour. We celebrated Ken's birthday on board ship and thank you so much for supplying the sparkling wine and birthday cake. It made him feel special and gave him a birthday to remember. The treadmills in the fitness center need to be serviced and calibrated. Include in brocure that clamp on for your shoes are necessary for this time of year. Sami excurstion should go straight to the camp in the day light instead of diverting to sight seeing the fjoids waste of time. Sleigh ride should be in the day light. Read Less

This Viking Ocean Cruise was wonderful. Every staff member was kind, helpful and caring. Our stateroom was excellent, great bedding, shower was large with glass doors, bathroom had heated floors, a great built in night light, plenty of outlets for plug ins and USB ports. The food was excellent! We loved the Norwegian favorites served at lunch! We enjoyed the included excursions. When we took a Viking river cruise several years ago we were disappointed in the entertainment, but loved the entertainment on this cruise! We had so hoped to see the Northern Lights on this cruise and were so thankful that we received phone messages when the lights were visible outside! Embarkation and Disembarkation went extremely smoothly, the best we have ever experienced on an ocean cruise. The transfer to and from the airport to the ship was very professional and easy for the passengers. I would definitely take this cruise again. It was an amazing experience! Read Less

The adventure of a cold vacation in beautiful Norway, with the chance of seeing the Northern Lights was a draw. Great time on a beautiful ship, full of cozy places to read, visit and explore.The Spa was fun and so nice to be able to use it as often as we wanted. Massage staff very good and helpful. Embarkation and disembarkation were the smoothest and least amount of hassle of any cruise we have been on. Good Job! Transfers to and from the airports was superior. Food was very good. Enjoyed the lunches with local options. Pool grill meals at dinner of lobster and king crab were enjoyed. Dining room offerings and staff, exceptional. our housekeeping staff were extremely attentive of our needs. Good Job Russelle.+ Pulu. Special thanks to cruise director and assistant cruise directors, Bremsley and Jarred for hosting LGBT receptions, we very much appreciated catering to us. It was great to meet other travelers and keep track of their adventures. We enjoyed our 2 weeks, London was a great start!- so much to do- staying up late looking for lights-exploring towns- meeting fine people-Gaining 5 pounds despite the miles walked...... WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO WISCONSIN TO REST! Read Less

To see the lights and to stay at the Igloo Hotel. However, everything was wonderful and we even said it would not matter if we did not see the lights because we were having such a good time. The inclusions of wine at lunch and dinner, free wifi, free laundry facilities, included excursions, and included specialty dining experiences are all a plus so that the cruisers are not "nickel-and-dimed" to death as is common on some mainstream cruise lines! Our first cruise on Viking Ocean and the Viking Star and it was great. A beautiful ship and the staff was excellent. BRINSLEY as cruise director did a great job and was very organized. The guest lecturers were very good and We enjoyed the fact that if we missed the real time lecture, we could view it later in our room. All the public areas were beautifully decorated and cozy. The spa was a wonderful place to spend the day when we were at sea. We met so many wonderful people, all of whom seemed as happy as we were to be on the Viking Star. Read Less

We booked the cruise for a chance to see the Northern Lights, and we were fortunate enough to see them on 3 occasions on various days; although not undulating and luminous as one would hope, they were still quite good. Our cabin was comfortable and provided everything we needed. Steward service was outstanding. The debarkation went well and without problems, although the airport did not open its service kiosks for 20+ minutes after our arrival, and most of us had had only a few hours of sleep because of the early departure from the ship. The embarkation was very disappointing. After flying for several hours from Denver, we were subjected to a several hour wait while our stateroom was cleaned and prepared. VERY frustrating and aggravating. We ate most of our meals in the World Cafe or Pool area. The food was quite good, with staple foods but also many varying options for experimentation, and the presentation was excellent. The few times we ate at other facilities were also excellent, but we did not feel we "needed" the extra attention when the 7th deck provided everything we wanted. Servers and wait staff were excellent and very pleasant with us older folks. Junior Han was above and beyond and deserving of special recognition. Shore excursions were overall good, although some left us wanting. Most of the guides were good and comfortable with English, but there were a few with a bit more difficulty. The husky sled dog tour/ride was fantastic. Some of the panoramic tours left a bit to be desired. Almost all of the enrichment talks were very good and informative, although some had better delivery than others. The two "cooking" demonstrations were terrific, to a large extent because of the assistant chef who was great and very entertaining. We found the port talks overall to be excellent. This is our second cruise with Viking, and we have been very pleased with both of them, and heartily recommend Viking to others. We booked a cruise to Alaska while aboard the Viking Sea. Read Less

The Northern Lights were on our bucket list so we were excited to do this cruise. The winds were too strong to make it into Bodo so we cruised onward. Viking was unaware of the Sami Festival culminating the weekend we were in Tromso. I asked the General Manager, Tom, why we could not get to Tromso, the next port, earlier so we could participate and enjoy the Sami Festival. He was not aware of the festival, but he did as he said he would and checked it out. In the end, we arrived into Tromso 3 hours earlier than we had been scheduled to so that we could enjoy the festival. Viking really does listen to their guests so I was glad that I had made that request. Otherwise, we would not have been able to enjoy the festival as the reindeer lassoing would have been almost over by the time we would have arrived, had we adhered to the scheduled arrival. He shared the info with the captain of the vessel and made it happen. He said he also shared the info with the main office so that next year, Viking can build the festival into their itinerary as it is a annual event. It was a cultural experience we would have missed so thanks to Viking for listening and acting upon the request. This is proof again that cruisers should do some independent research before embarking on a cruise as you can gain so much insight into the areas you will be visiting. The inclusions of wine at lunch and dinner, free wifi, free laundry facilities, included excursions, and included specialty dining experiences are all a plus so that the cruisers are not "nickel-and-dimed" to death as is common on some mainstream cruise lines; but NOT Viking as they know how to do it right! We purchased the included airfare and transfers which went off without a problem. I believe it was cheaper and provided peace of mind that does not come with independent travel arrangements. However, we had to disembark much earlier than I would normally have done to get to the airport for our trip back home. I think if they had more departures available, it would be easier on the cruiser. Getting up at 3:50 am to make a 8:20am flight made departure day very difficult. The drive from the ship to the Bergen airport was only 22 minutes on a Saturday and we were only going to Oslo for the connecting flight. We made it safely back home and that is the main concern. All in all, it was a great cruise. We will be back cruising with Viking again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it has always been a dream to see the Northern Lights and have also wanted to try out Viking Ocean cruises. (Got a good deal from travel agent) From start to finish the whole experience was lovely and we really didn’t want to come home. The Star has a lovely relaxed atmosphere and is beautifully designed in a scandi style. The Staff were very friendly and the service exceptional. Food was good in the main dining and cafe and the speciality restaurants with changing menus providing variety. The cabins were well thought out and designed, especially the heated bathroom floor. The itinerary was very different and it was lovely to explore a cold climate with breathtaking scenery, hot chocolate waiting when you got back! The Ice Hotel and snow mobile excursion were also a highlight.(As well as those lights!) We will certainly be cruising with Viking again when all this over! Read Less

Our first cruise on Viking Ocean and the Viking Star did not disappoint. A beautiful ship and the staff was excellent. BRINSLEY as cruise director did a great job and was very organized. The guest lecturers were very good and We enjoyed the fact that if we missed the real time lecture, we could view it later in our room. All the public areas were beautifully decorated and cozy. Loved tea at 4:00 although personally I would have preferred it earlier. We saw the Northern lights on at least 4 different days both in Alra and Tromso and from the ship. Didnt realize that to the naked eye you can't always see the colors. You see them on your camera but to your naked eye they may appear as a hazy white mist. They were still beautiful to see on your camera. Make sure you bring warm clothing and hand and feet warmers as it was minus 22 degrees Farenheit! And fleeced lined thermal underwear! We also brought bib snow pants and it was still cold. Definitely recommend it though. The extra excursions were so much fun, dogsledding, snowmobiling, sami huts and going to the ice hotel to see the sculptures. I think the overnight stay in the ice hotel isnt worth doing...no inside restrooms and very basic accommodations. We did private light tours and I would highly recommend the one we did in Tromso with Enjoy the Artic tour, only 8 of us and he was very helpful with cameras and settings. Read Less

This was our first ocean cruise with Viking (we'd done a river cruise previously) and were very impressed with just about all aspects of the trip. Viking's air routing was a little strange, however - we went from Baltimore to Detroit to Amsterdam to Bergen, which is not a very logical route, but I suspect was less expensive for Viking than other choices. Embarkation went very smoothly and quickly. The Viking Star itself is a very nice ship - modern, clean, well laid-out and easy to navigate. The elevators in particular were impressive - quiet and fast. Our cabin was very nice. Since this was winter in the far north, we didn't make much use of the veranda. The staff was a true highlight of the trip. They were attentive, responsive, helpful, and consistently cheerful. I cannot imagine better. Dining on board was wonderful. The specialty restaurants (the Chef's Table and Manfredi's) provided superb food. The chefs are truly world-class. The main Restaurant and the World Cafe also offered excellent and varied food choices. The shore excursions were well-run, informative, and enjoyable. Of course, finding the Northern Lights is at least partially guess-work, but they did as good a job as could be done under the circumstances. The port cities were all interesting places to wonder around in. We would like to have seen more of Bergen, but we were too exhausted on our day of arrival to take advantage. Read Less

Seeing the Northern Lights has long been on our wish list for travel. After having a wonderful experience with Viking on a Danube River cruise a couple of years ago, we started looking at this cruise up the coast of Norway t see the Aurora Borealis. This was a wonderful cruise to a truly beautiful part of the world. Norway is a lovely country and Norwegians are most hospitable. Traveling above the Artic Circle in January was surreal, and a once in a lifetime experience. We were most fortunate to see the Aurora on several occasions on this trip - I believe that it was spotted on 5 nights overall. This was a memorable experience. The Viking Star is a very comfortable ship and the Viking crew provided wonderful service. We had a terrific time, and I would recommend this trip to anyone who is not afraid of the cold and interested in expedition travel. A word of advice - if you take this cruise in the winter, be sure to take clothing, boots and gloves that are suitable for the Artic. That will make a great difference in your ability to really enjoy the numerous onshore excursions that Viking offers. We experienced temperatures of -10 Fahrenheit on our trip, and were just fine because we had the right clothes. Also, if you want to take decent photos of the Aurora, a good SLR camera that allows you to control the exposure length and aperture, and a tripod, are essential. Read Less

We had done a Viking River Cruise and wanted to try the ocean cruise and see the Northern Lights. The ship was outstanding; the decor was very nice and not overdone. There were plenty of activities for all. The ports in Norway were all very interesting especially Tromso, Alta, and Stavanger. In Tromso, the visit to the Planetarium was exceptional; the movies of teh Northern Lights and the description of the science behind them was exceptional. The food choices and quality in all the restaurants were excellent. The sandwiches in the Pool Grill were outstanding. All employees were cheerful, competent, and friendly. Ann at "The restaurant" was a superb hostess. Roman and Ogi were assistant waiters, but outperformed several of the more experienced waiters. They should be seriously considered for promotion. The service in all areas of the ship were outstanding; people were very helpful, courteous, and fun. Our cabin steward Madi was excellent. He was unobtrusive, but very efficient and friendly. Terrance Murtagh's lectures were the highlight of our onboard experience. He was extremely knowledgeable and informative. I got some good pictures of the Northern Lights as a result of his suggestions. We plan to do another Viking Ocean cruise. We were disappointed that we missed the port call in Bodo Norway because there was something there that we wanted to visit. We respected the Captain's emphasis on safety and appreciate him avoiding the dangerous weather in Bodo. Read Less

A friend had the Northern Lights on her Bucket List and I gladly accepted the offer to join her on this cruise. It all started out great until our first night at sea. The ocean wasn’t that rough, but the ship was rolling and rocking a bit. This was when we discovered our cabin, #6054 had a serious noise problem. It sounded like Thor was banging his hammer on a huge metal pipe under our cabin’s floor. The vibrations from this clanging even appeared to break the floor tiles in the bathroom of our cabin. We asked our Room Steward to see if he could relay a message to maintenance to find the source of the noise. We also asked guest services about it. No one could explain why there was a noise like we were experiencing and never once did we get an apology from Viking during the remainder of the cruise. The noise only happened when the seas were a little to very rough and was loud up enough to interrupt sleep even while wearing ear plugs. On the bright side, we did see the northern lights in Alta, Tromsø and while passing by the port of Bodø (which was cancelled because of high winds). Norway is beautiful, the food on board the ship was acceptable, the entertainment and activities on board good, the cabin was beautifully appointed and excursions interesting. But the absence of any apology or explanation for the noise was unacceptable behavior by the staff and crew of the Viking Star. I most likely won’t be traveling with them on an ocean cruise again. Read Less

This was a special event for a special birthday. We were a group of four from the UK - two couples. Right from the start the level of service and attention to detail were amazing - from the embarkation process, the cabin, the food, the excursions, the explorers lounge. We had the silver spirits package and this proved to be a great addition. My husband and I love cocktails , so we could try them all if we wished. I highly recommend the chefs table - we visited 4 times! And with the spirits package we had premium wines. We are now researching a river cruise for next year and maybe an ocean cruise the year after. I don’t think we stopped smiling the whole time...it was just a lovely experience. We stayed in the igloo hotel in Alta, went on a snowmobile in Sweden, and took a trip in a cable car in Tromso. And the food - in every restaurant onboard - was excellent. I love Viking as I prefer a smaller ship and don’t want too much fuss...I love the lectures, films and scandi design. Read Less

We chose this cruise for our anniversary (and to get away from the cold weather) and also because this cruise would take us to countries we'd never been to before, Unfortunately, the cruise began just a couple of days after the huge earthquake in Puerto Rico. That did not affect our time in San Juan. Don't know if that also adversely affect the weather, but the Captain was not able to dock at our first two ports (Tortola and St. Kitts/Nevis) because of the wind and the waves. So that was quite disappointing to us -- especially two ports in a row and two countries we couldn't tick off our list of countries visited. During those unplanned sea days, I would have liked to have seen additional entertainment/activities offered. I recommend, in advance, that Viking ship should have a contingency plan of additional programming, ready at the hip-pocket, to implement when a port is cancelled. Dining in the main dining room was excellent, and I was especially impressed by the qualify of the (included) wines served at meals (I love French and German wines). Though we didn't buy it, I was impressed that the price of the Silver Spirits package was so reasonable compared to other cruise lines. Our cabin was good. My only complaint is that I wish there was a real electrical outlet (not a "Shavers only" outlet) so that I could use the hair dryer in the bathroom. The Wi-fi in our cabin was excellent. The classical music performances scheduled throughout the ship was wonderful. Top notch service, from cabin stewards, restaurant/bar workers, even the cleaning staff, was outstanding, I enjoyed the included excursions. For an optional excursion, we chose the Bacardi Factory Mixology class, and it was one of the highlights of our trip -- just wish it had been in the afternoon and not 9:30 AM, LOL. To the list of optional excursions, I recommend that Viking add a local food tour (through Viator, we booked a food-tasting tour in St, Thomas, which was excellent) at some of the ports. All in all, Viking is a superb ocean cruise line, and recommend it highly to all of our friends. Read Less

I'v been on a Viking cruise before and was very impressed. I love the relatively small size-- no lines for anything. No children/rowdy college students. Beautiful rooms. Excellent service. The food at the main restaurant was outstanding. At the buffet and specialty restaurants not so much. The food at the Italian restaurant was pretty bad--cardboard tomatoes, run of the mill olive oil, etc. The alcohol was top-shelf and the mixed drinks were great. The shore excursions were hit and miss. The included tours were mostly boring: sit on the bus, stop for shopping (with kick-backs, I assume) and listen to more of the same. Also, there was no stepping stool for my elderly parents, so it made it difficult for them to get on and off the bus. It is probably just me, but I could live without seeing more churches and manor houses. (I did like seeing the Fort in San Juan on the included tour, however.) The included tour on St. Thomas was also great because the microphone didn't work, so we got to enjoy our ride in quiet. The optional tours were hit and miss. The whale watch was incredible--the crew were very knowable and friendly. The submarine tour was pretty dull and the guide kept telling horrible sexist jokes instead of showing us the ocean. We loved going to the resort in Antigua. It was absolutely beautiful and we had the best food of our entire trip. The trip to the rainforest was booked, so we hired our own guide and had a great time. We had only 5 people and pretty much one-to-one guides through the gorge and waterfall. It cost $25/person, so it substantially less expensive than the Viking tour and we had quite a bit more freedom. We went on the ski lift in St. Marteen as one of our optional tours and it was horrible (at least in part due to the windy and rainy weather--not anyone's fault). I was expensive (over $100) for a ride up the mountain, a small CASH bar at the top, and a trip back down. We could have done zip line for $40 more. Given the price we paid, this should have been free or sharply discounted. The meal at the plantation was in a wonderful wine cellar--it was a great experience, but the food was sub par at best. Also, given that fact that we had free food on the ship it seemed unnecessary to have to "pay" for food and beverages. One of my biggest problems in terms of the ports is that no one provided information about what kinds of things you could do on your own. I suspect that Viking shares the profits with the people who run the excursions, otherwise I cannot understand why, although not being actively "discouraged" from going out on our own, we certainly were left completely on our own to figure things out for ourselves. I would suggest that travelers do their research before the cruise to figure out the best things to do and how to arrange them. It is unfortunate that we paid so much money for the cruise with so little guidance. However, there was a great deal of guidance about how to shop for expensive bling at each port and aboard the ship. Once again, this felt like a kick-back situation. I'm sure some people want to shop, but maybe have special seminars rather than taking up so much of the TV channel hawking these things. In terms of entertainment, the piano and violin music in the Viking bar and the guitar in the Explorer's lounge were excellent! We loved the ABBA program--any Nordic cruise worth its name should include it! We only went to one other night ("Bewitched") and it was pretty bad. The singer was really good and had some great selections, but she presented it as a travel-log about her family. We don't know her and don't care. We ran into some horrible weather and weren't able to dock at our first two ports. The captain and crew were outstanding in terms of their communication and resilience. The crew worked hard to make our time on the ship enjoyable, so I didn't mind too much missing the first port (it was a real drag to miss the second--but no fault of Viking). We saw a great presentation about Alfred Hitchcock and a "live" performance of an opera from the Met. Both of which were informative and entertaining. They also set up games, etc., which were quite a bit of fun. The amenities on the ship are outstanding! We especially loved the sauna, plunge pool, whirlpool, snow grotto, etc. The services at the spa were amazing (especially the message!). There were comfortable places for socializing or for quiet relaxation pretty much everywhere. All of the chairs were quite comfortable and we didn't have to "check out" towels. I can't say enough good things about the crew! They know our names, preferences, etc. from day one. The head of housekeeping in our area introduced herself and accommodated our special request about making the bed softer. When the waves got really bad a crew member walked me to my room. I only wish we could have added a few extra tips. Over all, we had a great experience! We have already booked our river cruise for next summer! Read Less