As 2024 comes to a close I need to tell you about my Viking cruise experience. Back in October, we went on an eight-day adult-only Viking ocean cruise. Cruising was a new experience for us. It was a great way to cover a lot of ground in a short time. We explored the sights during the day and enjoyed cruising at night on the way to the next destination. We cruised between Venice and Athens on Viking’s Venus ship. We stopped at five ports along the way. These included Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia. We also visited Kotor in Montenegro, and Corfu and Katakolon in Greece.
We arrived a day early in Venice to have more time to explore on our own before boarding the ship. Check out what we did in Venice!
When it was time to board the ship, we took a private water taxi from the Hilton’s private dock. Talk about a VIP experience arriving at the Fusina port right next to the ship!
A key feature of Viking cruise ships is that all rooms have a balcony. The ship we were on holds about 900 passengers. In contrast, the larger ships hold closer to 2,500 passengers. It never felt crowded at meals, getting on and off the boat, etc. Our room was on deck 5 (of 9) and was similar in size to most hotel rooms. There was a lot of storage and plenty of space for two people.
Here are some of my favorite things about my Viking experience.
We enjoyed sitting out on the balcony for a morning coffee or some drinks later in the day. Most of the time we just looked out to the sea but it was a peaceful experience.
One of my favorite places to relax on the boat was in Explorers’ Lounge that spanned decks 7 and 8. It was located in the front of the ship with views of the open sea, live music, and board games.
I loved that there was a sports deck with shuffleboard, table tennis, mini golf, bocce, etc.. We enjoyed this part of the ship in the late afternoon.
One of my favorite parts of cruising was the docking experience when we arrived and departed a cruise port.
In Split, Croatia we took in the morning view from the balcony and spent the afternoon on the sports deck. Check out what we did in Split.
This is the view from the sports deck in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Dubrovnik was the only port that required a smaller boat to get to shore. Check out what we did in Dubrovnik.
The arrival and departure in Kotor, Montenegro was our favorite! Read more about what we did in Kotor.
The port in Corfu, Greece was a short bus ride away from town and the main sights. Check out what we did during our time in Corfu.
To visit Olympia, Greece you need to dock in Katakolon. This was the smallest port and the shortest stop of the cruise. Read more about our visit to Olympia.
The cruise ended in Athens, Greece but it wasn’t time to go home just yet. We stayed an extra night to explore Athens on our own. Check out what we did in Athens.
We chose Viking for its itinerary and also its reputation of quality and service. The staff truly made our time onboard a memorable experience. Despite having ~900 guests on the ship, there were a handful of staff members we saw daily. They took the time to remember our names, room number, and beverages of choice. At the last port stop in Katakolon, we returned to the ship with music blasting and the staff dancing. It was a fun welcome back to the boat. It was also a fond farewell to a memorable week.
I highly recommend Viking next time you consider cruising. The quality and service aligned with our travel preferences. The Venice, Adriatic, and Greece itinerary provided an opportunity to see many walled cities, forts, ruins, and ancient history. Be sure to check out we did at each port: Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, Katakolon (Olympia), and Athens.
Before booking, we worked with my favorite travel advisor, Elizabeth at Souvenir & Far. Many thanks to Elizabeth and her team for their expert advice and champagne welcome at our hotel in Athens.
Question: What’s your favorite cruise experience? What cruise is on your wish list?
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