Amazing trip down under on Viking Orion. From the Sydney Harbor bridge climb and Opera house tour to welcoming in the new year in Auckland the most beautiful scenery you could imagine. Included tours were mostly city tours, botanical gardens were the equivalent of cathedrals in Europe, a tour of one on every stop.

Optional tours offered chances to get away from the cities and see the beautiful countryside including interacting with the animals you expect to see. There were several chances to tour wine country and interaction with locals. Optional tours were a bit pricey but worth it to take some to get a better feel for the country. Scenery from ship sailing into and out of ports was “worth the price of admission”. Incredibly beautiful sights of the countryside. Ports also gave us a peek into what is being shipped out of the country.

All this in Viking comfort with wonderful attention to all the details. The ratio of passenger to crew means everything thing you may need is taken care of by an upbeat person who seems to enjoy what they do. Cabin was always in top condition. We enjoyed the casual World Cafe for breakfast and most lunches but ended up having most of our dinners in the restaurant. Plenty of choices, one menu available everyday as well as a different menu each day. (We thought the Wiener schnitzel offered one night was the best we ever ate!) Read more