I have sailed with Viking on 10 cruises. I have wanted to sail on their new expedition ships and I have wanted to go to Canada. This was the perfect trip for that. I have to admit that getting there wasn't easy, since Air Canada cancelled my first flight and delayed my second one. I didn't get to Toronto until 9pm instead of 1pm. I wasn't able to get to the ship until 11pm. That's another ...
When Viking announced their new expedition ships and posted the Octantis itinerary in 2020, we wanted to be among the first to try this new experience. The itinerary from Toronto through the St. Lawrence Seaway, around Nova Scotia and ending New York appealed to us for several reasons. With the pandemic raging when we signed up, we liked the idea of staying within North America. We liked the ...
I love Viking! This was my third cruise withViking, a River Cruise “Amsterdam to Budapest”,Ocean Cruise “Into the Midnight Sun”, and this Expedition Cruise on the Octantis. I love the smaller ships, no children, thinking person’s cruise. The cruise on the Octantis was amazing. Being a research vessel. I loved visiting with the scientist on board and being in the lab. The excursions were varied and ...
We booked the three 7-day itineraries currently offered in the Great Lakes (21 days total). It was our first Viking cruise but will definitely not be the last! We have cruised extensively on other cruise lines (several of which were high end), and have to say that hands down Viking beat them all! We were made to feel like family each and every day.
We LOVED Octantis! Even though she is a ...
Due to the pandemic we wanted to cruise domesticly so we selected this cruise based on the published description which was very misleading. We booked a balcony which turned out to be a window . We booked an extended cruise. We were expected to change staterooms three times in spite of booking several months in advance. Viking did not have the permits to utilize the submarines or special boats in ...
This was just the second cruise with this itinerary and we loved the ports and especially the included excursions (the best we've had on four Viking Cruises). Unfortunately a major glitch was the departure time listed in my documents from Toronto which was listed as 10pm, About 12 people arrived at the port just as the ship was sailing away at 8pm!! Some of them had air booked by Viking which ...
We wanted to see more of the Great Lakes than we could by driving and this looked like the perfect opportunity. This cruise began in Toronto, with stops in Port Colborne, Point Pelee, Detroit, Alpena, Mackinac Island, ending in Milwaukee.
This was the largest passenger ship in the history of the Great Lakes and it received lots of attention from the media and those on shore.
Viking ...
What's not to like about a Viking cruise? This was my first cruise with Viking, and they did not disappoint. I was bit concerned about not being able to book dinner in the MDR or the one specialty restaurant for more than 2 nights, but then we found the World Cafe to be an excellent choice for every meal. And I usually avoid the buffet on major cruise lines. It was actually better than the ...
We wanted something different and didn't want a transatlantic flight. Our journey to the Great Lakes region fit the bill. It was so much fun watching the reaction of those on shore as we sailed by in our magnificent ship.
If you don't want to be immersed in an educational experience, this may not be your itinerary. The ship itself was so fascinating, as was the lab measuring microscope plastic ...