caribe traveller

We do enjoy the Star Theatre for the entertainment and the lectures. It is not that the entertainment is there or not; it is that it is the same entertainment every 14 days whereas on a World Cruise or even a 90 day cruise the lecturers have an opportunity to develop series of presentation for an in-depth experience. Two-week vacationers don’t generally attend the lectures, want the ABBA or Beatles shows, spend hours at dinner with the other 2,4 or 6 people traveling with them. As we are retired, we can relax, read, meet friends, and socialize at home. We are very active in our community and a learning program. We don’t book for the theatre, the restaurants, the bars, or the pool. We are there for the cultural possibilities to enhance the itinerary, to learn about the destinations, and to meet curious fellow cruisers. It’s just getting more difficult to do with the new Viking spin.

We often have found more options in the World Cafe or different options than what is on the menu in The Restaurant. We have never missed a show because of eating in the Restaurant, but then we eat at 6pm sharp each night. Eating for us is clock based. I wasn't clear; I meant that the World Cafe offers The Restaurant dinner menu items, but also has a number of other options, such as the sushi bar every night and special offerings either on the back deck or in the pool section. We generally only eat at 6 if we are joining a group. And having a group takes longer in general. We have had to rush occasionally to get to the theatre. Our preferred Viking cruise experience is longer cruises; they seem to break those into multiple shorter legs. This takes from the experience we like as Viking goes on a cyclic repeat of entertainment, lectures, and activities. With so many more ships, I believe they are having a harder time booking the full itineraries on the longer cruises. Vacationers traveling for two weeks expect and experience a very different cruise from those who are making the ship 'home' for months at a time. Understandable. As committed as we have been to Viking Oceans, we are finding it harder to find the cruise experience Viking advertises.

We often eat in the World Cafe. The dinner offerings are the same as The Restaurant with smaller portions. It can be difficult to attend activities in the theater if one dines in The Restaurant. We really enjoy Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s for a more leisurely evening, although we do not eat in Manfredi’s that often. An advantage of Viking (world cruise experience) is that you can plan a birthday or anniversary party with Viking handling all the details including invitations, special cakes, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and service at no additional cost. Silver Beverage Package has been included in World Cruises, at least through 2022.