We chose the Viking Ocean cruise because we had done two Viking river cruises which were exceptional. So we were expecting the same on an ocean cruise. Not to be, alas!
The ship itself, Orion, about 8 months old , is very well decorated and spacious.
Our room , a penthouse suite with veranda, suited us perfectly: spacious and lots of drawers.
The bed was not comfortable: hard as rock. ...
Chose this cruise for the destinations, which were wonderful.
Ship was very clean and overall staff very friendly and attentive. Speciality Restaurants were of a very good standard. Spa was excellent. Entertainment shows were very good. Live music being played during day and evenings in Main Foyer was repetitious.
Main Dining was at times “ hit and miss”. Felt they had skimped somewhat ...
About the Reviewer: I’m a mid-30s male who cruised solo. I used the Explorer of the Seas as a vehicle to leisurely get home after intense touring in Australia and New Zealand. This was supposed to be my second non-charter Royal Caribbean sailing but my first one on the Radiance to go around New Zealand was cancelled (April 6 departure). Overall, this was my fourth Royal Caribbean cruise with the ...
The ship was nice. We have sailed on her Sister the Navigator and we love this class of ship. However the refit in areas wasn't so great. The entertainment was shockingly awful in the theater however the Ice show in Studio B was simply incredible! The cabin was fantastic I couldn't have asked for more and our steward was one of the nicest men you could ever wish to meet. The Dining was fantastic ...
We decided to take a slow and indulgent route back to Canada from Australia and this cruise seemed perfect...and in general it was. Embarkation was quick and easy and the crew very welcoming. The ports were excellent with a great mix of culture thrown in for good measure. The dining experience was very good, thanks mainly to 2 very attentive waiters and a section manager who really seemed ...
It terminated in Seattle,which suited us,while the food and entertainment was in the most part good some of the entertainment sucked( Elton John and a comedian? )Graham Seymour was excellent doing a difficult job,shore excursions were handled well,the shops were good but there is only so much you can purchase,We were not happy with the ,in my opinion the underhanded charges for gratuities,at ...
We chose this cruise as we wanted to go to USA the long way round! It was a great cruise made better by the wonderful people we met, and got to know a little of, while aboard. 23 days sounds a long time, but the days flew by with trivia, great entertainment, interesting lectures - did I mention trivia - cocktails, quiet times, trivia!! The meals were great even if the "Windjammer" was ...
This cruise was on our "bucket list!" The ports in New Zealand and Australia that we did visit were good. We did run into a mechanical problem and were not able to sail to Auckland or Bay of Islands. This was unfortunate, but these things happen and I feel we were fairly compensated for the delay. We did spend an extra day in Napier and everything that could be done was done to make our extra ...
We thoroughly enjoyed the ports we visited, however we did encounter a few missed ports due to both weather conditions and a problem with the ship's starboard thrusters. Parts had to be ordered from Finland so we spent two days in Napier. Unfortunately Aukland did not have a berth to house the ship the next day so we returned to Sydney. We also missed the Bay of Islands stop.
The food on the ...
Our first HAL cruise, re-positioning from Sydney to Vancouver. The price was right and there were plenty of sea days which we like. Boarding was easy as there were quite a number of transit passengers that had boarded in New Zealand. Our first impression of the internal areas of the ship were 'Dull and Dark` with a capital D. It has an interior decor that just sucks up the light and makes ...