Back from my first Viking cruise: reflections

[J80crew]

11 hours ago, ebtrip said:

Can I ask did you buy the beverage package. 

Yes, we did have the beverage package. 

[Goosebear Mum]

Oh the dreaded Frogspawn puddings… 🤣 (and I grew up in Oxford)  it really did look like frogspawn… yuck! 

 

 

[ebtrip]

18 minutes ago, J80crew said:

Yes, we did have the beverage package. 

Thanks, we leave in 2 weeks on a transatlantic. This will be our 4th cruise on Viking and we get the package. The wines are not great but found to better then their included wines. Our last cruise was to Greece September 2021 on the Venus. Found the food to be very good not great, found a wine selection of my liking, enjoyed the fact of only 350 passengers onboard,

dont do much shows in evening.  We are Elite Plus on Celebrity, and they have downgraded their menu in Blu and Luminae restaurants recently. We stopped counting cruises at about 50, been on lines from Regent to Carnival. Have enjoyed most of them, but just getting out to sea is always perfect. 

[Nippy Sweetie]

Eeek tapioca and semolina!! I never thought I'd see them again. Awful memories of school dinners 🤢.

I'll be frankly appalled if I see them on a Viking ship. 

[KBs mum]

44 minutes ago, Nippy Sweetie said:

Eeek tapioca and semolina!! I never thought I'd see them again. Awful memories of school dinners 🤢.

I'll be frankly appalled if I see them on a Viking ship. 

Brace yourself. There was monkey blood for the ice cream, but strawberry not raspberry

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Ok you live and learn - I have never heard of sago pudding.   I am from the south of England !

Probably regional variations of the same thing. Or with school dinners, who knows what it was🤔😁

[Goosebear Mum]

2 hours ago, Mrs Miggins said:

Ok you live and learn - I have never heard of sago pudding.   I am from the south of England !

It’s tapioca for most of us, slightly different to sago 🙂 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapioca_pudding  I liked the one my mum made, but not at school! 

[tobique33040]

Just curious about the dissatisfaction with dining. I’m not a foodie, so I was very happy with the dining. What cruise lines do you suggest for the excellent food and wine you are used to? I’ve only gone on three ocean cruises and all Viking, so I’m interested in what the other lines you are used to traveling will offer. I’m open to trying other lines and would love to know what y’all prefer. I was a wine specialist in my working life, so I missed the Pinot Noir on my last trip, but it didn’t bother me too much. I have taken one Tauck river cruise and booked for another. They did have better wine, but the food was similar to my non foodie palate. Thanks for any input and for the review. 

[tobique33040]

To give more information, we chose Viking because of the smaller size and lectures as entertainment rather than the sort larger ships apparently offer. The OP mentioned Crystal and Oceania so I expect those are superior to Viking in their estimation. Does Celebrity have smaller ships as they mentioned that as well? Thanks again.

[KBs mum]

9 minutes ago, tobique33040 said:

Just curious about the dissatisfaction with dining. I’m not a foodie, so I was very happy with the dining. What cruise lines do you suggest for the excellent food and wine you are used to? I’ve only gone on three ocean cruises and all Viking, so I’m interested in what the other lines you are used to traveling will offer. I’m open to trying other lines and would love to know what y’all prefer. I was a wine specialist in my working life, so I missed the Pinot Noir on my last trip, but it didn’t bother me too much. I have taken one Tauck river cruise and booked for another. They did have better wine, but the food was similar to my non foodie palate. Thanks for any input and for the review. 

All the cruise line catering is glorified chain/resort hotels. The best food is ashore in local independent restaurants

[tobique33040]

Good point😊

[lackcreativity]

3 hours ago, CCWineLover said:

Thank you very much for your very well written review and points.  We think alike (and also like Norse culture) re the good and not so good.  I do feel post Covid has definitely been a different experience and like you, we will be monitoring and seeing how Viking does or doesn’t improve moving forward.

 

 I imagine that any company in an industry that suffered a two year (or was it just 18 months?) shutdown is going to have financial difficulties for a period of time afterwards. I am not surprised if costs go up and standards diminish to an extent also. 

I observed some of each with Viking in looking at possible future cruises and on the one post-Covid cruise we have taken. Even so, we greatly enjoyed that one cruise because our expectations were prepared for some changes. I will have patience waiting for things to settle, although the pressures added by inflation are likely extending the recovery time. I imagine Viking is not alone in dealing with these issues. My patience does have a limit, but then so do my available years to travel!

[LindaS272]

42 minutes ago, tobique33040 said:

Just curious about the dissatisfaction with dining. I’m not a foodie, so I was very happy with the dining. What cruise lines do you suggest for the excellent food and wine you are used to? I’ve only gone on three ocean cruises and all Viking, so I’m interested in what the other lines you are used to traveling will offer. I’m open to trying other lines and would love to know what y’all prefer. I was a wine specialist in my working life, so I missed the Pinot Noir on my last trip, but it didn’t bother me too much. I have taken one Tauck river cruise and booked for another. They did have better wine, but the food was similar to my non foodie palate. Thanks for any input and for the review. 

I know you’re well meaning, but this is a bit of thread drift on a Viking forum. 

[Nippy Sweetie]

2 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Brace yourself. There was monkey blood for the ice cream, but strawberry not raspberry

Monkey blood a great treat on ice cream cones on holiday though. Not bothered which flavour as long as it's red!

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, lackcreativity said:

 

 I imagine that any company in an industry that suffered a two year (or was it just 18 months?) shutdown is going to have financial difficulties for a period of time afterwards. I am not surprised if costs go up and standards diminish to an extent also. 

I observed some of each with Viking in looking at possible future cruises and on the one post-Covid cruise we have taken. Even so, we greatly enjoyed that one cruise because our expectations were prepared for some changes. I will have patience waiting for things to settle, although the pressures added by inflation are likely extending the recovery time. I imagine Viking is not alone in dealing with these issues. My patience does have a limit, but then so do my available years to travel!

Absolutely agree with you.  We've enjoyed all our Viking cruises and are indeed being quite patient, as we have several cruises lined up in the next 2 years (see my signature).   We'll still keep an eye on how the company comes through the pandemic over the next 3-5 years or so, especially since they have many new ships being delivered.  Sincerely, staffing and training may be one of their bigger challenges.  But no doubt, this is facing pretty much all companies moving forward out of the pandemic.  

[JM0115]

45 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Absolutely agree with you.  We've enjoyed all our Viking cruises and are indeed being quite patient, as we have several cruises lined up in the next 2 years (see my signature).   We'll still keep an eye on how the company comes through the pandemic over the next 3-5 years or so, especially since they have many new ships being delivered.  Sincerely, staffing and training may be one of their bigger challenges.  But no doubt, this is facing pretty much all companies moving forward out of the pandemic.  

I hope that Viking can continue to be a premium if not luxury cruise line. I’m afraid that they have bitten off more than they can chew with their expanded fleet and difficulties with staffing and supply chain after the pandemic. We are past Viking World Cruisers and have one more Viking booked in the future but are also trying a couple of other lines (Azamara and Windstar) to see how they compare and also want Viking to be successful!

Edited February 25, 2023 by JM0115

[duquephart]

Viking is clearly slipping a bit. Service staff with huge broad smiles only takes things so far.

[Cienfuegos]

Good thread.  I wonder if the pandemic caused a reduction in quality control efforts from Viking corporate offices?  Several of the cited examples seem like things the hotel manager should have resolved immediately.  Lack of dark rum in the Caribbean?  Minimal choices in white wines?  Downgrading the drink mixers?

 

Even so,follow up interviews with passengers should reveal areas where Viking needs to tighten up operations

[LindaS272]

I don’t think the hotel manager has control over the items you cited—I believe it’s all corporate. I had occasion one day last year to ask the pastry chef about something and he said everything is dictated by corporate for every ship.

 

On something else, which would not be of concern to most people, I asked the CD about the strobe lights in an evening performance. I’m extremely photo-sensitive (migraines) and for this one performance they beamed strobe lights at the audience—I shrieked and ran out of the room! The CD said the choreography/music/lighting are all done in the London office of the talent brokers and they couldn’t do anything about the lights. Just a word of warning, too, to anybody who has epilepsy. Sorry—thread drift.😉

[Twitchly]

We saw no difference between our pre- and post-pandemic Viking cruises. Both were in Europe. Both very enjoyable. No notable shortages, no change in level of service or quality of excursions, food, etc. The evening shows were just as uninspiring after COVID as before. 😜 Same songs, even. (Which is fine; we don’t cruise for the shows.)

 

We find Viking’s low-key approach suits us well. 

[Clay Clayton]

49 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

We saw no difference between our pre- and post-pandemic Viking cruises. Both were in Europe. Both very enjoyable. No notable shortages, no change in level of service or quality of excursions, food, etc. The evening shows were just as uninspiring after COVID as before. 😜 Same songs, even. (Which is fine; we don’t cruise for the shows.)

 

We find Viking’s low-key approach suits us well. 

How recent news your post pandamnit cruise?  I felt the same about ours but it was way back in 2021.  All these more recent reviews have me concerned about our upcoming one in July-especially since we have convinced our friends, @HUNKYto join us. 

[lackcreativity]

24 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

We saw no difference between our pre- and post-pandemic Viking cruises. Both were in Europe. Both very enjoyable. No notable shortages, no change in level of service or quality of excursions, food, etc.

We also very much enjoyed our one post-Covid cruise, and are looking forward to our next two.  Your observations led me to review specifically what I felt was different about that cruise. Honestly, it was mostly related to passenger behavior. It is hard to hold Viking responsible for that, except perhaps in how the staff react to it.

 

I must admit, I am not sure how the staff in dining venues is supposed to handle a large party whose volume is too loud, or police the passengers on a tour bus who keep removing their masks as soon as the guide's back is turned. However, I can't help but think that a more experienced crew member would have prevented the woman in her bathrobe from entering the World Cafe for breakfast that morning! Now, I am long past the point of being distressed about jeans in The Restaurant, but I must admit that experience did leave an impression.

[JM0115]

1 minute ago, lackcreativity said:

We also very much enjoyed our one post-Covid cruise, and are looking forward to our next two.  Your observations led me to review specifically what I felt was different about that cruise. Honestly, it was mostly related to passenger behavior. It is hard to hold Viking responsible for that, except perhaps in how the staff react to it.

 

I must admit, I am not sure how the staff in dining venues is supposed to handle a large party whose volume is too loud, or police the passengers on a tour bus who keep removing their masks as soon as the guide's back is turned. However, I can't help but think that a more experienced crew member would have prevented the woman in her bathrobe from entering the World Cafe for breakfast that morning! Now, I am long past the point of being distressed about jeans in The Restaurant, but I must admit that experience did leave an impression.

We had a couple that wore robes to breakfast in the World Cafe basically every morning!

[purpleally]

On 2/25/2023 at 3:48 AM, duquephart said:

 

What difference would that make?

Make a difference on the wine

[purpleally]

19 hours ago, JM0115 said:

I hope that Viking can continue to be a premium if not luxury cruise line. I’m afraid that they have bitten off more than they can chew with their expanded fleet and difficulties with staffing and supply chain after the pandemic. We are past Viking World Cruisers and have one more Viking booked in the future but are also trying a couple of other lines (Azamara and Windstar) to see how they compare and also want Viking to be successful!

Viking is absolutely not a luxury cruise line, for several reasons.  I can only hope they hang onto premium.