One of the great joys of cruising? The never-ending array of mouthwatering meals – without having to lift a finger in the kitchen!
And after sailing on three Viking Ocean ships, we can confidently say that dining with Viking is an elevated experience and a highlight.
From afternoon teas to multi-course dinners, the food on Viking Ocean Cruises impressed us time and time again. We ate very well!
In this post, we spill the beans on our favorite onboard restaurants and dishes (sharing a few minor critiques too). And we share insider tips for upping your dining game – like how to easily score those coveted Manfredi’s specialty restaurant reservations!
Ready to drool?
Contents: Eating well on Viking Ocean Cruises
What to expect when dining on Viking Ocean Cruises
Dining on Viking Ocean Cruises: What to expect
All Viking Ocean ships are virtually identical in size and layout, so you’ll find the same dining options across the fleet.
Each ship features several venues, including a main dining room and two specialty restaurants. For dinner, they’re typically open between 6:00 and 9:00 pm, and the dress code is elegant casual at night (no formal nights).
There’s no extra charge for specialty dining.
Unlike mainstream (and less expensive) lines such as Holland America – where specialty restaurants can set you back up to $55 USD p.p. – Viking keeps things simple. They include dining at their two specialty restaurants, Manfredi’s and the Chef’s Table, in their cruise fares.
Complimentary house wine and beer is also an included perk.
Waitstaff happily serve generous pours of wine at lunch and dinner. The wines rotate each day, and include Chilean reds and whites, French rosé, Italian Pinot Grigio and the like. (For details, see our guide on Viking’s wines, bar prices and inclusive drinks package.)
Viking Ocean Cruise restaurants
The Restaurant
The main dining venue is called simply “The Restaurant.”
Wrapping around the stern of each ship, it’s open for breakfast and dinner. There’s no assigned seating or fixed dining times, so you’re free to choose where and when you sit. There’s no need to book ahead or reserve a table.
We never had to wait for a spot, even during the busy 7:00 pm window. If no immediate table for two was free, we were offered the choice of joining others. (Or we could wait a bit if we wanted to be by ourselves.)
Along with ever-changing daily items, the dinner menu in The Restaurant features a three-course “Destination Menu” nightly. It highlights regional cuisine specialties using locally sourced ingredients.
For something more familiar, staple dishes like Caesar salad and Viking’s signature steak-and-fries are always available.
On our latest Viking Saturn cruise from Rome to Barcelona, we particularly savored the curried lamb Roghan Josh (delicately spiced) and the veal schnitzel (crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and piping hot). We also loved the nightly bread basket, especially the deliciously doughy corn muffins.
Not everything hits the mark though. The French Onion soup, missing its signature cheesy bread topping, was a bit lackluster one night on Viking Saturn.
Pro tip
Dining as a duo ensures quicker service. When we joined other couples at a table of four or six, our dinners took longer. So if you have an early shore excursion the next day, you might want to stick to dining just as a couple, or eat earlier (say, at 6:00 pm).
World Café
For breakfast and lunch on all our cruises, we’d usually pick and choose what we wanted from the casual World Café buffet restaurant.
Local dishes are often featured.
For example, one day on our first Viking Star Baltic cruise, there was a memorable Scandinavian seafood lunch, followed by made-to-order waffles, berries and cream for dessert.
Aquavit Terrace
The World Café opens up onto the Aquavit Terrace at the stern of the ship, where you can sit and eat outside on the open deck.
At night, if the weather permits, the terrace is turned into an attractive alfresco dining space (it remains buffet-style).
During our Viking Sea cruise in the Caribbean, we enjoyed a couple of casual dinners here – dining under a canopy of twinkling stars while feeling the warm balmy breeze on our skin.
Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant
On all three cruises, we could never get enough of Manfredi’s, one of two specialty dinner restaurants onboard every ship. With its black-and-white tile floors and vintage photos on the walls, it oozes sophisticated Italian charm.
We’d embrace the Italian way and order three courses before dessert – an appetizer, a small first plate of pasta and a main.
On Viking Saturn, the lightly crisped calamari and shrimp with garlic aioli became a must-order appetizer on both nights we dined here – it was just that scrumptious!
And the pasta was always fabulous on all our Viking cruises (try the spaghetti Carbonara). We learned the kitchen makes its pasta noodles fresh each day.
That said, on Viking Saturn, one of us (yes, Janice, the fussy one) found her pepper-dusted ribeye steak lukewarm, while George happily polished off his sea bream.
Reservations are essential here, and you should book early, as this restaurant is very popular.
Chef’s Table
The second specialty restaurant, the Chef’s Table, offers a unique dining experience, with a five-course set menu that changes every few nights.
It might not appeal to everyone.
But we enjoyed being introduced to new tastes and flavors. For example, on the Viking Star, we sampled a Scandinavian-themed menu of reindeer consommé, lingonberry-infused salmon tartare and a delicious lamb-and-cabbage casserole.
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On the Viking Saturn, the options were Asian, Indian and Chinese – the carrot and cardamom cream amuse bouche was a delicious way to kick off the Indian-inspired menu. See the “Asian Panorama” and “La Route des Indes” menus on this cruise.
The Chef’s Table isn’t nearly as popular as Manfredis.
Perhaps it’s the less cozy ambience? With fewer guests choosing it, the space sometimes felt a little quiet and empty on the nights we had dinner here.
Mamsen’s
Tucked inside the Explorers’ Lounge is Mamsen’s, a cozy nod to Viking’s heritage.
Named for the mother of the cruise line’s Norwegian founder, Torstein Hagen, this traditional Norwegian café showcases some of her recipes. Here, you can try delicacies like gravlax on toast, steak tartare and a fan favorite – warm made-to-order waffles topped with sour cream and berries.
Perfect for a light bite – or a late morning snack if you’ve missed breakfast – Mamsen’s isn’t the place for a full meal. But it’s a great option when hunger strikes.
Wintergarden
In the mood for afternoon tea? Make your way to the Wintergarden.
This serene light-filled solarium, found next to the main pool on Deck 7, is a lovely setting for indulging in the time-honored tradition of a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
The spread features dainty finger sandwiches, petite pastries and warm scones with jam and cream – all served on a three-tiered stand. To go with that, choose your beverage from an extensive selection of international loose-leaf teas.
Relaxing classical music, courtesy of the ship’s talented musicians, completes the experience.
On the Viking Sea, we skipped going ashore at one bustling Caribbean port – too crowded for our liking – and stayed onboard instead. With most passengers exploring on land, the ship felt wonderfully quiet, almost like our own private retreat. It was the perfect opportunity to indulge in the elegance of afternoon tea!
Room service on Viking Ocean Cruises
Last but not least, Viking Ocean Cruises offers complimentary 24-hour room service for all cabins.
If you want breakfast delivered at a particular time, you should pre-order it the night before, using the form your cabin steward leaves at turn-down.
You can also just wing it and call in the morning, like we did a couple of times on the Viking Saturn. Our breakfast came within 30 minutes.
The menu doesn’t change but covers the essentials – eggs any style, bacon and other standard sides, toast or pastries, fresh fruit plate and your choice of coffee, tea or juice.
Savoring breakfast on your cabin’s balcony, with a new port slowly coming into view as the sun dances on the water, is a delightful way to greet the day. We recommend treating yourself to this experience at least once – it’s worth it!
But with packed port days on our latest Viking Saturn cruise, we only booked room service for quick breakfasts before a morning shore excursion – so we could multi-task eating and getting dressed at the same time.
We never usually have high expectations of room service breakfasts (considering they have to journey through the ship), but we always found our food hot and fresh upon arrival on all our Viking cruises.
Beyond breakfast, the all-day room service menu includes classics like Caesar salad, burgers, New York strip steak and desserts like chocolate brownies.
Pro tip
During lunch and dinner hours, you can even request the ship’s complimentary wine through room service! (We did this on the Viking Star, after boarding, when we were too tired to freshen up for dinner in public.)
How to score reservations at Viking’s specialty restaurants
One small frustration we faced on our recent Viking Saturn cruise was booking the specialty restaurants.
Most guests reserve online before their cruise – we advise you to do so as soon as you can.
Higher category staterooms get first crack at their preferred dates and times. And they’re entitled to more priority resto reservations. (Penthouse Veranda guests, for instance, can reserve two spots at each specialty restaurant online, while Deluxe Veranda guests are limited to one. Veranda Stateroom guests have to wait until they’re onboard to book.)
By the time we logged into “My Viking Journey” (a few days after reservations opened up for our stateroom category), all the prime slots were gone. The only option left at Manfredi’s was an 8:30 pm table for six on the final night of the cruise – shared with strangers.
Hoping for better luck onboard, we encountered long lines at the restaurant reservation desk on the first day of our cruise. It seemed Manfredi’s wasn’t an option, so we booked the Chef’s Table twice instead.
But two days later, during lunch, we noticed the reservation desk was open, and we snagged a 6:30 pm table for two that evening at Manfredi’s.
Lesson learned… Don’t stress – just ask onboard if you can’t get reservations in advance. Your ship wants every guest to have the opportunity to dine at both specialty restaurants at least once on their cruise. Guests’ plans change and open dining spots pop up daily.
That said, organizing a table for four or six might be trickier if you’re traveling with a group.
Pro tip
As soon as online booking opens up, lock in your spot at Manfredi’s – but don’t stop there. Swing by in person to see if a table is free.
We gave this a shot on both Viking Star and Viking Sea, popping by around 8:00pm – and lucked out each time.
Despite being Deluxe Veranda guests (entitled to only one “official” reservation per cruise), we managed to enjoy dinner at Manfredi’s twice on each ship – and even three times on one!
Last words on the dining and food on Viking Ocean Cruises
In conclusion, dining on Viking’s ocean ships is a standout part of their voyages.
With a variety of venues (including specialty dining at no extra cost), memorable dishes and complimentary wine, there’s plenty to enjoy. From alfresco meals under the stars to indulgent waffles at Mamsen’s, Viking serves up culinary delights with only a few minor missteps.
Bon appétit!
See our other Viking Ocean Cruises articles
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Photo credits: 1, 6, 7, 9, 11 to 17 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining images courtesy Viking Ocean Cruises
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
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