Considering booking a Viking cruise after sailing Seabourn

We are intrigued by what we read about Viking Ocean and are considering booking Viking even though we have been very pleased with our Seabourn sailings. I know that the experience will be different.

I do have a few questions. I have been studying the Viking website and think I understand that no reservations are needed for the World Cafe (is that the buffet?) and for the Main Dining Room to which you just show up during dining hours.

Here are my questions:

1. Are the specialty restaurants open for lunch as well as for dinner?

2. Is it a hassle to make reservations for the specialty restaurants? Are all the reservations filled very quickly and some people can't dine in the specialty restaurants because of this?

3. What are the various venues for breakfast? I assume that no reservation is needed?

4. What are some of the favorite activities for sea days and other times you are onboard the ship. Are there lectures (history, culture, etc)? What is the entertainment like?

Thank you in advance for any insights which might be helpful. And, if you have also sailed Seabourn, I would be interested in your thoughts.

I can't answer all of your questions but here is what I can tell you.

The specialty restaurants are only opened for dinner and there is no up charge for dining there unless you opt for the premium wines (BUT they are included if you buy the Silver Spirits Beverage Package). Except for the V1&2 cabins, all guests have the option to make advanced reservations; once on board, you may make more. Difficulty in making reservations ranges anywhere from easy to impossible, depending on the how long the cruise is and how many people want to eat in the various places, in other words unpredictable from cruise to cruise. That said however, for the most part most people who want to eat there are able to.

Three, sometimes 4, venues are open during the breakfast hours. The World Cafe, The Living Room Bar on Deck 1 and Mamsen on Deck 7 in the Explorer's Lounge and sometimes. The latter 2 open open at 6am with continental breakfast (coffee&) for the early risers. The MDR also serves a sit-down breakfast but it is not necessarily open everyday.

Lectures and resident experts are definitely part of the Viking program. The Orion even has a planetarium and a resident astronomer (she has just entered the Viking fleet, so we have not yet had any reports here about it). Entertainment includes a nightly production show (ABBA, the Beatles show, Rat Pack, etc); the show lasts 45 minutes. There are also musicians who rotate among the various public venues during the evening (i.e., The Living Room and the Explorer's Lounge). There is a pianist, a guitarist and a 'classical' trio, all play easy listening music. There movies under the stars. There is also a disco (Torshavn) for dancing. In other words, the entertainment is fairly laid back and undemanding.

Viking itineraries are port intensive and sea days tend to be part of the itinerary only if they are necessary. We did a two-week B2B in the Med that had no sea days at all. On port days, there are no activities scheduled on board until about 4pm (although the spa is open all day). On sea-days, there are additional lectures, trivia, the shops are open, live music, movies in the theater but again it is laid-back and not over scheduled.

Here is a thread that might help give you a better idea of what Viking is like. OP asked us to tell her why she should try Viking and we answered:

Tell Me Why.....

Thank you Peregrina651. You have been most helpful. I've been reading at the Viking website and various threads here---trying to get up to speed about the ships and how they work. The breakfast info is very helpful.

Do you happen to remember the cost of the Silver bev. package? I've been reading about it as well.

I have a couple of other questions:

1. Is food served around the pool? And, is there a poolside bar?

2. Is the Explorer Lounge the site of one of the bars? And where are the other bars onboard?

We are not big drinkers, but I am just trying to get the lay of the land and see the various options.

I have a couple of other questions:

 

1. Is food served around the pool? And, is there a poolside bar?

 

2. Is the Explorer Lounge the site of one of the bars? And where are the other bars onboard?

 

We are not big drinkers, but I am just trying to get the lay of the land and see the various options.

There is the Pool Grill, open for lunch and stays open longer than the buffet. There is also a bar there (sorry, forgot about that one). Pool food can be eaten in the pool area or carried into the World Cafe.

Have you looked at the 360° tour? It will give you a much better picture of the ship than just our words.

Explorer's Lounge (Decks 7&8) is kind of a multi-purpose space, housing a 2 level forward observation area, a bar, Mamsen's (the waffles, the pea soup and the Success Cake are all mentioned frequently), a table seating area, a library, a quiet sitting room and a 'museum'.

Other bars are the Living Room/Atrium Bar on Deck 1, The Pool Bar on 7, The Aquavit Bar in the World Cafe, Wintergarden (7) (which usually only serves during tea time and then only tea). The public decks are 1, 2, 7, and 8. Decks 3 (except for the upper tier of the Atrium), 4, 5 and 6 are all cabins. Decks 7 and 8 are mixed use with cabins and public.

Thank you Peregrina651. You have been most helpful. I've been reading at the Viking website and various threads here---trying to get up to speed about the ships and how they work. The breakfast info is very helpful.

 

Do you happen to remember the cost of the Silver bev. package? I've been reading about it as well.

Currently, it is running about $20 per person per day and all occupants of a cabin must buy it. I would post a link to the package info on the website but honestly it seem like every time I look for it, it is in a different place and a different format. I would start looking for it either in the FAQ (link at the bottom of every page and definitely helpful to read the whole thing) or the "My Trip" tab on the VO website.

Thank you again for this information. I HAVE taken the tour online, but was still unsure about a few things. Your explanation is very helpful.

Thank you again for this information. I HAVE taken the tour online, but was still unsure about a few things. Your explanation is very helpful.

On sea days the MDR is open for lunch. On port days, the al fresco dining is beyond the World cafe and they even open some of the glass walls of the World cafe for more outside dining.

The Explorer lounge also has a bar. Torshavn is the nightclub near the theater. it has bar ,small dance floor. It is a great place to end the evening with the house band and a nightcap.

I found the beverage package well worth it for cocktails and wine by the glass beyond the included wine at meal time.

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Imho the ships look much better in person as compared to the virtual tour. We love the design, decor, and layout of the Viking ships. But sailing on Seabourn Sojourn in two weeks. Will be able to do a valid comparison after that.😎

Jim Avery, I will be very interested in your first hand comparison, so please come back to give it. We have sailed on the Seabourn Encore and the Ovation. Both great ships. We have not experienced the Sojourn, but I am sure it will be a very good experience for you. We love Seabourn--my husband does not understand why I am even considering another cruise line!

Jim Avery, I will be very interested in your first hand comparison, so please come back to give it. We have sailed on the Seabourn Encore and the Ovation. Both great ships. We have not experienced the Sojourn, but I am sure it will be a very good experience for you. We love Seabourn--my husband does not understand why I am even considering another cruise line!

We have sailed lots of different cruise lines and enjoyed them all at some level. We sailed Sekabourn back on the Little Sisters and loved it. After a fantastic 4 months on Viking Sun we are still looking forward to Seabourn Sojourn in Alaska but, for us, the ongoing test now seems to be can we see ourselves spending 4 months on this ship and enjoying it??:cool:

I think that is a good question to ask yourself. You may also enjoy Seabourn's Encore and Ovation. Both have a few more passengers than Sojourn and some larger venues and a few additional ones.