Things We Learned On Our First Viking Cruises Ocean Voyage
We learned a lot on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage. There were some things we really loved and found superior to other cruise trips we did. Some things just met expectations. But a few things were disappointing.
Our first experience with Viking Cruises was a land trip and Yangtze river cruise in China. For our Northern Lights cruise we chose to travel with Viking Cruises on the new Viking Vela ocean cruise ship. The ship was just launched a few months before our trip. We took this opportunity and saw some new changes in design and technology for cruising on this trip.
A Few Things We Really Loved
We found a few things that we really loved on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage. We had lots of space in our cabin, the wake-up calls for Northern Lights viewing from the ship were welcome and we loved that the great Nordic Spa was free for everyone. The modern technology was refreshing. And we loved finding food and drink favourites on our cruise.
Our Cabin Offered Everything We Needed
We were not sure which class of cabin to book when we planned our cruise for Northern Lights. We often opted for a slightly larger cabin for a little more room. This ensured this introvert could spend comfortable time in the cabin when the noise and crowds onboard a ship got too much. We found the cabins on our first Ritz-Carlton Yacht trip and our first Tauck river cruise to be just too small to spend much relaxing time in.
Our Penthouse Veranda cabin on the Viking Vela on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage was far more spacious than we expected. There was a large sofa and a separate full size chair in the room. Had the weather been hot, the reclining lounge chairs on the balcony were an added bonus.
Wake Up Calls For The Northern Lights Were Perfect
Viking made overhead announcements up until 10pm. We heard most of the announcements only in the public spaces or on the tv. If Northern Lights were spotted before 10pm, a public announcement was made. But Viking offered wake-up calls if Northern Lights were spotted after 10pm. After we watched the safety video on the tv, we confirmed we wanted this wake-up call.
The first night that Northern Lights appeared, there was actually an overhead announcement at 11:30pm. And we got a call in our cabin. After that, we got a call whenever Northern Lights were visible from the ship’s bridge. We left our winter clothes out each night before bed. Our cameras were fully charged. And after the first mad scramble in the dark, we learned to set up our cameras, remote shutters and tripods before we left the cabin.
We expected to get great views of Northern Lights on our land-based excursions. But we did not have high hopes for Northern Lights sightings from the ship. We hoped to see them when the ship was in transit and not docked in well-lit towns. And we worried that the motion of the ship would make photography challenging. But on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage delighted in how many times we saw Northern Lights from the ship. And we managed to get some of our best pics of Northern Lights after our wake-up calls on the ship!
We Enjoyed The Nordic Spa A Few Times
A Nordic Spa offered a great mix of hot and cold water treatments. We always enjoyed hot tubs and dry and wet saunas. But were surprised when we discovered these hot treatments were great when alternated with cold water plunges and a snow room.
We discovered our first Nordic Spa experiences on a visit to the Scandinave Nordic Spa when we stayed in Blue Mountain on a weekend escape from Toronto. So when we went to Quebec City for a weekend escape, we made sure to book another Nordic Spa experience at the Strom Nordic Spa. A spa vacation in British Columbia at Sparkling Hill Resort and Spa provided yet another Nordic Spa experience.
We were excited when we read about the Nordic Spa facilities onboard the Viking Vela. This Spa facility was available to everyone at no extra cost. And not just when we booked a spa treatment. Several times on our cruise for Northern Lights we enjoyed a relaxing break alternating between hot and cold treatments.
We often found spa services on cruise ships priced very high. But we found the spa prices lower than normal cruise ship prices. We booked our first deep tissue massage on our first full day onboard and were happy with the service.
We really enjoyed the Nordic Spa several days on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage – especially when we visited while most others were off on day trip excursions.
Online Digital Systems Were Modern
The advantage of travelling on a new cruise ship was knowing that it was built with new technology infrastructure in mind. Viking did a great job with technology onboard.
The tv in our cabin provided a full information system. We had access to everything about the cruise from billing to excursions to restaurant menus. Much of this information was also available on the Viking Voyager App, although the App was a little less reliable.
The tv offered a full range of movies and tv stations. But we were most impressed that the enrichment and entertainment programming was streamed live to the tv in our cabin too. The recorded programs could be watched them any time we wanted. We loved having the flexibility to enjoy this content relaxed in our cabin. And Viking certainly provided some good enrichment programs.
We sailed on other cruise ships when digital systems were first introduced for menu ordering in restaurants. Often the staff wrote on paper and then later entered the orders into the tablets. But on the Viking Vela, the online ordering by staff was fast and reliable. It meant little delay for food orders to get right to the kitchen. And while we did not often customize our orders, the few changes we requested made it into the online order and were properly delivered.
We were happy to travel on a new ship with great technology supports on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage.
Some Food And Dining Favourites
We are a bit of coffee snobs. So we are always looking for great coffee when cruising. We were quite excited when we learned there was a real barista and good espresso machine in the Viking Bar on the lower level of the Viking Vela. And we found snacks all day too!
David always looked for seafood whenever we travel. Menus onboard the Viking Vela had seafood of some kind at most meals. But David was really happy when he learned there was a full seafood selection for dinner in the World Cafe buffet every night.
If happy with good coffee and seafood, David was ecstatic with the number of times he got great dark chocolate treats. He found it hard to resist!
David was much more adventurous with food than I was. So he made sure to try the local Nordic delicacies at Mamsen’s in the Explorers Lounge. On our previous visit to Norway, David discovered the Brunost brown cheese. And the Norwegian waffle with fruit and Brunost brown cheese was tasty for breakfast one day.
On our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage, we found many of our favourite foods and drinks.
Some Other Things Were Good And Largely As Expected
There were many things on this cruise for Northern Lights that were good and certainly met expectations. The boarding process was fast and we always found food that we liked. The heated floors in the bathroom were a treat. And internet connectivity was better than expected.
Ship Boarding Was Better Than Most Experiences
We were not sure if it was normal for Viking to let everyone board when they arrived at the cruise terminal. But for our cruise, everyone arrived and went to check-in. We usually had specific boarding times and people were held until their boarding time.
We waited to arrive at the cruise terminal until the 11am check-in time for our cabin class. But many people ahead of us had much later check-in times. It meant there were not loads of people waiting for their time slot. When we arrived, we still found the check-in process was quick. Especially for those of us who did the advance boarding check-in with Viking.
On our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage we quickly checked in and boarded the Viking Vela.
We Never Went Hungry On Our Cruise
There were several different restaurants onboard the Viking Vela. Many required no reservations. With our Penthouse Veranda cabin we got 2 reservation bookings for the both Manfredi’s and the Chef’s Table specialty restaurants. Room service was available 24 hours a day. Around the ship, we found a broad range of food offered and we had no trouble finding something to eat.
The Restaurant was the main dining room onboard the Viking Vela. The menu changed daily on a 14 day schedule and food was served to the table. The 14 day schedule seemed a bit long compared to what we found on other cruise lines.
On other cruise ships we loved the quite elegant main dining rooms. By contrast, we found that The Restaurant looked like an open crowded cafeteria with tables very close together, many tables with chairs out in the walkway and we found it very noisy. Much of the same food options were available upstairs in the World Cafe buffet.
We ate in The Restaurant when we wanted food delivered hot and crisp or when we wanted a spot on the ship that was a bit more stable. But we ate at the World Cafe buffet restaurant far more than we expected. It was quick and easy on many days when we did not want to sit for a long dinner. Or when we wanted small tastes and a bit more variety.
Manfredi’s was the Italian specialty restaurant onboard. We love Italian food and found a good selection onboard Viking Vela. Although the menu was largely fixed for the entire voyage.
The other specialty restaurant was the Chef’s Table. Over our 12 day cruise, we looked at 4 different fixed menus. Each menu offered several fixed courses with a house wine pairing. When we reviewed the 4 menus, only the British menu was of interest to us. So we only used one of our two reservations. We expected the presentation of the food to be special but all we got was a menu with no choice. This was our least favourite dining option on the ship.
On our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage we found the food generally good but not great. There was enough variety to meet a wide range of tastes. But we would not select Viking for the food.
The Heated Floors In The Bathroom Was A Treat
The bathroom design on the Viking Vela was just ok. There was only a single sink and the storage was a bit limited. The shower floor design did not allow the shower to drain well and we had to bail it out before it ran into the bathroom.
We happy discovered a clothes line for hand washing clothes. But the heated floor was a real treat after a shower or in the middle of the night. This was a lovely surprise on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage.
Internet Connectivity Was A Bit Better Than Expected
We sailed with cruise ships that only offered “free” internet for one device at a time per cabin. This severely limited online usage during previous cruises. Viking Cruises provided internet for each occupant in a cabin. Although they still limited access to one device at a time per occupant. We found that the internet service quickly and seamlessly moved from device to device simply by turning off WiFi access on the first device. It was no limitation really to only use one device at a time.
On this cruise for Northern Lights, we travelled north of the Arctic Circle. Much as we found when we cruised in Antarctica, as we moved towards the poles the internet satellite coverage decreased and ship-based internet was at times spotty or unavailable. We expected this issue when we planned for our Northern Lights cruise. So we got a European Saily eSIM for good internet service when we stopped in all the Norway ports.
Generally we really only had some connectivity challenges on the 4 sea days. Some of the issue was satellite connectivity but most of the issue was about the number of people using the ship internet. When we landed in port, many people switched their phones to land-based internet. When tours were out during the day, internet service onboard the ship was pretty good.
Overall internet service was better than expected on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage.
But We Found A Few Things Did Not Meet Expectations
Some things did not meet our expectations. Some of that may be personal preference. We went for Afternoon Tea once and that was enough. The large open spaces looked great. But quickly filled up and echoed with noise. We were glad we only cruised for 12 nights for Northern Lights as the beds were unacceptably hard and well below our previous cruise ship experiences.
Sadly our port excursion experience was mostly a fail. Because of earlier ship issues and major itinerary changes, we missed so many of the things we planned for our Northern Lights cruise.
Afternoon Tea Was Disappointing
We always loved to try Afternoon Tea experiences when we travelled. We liked fancy tea services with great variety in teas and tasty selections of sweet and savoury treats. So we did not miss trying Afternoon Tea on the Viking Vela.
While we got a welcome afternoon snack, we found the Afternoon Tea experience a little lacking. The tea selection included only the same limited packaged tea bag choices available anywhere on the ship. The scones were just ok and not the melt in your mouth variety we had in other places. The tower of sweet and savoury selections had a good variety and they did change daily. But we found them to be nothing extraordinary.
On our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage, we did Afternoon Tea once and then had no desire to visit again.
Lack Of Quieter Public Spaces
We liked the design of the the Viking Vela with lots of wide open spaces. Early in the day many of these spots were quiet. But for much of the day, in this open concept design we often struggled to find a quiet spot to relax and work outside our cabin. We were very happy we booked the larger Penthouse Veranda cabin and had a great space to escape to.
The Atrium had seating options on all 3 levels but this was open on all floors and the noise travelled quite a bit between levels. This was especially true when activities such as Baggo Beanie (aka ‘cornhole’) was hosted in the Atrium. The Viking Hertitage areas on the upper level had comfortable seating. But we found this space was often quite crowded and the noise carried even to the upper level.
Tables and lounge chairs were scattered around the pool and Wintergarden area. On our cruise for Northern Lights in the winter, when food was not being served we found this area was not busy. But we were sure this was not true on a warm weather cruise when the main pool was crowded and the retractable roof open!
The one spot we found for some quiet was the Torshavn Bar. Later in the evening this was a busy spot and this was also used to host some meetings. But this small walled area was very quiet and not popular. So we sometimes escaped here for quiet outside of our cabin.
On our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage, we struggled to find quiet spaces. But for the more social extroverts onboard, we were sure this was not an issue at all.
Excursions Were Largely A Miss
As soon as we booked our cruise, we paid for some great but expensive excursions to really get the most from this Norway cruise in the winter. When the weather caused a major change in our cruise itinerary, all of our paid excursions got cancelled. We missed seeing husky dogs, a planned night visit to Mt Paeska for Northern Lights, visiting an igloo hotel by snowmobile and a dogsled ride. We were unable to rebook any Viking tours to replace these tours on the new port schedule. But luckily we managed to book one private tour from Tromso with “Spirit in the Sky” for a night Northern Lights tour.
The change in cruise itinerary added Stavanger as a day visit. We were happy when we booked a new paid Viking excursion for a boat tour in the Lysefjorden. This gave us a very typical Norway adventure that was a nice surprise.
We only did one Viking included tour. The time slot on the new schedule had us visiting Narvik for a panoramic tour after dark! Luckily people did not show up for an earlier tour in the day and we got on that one. It was interesting to see a little of this town. But this was not why we booked a Northern Lights cruise.
We missed another panoramic Viking tour in Tromso when the new time slot was at 8am before the sun was up. After returning to the ship at 3am after our private tour in Tromso, we just could not make this early time slot.
Overall, we did not get the port excursion experiences we expected on our Northern Lights cruise in Norway in the winter. Had we not seen the Northern Lights so many times from the ship, the Northern Lights experience would have been almost a total bust.
Far Too Hard Beds
We have often been spoiled with such great beds on cruise ships that we really wanted to take them home. In fact, some other cruise lines offered their beds for sale. A comfortable bed was a key thing that we needed when we travelled.
On our short stay in Bergen before our cruise, we found the bed hard as rock. So we were excited to board the Viking Vela. One of the first things we checked when we got to our cabin was the bed. And we were dismayed when we found it so hard. We wondered if this was a Norwegian preference. Or maybe a European preference since we experienced the same problem on our first river cruise with Tauck.
Even after they put two fluffy pads on our bed, it was far too hard. The ship only stocked a few thick mattress pads and there were none left when our cabin attendant checked. This meant we slept badly for the entire 12 days we were onboard. Our only relief came when we paid for massages or spent time in the spa to relax our bodies.
The bad beds were a major failure for us on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage.
Missed From Other Cruise Ship Offerings
It was not possible to compare apples to apples for the things offered by different cruise lines because the cost, ship size and itineraries varied so much. But there were some things we definitely liked on other cruises we took that were missing on this trip. Other cruise lines spoiled us with the ability to request special meals. And when we got butler service, it provided a little extra pampering.
Personalized Food Choices
We were sure Viking did a good job addressing food allergies and special menu needs like vegetarian meals. But we did not need menu changes for this reason.
We were definitely spoiled on our cruise to Antarctica with Silversea when we could order virtually any food we wanted as long as they had the ingredients onboard and with a little notice. On our river cruise with Tauck, when we asked about octopus carpaccio the executive chef made this tasty treat for us as a special treat one night.
That kind of special food offering was really only available on smaller, higher service cruise lines and not on our Viking Cruises trip. We did not expect such personalized food service on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage. But there were times when we would have liked it.
Butler Service
We are generally not butler people with a long list of things we need done for us. We have had amazing butlers and others that we wondered if they were right for the job.
There were no butlers on Viking ships. Our cabin attendants on the Viking Vela did a good job. They were attentive and paid attention to our preferences on many things. But we missed the experience that came with butler service. When we had a butler, we still had cabin attendants for servicing the cabin. But the butler offered more personalized services. I always smiled when I returned to my cabin and found my sunglasses polished!
When we ordered room service breakfast on Viking, a tray of food was just dropped in our room. With butler service, a nice table was set and we even ate course by course. We have had butlers deliver afternoon canapés. And knew we could have them draw a hot bath for when we returned from an excursion. And one butler put aside my favourite peanut butter ice cream and brought it every day!
We certainly don’t need butler service when we cruised. But we missed it on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage.
Our First Viking Cruises Ocean Voyage Was A Great Test For Us
We were glad we got to try the new Viking Vela on our first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage. It was great to be on a brand new ship outfitted with open spaces and modern technology. We were generally happy with the things we experienced on the Viking cruise ship on this Northern Lights cruise. Some of the things we had issue were might just be personal preference.
But there were a few things that were fails. Viking recognized that the itinerary change caused passenger discontent. So we got a small cruise credit to use for a future trip. We were quite excited when we used this cruise credit towards an Egypt Nile River cruise for the next year.
This year we tried 3 new cruise ships on 3 different cruise lines. We cruised in the Caribbean and enjoyed the new Vista ship with Oceania Cruises. In the fall, we cruised from Lisbon to Barcelona on the new Silver Ray ship with Silversea Cruises. And this cruise on the Viking Vela with Viking Cruises rounded out our new cruise ship experiences. We will share our comparisons soon!
Have you done a first Viking Cruises Ocean voyage? Did you find other things you liked or disliked on your trip?
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Really great overview of the Viking Cruise experience, and helpful for people to decide if it’s for them or not. It must have been magical to experience the Northern Lights at sea!
We were glad we chose the Viking cruise to see the Northern Lights in Norway – even with the itinerary challenges we had.
We are actually on our first Viking Ocean cruise right now. We are on a B2B New Zealand and Australia circumnavigation (with Bali and Komodo). We have had 4 and a half missed ports so far with 2 and a half weeks left to go. The missed ports were a big disappointment. We must have gotten the plush bed inserts because we have not found the beds to be hard at all. The staff and fellow passengers have all been wonderful, The Wintergarden area has been a great place to read and relax. We’ve enjoyed the food (as well as a cooking class), although once in a while the options in The Restaurant have not been great. As B2B passengers, we’ve had a private wine and canapé reception as well as an intimate dinner with a few other B2B passengers and senior staff. We’ve enjoyed the Viking Ocean experience overall, but in the future we will choose a cruise in Europe where we have cruised before and would not be as gutted about missing a port. In 10 Holland America cruises worldwide, we’ve only missed one port.
We have always wanted to do the Australia and New Zealand circumnavigation. Good to know that ports may be at risk. Good to see your feedback on your Viking cruises experience. This was just our first.
The Viking Cruise voyage to see Northern Lights sounds awesome and inspiring! I am totally impressed with the Northern Lights images taken from the cruise ship. It’s interesting that you could see all your billing and other info on the TV. The spacious comfortable cabin has its advantages when you are traveling for a few days. Saving this blog post for future reference. 🙂
We too were very amazed at how many times we saw the Northern Lights from the ship. Our Viking cruise was a good option for this trip.
What a fascinating review of your first Viking ocean voyage. The Northern Lights wake-up calls sound like such a thoughtful touch — I would love not to miss them in the middle of the night! The Nordic Spa also sounds amazing, especially with the hot and cold experiences included for everyone. I also appreciate your honest mix of things you loved and things that were just okay. It’s really helpful for anyone considering a Viking cruise.
We have had a lot of cruising experience so could compare to other ships. So we wanted to share our view of the pros and cons. But we were still glad we took this cruise with Viking for Northern Lights.
I’ve never been on a Viking Ocean cruise. Good to know the pros and cons, thanks for the tips.
Glad you found the tips helpful.
I love that you included all the parts of your Viking Cruise even if some aspects weren’t up to par. This is a very transparent review and I will keep this cruise in mind for when I travel up to see the Northern Lights someday. I bet it’s amazing to watch them from the top of the boat. Overall this sounds like it was a fabulous and fun experience!
Our first ocean cruise with Viking was a fun experience. We got the views we wanted of Northern Lights. Even if we did miss out on so many winter experiences.
Such great tips and a great way to see the Northern lights. It’s an awesome pool also and definitely you neee more quiet spaces.
Overall, we did like the new Viking ocean cruise ship. Some of our cons might not be an issue for others. But we wanted to give a balanced view.
You always share such great information. There are lots of pros and cons, so you just have to consider what you are willing to live with and without.
The cons may not be issues for some people. We were still glad we did this first Viking ocean cruise to see Northern Lights.
We cruised in Norway with Hurtigruten. It was fun and our first cruise experience back in 2009. Sadly no Northern Lights for us on that trip. Your Northern Lights photos look really cool.
Sorry that you did not get Northern Lights on your Norway cruise. It was amazing to catch so many views on this trip.
The private wake up calls sound ideal to ensure you aren’t missing those late night northern lights. It’s too bad that the shore excursions didn’t meet expectations though. Hopefully this is an area they can improve for future travelers.
We were very happy to get wake up calls to enjoy the Northern Lights on the ship. But we were definitely disappointed to miss so many fun winter excursions.
Wonderful detailed overview of your Viking experience. Was struck by the crowdedness you experienced (bad) but also by the wide panoramic views possible from certain areas (good!). I have only cruised once – on Holland-America as someone else above also mentioned. The ship was oldish, smallish, but delightfully laid out. The beds were comfortable, the cabin stewards excellent, the public rooms never crowded, the library wonderfully designed, the entertainment topnotch. We never missed a port. The one minus was very ordinary food in the main dining room so I took to eating on the Lido deck which was more informal and the food more interesting. This was about 15 years ago. Times and circumstances change, but I would love to cruise with Holland-America again. It looks like Viking could use a little smoothing out (bailing out the shower???)
I was happy to share our first experience with ocean cruising on the Vela. The new ship had much to recommend it. But some of the experiences were not great. But still glad we did this trip.
I thought your penthouse cabin looks roomy and luxurious but I too would have hated a hard mattress. Our happiness comes down to getting a good night’s rest when we travel. I hope Viking can rectify this problem. Thanks for a full description on the ship, food and (sadly disappointing) shore excursions. Your pics of the Northern Lights are extraordinary.
Glad you enjoyed the great Northern Lights pics from this trip. It was definitely the highlight of this trip.
This was such an interesting read! The Northern Lights wake-up calls and Nordic Spa sound like amazing experiences. Thanks for sharing such detailed insights from your journey on the Viking Vela!
The Nordic Spa was a big draw for us. A great way to relax. And a good balance to some of the negative parts of our trip.
Thank you for sharing your detailed review so that we can make a good decision when we go on a northern lights cruise!
Glad to know this review provided some tips for you to consider if you book a Northern Lights cruise.
What a wonderful cruise this seems to be. The cabin is massive, much bigger than I expected. The food also looks really good. I’ve been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights before but would love to do a trip specifically to see them like this. The wake up call is a great added touch, since in the past it’s often been by chance that I’m awake and realize something is happening, but knowing that you don’t need to keep an eye on the activity yourself and can rely on someone else to is really helpful
This cruise for Northern Lights caused us to book a trip to the Yukon this year to see them from another perspective. We loved having the wake up calls to ensure we did not miss anything.
Thank you for providing a thorough review of your first experience on a Viking Cruises Ocean voyage. I am pleased that you appreciated the spacious cabin, Northern Light wake-up calls, and dining options. I regret to hear that the firmness of the beds affected your ability to get a restful night’s sleep, as this can significantly affect your overall enjoyment of the cruise. Your feedback is valuable and appreciated.
Always glad to share our feedback – as individual as it may be. But we were still glad we took this trip to see Northern Lights in Norway on the Viking Vela.
I’ll admit I’m not much of a cruise person, but your review of the Viking Cruises was enticing! I love that the bathroom had heated floors and there were a variety of different food options to choose from. The photos you captured of the Northern Lights are magnificent!
We have tried cruises for different reasons and cruising for Northern Lights was a good choice. On a nice new ship.
Very interesting trip! Sounds like you had a great time, but there were also a few issues along the way. I wonder why they made the beds so hard. I’m sure other people were not happy either. But overall, beautiful pictures and lots of things to remember!
Definitely lots of things to remember from this great first ocean cruise with Viking.