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Last year, the line began cruising to Antarctica with its first expedition ship — a type of vessel built specifically for travel to remote, hard-to-reach places. None of its main competitors among river lines catering to North Americans, which include Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways, have anywhere near that number of vessels. Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note, from the Douro in Portugal to (until recently) the Volga in Russia. You also can be fortunate enough to spot the lights while on the ship, and we had a great show during our third night of sailing, from Narvik on our way to Alta. Passengers scrambled to the top decks with cameras and cell phones ready.
Night British Isles ExplorerDetails
Northern Lights cruise: An ultimate guide for 2023 - Good Housekeeping uk
Northern Lights cruise: An ultimate guide for 2023.
Posted: Wed, 25 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Through it all, Viking crew provided narration when necessary and prompted passengers where to go to see the best vistas. Dubbed Viking Octantis, the first of these vessels began sailings to Antarctica in February 2022. The second ship in the series, Viking Polaris, has just joined its sister in Antarctica this year. Together, the two ships are already making waves in the market for Antarctica cruises, in part because they have several new and unusual features.
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Typical of the latter is the line's 14-night "Mediterranean Antiquities" routing, a one-way trip between Athens and Barcelona that stops in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Monaco, France and Spain. Viking's Scandinavia and Northern Europe trips range widely in length from just seven nights to a whopping 28 nights. Note that, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Viking has pulled the St. Petersburg stop, as well as stops in Finland and Estonia from the Viking Homelands itinerary; the trips instead feature extra stops in Norway and Denmark. It's unlikely St. Petersburg will return to the itinerary until the war in Ukraine is resolved. As Hagen once told me, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea are what the company considers "Viking country" — a region where it wants to dominate. The company also operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and it just began river trips on the Mississippi River.
Pre: Bergen
Some of Viking's most interesting itineraries are around Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, with many beginning or ending in Norway — the homeland of the company's founder and chairman, Torstein Hagen. This was why most of us had taken this voyage, and special moments like this made it worthwhile to cruise in Norway in the dead of winter. In Alta, we enjoyed a sunset session of cross-country skiing in the wilderness. The temps were chilly, but we quickly heated up in our warm gear provided by the excursion company Paekastun as we skied a well-groomed track in a forest. We had a great time learning the proper techniques to get up and down the gentle hills. Well, Viking Ocean Cruises offers a new kind of adventure that really appeals to those of us seeking to go to new places and check a few items off our lifetime wish list.
Everyone we spoke with was happy with their excursions, whether they booked premium selections or opted for the included panoramic city tours. Air fare offer applies to select gateways; air fare offer may vary across gateways and itineraries; call for details. Stroll Europe’s northernmost capital, admire views from “The Pearl” or visit the Blue Lagoon.
Night In Search Of The Northern LightsDetails
The voyages have been suspended since Russia invaded the country in early 2022. Viking offers several Northern Lights hunting excursions that take passengers out in coaches with specially trained guides to head off to spots where the skies are clear and offer the best chance to get great sightings and photo opportunities. Upon passing in the Arctic Circle, Viking holds a fun “Order of the Blue Nose” ceremony to welcome passengers into the rugged region. In fact, Tromso boasts that it is the world’s northernmost city, some 250 miles above the Arctic Circle.
Many, notably, use the relatively small but famously scenic Norwegian city of Bergen (population 286,000) as a gateway, something no other line is doing. That allows for unusual variations on the typical Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise. Cruisers on Viking’s “In Search of the Northern Lights” itineraries are treated to breathtaking views all along the way. During times of sailing and on sea days, you can see snow capped cliffs and mountains from the comfort of the ship’s Explorers’ Lounge at the top bow area. (Sadly, our scheduled stop at Bodo was canceled because of high winds, so we got a bonus day at sea.) We overnighted in Bergen, Alta and Tromso, which gave us the chance to explore these cities on our own in addition to booking multiple excursions.
Sailing far north during Norway’s winter, witness snow-covered landscapes dotted with rugged mountains and steep fjords, and seek out the brilliant aurora borealis dancing in the night sky. Delve into Sami legends and World War II history, and pilot a dog sled or snowmobile to further immerse yourself in the Norwegian Arctic as you join us on this illuminating voyage. Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to two of each ship's exploratory vessels while still in the protected interior of the ship. A first for an expedition ship, it's something that is significantly improving the experience for passengers heading out on Antarctica exploration.
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Though part of the United Kingdom, these archipelagos have ties to Norwegian and Viking history. While the northern lights were the main draw onboard, the Norwegian scenery was equally incredible. Sailing through the fjords is a jaw-dropping experience, featuring snow-capped mountains, tight squeezes between cliffs and lighthouses galore.
Fast-growing Viking has one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries of any cruise line. We also toured an ice hotel in Alta and had an amazing time dog sledding with a team of huskies in Tromso, where we also went cod fishing during a fjord cruise. During our visit with the Sami family in Narvik, we learned about the tradition of working with reindeer (husbandry) and how they raise the animals and utilize them for food, clothing, crafts and transportation. We bundled up and enjoyed the true sense of a Norwegian winter and what the residents in these frosty parts like to do for a bit of fun. Admire the scenery and sail along the network of Holland’s waterways.
It made packing easier, knowing that washing your clothes was an option. Most public spaces on the ship offer plenty of throw blankets, great for bundling up after a cold day in port. And we've never been so thankful for the cabin bathrooms, which feature heated floors. While Viking clearly put a lot of thought into making sure all the big things -- from itineraries to activities -- were perfectly scheduled, it was those little things that really made our cruise.
Temps throughout our cruise typically ranged from 10 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. It was unseasonably sunny and warm by the time we got back down south into Stavanger. Itinerary and shore excursions are subject to change and may vary by departure. To learn more about each port of call and our included as well as optional excursions, click on the individual days below. Viking Osiris is the first of four sister ships that Viking plans to launch on the Nile by 2025 as it doubles its footprint in Egypt. The vessels offer a clean-lined, Scandinavian-influenced design that mimics the look of Viking's Europe-based vessels.
Travelers from these countries notoriously love to escape to warmer climates for their holidays, but the chance to see the Northern Lights on a cruise proved enticing, many of them said. Viking also offers complimentary self-service launderettes on each cabin deck. These became a necessity for most passengers, who wore multiple layers every day, often seeing them soaked through or dirty from interaction with wildlife, like reindeer.
The weather during our cruise ran from well-below to just above freezing, so the ship's main pool was covered by the retractable roof the whole time, which made it a comfortable, usable space. Viking Sky's gorgeous infinity pool at the back of the ship is uncovered, as is the adjoining hot tub. Those who dared brave the cold to soak in the views were rewarded with a glass of sparkling wine upon entering the hot tub and hot towels when they finally emerged back out into the frigid temperatures. Maritime traditions are part of virtually every big sailing, and ours, which took us into the Arctic Circle, was no exception. To celebrate Viking Sky's crossing, the staff put on an Order of the Blue Nose Crossing Ceremony the day we made it into the region.
Each suite also has an outdoor balcony with seating for two — something you don't always see on Nile ships. The trips include voyages focused specifically on the Western Mediterranean or Eastern Mediterranean and some that include stops across both areas. In Northern Europe, Viking ships mostly sail out of Bergen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen and London as well as Reykjavik.
Viking offers some of the most intimate and elegant cruises on the Nile, with three ships including the recently unveiled, 82-passenger Viking Osiris — one of our favorite vessels on the river. Among 10 different itineraries on the Rhine River alone, offerings range from a seven-night "Rhine Getaway" from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, to a 22-night "European Sojourn" from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. The latter adds travel on the Main and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine. During summers, in particular, Viking devotes an unusually large number of its ships to itineraries around Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and other Northern Europe destinations such as Iceland.
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