Are you ready to set sail on a cruise?

I have never been on a cruise. But, I know a lot of people are interested in cruises. So I asked some friends to share their cruise experiences and some helpful tips.

Lisa’s cruises with Viking

Viking River Cruises

Since the end of COVID, my husband and I have taken several Viking River Cruises. We chose Viking based on friends’ recommendations and online reviews. We cruised the lower Danube (BudaPest to Bucharest) and the Rhine (Basil to Amsterdam). Both cruises were wonderful! We traveled along European rivers, lined with vineyards, castles, hilltop fortresses, windmills, small villages, foothills and mountains, and large cities. We have been so pleased with Viking that we already booked our next River Cruise.

Viking River cruises are relaxed and adult oriented, and more intimate. No children under 18 are allowed and there are no casinos onboard. From the time you arrive at the airport at the first city until you are dropped off at the airport at your last port, your bags are picked up and carried for you. Their ships are wonderfully laid out. Even though there are about 190 people on the cruise the ship feels spacious and comfortable. The staff go out of their way to accommodate your every request. The staterooms are comfortable, all with king-sized beds; they were immaculate and well maintained.

Aboard the ship, there is a main dining room and a casual dining area. The menus are the same in both places. Breakfast is a huge buffet with cooked to order options. There is a set menu for lunch and dinner as well as a special local destination menu. Beer and wine are included with lunch and dinner. The food is plentiful and tasty!

Excursions and other things to do

Each morning of the cruise we arrived in a new city. We would set out on an excursion every morning after breakfast to explore. Viking offers a variety of shore excursions for each port (cultural, food, historical). Typically, you will spend one day in each port, so Viking offers morning, afternoon and evening excursions. One shore excursion is included with your trip each day, others cost extra. The guides on these excursions are local and very well informed. In addition to the excursions, there is always free time to relax and wander around the city to explore on your own and grab a meal.

During the cruise, Viking offers a variety of cultural talks, and local entertainment. In the evenings, they offer entertainment, dancing and trivia in the bar area. We thoroughly enjoyed our cruises and have another one booked for next week! These cruises offered us a sampling of a number of different cities and cultures. On several of our cruises, we booked an extension thru Viking to stay on and explore further. The hotels and tours on these extensions were top notch.  We have also extended our cruises on our own.

Viking Ocean Cruise

Earlier this year (2024), we took a 14-day Mediterranean Ocean cruise with Viking. Their Ocean Cruises are a super-sized version of their River cruises. The level of service is the same high quality as all cruises, and there are free excursions in every port. Where the Ocean cruises differ from the River cruises is the number of onboard amenities for dinning, activities, socializing and relaxing.

The ship provides a variety of dining options: there is a traditional dining room, a buffet dining room with outdoor seating, and a pool-side bar. In addition, there are specialty dining options (Chef’s table and Italian restaurant). There were also between meal options: afternoon teas, a casual deli/lounge offering cakes and snacks, and a Café/Bar option area. If you prefer, you can also order 24-hour room service.

They have a wonderful 2-story lounge at one end of the ship where we would relax after our daily excursion and enjoy the view as the vessel sailed out to sea. We would have a drink/snack. The vessel also had a stunning 3-story library/lounge in the middle of the ship to relax and read a book, play table games, cards, etc. and enjoy a drink/snack. Though we did not take a dip, there is a heated pool and hot tub (with a 2-story retractable roof). Also, there is an infinity pool on an upper deck, an out-door track that wraps around the outside balcony, and a gym/workout room. For an extra price, you can book Spa treatments.

Every night, in the ship’s large theater, the ship’s singers or a local group put on a performance. Also in the evening, the bar held trivia nights and usually an acoustic guitar player. Our evenings usually included taking in an early performance in the theater or the atrium, then off to the nightclub from 9ish-11. The live band willingly played our favorite tunes! We listened and danced until 11pm, when the nightclub closed. You could also listen to musical performances, usually a piano and violin performance.

Margo’s first cruise and helpful tips

My husband and I went on the Celebrity Ascent ship to San Juan, Tortola, and St. Kitts in January 2024. It was a great experience for a first time cruiser. It’s a large ship but I never felt overwhelmed by crowds. It caters to an older crowd so there were not many children on board. It’s more of an upscale, sophisticated experience with no water slides! The food was fantastic in the main dining rooms and the buffet. The entertainment after dinner each evening was excellent with Broadway style shows. 

Here are some helpful tips if you are planning to go on a cruise:

• Arrive the day before the cruise to avoid any delays in boarding the ship.
• We used a cruise travel agent who was able to get us a better deal.
• Choose a cabin with a window or balcony if you can afford it. We upgraded to the concierge level with an infinite veranda. It’s an enclosed balcony with floor to ceiling windows. The room was very spacious with a king bed. We had the same room steward the entire cruise who took great care of us and serviced our room twice a day.
• All inclusive packages are great if you plan to drink alcohol. It includes all drinks, gratuities, and the basic Wi-Fi package. 
• Book shore excursions before the cruise for best pricing and availability.

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