Review: November 17-30 Sky transatlantic - A floating Zen Palace - absolute perfection!

[wine-wine-wine]

Full disclosure, I lifted @Myrtle Ave. Mayhem's wonderful description of trans oceanic voyages as "floating Zen Palaces". Thank you!

 

This was our second Viking Ocean cruise and, due to personal circumstances, the first on which we were fully able to relax and appreciate. Our expectations were high but tempered: the actual experience far exceeded our hopes and dreams.

 

Service was even better than on our first cruise. From the room stewards to the outstanding bar staff (we use that a lot) and wonderful, welcoming, attentive servers at the Restaurant and Chef’s table. They all quickly learned our names and were incredibly kind and accommodating.

 

Food ranged from very good to outstanding in both the Restaurant and Chef’s Table. As we had previously enjoyed Chef’s Table we were careful to schedule one visit per rotating menu. All were excellent including the much maligned British menu which we thought was extremely good. I say this as an anglophile who has visited England at least 15 times (have lost count at this point). The very best meal was the Mexican menu, highlighted with the beef cheeks entrée. We are very fond of both wine and spirits - the Silver Spirits package was an excellent value for us. Wine service was prompt, attentive and knowledgeable.

 

We have come to absolutely love the layout of these ships. The feeling of spaciousness is incredible, including quiet nooks to enjoy a book and a view of the sea everywhere. The Explorer’s Lounge is a feature that will keep us coming back over and over. (Looking at you, Silversea Moon with your pitiful dearth of forward looking space). Likewise the views from the World Cafe and Aquavite Terrace are incredible.

 

But what we absolutely fell head over heels for this trip was the spa. The dry sauna / ice plunge in each locker room combined with the exquisite public spa area are incredible. It will make it difficult to sail other lines because we would be missing this so much. The massages and facials were some of the best that we have ever experienced on land or sea.

 

The Penthouse Junior Suite was absolutely lovely and felt like it more deserved to have the word Penthouse in its name than the Penthouse Veranda (which is a lovely stateroom in any case). The double sinks and larger shower were welcome as was the larger veranda and curtain to separate the areas. The later is very handy when one passenger is an earlier riser than the other. The extra television was lost on us as we do not watch while cruising but I suppose some would enjoy it. The location was absolutely wonderful - right down the hall from the upper level of Explorer’s Lounge. We are not susceptible to seasickness so the upper location did not bother us. That said, DW did choose to shower in the spa one morning due to the motion.

[Azulann]

Thank you for your review and why you love  Viking Ocean ships. Same reason I do. 
I had two friends on your TA and they both said  this sailing was perfection ,  the solo gatherings, service, food , and most of all the people they met made thus a never to be related cruise for them . 

[minka34]

@wine-wine-wine great review!  Indeed one of our best VO cruises as well.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed each course of the Mexican menu... which is why I just love the Chef's Table; it's an adventure in itself.  We had a large Meet & Mingle and I'm sorry that I didn't actually meet more people.  We got talking in a group and the time flew by.  I'm wondering if it wouldn't be fun to try a speed dating type mingle where you (and any travel companion) get 5 min to chat with a small group then ding! move to the next area until everyone has met each other. I was hesitant to try a TA and I find that I REALLY like sea days! One of the best things for me was that it felt like I got an extra hour of vacation 8(?) times as we set our clocks back!  Makes me want to book it again for next year already.

[wine-wine-wine]

1 minute ago, minka34 said:

@wine-wine-wine great review!  Indeed one of our best VO cruises as well.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed each course of the Mexican menu... which is why I just love the Chef's Table; it's an adventure in itself.  We had a large Meet & Mingle and I'm sorry that I didn't actually meet more people.  We got talking in a group and the time flew by.  I'm wondering if it wouldn't be fun to try a speed dating type mingle where you (and any travel companion) get 5 min to chat with a small group then ding! move to the next area until everyone has met each other. I was hesitant to try a TA and I find that I REALLY like sea days! One of the best things for me was that it felt like I got an extra hour of vacation 8(?) times as we set our clocks back!  Makes me want to book it again for next year already.

Indeed - we missed the Meet and Mingle but we met so many lovely people all the same. TAs are so magical. I'm not retired (yet) and having a hard time imagining port intensive cruises at this point. Perhaps this will change - but for now our next Viking cruise will be next December: Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles - tons of sea days. Visualizing! Hope to meet you on some future cruise!

[FetaCheese]

4 hours ago, wine-wine-wine said:

Full disclosure, I lifted @Myrtle Ave. Mayhem's wonderful description of trans oceanic voyages as "floating Zen Palaces". Thank you!

 

This was our second Viking Ocean cruise and, due to personal circumstances, the first on which we were fully able to relax and appreciate. Our expectations were high but tempered: the actual experience far exceeded our hopes and dreams.

 

Service was even better than on our first cruise. From the room stewards to the outstanding bar staff (we use that a lot) and wonderful, welcoming, attentive servers at the Restaurant and Chef’s table. They all quickly learned our names and were incredibly kind and accommodating.

 

Food ranged from very good to outstanding in both the Restaurant and Chef’s Table. As we had previously enjoyed Chef’s Table we were careful to schedule one visit per rotating menu. All were excellent including the much maligned British menu which we thought was extremely good. I say this as an anglophile who has visited England at least 15 times (have lost count at this point). The very best meal was the Mexican menu, highlighted with the beef cheeks entrée. We are very fond of both wine and spirits - the Silver Spirits package was an excellent value for us. Wine service was prompt, attentive and knowledgeable.

 

We have come to absolutely love the layout of these ships. The feeling of spaciousness is incredible, including quiet nooks to enjoy a book and a view of the sea everywhere. The Explorer’s Lounge is a feature that will keep us coming back over and over. (Looking at you, Silversea Moon with your pitiful dearth of forward looking space). Likewise the views from the World Cafe and Aquavite Terrace are incredible.

 

But what we absolutely fell head over heels for this trip was the spa. The dry sauna / ice plunge in each locker room combined with the exquisite public spa area are incredible. It will make it difficult to sail other lines because we would be missing this so much. The massages and facials were some of the best that we have ever experienced on land or sea.

 

The Penthouse Junior Suite was absolutely lovely and felt like it more deserved to have the word Penthouse in its name than the Penthouse Veranda (which is a lovely stateroom in any case). The double sinks and larger shower were welcome as was the larger veranda and curtain to separate the areas. The later is very handy when one passenger is an earlier riser than the other. The extra television was lost on us as we do not watch while cruising but I suppose some would enjoy it. The location was absolutely wonderful - right down the hall from the upper level of Explorer’s Lounge. We are not susceptible to seasickness so the upper location did not bother us. That said, DW did choose to shower in the spa one morning due to the motion.

Just a wonderful review.  Maybe someday we'll get a PH Jr. Suite., but would rather take more cruises, and we are happy just to be on V. Sounds really fine. Love your photos.

 

Will be on Star Hawaiian Islands Sojourn 28 December, 3rd V.

 

One pax review is rather negative, but just one opinion.  We'll see for ourselves, and we're not complainers.  

 

Traveling with good friends, their 1st V, on my recommendation of how fine the V experience is.  They are HAL loyalists.

 

Thanks for your review.  Realize each ship/voyage is different...crew, chefs, GM, CD., so hopeful that our Star cruise will be fabulous.

 

[wine-wine-wine]

6 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Maybe someday we'll get a PH Jr. Suite., but would rather take more cruises, and we are happy just to be on V.

Totally understand. While I am still working I’ll pay for more upscale from time to time, then scale back when I get to blessed retirement. ❤️ cannot imagine paying for Owners Suite though!
 

One thing I so appreciate about Viking is how egalitarian it is - once one steps out the door everyone is equal. (I know you know this - saying for the sake of others. 😎)

[wine-wine-wine]

42 minutes ago, FetaCheese said:

Thanks for your review.

Ps thank you for being you. You are one of the bright lights that keep me coming back to Cruise Critic! ❤️

[CDNPolar]

Great review - thank you for posting!

[MikeyB]

Just my 2 cents...

What would have made this cruise better (post Abba and Beatles) would have been the "Atrium Concert Series" where various Viking vocalists sing for 45 minutes  And what is so entertaining about a magician as a guest entertainer?

Question- did you really find the WC staff as attentive and friendly as the bar servers in the Living Room(amazing) or staff in the Restaurant  (where it is almost impossible to not be greeted as you walk to your table)?  WC staff need to smile and say hello a lot more.

Of course the Living Room service really needs to improve.  But the problem is likely in the kitchen.

Why was trivia (offered on sea days) sometimes scheduled at 8pm.

The lecturers were excellent with the exception of Garcia.  He was good.

I would rate this cruise as good.

[FetaCheese]

18 hours ago, wine-wine-wine said:

Ps thank you for being you. You are one of the bright lights that keep me coming back to Cruise Critic! ❤️

Thank you for  your kind compliment.

 

I prefer to make positive comments on CC.  On my prior "live froms", I did call it as I saw it, posting occasional areas in need of improvement.

[wine-wine-wine]

1 hour ago, MikeyB said:

Just my 2 cents...

What would have made this cruise better (post Abba and Beatles) would have been the "Atrium Concert Series" where various Viking vocalists sing for 45 minutes  And what is so entertaining about a magician as a guest entertainer?

Question- did you really find the WC staff as attentive and friendly as the bar servers in the Living Room(amazing) or staff in the Restaurant  (where it is almost impossible to not be greeted as you walk to your table)?  WC staff need to smile and say hello a lot more.

Of course the Living Room service really needs to improve.  But the problem is likely in the kitchen.

Why was trivia (offered on sea days) sometimes scheduled at 8pm.

The lecturers were excellent with the exception of Garcia.  He was good.

I would rate this cruise as good.

We don’t go to shows or lectures so cannot comment. Likewise we didn’t eat at WC except for two breakfasts. Not trivia buffs. 🤷‍♂️
 

We had great experiences in the Living Room bar - we were there almost every afternoon. Friendly attentive staff but of course YMMV. 

 

We enjoyed the music, especially Allan the guitarist. Again not being show people we probably would not have attended concerts in the Atrium. 

[biggerbearmom]

@wine-wine-wine

we were on this sailing too, it was our 8th trip with Viking and we too had an absolutely wonderful trip. We made use of the amenities on the ship because we actually had the time to do so, and we met some wonderful people and made some new friends. Nightly before dinner we would have a drink in the Explorers Lounge and listen to Alan. He is incredibly talented and has such a deep repertoire of songs. The only thing I didn’t  enjoy was the cruise director. She is talented but I found her voice to be loud and somewhat annoying.

[minka34]

@biggerbearmom I wasn't a huge fan of our cruise director either, but I met someone at the meet and greet that was simply tickled that she was our cruise director - it made her cruise.  Funny how different we all are!  I thought that she was an excellent singer at her show. 

@MikeyB @wine-wine-wine I didn't go to the lectures; for some reason I found the voice of one of the lecturers grating. It was unfortunate because my DH lives for the lectures and played all the ones he missed in our cabin on the TV (I did a lot of reading outside our cabin) 🙂 I don't expect too much from VO theater entertainment so I'm never that disappointed.  I now wish that I had see Allan the guitarist... maybe next time.  The atrium entertainment is always pleasant. Just my 2 cents.

I found the service to be excellent on this cruise. Our room stewards... so wonderful. I'll say it again, the best we've had. They were D and D... I think Deka and David (or something like that - I apologize if I have the names wrong).  I am amazed how they learned our schedule and seem to cater their service to our whims. Makes for a really great vacation.  
 

[friendlyfifer]

On 12/17/2023 at 1:38 AM, wine-wine-wine said:

One thing I so appreciate about Viking is how egalitarian it is - once one steps out the door everyone is equal. (I know you know this - saying for the sake of others. 😎)

I agree somewhat with your comment. However, getting to know the crew with whom you have interaction does help. They do appreciate genuine friendliness and it does perhaps get you a better table, where possible, in the restaurant. 🤣