Viking Sea Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We sailed on the Viking Sea in February, on the South America & the Caribbean cruise. This was our first time on a Viking Ocean cruise. We took their Waterways of the Czars cruise in 2016 and enjoyed that so much that we booked this cruise, due to its itinerary. It did not disappoint.
Getting on Board with our luggage: The cruise embarkation was very easy. However, that is because we put our written itinerary booklets that Viking sent to each of us in our carry-on. That was lucky, as I was thinking about not bringing them at all. Security at the entrance to the port demanded to see those before we could board the ship, so have them handy! (We thought that Viking should have told us that.) Getting our luggage was a different matter. We got into San Juan about 1:00P and boarded the ship around 2:00P. However, our luggage was not brought to our stateroom until after 5:00P. That was bad, as we were in our winter wear and could not shower and change. Why we could not bring our luggage with us on the bus from the airport to the ship is a mystery.
Ship Overall: The ship is very nicely designed and felt airy and spacious: it never seemed crowded.
Cabin Review
Our deluxe veranda cabin (5007) was fine, but narrow. We could not pass by each other at the foot of the bed at the same time, and we are not big people. Also, the desk chair was too big for the space, so getting to the balcony was somewhat awkward unless we had the chair pushed all the way in. Also, it also would have been nice to have some more drawers to put things in. (We would give up the in-cabin coffee maker for that.) The bathroom was wonderful: lots of space, storage space, and a comfortably sized shower with a ledge! Our cabin stewards (Alvin and iPitu) were fabulous: they were personable, offered advice when asked, and kept our cabin spotless.
Port Reviews
Cartagena (Colombia)
The guide in Cartagena was hard to understand, slow and uninterested. He hit all of the marks indicated in the tour description, but did little more than that
Aruba
Frances was an outstanding guide who took us all around Oranjestad . She even found a jeweler to replace one of our watch's battery!
Curacao
Elton was wonderful and accommodated the ship's late arrival without batting an eye. We had a fabulous tour of Willemstad and would love to return.
St. Kitts (Port Zante)
Gregory met us at the port, took us on a walking tour of Basseterre, and introduced us to many interesting foods and people. We highly recommend this tour.