Europe & Russia Staterooms
With the addition of its Longships, all of Vikings new ships have become standardized in terms of stateroom size. There are 45 Longships in its European fleet with cabins measuring between 135 square feet and 445 square feet. Average stateroom size is 205 square feet for all Viking Longships.
Comparatively, some of its older vessels have rather smaller staterooms which range in size from 122 square feet to 337 square feet. And on a few ships, the largest cabins do not exceed 200 square feet.
Vikings ships on the Volga River in Russia have large staterooms compared to other ships that travel this waterway. Suites on the Viking Akun, Viking Ingvar and Viking Truvor are 400 square feet in size. And the most common stateroom size is 225 square feet, which is also large by industry standards.
The Viking Legend and Viking Prestige are the only ships in the fleet that have single cabins. Both ships travel on the Danube River only. Stateroom size for this category is 150 square feet.
Activities On Viking Oceans Alaska Cruises
While onboard a Viking Oceans Cruise to Alaska, guests can enjoy a number of enriching entertainment options. Designed as a “thinking person’s cruise,” Viking Oceans voyages are ideal for those looking to learn about the history, culture, and art of the destinations visited. Experts in a variety of fields come onboard as part of Viking’s Culture Curriculum to host informative talks and “office hours” for one-on-one conversations with guests. Viking Cruises also partners with TED, screening inspiring and educational TED Talks in the theater and in staterooms. Culinary opportunities like wine tastings and cooking classes are offered on most cruises, and folkloric shows and musicians perform onboard regularly. Along with these cerebral activities, guests can relax in the LivNordic Spa or exercise in the fitness center while onboard.
Accessibility On Viking Oceans Alaska Cruises
Viking Ocean Cruises welcomes guests with disabilities onboard, though not all services and shore excursions may be available. The Viking Orion features elevators throughout the ship and two ADA-approved accessible cabins. These rooms are penthouse junior suites with balconies, though the room configuration varies. Guests must bring their own collapsible wheelchairs onboard motorized scooters are not allowed. Guests who need regular assistance throughout the cruise must travel with a physically-able companion. Contact a Cruise Specialist for more information regarding accessibility onboard a Viking Ocean Cruise to Alaska.
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Best Cruise Lines In The Caribbean
It’s a clean sweep for Disney in this category too. Disney has been named the top cruise line in the Caribbean for the past eight years, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Living up to its name, the Miami-based Celebrity Cruises partners with well-known names in the arts and entertainment industry. It’s newest ship, Celebrity Beyond, has Gwyneth Paltrow as its “wellbeing advisor” and a restaurant created by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, according to its website.
Also on this list: Regent Seven Seas Cruises , Holland America Line , Carnival Cruise Line , Norwegian Cruise Line , Oceania Cruises , Princess Cruises and MSC Cruises .
Present: Rebranding And New Ventures
In January 2020, the company shortened its name to Viking, citing the brand’s added emphasis on destination-oriented enrichment and experiences. That same year, Viking also announced the launch of Viking Expeditions with a planned January 2022 debut. It would become the expeditions arm of the brand and operate small-ship trips to exotic destinations. It also finalized its river cruising business’ expansion plans into the United States with the announcement of the first vessel’s debut in August 2022 on the Mississippi River.
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Your Itinerary Could Change
While health authorities no longer are quarantining whole ships when a few passengers or crew test positive for COVID-19, the presence of the illness on board a vessel still could result in notable disruptions to your itinerary.
Cruise lines in recent weeks have faced a growing number of ports that are balking at allowing ships with COVID-19-positive passengers or crew to dock.
Video: How the Omicron Variant Is Impacting Cruise Lines
Several ships recently had to skip port calls in Mexico, for instance, after passengers and crew on board the vessels tested positive for COVID-19. The ports have since reopened after Mexicos Health Department overruled the decisions of local port officials.
Cruise ships also have had to cancel stops recently at the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and at San Juan, Puerto Rico, due to local worries about COVID-19-positive passengers and crew on board and/or tighter COVID-19-related entry requirements.
Lines also are dealing with a small but growing number of destinations India and Hong Kong, for example that are at least temporarily closing to cruising completely, even for ships where no one has tested positive for COVID-19.
Onboard Activities And Entertainment
Onboard activities and entertainment on the Viking ships are limited to local talent in the evening, reading, playing games and cards, or just sitting in the observation lounge and watching the river scenery slide by. Local glassblowers, musicians, singers, and even wooden shoe makers come onboard the ship to demonstrate their talents and crafts and enhance travelers’ knowledge of the local culture. When the ship is cruising in the daytime, most passengers can be found in the observation lounge or on the outdoor decks enjoying the sights.
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Viking River Cruise Review Europe
Featuring many of the same popular design elements as the Viking Longship, the Douro, Elbe and Seine ships feature modern engineering, luxurious accommodation and streamlined Scandinavian interiors. In addition to this, these cruises have custom hulls and engines specially designed for navigating these historic rivers.
While doing the Viking river cruises reviews of Grand European tour, we found out that the company is offering 3 different cruise ships to the European tour.
Lets explore each of these ships in our review of Viking river cruises in Europe.
Fincantieri To Build Six More Cruise Ships For Viking
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and cruise ship owner Viking Ocean Cruises have entered into an agreement for the construction of six further ocean ships.
Under the agreement, which is subject to specific conditions, the new vessels would be handed over to their owner in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027.
Fincantieri informed that the parties would develop an advanced project based on the characteristics of the previous ships, updated and revisited in line with the latest technologies available on the market.
The deal, signed during the Seatrade Cruise Global event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, would lead to a total number of 16 units built in cooperation between the two companies, expanding the horizon of the partnership until 2027.
Vikings current ocean fleet includes ships having a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons with accommodation for 930 passengers in 465 cabins.
As of today, Fincantieri has delivered 4 ships to Viking Ocean Cruises. The first of the series, Viking Star, has been built at the shipyard in Marghera and delivered in March 2015, while the second, the third and the fourth, Viking Sea, Viking Sky and Viking Sun, took the sea from the Ancona shipyard respectively in March 2016, January and September 2017.
The further six units in the order book will be delivered respectively in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
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Viking European River Cruises For Chinese Travelers
In Fall 2016, Viking became the first European river cruise company offering itineraries on dedicated to Chinese tourists riverboats. The company dedicated two longships, on which the primary onboard language is Mandarin.
The first longship’s 2016 itineraries are on Rhine River, between homeports Amsterdam and Basel. The second longship’s 2017 itineraries are on Danube. On both riverboats, all the hotel staff is Mandarin-speaking, all the signage is in Mandarin . The onboard cuisine is traditional Chinese plus European dishes by Michelin-star chefs.
All excursion programs ashore are organized by Viking River Cruises. Each ship has all 8 Mandarin-speaking tour guides assigned to 25-passenger groups. The Rhine cruise program includes a shipboard overnight in Amsterdam and 3 days in Basel with Lake Lucerne tour. In Strasbourg, passengers take the high-speed TGV train to Paris. Optional deals include private jet travel for 1 day at the price of USD 30,000 pp. Cruise fares start from around USD 4,300 pp.
Cruise Lines International Association/CLIA’s projections for 2020 were that the number of Chinese cruisers to Europe will be the same in comparison to the Americans.
Length Of A Cruise Ship
The cruise ship length is professionally referred to as LOA , meaning the maximum length between the two most distant points on its hull. LOA may also include the tip of the bowsprit – the pole extending from the ship’s prow . The bowsprit is the “winning” part of the ship when competing in a race or during trials/speed tests.
Another passenger cruise ship length measuring is called LWL. LWL signifies “loaded waterline length” . It excludes the total length, denoting only the length at the point where the vessel sits in the water. The LWL measure plays an important role when assessing some ship properties, like “hull speed” , water displacement, the amount of paint needed for the ship’s bottom, etc.
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Whats Included On Viking
Just as on their ocean and river cruises, Viking offers generous inclusions aboard the new expedition ships.
Fares include the following: A Nordic Balcony stateroom or suite, virtually all shore excursions, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Also included are complimentary beer and wine with lunch and dinner, premium dining reservations, lectures, wi-fi, self-service laundry, access to The Nordic Spa and 24-hour room service.
In addition, Viking provides complimentary charter flights for access to hard-to-reach locations, and complimentary use of Viking Expedition Gear on land and sea excursions.
On polar itineraries, guests also receive their own Viking Expedition Kit, which includes everything needed for the cold terrain, plus a Viking Expeditions jacket to keep.
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Cruising On The Comeback
Though mass Covid-19 outbreaks early in the pandemic exposed health concerns surrounding cruising, a new survey indicates travelers may not abandon ship travel after all.
Before the pandemic, 2% of prior cruisers said they wouldn’t cruise again, while as of August 2021, 4% said the same, according to an ongoing survey conducted by U.S. News & Report.
The pandemic hasn’t scared off non-cruisers either. Pre-pandemic, 62% of people who had never cruised indicated they wanted to try it. Now, 61% of people say the same.
Sentiments may be softening with time too. Before the pandemic, about 10% of people that had never cruised said they “never” would. According to the survey, this number rose to 17% in June 2021, but fell to 14% by August.
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Weight Of A Cruise Ship And Draft
The size of a cruise ship is measured in “gross tonnage” . It relates to the vessel’s internal volume and applying a mathematical formula. The cruise ship tonnage is generally used for determining registration fees, port fees, safety rules, regulations. Another ship data is the vessel’s “deadweight tonnage” , which is the weight a vessel can safely carry .
The cruise ship draft measures the number of meters/feet from the waterline to the lowest point of the keel – or the ship’s “invisible” portion below the surface . The cruise ship’s draft is very important when considering docking in a particular port, sailing through channels or the inland waterways of the continents .
*Note: Actually, the ship’s funnel is the only part of the enclosed interior space that is NOT included in its Gross Tonnage measurement.
Discover Our Expedition Ships
Small enough to navigate remote polar regions, yet large enough to provide superior handling and stability, our right-sized, purpose-built expedition vessels are designed for profound voyages of discovery.
Related Itineraries
Ushuaia to New York City
42 Days | 10 Countries
Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro
19 Days | 3 Countries
Rio de Janeiro to Bridgetown
15 Days | 3 Countries
Small enough to navigate remote polar regions, yet large enough to provide superior handling and stability, our right-sized, purpose-built expedition vessels are designed for profound voyages of discovery.
To explore the worlds most remote regions, we have introduced two specifically built, cutting-edge expedition class small ships: Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris.
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Passenger Shipping Pause 2020
Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Viking Cruises suspended passenger shipping operations fleetwide by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures in the period March 12, 2020, through July 2021. Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canada’s and Australia’s ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program in mid-August.
- VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus .
- VIKING RIVER restarted in July 2021 , VIKING’s Egypt boats – in August.
- In March-April 2021, Viking OCEAN announced plans to restart operations with Viking Venus , Viking Orion and Viking Sky . All these voyages were open for booking to UK residents only. In May were added July-October departures for the ships Viking Sea and Viking Venus.
All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC with rebooking or 100% monetary refund. Fully refunded were also all prepurchased through Viking packages and services. The FCC is valid for 24 months , for any Viking cruise itinerary and fully transferable.
All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellation up to 24 hours prior departure.
Which Cruise Ship Has The Most Fun Activities
The most fun cruise ships on the high seasEscape, Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line Facebook. … Viking Star, Viking Cruises. … Regal Princess, Princess Cruises. … Anthem of the Seas, Royal Caribbean. … Britannia, P& O Cruises. … Sirena, Oceania Cruises. … Harmony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean International. … Seven Seas Explorer, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
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What Is And Isnt Included In The Vikings Fare
Before booking a ticket, its crucial to know what type of amenities are included in the ticket and what may charge you some extra bucks. River cruising, generally in Europe, is pretty all-inclusive. However, there are a few differences based on the different brands.
But we are doing a Viking river cruises review here. So what exactly is the case when you look at this cruise company. When you look at the Viking fare, understanding what you are going to get is very important because a lot of people, particularly if they are coming from ocean cruises.
Take a look at the river cruising fares and think theyre on the high side. Thats because theres a lot of stuff included. The obvious things included are your
- Accommodation
- Owners Suite
Viking World Cruise 2021
In mid-July 2020, Viking Ocean announced the company’s “Viking World Cruise 2021-2022” planned for MS Viking Star. The 136-day itinerary visits 56 ports in 27 countries, with 11 port city overnights and 3x new for Viking cruise ports .
The voyage starts from Port Everglades on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. Signature destinations include Central America, Panama Canal transit, USA West Coast, Hawaii, Transpacific crossing to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, Middle East, Suez Canal transit to Europe and the UK.
Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day “Viking World Horizons 2022” that visits 49 ports in 22 countries.
Both packages are priced from USD 50000 per person . Bookings made by September 30, 2020, receive USD 2000 pp in “shore excursion credit” plus USD 1000 pp in OBC .
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After So Much Lockdown Theres A Freedom In Cruising With The Endless Horizon And Another New Place To Discover Just Around The Corner
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The sail-away is pure magic. As the last shades of orange and pink and violet fade, the lights of Southern Italy come up, twinkling on small boats scooting across the harbour, and on lumbering ferries that connect the toe-tip of Italy to Sicily, just three kilometres across the Strait of Messina. Glimmering villages climb the mountains on both sides of the gap. The coastlines, dotted with shops and restaurants and quays, shimmer.
Standing on my balcony, an aperitif in hand, I watch Italy fade away. Next stop: Greece, somewhere out there, on the other side of the Ionian Sea. But first? Dinner, in the restaurant conveniently located just downstairs.
Cruising the Mediterranean is the stuff of dreams. For my 15-day voyage from Barcelona to Athens aboard the Viking Sea, the list of ports-of-call reads like romance, each stop stirring the imagination: Monaco, Rome, Naples, Crete, Ephesus. This is the kind of itinerary that usually attracts veteran cruisers like me people whove graduated from short and sweet journeys to these ambitious, multi-country trips further afield.
But as I chat with those on board the small ship, I notice something curious: a preponderance of first-time cruisers, and people whove never set foot in Europe until now some citing a sense of carpe diem urgency sparked by the pandemic.
Whats Onboard Viking Octantis
The Aula & Finse Terrace
On both ships, guests will find The Aula, a dynamic venue for lectures and entertainment, with floor-to-ceiling windows and 270-degree views. Adjacent to The Aula is the Finse Terrace, an outdoor lounge area with comfortable couches and warming lava-rock âfirepitsâ, making it the perfect spot to enjoy panoramic views of the dramatic surroundings.
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Aquavit Terrace & pools
Located at the stern of the ship and featuring a retractable glass dome, this indoor-outdoor heated sanctuary will allow guests to enjoy the scenery as they swim and lounge in three different temperature-controlled pools, including an âinside-outsideâ swimming experience.
The Nordic Spa & Fitness Center
The Nordic Spa features a thermal suite equipped with a sauna and Snow Grotto, as well as a warm hydrotherapy pool and hot tub. A state-of-the-art Fitness Center provides the latest equipment and workout gear.
The Hangar
This innovative in-ship marina includes an 85ft slipway that allows guests to board inflatable excursion craft inside the ship, shielded from wind and waves. The RIB boats then launch via multiple shell doors in the stern.
The Laboratory
Developed in consultation with Cambridge University and Vikingâs other academic partners, the 430sq ft laboratory is designed to support a broad range of research activities.
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Expedition equipment
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