Viking Octantis

A+ onboard ship, C on pre & post itinerary details

March

Pros: Viking provides excellence in service, staff, food, beverage, staterooms, bathrooms, and general areas. Viking builds beautiful ships that are well-engineered (no squeaks or leaks). Octantis, with boosted stabilizers, handled the seas around Cape Horn easily. Pro: Iguazu Falls pre-cruise excursion was the highlight of our trip.

Cons: Viking communication regarding pre and post cruise flight/excursions options was imprecise and late. V Agents could not tell us our charter flight information to Iguazu until we arrived in Buenas Aires. We packed to limited baggage restrictions, then found out we could leave bags at the hotel in Buenas Aires. Also, Viking did not provide a post-cruise option for one-day tours in Santiago (disembarkation) until we were onboard the ship. We had already booked an independent Viator tour which was non-cancellable at that point.

Recommended: Yes

We still love the Viking business model for elegant adult cruising. Our itinerary was mostly relaxing fjords of breathtaking beauty. Weather is a huge factor in that part of the world so we had many gray days. Viking made the best of them with plenty of zodiac, kayak, SOB and submarine options with daily science-related lectures on board. Staterooms also offered plenty of movie and entertainment and there were spa options, gym, and table games to pass the time for the long gray sea days. Expedition ships don't provide live theater or a Chef's Table restaurant. The MC did perform some singing, Trivia, and dancing nights. Viking Guest Services (who deserve medals for what they put up with from finicky guests) always tried to accommodate unplanned meals at The Restaurant and Manfredi's.

Antarctica Jan 2024

January

Pros: wonderful ship, crew, expedition team

Cons: Long flights to get there

Recommended: Yes

Far exceeded expectations

Great experience with a few kinks

August

Pros: Staff was great, food was good, ship was not crowded, kayaking, ford rouge factory, bbq on shore w Native dancers

Cons: Some tours were not great. Glass bottom boat tour rushed and underwhelming, submarine interesting but nothing to see except rocks and Zebra Mussels

Recommended: Yes

Overall, learned a lot about Great Lakes. Suggest not to take SOB in rainy weather. Not fun. Wish we had seen more wildlife. Very impressed crew learned our names.

Mostly All Excellent

July

Pros: Amazing Food, Amazing Staff, Ship Amenities (Cabins/Group Rooms), SOV's

Cons: DNB Closets

Recommended: Yes

DNB closets were awkward. "Finger Pull" doors required two hands-- couldn't get ready in the same area at the same time. I also missed the "Chef's Table" option for dining.

A cruise on the Western Great Lakes

June

Pros: Fantastic ship complete with scientists aboard collecting data from the water and from the lake water.

Cons: The experience was over all too soon.

Recommended: Yes

The highlight of the trip was riding in the submarine down some 200 feet. To look at a wall of rock many thousands of years old. Crew, staff, presenters and guides were all super friendly and helpful as well as knowledgeable. Food was excellent in all the dining venues. The ride on one of the Special Ops boats was impressive with stopping on a dime and spinning in a tight circle before accelerating away like a flash.

Great, but...

June

Pros: The ship is wonderful. The room and food staff are great. Both 5*

Cons: The Thunder Bay to Milwaukee ports are a big disappointment.

Recommended: No

Would have loved to take this ship on an Alaska cruise. The western great lakes have an abundance of wildlife, but not where we went. Kayak and Zodiak enthusiasts might like the pristine waters if they are not bothered by wind and 42-degree water. One bad experience was that we had a confirmed submarine dive excursion (subject to weather). The day we scheduled we were told that we would be going and that maybe tomorrow. The next day we did not get notice that we wouldn't until it was too late to do anything else.

A special ship, a special experience!

October

Pros: I love small ship sailing! This ship does it very well. It never feels crowded. Very easy to get around. The Nordic balconies help make the staterooms feel spacious. The educational focus is purpose built into the design and programming. 93 million dollars' worth of great toys in the hanger. Food was very good no matter where you ate. Viking all-inclusive pricing is very nice. A great crew!

Cons: Would be better if they had some sort of handrail in the Aula presentation theater to assist in climbing the stairs. Only a small problem for people who might have a balance issue.

Recommended: Yes

This is an expedition ship designed to maximize the value of the exploration. It supports education and science activities. Entertainment was limited to a magician, a musical duo, documentaries, movies. Your in-stateroom television had a good selection of movies, TV shows, news and trip information, plus a large selection of Viking produced videos. Tons of reading materials and content experts onboard to maximize your experience. This ship should be a real hoot for arctic exploration! Our included excursions were a lot of fun, insightful and well organized. Optional excursions looked interesting! A very efficient yet beautiful design! Light woods, beautiful and well curated artwork. The value of the onboard expedition team cannot be undervalued. It all works well together. I highly recommend this ship and the programming it supports. Purpose built fun! Great crew and management!

The Ship is BEAUTIFUL!

August

Pros: They thought of everything on this ship! Spacious cabins, lots of drawers & closet space PLUS a drying closet for wet gear. Excellent food-we didn't have a bad meal. The World Cafe had everything you wanted! The staff and expedition guides were fantastic!

Cons: Dining at The World Cafe closed at 830PM. A little early for us.

Recommended: Yes

The design & decor of the ship is just beautiful! So comfortable & sleek. Funniture in all public rooms is very comfortable felt like home to me. Everywhere you turn, the design, the photos, all the artwork is so beautiful & well thought out for an expedition ship. Showing beautiful pictures of nature and places all around the world. The walkway to the spa has the names of the cities on the floor of where Viking cruises. Just amazing! little details like that make this ship so special. The crew & expedition guides are just fantastic. i was on the Great Lakes cruise, but this ship in Antarctica would be a WINNER!

Great Lakes Voyage

August

Pros: Wonderful travel experience, new expedition ship, excellent crew on board, informative shore excursions, delicious food.

Cons:

Recommended: Yes

Exciting cruise! Viking is excellent in all ways. The crew & staff knew us and learned what we liked. They made sure we were safe and we’ll taken care of on board. Viking prepared delicious food for us. We were included in the science projects. I met many friendly guests on board. I have a new appreciation for our own Great Lakes!

Exploration of the northern Great Lakes

August

Pros: Learning from naturalists, geologists and riding in zodiac boats!

Cons: Dealing with Canadian COVID procedures

Recommended: Yes

The new Viking Octantis is an amazing ship with the hanger for storing the zodiacs, kayaks, Special Operations Boat and submerciables. Great restaurants and large staterooms with great views!

Perfect expedition experience

June

Pros: Great activities and scientific experiences and presentations. Fabulous crew, fantastic ship, delicious

Cons: None

Recommended: Yes

We could not have asked for better onboard and onshore activities, friendly and extremely courteous crew who all seemed to love their jobs, and great meal presentations. Plus the accommodations are delightful.