Before I outline why Viking is the best cruise line I have sailed on recently, here is a little background. The cruising industry in this part of the world started when the P&0 line ships that used to cart just about everyone to Europe and a hold full of produce suddenly faced an uncertain future. Aircraft were finally making an impact even though they were costly.
Qantas started to snatch away the younger crowd by introducing the Pacesetter fare—a cheap deal to London that included a few days in Hong Kong and Greece—in my case, Mykonos. These were the days of DC8s and 707s. As a young reporter, I recall being sent to Adelaide Airport because a South African Airways 707 had made a forced landing due to a technical fault.
The captain took me onboard and I can still recall how amazed i was at the size of the plane. There were 150 passengers onboard – today’s A380 carries up to 526. New regulations to protect European farmers killed the frozen meat business in New Zealand and Australia. Increasingly, operators like P&0 wondered what to do with oil-guzzling ships like Iberia, Arcadia Himalaya – and Chusan. These were two-class ships – carrying around 1000 passengers. I travelled on most of them on Pacific cruises as part of my job as a travel writer – and what a ride it could be.
Without a hold full of cargo, they creaked and floated about like corks – and reared like a bucking horse in bad weather. These were the days when there were fold-up flaps on the tables in the dining room to stop plates from sliding onto the floor. In terrible weather, it was not unusual to be one of only a handful of passengers still standing in the dining room. One after another, these wonderful old girls were scrapped, and a new era of cruising began.
Probably the most significant new development was building eight R-class cruise ships in 1998, initially built for Renaissance Cruises. Following the bankruptcy of Renaissance in 2001, the eight ships were dispersed across the cruise industry. Now they have settled with four each at two up-market lines: Azamara (Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit and Azamara Onward (ex Pacific Princess); and Oceania (Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena).
Each ship is approximately 30,000 gross tons and can accommodate 684 passengers at double occupancy. I have travelled on most of them, and they are in remarkable condition given their age – imagine if we were talking about an aircraft 26 years old. There have been significant developments in other aspects of the cruise industry, particularly in the small yacht segment and expedition cruising. Passengers today are offered increasingly sophisticated trips to remote destinations in the Arctic, North Pole, Svalbard, Greenland, and the shores of Antarctica.
New ships are splashing into the water regularly – including Royal Carribean’s monsters. So, why is Viking Venus – the ship we are travelling on right now as we search for the fabled Northern Lights – the number one in my book? Firstly, the design. This ship was launched in May 2021, and the designers have taken all the elements of the R series ships to new heights. The staterooms are oversized and better equipped. You will not bang your elbows in the walk-in shower; the floor is heated, and the mirrors are mist-free.
There is no chance of you getting jammed into a tiny corner when you head for the toilet, either. There are no inside cabins on this ship, so there are more public areas where guests can sit, relax, and read. The World Cafe, where most passengers enjoy breakfast and lunch, is double the size of the R-class facilities. There is always a table available and bundles of room. No having to shift your chair a bit to let someone through. There is no casino or kids either – this ship is for older adults looking for a completely relaxing upmarket holiday. I noticed onboarding how quiet and orderly everything was on this ship.
The furnishings are so clean and new; walking about reminds me of joining a new hotel inspection. Finally the staff – exceptionally well trained, always polite – nothing is too much trouble for them. We dined in the World Restaurant and last night at Manfredi’s – Italian at its best. Room service is quick – the food arrives hot. Finally, the ship rides easily, even in rough seas. So to summarise, Viking offers cleverly designed ships, an excellent crew well trained in making every request a pleasure, a peaceful, quiet atmosphere, large equipped staterooms (power and USB’s on either side of the bed, for instance) and a good-sized, well-designed bathroom. Not a wrong value either.
All in all, this ship represents the next level in the cruise industry – that’s assuming you won’t miss Broadway shows in the theatre every night, live music everywhere, pool slides and lots of people. Welcome to the Viking family, the crew say when they find out you are new to the line. You get the feeling they mean it.
Written by: Ian McIntosh
