Cruising the Caribbean With Viking: Our “Viking Sea” Review
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Are you planning a Caribbean cruise on the Viking Sea? Lucky you!
We’ve enjoyed three cruises with Viking Ocean Cruises now. (See our review of the cruise line).
They offer an adults-only, affordable-luxury experience on stylish mid-size ships – complete with perks like complimentary shore excursions, WiFi, wine and beer, specialty dining and access to the ship’s Nordic spa included in their rates.
Here’s our review of the Viking Sea ship, based on our 11-day cruise in the Caribbean.
We’re going to start in the middle – with our shore excursion in St. Thomas, as it will give you an idea of what it’s like to cruise the Caribbean, Viking-style.
Contents: Viking Sea review
St. Thomas shore excursion
Our jaunty open-sided minibus grinds its way up a twisty road on our Viking Sea Caribbean cruise excursion. The free shore excursion is a scenic tour of St. Thomas.
A sudden downpour blankets what should be panoramic views at the mountain top 2,100 feet above sea level.
“Well, there goes that idea,” moans one of our fellow guests, dressed for sunny safari weather, camera at the ready.
The sun takes pity on us, however, at the Magens Bay viewpoint on the way down.
Peeking out, it reveals the come-hither curve of white sand below that’s consistently voted one of the world’s 10 most beautiful beaches.
And what’s this? Waiters from our cruise ship circulate rum punches from a pop-up stand set up by a roadside stop.
How to cheer us up this grey day on what should be a sunny Caribbean cruise!
About the Viking Sea
The Viking Sea is the second ship in Viking Ocean Cruises’ fleet of 10 almost identical 930-passenger vessels. (Two more 998-passenger cruise ships are coming out in December, 2024, and July, 2025.)
The company, Viking Cruises, started out with river cruising. Ever since branching out into ocean cruising in 2015, it’s also made a name for itself with its ocean-going cruises.
Viking simply has some of the best new cruise ships out there! And they go the extra mile to offer a great value cruise experience.
Viking Caribbean cruise itineraries
The Viking Sea is the only ship in Viking’s fleet to sail the Caribbean, offering two signature itineraries.
West Indies Explorer
These 11-day cruises begin and end in San Juan, Puerto Rico, calling in at the following islands:
- Tortola, BVI
- St. Kitts (Basseterre)
- Castries, St. Lucia
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Roseau, Dominica
- St. John’s, Antigua
- Philipsburg, St. Martin/St. Maarten
- St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Amazon and Caribbean Adventure
Craving a little more zest? How about a 13-day adventure from San Juan to Manaus, Brazil (or the reverse)? Add piranha fishing, rainforest hikes and bird watching in the Amazon to your Caribbean escape with these ports-of-call:
- St. John’s, Antigua
- Castries, St. Lucia
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Iles du Salat, French Guiana
- Sailing the Amazon River
- Santarem, Brazil
- Parintins, Brazil
Our itinerary
We sail from New York to Puerto Rico on a 10-night cruise, with stops at the following:
- Hamilton, Bermuda
- St. John’s, Antigua
- Roseau, Dominica
- St. Kitts (Basseterre)
- Philipsburg, St. Martin/St. Maarten
- Tortola, BVI
- St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Caribbean shore excursions
Part of the appeal to Viking’s ocean-going cruises is that one free shore excursion is offered in every port (like our St. Thomas tour).
Included shore excursions are rare on ocean cruises, unless they’re expedition-oriented.
On our Caribbean cruise, we also enjoy included tours like bus and ferry tickets to explore Bermuda on our own; a visit to a centuries-old plantation manor in St. Kitts; and a guided walking tour of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico.
(Additional optional tours are also offered on each cruise.)
We’re given complimentary bottles of water when leaving the ship and iced facecloths when we return.
Some 50 crew members even line up on the dock as we reboard one drizzly afternoon – to shield us from the rain with red Viking umbrellas. And they hand us glasses of bubbly too!
Viking Sea cabins
Staterooms on the Viking Sea – standard size 270 square feet – are particularly well thought out (as they are on all of Viking’s ocean ships).
Fancy gazing at a kaleidoscope of colorful island scenes from your balcony, cold gin-and-tonic in hand, as you sail away each afternoon? (Your mini-fridge is stocked daily with complimentary soft drinks; higher category stateroom mini-bars even include free liquor.) Well, all Viking Sea staterooms have balconies with rattan chairs and glass railings for unobstructed views.
Beds are king-size too, dressed with soft white duvets.
We also have a Nespresso-style coffee maker in our Deluxe Veranda stateroom.
And a swack of convenient USB bedside and other plugs means we can recharge our phones, iPad, laptop and cameras all at the same time, without the nuisance of charging first one, then the other.
Oh, and wait till you see the bathrooms. They come with heated floors!
While great for warming tootsies if you’re cruising Northern Europe, we’d rather keep everything cool in our stateroom on this tropical Caribbean cruise, so we ask our steward to turn off the heat.
We also love the spacious glass walk-in shower. There’s plenty of room to lather up without awkwardly bumping into the sides.
Explorers’ Lounge
Early in our cruise just after departing New York, we spend time in the two-story Explorers’ Lounge at the bow with its floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sinking into buttery leather sofas draped with reindeer pelts, we thumb through books about Roald Amundsen (the first person to reach the South Pole), Cook and other explorers, then check out the telescopes.
George (ever the bookworm) also happily browses scads of other intriguing reads, shelved in various bookshelves all over the ship.
Viking’s Norwegian founder, Torstein Hagen, captures the vibe best with his memorable line: “We offer our guests the thinking man’s cruise, not the drinking man’s cruise.”
The pools
When the weather heats up a few days later, we gravitate to the decks outside.
Some guests laze by the central main pool, which has a glass retractable roof. Cushioned loungers and plush seating areas, with overhead shade, invite dozing and reading.
We prefer hanging out by the striking glass infinity pool at the stern though.
Looking out from the pool’s warm water, we almost feel as if we’re swimming in the sea. We question whether we should even get off the ship!
Afternoon tea
Indeed, although there’s lots we could do in St. Maarten, the sight of a behemoth ship docked nearby promises crowds ashore. We decide to stick close to “home,” soaking up the tranquility – and ensuring we don’t miss the delightfully indulgent afternoon tea.
And so at 4:00 pm, we find ourselves in the serene Wintergarden solarium, perusing a menu of 25 loose-leaf teas before settling on our favorite Earl Grey.
It arrives a white teapot, perfectly steeped.
A waiter presents a three-tiered tower of treats – almond tarts, crustless cucumber sandwiches and plates of to-die-for warm scones, clotted cream and jam.
All the while, a trio of musicians softly plays classical melodies in the background.
Admittedly, it’s not as if we need tea, what with dinner still ahead. But it’s such a lovely way to round out the afternoon onboard, we can’t resist.
Viking Sea dining options
Along with the main dining room (called simply “The Restaurant”), two specialty restaurants vie for our tastebuds.
Manfredi’s Italian restaurant
Our favorite, Manfredi’s, is one of the best Italian restaurants at sea.
Black-and-white marble floors and vintage photos of Italian actors on the walls lend it an authentic Italian feel, and it has a lively buzz.
Must try: The Bistecca Fiorentina rib eye steak – rubbed with chili, brown sugar and mushroom powder – perfectly broiled to your liking.
The hand-rolled gnocchi in black truffle cream is a worthy appetizer.
The Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table, on the other hand, pushes the culinary boundaries.
Set five-course menus rotate every three days.
The amusing “Sweet and Salty” pairings are especially fun.
Passion fruit with grilled scallops and beets? Grand Marnier Bavarian cream and strawberry sauce with basil jelly and black Hawaiian lava salt? It works.
Complimentary wine and beer
And what’s a meal without wine? Pretty dull, in our view. Another one of the perks on Viking Ocean Cruises is that house wine (and beer) is complimentary at lunch and dinner.
Want to up your game? You can upgrade to premium wines by the glass (for purchase) or buy Viking’s Silver Spirits package, an all-inclusive drinks deal.
(We’ve written a whole guide to Viking’s drinks menus and Silver Spirits package, in case you want to know whether it’s worth paying extra for the package.)
Dress code
Don’t worry about lugging along a tux or evening gown either. There are no formal nights.
The dress code is much more relaxed on the Viking Sea (and other Viking ships) – think “elegant casual” in the evening.
Entertainment on the Viking Sea
After dinner, we usually check out the entertainment.
More classy than glitzy, it caters to the mature tastes of the well-traveled passengers from North America, Australia and Britain who make up the audience.
We enjoy performances by a talented ventriloquist one evening, a classical crossover pianist the next.
Guest lecturers include a ship historian, BBC producer and marine biologist – and their lectures are pretty enriching too.
Puerto Rico
In Old San Juan (our last port-of-call), we’re enchanted by the colonial buildings, shops and outdoor cafés.
Wandering the cobblestone streets, we can’t help but linger – anything to help delay packing for our journey home.
Pink and lemon parasols strung high above Fortaleza Street – a new art installation – catch our eye. They make us smile as we walk back to the ship.
Last words on our review of the Viking Sea!
We’re not the only fans of Viking Sea.
Viking Ocean Cruises has garnered a slew of awards over the years, including for its Caribbean cruises on the Viking Sea.
AFAR magazine crowned it the “Best Caribbean Cruise Line” and USA Today has dubbed Viking Sea the “Best Small Ship.”
Cruise Critic has chimed in too, praising it as “a stunning vessel that seamlessly integrates comfort and modern, Scandinavian style. The ship’s small size means it rarely feels busy and is able to get into ports bigger ships can’t reach.”
We especially appreciate that it’s an adults-only ship, making our Caribbean cruise feel more peaceful than some of the more lively family-friendly cruises we’ve enjoyed with our son in the past.
Next time, we’re eyeing a combined Amazon and Caribbean adventure on the Viking Sea!
More information and to book
See Viking Cruises’ website. You can also find some great Viking cruise deals on Expedia.
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More cruising inspiration!
Seabourn: What’s luxury like on Seabourn Cruises? See our Seabourn review.
Ponant Cruises: Ooh la la! We’re going French on Ponant Cruises!
Scenic: Discover the riches of Normandy on a deluxe Seine River cruise with Scenic. See our Scenic Cruises review.
Our top travel tips and resources
General trip planning: TripAdvisor is a helpful starting point, offering loads of user reviews on hotels, restaurants and things to do.
Hotels: Booking.com is our go-to for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – often at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy! (You may prefer Expedia for booking hotels in the U.S. or Mexico.)
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: For the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets are often non-refundable. If you want more flexibility, it’s usually worth booking directly with the airline, even if it costs a bit more.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often a great way to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the lowest rates.
eSIMS: Stay connected affordably with Airalo eSIMS covering 200+ countries and trusted by 10 million+ users, including us! (No more huge roaming bills!)
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
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Photo credits: 1 to 4, 6 to 10, 12, 13, 15 to 18, 20, 21 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | 11, 14, 19 Viking Ocean Cruises
We sailed as media guests on the Viking Sea. But as always, all opinions are our own.
About the authors
