Every detail about the Homelands Cruise was planned and carried out to an excellent standard. The use of Viking Air made getting from my home city to the city of embarkation very easy. I was met at the airport and taken by transport directly to the ship on time for the first day of the cruise. Embarkation ran smoothly and efficiently. Departing the ship at the end of the cruise also ran smoothly and the transport to the airport was pre-arranged and on time. The stateroom was spacious and well maintained by efficient and friendly stewards. The restaurants and buffet served excellent meals with top notch service. The tours were well organized and there was minimal waiting or lining up to board transports or to enter/exit the ship. The tour leaders were knowledgeable, friendly, entertaining and helpful. The ship itself was spotless and inviting in all areas. The entertainment was excellent and the main theatre was very comfortable. I found the service in all areas of the ship to be excellent. Staff were willing to help and answer any questions. I highly recommend the Homelands Cruise on the Viking Jupiter ship to anyone who wants to see the Baltic Sea area of the world. Read Less

I chose the Viking Homelands Cruise, because Scandinavia was on my bucket list and I was impressed with Viking's ocean ships. I knew Viking's quality from 4 river cruises. The Jupiter is an amazingly beautiful vessel. Our cabin had amply storage and I enjoyed the balcony. The entire staff was outstanding. Onboard talent was impressive. We especially enjoyed the Elvis night. Food selections were excellent. Our only disappointment was that we could not get an additional reservation for Manifreds. We enjoyed the Explorer's Lounge each evening - very good bartenders and easy listening music from Matthew. There are so many options, you will never be bored on the Jupiter. The itinerary was very good and many options. Local guides were very knowledgeable. So many wonderful memories. Viking does a fantastic job making sure everything runs smoothly. I would recommend this cruise to everyone interested in visiting Scandinavia and the Baltic. Read Less

I love the quiet, relaxing and stress free cruise! No lines or waiting for anything at all! No photographers or kids running around made us Viking loyalist! The ship was the cleanest in the entire fleet. Our other cruises were no where near the quality of Viking. The excursions were top notch and we enjoyed every one of them! Thank you so much! The only problem we had was no entertainment. A guitar player or cello players were not interesting or satisfying. I think there should be a nightly show or different entertainment. Like the other cruises only on a smaller scale? My room stewards were so amazingly tipped them $200 each! I will take another Viking cruise soon! We enjoyed the ocean cruise better than the river cruises. We didn’t like the food at all on the river cruises. And the availability of food on the river vs the ocean, the ocean was much better! Read Less

Friends who had travelled on many cruise lines before suggested that Viking was now one of the top - so well worth considering if we wanted to cruise. The entire cruise and the staff who looked after us were superb. The ship never seems crowded / no queuing in the restaurants. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. More expensive than some other cruise lines but you only get what you pay for! The shore excursion guides were very knowledgeable but I did wish on occasions that we had been given more time to explore the various places by ourselves as in Nice and Monaco Perhaps not to have combined both places in one tour would have given us the additional time we should have liked to look around that particular place. The food on board was superb. Excellent choices and everything so perfectly presented whether at the buffet or service at the table. The wines offered as part of the all inclusive are of extremely good quality - so much better than one might have anticipated as a freebie! 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 trip was highly recommended by family and friends who had already been on this trip. It was everything they said it would be and more! The overall experience was world class exceptional! The visit to 8 countries and 11 ports was amazing. The tours were done by educated, experienced, well- spoken tour guides who provided a wealth of information. They gave us a glimpse of life for each country visited. There was a lot of fast paced walking so this trip is not for those with ambulatory issues. We loved every port and country we went to. The Viking ship, Sea, was the perfect size to get in and out of all the ports and waterways. It was beautiful and had much to offer. Our room was spacious, newly updated, great amenities and very comfortable. The food was world class. The variety of restaurant choices was perfect and each venue had great choices. The staff were very personable, funny, provided for every need. Allen and Dickie, our cabin stewards were exceptional at their job. They were very personable, respected our routine and privacy and provided what we needed. The entire shipboard staff were exceptional. I highly recommend using Viking Air to arrange flights. Perfect flight arrangements. Everything was well coordinated and organized from Viking. The trip was very costly but worth it! Read Less

The ship, Jupiter, was in its first year after commissioning in May. The Crew was wonderful in all aspects. The cabins were very comfortable and spacious with lots of storage for cloths and other items. We had access to a balcony which we used often while cruising between ports. We started the cruise in Stockholm for a pre-cruise stay at the Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel. A beautiful hotel in a very good location which provided us additional time and the expertise of Viking guides to see a wonderful city before we boarded the ship. The ship is outstanding! We so enjoy the open spaces on the ship the art and the special spaces for gathering through out the ship. The maximum number of passengers is in the area of 900 on a ship that could be out fitted for over 2,000. It is set up for adults for education and comforts to enjoy yourself. There are 4 different locations for meals every night which makes the meals very interesting. We loved the variety of food and the quality of service could not be matched. The education and entertainment was very good as were the lectures prior to our arrival in the ports for our on shore experiences. The included tours were very good and we decided to take 4 optional tours to enhance our experience in St. Petersburg, Russia; Berlin; Copenhagen, Denmark and in Stavanger Norway. We enjoyed the days with an outstanding guide at each location and would never have seen as much without the guide. St. Petersburg included a tour of the Heritage Museum, Peterhof's Palace and then to the ballet in the evening. The trip to Berlin from the port of Warnemunde, Germany was great. We were taken inland on a reserved train by Viking. The trip took about 2 hours and was very well done. You are with guides at all times who began the education about Berlin as soon as we boarded the cars. We were feed at very interesting places and had adult libations on the train on the return trip. When we arrived back at the port the entire crew was out on the dock to welcome us back with music and treats/libations. Great way to return! Copenhagen was an outstanding tour of both the Palace and Tivoli Gardens. We also had a wonderful time on the Pulpit Rock Cruise while on the a scenic cruise down the Lysefjord. Wonderful sights in a beautiful country. We were so excited with our experience with the ocean cruise we are now scheduled to take a 23 day cruise from Athens, Greece to Barcelona, Spain in the spring of 2021 and will be taking an other river cruise from Prague to Budapest in the fall of 2020. We are fans of Viking and are planning other cruises with them to Alaska and travel thru the Canadian Rockies. Read Less

Wanted to see a part of the world that we had never experienced and this seemed to satisfy that desire. We saw a lot of countries and experienced many cultures. Every port we stopped at was full of exciting places. We tried to become as informed as we could prior to each port and the cruise information and speakers certainly accomplished that for us, We also experienced an ethnic meal and entertainment to go along with the country. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The wait staff made us feel like they were serving us in a first class way. We enjoyed the restaurant for most every meal rather then the buffet. Viking provided us with the info we needed to get to our embarkation site from the airport and disembarkation to the airport, We attended many of the activities and entertainment on the ship and enjoyed very much. The excursions were to our satisfaction and not overtaxing to our level of energy, Read Less

The Norwegian Spirit was our first Norwegian cruise. My husband and I usually cruise with Princess or Celebrity. When I saw this wonderful itinerary for the Baltic with so many ports, we decided to book it. When we arrived on the ship we were taken aback how dated it was. The decor, colors and public restrooms were all very very dated. The spa was decorated with Egyptian style decor. Having sailed on some of the newer ships, this is the worst ship we have ever been on. In speaking with the staff and other passengers, it is supposed to go into dry dock in January 2020. CABIN: We had a balcony room on the 10th floor and the main problem was the toilet not flushing, The bathroom was extremely dated and very tight. Having sliding doors on the shower and toilet area gives you less space. Our main problem with this room was the toilet not flushing. I had to call guest services no less than 6 times. The plumbing was a major issue. On a cruise that was a total of 16 days, the first 12 days we had to guess whether the toilet would flush or not! Finally they sent a plumber over to change a part. Then the toilet would not stop flushing for 3 or 4 times until it finally stopped. Very frustrating. The "balcony" was small and the floor was dirty. Staterooms are small on ships and other than the bathroom toilet fiasco, the room was average. BTW: trying to get a wake up call was impossible. They said it was not working. Trying to call someone about the toilet was also very frustrating because no one answers the phone. TELEVISION: Absolutely terrible. Norwegian Cruise advertisements constant on numerous stations. Cruise Directors usually have a show that updates everyone on upcoming and past activities. This cruise had the worst tv show by far. Plus the stations were limited or would scramble. Sometimes they had BBC, always had MSNBC and a few movies that were rotated in French, English and Spanish. On past cruises they have movies in the theater and on tv. Lots of choices for entertainment on board....not this cruise. I had to get on my phone at shore to see what was going on in the world. ENTERTAINMENT: We were not impressed with the entertainment on this cruise EXCEPT the Illusionist was excellent. The show Elements was really good though.It incorporated dancers and the Illusionist and acrobats who had previously performed. All the other entertainment was not up to par with other cruises we have been on. The singer at Henry's Pub was excellent. The live band in Galaxy and the Jazz band were all very good. The Theater shows at night were just ok other than the Illusionist. FOOD: The buffet was less than average based on other cruises. Very limited variety. The rice was always very dry. Meats over cooked and dry. Other cruises we would see a variety of cheeses and crackers, specialty items; designated area for pizza and burgers. The pizza looked like it was dry and just came out of a microwave. Breakfast was the same every single day. Poor variety and quality. We ate at all of the Specialty Restaurants and they were decent. Definitely Cagney's Steakhouse and Le Bistro were better choices than the dining rooms or the buffet. The Teppanyaki place was average. The prices for specialty dining are higher than on other cruises we have been on. If you are a foodie, you will be greatly disappointed. BARS: The bartender staff on this cruise was very attentive and it was always easy to order drinks. ACTIVITIES: This cruise had only one sea day and we were at a port nearly every day. Thus most people were too tired to get really involved in cruise activities. We went to the karaoke hour early on the cruise and there were 2 people. Bingo had to be cancelled several times because there were not enough people playing. The variety of "activities" was limited due to the port itinerary. SPA: I had a manicure/pedicure and was quoted $110. Once I got the bill I was told they made a mistake and it was actually $118. PLUS THEY CHARGE AN 18% AUTOMATIC GRATUITY on services. So I had to pay $138 for a mani/pedi. They also want to sell you products. The spa was really unattractive as well. I was not impressed with the prices, the service or the ambience of the spa. EXCURSIONS I wish they gave us more info in advance. Like you can pay for a shuttle to town at some ports. We bought excursions for every port. Some of the tour guides were excellent...some absolutely horrible. In Copenhagen we had a Guide whose native language was Spanish. No one could understand her. She really did not tell us anything about the area. That was a total waste of money. On several of the excursions we never were given time to shop or be on our own. Other cruisers told us they were frustrated with their excursions as well. LAUNDRY: There are no laundry facilities for the passengers on this ship. It is very expensive to have them do your laundry and it is charged by a per item fee. OVERALL: The Norwegian Spirit is an older ship in need of updating. Other cruisers told us they have been on many Norwegian cruises and the ships were great. Everyone basically agreed that we were not on this cruise for the ship. We were on it for the 15 day experience with one sea day to interesting ports. Overall experience for us was slightly below average. I would not cruise on the Norwegian Spirit again. 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

We’ve recently returned from a trip to Scandinavia that included the 22 night Majestic Fjords and Vibrant Russia cruise. We started the trip in Finland and southern Sweden before joining the cruise in Stockholm. We also extended the cruise with the Bergen to Oslo rail trip plus extra time in Oslo. There are things about the cruise that were very good. The boat is small, only about 900 passengers, and the decor is neutral (somewhere between modern Scandi and neutral high end nursing home). The gym and jogging deck were great and we made good use of them. The service is fantastic. Daisy and Ronal, who looked after our room, provided a higher standard of cleaning and organisation than any 5 star hotel I’ve stayed in (and I’ve stayed in a lot of 5 star hotels on five continents). There were a couple of experts who provided lectures and held post lecture discussions. Some of these were excellent. And travelling by ship gave us some spectacular views. There were things that fell short of our expectations. The food fell way short of my expectations. There are a number of dining options including the World Cafe, which is essentially a cafeteria, Mamsen’s, a cafe open at breakfast and lunch with a number of Nordic inspired options, The Restaurant, which is open for breakfast and dinner and is described as the premium dining option, Manfredi’s, an Italian themed restaurant, and The Chef’s table which offers a degustation experience. We had our first two meals, and indeed most of our meals during the cruise, in the World Cafe. I was quite shocked to see that the offerings included pasta and pizza kept warm under lights (probably reflecting my inexperience with cruises). The Cafe has plenty of options, some of which change from day to day, but generally the options were a bit ordinary and the steamed vegetables were invariably cold and soggy (I like to eat a lot of vegetables). We had one breakfast in The Restaurant and the food was okay but the service was chaotic. This was on our first morning on the cruise and my partner declared he wouldn’t have another breakfast there (a point he was willing to concede after two weeks of breakfasts in the Cafe). We also had a few dinners in the Restaurant and on each occasion some part of the meal would be okay to good but invariably other parts of the meal were substandard. Overall we felt it wasn’t worth changing out of jeans to dine in the restaurant. While we were offered two dates to dine in The Chef’s table, we only dined there once. Two of the courses were excellent, one okay and one unpleasant. The Mexican theme seemed a bit at odds with both the Baltic location and summer season. We cancelled our second dining option. We had a few breakfasts and perhaps five lunches at Mamsen’s but became bored with the food. We also had about seven meals in an additional dining option, The Pool Grill, but hot dogs and hamburgers weren’t really my idea of summer holiday dining and I pulled the plug on further meals at the Grill. We did have two meals at Manfredi’s and some of the courses were good but others not (my partner described them as cafeteria food delivered by a waiter). I should add that the coffee and tea on board are abysmal. A good point about the dining options was that there was seldom a wait. I can’t believe we paid $2,000/day for a cruise with such disappointing food. On top of the food, after booking the cruise that was inclusive of wine with lunch/dinner, we received an offer to upgrade our alcohol options at a cost of about $60/day for the two of us. I was so angry at the suggestion we pay extra just to have decent wine that I refused to consider it. All of the wine we had was drinkable but few wines were good. The logistics for the excursions were stunningly poor. A number of excursions required guests to meet in the theatre. On several occasions the wait in line and subsequent wait in the theatre, before disembarking, were more than 45 minutes. The line to get into the theatre went past lifts which mean people leaving the lifts were joining middle of the line, often to the audible concern of people further back in line who were afraid they would miss their excursion. The information for meeting onshore for excursions was often vague or downright wrong. This is frustrating, because it wastes precious time, and was actually quite stressful for excursions in Russia where the trip through immigration is quite intimidating. I’d add that on one occasion, early in our cruise, I asked a question of one of the more senior, public facing, staff about the meeting place for an excursion. Instead of answering me her reply was ‘didn’t you have an excursion yesterday?’. I’ve only fired a couple of people in my career but I’ve had fired her on the spot for that. I really resented, and on occasion was infuriated, every moment I spent waiting or following poor instructions. Viking needs to bring in design thinking and behaviour economic experts to work through these processes. I was also very aggravated that Viking didn’t contact us after the Sky’s incident off Stavanger earlier in the year and only replied to my queries when pressed and then with a really insulting response. Had we not paid for our cruise, I’d have cancelled, even though I’d have lost the deposit, because of the way Viking handled this. I can’t comment much on the entertainment because we weren’t interested in attending performances. Several times we encountered the pianist or the guitarist. Both were very talented but the easy easy listening selection they played held no appeal. I have a list of quibbles but my overall feeling is that Viking isn’t a luxury experience. It is aimed at middle America (and while I live in Australia, I grew up in middle America). I couldn’t recommend the cruise to anyone among our Australian family or friends without a lot of qualification (i.e. I don’t know anyone who I think would be happy with the cruise). It appears to me that Viking is trying to appeal to customers from a wider range of countries. I think they have a lot of work to do for that to be a success. I also don’t understand how they have been rated so highly as a luxury cruise. I suspect this is largely driven by the large middle American client base which biases feedback. For us, we have two or three holidays each year but I can’t imagine that we’d look at Viking again. 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 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

This ship is beautiful and always spotless.We have been on about 95 cruises, many different cruise lines and ships .I usually do not write reviews, but after reading a scathing review by someone who was on this ship for 3 months in Feb. 2019, I felt a few points should be mentioned. This person complained about everything, especially the staff, we had some issues but, we ALWAYS treat people with respect and never talk down to anyone. We departed the Viking Sun 5 days ago, I find it difficult to believe we were on the same ship. One morning we had breakfast in the Restaurant and the service for us was very slow. We kept getting coffee and danish but no entree until I spoke "nicely" to the head waiter(Tony), he immediately went into the kitchen to get our food.Tony kept apologizing and said this should never happen. Later that afternoon we went back to our room and on our table was a bottle of sparkling wine and 4 delicious chocolate covered strawberries.There was also a card apologizing for the bad breakfast service.Later at dinner I saw Tony again and shook his hand and thanked him, we always had great service after that. The food on this ship is not excellent all the time but, all the staff is, from the servers to the ladies in Guest services. This cruse is actually called Homelands and was 14 days.We loved our Penthouse veranda, and all the beautiful public spaces, this ship is a pleasure to sail on. I just wish we had more than 1 sea day.Cruise director Corrine Bach is a greatly talented person and also very nice. Read Less

Everything was wonderful! Did not want to get off!!!! Can't wait till our next one in Feb 2021!Everyone was wonderful entertainment was great!! Food marvelous enjoyed every dining experience = waiters were great they got to know you - the afternoon tea was not to be missed especially the little sandwiches - cabin crew was very very helpful in every way possible - they would go out of there way to make sure everything was just right in our cabin. Loved every minute!!!!! would recommend to anyone - Love the small ships - it was just the right size - always ample room everywhere we went - did not have to wait to eat - entertainment on cabin TV whenever you wanted - wish we had taken extra excursions in Russia so much to see so little time - ship is beautiful very well kept - bartenders were very helpful in every way - would not think twice about recommending Viking to everybody!! Read Less

We chose this cruise because it seemed like good value for money and was visiting some ports not previously visited. We boarded Costa Majestica in Genoa and from then their organisational skills or non organisational skills became evident. It took at least 4 hours to get on the ship with no regard for the elderly or disabled. The cruise was 28 days from Genoa to Stockholm. Most of the crew were not very friendly, the food was ok but always cold in the Buffet. Getting on and off the ship at most ports was a nightmare long ques along the ships passage ways or when coming back to the ship stretching hundreds of yards with people trying to push to the front which nearly caused some serious fights because of no crew supervision. Again with no regard for the elderly or disabled. Most of the shows and entertainment were in Italian ( which I suppose we should have known, an Italian ship leaving from Genoa). A lot of pre good excursions were cancelled because of the lack of English guides with some people having trouble getting their money back on some tours. We were also told by Costa that when filling in their feed back form only 9 or 10 score will be accepted for questions on the form or it will be discarded, Never agin will I sail. Costa. If anyone from Costa would like to contact me I would welcome it because no Costa represventive on the ship cared very much 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

My paternal great grandparents were born in Bergen, Norway and I've always wanted to visit their homeland. I have Swedish ancestry as well. We've done 3 river cruises with Viking and had wonderful experiences. So we were happy to see them expand into ocean cruising with the perfect sized and wonderfully designed ship. We extended our stay in Stockholm and Bergen which we enjoyed tremendously and would recommend that option, both or one! The hotel accommodations were very good and conveniently located. The Viking staff at the hotels were knowledgeable and helpful. Our experience on this cruise was awesome in every aspect. The staff in every area was friendly, experienced, helpful and professional. We especially loved Stockholm, Tallinn, Copenhagen and Bergen. All the ports of call were interesting. We could have spent less time in St. Petersburg with another day in most any other port. The shore excursions were well organized, interesting and informative. Viking definitely knows what they are doing. We appreciate the inclusiveness of their cruise package. You know what you are getting and are not nickel and dimed for this and that. We hope to travel with Viking again and will definitely recommend Viking to our friends! Read Less

This trip has most of the places on out bucket list. The ship was beautiful and super clean. The cabin was spacious and comfortable. The food was over the top delicious and varied. The crew went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and happy. The daily updates on our next port of call was extremely helpful. The entertainment was very good and not too crowed. The service at meals was excellent and friendly, they made you feel as you were the most important people on board, I don't know how they do that but they do. The shore excursions were informative and entertaining. The ship was very stable and we had a smooth sailing. The speciality breakfast in the Explorers lounge was absolutely incredible with original Norwegian Recipes. The artwork around the ship and displays were very interesting. I would go again and again if I had the time and money. Well worth the cost. 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

We chose this trip because we were running out of rivers. We have been on 9 river cruises and were not sure about an Ocean cruise but the Viking Homelands Cruise offered an opportunity to visit many new places. We were not sure about Ocean Cruising with so many more passengers but we are now hooked. We were amazed how comfortable we felt on the ship. You never felt that there were 930 people on board. There were so many places to relax and enjoy. By the second evening the bartender greeted us by name. We especially enjoyed the Explorers Lounge. The restaurant choices were great-many more options than on a river cruise and the food was excellent. The specialty restaurants offered diversity but the “Restaurant” was excellent and ended up being our favorite for dinner. The World Cafe was great for lunch and breakfast. There was never a line-a table could always be found. Viking does a great job but the shore excursions were the real treat on this cruise. They were all great but the Total St. Petersburg Package was absolutely wonderful. We had a great guide and the extra cost was well worth it. We have booked another Ocean Cruise with Viking.. Read Less

We have been on 9 river cruises, 6 with Viking. Since we were running out of rivers the Baltic Homelands Cruise offered an itinerary that appealed and we had always been happy with our previous cruises with Viking. We were not sure if we would like the differences entailed in Ocean Cruising but were extremely pleased with this trip. The first thing that impressed us was the comfortable feeling one had on the ship. All the public spaces were well done and you never felt uncomfortable or crowded. It was hard to believe there were over 900 people on the ship. Our stateroom was very comfortable and quiet and the staff did an excellent job of attending to our needs. We had easy access to the Explorer’s Lounge and by the second day the bartender greeted us by name and remembered our drink orders. The eating choices were great and we were able to experience them all. It was great to have room service some mornings to expedite getting ready for an early excursion. We enjoyed the speciality restaurants but loved the World Cafe for lunch and The Restaurant for dinner. Again, the staff was excellent. As great as the ship was, the best thing about this trip were the shore excursions. Except for the last day in Bergen the tours and guides were great. We were especially pleased with our 2 days in St. Petersburg. The Ultimate St. Petersburg tour was well worth the expenditure. The guide was exceptional and the ability to see so much in such a short period of time was great. This was truly the highlight of the trip for us. All in all a great trip and we are sold on Viking Ocean Cruises and have booked our next two trips with Viking. Read Less

My husband has Viking history in his family and he wanted to visit the Homelands of his family. We had an excellent trip, the food was amazing, the staff were so kind and accommodating, our cabin was always kept extremely clean and tidy, and the service was well done. The trips off the boat were well organized and we saw many places which were of interest to both my husband and myself. We both loved Saint Petersburg and walked around the city and enjoyed it very much. The activities that were offered were very good and we enjoyed our time doing them. The entertainment was excellent, well organized and thought out. All the public areas were kept very clean and the decks were kept in excellent condition. All in all we thought that the trip was good value for our money. I am sure we will travel with Viking again in the future. We have been on river cruises we them but this was the first ocean cruise, 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 chose the Marina because of the Baltic itinerary. We were not disappointed. The stops were wonderful. St Petersburg was the highlight. We booked three days with Guide-Guru Tours. My husband was skeptical, but ended up loving the personal attention. The tour days in St. Petersburg were the highlight of our trip. Our tour guide, Tatiana, knew how to avoid all the lines and get us through all the places effortlessly. She would go ahead, purchase tickets, and by the time we reached the entrance she ushered us in. She was an amazing guide and we had a very small group. Eight of us the first day, six the second and just my husband and I the third. I will never take a large group tour again after the wonderful experience we had. It is impossible to see the sights in and around St. Petersburg in a large group. We saw twice as much as many of our shipmates. An extra bonus was that booking through Guide-Guru cost less than half of what some other fellow travelers paid! We contacted them via the internet and set everything up months in advance. We were able to pay in US dollars which saved up some $$. The Marina is a wonderful ship. The crew bends over backward to make sure your needs are met. I did not see one crew member without a smile and an offer to help you in any way. The food is delicious especially in the specialty restaurants. My husband said he had never tasted such a delicious piece of roast beef as he had in "Jacques" ,and we eat at fine restaurants frequently. The ship is a perfect size, never any crowds anywhere. We booked a Concierge level room. There was a lounge and several bags of laundry were included in the price. Also, we were able to book our specialty restaurants a month before which I appreciated. I would book another cruise on this ship without hesitation. Read Less