I Test Out If Viking Cruises Lives Up To All The Hype

I review Viking Ocean Cruises and put the cruise line to the test to see what they offer, what they do different to other cruise lines - and to find out of Viking Ocean Cruise Lines are as good as their loyal fans say they are. I look at everything from the line, ships, facilities, cabins, service, and dining

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00:00 Start
01:00 Who Are You
01:43 Different Angle
04:49 Carbon Copies
06:20 Rest Your Head
07:15 Signatures
08:20 Like Your Look
09:26 Think Man!
11:33 Biggest Surprise
14:00 Downsides

[andybrockbank]

No casinos, art, photos, adults only - you've won me. Where do I book.

[texasboy]

As Viking fans we find the low key relaxation of the ships wonderful. It’s like staying in a 5 star Boutique hotel. We don’t gamble, are light drinkers and go to bed early. So Viking fits us perfectly.

[twitchly]

We were cruise holdouts until we discovered Viking a couple years ago. The emphasis on the destinations, the lectures, the adult focus, the egalitarian approach (no butlers, no limited-entry areas), no casino or upselling or formal nights — these all appealed. Once onboard, we were amazed at how empty the ship felt, another plus. And who knew Nordic design could feel so cozy? We loved every minute and have signed up for a second Viking cruise this winter. Thanks for your video. You’ve helped us affirm that Viking is the best fit for us.

[tomg]

Gary, you really helped us realize how good the fit Viking would be for me and my husband. Even the "downside" of the less glitzy shows is not a negative for us. We love the idea of the focus on illuminating the ports of call. We love the more Scandinavian look and the inclusive pricing. Thanks for all the information you provide your fans! Another great review.

[XspaghettimonsterX]

8:26 As a Norwegian myself I love the comment about the decor, because I see this and think "Wow, what a glammed up (yet sensible) version of Scandinavian style."

[gerry]

Gary I agree that Viking is one of the best experiences ----I did not miss the casino -photos etc the style is very appealing ---also no formal nights

[susan]

Seven years ago I took our youngest son on a Viking river cruise, Budapest to Amsterdam. It was my first time on Viking; he was the youngest onboard, being 25 then. Everyone got to know him, he was gregarious. Sadly, he passed away in Feb. 2020.
I told my husband I want to do that journey again in 2024
I have two Viking rivers cruises under my belt and one ocean cruise.
Viking all the way!

[wendysherbert]

My goodness! You have found the cruise line for me! I was a Travel Agent two decades ago, and knew of Viking, but this fits my personality. I love the Scandinavia style, fantastic food, no children, quality service and “thinking” on my cruise.

[BruceJSkelly]

Viking offers what they call a “butterfly” cruise. It combines both an ocean cruise and a river cruise. Best of both worlds.

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for this helpful overview. No casino, included tips, at-meal drinks, and no children, photographers, or art auctions sounds wonderful. Not for everyone but very nice to have this option.

[lizcademy]

"Thinking person's cruise line"? I'm in!

Seriously, my dream cruise is Viking's Northern Lights cruise. I love cold and winter (live in Minnesota) and seeing the aurora is on my bucket list. Toss in some interesting lectures, guided excursions, excellent food, and it's my perfect trip.

Now I just need to save up for a solo fare or find a cruise partner ;-)

[justinsimmonds]

Very interesting review. I like the idea of adults only, inclusive fares and consistency of the onboard experience across the fleet.

On the point of the ships being copies of each other, I think it is a somewhat smart business decision for Viking to have minimal differences between the ships as the idea would be to get cruisers to choose their trip based on the itinerary rather than the ship.

[harryhalloumi]

Love Viking.
Service, food, facilities and environment all very high quality.
It's an adult oriented, more sophisticated experience. In general this attracts a more discerning and mature customer.
This is the reason why there isn't a casino, waterslides, ping-pong tables and brash, loud entertainment.
Long may it continue.

[lisathaviu]

I am really glad I watched this. Most cruises are way too glitzy for me and I generally prefer a much lower key kind of travel. I will definitely look into Viking.

[QPRTokyo]

Sounds perfect to me. 😀 I would feel far more relaxed on this line. Thank you for the information. Keep safe.

[darrelldatte]

My wife and I did the Viking 'In Search of The Northern Lights' cruise in March of 2022 and it was amazing! We are looking forward to Christmas on the Rhine in early December...can't wait!

[jenniferlynn]

We’ve only done Viking River Cruises, but it always feels like we’ve come home when we first board. I love that!!

[YancyKin]

Viking is amazing. From the moment you leave the security at the airport until you go through security at the end everything is included. The mini bar in your room, the water crafts delivered twice a day. The tours I would pick anyway. The speciality coffee. An amazing spa, everybody gets a veranda. No nickel and dime once you get aboard. Alcohol at meal times can never stop if you want to . It was all I wanted. The food is amazing even in the main restaurant and buffet. You don't have to pay extra to get the good food. The speciality food was excellent and didn't cost more. Speciality coffee doesn't cost extra. I had excellent free wifi I was able to video conference with family and friends without a problem. Tour them around the ship without loosing reception. The shows are smaller but well done. I have always found the production shows on other cruises were hokky, cheap and crap so I found their shows to be a not big cheap productions but quality entertainment most related to ports of call. The staff are very happy. They are treated very well and it shows. Other cruises you can see unhappy staff and feel bad for how they are made to work. No casino so no smoke wafting through the inside of the ship. It was a small out of the way spot on the top outside deck that I never encountered. Perfect for an asthmatic. The only thing I paid extra was my souvenirs when touring. If you want to pay cheap upfront and pay, pay and pay more and be harassed by staff to buy, buy, buy this is not your cruise. Since there was nothing to get trapped to buy there were not many sea days like other ships who have numerous sea days to get you to spend more money. Other cruises just want more money. Viking wants you to have an amazing tour and vacation and they achieve it hands down. I will save up for my Viking experience because I know it will be amazing and I won't be disappointed. I didn't want to leave. Other cruises made me feel like a trapped animal and couldn't get off fast enough.Viking treats you with respect, not just something to get more money out of. Even if you are just starting ou Viking there are a lot of perks. You would have to go on 10 cruises on another line to get what you get on your first cruise with Viking. The only downside is you won't want your cruise to end but it does.

[colleencalver]

Viking is my favorite - another in Nov. for us….Greek Odyssey! The hotel experience is wonderful but the focus on shore experiences are superb! Both the free and optional experiences are the best. As the owner says: “It’s the thinking man’s company NOT the drinking man’s…”

[prebenhansen]

Im from Norway and you can really see that the owner is from here, the picture behind you I think is from Bryggen in Bergen wich is the ships homeport, the big model of the sailing ship in the back ground is still on service and you can do cruises on it:) Love ur video:)