Viking Star

Fabulous Viking Star

October

Pros: The ship itself was fabulous, and the crew was amazing. They met our every need and desire. The food was beyond belief.

Cons: Some ports were great, but some were just so so.

Recommended: Yes

Even though we encountered rainy days, the cruise was so much fun. Viking does a great job of making sure you are happy.

Wonderful voyage

June

Pros: Viking does an exceptional job. Staff knew we needed something even before we did

Cons: Unfortunately the cruise ended

Recommended: Yes

This was our first Viking cruise. We’re smitten. Thanks

Viking Star Iceland

June

Pros: Beautiful ship - Casual Dining Option

Cons: Gratuity not included - 48 hour excursion cancellation - Not all Inclusive

Recommended: Yes

Ship was beautiful. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Food was great and casual dining option was nice. Booked an Explorer Suite. Very spacious. Cabin photos were a bit deceiving so would be aware of suite location prior to booking. Our cabin was located at the Bow and we experienced anywhere from an hour to two hours of loud noises early morning for dockings.

Relaxing Atmosphere

May

Pros: Casual and inviting decor. Very well maintained ship with a pleasant crew.

Cons: Food in World Cafe average at best, sometimes hot food was not very hot.

Recommended: Yes

We enjoyed our first Viking Cruise, Iconic Western Mediterranean, May 2023. We were notified in January we would not be visiting Monte Carlo due to race which is held the last week in May every year. Why was this port on the itinerary? The ship was spotless, however, the heated floor did not work in our cabin. The food was very good in the restaurants, however, the buffet selection was disappointing at dinner, Viking needs to address this on the Star, hot food should be served hot not lukewarm. The next to the last evening was our scheduled dinner at Manfredis and we ordered a ribeye steak that we feel was a sirloin. The ossobuco was delicious as were the desserts and the bread basket. Vikings service throughout was wonderful the entire staff was very welcoming, pleasant and eager to please, We have cruise various cruise lines most and enjoyed each journey. Viking was the most pricey and the most laid back casual ship with fewer passengers and NO children. There is a casual dress code in restaurants. Slacks, khakis and polo shirts for men “no jeans” for everyone. While touring the ship on the first evening my husband was wearing shorts and we were informed there was a dress code. A few days later there was gentleman seated in front of us in one who was admitted wearing grungy jeans and flip flops. Rules should be enforced!

Ancient Turkey and Greece

May

Pros: Viking is very organized so we rarely waited in any lines. This was a serious tour, with a resident historian and lecturer on board. Food was wonderful, fresh, and readily available

Cons: We had to change ports in Crete due to high winds. The information roll out was poorly handled and replacement excursions were not well defined or readily available. I appreciate the concern for safety but wish they had done a better job informating us.

Recommended: Yes

Overall good value for the money. Our stateroom was so well organized, lots of storage, and convenient.

43rd Wedding Anniversary Cruise

March

Pros: The Viking staff are their greatest assets. They are always smiling, pleasant and willing to help

Cons: Extremely!! sub-standard buses used for the included tour in Honduras. 12" wide aisle and seats so close you were forced to pull you knees up.

Recommended: Yes

The service, food and entertainment were far superior to anything we expected. The staff knew us by name within two days of embarking. They made a huge day long celebration of our anniversary. The Viking Band learned our wedding song just for us and played it and made a video tape for us in the Torshaven Lounge that night. The staterooms were cleaned twice a day with fresh pillowcases again in the afternoon if we wrinkled them. Everything was beyond wonderful. We would definitely recommend a Viking Cruise.

14 day Panama Canal cruise

December

Pros: Ship is in great condition with nice amenities. Thoroughly enjoyed the spa. Restaurant and bar choices were also very good and diverse.

Cons: Itinerary has too many days ‘At Sea’. The shore excursions were shorter and shallower than I have experienced before. For example, each one allocated precious time to having us parade through cheap mass produced souvenier shopping. Ship staff were extremely good and you could see how hard they were working, but overall service staff was not enough for the volume of passengers.

Recommended: Yes

Overall the cruise was too many ‘Days at Sea’ for an active person who wants to see and experience new places. If you are looking to just escape, be well fed on a lovely ship among 900 other people - its a winner.

Viking service is the best

October

Pros: Extraordinary professional, well trained employees. Immaculately clean 100 percent of the time

Cons: Port excursions nothing special. Great poverty doesn’t help.

Recommended: Yes

Best part of trip was passage through the Panama Canal. Best day! Food very good, service excellent, room always clean and neat. Eye contact and spoken to by every employee. Wonderful staffing. Wines were pretty good and generous at meals. Love Viking. Would recommend to friends.

Norway

February

Pros: Excellent

Cons: need single rooms

Recommended: Yes

Need single rooms for solo travelers

Northern lights

February

Pros: staff, port time

Cons: food selection, entertainment

Recommended: No

housekeeping staff was friendly, experienced and helpful Bar personnel were very professional and courteous Selection of ports and shore time was good and drivers/tour guides were above the norm Crew/guest communication was great On the down side the food was not up to par and selection was minimal

Fantasic ship and crew.

November

Pros: All inclusive. No hassles. Adult only. Fantasically clean modern ship. Superb crew.

Cons: Caters to older clientele, mostly 50s-60s-70s. Nightlife limited.

Recommended: Yes

It's no wonder Viking has top ratings in their ships. They are fantastic. Even the oldest of their ships (Viking Star, 5 years old) was spotless and looked absolutely new. Everything works as it should and it feels like a luxury hotel. Absolutely none of the cruise ship horror stories about cabin noise, smells, etc. No nickel and diming. You can buy the Silver drink package for about $20/day/person or simply have drinks (reasonably priced) put on your account. Beer and wine is free with meals. If you're going to average over 3 drinks a day, outside of meals, it's probably worth the Silver package. The staff is superb. They genuinely love working on the Viking ship and it shows in the service and great attitudes. We had the Deluxe Veranda cabin and it's plenty big for 2 people for 2 weeks. The bathrooms and shower are beautifully designed, large, and very functional. Heated floors were great. Free washers (with soap)/dryers on each deck meant you don't have to pack heavy. Cuisine in all the restaurant venues was great. All the tours we took were very good, especially the 2 day Overland Holy Land tour of Israel. Tour guides were fantastic. The clientele is an older demographic, so don't expect a lively night life on-board. But you're likely to be too tired from touring to miss it anyway. Many, many of the other cruisers we talked to were on their 2nd or 3rd Viking Ocean Cruise.

Antiquities

November

Pros: staff,ship excellent

Cons: lot of bus time, but probably unavoidable due to port locations

Recommended: Yes

see below

Five star ship

September

Pros: Smaller, very friendly, excellent dining and spirits, no casino, adults only, immaculate and beautiful

Cons: Can’t think of any!

Recommended: Yes

We loved our 12 day cruise on the Viking Star and met some wonderful new friends and friendly staff. Having travelled on the larger cruise ships, we really enjoyed the smaller more quiet cruise ship. No Smokey casinos to walk through, immaculately clean, beautifully decorated and wonderful music. There are many choices for dining, all delicious. The staff is constantly aware of guest satisfaction. We enjoyed all of our excursions and the variety offered.

Ok but not great

September

Pros: Ship’s configuration for eating and meeting areas were excellent . Seemed like we were always in small groups rather than large ones; especially in the dining rooms.

Cons: Excursions were mediocre, especially the “included tours”. Relatively long bus rides to places were a 15 minute was all that was necessary, but the guide took 45-60 minutes. Santorini was very disappointing, 4 cruise ship disembarked at the same time. A 20 min. Bus trip took over an hour. Streets were packed

Recommended: No

Wouldn’t recommend this tour. Food at the main dining was good, but didn’t change sufficiently to feel that you had a reasonable variety.

Mediterranean Odyssey

August

Pros: Beautiful ship, excellent stateroom and public areas. Terrific staff. Several dinning options. Well organized tours.

Cons: Average intertainment.

Recommended: Yes

Great overall experience. Enjoyed smaller ship size and ease of getting on and off the ship.

The Fun Ship

July

Pros: Everything was near perfect during the entire cruise

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes

The crew does not know the word "NO". They are very helpful and friendly even when we were sometimes grouchy! Food was great-well prepared and delicious. Staterooms were kept very clean and furnished. Great entertainment! Port tours were excellent.

Adult Cruising

May

Pros: No Photo People

Cons: Airlines

Recommended: Yes

Great adult trip. No kids. No picture people. Great music. Great dining. No casino. Great tours included.

Cultural Cuba

February

Pros: Lovely large room, wonderful staff, some excursions were really great, great guides, liked the educational programs on the ship

Cons: Not enough variety of food, more activities on ship, catamaran excursion was disappointing

Recommended: Yes

Overall we loved the experience and Cuba

Wonderful Trip on Viking!

May

Pros: Ship is fantastic with beautiful cabins! Great food! Wonderful crew and very friendly staff!

Cons:

Recommended: No

Adriatic Cruise on Viking Star

May

Pros: Exellent ship, excursion guides and overall itineary

Cons: It rained once.

Recommended: Yes

Outstanding ship, crew and overall experience.

Mediterranian Wonders

March

Pros: Smaller ship with large rooms and friendly staff. Everything was well planned and carried out.

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

We had some bad weather that kept us out of a couple of the ports but there was still much to do on the ship and so we didn't mind.

Mediterranean Odysey

March

Pros: Layout of the ship, great dining options, coordination of activities, they go out of their way to make your time on board and on land memorable.

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

A lot of time is spent on buses going to and from excursions. I know this can't be helped but this is a con, compared to the closeness of all shore activities on the River Cruises.

Excellence At Sea

March

Pros: Superior service in every category

Cons: Not much scheduled entertainment

Recommended: Yes

Excellent cruise. We liked it so much we've already scheduled another with Viking. Service is outstanding and friendly throughout the ship. Every crew member had a smile and got to know your names with surprising speed and ease. The food was excellent. The World Cafe buffet line and The Restaurant offered delicious food and seats were easy to find at all times. However, there are fewer eating options - 1 buffet, 1 restaurant, 2 specialty restaurants, 1 pool grille. But room service is always available and afternoon tea is a delight. Our deluxe veranda room of 270 sq ft was very small (we've booked a penthouse veranda on our next trip) but the king size bed was comfortable and the bathroom was more than adequate. There was a surprising amount of storage. There was no production-type entertainment every night. The production cast, however, was excellent and did 3 production performances in addition to appearing at Torshaven and at other events around the ship. The performers mingle with the guests at meals and on shore excursions and in the lounges and are very friendly. The ship store is not huge but carries quality merchandise; it is only open when the ship is not in port so you have to get in and get out quickly as the Viking Star was in port almost every day. The shore excursions are well planned and executed and include a lot of walking, so be prepared. Trumpy Tours does a great job of getting everyone on and off the ship with a minimum of fuss. Their tour guides are exceptional. One of the very best things about Viking is that there are no financial surprises. We prepaid for the drink package (a great deal!) and our shore excursions. The only charges we had were for gratuities and what we bought at the ship store. No nickel and dime-ing here. Love Viking!!!

Great trip.

September

Pros: Beautiful ship.

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

Nice decor and artwork. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Outstanding!

April

Pros: Spacious ship, elegant surroundings, first-rate tours, delicious food, variety of entertainment, all inclusiveness of amenities

Cons: none

Recommended: Yes

I believe that Viking is changing the dynamics of the ocean cruise industry similar to the way that Southwest changed the dynamics of the airline industry.

Viking Star

April

Pros: Excellent cruise from Athens to Venice

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

The guided tours, food,and activities were all excellent. We enjoy educational tours and were pleased to find that there were lectures about the art and history of the countries we were visiting. The guides in each of the countries were very knowledgeable and conducted very interesting. We think that Viking is setting a "new standard" of excellence in ocean cruising.

Caribbean cruise

January

Pros: Ship, food, & ports were very good.

Cons: Some of the included tours weren't too exciting

Recommended: Yes

We really enjoyed this cruise. the service was wonderful & the food. the ship was spotless at all times. We had been to most of the ports, but really enjoyed them again. We felt they could have had a bit more islandy feel w. the food or maybe some steel band group on board by the pool or something. However, for the most part the entertainment, for a small ship was very good. the musicians they had were superb. we would recommend this trip. the ease of boarding in San Juan was very a big plus. United has a non stop flight, the ship should offer that as American does not. we booked our own air even though they offered free air.

West Indies Explorer

January

Pros:

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Included tours were a bit of a disappointment. Mostly the same--two to three hour bus ride around islands. Scenery was beautiful but content was lacking.

I could live the rest of my life on this ship!

December

Pros: Outstanding dining, attentive and helpful crew, 24 hour room service, free self-service laundry

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

The food and service on this ship is incredible, whether in the main dining room, the casual buffet room, poolside, or lounges. Staterooms are spacious, beautifully appointed, and the bed was heavenly! The premium excursions we chose were worth the price. A real surprise was the complimentary launderette facilities.

West Indies

November

Pros: The way you are treated by the Staff. Very Organized

Cons: Travel arrangements by Viking

Recommended: Yes

I would book your owe flight reservations...although I like the transfers to and from the airports. Avoid American Airlines.

Viking Star Baltic Cruise

September

Pros: Viking Star, Crew, Logistics, Food, Excursions

Cons: Airline Connections.

Recommended: Yes

As first time Viking Ocean Cruise newbie, I must say thank you for to the Viking Crew for providing a well planned experience that maximized my time. For starters the ship is gorgeous, well planned with attention to detail. No expense was spared, especially in the hygiene area. I appreciated the hand sanitizing stations while embarking and going to meals. The bathrooms within the staterooms were state of the art. The attentive crew is welcoming, well trained and friendly. All the crew worked well together and everything ran on time and smoothly. I was most impressed with the logistics for moving 900+ people on and off the ship to the shore excursions seamlessly.

Viking Homelands

July

Pros: Quality and attentiveness of the staff; outstanding meals

Cons: WiFi connectivity

Recommended: Yes

Overall this cruise exceeded all of my expectations. The itinerary was first-rate, and the ship's staff was very efficient in executing their duties. The meals were superb, and the quality of the on-board entertainment was also very good. The only small complaint was the quality of the wifi connection, overall. These days, when being "connected" is increasingly important, this issue should be a non-issue.

Viking homelands

July

Pros: Staff and ship

Cons: Shower temps erattic

Recommended: Yes

Loved it.

Beautiful ship

June

Pros: Great design, spotless

Cons: Shows weak

Recommended: Yes

Terrific cruise

Viking Star

April

Pros: Size, spa, staff, feeling of being on a luxury Cruise

Cons: Temperature in public areas was chilly

Recommended: Yes

Dancers and singers were great So were the specialty restaurants Ate took much gelato

A Five Star Trip

December

Pros: Staff, food, excursions. entertainment

Cons: Not for people with mobility issues.

Recommended: Yes

The state rooms are very nice and having a balcony is a real plus.On board laundry facilities were also a bonus since then you don't have to pack so many clothes. There were a variety of food options and each one was very good. The excursions were varied and the guides generally excellent. There were several options in each port so you could see Roman ruins one day, a medieval town another, underground caves on another, etc. We did the extended stay in Barcelona and would highly recommend it. The hotel was within walking distance of all the major attractions and the hotel staff was very helpful in giving us tips about local restaurants. inally, the Viking staff who handled our transfers from the airport to the boat, the boat to the hotel in Barcelona, and the hotel back to the airport were very friendly, organized and efficient. They took a lot of the stress out of our travel.

New ship, new concept

November

Pros: Great design, all new, included shore excursion at every port

Cons: Still a few new staff bumps to iron out

Recommended: Yes

Viking's ocean concept is fresh and includes lots of extras, like unlimited wine and beer at meals, one free shore excursion at every port, and erudite lectures. The heated bathroom floor was hard to leave behind! All veranda design also has elegant public spaces for reading and relaxing. Customers skew very baby boomer and even older--it's a well-behaved crowd, not a loud fun ship. Staff are mostly excellent--the ship was about six months into its first year of operations, and the seamless service that Viking aims for still has a few awkward bumps.