Cruise Review: Viking Ocean Cruises might just be one of my favourite cruise lines, after spending 7 nights aboard Viking Mars for their Ancient Mediterranean Treasures itinerary. The ship itself is much smaller than I’m used to, with a capacity of just 930 guests, but that doesn’t mean that I was ever struggling for things to do. It just meant that I actually relaxed more, rather than worry that I was missing out on something in another part of the ship. For me, when I travel, I want to see as much of the places I’m visiting as I can, and enjoy EVERYTHING onboard the ship – but this might mean that I come back from a holiday slightly more tired (although more worldly) than I was when I left for it. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that I actually chilled out on this sailing:
Room To Relax
I had a Penthouse Veranda stateroom (lucky me!) – specifically room number 6085. As you can see from the pictures, it’s very tastefully decorated. I love that there’s original artwork in the room that also illustrates some of the worldwide school projects that Viking get involved with. The bed is huge and super comfy – you can even opt to have a feather topper added. There’s an assortment of pillows, and your stateroom attendant will check to ensure you have ones that give you the best night’s sleep possible.
The Penthouse Veranda definitely affords you the luxury of space… you can see above just how much living space there is, with a big, cosy sofa, and armchair and a lovely coffee table. Storage space is ample, with a decent sized wardrobe (where you’ll find your plush robes and slippers) and a set of drawers, plus there’s another set in the room with seven drawers. The dresser is massive – more drawers, a big mini-bar fridge, a hidden make-up section and a decent sized mirror.
The veranda itself is nice and wide, and furnished with two comfy chairs and a table. On Deck 6, you will find that Deck 7 overhangs by a couple of metres at the aft end, so don’t expect full sun. If you want nothing but golden rays embracing your balcony then I’d recommend choosing either a stateroom on Deck 4, or anything mid-ship or forward on Decks 5 and 6.
The bathroom is great too, including one of the best sized shower cubicles I’ve seen at sea.
Shore Excursions and Port Sights
With one shore excursion included in every port on my itinerary I didn’t have to think too hard about what I wanted to do when I got to port. The shore excursions tend to leave early (I had one that required leaving the ship at 7:25am), and that was perfect for me, because;
a) you’re seeing the places of interest at a cooler time of the day, rather than being out in blazing mid-day sun
b) the site of interest tends to be slightly quieter, so you’re not fighting with the throngs in order to get a good photo or meaningful mental picture.
c) you’re back to port with plenty of time to continue exploring the area, or even just spend the rest of the day relaxing on board.
The shore excursions themselves tend to be to the main places of interest, which includes UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The other beauty of being aboard a small ship is that you have access to ports closer to town, which makes stepping ashore under your own steam an absolute doddle. And, if you cannot walk directly into port, there is often a complimentary shuttle bus that leaves every hour from the ship to downtown in the main port town.
For me, this was incredibly exciting. On just one trip I’ve been able to finally tick off Ephesus and the Library of Celsus – check out my 360 capture below! – wander around the walls and passageways of Rhodes Town, see the legendary Trojan Horse in Çanakkale (okay, okay… it was donated by Warner Bros from when they filmed Brad Pitt in Troy), and explore the incredible city of Istanbul!
Dining Options & Venues
There are 3 main dining venues in the evening; The Restaurant, The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s. All of these venues require elegant attire, but there’s no need for black tie or formal clothing onboard. I was generally in smart linen trousers and a nice top each evening, and that was perfect.
In The Restaurant (your main restaurant) the menu changes daily, and includes a destination menu for the port you were in that day. For those that love nothing more than a good steak each night, don’t worry, there are certain items that are always available such as the Viking Steak & Fries.
Treat Your Taste Buds!
Manfredi’s is a speciality dining venue serving up delectable Italian fare. It’s a la carte with a menu of options that doesn’t change, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting to go back for a second reservation, as the food is excellent!
Lastly, The Chef’s Table… the menu changes here every couple of days with a theme, and it’s a 6-course set menu. Whilst I was aboard I saw the theme change from Greek to British (including a roast dinner!) to Asian. I used my reservation for the Asian menu, as it sounded delicious, and I reasoned that I could eat “British” once I returned home! And, it truly was delicious! Served with wine pairings (we had the Premium wine airing because we were on the Silver Spirits Package), each course is absolutely delightful. From the Goan Potato Chop amuse bouche, to the palate cleansing granité, and the perfectly spiced and cooked lamb chops.
Dining To Suit Your Mood & Appetite
Of course there are more casual options available too.
World Cafe is the buffet and that’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The choices in here are excellent, and super tasty. I loved that this venue went out to the Aquavit Terrace and you could opt to enjoy your meal outside in the sunshine.
Then we have the Pool Grill which is beside the main pool, and here you can get anything from the Viking Burger to a Cheesesteak Sandwich to some fabulous Asian Chicken Wings – all served with hand-cut chips.
The Winter Garden serves up an absolutely delightful Afternoon Tea, which is perfect if you want a light bite without compromising on style!
For light bites/snacks there’s the Living Room bar, just off the Atrium. This spot will satisfy your craving for sweet treats (cookies, muffins, madeleines etc), or tide you over until your next meal with an open sandwich.
Finally, there’s Mamsen’s which is part of the Explorers Lounge. There’s some fantastic Norwegian specialities available here for breakfast and light lunches. You can even grab a midnight snack here!
Entertainment & Culture
You won’t find dazzling West End-style shows onboard, but you will see venues featuring the Violin & Cello pairing, an acoustic guitarist, or even a pianist on the Atrium’s stunning Steinway. These musicians are exceptional and you’ll find yourself enjoying anything from Claire Du Lune to songs from Les Miserables to the likes of George Michael!
You’ll discover interesting enrichment talks in the Star Theatre each day, and the occasional less formal discussions in the smaller venue Torshavn.
If you prefer to stimulate your mind with a good book or board game then you won’t come up short either. Just off the Atrium is a small library, complete with a Book Exchange, and, regardless of if you’ve brought own Kindle to read, it’s a lovely space with big comfy chairs. On the second floor you’ll discover gaming tables for the likes of Scrabble, Mahjong, Backgammon, or groups that come together for a lively game of Bridge. There’s a larger table dedicated to jigsaw puzzles, and I love heading past occasionally to add a few pieces myself. I absolutely loved the interactive table they have too, which offered more options for games like Sudoku, Solitaire, Checkers or even Air Hockey!
My favourite spot was upstairs in the Explorers Lounge, where there was a particularly good chess board (helps that I won the game too!).
The Nordic Thermal Suite and Liv Spa
Such a treat to have the Thermal Suite included! Open from 8am to 8pm every day it’s the perfect spot to soothe away those aches and really treat yourself. In each changing room you’ll find a sauna and an ice cold plunge pool, and I spent a good amount of time alternating between the two. Once you move through to the main thermal suite you’ll find a jacuzzi pool, hot tub, steam room, experience shower, warm tile beds, cold bucket showers and even a snow grotto! It’s a beautiful space. In the changing room you’ll find ice cold drinking water, fresh fluffy robes, towels and comfy sliders – plus there are secure lockers if you want to stow your items whilst enjoying the facilities.
I don’t normally go in for a spa treatment when I’m away on a cruise, but the ones available at the Liv Spa sounded delightful and the prices were very reasonable too in comparison to some I’ve seen with other cruise lines. I opted for the Nordic restart which involved 80 minutes of unadulterated bliss… full body scrub, targeted massage (she really worked out my tight calves and sore neck), and a scrumptious scalp massage for just $229. Pretty sure that I floated out of there!
Pools & Quick Dips
The Viking Mars (and all of its identical sister ships) really does pack a lot in. There are three pools onboard this vessel:
The Main Pool is in the centre of deck 7. This area has a retractable roof for when it’s sunny, and of course for when it’s not. You’ll also find a hot tub beside the pool.
On the Aquavit Terrace you’ll find my favourite pool and a highlight of all Viking ships – the Infinity Plunge Pool. It’s a stunning place to enjoy picturesque ports or watch the wake as you sail away in the evening. Again there’s a hot tub next to the pool.
I’ve mentioned the pool in the Nordic Thermal Suite, and its hot tub. What I didn’t mention was that the pool here is the most accessible of all the pools onboard, with gentle steps sloping into it. The other two pools onboard have vertical steps which some may find quite difficult to manage.
The Gym & Activities
Easily one of the best gyms at sea, offering all you’ll need from treadmills to weight machines, TRX, cables, yoga equipment, free weights, and slam balls.
On deck 2 you can step out to the jogging track which is roughly a mile for every 4 laps – personally I’d say that it’s closer to 5 laps, but on a hot day we’ll say that it’s 4!
If you’d prefer to get your steps in with better views then head up to deck 8 which is the Sun Deck. You can jog around here without too much hassle, just navigating the wind barriers, as it’s normally pretty quiet except for the occasional walker.
Just above the Sun Deck is the Sports Deck and you’ll find a 9-hole putting green (very fast!), 2 shuffleboards, cornhole, table tennis and skittles. There are also some comfy seating areas up here, and it’s probably the most secluded area of the ship if you’re looking for some alone time.
The Inclusive Viking Fare
With Viking’s inclusions it’s a fantastic overall package.
In addition to the complimentary shore excursion in every port of call, plus visits to UNESCO Sites; there’s also 24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water; enrichment lectures & Destination Performances; and the complimentary access to The Nordic Spa & Fitness Center.
Plus…
The WiFi was speedy, and I’ve been able to continue working whilst onboard. You won’t be able to use streaming services like Netflix on their network though.
The wines and beers provided with lunch and dinner are really good. We had upgraded to the Silver Spirits Beverage Package though, and had found a delicious Chenin Blanc on the first evening, so we opted for this most days.
Room service was excellent, as are the cabin stewards. They even figured out that we don’t drink tea or coffee, and our room was stocked with hot chocolate and a kettle, and nothing but Coke Zero and Water in the fridge, by the second morning! We ordered breakfast a couple of times to the room, seeing as the excursions left early, and this was always bang on time and super fresh.
The self-service launderette is a great feature too, and we returned with the absolute bare minimum of washing to do once we got home!
Who Will Enjoy A Viking Ocean Cruise?
Ultimately, I think small ship cruising will appeal to a wide audience, especially those that travel with curiosity and thirst for deeper immersion in a destination. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that anyone that loves a river cruise will also love a small ship cruise (especially with Viking!). All I know is that I’ve never returned from a holiday feeling quite so rested!
If you’re looking to try Viking’s Ocean Cruises for the first time, or are looking for your next adventure, call our Cruise Specialists on 02380 658 386 or start your search here.
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