How to choose between ten identical ships
Viking itself calls its ocean ships identical sister ships. Viking Mars is an
example without a peculiarity, and that is exactly what makes it useful for
explaining something few advisors say plainly: on this fleet, the ship is not a
criterion.
What counts, in order: the itinerary, the season, the port of departure and
the length of the trip. Then the cabin category, which genuinely changes your
stay. The name painted on the hull comes well after. An advisor who has you
hesitating for a week between two of these ships is wasting your time.
The one known exception is the planetarium, which two ships in the series
carry and the other eight do not.
The hull
Two hundred and twenty-eight metres, 47,842 gross tons, nine decks, 930 guests
in 465 cabins all fitted with a veranda, about 465 crew. Delivered in May 2022
by the Ancona yard. Viking Venus and Viking Saturn are its exact sisters, as is Viking Sky.
What this format changes
Nine hundred and thirty guests is three to four times fewer than a large
contemporary ocean ship. You berth in ports closed to very big hulls, you board
and land faster, and you do not queue for a lift. The trade-off is a narrower
choice of activities aboard, which suits a traveller who came for the ports.
Viking Orion adds a planetarium, the only notable difference in the series.
What the package contains
Every port of call carries an included excursion. Meals are included,
specialty restaurants among them. Beer, wine and soft drinks are served at lunch
and dinner. Wi-Fi is included, with no commitment on speed. The Nordic Spa and
the fitness room are freely accessible. Port taxes and fees sit inside the
package.
Gratuities are not included, unlike the practice at some luxury river lines.
Prepaid or settled aboard, they come on top.
Optional excursions, drinks outside mealtimes, spa treatments and airfare
booked elsewhere are added as well.
What you will not find
No casino, on any ship in the fleet. No children's club. No musical revue. No
compulsory dressy evening. The minimum age is eighteen on embarkation day, and
no cabin takes a third occupant.
The trade-off fits in one sentence: days ashore are long and evenings are
quiet, with lectures, chamber music and a library where the casino would be.
Know which of the two you want before booking.
Leaving from Quebec
Allow a connection, sometimes two, and plan to arrive the day before. A ship
does not wait for a delayed flight. Travellers who arrive the same day take a
risk their insurance does not always cover the way they imagine.
Voyages AquaTerra is licensed by Quebec's Office de la protection du
consommateur. Money paid goes to the trust account Quebec law requires, and the
Compensation Fund for Customers of Travel Agents applies to your booking.
