I always wanted to take a Viking cruise and did so. Traveled with my husband and my two adult children to Key West and the Yucatan Peninsula. We departed from Miami and returned after a week to the same port. The weather was beautiful. The dining was excellent wherever we ate. The excursions were also excellent. We went to Key West (my favorite), Cozumel, Merida and Belize. The entertainment and activities were wonderful. We especially liked the trivia games, but were disappointed that prizes were not awarded - a ship key chain would have been nice. I love shopping, so was very disappointed that not enough time was provided in each port for shopping. After the tours, we had to get to the ship or tender and were given only 15 minutes to shop. Service was excellent and really appreciated not having to ever wait in line or stand to get service. Also, the free wi-fi was so appreciated. Was able to print our boarding airline pass with no problem. I would definitely go again. We traveled with my 30-34 year old children, and they were definitely in the minority age group, but they had a wonderful time. Read Less

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Wanted t try an ocean cruise and like the fact that Viking had smaller ships. Did not want days at sea and liked that we would be in port every day. The crew were very friendly and respectful. Liked the variety of dining areas and the variety of food. The meals were excellent and liked that extras could be ordered with no problem. Good variety of entertainment and very well presented. Really appreciated the excursions offered. The included ones were excellent with a lot of information on the area and the extra ones were very well,planned. There was one excursion that I was extremely interested in (not so much my fellow passengers). My husband and the couple we were travelling with received their passes with no problem but I didn’t get mine. When I mentioned this the problem was very promptly dealt with and I was able to receive my pass to attend at the time we had specified. Although we were told before the trip that two of the stops we were to do had been cancelled due to hurricanes, I was extremely pleased that they were added at the last minute. Much of the appreciation was that Viking understood the need of the people of those stops for the tourism to be continued as soon as possible. I would recommend Viking to anyone and everyone as one of the best cruise lines! Read Less

Viking ocean had been recommended by relatives and friends. And their rave reviews were not even strong enough! The ship decor was so subtle and beautiful. There was no over the top gold, no loud music, food was beautiful but not overdone. Shore excursions were fun and interesting especially the tram through the rainforest, the tie dye demonstration,and our catamaran sail and lunch. Our stateroom was beautifully decorated. The Scandinavian decor beautiful. We appreciated the book in our stateroom detailing the art throughout the ship. All staff were anxious to help us any way we needed. The port talks helped prepare for the things we would see the next day. The upper lounge area was half library and half museum, totally fascinating and you could have spent much of your free time on board examining all of the Voyage of the Kon-Tiki memorabilia. We were also impressed with shore excursion planning so you were never in a crowd of tourists, always felt like you were on a small ship tour with 20-30 companions. You never had to wait in lines to leave on the excursions and there were never long lines on the pier to reboard at the end of the day. The only negative aspect of the cruise was not related to the cruise but the airline arrangements that Viking made for us. Had we known that we could have paid to have better fights, we could have avoided the need to secure nearly $500 of airport hotel costs at the beginning and end of our trip. We are currently booked on another Viking Ocean cruise with very good flights for about $130 extra. Read Less

We have only had one other experience with a cruise, a Viking River Cruise in 2014. We enjoyed the experience very much but the long flight to Europe was a little hard for us as we are in our 70's. When the opportunity to sail with Viking without the long flight came, we took it. The trip went very smoothly with no problems getting to the ship. The ship is really great with a wonderful staff. Our cabin was wonderful. We tried most of the dining areas and enjoyed each although we mostly went to the buffet with the great choices and wonderful view. We even had a great lunch packed for us when we found out we didn't have enough time between tours. It was delivered to our cabin. We are not the Casino and Night Life type of people so the Entertainment available perfectly suited our needs. I cannot emphasize how wonderful the service is. All the ports were very interesting and the included/optional excursions were very good. I wound not recommend booking multiple tours on the same day as they are quite extensive. Our only regrets were that our legs were not 25 years younger. We would definitely sail with Viking again! Read Less

We had not traveled to the Caribbean and wanted to sail on the Viking ocean ship. We have traveled with Viking River Cruises for 10 river cruises, we wanted to check out the ship for future trips. The Islands are beautiful and the side trips educational, our fall in love moment was spent on the ship. Lovely experience dining, choices of several restaurants, in addition to the main dining room, several outdoor dining areas for relaxing evening meals, room service offered 24 hours a day, and all at the same price, no extra charges. Wine was served at lunch and dinner included. Our room was spacious, beautiful Danish modern style with more storage than we actually needed. The staff was beyond expectations, friendly and attentive. We booked the trip we were planning to go on, The Homelands while we were on the ship, we will sail on the Viking Sky in late May. Viking, we are one of your biggest fans!! Read Less

After hearing such great things about Viking cruises (having been on Holland America, Carnival, Royal Caribbean), my mom and I splurged on a Viking Ocean Cruise. It seemed great: trips included and nice ship. However, I would not recommend this cruise. My mom and I will be sticking with Holland America. I'll do Royal Caribbean with friends. Entertainment: The 6 singers and 2 dancers were good, but the shows were mostly opera-type music. Other entertainment options each night was a violin player and guitar player. That was about it. No outside performers were brought in (so no comedians, no other shows...nothing). The night-club duo was good - but that was 3 45-min sets.There were no "extras" that you find on other cruises: no dance classes, no bingo, no family-trivia, no food and wine lectures. Food: The food was good, but there is no food available after 9pm (except room service). They have "snacks" from 10pm-12am - which is split pea soup and dried out meat and bread every night. The restaurant was horrible. You aren't assigned a specific table each night (like other ships) - so the service is impersonal. The waiters don't know you by name. And you have to stand in a long line each night as you wait for them to seat you. Waiters place order on cell phone - very impersonal. Cabin: Cabin was nice - but room stewards weren't anything special. On other ships, when you put up the "room available for cleaning" sign, your steward comes. Here - we would have the sign up for 3 hours and they still wouldn't come. They come at pretty much the same time every day, so matter what. And don't expect the fun towel animals or chocolates you find on other ships. Hot tub and pool: Horrible. The hot tub is cold (colder than my baths at home) and the whirpool inside with jets is cold like a pool. We asked the staff to turn up the temperature, and they informed us they don't make it any warmer. Tours: Included (free) tours were okay. Mostly driving around the islands for 2 hours with a tour guide. Yes, they were nice - but nothing special. Ship: Ship is nice - but many areas are "dark" or "closed." The winter garden is beautiful, but way too cold. The pool area is dark after 5pm, so you can't hang out there at night, and the inside area by the winter garden is beautiful, but only open for tea. Plus, the library is very small. Free drinks: Yes - they give you free wine at every meal. And they have 2 cappuccino/expresso machines. But expect to wait a few minutes each and every time you want one, because there is always a line. Deck: Deck is only okay. It's not wood, so it's always wet. The crew does clean it, but not until 8:30am or later, so expect the deck to basically always have huge puddles on it, or crew to always be out there with a loud machine whisking away the water. Overall: This cruise wasn't worth the price. Great if you like to sit around, drink wine, and talk with friends or other couples. If that's not your taste, save the money and choose Princess or Holland America or Royal Caribbean. Read Less

We've been on 100 + - cruises over the past 22 plus years, but this was our first cruise on a Viking Ocean ship, although we have travelled on Viking River cruises. Our ocean cruises have been mainly on high-end cruise lines, and we were curious as to how Viking did things. We found the ship to be very spacious and comfortable, even though running at/near capacity. The food was very good as was the service. The "no kids, no casino" set up was fine with us, and the general no-pressure atmosphere was great. Our stateroom was very good, larger than expected, and the room service was excellent. Having all staterooms with balconies is a big plus. In general, we do not travel on ships larger than approx. 1,000, so this ship was right on our preferred size. We will travel again on Viking Ocean, and will recommend into our friends. Read Less

We chose this cruise line to compare with our experiences on Seabourn and Silverseas. We're trying to find our sweet spot of luxury and excellence balanced with a certain casualness. Viking Ocean did very well. There were a couple of weak spots (for example, embarkation was not as user-friendly as either Seabourn or Silverseas; cigar/cigarette smoking area was extremely sub-par; ) and several high notes. Our suite (Explorer Suite) was really lovely - spacious, gracious, comfortable. Food was generally very good, with just a few blips. We thought that the Silver Spirits package was worth every penny. Maybe the wines weren't top of the line all the time, but they were enjoyable, as were our nightly cognacs. It was nice not having to dress up all the time for dinner, though some people took "casual" a little too far. The entertainment was on part with other experiences. Service was generally good, though not always to the standard of Seabourn/Silverseas. We didn't do any of the included tours, though we heard from many others that they were just the usual bus tour. The people we met on board were the highlight of the trip, as fellow travellers on Seabourn and Silverseas always were. We would definitely try another Viking Ocean cruise. I would like to say that Viking should provide a better smoking area. It only has the one space, on one side of the ship with no protection from rain and no shade. It could be extremely uncomfortable. It was also difficult to get served drinks up there. My husband smokes cigars and you can't just rush through one of those things! In addition, it was a very social area, where we spent a lot of time with other like-minded sailors. Viking really should be able to offer better. Read Less

I had never been on any kind of a cruise previously. I had a friend that had done a Viking River Cruise. We decided to try the Viking Ocean cruise. My friend had been on other cruise lines but like the Viking ships the best. We like the fact that the ship was smaller (less than 1,000 passengers). We didn't want to feel like cattle being herded from one place to another. The Viking personnel were great. Viking caters to a more mature guest. It is not a wild and crazy party ship. There is plenty to do but it is also a more relaxed atmosphere. While I was on the ship I scheduled another cruise with Viking for summer 2018. I also liked that all the cabins are veranda cabins. Also there is a free excursion in every port. There are also excursion at an extra cost if you want to do something extra special. All of the restaurants are excellent. Read Less

This was my family and I first Royal Caribbean cruise recommended to me by my co-workers. My children age range from late teen to young adult, they all out-grew my beloved favorite Disney Cruise vacations :( We had such a great time on our cruise over the Thanksgiving holiday. There were so many activities, entertainment for all ages to enjoy. The crew members were all so professional, consistently greeting us with a smile, and going out of their way to make sure we were all enjoying our vacation. Although the Adventures of the Seas is an older ship, Royal Caribbean did a wonderful job updating the ship while in dry dock prior to our cruise. My DH and I booked our next Royal Caribbean cruise for next year 2017! It will just be the 2 of us. This will be our first cruise together without our children! it took a lot of convincing me, as I am an extreme family oriented person. We booked the Anthem of the seas, we are staying in the Grand Loft Suite 10724. Anyone with experience, tips for us for our future cruise will be appreciated. My DH and I are also thinking about renewing our wedding vowels for our 25th wedding anniversary 2018 on Royal Caribbean with family. Anyone with experience and helpful tips/recommendations is greatly appreciated. Thank you, Startreckmom Read Less

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My wife and I wanted to visit the Caribbean islands on a smaller cruise ship. We found that Viking had the best prices, and the places we wanted to visit. It was the PERFECT choice. We sailed on the Viking Star which is just 1 1/2 years old, very new, clean, but still big enough to get lost. The staff was always friendly and happy. Did I say friendly? Every staff member welcomed us, and said HI every time we passed by them. We enjoyed all the food on board. And their 'house' wines and beer were always available, and NO cost. It was great beer, but so-so wines. Before we reached each of the 10 islands the cruise director gave a 30 minute orientation of that day's destination island. It was great to learn about the local sights, and a description of each of the 'included' and other tours. We thoroughly enjoyed our daily no-cost 'included' tour which was typically a 2-4 hour bus tour of each island, to include many stops and sights. Always included a rum-punch at several stops. They made stops for additional photos when requested. Some time the tour-guide on the bus was not clear because of their accent, or sometimes just rambling via the PA system on the bus. Upon returning the ship, we were many times greeted by the staff on the dockside with songs and champagne for each of us. We always felt like we were kings and queens. They have 2 pools which I did not have time to swim, but we did attend several entertainment venues with great shows. One evening we watched a Beatles review, another evening was an Abba review. Another night was a 50s song-fest poolside. We fell in love with our cruise director Suzanne Gayle. What a fabulous lady she is, always available before, after all events, and greeting us each time we boarded or left the ship. She also did all shipboard announcements for the entertainment shows, the Port reviews, and sang. We felt like family members, both with Suzanne, and all the other onboard staff. We also heard how fabulous the river-cruises are, so we are next planning another cruise, this time a river-cruise on another Viking ship. Oh yes, don't worry about sea-sickness! There is almost no feelings of rocking or rolling in the sea. The ship is VERY VERY steady, and we sleep very well at night. I was eager each morning to exit my room to view and photograph our next island, and I was never disappointed. I give 100-stars to both Suzanne, and to Viking Ocean Cruises. Read Less

We went with another couple that had gone on a Viking river cruise and had enjoyed it so all 4 of us decided to try the Caribbean cruise. We loved it because it is a smaller ship not some many people no kids (love the grandkids just not on the ship) no lines. The food was great the crew even knew us by our names within a day or two they were very nice,the cabins were nice and clean they cleaned the room twice a day the beds were very comfortable,the bartenders were great we had bought the drink package which was a good price,overall the service was great,the entertainment is not what you would find on a bigger ship but was ok, would not think twice about going on Viking again, we want to go on a Alaska cruise I hope Viking we get into that area soon with some of there new ships coming on line this year. Read Less

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This was a family cruise and it was chosen based on itinerary. Embarkation lines were confusing. There were lines for frequent travelers, travelers with luggage, travelers with no luggage, and those that needed assistance. All lines eventually became one line inside the door. The ship needs to be updated. Saw rusted areas. Broken equipment in the gym. Automatic doors that do not automatically open. Cabin was clean, except trash had not been emptied, upon entry. The Cabin Stewart provided us with extra towels and wash cloths since there were three of us in the cabin. Need extra padding on roll out couch. We received the extra items everyday til the washer and dryer broke down and we did get the extra until later that evening. Dining in the main dining room was very good. I did not care for the Windjammer Café, I just do not care for buffet dining on a regular basis. The food was warm, not hot. Not much of variety for being a buffet. Entertainment was very good. Loved the comedians, real funny. The activities were very good and the game shows were excellent. I loved all the ports except St. Kitts I can say that "I have seen it and now I never have to go back". Disembarkation was delayed by an hour, but once off the ship received assistance finding luggage and transportation, and going through customs was very smooth. Read Less

The cruise through the Caribbean Islands was lovely. Be aware the ship is quite small and book a mid ship cabin as to make sure there are not any rough days. We sailed from San Juan to Ft. Lauderdale with stops at many of the islands. The excursions were great with easy on and off the ship. The service was fantastic! Having a butler for your cabin is very nice and be sure to have a balcony. The food was very good. Gratuities were included, but we added to some of the staff that went over and beyond. The only things that were not fantastic was the entertainment, which was very limited and the casino, very, very small and nobody ever there. Definitely for an older more sophisticated group...but we had a great time. This is definitely not a cruise for children. I would suggest a Royal Caribbean ship with all the activities if you are bringing children. We will probably take another Silver Seas cruise, but on a larger ship. March was a great time to take this cruise. The weather was fantastic. Be sure to make reservations prior to boarding for spa treatments, beauty salon and excursions. They do fill up. We did spend a night in San Juan prior to boarding at The Condado Vanderbilt. Highly recommended! Dinner at 1919 was spectacular and not too far from the pier. Have a wonderful time! You will not be disappointed! We enjoyed every minute and met some new friends! Read Less

This was our first cruise. The Jewel of the Seas was a smaller ship so not much to do on days at sea. The Cruise Director Dennis and Activities Director Enzo were hilarious and kept the crowd entertained. Our wait staff was one of the best parts of the cruise. Doing magic tricks and making us laugh the whole time. Our room attendant was very friendly, i love the towel animals. The Windjammer wasnt that great, seemed like the same food day after day, alot of times the food was not hot. We chose the dining room more nights because of the wait staff and the variety of food. We booked another cruise on the Allure for 2018. We had a blast swimming with the dolphins in St. Kitts, enjoyed Trunk Beach in St Johns, the beach in Aruba was amazing. Curacao was a smaller town with a cool floating bridge. Read Less

This is my sixth cruise on Royal Caribbean and my third New Years cruise. It is also the second time on this ship (previously in 2009). I am very picky and was a little worried about the condition of the ship, based on some of the most recent reviews. That said, from the moment I walked on the ship, I was pleased at the cleanliness and condition of the ship as a whole, including staterooms. I was with a group and we had 4 deluxe balconies and 2 inside promenade rooms on Deck 8, mid-ship. All six rooms were clean and well kept. They were not worn and in my opinion the ship does not show its age as suggested by others. However, other reviews about the lackluster cruise director was very accurate. I guess I must have been spoiled on previous cruises with such great and active cruise directors. I had a late dinner seating so I was unable to attend some of the larger shows, so I cannot comment on those. However, I did attend the Love and Marriage show and as always was entertained. It was however disappointing that they chose a different venue for the Quest game show (typically my favorite show). As a result it was standing room only and we ended up leaving. I was happy to see deck security out monitoring chairs during the day at sea. Historically, the day at sea is always stressful with folks holding chairs that they might use for a brief period. The security folks walked around and made sure this did not happen. From a food perspective it was what I typically expect, very good quality and consistency. I like the dining room experience so I cannot comment on the specialty restaurants. Read Less

Sailed luxury cruising (six star) several times but first time with Silversea Cruises. 1. First impression, embarkation smooth no long lines which was a plus point 1/2 glass of sparkling wine on arrival 2. Cabin old and tired. No champagne in cabin on arrival. No fresh fruit daily or coffee maker. Small bathroom, shower over bath showing its age. Very old and grey bathrobe. Had to ask for toiletries to be replaced on occasion. Very noisy in cabin from engine, anchor, vibration etc. not much sleep at all throughout the cruise. Bar set up was organised by the butler but not topped up with soda etc or wine replaced until reminded. 3. Muster drill well organised 4. Pool grill excellent - especially fish of the day and the snacks. Pool staff worked extremely hard all day supplying food and drink replacing pool towels etc. pool and jacuzzi's clean. 5. Hot rocks - nothing spectacular basic food 6. Buffet breakfast again basic 7. The restaurant - again nothing special. No wow factor - food ok not as expected from a luxury cruise line. Food occasionally Luke warm. Did wait 20 minutes before being offered wine. 8. Did not go to the le champagne restaurant so cannot comment. This is an extra cost restaurant. 9. La terazza nice experience in the evening good service. 10. The Bar. Nice place for socialising and pre drinks. Good service with canapés. The live music in the bar excellent. 11. Did not go to any shows as retired early. 12. Trips ok extra cost Although the staff were amazing and worked extremely hard I thought the cruise overall was average, certainly not six star. More like 3 to 4 star. I cannot see how Silversea can justify the prices they are charging for their cruises. I will not be returning. Read Less

This was my first cruise with Silverseas and unfortunately it was not what I expected ! The ship was very " tired " and tatty in places, it is in my opinion ready for either a complete refurbishment or ready for retirement from the fleet. Cabins are definitely in need of upgrading, carpets were in need of replacing, no tea or coffee facilities and bathrooms were cold and tired. Balcony was rusty and shabby. Service of the cabins was at best mediocre. Entertainment, Oh dear, this was one of the biggest disappointments. This did not cater for the age of the passengers on this ship at all. The 6 singers were all very pleasant but were too young and inexperienced for this cruise. No good shows, awful costumes that didn't fit and a terrible sound system did not bode well. Perry, the pianist in the lounge was excellent but that was it ! Dining, Le Champagne is not worth the extra money and to be honest the food in the main restaurant was nicer. Service in Le Restaurant was excellent and the food wonderful. Dining on the pool deck was also good and again excellent service . In short this was an enjoyable cruise but not an excellent one and definitely not worth the money. Read Less

This ship was built in the early '90s and set sail in the mid '90s. Although the ship is older than other luxuryn options, the ship does not show her age. I was looking for signs of wear and really could not find any. The reason is that she is meticuluosly cared for on an ongoing basis. If you get up early enough or stay up late enough, you can see how hard the staff works to address any wear in the ship, and before the guests would notice a problem. The crew and staff of the Crystal Symphony are the ship's greatest asset. They are more than just responsive when a passenger asks for something -- they anticipate the needs of the passengers and do so in a friendly way. Many go out of their way to learn the names of the passengers and then assume responsiblity for that traveler from then on. The food is the best of the best - intersting and tasty selections each day, and beuatifully presented. No expense spared. The Nobu specialty restaurant is in a class of its own. We went twice and I am not even a huge shushi fan! The basic category room is small but workable (246 SF with balcony). The added space of a penthouse would have been appreciated, but perhaps not worth the added cost. Let's face it: if small rooms are problematic then maybe cruising is not for you in the first place. Regardless, there is plenty of space devoted to the common areas so other than in the stateroom no one should feel claustrophobic. The target market for this cruise line is decidably the older crowd -- age 70+. At times there were enough seniors piloting their motorized scooters to warrant a traffic cop or perhaps valet parking. Make no mistake that the age of the crowd sets a tone, and that is one that is placid. If you are looking for high energy activities on board, you will be disappointed. Needle point classes and nodding off by the pool are more the order of the day. The entertainment was just plain bad. There was a featured flutist who played with the ship band one night and a low quality Elton John impersonator (although his back up singers were quite good) who played another night. Sereiously, when I think of cool entertainment, the flute just does not come to mind. There is also the ship's band who played by the pool/sunning area for about an hour daily. This was Muzak elevator music with an Asian influence. The rendition of a KC & the Sunshine Band song is still in my head, and that is not a good thing. That music certainly did not risk waking any napping seniors. There were also a couple of speakers who gave canned presentations on dull subjects, but like the other entertainment options were worth missing. The ship did stream some football games via satelite, but it seems they could have done more of this. Ditto better and more frequent movie selections. Not a huge issue, but shopping aboard the Symphony is odd. This is a Neiman Marcus level cruising experience with last year's Macy's basement shopping. Shopping can be a real money maker and the Symphony is missing a real opportunity here. Read Less

This was my 12th cruise and 4th with Royal Caribbean, and a cruise is all of what you make it. That being said, we had a great time on this ship but this ship needs some refurbishing quickly. My husband and I left on September 5th, we arrived the day before in PR and stayed at the ESJ hotel, then on Saturday we arrived on this ship, this was our second time on this ship and we booked it for the itinerary. Our itinerary consisted of St. Croix, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St. Maartan. This ship is almost 15 years old and their is only 3 dining areas including the windjammer dinning room so there needs to be more restaurants. The service on the ship was awesome, the employees were great, I enjoyed the meals and the entertainment was great. Although I loved the itinerary, I was a little tired going back to back but I loved it..I will say that the cruise lines going to the island, help out the economy for the islands but some of the locals are very aggressive so it was kind of hard to relax on the beach. Overall this was a great cruise and I really enjoyed myself, just a few complaints but nothing major. Read Less