Viking Cruise Line is great for:
- Travelers seeking top-notch luxury
- Those who want to explore beautiful cities around the globe
- People who don’t mind paying a premium for an exceptional cruise experience
Viking Cruise Line might not be ideal for:
- Those looking to save money
- Travelers who enjoy the mega-resort experience at sea
- Families traveling with children, as Viking is exclusively for guests aged 18 and older
No, Viking Cruise Line isn’t a company where you board a boat with powerful warriors and fight for Valhalla.
Instead, it is an upscale, luxurious cruise line offering ocean and river cruises, as well as what they call "expeditions"- cruises focused on exploring and studying the rich history of various destinations. While this cruise line isn’t cheap, it offers some of the best cruise experiences available. A lot is included in your base fare, from beverages and beer to Wi-Fi and at least one shore excursion per port of call.
We did mention that Viking Cruise Line isn’t cheap, right? Well, we weren’t kidding. For example, an 8-night Mediterranean cruise with them costs about $2,600 per person. This cruise line primarily attracts an older audience, mostly retired couples who have already raised their kids and are now looking to relax as much as possible. In that regard, Viking fulfills its objective with honors. This is also a cruise line that focuses heavily on longer cruises, with the shortest lasting around 8 nights.
Keep in mind, you can always contact us to help with your next Viking Cruise vacation. Just click the Request a Quote button and let’s chat! Reaching out is always free of charge.
One of the great things about Viking Cruise Line is that they visit a wide variety of destinations across the globe, including Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and more. Seriously, they are practically everywhere on the planet, yet it’s surprising that we don’t hear more about them. Another unique aspect of Viking is that they offer both river and ocean cruises, a rarity in the cruise industry, where most companies tend to specialize in one or the other.
Keep in mind that Viking is more about the destinations and relaxation than the onboard activities. This isn’t the cruise line for those who want to drink all day, enjoy waterslides, or race go-karts across the Atlantic. Viking is ideal for travelers who appreciate city tours, luxury, and relaxing with top-notch service. Kids are also not allowed onboard, making Viking one of the few cruise lines in the world exclusively for guests aged 18 and older.
Reviews of Viking Cruise Line
The Good Stuff
Luxury: Although Viking Cruise Line doesn’t typically brand itself as a luxury cruise line, it undeniably offers top-notch service and quality on all its cruises. This is evident in their staterooms, where even the most affordable options feature king-sized beds and spacious rooms with heated floors.
Peace & Quiet: Viking Cruise Line appeals to an older audience, particularly guests in their 60s who want to experience the finer things in life… like cruising across our beautiful planet. These cruises do not allow children, and the focus is more on exploring destinations than partying or drinking all day. As a result, you can expect a calm and relaxing atmosphere.
Wide range of destinations: Viking Cruise Line operates nearly 100 ships that travel across the globe, exploring both oceans and rivers. Whether you’re seeking a luxurious cruise in Scandinavia, Hawaii, or even the Amazon Jungle, Viking is an excellent choice.
Expedition Cruises: Viking Cruise Line is one of the few companies that also focuses on what they call "expedition cruises." These cruises are all about the destination, bringing you closer to places that very few people in the world have the chance to visit. Expedition cruises include routes departing from Buenos Aires to Antarctica, as well as from Greenland to the Arctic Circle. These cruises also include land expeditions in your fare, allowing you to explore cities and villages like never before.
Lots included in your fare: While Viking Cruise Line is on the pricier side, the base fare includes many luxurious perks. Beer is complimentary onboard, and you also get free Wi-Fi along with amenities like self-service launderettes. The bathrooms - often a common complaint on many cruise lines - are spacious and luxurious. Even the specialty restaurants are included in your fare, with only one paid option: a unique restaurant experience combined with a shore excursion.
The Bad Stuff
Price: Viking Cruise Line isn’t cheap. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive cruise lines we can think of. For example, an 11-day cruise to Alaska starts at $5,000 per passenger, while a 15-day Japan & China cruise starts at $7,000. Viking Cruise Line offers a lot of luxury, and their cruises are usually on the longer side, which contributes to the above-average price.
Not for everyone: Viking Cruise Line is a very niche company that simply isn’t for everyone. While most people can travel with Royal Caribbean or Norwegian Cruise Line and have a great time, the same doesn’t apply to Viking. For one, this company doesn’t allow kids onboard. Two, their ships aren’t the mega-resorts at sea that many people are accustomed to. Three, there aren’t a lot of entertainment options or huge Broadway shows aboard their vessels. This is a cruise line for those who want to relax in luxury and explore unique destinations above all else.
What is included in your Viking Cruise Line fare?
Although Viking Cruise Line isn’t the most affordable cruise line out there, they offer a lot of great inclusions in your base fare. You get:
- One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call
- Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
- Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
- 24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water
- Port taxes & fees
- Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase
- Visits to UNESCO Sites
- Enrichment lectures & Destination Performances
- Complimentary access to The Nordic Spa & Fitness Center
- Self-service launderettes
- Alternative restaurant dining at no extra charge
- 24-hour room service
- King-size Viking Explorer Bed with luxury linen
- Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer
Viking Cruise Line Fleet and Destinations
Viking Cruise Line has a fleet of nearly 100 ships. They’ve made them quite similar to each other, with each Viking ship for the ocean being virtually the same, and the same applies to their river cruises.
This is actually a good thing, as Viking Cruise Line focuses more on luxury, atmosphere, and destinations than on onboard activities. Their ocean ships are small, all-veranda vessels that can visit most ports around the world, with a capacity for just 930 guests. For comparison, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas can carry up to 7,600 guests.
Viking also has two specific ships designed primarily for what they call an "expedition cruise." These cruises are entirely focused on the destination and are built to reach hard-to-reach places, even featuring their own land vehicles to take guests to some of the most unique locations on Earth.
As far as destinations go, Viking Cruise Line is present all over the globe. Hey, it helps to have so many ships on their fleet! Some of the main destinations are:
- Northern Europe
- Scandinavia
- Mediterranean
- Alaska
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Caribbean
- Rivers across the world (Rhine, Main and Danube in Central Europe; the Nile in Egypt; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; the Moselle and Elbe in Germany; the Mississippi in North America; the Mekong River in Asia).
- Expedition Cruises (explore Antarctica; the great lakes of North America; the Arctic Circle).
Viking Cruise Line Prices
Viking Cruise Line isn’t a cheap cruise line. Be prepared to spend a fair amount of money with them. The good news is that they include some great perks in your base fare, the rooms are quite nice, and you also get a spacious bathroom. Let’s take a look at some starting prices now:
- Iconic Western Mediterranean ($2,600): 8-night cruise from Barcelona to Rome.
- Mediterranean Antiquities ($5,000): 15-night cruise from Athens to Barcelona.
- Rhine Getaway River Cruise ($2,000): 8-night river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam.
- Christmas on the Seine River Cruise ($2,500): 8-night round-trip river cruise in Paris.
- Expedition Cruise to Antarctica ($14,600): 13-night cruise from Buenos Aires to Antarctica with land expeditions.
Room Options onboard Viking Cruise Line
Good news! Rooms are generally quite good onboard Viking Cruise Line. Each room features its own veranda, spacious bathrooms, and a king-sized bed. Rooms are also about 270 square feet, which is great by cruise line standards. Not too shabby for a starting point, right? Every single Viking Cruise Line stateroom includes at least:
- King-size Viking Explorer Bed with luxury linen
- 42" flat-screen LCD TV with intuitive remote & complimentary Movies On Demand
- Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer
- Premium Freyja toiletries
- Direct-dial satellite phone & cell service
- Security safe
- 110/220 volt outlets
- Ample USB ports
There are also other room options that are better than the standard veranda rooms. On ocean cruises, you can opt for the Penthouse Veranda, while river cruises offer the Viking Suites. There is also what Viking calls an “Owner’s Suite” onboard their ocean vessels, and it’s just one per ship!
- Penthouse Veranda: A special suite that is 25% larger than a standard room. It comes with additional storage space, priority reservations for restaurants and shore excursions, a welcome bottle of champagne, and even binoculars to enjoy the views from the comfort of your balcony.
- Viking Suite: More spacious than a standard room, these suites are actually two full-sized rooms combined into one, making them some of the most spacious rooms in river cruises worldwide.
- Owner’s Suite: The best suites on Viking Cruise Line, with only one available on each Viking ocean ship. These rooms measure 1,448 square feet and include multiple bedrooms, a living room, a sauna, and even a dining area for six guests.
Activities onboard Viking Cruise Line
Viking Cruise Line is definitely not about crazy activities on board. You won’t find giant waterslides, go-kart tracks, or huge Broadway shows here. Viking, after all, is not a mega-resort at sea; it focuses more on a traditional yet luxurious cruise experience.
Viking Cruise Line focuses more on studying the history of each destination than anything else. They offer world-class guest lecturers, historian-led classes, cooking demonstrations, and performances based on the city you're visiting.
I particularly love the last one – for example, you might enjoy a group of samba performers in Rio de Janeiro or a skilled musician or opera singer in Rome. As you can see, Viking is all about activities that deepen your understanding of different cities and cultures, rather than offering thrills, numerous swimming pools, or extravagant entertainment options.
Each Viking Cruise Line ocean ship has its own theater, with seating for about 350 guests. This is where you can hear experts talk about specific destinations, and occasionally, there are small live shows. They even screen movies with free popcorn available.
Each ship typically has two pools: the main pool and an infinity pool at the back of the ship, which tends to be quieter.
One interesting thing about Viking Cruise Line is that there are no fitness centers onboard. This might be a downside for those who love to wake up at 5:00am and run for hours (*not me).
Dining options onboard Viking Cruise Line
Viking Cruise ships have at least four different restaurants, with a main table service option and also a buffet option. The main table service option has a very original name, as the restaurant is simply called… The Restaurant… while the buffet is called World Cafe.
What I love is that the menus change based on the destinations you're visiting. This aligns perfectly with Viking Cruise Line’s focus on destinations, so you might enjoy Greek cuisine while cruising the Mediterranean or ceviche while sailing through South America.
Each ship also offers two additional restaurants: Manfredi's, serving authentic Italian cuisine, and The Chef's Table, a five-course dining experience with a rotating weekly menu. Both of these restaurants are included in your fare, though advanced reservations are required. The only paid option is The Kitchen Table, which combines dinner with a shore excursion experience.
Viking Cruise Line Info List
Dress Code onboard Viking Cruise Line
During the day, dress is casual including shorts (if the season is warm), slacks or jeans and comfortable shoes for walking tours. Swimsuits, swim shorts, cover-ups and exercise attire should be reserved for the Fitness Center, pool areas and Sports Deck.
There are no “formal nights” in the evening; evening dress is “elegant casual” for all dining venues, performances and special events. On these occasions, required attire for ladies includes a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional; jeans are not permitted. The evening dress excludes World Café where the dress remains casual after 6:00pm.
Wi-Fi onboard Viking Cruise Line
All Viking ships offer free Wi-Fi. You may use your personal device or one of the ship’s computers in their Business Center on Deck 1. There is no option to upgrade to premium Wi-Fi.
Drink Packages onboard Viking Cruise Line
You can try the Silver Spirits beverage package onboard Viking Cruise Line. For $25 USD per night, enjoy unlimited beverages in all onboard venues, bars and lounges anytime throughout the duration of your voyage. The package includes house champagne, wine and beers by the glass, plus select premium wines by the glass, cocktails, aperitifs, well drinks, mixers/long drinks, a selection of upgraded whiskeys and soft drinks, up to $18 USD each.
Silver Spirits also includes the Chef's Table premium wine pairing, complimentary access to standard tasting events, a 50% discount for premium tasting events and a 30% discount on premium beverages above $50 USD each, including bottles of wine. You may purchase the package prior to sailing.
Children onboard Viking Cruise Line
Unfortunately, kids can not travel with Viking Cruise Line. All guests must be 18 years old on or before the day they are scheduled to embark on their cruise.
Laundry onboard Viking Cruise Line
All Viking Cruise Line ships are equipped with laundry facilities. Depending on your stateroom category, laundry services, including pressing, may be complimentary.
Gratuity onboard Viking Cruise Line
Viking Cruise Line automatically adds a service gratuity of $17 per person, per day, to the final bill, depending on your cabin category.
Smoking onboard Viking Cruise Line
Smoking is only allowed in a designated outdoor smoking area on the starboard side of Deck 8.
Carry-on Drinks Policy onboard Viking Cruise Line
Good news, there isn’t a limit to how much alcohol you can bring onboard with Viking Cruise Line, and there is no corkage fee as well. Feel free to bring bottles of champagne, lots of beer and get ready to celebrate.
Book Your Dream Vacation with Viking Cruise Line!
Now that you know all about Viking Cruise Line, it’s time to pack your bags, head to Europe, Hawaii or Antarctica and explore some of the most beautiful places in the world!
Feel free to reach out anytime for the best deals, more details on room options, activities, or anything else you need. Viking Cruise Line is known for its classy, elegant atmosphere, and we like to think we share the same values here at Famvia. Truly, a match made in heaven.
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