Viking Mars

JUNE

It was a great trip even though we were not able to embark to our excursion to Dublin due to weather. We understood that safety was the primary concern. It was great to be able to do laundry while on the trip,. We enjoyed meeting our fellow passengers, most who had been on other Viking cruises as well. We also enjoyed having the opportunity to eat at Manfredi's and the Chef's Table as alternatives to the regular dining room. The staff was by far the best part of the cruise, they knew our names after the first day and were always cheerful and helpful. I have not hesitated to recommend Viking to my friends.

OCTOBER

It is a cruise line for matured adults who are looking to explore and enrich their knowledge about the world . The talks presented are very relevant to the ports being visited .

AUGUST

THE ONLY NEGATIVES WERE THE FACT THAT BREAKFASTS WERE GEARED TOWARD EARLY MORNINGS. IF WE WISHED TO SLEEP IN, WE HAD TO RUSH TO THE DINING ROOMS BEFORE THEY STOPPED SERVING BREAKFAST. ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS TO PLACES ON EACH DECK WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED BEYOND THE LISTINGS AT THE ELEVATORS (FORWARD OR AFT, PORT OR STARBOARD).

AUGUST

The cabins were roomy especially compared to the Viking river ships. The staff was excellent although service in the main restaurant suffered at times due to lack of staffing. The Icelandic people are very friendly and the scenery is spectacular. Unfortunately the weather was dreary the entire trip. One guide commented that His 100 year old grandmother had said that this was the worst summer weather of her life. Viking can't control the weather but this is not a cruise where you could expect to enjoy the outdoor spaces on the ship. Viking sent us out on a walking tour in one stop in a driving rain storm only to cancel the next days excursions because of bad weather. That said, I would definitely take another Viking Ocean cruise and would recommend this cruise.

MAY

This is our 3rd Viking cruise and we continue to Be cheerleaders for this fantastic cruise line! The staff, the food, the personalized care, the entertainment- outstanding! The only thing that disappointed us were guides on two of the excursions. Did not appear to be prepared and were very difficult to understand.

APRIL

Overall a very nice cruise. My comments will focus on the negatives but keep in mind that we did give it 4 stars. Our package included pickup by Viking at the Athens airport for transfer to the Mars. For some reason, Viking did not have our flight info and was not there to greet us at our baggage claim. With that help of a local, we tracked them down at a different terminal's baggage claim. We missed the port for Ancient Troy. The day was sunny, windy, with small waves (no whitecaps whatsoever). We were told that it was too windy and that no waves did not mean it was still safe to dock. Granting Viking the benefit of the doubt on the safety issue, I still have an issue that they do not refund docking fees to their passengers. Their policy on the docking fee issue means that Viking financially benefits when a port is missed. At Rhodes, our excursion could not tour the Grand Master's Palace due to some European Government VIPs having a get-together there. The alternate was the Archeological Museum which was, in our opinion, a waste of time. The Chef's Table menu was not to our tastes. Be sure to check the set menu for the Chef's Table to see if it is too your tastes before having dinner there.

MARCH

Some of the excursions needed to have more information included in the description before purchasing not wait until the port talk when it is too late. Our excursion in Belize "Xunantanich Mayan Temple" was listed as 7 hours, but failed to mention that 5 hours would be riding on a bus. Belize had a nice shopping area, but we arrived too late after our tour to take advantage of them as we had to be onboard. In Roatan the "Animal Sanctuary and Mangrove Forest Cruise" was excellent! Bird Lover's Dream in Montego Bay was wonderful even thou it rained. Very enjoyable. Rainforest & Aerial Tram in Colon was nice, but sadly saw no wildlife on tram ride, but good views from Gamboa Tower. Final day in Cozumel we did the included tour Ruins of San Gervasio in the morning. Our guide, Luis, was excellent. very knowledgeable. Excellent tour! After getting back and having some lunch we went to the "Atlantis XII Submarine Experience". This was another nice experience.

FEBRUARY

This was a wonderful and relaxing cruise. The staff was incredible. Our room stewards were very friendly and competent. We love the large staterooms with ample storage. The itinerary was the best, and the Viking crew makes adjustments due to weather or conditions to benefit the passengers.

FEBRUARY

Unable to visit Jamaica due to rough seas.

DECEMBER

We had several days of rain and somewhat rough seas that limited many shore excursions but other than the experience of passing through the Panama Canal, the other ports of call were somewhat redundant.

NOVEMBER

We were spoiled the entire cruise. Every need was met and there were so many additional touches that made the trip so wonderful. The small things like offering a slushy by the pool or meeting us after a shore excursion with a cool, damp cloth were such a pleasant surprise. I could go on and on but people just have to take a cruise on Viking to find out for themselves.

SEPTEMBER

Viking provided, in our experiences, the usual high level of services, programs, and support.

SEPTEMBER

This was our first Viking Ocean cruise. We have taken Viking River cruises and have enjoyed them immensely so we wanted to experience an ocean cruise without casinos, children, and sales vendors. They are advertised as the "thinking" person's cruise and did not disappoint. We love history and learning about other cultures. As Native Americans, we are keenly aware of how cultural differences shape one's life and views of the world. Kudos to Viking. We are already looking for our next opportunity to take another ocean cruise with you.

APRIL

As 1st timers, our most unexpected surprise about Viking : we loved the historical and site lectures, cultural presentations and how they were often available recorded and in our stateroom. We did not participate in other on board activities (baggo, card games etc) so 3 stars. We often stepped out on our veranda for pictures , checking the weather , etc. and loved the heated floor in the bathroom. Dining options were plentiful and we found we enjoyed eating on the rear deck near the Aquavit Bar. The Chef's Table was excellent. Crew staffing was different than other lines we'd sailed as in one port our cabin steward was replaced and then in another few ports a good number of the dining room staff turned over. This led to some understandable miscues and confusions but they always did their best to remedy.

NOVEMBER

We loved this ship and would go on it again if the opportunity arose. We like the size (930 passengers), but there were only 650 on this trip. We feel that Viking is a wonderful cruise line which gives good value. They offer an included excursion in every port as well as optional ones which you pay for. Wine and beer are included with both lunch and dinner. The staff was friendly and very eager to help. They called us by name after only a couple of days. The entertainment was very good, although there were no big production shows. The lecturers were excellent- at least 5 different ones- all of whom spoke multiple times. There were 5 sea days and there were plenty of activities provided, including duplicate bridge, which we enjoy. All in all, Viking continues to delight us.

OCTOBER

I recommend the Viking Line for any of the offered cruises. Viking is for the adult traveler.

JULY

The staff was excellent! Sometimes they knew our needs before we did. We were always greeted with friendly and helpful crew members. They went above and beyond to make our cruise enjoyable. The ship is beautiful, and we knew our way around as soon as we boarded. Each port had something to offer, the guides were local. Everything was extremely organized. I personally, would have liked some "official" information on the COVID-19 status. Passengers were being isolated in the cabins on deck 3, but the only way to hear news, was from another passenger. The Viking Daily (schedule) would recommend masks for passengers and require masks for crew. Passengers might be more careful if they knew there was a bigger issue with COVID-19.