We are seasoned ocean cruisers with P&O so having had numerous cruises cancelled and our 20th wedding anniversary on the horizon we came across a Viking cruise.
Having never sailed with them we were curious! Yes they are a lot more expensive than your normal cruise companies but there are things included that aren’t with other companies.
We booked a guaranteed veranda cabin(sorry stateroom, all staterooms on Viking ocean cruises are balcony), we were upgraded to a deluxe balcony, the only real difference is you get a coffee machine and the mini bar is replenished daily.
The mini bar holds 2 x Coke, 2 x Diet Coke, 2 x Sprite, all standard size,& 2 bottles of tonic water, also 3 mini Toblerones and some little bags of nuts.
The size of stateroom is on par with other companies.
Luxury toiletries are supplied, body was, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion.
Wine, beer, red/white & sparkling wine, non alcoholic beer and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner, they are very generous with the drinks.
You can upgrade your drinks package to include spirits but we didn’t see the point.
You can eat where you like MDR, Italian, Chefs Table or self service.
Afternoon tea is served in the self service and the winter gardens.
Food was of an excellent standard, in fact I had rib eye steak in the Italian twice and I’m not a steak lover but it was sublime.
Coffee is available all day in the atrium along with cookies and muffins, use of the thermal spa, which unfortunately due to the time we travelled and Covid restrictions being in place you had to book a slot of 45 minutes which took the fun and enjoyment out of it, these are always extras with other companies.
We had tours included in each port which was a good way to get a brief insight of Liverpool along with Falmouth and Weymouth.
The cruise was very enjoyable and the staff very friendly and helpful.
The only downside was there was no evening entertainment, shows, comedians or alike, this could all be to do with Covid or it could just be Vikings way.
Due to Covid things were done differently, we checked in online, supplied photos and as usual all passport information.
On arrival at the embarkation area (we had a set time to arrive) our temperature was taken and photo taken again.
We then went to our cabin and after 30 minutes our luggage arrived, we then had all day to lounge around and enjoy the start of our cruise.
So would we cruise with Viking again, yes no problem if we had a special occasion to celebrate or didn’t mind paying a bit extra.
Some of you reading this might think we are being cautious with money but everyone’s perception of value is different.
