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Viking Ocean Cruises Is NOT All I Thought It Was
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Jan 28, 2025
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 ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 91 cruises I have done to date. BUY MY CRUISE-THEMED T-SHIRTs ————————————————- * Check out my T-Shirt range: http://bit.ly/TFTStore SUPPORT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS ————————————————————— * Become a Channel Member and get perks: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/Join * Become a Patron on Patreon and get perks: https://www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers * Make a donation: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=V9STJGYSEMGLJ * Buy my book “Cruise Traveler’s Handbook: USA Amazon https://amzn.to/2YVFmG4 and https://amzn.to/3tzIxBn UK Amazon https://amzn.to/3oXbzYc and https://amzn.to/3qawqIQ FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA ———————————————
View Video Transcript
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
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Ocean Cruise Lines there are myriads of
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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
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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
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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
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flights and transfers mostly and so they
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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
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explanations about what I needed to do
3:38
that day and what to expect even when I
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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
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advice around things that I should be
3:51
taking out in Port and so on when we
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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
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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
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had alcohol in that had been cooked was
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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
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was given less choice and options but
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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
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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
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difference to other ocean Cruisers
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something that some will love and others
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will definitely
5:23
not Viking talk about being the thinking
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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
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culture the cusine and the Art of the
5:39
destination I found a viking ocean
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cruise is a relatively serious Cruise
5:44
overall first of all it is an adult
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Cruise only over 18s can sell secondly
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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
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that kind of stuff there are multiple
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lectures around one a day from the
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resident historian and other guest
6:26
speakers on our particular Cruise it was
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an art historian
6:30
there was a Pianist a guitarist and a
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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
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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
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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
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things like Ted Talks there is a later
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night venue to shavan with live music
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around about till midnight there's also
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the Explorers bar but on my cruise
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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
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shadow of a doubt I came away from this
7:23
Cruise Having learned more than any
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other cruise I've been on around the
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history art and culture of this part of
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the world I was in and this is the third
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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
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focused wanted to see and learn about
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destinations this is what you'll get on
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Viking probably better than any other
7:45
line that I've been on however appealing
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that may be there was one other thing
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though that did seem to put people
7:53
off the Scandinavian design decor and
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feel is polarizing Vikings is a
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Norwegian owned line and the ships have
8:01
a very Scandinavian look lots of wood
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light colors and a light pallette based
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on my first trip when people watched my
8:09
videos from that trip they spoke about
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the ship feeling almost Ikea like and
8:13
stock which I think feels pretty extreme
8:16
and wrong actually my partner though
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seen the cabin that I was staying in
8:20
both times which both times a really
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nice cabin he didn't associate it with
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the premium lines because he missed the
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darker r plushness I guess that we're
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all probably more used to on American
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and UK lines now I agree it is
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definitely a different look on Viking
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and may not be what everyone is used to
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when they think of luxury premium ships
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but I actually like that it has this
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difference I found it appealing it
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underlines that they do things in an
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alternative way and after all it is a
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Norwegian owned line and that look is
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not out of place in Scandinavia and
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definitely in upmarket hotels in that
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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
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there's nothing new to explore on the
9:11
ship only the destinations which again
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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
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kitchen table venue for cooking classes
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so there is actually a lot of venues on
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relatively small ships the food by the
9:48
way right across the ship is outstanding
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I rate the food as
9:53
extremely high and amazing however here
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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
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a small ship it's a luxury experience
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and actually also has many more
10:12
inclusions than many other lines
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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
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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
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like the daily afternoon tea which is
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fantastic Wi-Fi wine with meals teas and
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coffees the Excursion in every port a
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transfer bus to and from the town if
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it's not in walking distance and of
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course the entertainment the main extras
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on Viking will be gratuities drinks
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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
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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
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where you have to make few choices you
11:25
want to have most things planned for you
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and you want to know that you will
11:29
though see what you need to see all
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while being educated all while having
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good food and attentive levels of
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service you can do the same itinerary on
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bigger ships for much less and probably
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a little bit less even on some other
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competitive small ship lines too the
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value in Viking I think comes from
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wanting that whole experience the value
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by the way if you're doing calculations
11:54
of the included excursions I think is
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probably between $400 and $700 per
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person per Cruise so when comparing like
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for like itineries on price do consider
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how much those excursions are worth as a
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Solo Traveler I think it's very hard to
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justify the cost of Viking but when
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traveling as a couple I think I see
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Viking as value for me and my partner if
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I'm going to an unfamiliar itinery where
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I really want to Deep dive and learn a
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lot about that itinery and of course
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where I'm sure I'm going to do those
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included excursions because that does
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add a lot to the value I know though my
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partner would is the casino the higher
12:30
level much more contemporary
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entertainment so that destination and
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the desire to really deep dive would be
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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
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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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