Alas, our cruise has come to an end. It was a special time in so many ways: (1) Though, technically, we've cruised before, this was our first ocean cruise on a ship of some size. (2) This was the first time the Viking Sea had traveled these waters; after all, she was just christened in London in April. (3) This was a part of the world I had long wanted to see. And (4) we had the extra flourish of having Torstein and Karine Hagen--owners, father-daughter, President and Senior Vice President of Viking Cruises--and Karine's ever-present Yellow Lab, Finse, with us for over half of the trip.
The ship is beautiful. At 930 passengers (and 550 crew), she is considered a small cruise ship, but certainly is the largest sailing vessel we've been on. The staterooms were nicely designed and comfortably sized. The public spaces were full of wonderful furniture and art and books. (Speaking of art, I noticed no fewer than 10 Munch etchings hanging on the walls of some of the public spaces.) Each of the five restaurants and several lounges had a distinctive look; each of the dining areas had different dishes (and different salt and pepper grinders--that may seem an odd thing to note, but I think it gives a solid clue about the attention to detail in the planning and execution of this new Viking venture). Everything was immaculate--partly because it's so new, I suppose, but also because there are myriad staff keeping it that way.
The Viking Sea at anchor in Geiranger Fjord, with one of our tenders busy ferrying people to and from the ship.
The decor is all in soft blues and white and beautiful woods. I can't tell you how many people I heard say that they wanted to buy the pillow covers or tables or whatever. And I heard numerous people coveting the salt and pepper shakers in the World Cafe. As astute as Viking is about marketing opportunities, I'm stunned that they don't have those salt and paper shakers and numerous pillow covers for sale in one of their shops. And I'd wager that if we were to cruise on the ship again in a year or two, they'll be part of the shop merchandise.
The decor was nothing short of perfect. I'm guessing I'm not the only person from this cruise that is reevaluating their home decor in light of how much we enjoyed the ambience of the Viking Sea. I probably won't go so far as to drape reindeer hides on my sofas, but don't be surprised to see some changes at our address.
Winter Garden, where afternoon tea is served each afternoon, but where you can lounge anytime.
Our favorite corner of the very large Explorers' Lounge (note the reindeer hides on the sofas).
More of the Explorers' Lounge--the bar, the front viewing area, and one of two sweeping glass stairways that take you to a quieter upper level.
Our favorite dining room, the Chef's Table.
We enjoyed the cruising experience more than we expected to, I think. We've never had much interest in cruising. But some friends mentioned their interest in this cruise, and this itinerary--Norway, the Shetlands and Orkney--turned the tide, so to speak. We liked the ship when sailing, with lovely views as we sailed past and the thrill of pulling into and out of harbors.
I'm a nervous sailor and prone to motion sickness. Jerry, on the other hand, is a natural sailor. Sea Bands were my constant companions, and, luckily, I only had to take pills a few times. Even on our roughest patches of sailing, Jerry remained unaffected (lucky dog!).
We traveled over 3,000 nautical miles before disembarking in Harwich, England (a few hours from London), and most of it was stunning. We loved the ship, the crew, and most of all the experience of seeing the Norwegian coast. Two weeks was long enough to be sailing, and we were ready to stop. But I was somewhat sad to leave the Viking Sea behind. She is a beautiful and special ship and has carved out a special place in my heart.
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