Myrtle Ave. Mayhem

I'll be sailing the trans-Atlantic from Barcelona aboard Viking Neptune. My favorite itinerary on my favorite line. Blessed!

I returned for another B2B Bermuda cruise at the end of Orions Bermuda session. That last week carried a noticeably louder group than any I've seen on my other Viking cruises. Will be sailing the TA Neptune in December, fingers crossed & expecting a Classy Crowd. This as others have said isn't just Viking & cruise lines. I work aboard Amtrak as a train attendant & witness each trip the surge in "passengers behaving badly". The demanding, entitled, & messy passengers test my spiritual connection before I remind myself to focus on the lovely, kind, & appreciative. Here's what happens on the train.....

@SueMo- It's as if Torstein Hagen saw my personal wish list for a cruise line & went to work creating it. Attention to detail, modern beautiful ships, onboard focus on service & food. Refined, relaxing, yet never stuffy. Say you had a rich Norwegian great aunt & spent a week or two at her house.... or a floating Zen palace at sea. That in a nutshell is how I can best describe the overall Viking Ocean experience. The ships are stunning at every turn. Chock full of public rooms with glorious floor to ceiling windows looking out to sea. The Scandinavian Modern decor on full display. Some call it Ikea, but more accurately it's Design Within Reach. The bright modern interiors might seem off putting but are actually very warm & cozy. Very spacious ships that absorb the passengers perfectly. Never any problem finding a seat in a lounge, buffet, or poolside. Intimate groups of seating all around the ship. These are ships clearly designed for passenger comfort and enjoyment in a way mass market ships aren't. Onboard the focus is on food, service, attention to detail. As a higher price point line there is no annoying constant revenue production. No casino, no art auctions, no photographers, no children. Smokers must smoke in a small area on an outter deck. No smoking inside. After my first cruise on the other cruises there have always been crew who remember me, calling me by name and remembering my dining & service preferences. Speaking of price point, the minimum cabin category starts at veranda level. Soft drinks, specialty coffee, beer, wine included at lunch & dinner.... with frequent liberal pouring throughout the day & evening beyond those allotted time frames. Specialty dining & use of the spa included. Food variety, flavor, presentation in The Restaurant, the Viking MDR like what HAL MDR was 20 years ago. Attention to detail in the little things, it's obvious Viking really understands this. Background music played at background decibel. Frequently no music played poolside on sea days, just the ambient sounds of the ship, sea, & passengers. This is a line that is very receptive to passenger feedback. On a B2B Bermuda cruise last year I mentioned a few minor clutches that were specifically addressed & corrected the second week. Having said this, most Viking itineraries are very port heavy. Frequently cruises have no sea days. All I love about Viking is specifically regarding the onboard experience, ambiance. It is possible to find itineraries with sea days. That's why I prefer trans-Atlantic crossings. The ship becomes the destination. The daily lectures, live music, afternoon tea in The Wintergarden, spa, & dancing into the AM at Torshaven create the perfect balance of relaxation & activity. @Hlitner- You hit the nail on the head. I couldn't articulate it better myself. @cruisemom42- I haven't sailed with Oceania either, so I can't directly compare. I will say that although Viking itineraries focus on ports, the onboard experience in sum total is first class hospitality industry all the way. Everything onboard was completely on point.

It appears by this thread that I'm not the only one dissatisfied with Holland America. When I first sailed with Holland America in 2000 the line felt luxury to me. A floating Ritz-Carlton IMHO. My last two cruises with HAL were on the Koningsdam & Veendam. Mediocrity at every turn, expept for the individual crew members who did the best with what they were given. Holland America feels like a watered down shadow of it's former self. In 2019 I jumped ship to Viking Ocean. Six cruises under my belt with a trans-Atlantic Viking Neptune coming up in December. They are a higher price point, but worth every penny to me.

Trans-Atlantic crossings are highly recommended for anyone who loves the nautical life. With Viking cruises being mostly port heavy, a TA is the perfect way to experience a Viking ship as the destination. The daily routine & social life are a refreshing change from the port-y go, go, go. It's the ultimate in blissful relaxation. I prefer to do air on my own & arrive at my embarkation city two nights before to finish off the jett lag & be comfortable the day I board. Thankfully I get to repeat this in December aboard Viking Neptune.

Great thread! Breakfast always in The Restaurant. I work in the hospitality industry, so when I'm on vacation it's my turn to be served. Daily smoothie, one croissant, berries with Marscapone, smoked salmon with capers. The atmosphere & calm of The Restaurant set the tone for the day. My fondest memory(ies) is any time I'm served by Denys. He's been my main server on four cruises & doesn't even take my breakfast order....he already knows. Dining Room manager Angela has also been on four of my cruises & knows my routine. They are among many all-star crew. The interaction with the crew is my favorite part of Viking.

@Poulsbo Cruisers - Your review was most enjoyable, fair, & balanced. I'm only sorry that ultimately you didn't get the WOW from Viking that many of us have. Cruising perspectives & expectations are so subjective as you & others mentioned. I agree completely with your points regarding service, food, & entertainment. The overall service delivery is the best I've ever experienced. To have a server remember my name & dining preferences after two years from previously sailing with him(Denys-Ukraine) is exceptional. The multiple sessions of the classic duo playing nightly is overkill. New production shows in the Starlight Theater whenever that happens will be most welcome. However good the food is, it's not really epicurean fine dining. I actually expect better from a line at this price point. Although I'm mostly evangelical about Viking, in truth there is room for slight improvement. The biggest draw is the ships themselves & sense of a calm dignified, never stuffy onboard atmosphere. These ships are type they mostly stopped building 30 years ago. Everything in the design is about passenger enjoyment, not revenue production. I absolutely love all the public lounges chock-full of floor to ceiling windows looking out to sea. Excellent detail to the recorded piped music playing always at an appropriate background decibel. Fortunately Viking is a company that is receptive & proactive to passenger comments. On a back-to-back Bermuda cruise last year the little issues I mentioned on the comment card on the first week were gloriously rectified the next cruise. Whichever line you sail aboard next I hope that it be a better match for you. This reminds me of when Celebrity first started sailing the Horizon/Zenith. The travel press couldn't praise them enough. Celebrity was the new toast of the cruise town. Some people even saying it was the new Sitmar. All that hype was a mystery to me on my first Celebrity cruise. Got off that Zenith cruise very underwhelmed & disappointed.

Orbachs!

The fellow passengers. I find east coast people more willing to talk to & meet strangers. LA cruises can take on the "too cool for school" vibe. As I said, others might beg to differ.

Others might beg to differ but I find cruises out of Florida much friendlier than California. I always meet my NYC/LI peeps. Also, after the beauty of the Caribbean & Bermuda, the Mexican Riviera is a letdown. Usually the first & last day are cold weather.

Hi Ann, greetings from the Miracle Mile! Nice to meet you. What an amazing way to start your crossing, with a whole week ahead boarding in Rome!

Hello Orator - How exciting to be sailing aboard your first Viking Ocean cruise! This is a cruise line that wonderfully marches to the beat of their own drummer(& ours!) The Viking ships are perfect for sea days. Vincent in LA.

I'll be on the trans-Atlantic crossing in December. Love any itinerary on Viking, but TA's are my favorite so as to enjoy all the sea days. The Viking Neptune will be the destination!

Hello Sleep7 - I loved reading your post! Each picture, each observation, the joy of being on a Viking ship, your appreciation for the crew & food. Viking really has a knack for attention to the fine details & your post is a beautiful testament. Viking Sky was my first ship with the line, but even though all are mostly the same, VS will always be my favorite! Hope the jet lag is behind you & that your transition back to "The Island" is treating you well. These trip reports hold me over until my next cruise, Viking Neptune trans-Atlantic Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale in December.

Nothing will top the original series. The Love Boat will always be the original Pacific Princess.

Considering that Viking is a hospitality industry product of high standard & cost point, I wish they would bring these back. I have the green & brown. The pouches set the beginning tone of what is to come aboard the ship, a tactile pre-cruise gift. I also dearly miss the cruise information book. Receiving the luggage tags & stickers unceremoniously in the paper mail envelope is a let down. It's all in the little details. When HAL discontinued their beautiful blue folders I had the same reaction. Do I need the cloth pouch & booklet? Of course not. Definitely first world minor things in the privilege of being able to sail aboard Viking.

@TayanaLornaGreat, even better! Thank you.

My favorite dining for any meal is The Restaurant. The atmosphere is the perfect combination of celebration & calm depending on where you're seated. The room is broken into different sections. The aft area is the quieter. As expected the food is beautifully prepared & delicious. It is the service of the hard working servers who make a point of knowing your preferences. I've had the same server on four cruises(Denys). He's got my dining down to a routine!

Hip hip hooray! The pre-cruise testing was the most stressful part of the whole process this previous summer for my Bermuda cruises. My next sailing is December aboard Viking Neptune. What a relief! Will be arriving in Barcelona a few days before we board & I'm guessing Spain may have their own testing requirements for enrty.

Hi Keith - I don't know about glassware specifically. On a Viking Sky trans-Atlantic in March 2020 I bought this Mamsens cup in the gift shop. This previous summer aboard Viking Orion the gift shop didn't have the cups. Asked the salesperson & she didn't know why.

I've been sailing Princess for 30 years & am now a confirmed Viking Ocean "loyalist". On our recent Discovery Princess cruise the MDR food was a standout win. Ticked all the boxes for me in variety, plated presentation, temperature, & flavor. The Marketplace & Sabatini's were equally delightful. To be honest I think the MDR food on Princess is of the same standard as Viking Ocean but with smaller portion size. I miss the era on Princess with the table side salad, steak, & dessert preparation on the cart.

@Blackduck59 - That's a shame your first Viking cruise was a disappointment. I wish it had been a better cruise for you & that you got to experience how wonderful Viking can be. @PRHThat's been my experience with all cruise lines. It seemed to me Viking had a better consistency with their overall shipboard experience. Sorry that wasn't the case between Jupiter & Sea. Although I'm I confirmed Viking loyalist, there have been a few slight issues. Sometimes in The Restaurant & Manfredi's hot food was served lukewarm. Once I can understand but this happened more often than it should on a Sky trans-Atlantic in 2019. On my Bermuda cruises this summer both times I dined at Manfredi's the main entrée was served cold. Of course bringing it to the attention of the server always brought apologies & a fix. On my first Viking cruise the drink servers regularly canvassed the upper-level of Explorers Lounge with promt service checking back with refills. Not so much on some of my others. I have a trans-Atlantic crossing booked aboard Neptune in December. Hopefully these service clutches will be rectified by then. With Viking rapidly expanding at the clip they're going, recruiting, training, & retention of experienced crew is important. Viking seriously needs to pay attention & get a handle on it.

I've cruised the sister ship to Volendam, Zaandam several times. The fact that these ships have a promenade deck with loungers, a forward observation lounge, & are a much smaller size turns my vote to Volendam for the experience of the ship. That being said, as a four star Mariner, I've been disappointed with the general direction HAL has taken in the last few years in terms of food, service, entertainment, attention to detail(lack thereof). I recently sailed aboard Discovery Princess, sister to Regal. While the food, service, & live entertainment were great, I couldn't stand the ship. Way too big. Too many people everywhere all the time. There's no promenade deck, observation lounge, & virtually no quiet nooks to just relax. The pools with MUTS & pop music played at way too high decibels was a major annoyance. Happy cruising, I hope you find the ship/line that is a match for you.

I was grateful for & enjoyed the food & service in the MDR's & Sabatini's aboard my April 10 cruise. The variety of the menus & plated presentation of the entrees exceeded my expectations. It's wonderful that Princess still serves lunch in the MDR on embarkation day, as I don't care for buffets. The crew worked hard & were cheerful. Despite my complaints (there were several) the truth is this cruise was a great value & price point. I got what I payed for & then some.

@ChellyGross Registed Registered Tonnage. Passenger Space Ratio. The GRT/PSR can sometimes be misleading. It often depends on where which public rooms are placed where. For example, on Crown Princess Adagio, Sabatini's, & Skywalkers are placed far aft, thus off the beaten path.