Onboard Viking’s first-ever ocean cruiser
Niall McIlroy takes a look at Viking’s first ocean cruiser.
Viking may have Europe’s biggest river cruising fleet, but it will make waves on the high seas with the christening of its first-ever ocean-going ship, the 930-passenger Viking Star on Sunday in Bergen.
The ship, built by Fincantieri, near Venice, is small by modern standards, allowing it to enter ports and areas — notably the Norwegian fjords — that are off limits to larger vessels. But with luxury at every turn, it certainly punches well above its weight.
Every cabin across five classes is a room with a view — this is an all-veranda ship. And there’s plenty of room to move. Entry-level Veranda cabins are 25sqm while the Explorer Suite is 70sqm. All have king-size beds and complimentary room service and wi-fi. Passengers in all cabins receive one free tour in each port.
A room on board Viking Star. Picture: Niall McIlroy
Public rooms are first class in quality and choice.
Viking has used the same team that designs its long-ship interiors and that clean, spare and elegant Scandinavian aesthetic flows through Viking Star.
Colours are neutral beige and light blue, and fabrics are classy with blonde wood trimming and leather handrails and panels. A grand staircase through the three-deck atrium evokes the entry statements on each of the river ships — echoes of these longboats permeate the deck seven public rooms, where the extensive use of glass produces the same warm, sun-drenched feel.
There are great views in the Explorer Lounge, with its panoramic floor-to-wall windows, and on the wrap-around Promenade Deck that encircles the ship.
Entertainment on board Viking Star. Picture: Niall McIlroy
The destination is very much the focus, with the outside invited in. The Viking Living Room has a lichen-covered geometric garden while the Wintergarden ceiling is laced with a blonde wood canopy.
Such a tasty smorgasbord of restaurants is unheard of for a ship of this size. There’s the choice of The Restaurant for formal dining, Chef’s Table (a speciality venue where the cuisine constantly changes), Manfredi’s Italian Grill, international flavours at World Cafe, the Pool Grill, cooking lessons at The Kitchen Table and, in a lovely personal touch, Mamsen, which has a menu dotted with family photos and Norwegian favourites such as soups, cold meats and rye breads inspired by the mother of Viking chairman Torstein Hagen. Again, there are good looks inside and out, with a number of alfresco choices.
Speaking of which, I feel that I may literally go off the deep end when I set eyes on the first-ever infinity pool at sea, which appears to pour from Star’s aft. On closer inspection, I see it has a glass back and is no doubt a sight for sore eyes on a sunny day.
And if you do cruise during a hot Mediterranean summer but still wish to see snow, Viking Star again comes up trumps. In the grotto next to the spa on deck one, real snow falls every night … surely the icing on the cake.
FACT FILE
Two more ocean-going ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, are under construction and will join the first new ocean cruising fleet to have launched for a decade in 2016. vikingcruises.com.
Niall McIlroy is onboard Viking Star for a cruise from Greenwich to its home port, Bergen. See the full story in our Cruising Guide in Saturday Travel on May 23. And follow Travel on Twitter @thewesttravel for live updates and pictures.
