My wife and I have always wanted to visit the Baltic and this cruise was the perfect fit. We researched many other cruise lines and Viking offered the best itinerary. We joined the Vikings group on Facebook and read all of the reviews and found that many of the reviewers were repeat Vikings Cruisers who rated Viking as their preferred cruise line. The Jupiter was a new ship that received high reviews. We liked the fact that Viking would handle our flight arrangements and included cultural excursions at most of the ports of call. We chose to purchase additional excursions and was extremely pleased with the two day excursion in St Petersburg which just so happened to coincide with my wife’s birthday. (an added benefit). The food and beverage selection was exceptional. I have a dietary restriction and the Food and Beverage manager did everything in his power to accommodate me. All the staff on the Jupiter were professional, friendly and accommodating. Our suite was well appointed and comfortable. Our suite attendant was extremely attentive and went above and beyond to ensure our every need was met. The free laundry service was a huge benefit. We have cruised on many other cruise lines and can without qualification state that Viking ranks at the very top of the list. We will definitely cruise with Viking again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we love cruising. We find this way of travelling very relaxing and at the same time interesting. You can visit many cities and have a general idea of all the places the ship stop. The ship has all you need to have a fantastic vacation time. We never have to wait for a table to eat. The restaurants, all of them are amazing. The chef Ivan, from Chile took really good care of us. He showed as the kitchen and we were surprised how everything was being prepare for each meal in all of the restaurants. The cabin was very comfortable, as well as the bed and pillows, but the best part in the cabin was the bathroom. Really big for a ship bath with warm floor. They have service twice a day to keep the cabin always tidy and clean. We love the entertainment, the 4 young vocalists were exceptional, same as the pianists and the 2 girls who played stringed instruments. We only were sad because the ship couldn't stop in Poland port due to weather conditions.The excursions were very interesting same as the guides, specially Helen in Saint Petersburg. We did some included excursions and some prepaid ones. We already booked a future trip to Egypt in a Viking river for 2021. We recommend the pre and post cruise extensions, both great options, we enjoyed them a lot. We value very much; the quality of service Viking has. Although we did many other cruises with other companies, this last one was overall the best ever. Thanks Viking crew and everyone on the ship for a great experience and a phenomenal vacation. Read Less

We chose the cruise because of the variety of excellent ports of call. It was our first Viking cruise, and we were very impressed by the beauty of the ship, the attention to detail, the variety of food choices and restaurants, and caring staff. Every port was different, and every one worth visiting. We were impressed by the quality of excursions offered, whether included or extra. Each was led by a knowledgeable tour leader, and both informative and enjoyable. The lectures were all excellent, and the speakers knowledgeable about the varied subjects. We enjoyed The Explorer’s Lounge...a perfect place to relax before dinner or enjoy the sunset. Our room was comfortable and very well maintained by our excellent and caring cabin steward.. we never wanted for anything. We enjoyed the restaurants, the variety of food, and the ability to decide where and when we would have our meals. We chose to extend our vacation..both before and after the cruise. Both hotels we stayed in were very good, as were the Viking representatives in the hotel lobby. Well done, Viking! Read Less

This is our first Ocean cruise experience and it was absolutely wonderful! Our cabin was roomy and I was impressed about how the storage space was designed. The bed was really comfy and the bathroom was large for a stateroom. Although electrical outlets in the bathroom were only for razors or toothbrushes, there were ample 220 and 110 outlets in the main cabin. I really enjoyed having a port to charge my phone and IPad near our bed. Our cabin Stewart's were also wonderful and serviced our cabin twice daily. The goodies in the refrigerator were a real treat! I can't say enough about the dining options. There were so many choices and varieties of food. On several occasions , they offered special buffets specializing in foods of the regions. Although the specialty Italian and Chefs table Restuarant were a great, we really enjoyed the open dining of the World Cafe. We visited the Explorers lounge several times to enjoy the music but we loved watching the scenery off the bow. Lastly, we want to thank Viking for arraigning the unique welcoming at some of the Ports. In Scotland, bagpipes greeted us on 2 stops and the crew welcomed us home with music and dancing. OUR CRUISE was the British Isle Explorer. Read Less

We have been on six river cruises, five by Viking, and wanted to see if the Ocean cruise by Viking would measure up. Scandinavia was one of the last places we had not visited, and this was a chance to see a lot of it in one trip. The ship design was perfect; ergonomically, visually, seaworthiness. Our cabin was always clean and had plenty of room, even excess of storage! The cabin stewards always greeted us by name when we saw them, and all our requests were dealt with quickly, and with a smile. I am even more amazed with the food. How can you prepare 14 dinner menus without repeating much of it? Lettuce was fresh, fruit was fresh, bread was fresh. We were fortunate to get to use the private rooms for dining for our group of eight, and the service was personal and expeditious. The entertainment was ok. The four singers did not do a great job. The cruise director and her assistant were the most entertaining, even when singing! Departure was surprisingly wonderful. I have never been on a cruise that handled the departure, luggage, portage as well as Viking. Read Less

My wife and I chose this voyage to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. The viking homelands are about as far as you can get from Australia and are a part of the world we'd never seen but read so much about. For us to get to Stockholm to embark required 22 hours of actual flying time and together with stopover times, the journey took 31 hours all told. The old joke about you don't have to be mad to do this but it helps, certainly applied to us 70 somethings. From being collected at the airport through to disembarkation, Vikings service was exceptional. I can endorse all that the previous 5 star reviewers have said about the ship, cabins, crew, food, excursions and so on. I want to make special mention of a couple great surprises. First one is about the cruise director, Heather Clancy. On day one we along with a couple of hundred others gathered in the Star Theatre to hear from her about our forthcoming cruise. Much was mentioned about their focus on art, lectures, etc but then Heather said she would now like to sign an aria from the opera Carmen. This beautiful voice emerged and people around us were saying, oh, she's lip syncing. But no, turns out Heather is a trained mezzo soprano and has appeared in many operas, including Carmen and Madam Butterfly. Later in the cruise she had her own show with songs from jazz to classical. She finished with a not too shabby rendition of Nessum Dorma. The second followed our 12 hour day trip to Berlin. Six hours on a Soviet era train is no joke (but good fun). When we arrived back at the ship, we could hear this singing and clapping and after we emerged from the customs building we were greeted by about 60 or 70 of the crew lining the pathway cheering and applauding us all the way back on board. Where we were given a glass of champagne. We will be dining out on these memories for a long time to come. It should come as no surprise that we have booked another Viking cruise, Far Eastern Horizons, for next year. Only a 10 hour flight this time! Read Less

We visited Stockholm, St Petersburg, Tallinn and Helsinki. This was a beautiful cruise that is very well organized in every aspect. I think it also gives you a great sense of Italy and their way of life and partying. The only bad thing that I have to point out is that they have VERY small swimming pools on the ship, and this is a real problem when 3000 people want to swim at the same time. I loved the food, Italian cuisine is famous worldwide and I think there is something to eat for everyone. :))) And they have a WONDERFUL entertainment team which made me dance and stay awake every single night till God knows which hours. Important to know: - You can link your credit card to your ship card and then don't have to worry about payment. - They have totems now, so you can book your excursions there. - Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly and without any crowds and problems. I will definitely travel with Costa again! Read Less

This cruise was a result of our excellent 2015 Grand European River cruise. We were impressed by the excellent service and attention to detail that is Viking's legacy. We decided to go on the Baltic cruise because of the reviews and responses from other Viking cruise passengers. We felt as though this cruise changed us from cruise passengers to members of the Viking family. As such, we have booked another cruise to the British Isles this summer to celebrate our 52nd anniversary. This cruise was beyond excellent. We experienced Iceland for five days before the cruise and that in itself was a remarkable experience. Viking booked us into the Canopy by Hilton right in the "old town" portion of Reykjavik. This hotel was fantastic as it was in the heart of all major sights and it the accommodations were impeccable. While in Iceland the Viking arranged tours provided us with an exciting view of the country; from the geothermal grid to the calming Blue Lagoon. After the smooth Iceland Air flight to Bergen we easily cleared through the airport with the assistance of the arrival Viking personnel. Our embarkation was very smooth and took very little time all because of Vikings' pre-planning. Our luggage was quickly transferred from the airport baggage pickup to our cabin without incident. The baggage transfer is a welcome event especially for senior travelers like us. Our cabin on the Viking Sky was comfortable and over the top with personalized service. We had plenty of storage space for our clothing and the balcony was perfect for early morning coffee while still in pajamas. We especially enjoyed the great food in the Dining Room. It was always prepared to perfection and was attractive on the plate. The Dining room and Buffet were always spotless and the attendants were plentiful. Service was great. We especially enjoyed Vikings policy of open seating which allows you to meet and enjoy other guests. This enabled us to develop friendships and collectively we decided to book another cruise in 2020. The on board entertainment was perfect for this type of cruise. The cruise historian was packed full of knowledge but started out as though it was a detailed college lecture. On the next presentation her briefing was spot-on with helpful regional history. She made our trip more interesting. We went on all of the included excursions and they were excellent. St. Petersburg was different as you could not just walk off the pier without a visa. We booked three additional tours beyond the included to see Peterhof Palace, The Hermitage and the Metro on Foot. These tours were excellent and gave us the chance to experience the Russian culture. While on Russian tours we were under the guardianship of the tour guide who made sure we did not drift away from the group. But even with these hindrances Russia was a beautiful visit. All of the other included tours were well planned, timed perfectly and was hosted by competent guides. It was very satisfying to know that Viking was taking care of you in each port city whenever you would see the red canopy hosted by helpful Viking guides. We were in Europe thirty some years ago to celebrate our boys graduating from college. Since we were unable to get there to see the wall coming down we purposely scheduled the train excursion to Berlin. This trip was a long day on the train but it got us right into Berlin to see all of the important sites. Our city tour by motor coach enabled us to see the major buildings and then it dropped us at the Brandenburg Gate. We were able to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Check Point Charlie, and other major sites of interest.There was plenty of time to see Berlin and our train trip back to the Viking Sky was comfortable. This excursion to Berlin was perfectly planned by Viking. Viking takes this worry off your shoulders in cruise selection by allowing us to make all arrangements well in advance of the cruise sail date. Exceptional service, attention to detail and a high level of luxury are some of the major reasons we will return to Viking for all of our future cruises. Read Less

Fellow passengers were very friendly and the staff catered to our every need as if we were the only ones on the boat. The tours were run amazingly well considering the combined logistics of boats buses and hydrofoils connecting with each other seamlessly. There was little waiting or downtime. The tour guides were energetic entertaining and informative. They knew their stuff and enjoyed imparting their wisdom. The ship was immaculate and maintained fastidiously . The same can be said for the buses. The food on the ship was wonderful and without limitation. The coffee was not particularly to my taste but I guess you can’t have everything . I indulged on the steaks of which I truly enjoyed. On final departure we were surprised and delighted by members of the Viking staff walking us through the check in at the Copenhagen airport turning what is sometimes a confusing experience into a pleasant one. Its details like this that want to make sail with Viking again. To be totally honest l have to offer one small criticism - the maps of the ports of call issued by the concierge were pretty useless but we always managed to find a good one in the respective towns. All in all it was a great trip. Dw Read Less

We've been cruising with Disney before RC, and even considering the fact that Disney is much more expensive, it left us with a feeling that it was much better, especially in the food, entertainment, and general feel ( there were 2 big spots of rust in the indoor pool on Serenade). Even the free food court (near the pools) in the Disney Dream was much better. What I found most irritating the design of the beds, that for some reason are half arched toward their end, so if you are a tall person like myself ( 1.92 meters) , if you sleep with legs stretched, you ankles will be outside the bed. I was told it is the same in all RC ships, and it was not comfortable at all. The RC app is a very good idea - too bad it doesn't always work in the real world and needed many restarts during the day. We tried specialty drinks ( 1 coffee, 1 alcoholic and one mocktail) , the mocktail was good but the other terrible especially for the price of 12$ before 18% tip. Quality of food in main dining room - 7/10 Main dining room service 10/10 Quality of food in Windjammer (buffet) 7/10 Service at Windjammer 9/10 The specialty restaurants (extra charge) Chops Grille (American, Meat) Giovanni's Table (Italian) 10/10 If you get a discount, you should try these. The food is noticeably better than in the main dining hall. Breakfast in Windjammer - tends to be very very busy, and it takes some times to find a place to seat. Guest services staff 10/10 Service was terrific! All staff members tried to help and find solutions, smiling, positive. Service - We got Alemao and Dehiby as waiters in the main dining hall, and Ikomang as room attendant. They were all excellent 10/10 and we gave them an extra tip. Staterooms - very clean, but design feels outdated (and uncomfortable as mentioned) Entertainment - 8/10 Daytime Activities (Rock Climbing Wall, Mini Golf, Dance Classes, Pool Side Events, Contests, Enrichment Classes, Lectures,etc.) 7/10 Arcade - very small arcade, with around 20 machines. It was deserted when I visited it during rainy days, and it was July (many kids on board) General : * I wish they would state the names of the cruise piers in each destination in advance, as it might lead to confusion when you tour by yourself. * The cruise felt like it was best for the adult crowd, less for families with children. *Embarkation - Swift and easy. Leaving the ship on disembarkation was also a very fast process, while in Disney it took a long while. *Duty free or not, the shops on the ship changes the stock everyday, but the prices are pretty expensive. I saw there a Russian chocolate they sold for 7 Euros, found it was sold for 2 Euros in St.Petersburg. * The Itinerary is pretty good, since the cruise began and ended in Stockholm and that enabled us to visit the city for a total of 5 days. The stops in Tallinn, Visby and Helsinki were too short (last boarding time 15:30 to 17:00), but those city are much less to offer than Stockholm. St.Petersburg is a marvel - try to book a cruise that docks there at least 1 night (equals 2 days in the destination). Read Less

We had heard from friends and read reviews about Viking Ocean cruises. I wanted to go to Norway and visit my cousins I had never met after the cruise ended in Bergen. I also love the history of Russia so we thought the Viking Homelands cruise was the best for us. And all came true for us. We loved our Explorer Suite. We did have our cabin steward remove a couple of chairs. He was amazing and made our trip exceptional along with many other staff members. Including Omega our favorite bartender, he kept us well medicated! We do like the fact there are no children, no casino, no photos etc. The food was amazing. We have four friends we had told about our trip and how special it was on Viking and now they are going to be sailing with Viking on the Homelands cruise this Spring 2020! We just returned from a Princess 15 day Panama Canal cruise and it confirmed our love of Viking Ocean. We are looking forward to our first Viking River cruise Budapest to Amsterdam Grand European Tour April 8 to April 22 on Viking Lif. This is our 50th Wedding Anniversary trip. Explorer Suite 341. Read Less

We had done the Grand European River Cruise in 2018 and we were so impressed with Viking that we decided to try one of their ocean cruises. We liked the itinerary of the Nordic Homelands cruise and it did not disappoint. Every port was a great experience and the included tours brought each city to life with information about their history. We spent an additional 5 days in Stockholm before the cruise and felt like we got the chance to do most everything we wanted to do. It was pouring rain and windy on the day we boarded the Viking Sea, but they met us with umbrellas at our taxi and got us quickly under a tented area for check in, which took only a couple of minutes. All the staff onboard were exceptional! The staff that checked you in and out at each port knew our names within the first couple days and would welcome us back with huge smiles! The cabin stewards were so sweet and attentive and the dining staff could not do enough for us! Great crew! Read Less

We chose this cruise because, during a previous World Journey cruise, we were told that the Baltics was where we should go next. We have found that, even though we think we are well traveled, those we spoke with on that cruise made us feel we never left our state. The reason that we keep coming back to the Azamara Journey is because of the intimacy of the experience. The crew continues to make us feel like family. Under the direction of Heike Berdos, they perform flawlessly. Nothing is a problem, but rather a pleasure and a challenge to keep raising their individual bar of excellence. The food was spectacular as normal. We ate in the specialty restaurants most nights, but enjoyed the outdoor grill on a regular breakfast. The Butler service with afternoon canapes and morning breakfast was deal winner for us. There is a "Best of the Best" dinner that shows the imagination of Chef Iwan made the cruise special. Probably the thing we loved the most is the small size of the ship and how we were able to dock only a couple blocks from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. We saw the other ship docked very far away from city when we visited Peterhof. I would not like that experience. We will be on again in November after drydock and anxious to see what other improvement they have made. Read Less

We wanted to see Saint Petersburg and experience many of the cities included on the trip. Viking has a great reputation, and our experience more than supported this. The historical significance of all the cities, the friendly people, the great onboard talks and wonderful shore excursionsall set the stage for a fabulous experience. We made new friends and had a fantastic time. Truly the experience of a lifetime! The food was fantastic, the service was impeccable. Our cabin was spacious and well maintained. The crew were delightful. All of the varying on board experiences were worth checking out. The dining options were great! Boarding and disembarking were handled smoothly. There were a variety of large group experiences and the option for more intimate settings. The pool spa and fitness center were outstanding. Each port had something unique to offer. Visiting Berlin was amazing, Gdansk and Talon were wonderful and interesting. Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and all the Norwegian ports were amazing. Unbelievable beauty and cultural experiences characterize these ports. The onboard planetarium was outstanding, and afternoon tea was not to be missed! Read Less

We chose this cruise as a great way to explore the Baltic region and we certainly achieved that aim....The tours and lectures meant we returned home having seen and learnt so much! From arrival at Stockholm to the departure gate at Bergen we were looked after very thoughtfully. The senior officers were ever present and available to talk to. A small niggle about the buffet was picked up by an attentive Restaurant Manager and dealt with professionally and personally by the Head Chef. The food throughout was excellent,we enjoyed both speciality restaurants and found it easy to make extra bookings once on the ship. Viking Sea is beautifully designed with lots of interesting artwork and understated Scandinavian style. The lectures we either attended or caught up with on the cabin t.v were all relevant and interesting/ thought provoking. There was more entertainment than we expected, we particularly enjoyed the 2 guest shows by Mary Jess and the resident Viking band and singers. The musicians who entertained in many of the public areas were very accomplished. We took several of the included tours, some were better than others but all gave us an introduction to the area which we were able to follow up independently at most destinations, often aided by the complimentary shuttle bus. After reading reviews we opted to use Alla tours in St Petersburg. They were excellent and I have no hesitation in recommending them. We chose not to take a tour in Berlin instead taking the included morning trip to Rostock and then occupying ourselves in Warnemunde (a local seaside town with a long sandy beach and promenade,interesting waterfront and lots of little shops,cafes ) A day well-spent. We were lucky to enjoy good weather throughout which always helps although strong winds in Gdynia meant we were unable to dock that day, an extra day at sea was easily occupied. If you decide to take this cruise I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Read Less

My wife and I had never taken a cruise before but were always intrigued by the ads for Viking. We never thought a cruise was something we would enjoy but we called Viking to ask some questions. Our agent, Roman O’Brien, was very helpful and convinced us that Viking was the cruise for us. I think the most important things for us was the small number of passengers, no gambling, no children and no photographers. We booked the Viking Homeland cruise on the Viking Sea for May 2019. After booking the cruise we experienced their web site. It is one of the most professional sites I have used. All the information was there and it made our planning very simple. We booked our own flights but booked with Viking to pick us up at the airport when we arrived as well as transporting us to the airport when the cruise was over. Upon arriving on board, a member of the housekeeping staff introduced himself and walked us through everything in the cabin. Every time we saw him and his partner during the cruise they would greet us and call us by name. Soon we found that when we went to dinner the maître d' also greeted us by name. We soon realized that staff was treating us like royalty everywhere we encountered them. Our cabin was like new when we returned from a shore excursion or an outing. If we ever needed something the answer was always yes. Again, they treated us like royalty. All of the shore excursions were fantastic. Viking did an amazing job of coordinating everything. We were informed each night of all the events for the next day. And there was virtually no waiting in line disembarking and embarking for shore excursions. That had been one of the horror stories we heard from friends on their cruises. Again, one of the great things about the Viking Sea cruises is the limited number of passengers (950). The only time we had to wait in line was returning from Berlin. The majority of passengers went on that excursion so it was understandable that it would take time going through customs. One of the exciting things about that excursion was that Viking rented a train for us to travel to and from Berlin. On the ride back they offered refreshments, beer and wine. And when we arrived back to the ship, the whole crew was there, forming a runway for us, to welcome us back home. The onboard dinning was like eating in a 5-star restaurant. Every meal was unparalleled and the service was excellent. Another great thing about the meals was that they always had selections on the menu relating to the country we were visiting. All the restaurants were first class. We ate twice in the two alternative restaurants, The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, which were available at no extra charge. Another wonderful benefit on Viking Sea cruises. The entertainment was very good and the “Port Calls” each day prepared us for the excursion as well as historical insight. There was something for everyone. Finally, I would like to summarize our trip by saying we had one of the best adventures of our lives. And being treated like royalty was icing on the cake. We had such a good time we recently booked our second cruise on Viking. Read Less

Viking does it right. We had a wonderful cruise sailing the Baltic Sea! Even on a full sailing the ship never felt very crowded. EMBARKATION- Super smooth. Rep at Stockholm airport and they put us in a private transfer to ship. About 45 minute ride. On ship in a minute after arrival Stockholm- Took included tour. Bus tour around city with quick photo stop at city hall. We then went to Vasa Museum on our own which is highly recommended. Viking provided a complimentary shuttle back to the ship every half hour from in front of the opera house. QUICK TIP: If departing from Stockholm in the morning, get up for the sail away. We left at 5:00am and the first couple hours of cruising we just idyllic St. Petersburg- We did the included bus tour with short stops at Church of Spilled Blood and St. Isaacs Cathedral. We also did the Canal Cruise which was a little disappointing. We really enjoyed the actual canal cruising but that only lasted 1 hour of a 5 hour shore excursion. The rest of the time was spent inside the 2 aforementioned churches. For $100 a person we would have enjoyed more time cruising the rivers QUICK TIP: BE VERY CAREFUL with your passport. If you lose passport you have to drive to Moscow to get a new one. Thousands of dollars and a missed cruise later you may have a story to tell but not one you want to have to tell Tallinn- This was actually our favorite port on the cruise. Such a well preserved Old Town really transports you back in time. The included tour is mostly walking with a short bus ride. We stayed on our own in the Old town area before catching the complimentary shuttle back to the ship Visby- A really surprising delightful island. About a 2 hour walking tour through the town. Loved seeing all the ruins. Highly recommended QUICK TIP: It is really windy outside the town walls. Once you get inside the walls it is more bearable Bornholm- Bus tour through the countryside with two 30 minute stops along the way in small fishing towns. We didn't particularly love this tour, although the countryside is really pretty there isn't much to see in the towns. There were amazing fields of yellow flowers in bloom. Copenhagen- 3 hour walking tour. Walk alongside the harbor to Little Mermaid statue, through Kastellet grounds, Amelienborg Palace and ending in Nyhaven area. This tour is pretty demanding and we were exhausted by the end of it. In reality you could just see these sights on your own at your own pace and with only one day in Copenhagen if I were to do it again that's what I would do. Shuttle service all day from near Nyhaven street. In the afternoon we went back into city and rented bikes. The city bikes (bycyclen white bikes) are a great way to see the city. Bike paths are everywhere so it feels pretty safe. Also they have electric engine assist which made it very easy to ride. About $3 per 30 mintues and there are stations throughout city to drop the bikes off- Highly recommended DISEMBARK- Smooth and helpful with staff everywhere assisting. The main downside is they transfer you to airport SOOO early. We arrived at CPH at 9:30am for a 1:30pm flight. The checkin counter didn't even open until 11:30am. Just be aware if you book transfers with Viking you will get there way too early, but I guess its better than the alternative. Dining- We thought the food was excellent overall. We ate most meals in world café because we enjoy the convenience of picking a little of everything. We did have 5 meals in the specialty restaurants and each was a very special experience. Manfredis was probably our favorite venue but beware portions are huge and room is loud. Chefs table is a much quieter environment with 4 course food/wine pairings. Don't miss Mamsens waffles in Explorers Lounge! The only item that was disappointing throughout the ship was the brewed coffee. It was awful. We ended up getting lattes and cappuccinos from the Viking Living room bar on Deck 1 each morning. Those were very tasty. Entertainment- Don't expect large productions but there was some performance each night. Our favorites were the Russian dancers who came onboard as well as two opera singers in Russia as well. If you don't make it out in St. Petersburg to see a ballet or other show its nice that Viking brings that local entertainment to you. Also Cruise director Bevin had a performance one night which was outstanding. The 4 piece singing group was just ok. Production was a little bit cheesy at times. Ship- Perfect size ship. Never felt crowded. Weather was nice so we enjoyed some meals outside on pool deck. Also be sure to go to Spa for steam room and ice room. Work out those sore muscles. Hope this review helps those considering this itinerary. You really cant go wrong with Viking and we keep coming back to this cruise line for the amazing food, attentive service, long times in port, no screaming kids and plenty of space onboard to relax and enjoy family and friends Read Less

This was my second criuse with Viking. Did Grand European Tour that was a river cruise and wanted to try an ocean cruise. Baltic cruise was very interesting with many ports of call. Just seeing how other cultures live will open your eyes.Viking does cruising the best! Always attentive and best value for the money. No hassle vacation. Everything included, you just have to show up. Food is amazing, great quality and variety. Staff are great and go above and beyond. Ship is comfortable with plenty to do. You won't be bored. Entertainment is professional quality. One performance received a standing ovation! Staff said this was a first for them but it was well deserved. You get front of the line to every side trip. We never waited. VIKING's passenger capacity is lower than the big ships which I like as you get to know the crew and make friends. You are catered to. You have to try Viking, either a river cruise or ocean cruise. You won't be disappointed, promise! Can't wait to go again! Read Less

we have cruised with Silversea 6 times. This cruise to the Baltics was outstanding. Stockholm, Helsinki,St Petersburg, Talinn Estonia were fabulous but Mariehamn was weak but allowed us to rest. The newly reconstructed Silver Spirit was beautiful & excellent, food was excellent & better than ever but no change of menu all week in Atlantide and Indochine so we just chose different entrees for variety. La Terraza was spectacular. We had issues with the Silversea booked air; American Airlines cancelled our flight so we traveled the next day and missed our prepaid hotel in Stockholm. After speaking with Silversea, they stepped up to the plate and assisted us for our loss.We have booked 4 additional Silversea cruises and can't wait to rejoin the ship.Service was outstanding. A perfect cruise once we got to the ship.The ship is a great size with under 600 guests. Nice chocolate desert buffet at the pool on the last evening with a great DJ. The chocolate was to die for. We do not care for the entertainment but I live in Las Vegas so I am spoiled with the world's best; I do not cruise for the weak shows. Great singers but boring shows--opera, tenors, corny productions, 1940-1950's is not my thing. Give me classic rock.They need to get into current times with the shows. Read Less

We chose this cruise because I wanted to cruise the Baltic Sea and my husband doesn't like big ships. I hadn't been on silversea before but I liked the itinerary and the cruising dates. My sister and her husband joined us. They thought the pricing was rather high and they didn't want to dress for dinner. However I convinced them it would be worth the cost and effort. After booking I was second guessing my decision because I found the SilverSea travel agent really shockingly terrible. He didn't return my phone calls or emails. I only spoke to him when I was lucky enough to reach him directly by phone. I was absolutely appalled. He never returned my sister's emails or phone calls either. Also I read some bad reviews on the chat line. Happily the cruise was fabulous in almost every way. The service was superb! Our suite was large, clean, functional and beautiful. We loved every restaurant and lounge. The decks were fantastic and the entertainment was outstanding. We had a great time in every port. The only area that didn't measure up were the SilverSea excursions. They could definitely have been much better. For example, not one of them had headsets and the groups were too large not to have them. That wasn't the only problem but I'm going into details on that. Luckily, we booked Alla Tours in St Petersburg which was excellent. Read Less

After a disappointing cruise with Celebrity in 2014, we vowed we wouldn’t cruise again in a hurry. Our faith in cruising has now been restored again thanks to Viking Sun! We embarked on the Viking Homelands cruise with friends in Stockholm for 14 nights. The embarkation process was a breeze & the staff very welcoming & friendly. Viking Sun is a very stylish ship. The Scandi styling throughout is very timeless, elegant & appointed with beautiful artworks. Our penthouse veranda room was very comfortable indeed & we enjoyed a fully stocked bar fridge which was topped up daily. We also enjoyed having access to laundry facilities on each deck with detergent included. The entertainment was fantastic...an energetic young & talented group who performed in the main theatre & a trio of musicians who performed throughout the ship on a daily basis. The cruise director Bevan was also a very talented performer & was very high profile in all facets of his role which was great. We enjoyed dining in all the restaurants. We particularly enjoyed The Restaurant, Manfredis & the Chefs Table. All of the food & beverages were of a very high quality & the staff were fantastic with impeccable service. There are some beautiful public areas on this ship, namely the Wintergarten, The Explorers Lounge, the Spa & around the main pool. I particularly enjoyed a Nordic Spa Experience one evening in which a group was shown the correct way to use the sauna & snow grotto onboard ...it was so envigorating! We did the included Viking shore excursions at most ports which we found to be a great introduction to each port destination. We did two paid excursions...the 2 day Ultimate St Petersburg & Lübeck & Wismar. These were fantastic excursions with amazing meals & guides, we were very well looked after. On previous cruises we have tired of continually being touted to spend more money in specialty restaurants & beverage packages etc. Cruising with Viking is a truly relaxing experience & it’s great that all is prepaid beforehand. There are no gimmicks on board, namely casinos & art auctions. It’s no wonder Viking is so highly rated...we found this cruise to be faultless. In our opinion they’re a hard act to beat! Would totally recommend Read Less

We chose this cruise after taking a lovely and memorable river cruise with Viking. We had wanted to visit the Baltic countries on this itinerary. We were taken care of from the time we arrived in Stockholm until we checked into the airport in Bergen. The cruise on the Baltic was as smooth as the river cruise. This surprised us, as we had been on a previous Caribbean cruise (not a Viking cruise) that was quite rocky. The Sun and it’s crew was spectacular! The ship design and artwork were stunning and the cleanliness impeccable. The staff, to a person, was positive, professional and personable. The hiring, training and quality assurance of personnel is top notch. The staff were a team that handled themselves with a high level of friendly decorum. We ate our lunches on the Aquavit and found the food options to be plentiful and delicious. I loved the salad and salmon choices and my husband loved the meat, pizza and pasta selections. The freshness and taste of the food did not fail to delight. We often frequented the sushi bar as appetizers with early evening cocktails- heavenly! The choices for dinner in the Restaurant were plentiful and delicious. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Chef’s Table (paired wines with each course) and Manfredi’s (Italian perfection). The many areas of the ship made the ambiance relaxing and personal. We enjoyed both the infinity pool and outdoor seating on warm days and the enclosed pool area on cool days. We loved the coffee/espresso/ cappuccino machine availability 24/7. Yes, I am a coffee fanatic! We enjoyed evening cocktails in Mamsen’s- beautiful live music and ocean views. Our stateroom was lovely. It was cleaned twice daily -when we left in the a.m. and at turndown while we were at dinner. The bathroom was spacious with drawer space for personal items. The bedroom had ample plugs for phone/iPad charging and two barrel chairs for sitting. The private balcony with table and chairs was sweet for watching the world go by. My only minor comment is that the drawer space was very shallow and hanging space limited for 2 people. Truth: I bring a lot of clothes. I appreciate the fact that there are washers and dryers and irons/ironing boards on each floor with detergent -included without extra charge. I have never felt so wonderfully indulged as I did on this cruise. Yes, we booked our next Viking Ocean cruise before we left the Sun! Read Less

Loved the itinerary. Viking Sun is a beautiful new ship with fabulous service, food, and included excursions. We loved the fact that there were fewer passengers. It wasn’t a cattle car that other larger cruise lines have. We loved not having young children running down the hallways like other cruise lines. No children under 18 are allowed. Highlights were the optional excursions- St Petersburg Ballet. And Norway’s Flam Railway. We loved the fact that everything is included. Such as fine wines and beers for lunch and dinner. Other cruise lines charge per soda, water bottle, glass of wine or beer. The staff are super hard workers who are very nice and friendly. The spa was beautiful and it was such a wonderful experience to treat myself to a massage and facial. Our cabin was super clean, quiet, and comfortable. We loved the heated bathroom floor. I look forward to taking another Viking Ocean cruise. Read Less

I chose this cruise because there were many different ports and countries - and it included places we have never been like St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Helsinki, Berlin, Gdansk. The service was OVER the top! Everyone went out of their way to make our cruise memorable. And although I was worried about seasickness in the Baltic, the sailing was perfect. Our cabin was much larger than we have had on other cruises and very comfortable. The ship was just immaculate as well. The many dining options offered so much variety - and the specialty restaurants do not incur an additional charge for a real gourmet treat! There were always things to do as well - use of the spa facility also did not carry an additional charge, and we loved the experience of "Nordic bathing." There were many enrichment lectures, activities, and fabulous entertainment that rivaled anything we have seen on Broadway! Read Less

We travelled on a cruise for the first time so we did not know what to expect. I would like to give advise to people who are in the same situation. We booked the Baltic cruise through Tallin, Helsinki and St Petersburg. I was nervous about the fact that I have never been on a cruise and I might get seasick. Luckily, we had great weather and the sea was calm. We were told that this is mostly the case on this route. You might feel the vibrations of the motor from time to time and on the bow (front) you feel the waves more than at the stern (rear). We booked a cabin with a balcony which is totally worth the price difference to see the beautiful Stockholm archipelago in the morning when you sail out and sunbathe away from the crowded pools if you enjoy your peace and quiet. We booked the non-alcoholic drink package but soon realized that for 2 persons 40 drinks were too much. Since you are out on most days and water is available all along the cruise. We kept drinking sugary mocktails, which were delicious but surely not very healthy. Also, the prices of the regular cocktails and drinks are not too high, with a bottle of wine starting at 20 Euros during dinner and a mojito costs 7,50 Euros. In summary, I would not get a drink package at all, unless you like to get drunk and party every night. The food quality at the buffet is reasonable but it gets pretty full, so the option for a quiet dinner on your table is great, although the selection is limited and you need to dress up a little. Be aware of the dress codes: There is a forrmal dinner, a white night and a Gala dinner and although not everyone in the cruise follows, it is nice to fit in during seated dinners. In my experience, staff were extremely friendly and the service was great (we ordered breakfast in the cabin on the departure day and had it on the balcony as we cruised out of Stockholm) We had the impression that most staff look happy, which gives you a good feeling. We did experience a couple of angry guests on the other hand, shouting at the customer service staff. If you do not like criowds or screaming children, there are many ways of avoiding them. The ship is so big, you can alsways find a quiet spot on one of the decks. There are many first-timer traps that are easy to fall into: The photographs, the souvenirs, the overpriced tours, the drinks and the spa. If you are sailing in nice weather, you don't need the spa. It is tiny, dark and the sauna and steam bath are separate for men and women, so if you are a couple you cannot share the experience. There are six jacuzzis and three swimming pools, two without loud music, you can enjoy without extra payments. The spa does not have a pool, only two indoor jacuzzies and a tiny relaxing area indoors. In Tallin and Helsinki do not book tours nor use the hop on hop off buses, you can take public transportation to the center of the cities which are easy to walk along if you are used to touring on your own.In St Petersburg we took the Costa tour, it offers some advantages, such as the fact that they wait for you if you are a bit late to come back,which might happen since the traffik is so unpredictable. You also feel very safe in the bus and during the tour. You might choose to take a tour on your own, bit it is necessary to have a visa from the Russian authorities to disembark without a booked tour. In all, Costa Magica was a pleasant experience and we would like to travel again on a different route some other time. Read Less