Viking or Celebrity Edge? - Australia & New Zealand - Is Viking worth double or triple?

[rrdr78]

Our family is trying to decide between Viking or Celebrity. 4 adults ( age 40's and 70's ), we are active and won't be spending much time in the cabins. We really enjoy good food, active excursions and nightly shows/activities. We have no problem booking excursions ourselves through 3rd parties. Don't drink much. Exceptional service is not a huge factor as well. We don't need or really appreciate 10/10 service, 7 or 8/10 is fine. Two of us would be just as satisfied with an interior cabin vs balcony. 

 

Knowing this, is Viking worth the huge price difference vs Celebrity? Would we be just as happy on Celebrity with an upgraded meal package and 1 upgraded cabin vs Viking and at half the price? 

[Pushka]

1 hour ago, rrdr78 said:

Our family is trying to decide between Viking or Celebrity. 4 adults ( age 40's and 70's ), we are active and won't be spending much time in the cabins. We really enjoy good food, active excursions and nightly shows/activities. We have no problem booking excursions ourselves through 3rd parties. Don't drink much. Exceptional service is not a huge factor as well. We don't need or really appreciate 10/10 service, 7 or 8/10 is fine. Two of us would be just as satisfied with an interior cabin vs balcony. 

 

Knowing this, is Viking worth the huge price difference vs Celebrity? Would we be just as happy on Celebrity with an upgraded meal package and 1 upgraded cabin vs Viking and at half the price? 

We like Celebrity as well as Viking, just different experiences.  Our cruise on Edge was Covid cancelled twice. Next cruise is with Viking. If you want a lot of 'experiences' then I'd go with Celebrity. If you aren't after such an experience then stay with Viking. Get the drinks package. 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Pushka

[WNcruiser]

As a Celebrity Elite+ it is very hard to compare the two cruise lines as they are totally different experiences. Based on your information I would recommend Celebrity. Viking is 900 passengers, small and quiet. Dont expect much to do at night as far as big production shows, casino, lively bars etc. 

 

The food was very hit and miss on our first Viking cruise in October and overall the service was good but definitely some room to improve. With having to pay for drinks outside of lunch/dinner hours, and pay for gratuities we didn't feel Viking was a good value for the price paid compared to Celebrity and other all inclusive lines. 

 

We are on Viking again next month but so far I think Celebrity is a better fit for me at this point with more to do, more food options, and much more entertainment/activities. 

Edited December 26, 2022 by WNcruiser

[CDNPolar]

4 hours ago, rrdr78 said:

Our family is trying to decide between Viking or Celebrity. 4 adults ( age 40's and 70's ), we are active and won't be spending much time in the cabins. We really enjoy good food, active excursions and nightly shows/activities. We have no problem booking excursions ourselves through 3rd parties. Don't drink much. Exceptional service is not a huge factor as well. We don't need or really appreciate 10/10 service, 7 or 8/10 is fine. Two of us would be just as satisfied with an interior cabin vs balcony. 

 

 

As WNcruiser also indicated above, Viking is not a lively ship at night.  Some ships have a show at 6:15pm and always at 9:15pm but these shows are NOT the big production numbers that you have on larger ships.  Viking have the Viking Band (Keyboard, Drums, Guitar) usually accompanied by two singers (male and female) which perform in the Torshavn Lounge nightly.    Then there is a production team of 4 (usually 2 female and 2 male) that do the nightly shows in the Star Theatre.  These 4 are joined by the Cruise Director and Asst. Cruise Director for some shows and sometimes Viking brings on additional entertainment.  We have seen various different entertainers on one or two nights.

 

NOT large productions and although we feel very good, you may not find this enough.

 

Outside of the 45 minute show each night then in the Atrium, and the Explorer Lounge, you will either have a pianist, string duo, or guitar player that also sings.  All in all, pretty sedate.

 

We feel Viking is higher level service than others, but that is subjective.

 

All Viking cabins are balcony - there are no interior cabins.

 

Viking is closer to an all-inclusive type cruise.  (CLOSER, but NOT all inclusive).  All cabins are balcony, beer and wine included at lunch and dinner, port fees and taxes covered, one included excursion in each port, specialty restaurants included, WiFi included...  and perhaps a few other things...

 

What we love about Viking Ocean are the Resident Historians that give talks daily on where the ship is or the port you are about to dock at.  Some people call Viking "the thinking person's cruise".  Viking is definitely not full of activities all day long like some of the larger ships.

[sabrefan]

I would choose Celebrity in this case. I am elite level on Celebrity and sailed on the Edge before. I have also sailed on Viking twice, once in 2018 and again in June 2022. I felt that Viking food quality slipped between our cruise in 2018 and 2022. I am booked on the Viking Homelands cruise in May 2023. The entertainment on Celebrity is much better than Viking if that is important. The other downside of Viking is having to pay your full fare a year in advance of your cruise. If cash flow in your household is important, Celebrity is a plus. I have been to Australia and. New Zealand on the Solstice and it was a very nice cruise. I would go via Celebrity and save the money then spend at least a couple of extra days in Sydney. Sydney is a very cool city.

[TrulyBlonde]

1 hour ago, sabrefan said:

. I have been to Australia and. New Zealand on the Solstice and it was a very nice cruise. I would go via Celebrity and save the money then spend at least a couple of extra days in Sydney. Sydney is a very cool city.

Ditto. We did this cruise a few years back and it was most enjoyable. 

[slewis7]

We have taken an Australia and New England cruise on Celebrity and loved it.  If the price difference was perhaps 30% or less, I might consider Viking on an equivalent itinerary (we prefer smaller and less crowded ships).  For anything more, I would go with Celebrity.

[rrdr78]

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies, I appreciate the input. 

[rrdr78]

5 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

As WNcruiser also indicated above, Viking is not a lively ship at night.  Some ships have a show at 6:15pm and always at 9:15pm but these shows are NOT the big production numbers that you have on larger ships.  Viking have the Viking Band (Keyboard, Drums, Guitar) usually accompanied by two singers (male and female) which perform in the Torshavn Lounge nightly.    Then there is a production team of 4 (usually 2 female and 2 male) that do the nightly shows in the Star Theatre.  These 4 are joined by the Cruise Director and Asst. Cruise Director for some shows and sometimes Viking brings on additional entertainment.  We have seen various different entertainers on one or two nights.

 

NOT large productions and although we feel very good, you may not find this enough.

 

Outside of the 45 minute show each night then in the Atrium, and the Explorer Lounge, you will either have a pianist, string duo, or guitar player that also sings.  All in all, pretty sedate.

 

We feel Viking is higher level service than others, but that is subjective.

 

All Viking cabins are balcony - there are no interior cabins.

 

Viking is closer to an all-inclusive type cruise.  (CLOSER, but NOT all inclusive).  All cabins are balcony, beer and wine included at lunch and dinner, port fees and taxes covered, one included excursion in each port, specialty restaurants included, WiFi included...  and perhaps a few other things...

 

What we love about Viking Ocean are the Resident Historians that give talks daily on where the ship is or the port you are about to dock at.  Some people call Viking "the thinking person's cruise".  Viking is definitely not full of activities all day long like some of the larger ships.

 

Thank you for the thorough reply. 

[rrdr78]

2 hours ago, sabrefan said:

I would choose Celebrity in this case. I am elite level on Celebrity and sailed on the Edge before. I have also sailed on Viking twice, once in 2018 and again in June 2022. I felt that Viking food quality slipped between our cruise in 2018 and 2022. I am booked on the Viking Homelands cruise in May 2023. The entertainment on Celebrity is much better than Viking if that is important. The other downside of Viking is having to pay your full fare a year in advance of your cruise. If cash flow in your household is important, Celebrity is a plus. I have been to Australia and. New Zealand on the Solstice and it was a very nice cruise. I would go via Celebrity and save the money then spend at least a couple of extra days in Sydney. Sydney is a very cool city.

 

Thank you for your reply, much appreciated and good suggestion. 

[Clay Clayton]

Even though Viking is our favorite line, for a port intensive cruise and given your preferences regarding entertainment, I’d choose Celebrity. We enjoyed our transpacific on X in 2019, and found service, food, and entertainment all close to the Viking standard. And given the price was a quarter of a similar Viking cruise we thought it was a much better value. 

[rrdr78]

9 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Even though Viking is our favorite line, for a port intensive cruise and given your preferences regarding entertainment, I’d choose Celebrity. We enjoyed our transpacific on X in 2019, and found service, food, and entertainment all close to the Viking standard. And given the price was a quarter of a similar Viking cruise we thought it was a much better value. 

Thank you for sharing, appreciated. 

[SJD117]

I’ve traveled to New Zealand three times and Australia twice, all on my own. Both countries are ideal for do-it-yourself travel. You might consider putting your own trip together in lieu of a cruise. But whatever you decide to do, I know you’ll have a great time!

[harbourside]

Viking does not go to the Milford Sounds, which is a must for cruising in NZ.  Although I am a Viking fan, and doing the NZ/ Australia  cruise in Feb 2023 with Viking, missing Milford  Sounds, Doubtful Sounds and some also do Dusty Sounds.  Will see these on a planned Seabourn cruise.

 

[SantaFe1]

38 minutes ago, harbourside said:

Viking does not go to the Milford Sounds, which is a must for cruising in NZ.  Although I am a Viking fan, and doing the NZ/ Australia  cruise in Feb 2023 with Viking, missing Milford  Sounds, Doubtful Sounds and some also do Dusty Sounds.  Will see these on a planned Seabourn cruise.

 

We went to both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound on our 2019 Viking WC.  Enjoyed them both!

[Heidi13]

29 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

We went to both Milford Sound and Doubtful Sound on our 2019 Viking WC.  Enjoyed them both!

 

Did the same scenic cruising on the 20 WC.

[rrdr78]

7 hours ago, rrdr78 said:

Thank you for sharing, appreciated. 

Did you feel like the food selection, paid or not, is comparable between the two cruise lines? It also seems like the demographics for Celebrity skews older, but there are still going to be quite a few kids? In my experience with Norwegian kids have never been a problem or a bother for us, but we have never cruised with Celebrity, so I'm not sure what to really expect.  

[harbourside]

1 hour ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Did the same scenic cruising on the 20 WC.

I don't know why Viking does not include Milford and Doubtful Sounds in its New Zealand/Australia cruises.  Must cruise companies do.

 

[jacquesmm]

My wife's preferred cruise line is Celebrity,  mine is Viking.

Comparing Celebrity suite's class (Retreat) to a Penthouse Veranda in Viking, there isn't much difference in cost.

The food is much better on Viking. Service in the Celebrity Retreat class is a little better than Viking but not much. I prefer the atmosphere of Viking, relaxed, nice people.

I like sea days, long cruises and feel very comfortable on Viking.  My wife likes the shows and other activities on Celebrity. For shorter cruises,  we pick Celebrity, for long cruises, it's Viking.

 

[DrKoob]

As an Elite Plus and someone who has taken more than 25+ cruises on Celebrity and three on Viking Ocean, I would do Celebrity but not an Edge class ship. Especially if you are not going to do The Retreat (suites). You have no forward-facing view to see those Sounds. There is no Sky Lounge on Edge class ships like there is on the S or M class.. This is definitely a two or even three-tier ship. If you are in a suite you will be treated a lot differently than if you have an inside or outside or even a verandah. There will be places on the ship you cannot go. This will not be true on Viking. Once you are on the ship you will be treated exactly the same as any other passenger. Not so on X. Which is the reason we have decided to stop sailing with them. We just can't support cruise lines that sell you stateroom and then deny you access to a huge part of the ship. 

 

That said, they will have better entertainment (this is something we don't care about), and the food will be about the same (the buffet is better on Viking). On our last trip on Celebrity (Millenium), we actually sent food back a number of times. It was sad. 

 

Viking will be great if you want a classy, quiet, travel-oriented cruise. Looking for something flashy, try X but DON'T get one of those damn Infinite Verandah staterooms. They cost as much as a verandah but they are just outside staterooms with a window that opens. And one that the captain can close your window at any time as well as one that if you open the window, your AC or heater are turned off until you close the window again. Not like stepping out on your verandah.

 

We also love what Viking does NOT have: 

• No one is under 18. (It’s not that we don’t like kids; we take our grandkids on RCL. That’s where kids belong.)
• No smoking. Anyplace.
• No art auctions
• No casinos
• No charge for beer or wine with lunch or dinner
• No charge to use their laundry. All soap and fabric softener included. A full laundromat on every deck.
• No ship photographers
• No upselling in the spa
• No charge for internet
• No charge for specialty restaurants
• One free shore excursion in every port
• Minibar in staterooms completely restocked every night is included
• All staterooms are verandahs/no insides or outsides.
• Only 900 guests
• Smaller ships that can get into smaller ports
• No formal, fancy chic or whatever they are calling it now nights.
• No waiting in lines because there so few guests
• No nickel and diming. You can have a great cruise without paying an extra cent.
• Ships are gorgeous
• If you are in the lowest category of stateroom or the highest suite, no one will know after you are on board. Everyone has access to everything.

[Pushka]

There is smoking allowed on Deck 8 on Viking. 

[LindaS272]

1 hour ago, DrKoob said:

As an Elite Plus and someone who has taken more than 25+ cruises on Celebrity and three on Viking Ocean, I would do Celebrity but not an Edge class ship. Especially if you are not going to do The Retreat (suites). You have no forward-facing view to see those Sounds. There is no Sky Lounge on Edge class ships like there is on the S or M class.. This is definitely a two or even three-tier ship. If you are in a suite you will be treated a lot differently than if you have an inside or outside or even a verandah. There will be places on the ship you cannot go. This will not be true on Viking. Once you are on the ship you will be treated exactly the same as any other passenger. Not so on X. Which is the reason we have decided to stop sailing with them. We just can't support cruise lines that sell you stateroom and then deny you access to a huge part of the ship. 

 

That said, they will have better entertainment (this is something we don't care about), and the food will be about the same (the buffet is better on Viking). On our last trip on Celebrity (Millenium), we actually sent food back a number of times. It was sad. 

 

Viking will be great if you want a classy, quiet, travel-oriented cruise. Looking for something flashy, try X but DON'T get one of those damn Infinite Verandah staterooms. They cost as much as a verandah but they are just outside staterooms with a window that opens. And one that the captain can close your window at any time as well as one that if you open the window, your AC or heater are turned off until you close the window again. Not like stepping out on your verandah.

 

We also love what Viking does NOT have: 

• No one is under 18. (It’s not that we don’t like kids; we take our grandkids on RCL. That’s where kids belong.)
• No smoking. Anyplace.
• No art auctions
• No casinos
• No charge for beer or wine with lunch or dinner
• No charge to use their laundry. All soap and fabric softener included. A full laundromat on every deck.
• No ship photographers
• No upselling in the spa
• No charge for internet
• No charge for specialty restaurants
• One free shore excursion in every port
• Minibar in staterooms completely restocked every night is included
• All staterooms are verandahs/no insides or outsides.
• Only 900 guests
• Smaller ships that can get into smaller ports
• No formal, fancy chic or whatever they are calling it now nights.
• No waiting in lines because there so few guests
• No nickel and diming. You can have a great cruise without paying an extra cent.
• Ships are gorgeous
• If you are in the lowest category of stateroom or the highest suite, no one will know after you are on board. Everyone has access to everything.

A good synopsis. But fabric softener included…? Not in my experience. Plus V category cabins do not get minibar restocked. 

[Haqdeluxe]

13 hours ago, Pushka said:

There is smoking allowed on Deck 8 on Viking. 

To be clear here... smoking is only allowed in the designated outside area, the midships sundeck areas on deck 8 running down the port and starboard sides, overlooking the pool on deck 7.There are no smoking areas inside the ship as I believe there are on Celebrity ships.

[Pushka]

5 hours ago, Haqdeluxe said:

To be clear here... smoking is only allowed in the designated outside area, the midships sundeck areas on deck 8 running down the port and starboard sides, overlooking the pool on deck 7.There are no smoking areas inside the ship as I believe there are on Celebrity ships.

And smoking is only allowed on three designated outside areas on Solstice size ships, and no balconies which given the size of the ship, is probably less space than Viking. I have not seen any indoor smoking area at all on celebrity ships. Certainly didn't smell it. Celebrity ships are deemed non smoking   

[Haqdeluxe]

25 minutes ago, Pushka said:

And smoking is only allowed on three designated outside areas on Solstice size ships, and no balconies which given the size of the ship, is probably less space than Viking. I have not seen any indoor smoking area at all on celebrity ships. Certainly didn't smell it. Celebrity ships are deemed non smoking   

You are right here. It was Carnival that I was thinking of as I understand they still allow (limited) smoking in their casino area.