This was my first cruise and it didn't disappoint. I chose a smaller ship because I wanted a more personal experience. Viking Octantis carries only about 368 passengers.
From the coffee shop to the sit down restaurant, the food was really great with an interesting variety of choices, many reflecting the culture of crew members.
The staff and crew operate in a culture of high quality service, ...
This is our third Viking sailing and it exceeded our expectations in every way. Our previous Viking experiences were on River ships in Europe that we enjoyed so very much, so this one was quite different, but just as fantastic as the others. The Octantis is a small ocean going vessel with only a 377 maximum passenger load. In this case apparently there were fewer than the full complement of ...
We chose this cruise and ship for the itinerary - Toronto to Fort Lauderdale. The ship is immaculate from top to bottom. But the best part of all is the crew and by the time you leave the ship you really feel like you belong to a big family. I have to mention the waiters: Alex, Tri, Kevin, Redy, Maria and Mariel. They were all outstanding (as were all the others). The officers from the top down ...
First, an explanation of the title of this review. We had a bad experience on a previous Viking cruise. We had decided to take this already scheduled cruise and then be done with Viking. To jump to the punchline, this cruise was so wonderful and so inclusive that we booked to additional cruises on board. One is an Ocean cruise and the other is another cruise on the Viking Polaris.
Embarkation ...
I live in Minnesota and often visit Lake Superior but also wanted to visit the other Great Lakes. I wanted to be out in nature and see the beauty of the areas. This cruise really provided that! Yes, we did visit several big cities such as Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Ohio, and Toronto Ontario which have some of their own beauty. But the vistas, the clean, fresh air of the islands was phenomenal! ...
I originally chose this particular cruise because I wanted to travel on the Octantis, and the pre-cruise extension to Killarney Lodge in Algonquin Park looked amazing. I also wanted to see Mackinac Island. Unfortunately, the pre-extension was changed - confusingly, to Killarney Mountain Lodge in Georgian Bay, but I opted to do the cruise anyway. I am very glad I did - the ship was wonderful and ...
We were Return customers to the Viking product. This Great Lake cruise was a wonderful voyage from Toronto to Milwaukee. The entertainment on ship was excellent and completely enjoyable. It was a wonderful 8 days. The housekeeping was excellent. The excursions were top notch. Mackinac island. The Henry ford museum. The tour of Detroit. All of the excursions were so well organized and very ...
We were interested in exploring this part of America. As always, the service and accommodations on the ship were great. It was a nice mix of visiting cities and the more remote areas of North US/Canada.
We liked the small towns mid trip and found the locals to be very friendly. Our trip to the spa for a massage and facial were very nice. I got up early each morning to get my walk in on the ...
Our initial booking with Viking was for the 'Romantic Danube Cruise' from Budapest to Regensburg Germany. We had to cancel due to a medical emergency for one of our travelling members. The (much appreciated) travel insurance refund actually funded 90% of this Stateside cruise!!! We had not visited any of the destination ports and the excursions offered - of which 95% were "included" - were ...
Where to start...what a wonderful experience. The Octantis is a beautiful ship and the crew was fabulous. The food was well prepared and varied. There is a small buffet (Mamsen's) in an area separate from the main buffet that focuses on delightful Norwegian dishes. We indulged in special soups at Mamsen's several afternoons after returning from shore. We booked a Junior Nordic Suite, which ...