What is it that's giving Viking No 1 spot on ratings ? I don't get it

[phillipahain]

Currently on Viking Mars ....and whilst the ship is perfectly kept and public space is huge etc...cabins are compact to say the least and food is hardly spectacular 

 

What really gets me is its takes over 30 mins to get a drink served in Voyager Lounge before dinner ...the guitarist there between 5 and 6pm is truly awful and  can't sing and hopeless, shows are  OK but all produced at full pitch deafening decibels , food is OK but nothing spectacular 

 

Yes there's some nice pieces of furniture and other features but honestly cannot work out who or how it's rated No 1

[MikeyB]

21 minutes ago, phillipahain said:

Currently on Viking Mars ....and whilst the ship is perfectly kept and public space is huge etc...cabins are compact to say the least and food is hardly spectacular 

 

What really gets me is its takes over 30 mins to get a drink served in Voyager Lounge before dinner ...the guitarist there between 5 and 6pm is truly awful and  can't sing and hopeless, shows are  OK but all produced at full pitch deafening decibels , food is OK but nothing spectacular 

 

Yes there's some nice pieces of furniture and other features but honestly cannot work out who or how it's rated No 1

So glad your enjoying your cruise!

It's funny, but nobody has ever said anything bad about the "Voyager" Lounge.

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, phillipahain said:

Currently on Viking Mars ....and whilst the ship is perfectly kept and public space is huge etc...cabins are compact to say the least and food is hardly spectacular 

 

What really gets me is its takes over 30 mins to get a drink served in Voyager Lounge before dinner ...the guitarist there between 5 and 6pm is truly awful and  can't sing and hopeless, shows are  OK but all produced at full pitch deafening decibels , food is OK but nothing spectacular 

 

Yes there's some nice pieces of furniture and other features but honestly cannot work out who or how it's rated No 1

 

Two pragmatic suggestions that may improve your experience:

 

1. Slow service in the Explorer's Lounge - sometimes a function of new staff and training levels. Go to the bar and order. The bartenders will clearly recognize that you have been waiting and they will coach the staff to be more responsive to you. Usually only takes one or two visits to fix the issue - and you get your drink when you want it.

 

2. Your guitarist sounds frighteningly like ours on our December Hawaii cruise - she was abysmal, to the point that (at least for me) she was destroying the atmosphere in my favourite ship location. I provided guest services with polite, written feedback, suggesting that she be offered some 'time off' on alternate days. I suspect I was not the only one, as we received a thank you call from the CD and the performer's hours were curtailed. 🍺🥌 

[Jim Avery]

All the live performers on Neptune play like they are playing a concert.....  Look around, they are playing in a saloon.  Tone it down to a level conversations can happen.

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

8 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

All the live performers on Neptune play like they are playing a concert.....  Look around, they are playing in a saloon.  Tone it down to a level conversations can happen.

Indeed! My biggest complaint about Viking entertainment in Explorers Lounge. 

[phillipahain]

Voyager Lounge Drinks service issue is not new or untrained staff ...the Waiters are brilliant however it's the actual bartenders who are thin on the ground ....you can have the lounge full of guests and at least 4 Waiters but still only 1 bartender who can't cope with fulfilling the orders ....Officers never around so the issue does not get fixed .

[CDNPolar]

8 hours ago, phillipahain said:

Currently on Viking Mars ....and whilst the ship is perfectly kept and public space is huge etc...cabins are compact to say the least and food is hardly spectacular 

 

What really gets me is its takes over 30 mins to get a drink served in Voyager Lounge before dinner ...the guitarist there between 5 and 6pm is truly awful and  can't sing and hopeless, shows are  OK but all produced at full pitch deafening decibels , food is OK but nothing spectacular 

 

Yes there's some nice pieces of furniture and other features but honestly cannot work out who or how it's rated No 1

 

It seems that you are truly not enjoying your experience.  Sorry to hear that.

 

I can relate to you having slow service, but the fix was already suggested above.  Also as a note, if you choose to sit on the upper level of the Explorer Lounge, you will definitely experience slower service.  The other experience we have had is that the Living Room before dinner often has faster service, if you don't want to go to the bar for your first drink.

 

We love the food on Viking.  Food is subjective to each person.  We don't understand the fanfare around Manfredi's as we find it just ok food, but we love the Chef's Table, The Restaurant, and World Cafe.

 

Before dinn

[sharkster77]

Sounds like the Explorer's Lounge could use a visit from John Tapper and Bar Rescue!!

 

(For the unfamiliar, Bar Rescue is a TV show where a bar 'expert' visits failing bars and tries to save them from bankruptcy/closure--most of them are a mess and many end up closing anyway.  Lots of 'drama' involving egos and family issues.)

Edited February 14 by sharkster77

[LisaDee]

It’s so interesting how different people can have very different experiences/preferences.  We are also on board Viking Mars, currently enjoying a beautiful sea day as we sail toward our delayed stop in Cozumel.  I’ve really enjoyed the guitarist Michael and the genre of music he plays (acoustic singer-songwriters from the 1970s mixed in with bands like the Beatles and few more modern singers).  My spouse and I are happy to sip our drinks quietly as we enjoy the music and sea view so the music volume doesn’t bother us.  We haven’t had a problem getting drinks in Explorer Lounge even at the busy before-dinner hour.  

 

We’ve mostly eaten at World Cafe.  The line stretches out the door of the Restaurant at busy dinner times so we stopped going.  We’ve enjoyed Manfredi’s but at Chef’s Table the food was lukewarm and is just not our cup of tea although it seems we’re in the minority since others love it.   

 

Our biggest complaint was yesterday after returning from our excursion in Belize the World Cafe had already closed for lunch.  We were starving and our only lunch option (other than room service which takes 30 minutes during non-busy times) was the Pool Grill.  The line was very long, stretching along the pool deck.  It was confusing who was in line for the Grill and who was just using the salad bar, with people jumping the line from the salad bar into the longer Grill line.  The guys behind the grill were working so hard and getting food out as quickly as they could but they really needed some management staff to organize the lines.  Better yet, Viking should have anticipated the high demand for lunch as large groups arrived back on board via the tenders and they should have kept World Cafe open until after the last tenders returned.

 

Overall we’re very happy with Viking and will continue to include them when considering cruise options.  Our cabin (a PV, plenty of room and great storage) and the public spaces are spotless and beautifully decorated.  

 

We wish they had more varied itineraries in the Caribbean.  We cruise this region every winter and like to visit a variety of ports so I think next year we’ll try another line since we’ve done both the West Indies and Canal itineraries already.

[JDincalif]

8 hours ago, phillipahain said:

Officers never around so the issue does not get fixed.

Perhaps taking your issue to Guest Services/Hotel Manager would result in some positive action.

[phillipahain]

4 hours ago, LisaDee said:

It’s so interesting how different people can have very different experiences/preferences.  We are also on board Viking Mars, currently enjoying a beautiful sea day as we sail toward our delayed stop in Cozumel.  I’ve really enjoyed the guitarist Michael and the genre of music he plays (acoustic singer-songwriters from the 1970s mixed in with bands like the Beatles and few more modern singers).  My spouse and I are happy to sip our drinks quietly as we enjoy the music and sea view so the music volume doesn’t bother us.  We haven’t had a problem getting drinks in Explorer Lounge even at the busy before-dinner hour.  

 

We’ve mostly eaten at World Cafe.  The line stretches out the door of the Restaurant at busy dinner times so we stopped going.  We’ve enjoyed Manfredi’s but at Chef’s Table the food was lukewarm and is just not our cup of tea although it seems we’re in the minority since others love it.   

 

Our biggest complaint was yesterday after returning from our excursion in Belize the World Cafe had already closed for lunch.  We were starving and our only lunch option (other than room service which takes 30 minutes during non-busy times) was the Pool Grill.  The line was very long, stretching along the pool deck.  It was confusing who was in line for the Grill and who was just using the salad bar, with people jumping the line from the salad bar into the longer Grill line.  The guys behind the grill were working so hard and getting food out as quickly as they could but they really needed some management staff to organize the lines.  Better yet, Viking should have anticipated the high demand for lunch as large groups arrived back on board via the tenders and they should have kept World Cafe open until after the last tenders returned.

 

Overall we’re very happy with Viking and will continue to include them when considering cruise options.  Our cabin (a PV, plenty of room and great storage) and the public spaces are spotless and beautifully decorated.  

 

We wish they had more varied itineraries in the Caribbean.  We cruise this region every winter and like to visit a variety of ports so I think next year we’ll try another line since we’ve done both the West Indies and Canal itineraries already.

 

[phillipahain]

Totally agree about return from Belize yesterday  Viking really needed to have made arrangements ,,,,thankfully i had thought ahead and  snagged 2 each of the lovely beef and  smoked salmon open sandwiches at the Coffee Bar on Deck 1 as did others  who like my other half took one look at Pool Grill queue and decided against it ....

 

Yes there are nice things about Viking but i just do not think it rates as Number 1 hence why i wondered how they got the rating .......itinery and service is everything when you have been fortunate to cruise many lines and unless something changes Viking wont be our choice 

[JDincalif]

36 minutes ago, phillipahain said:

Yes there are nice things about Viking but i just do not think it rates as Number 1 hence why i wondered how they got the rating .......

On what survey was Viking rated #1? Different surveys, different results. And the hundreds of posts here already give insights as to why/why not.

[Hockeyump]

One of the cruises we wee on had a late return from the morning excursions and the world cafe extended their opening hours. Easy to do, just needs a management decision.

[kctwinmommy]

11 minutes ago, JDincalif said:

On what survey was Viking rated #1? Different surveys, different results. And the hundreds of posts here already give insights as to why/why not.

Here's the list... They're #1 in medium ocean, river, and expedition. Their 3 markets...

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-cruise-lines-in-the-world-2023

[WanderingBrit]

They get the rating because more people voted for them, it's not more complicated than that. They're not the best at everything, but clearly enough people find the balance of comfort, value, and destination focus to make them worth voting for.

[FlyerTalker]

IMO....anyone who votes for Viking as being better than Seabourn, Silversea or Regent....has never sailed on Seabourn, Silversea or Regent.

 

Viking is a premium line, even though they try to position themselves in the luxury segment.

 

Ready for the slings and arrows.

 

 

[kctwinmommy]

23 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

IMO....anyone who votes for Viking as being better than Seabourn, Silversea or Regent....has never sailed on Seabourn, Silversea or Regent.

 

Viking is a premium line, even though they try to position themselves in the luxury segment.

 

Ready for the slings and arrows.

 

 

And I'm guessing the amount of people who are cruising those lines are even less than Viking, so a much smaller voting pool. Which might affect how many reviews they get.

[RichardPTV]

On 2/14/2024 at 8:35 AM, LisaDee said:

I’ve really enjoyed the guitarist Michael and the genre of music he plays (acoustic singer-songwriters from the 1970s mixed in with bands like the Beatles and few more modern singers).  My spouse and I are happy to sip our drinks quietly as we enjoy the music and sea view so the music volume doesn’t bother us.  We haven’t had a problem getting drinks in Explorer Lounge even at the busy before-dinner hour.

My wife and I really enjoyed Michael as well. We were on the Mars for the Panama Canal transit over Christmas & New Year and have another trip on the Mars scheduled for April. We're hoping he'll still be on board then.

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

IMO....anyone who votes for Viking as being better than Seabourn, Silversea or Regent....has never sailed on Seabourn, Silversea or Regent.

 

Viking is a premium line, even though they try to position themselves in the luxury segment.

 

Ready for the slings and arrows.

 

 

 

Here comes a sling and arrow!

 

Haha... if not you, then someone else has said this when people have asked to recommend a cruise line.  If you go to any of the individual lines forums here on CC you will find that the frequent posters will defend their line to the death as the best.

 

I defend Viking as a great cruise line, but have never sailed Seabourn, Silversea, or Regent.  I plan to sample these lines but have not yet.  In the meantime Viking meets and most of the time exceeds our needs and expectations (on board) so we vote for them.

 

Is the voting fair?  No.  If I have no other experience then I cannot objectively say that Viking is the best but I do...

[duquephart]

Cheerleaders being what they are -------------------------

[Clay Clayton]

14 hours ago, FlyerTalker said:

IMO....anyone who votes for Viking as being better than Seabourn, Silversea or Regent....has never sailed on Seabourn, Silversea or Regent.

 

Viking is a premium line, even though they try to position themselves in the luxury segment.

 

Ready for the slings and arrows.

 

 

Flyer, ya know I love ya, but here is my arrow-I don’t think Viking positions themselves in the same market as Seabourn, Silverseas, or Regent-they certainly aren’t priced that way.   I see Oceana as their major competitor not those uberlux lines. 

[Clay Clayton]

On 2/14/2024 at 1:57 PM, Jim Avery said:

All the live performers on Neptune play like they are playing a concert.....  Look around, they are playing in a saloon.  Tone it down to a level conversations can happen.

Finally, something that Sky is exceeding at!  Our guitarist Mark is incredible.  He even played one evening at dinner on the Aquavit and it was absolutely magical.  There was a special (seafood grill maybe?) going on and the chefs were enjoying him being there. Once their service slowed down, they joined him using their tongs and spatulas as percussion instruments.  By the last few songs, the 40 or so of us and the chefs and managers were all singing along with Mark. 
 

It is one of the best evenings I have spent on Viking. 

[wolfie11]

I’ve sailed on Regent and Viking. Overall, I prefer Viking.  However, they do need to expand where they sail beyond the standard limited itineraries they now offer.

[millybess]

40 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Finally, something that Sky is exceeding at!  Our guitarist Mark is incredible.  He even played one evening at dinner on the Aquavit and it was absolutely magical.  There was a special (seafood grill maybe?) going on and the chefs were enjoying him being there. Once their service slowed down, they joined him using their tongs and spatulas as percussion instruments.  By the last few songs, the 40 or so of us and the chefs and managers were all singing along with Mark. 
 

It is one of the best evenings I have spent on Viking. 

How long has Mark been on Sky?  We had a guitarist named Mark on Sea a few weeks ago and he was really good.  By far, the best guitarist Viking has had in the EL during any of our cruises.