Have done two (Amsterdam-Budapest, Prague - Paris and a third (Rome Barcelona) this summer. Superb! Very uncrowded and no children make for a very pleasant journey.
While beer & wine are included at lunch as well as dinner, consider that you may be off on an excursion at lunch time and that you have to be seated for dinner to get the wine & beer complimentary. While almost any decent non-light beer is fine with me, the wines available with the package are those that would cost $15 by the glass rather than $8 or so for the standard wines should you opt for one of those other than at meal time. Considering that the spirits package cost us $19 per person per day, one cocktail, two premium wines at dinner and an after dinner drink late in the evening more than off set the cost. Of course, both people in the cabin will get charged for the package. If you can afford it, get at least a Penthouse Veranda cabin for the extra storage space. In the other smaller veranda staterooms, which are quite nice, you can't swing a dead cat without knocking something over. The two best bargains? I think the on-board laundries allow you to travel with less baggage and the free wi-fi is terrific if you're tied to social media. Oh. and the included shore excursions were more than adequate. I took one cruise and soon after signed up for another.
Cool Breeze Thanks for this info. I’ll be cruising in a couple of months. I’m looking forward to this one but my dilemma is the drink package because one of us doesn’t drink. Although Viking drink package is much less than other cruise lines. At this point I’m more concerned with whether bottled water is complimentary.
We have been on two Viking Ocean cruises. On both, beer and wine was served to us in the World Cafe and we have found that there is a greater variety of food selections there than in the main dining room. Complimentary bottled water has always been available to us on excursions. If you have a penthouse veranda cabin you get a mini-bar with free alcoholic beverages.
Top Advise: Buy the Sliver Drink Package. We had morning mimosas and bloody mary's, evening cocktails and after dinner cordials in the lounge almost every day. Totally worth it.
@@shugar4847 It all depends on how much you personally want to drink. If you plan on having premium wine/beer during lunch and dinner plus 1-2 drinks outside of the dining venue, then it's worth it. However with only 1 of you drinking, you would have to consume at least 7-8 drinks per day by yourself. At that point, I personally think it's cheaper to go without the Silver Drink Package. I was perfectly fine with drinking 1-2 glasses of wine during my meals and then purchasing 1-2 drinks ala carte usually at night. A rum and coke for instance will cost you around $9 - $10, which if you live in a place like NYC, that's really cheap. If you want to cut down the costs of drinking, you can bring your own bottles of alcohol aboard even if it's a bottle of wine from one of the ports of call. The staff on Viking don't even care like a majority of cruise lines. The crew isn't there to watch your every single step or try to get as much money out of you as possible. They're literally just there to make sure you're happy and relaxed.
I can vouch for Viking River Cruises, having taken the Christmas Markets cruise from Nuremburg to Budapest. Absolutely fantastic! We loved it so much that we are taking a Viking Ocean cruise next year. Choose an extension on either end to make the trip last longer!
Great to hear. We're booked for 2022, heading into the Christmas Market, before the price increases. We'll be able to see the larger Budapest market, will be a close call for the smaller one. Passau will be in full swing by the time we disembark.
Looks like all I can afford at the moment is a transatlantic, which rivals the mass market when you consider airfare and tours included. We've got our first Viking River cruise booked, this might go on the bucket list too.
They also have a snow room and a cold water bucket drop if that is something you are into. The changing rooms have the canister dryers for your bathing suit, and 2 showers with a rainfall shower head. I spent 3 days in the spa area because it's so relaxing in there.
Thank you for this upload, I am doing my very first sea cruise and it's with Viking, { Sydney to Bali}. I hope that the experience is as good as it looks....
You will love your cruise! Their top 4 priorities are having really good food, making you feel welcome, giving you a quiet and relaxing environment, and having top not shore excursions. Our room steward had our names memorized after being on the ship for about 6 hours. The staff members always have a smile on their faces, and they usually want to get to know more about you if you're willing to talk about where you're from and what you do. I went to Cuba with Viking, and they find locals who are extremely passionate about telling the history of the area and what to expect. The tour guides will not give you some run down talking points about what to expect, but instead go into very deep detail about what they are showing you. In Cuba people obviously wanted to purchase real authentic cigars, and our guide told us what the #1 selling cigar was, but that if we don't have the palate for the aroma's of that cigar, then he would point people in different directions. The store/factory he was going to take us to ended up being closed and he wasn't expecting that, so he extended the tour by about 20-30 minutes and made calls everywhere in Havana to find a store that was open. Most tour guides will not do that, but Viking tour guides will. My cruise to Cuba through Viking was my first ever cruise and I was blown away with all of the amenities that are provided. The "negatives" that I encountered were so minor that I didn't even care that much about them given how beautiful and relaxing the ship was.
@@erics607 Thank you Eric for that information, you have made me want the trip to come earlier, and am hoping that the crew on my cruise are as good as yours were. I know that it can sometimes be hit and miss with staff, I have done 3 river trips in Asia { not Viking } and have found that ships can be same same but different with some of the staff.
@@unknowntraveller8633 Of course the staff will be different than what I had, but I don't think that I have heard of anyone complaining about the staff on any of the Viking cruises. On my cruise I only saw 1 staff member that was in somewhat of a bad mood. Someone called her as we were leaving for the tender for an excursion about some issue that was going on, and the only thing she said was......"I don't have time for this right now!" and she hung up. One of the waiters said that they have larger rooms than they would normally get on a ship like Carnival, they get paid more, and they have free wifi so that they can stay in touch with family and friends back home while on the cruise. Plus they are also very respectful and helpful to the passengers, so the passengers are always in a good mood back. I also think they get like 2 months to do whatever they want once their contract for that season is done. My father has done several other cruises with other cruise lines, and he said they don't even come close to comparing to what Viking offers.
@@erics607 I am sorry Eric if that came through as a criticism, as this is the first sea voyage for me I am grateful for your input and I chose Viking because it is a slightly upmarket line and the only one going to where I want to go. Not so much Aus as I live here but Lombok Bali and Komodo island as well as the Torres straight islands. I am really really looking forward to this now. Cheers again.
We're taking our first Viking cruise this summer, so I'm checking out all the videos I can find. Yours mentions that a given percentage gratuity is included in the fare. But the "My Viking Journey" website says they're not. This has left me a bit confused. I assume the company's information is more likely to be correct, or at least more current (perhaps the policy has changed). Any comment on that?
Save up for the Ultimate World Cruise. London across the Med and Asia to Los Angeles, then around South America and Brazil, back to London. 245 days, six continents, 59 countries and 113 ports Plan $200k (Starts at $92k pp, lowest class)
If you are a resident of Australia or the U.K. (and probably other countries, too) the gratuities must be included in the quoted fare. If you are a resident of the U.S., they are not included in the fare and will be billed to your shipboard account.
@@happytraveller2122 I was pointing out that it differs depending on where you live, because some people might think that meant that gratuities are included for all passengers. I, too, would like it if the prices quoted included gratuities for all travelers, not just residents of certain countries. Viking is quite transparent about what is included in the quoted fare and what is not, so people have no excuse for claiming to be mislead about additional costs such as gratuities or optional shore excursions. They do include all port charges in the fare, where some cruise lines will bury those charges deep in the fine print. My point is that with Viking you are far less likely to have any unpleasant surprises waiting for you when the total cost is tallied up, compared to some other cruise lines.
Recently returned and was miffed with no tea in the cabin, lectures at stupid o'clock 6.45pm for goodness sake! Was told the band would humour me with an occasional waltz and rock and roll to dance to. They wouldn't :-( lovely ship and staff but won't return. Expected better food, we were the only British onboard so I guess it's steered towards the American tastes. No mayonnaise which I found really strange, yes I did ask but none.
@@chriswilliams6568 I am sure they would have reevaluated all the roll-pitch-yaw simulations in order to add more sensors in the reservoirs so that a false signal would not not come up again.
Peter Chen sorry, do not understand, a false signal? The Viking ship in Feb 2018 was in dire straits off Norway, when they should have taken evasive action, by not putting out to sea. they were only a km or so offshore.
@@chriswilliams6568 From what I read, the engine shut down because the lubrication oil reservoir sensor sensed not enough oil for the engine pistons. (It is similar to the low gas light turns down when you car is on an incline and it turns off when the car is on level road.) The ship would have been fine going through the rough sea provided the engine was running normally, albeit the sailing will not be smooth. Because the propulsion system was down completely, the ship had not maneuvering capability so it was drifting by the forces of the wind and current.
You can buy your own bottles of wine from home or wherever the ship stops, and drink them onboard. You don't have to try and sneak alcohol onboard because they don't care. You're paying a premium price for your cruise, so they treat you like you're family.
@@cruisecrazy7066 They don't care what type of liquor you bring on board. Jim Zim who does a lot of cruise review videos on here (he's been on something like 60 cruises), he took a normal size bottle of rum onboard and they literally did nothing. Even if you purchase alcoholic drinks at the bars on the ship, the prices aren't that much different than what you would pay at a really good bar back home. Alcoholic drinks in New York City or Los Angeles are more expensive than what you would pay on a Viking Cruise.
The Program Director gets a slice of the gratuities? How much of the tips does he get? He is a well paid officer and should get NONE of the gratuities. That is a greedy scam.. Shame on him.
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Have you ever sailed on Viking Ocean Cruises?
We did our first Viking Ocean Cruise recently and it was amazing!
Too rich for my blood. Also they do not allow kids I believe. We are not their target passengers. Looks nice though.
Took my first Viking Ocean Cruise this past July & loved it so much I’ve booked another for 2020!
@@robinps52 They are great cruises.
Have done two (Amsterdam-Budapest, Prague - Paris and a third (Rome Barcelona) this summer. Superb! Very uncrowded and no children make for a very pleasant journey.
While beer & wine are included at lunch as well as dinner, consider that you may be off on an excursion at lunch time and that you have to be seated for dinner to get the wine & beer complimentary. While almost any decent non-light beer is fine with me, the wines available with the package are those that would cost $15 by the glass rather than $8 or so for the standard wines should you opt for one of those other than at meal time. Considering that the spirits package cost us $19 per person per day, one cocktail, two premium wines at dinner and an after dinner drink late in the evening more than off set the cost. Of course, both people in the cabin will get charged for the package. If you can afford it, get at least a Penthouse Veranda cabin for the extra storage space. In the other smaller veranda staterooms, which are quite nice, you can't swing a dead cat without knocking something over. The two best bargains? I think the on-board laundries allow you to travel with less baggage and the free wi-fi is terrific if you're tied to social media. Oh. and the included shore excursions were more than adequate. I took one cruise and soon after signed up for another.
Cool Breeze Thanks for this info. I’ll be cruising in a couple of months. I’m looking forward to this one but my dilemma is the drink package because one of us doesn’t drink. Although Viking drink package is much less than other cruise lines. At this point I’m more concerned with whether bottled water is complimentary.
We have been on two Viking Ocean cruises. On both, beer and wine was served to us in the World Cafe and we have found that there is a greater variety of food selections there than in the main dining room. Complimentary bottled water has always been available to us on excursions. If you have a penthouse veranda cabin you get a mini-bar with free alcoholic beverages.
Top Advise: Buy the Sliver Drink Package. We had morning mimosas and bloody mary's, evening cocktails and after dinner cordials in the lounge almost every day. Totally worth it.
@@shugar4847 It all depends on how much you personally want to drink. If you plan on having premium wine/beer during lunch and dinner plus 1-2 drinks outside of the dining venue, then it's worth it. However with only 1 of you drinking, you would have to consume at least 7-8 drinks per day by yourself. At that point, I personally think it's cheaper to go without the Silver Drink Package. I was perfectly fine with drinking 1-2 glasses of wine during my meals and then purchasing 1-2 drinks ala carte usually at night. A rum and coke for instance will cost you around $9 - $10, which if you live in a place like NYC, that's really cheap. If you want to cut down the costs of drinking, you can bring your own bottles of alcohol aboard even if it's a bottle of wine from one of the ports of call. The staff on Viking don't even care like a majority of cruise lines. The crew isn't there to watch your every single step or try to get as much money out of you as possible. They're literally just there to make sure you're happy and relaxed.
@@erics607 You are allowed to bring your own drinks on Viking. So it's not that the crew don't care, you're not doing anything against rules.
Seriously looking into a Viking cruise , hopefully it will be in 2021 , love to do the Northern Lights tour in January !
Thank you for the review
I can vouch for Viking River Cruises, having taken the Christmas Markets cruise from Nuremburg to Budapest. Absolutely fantastic! We loved it so much that we are taking a Viking Ocean cruise next year. Choose an extension on either end to make the trip last longer!
Great to hear. We're booked for 2022, heading into the Christmas Market, before the price increases. We'll be able to see the larger Budapest market, will be a close call for the smaller one. Passau will be in full swing by the time we disembark.
Looks like all I can afford at the moment is a transatlantic, which rivals the mass market when you consider airfare and tours included. We've got our first Viking River cruise booked, this might go on the bucket list too.
Great video. It’s interesting to see all that’s included. Gorgeous ship too!
Yes, the ships are gorgeous. Glad you found the video interesting. We highly recommend Viking Cruises.
Very good overview. Thank you for that comprehensive review.
Sounds PERFECT for me and my hubby!
It is worth every penny!
Top Advise: Buy the Sliver Package. Totally worth it.
i love that it is adults only and no casino too.
Are there any steam rooms in the Spa? it is quite inclusive then, but with tipping being extra.
Yes, The thermal suite has a co-ed steam room. Each changing room also has a sauna and cold plunge pool.
They also have a snow room and a cold water bucket drop if that is something you are into. The changing rooms have the canister dryers for your bathing suit, and 2 showers with a rainfall shower head. I spent 3 days in the spa area because it's so relaxing in there.
Thank you for this upload, I am doing my very first sea cruise and it's with Viking, { Sydney to Bali}. I hope that the experience is as good as it looks....
You will love your cruise! Their top 4 priorities are having really good food, making you feel welcome, giving you a quiet and relaxing environment, and having top not shore excursions. Our room steward had our names memorized after being on the ship for about 6 hours. The staff members always have a smile on their faces, and they usually want to get to know more about you if you're willing to talk about where you're from and what you do. I went to Cuba with Viking, and they find locals who are extremely passionate about telling the history of the area and what to expect. The tour guides will not give you some run down talking points about what to expect, but instead go into very deep detail about what they are showing you. In Cuba people obviously wanted to purchase real authentic cigars, and our guide told us what the #1 selling cigar was, but that if we don't have the palate for the aroma's of that cigar, then he would point people in different directions. The store/factory he was going to take us to ended up being closed and he wasn't expecting that, so he extended the tour by about 20-30 minutes and made calls everywhere in Havana to find a store that was open. Most tour guides will not do that, but Viking tour guides will. My cruise to Cuba through Viking was my first ever cruise and I was blown away with all of the amenities that are provided. The "negatives" that I encountered were so minor that I didn't even care that much about them given how beautiful and relaxing the ship was.
@@erics607 Thank you Eric for that information, you have made me want the trip to come earlier, and am hoping that the crew on my cruise are as good as yours were. I know that it can sometimes be hit and miss with staff, I have done 3 river trips in Asia { not Viking } and have found that ships can be same same but different with some of the staff.
@@unknowntraveller8633 Of course the staff will be different than what I had, but I don't think that I have heard of anyone complaining about the staff on any of the Viking cruises. On my cruise I only saw 1 staff member that was in somewhat of a bad mood. Someone called her as we were leaving for the tender for an excursion about some issue that was going on, and the only thing she said was......"I don't have time for this right now!" and she hung up. One of the waiters said that they have larger rooms than they would normally get on a ship like Carnival, they get paid more, and they have free wifi so that they can stay in touch with family and friends back home while on the cruise. Plus they are also very respectful and helpful to the passengers, so the passengers are always in a good mood back. I also think they get like 2 months to do whatever they want once their contract for that season is done. My father has done several other cruises with other cruise lines, and he said they don't even come close to comparing to what Viking offers.
@@erics607 I am sorry Eric if that came through as a criticism, as this is the first sea voyage for me I am grateful for your input and I chose Viking because it is a slightly upmarket line and the only one going to where I want to go. Not so much Aus as I live here but Lombok Bali and Komodo island as well as the Torres straight islands. I am really really looking forward to this now. Cheers again.
My only choice for next cruise
It’s my dream to work with Viking cruise
Go for it. They have lots of international staff. They are all great service providers.
We're taking our first Viking cruise this summer, so I'm checking out all the videos I can find. Yours mentions that a given percentage gratuity is included in the fare. But the "My Viking Journey" website says they're not. This has left me a bit confused. I assume the company's information is more likely to be correct, or at least more current (perhaps the policy has changed). Any comment on that?
We are off ri Iceland in 60 days. Second Ocean, three river. Love Viking. But don't get real Viking ancestral discount!!
I'm all packed and ready for a luxury world holiday with Viking cruises. one little problem... Has anyone got £11K going spare?
Save up for the Ultimate World Cruise. London across the Med and Asia to Los Angeles, then around South America and Brazil, back to London. 245 days, six continents, 59 countries and 113 ports Plan $200k (Starts at $92k pp, lowest class)
Sooooo about an an extra 1000 you ll need? Or 5k if your frugal. And why not be charged the service charge for everyday in the beginning.
Okay so how much would a Mediterranean cruise run for a couple. I am planning to surprise my girl with this one day and have to budget for it.
On Viking, depending on the itinerary, it will probably run around 10K to 15K.
Thanks for cruising with us
I like the fact that there are no children onboard.
I have this booked ( I’m in Australia). Gratuities are included)
If you are a resident of Australia or the U.K. (and probably other countries, too) the gratuities must be included in the quoted fare. If you are a resident of the U.S., they are not included in the fare and will be billed to your shipboard account.
@@timl5970 yes I know. That why I said what I did.
I'd rather have all my expenses UP FRONT and not have to worry about such things later.
@@happytraveller2122 I was pointing out that it differs depending on where you live, because some people might think that meant that gratuities are included for all passengers. I, too, would like it if the prices quoted included gratuities for all travelers, not just residents of certain countries.
Viking is quite transparent about what is included in the quoted fare and what is not, so people have no excuse for claiming to be mislead about additional costs such as gratuities or optional shore excursions. They do include all port charges in the fare, where some cruise lines will bury those charges deep in the fine print. My point is that with Viking you are far less likely to have any unpleasant surprises waiting for you when the total cost is tallied up, compared to some other cruise lines.
Recently returned and was miffed with no tea in the cabin, lectures at stupid o'clock 6.45pm for goodness sake! Was told the band would humour me with an occasional waltz and rock and roll to dance to. They wouldn't :-( lovely ship and staff but won't return. Expected better food, we were the only British onboard so I guess it's steered towards the American tastes. No mayonnaise which I found really strange, yes I did ask but none.
Would you do a world tour on it
If we had the money. Lol. Yes, Viking is fabulous.
The Viking Cruises are an outstanding way to cruise. Never have heard anything but rave reviews!
Yes, you are spoiled after taking a Viking Cruise, they are pretty amazing!
except that close shave that one ship had last Feb. off coast of Norway, why are they sailing there in winter anyway.
@@chriswilliams6568 I am sure they would have reevaluated all the roll-pitch-yaw simulations in order to add more sensors in the reservoirs so that a false signal would not not come up again.
Peter Chen sorry, do not understand, a false signal? The Viking ship in Feb 2018 was in dire straits off Norway, when they should have taken evasive action, by not putting out to sea. they were only a km or so offshore.
@@chriswilliams6568 From what I read, the engine shut down because the lubrication oil reservoir sensor sensed not enough oil for the engine pistons. (It is similar to the low gas light turns down when you car is on an incline and it turns off when the car is on level road.) The ship would have been fine going through the rough sea provided the engine was running normally, albeit the sailing will not be smooth. Because the propulsion system was down completely, the ship had not maneuvering capability so it was drifting by the forces of the wind and current.
How big are rooms in the Viking ? Any deals this End of June 2022?
The rooms are standard size for balcony rooms.
Your review sounds like a commercial for Viking and not a review
Laundry service included?
There are free washer and dryers for cruisers to use on their own. There are charges for having the cruise line do the laundry for you.
@@Eatsleepcruise1 and detergent is provided. That is great to know.
Thank you...
Princess sells bottles of alcohol in Room Service for about double the retail price.
Does Viking do the same?
You can buy your own bottles of wine from home or wherever the ship stops, and drink them onboard. You don't have to try and sneak alcohol onboard because they don't care. You're paying a premium price for your cruise, so they treat you like you're family.
@@erics607 What about hard liquor, like Scotch, or vodka?
@@cruisecrazy7066 They don't care what type of liquor you bring on board. Jim Zim who does a lot of cruise review videos on here (he's been on something like 60 cruises), he took a normal size bottle of rum onboard and they literally did nothing. Even if you purchase alcoholic drinks at the bars on the ship, the prices aren't that much different than what you would pay at a really good bar back home. Alcoholic drinks in New York City or Los Angeles are more expensive than what you would pay on a Viking Cruise.
@@erics607 Thanks Eric. That is really good to know.
I'm looking for a cruise line that allows smoking. Is that possible?
After what happened to the viking sky off the coast of Norway, i wont be going on Viking cruises for a while
The Program Director gets a slice of the gratuities? How much of the tips does he get? He is a well paid officer and should get NONE of the gratuities. That is a greedy scam.. Shame on him.