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Returning to Viking Ocean Cruises, I discovered 4 things I hadn’t appreciated last time, making me rethink and reappraise Viking Ocean cruises. It had a big impact on my thoughts about if I would consider returning to cruise on them, and who I would recommend them to
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0:00
reading through the Viking daily program
0:02
for the very first day of my cruise it
0:04
let out to me over the next few days I
0:07
confirmed it Viking ocean Cruisers has
0:10
three issues and one big deal breaker
0:13
for most Cruisers that I not fully
0:16
appreciated on my very first cruise last
0:18
year I'm Gary bambridge welcome aboard
0:20
as I revisit Viking Cruisers with fresh
0:23
eyes the daily program on the cruise
0:25
7even night Venice to Athens was light
0:27
on activities especially vers other
0:30
Ocean Cruise Lines there was one
0:32
activity per time slot and none when the
0:35
excursions were out during the day and
0:38
the approach of the daily program
0:39
however felt very familiar it was just
0:42
like European river Cruisers which is
0:44
where Vikings started before launching
0:47
into ocean While most ocean lines make
0:49
much of offering a lots of variety lots
0:52
of choice leaving it up to us as guests
0:54
to pick con taylor our cruises Viking
0:57
don't they have a slim down tightly
1:00
curated an enrichment Focus program this
1:04
meant that as the cruise progressed it
1:06
was clear everyone was having pretty
1:08
much the same or very similar experience
1:11
as I was just like when I've been River
1:13
cruising a major contributor to this
1:16
shared and very consistent experience is
1:19
the Excursion included in every port
1:23
from what I could see pretty much
1:24
everyone went on them just again as they
1:26
do on River take for example in De brnik
1:29
there were over 20 groups going on the
1:32
same walking tour that very day on other
1:36
Ocean Cruise Lines there are myriads of
1:38
excursions with everyone going off doing
1:40
different things having different
1:42
experiences on Viking everybody does the
1:46
same thing they share the same
1:48
experiences even those people who went
1:50
out on the small range of added cost
1:52
excursions usually also did the included
1:55
tour before or afterwards we all saw the
1:59
same site
2:00
learned the same history and heard the
2:02
same facts about the ports and we all
2:05
spoke about it afterwards even when it
2:07
came to dining we also shared the same
2:11
experience all dining venues are
2:14
included including the two special
2:16
restaurants the chef's table five course
2:19
tasting menus and manf Freddy's which is
2:21
an Italian everyone's able to go to
2:24
these at least once and so everybody
2:27
does meaning we have another shed and
2:29
consistent experience of biking there's
2:32
another import from River cruising 2
2:35
River cruising runs very much as an
2:37
escorted tour W with structure and
2:41
constant guidance Viking ocean also felt
2:43
to me to be a guided almost
2:45
paternalistic experience versus other
2:47
Cruise Lines let me explain what I mean
2:50
they don't work through travel agents
2:52
they prefer to work directly with us as
2:54
passengers often and preferably by phone
2:58
they sell the cruise package with with
2:59
flights and transfers mostly and so they
3:03
guide and control much more of our
3:05
travel and travel experiences when I
3:07
arrived in Venice Airport to join the
3:09
cruise I've been set a sticker to
3:11
identify me as a guest and luggage tags
3:13
so I would be easily spotted coming
3:16
through security there was a sea of
3:18
Viking reps in the airport to guide and
3:21
assist us people to spot me coming
3:23
through people to check me in people to
3:25
whisk away the bags people to Shepherd
3:27
Me to the bus and so on the morning
3:30
announcements from the cruise director
3:32
was also much more detailed than on any
3:35
other line that I've been on with
3:36
explanations about what I needed to do
3:38
that day and what to expect even when I
3:41
switched on my television in the room
3:43
there was often a popup message
3:45
reminding me about something I need to
3:47
do that day like a survey to complete or
3:49
advice around things that I should be
3:51
taking out in Port and so on when we
3:54
head out on excursions there were
3:55
definitely more people to guide and
3:57
direct me onto the right bus give me
4:00
tips than on any other line I've been on
4:02
on the ship the crew to passenger ratio
4:05
feels really high and they were
4:07
extremely attentive they go out of their
4:09
way to help explain and importantly
4:11
again guide me through the cruise
4:14
somebody for example made a note in
4:15
their system that I don't drink alcohol
4:17
and then crew all around the ship were
4:19
constantly checking if something that
4:21
had alcohol in that had been cooked was
4:23
going to be acceptable another example
4:25
is around the co protocols they were the
4:28
only Cruise Line to have their own own
4:30
PCR test laboratory on the ship and they
4:33
maintained many of those protocols way
4:35
after countries and other lines had
4:37
moved on again creating that sense of
4:39
caring again almost paternalistic
4:41
approach to the way they look after us
4:44
as guests like Viking river Cruisers I
4:47
found Viking ocean to be definitely a
4:50
more guided more curated more directed
4:53
Cruise experience than any other line I
4:55
was given less choice and options but
4:57
then I was steered and directed
4:59
throughout my cruise I didn't have to
5:01
plan as much think as much about what to
5:03
do and when I had to do it nor worry
5:06
about what I had to prepare and do
5:08
because they took control of that even
5:10
for example they have a checklist at the
5:11
end of the cruise line by line for what
5:13
you need to do at the end of the cruise
5:15
but this led me on to another key
5:17
difference to other ocean Cruisers
5:18
something that some will love and others
5:20
will definitely
5:23
not Viking talk about being the thinking
5:26
person's cruise I came away clearly
5:29
under understanding if I go on a Viking
5:32
Cruise I go because I do want to learn I
5:35
want to understand the history the
5:36
culture the cusine and the Art of the
5:39
destination I found a viking ocean
5:41
cruise is a relatively serious Cruise
5:44
overall first of all it is an adult
5:46
Cruise only over 18s can sell secondly
5:49
while I definitely won't say that a
5:51
Viking Cruise is not about having fun
5:53
but the balance of the program and the
5:55
activities are firmly destination and
5:58
enrichment based it's about immersing
6:00
into destinations and ensuring that I
6:03
Come Away having both experienced and
6:05
understood them there's not a lot of
6:07
high energy or light-hearted activities
6:09
there's no Casino in the evening the
6:11
entertainment often includes an 8:00
6:13
p.m. lecture for example we didn't have
6:16
karaoke silent discos crazy game shows
6:19
that kind of stuff there are multiple
6:22
lectures around one a day from the
6:24
resident historian and other guest
6:26
speakers on our particular Cruise it was
6:28
an art historian
6:30
there was a Pianist a guitarist and a
6:32
classical Duo playing in the evening in
6:35
the atrium the Explorer's Lounge there's
6:38
an extensive art collection and
6:39
self-guided tools you can do on uh the
6:42
app there's a small Viking Museum also
6:45
and there's a library the theater shows
6:47
were pretty lowkey a group of Resident
6:49
singers doing Beatles abber 1960s
6:53
American classic song so no modern stuff
6:56
in there certainly for me on the
6:57
television there is a Ming TV channel
7:00
with recorded lectures and even more
7:02
enrichment content and even access to
7:05
things like Ted Talks there is a later
7:07
night venue to shavan with live music
7:10
around about till midnight there's also
7:13
the Explorers bar but on my cruise
7:15
certainly anyway I found them to be
7:17
pretty quiet as I did on my last Cruise
7:19
the one thing I would say without a
7:21
shadow of a doubt I came away from this
7:23
Cruise Having learned more than any
7:25
other cruise I've been on around the
7:28
history art and culture of this part of
7:30
the world I was in and this is the third
7:32
time that I've done this rout and I
7:34
learned definitely more than on all the
7:36
others combined so if you're very
7:38
focused wanted to see and learn about
7:40
destinations this is what you'll get on
7:42
Viking probably better than any other
7:45
line that I've been on however appealing
7:47
that may be there was one other thing
7:49
though that did seem to put people
7:53
off the Scandinavian design decor and
7:56
feel is polarizing Vikings is a
7:59
Norwegian owned line and the ships have
8:01
a very Scandinavian look lots of wood
8:04
light colors and a light pallette based
8:07
on my first trip when people watched my
8:09
videos from that trip they spoke about
8:11
the ship feeling almost Ikea like and
8:13
stock which I think feels pretty extreme
8:16
and wrong actually my partner though
8:18
seen the cabin that I was staying in
8:20
both times which both times a really
8:23
nice cabin he didn't associate it with
8:25
the premium lines because he missed the
8:28
darker r plushness I guess that we're
8:31
all probably more used to on American
8:33
and UK lines now I agree it is
8:36
definitely a different look on Viking
8:38
and may not be what everyone is used to
8:39
when they think of luxury premium ships
8:42
but I actually like that it has this
8:44
difference I found it appealing it
8:46
underlines that they do things in an
8:48
alternative way and after all it is a
8:51
Norwegian owned line and that look is
8:54
not out of place in Scandinavia and
8:56
definitely in upmarket hotels in that
8:58
region by the way all their 930
9:01
passenger ocean ships only have balcony
9:03
cabins they have the same layout the
9:05
same venues and the same daycor so which
9:07
ship you're on is largely irrelevant
9:10
there's nothing new to explore on the
9:11
ship only the destinations which again
9:14
is kind of interesting the venues on the
9:16
ships include a theater cinema living
9:19
room with library and bar twole
9:22
explorers lounge with mson Cafe
9:25
overlooking the bow the Winter Garden
9:27
Lounge where you have afternoon tea ch
9:29
Carin late night venue fitness center
9:31
and Spa indoor pool with a retracting
9:33
roof infinity pool main dining room
9:37
World Cafe Buffet a pool Grill two
9:40
specialty dining restaurants and a
9:42
kitchen table venue for cooking classes
9:43
so there is actually a lot of venues on
9:46
relatively small ships the food by the
9:48
way right across the ship is outstanding
9:51
I rate the food as
9:53
extremely high and amazing however here
9:57
we get to the deal breaker for many
10:00
people Viking Cruisers are not cheap
10:04
especially when you compare them to
10:06
larger ship lines because of course it's
10:08
a small ship it's a luxury experience
10:10
and actually also has many more
10:12
inclusions than many other lines
10:14
particular the bigger ship lines so for
10:16
example I found that fairs will always
10:18
start between $300 to at least $500 per
10:21
person per day for their entry Veranda
10:24
cabin based on the region it varies but
10:26
that goes up to $1,200 plus per person
10:29
per day for one of their fancy Explorer
10:31
Suites there are some inclusions in the
10:34
fair like especially dining and events
10:36
like the daily afternoon tea which is
10:38
fantastic Wi-Fi wine with meals teas and
10:42
coffees the Excursion in every port a
10:44
transfer bus to and from the town if
10:46
it's not in walking distance and of
10:48
course the entertainment the main extras
10:50
on Viking will be gratuities drinks
10:53
outside of meals or a drinks package if
10:55
you go for that and of course any Spa uh
10:58
or any shopping you do Viking Cruisers
11:02
is though not good value if you're a
11:03
solar traveler because they do not have
11:06
solar cabins and certainly on Ocean they
11:09
almost always seems to be 100% Sarge
11:11
they do do some deals occasionally I've
11:14
been asked based on all of the stuff if
11:16
Viking ocean is good value I think it's
11:20
good value if you want a luxury Cruise
11:23
where you have to make few choices you
11:25
want to have most things planned for you
11:28
and you want to know that you will
11:29
though see what you need to see all
11:32
while being educated all while having
11:34
good food and attentive levels of
11:37
service you can do the same itinerary on
11:40
bigger ships for much less and probably
11:43
a little bit less even on some other
11:44
competitive small ship lines too the
11:47
value in Viking I think comes from
11:49
wanting that whole experience the value
11:52
by the way if you're doing calculations
11:54
of the included excursions I think is
11:56
probably between $400 and $700 per
11:58
person per Cruise so when comparing like
12:01
for like itineries on price do consider
12:04
how much those excursions are worth as a
12:07
Solo Traveler I think it's very hard to
12:09
justify the cost of Viking but when
12:11
traveling as a couple I think I see
12:13
Viking as value for me and my partner if
12:15
I'm going to an unfamiliar itinery where
12:18
I really want to Deep dive and learn a
12:20
lot about that itinery and of course
12:22
where I'm sure I'm going to do those
12:23
included excursions because that does
12:26
add a lot to the value I know though my
12:28
partner would is the casino the higher
12:30
level much more contemporary
12:31
entertainment so that destination and
12:34
the desire to really deep dive would be
12:36
the key factor I think for choosing
12:39
Viking seeing it as good value if you're
12:41
not sure about Viking but like the idea
12:43
of a smaller ship line take a look at
12:45
this video where I talk about Oceania
12:47
Cruises starting with one big thing that
12:50
I really liked about the line see you
12:52
over there
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