Viking Sky Review

Great Itinierary

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Viking Sky
User Avatar
Small is better
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2019

We have been on four Viking River cruises (China, Russia, Passage to Eastern Europe, Windmills and Tulips) and two Viking Ocean Cruises (From the Caribbean to the Amazon and Western Mediterranean Explorer). We make our choices of cruises based on itinerary. We have traveled on brands of ships with 50 and 100 passengers which we enjoyed very much. The only cruise ship bigger than a Viking Ocean was on a Disney Cruise trip with my extended family including young children.

Compared to Viking River Cruises, the Viking Ocean cruises have bigger cabins and all have verandas. There are more choices of restaurants (no upcharges) and free room service. Entertainment includes an assortment of shows in the theater, atrium, Winter Garden tea, Explorers Lounge, and Torsham bar plus enrichment lectures and TED talks. There are no casinos, no one under 18, and no official photographers. Beer and wine are included with lunch and dinner in restaurants. There is extensive spa including snow grotto (even in the Amazon!) and a full size pool that can be covered with a retracting roof.

There is a launderette on some decks. The detergent is included but you may want to bring some fabric softener sheets. They can be crowded or empty depending on your timing. Check what your cabin 'class' includes. Mine included ironing and shoe shining which I took advantage of. Dry cleaning is available for a reasonable price but I won't pay what they charge for doing laundry. You will need to allow a day and a half if you have them do ironing, laundry, or dry cleaning. The highest 'class' cabins include all of it.

Cabin Review

Plenty of room including storage. You can ask for extra hangers. Safe was large enough for both my husband's camera bag and my purse. Ironing and shoe shining is included in this cabin category. Launderette nearby. Mini-frig was replenished daily with liquor, beer, soft drinks and snacks. One bottle of champagne per cruise was also included. The snacks were a joke - tiny pieces of chocolate and small bags of nuts or trail mix. However, you can get as many snacks as you want from the bar in the Livingroom and take them to your cabin. Filtered water is provided in cabin in a decanter. Bathroom amenities are as described on website.

Port Reviews

Florence (Livorno)

Saw what I wanted and expected to see. Had a good balance of guiding and free time.

Valencia

Raquena Winery Tour and Tasting: A very scenic all day trip that took us inland by bus to a hilltop village with underground eighth century storage caves. We walked around the scenic, historic town and toured the caves before enjoying a delicious lunch. Then, we drove to the Winery were we toured their facilities and sampled some delicious wines and snacks.

Cartagena (Spain)

1st tour: Andalusian Horse Show - bus drive inland to horse farm with basic seating and short, interesting show. Lunch was paella and wine and was plentiful and tasty but not spectacular.

2nd tour: Tapas & Wine City Walk - walk from ship into center of town with the towns most scenic sights pointed out. We stopped at three very different tapas bars where we were served a large, single tapas and a beverage. It was a fun way to explore a Spanish city.

Cadiz

Viking's Seville Highlights was a mixture of interesting and less interesting sights. It is a significant drive to Seville from the port of Cadiz. We did not need free time in Plaza Espana or else we needed a lot more. The walk through the city streets was interesting. Our guide was not great and her tour of the cathedral was lacking. We had barely enough free time considering it was our meal break also. She had pointed out shopping areas for us to visit during our free time except most people were afraid they would get lost if they went back to them. On our own, we found a crowded restaurant that served a wonderful meal.

Lisbon

Gourmet dinner and fabulous fado singers was arranged by our hotel's concierge that we traveled to and from by taxi.

6 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Viking Sky Cruise from $2,999

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.