Delivered while the world fleet sat at the quay
April 2021. Almost every cruise ship in the world was laid up, whole crews
were waiting at home, and several lines were postponing or cancelling orders.
Viking took delivery of Viking Venus on that date.
This is not a brochure anecdote. An owner who accepts a new ship at the
bottom of a crisis is betting on the recovery, and betting with the balance
sheet. The ship has five years of service behind it in 2026, the first seasons
of which were spent in a sector barely restarting.
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. No configuration
peculiarity is established against its sisters: it is a series hull, and that is
precisely what the line is after.
Viking Mars and Viking Sea share the same plan. Viking Jupiter adds a planetarium, the only notable
difference in the series.
What the ship does
Mediterranean, Northern Europe and seasonal itineraries. As across the fleet,
the programme plans long hours ashore and often a full overnight in port.
For a newer and larger hull, look at Viking Vela.
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.
