We were able to upgrade to a Penthouse Junior Suite on deck seven. WOW! Very impressive cabin for the two of us. Never got in each others way because of the openness of the floor plan. The large bathroom and spacious shower were amazing. At my bedtime, my wife pulled the curtain and watched tv and chilled on the sofa (without disturbing me) until she got sleepy. The BEST PART of having the junior suite was the large balcony. EVERY MORNING, we started the day by having breakfast delivered to our balcony and set up on the table. This really was a luxury cruise. Book it at least once in your cruise life. Add on: The laundry service was something we had never experienced before. We loved it. The first time we saw a fanciful box on our bed, we thought Viking was giving us a present. Much to our surprise, my wife’s freshly cleaned delicates were inside; our hanging clothes had been put away in our closet. Luxury service!!
@@lisakrc-langhamer9253 My TA received a phone call from Viking asked us if we wanted to upgrade to the junior penthouse suite. We jumped on it. Viking initiated the communication. We were scheduled for the highest non-suite cabin. I just assumed Viking was offering the class below junior penthouse suite first chance. Gave us a 50% allowance between the difference in cost between the two cabins. Loved staying on deck seven. Have fun!
Viking does not completely book up their specialty restaurants in advance so getting in to them is not that difficult but you might have to take a different time than you wanted.
Loved the video. I have cruised on Viking and Silversea. I think Viking has Silversea beat with one exception, the closet space. They have a walk-in closet, helps a bunch with space.
I only chose staterooms which have some sort of dining table. The table doesn’t have to be big but a proper table nonetheless. (I often eat dinner in my room and eating hunched over a coffee table just isn’t pleasant.) On Viking, these larger staterooms often book swiftly. I have to default to Regent for a cruise as Viking will have nothing available in a layout I want. This video was excellent for someone thinking about a Viking cruise and doesn’t have access to a competent travel agent. Keep up the good work! 👍
Great information! I use a CPAP machine and it requires distilled water. Would you know if I would be able to get distilled water? Again, great information, we plan on cruising the Panama Canal in 2025.
I liked your comprehensive comparison regarding the cabins available on Viking cruises and I have booked an ocean cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver in May 2025 but unfortunately I just can't justify spending an extra $17,000 AUD to upgrade from a Deluxe Veranda (DV2) to just a Penthouse Veranda (PV3). Obviously the price difference varies on the duration and itinerary but for some reason the difference on this particular cruise is crazy!
Wow, that’s crazy. I agree. I’d rather put that $17k towards another cruise. You’ll spend most of your time in the explorer’s lounge or wintergarden anyway. We loved those areas. -K
And that's on the AUS website for the 23 day cruise but we are definitely looking forward to it. Not sure what the difference comes out at on the US site! @@ShaunaAndKevin
I felt the same for the Chilean Fjord itinerary. A difference of $2800 pp didn't seem justifiable when we don't spend a lot of time in our room. We are the sleep and shower room kind of people.
I bought the CHEAPEST Viking cabin. I had no trouble getting excursions, specialty dining. Would never pay so much extra for early boarding / excursions/ anything..
Very informative video. Clear and concise. I did take a couple screenshots! We also enjoy a larger cabin and we also like spending quiet and relaxing time in our room. The Penthouse JS looks amazing. Only hesitation could be the price
Good points. Funny you recommend the Penthouse Junior Suites as the best choice. I came to the same conclusion, before watching this, and I have a SUite on deck 7 reserved for a 14-day British Isles cruise in 2025. Looking forward to it.
@@ShaunaAndKevin BTW, I picked deck 7 for mine so I'll see what I get but what would you consider the "best" deck level for the Penthouse Junior Suite in terms of ease of access to the amenities, quietness, comfort etc... Thanks
@@timlewis1956 Hi there. Good to hear. Say, how long and walk-intensive are the standard day excursions on this cruise? My wife has some mobility issues so I'd like to be aware of what's coming. Any real good ones you'd recommend? Thannks
@@danielgrenier2417 Daniel, most of the free excursions involve an easy walk around town or a "panoramic tour" which is basically a bus tour showing the various interesting sites. The only caveat for those is that some places have cobblestone streets and/or walkways and can be a bit much for a person with mobility issues. You'll need to find out prior to going on those. We went on some very interesting excursions including the Loch Ness Outlander Experience in Invergordon (you see a cool castle, take a boat ride on Loch Ness, and go to see the battlefield at Culloden), plus the Braveheart excursion in Edinburgh, where you see Stirling Castle and the Bannockburn battlefield. The Standing Stones in Orkney were very cool. We also saw the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland (they have shuttles so very little walking if you so choose) and visited the Guinness storehouse in Dublin (worth doing). In London, the Thames River night cruise was really cool. Overall, just an excellent trip!
With the addition of the Viking Vela and next year's Viking Vesta, the rooms on every ship are no longer identical. Penthouse Veranda for instance is up to 360 SF, rather than the traditional 338.
We loved the Penthouse Junior Suite for all the reasons you listed. I highly recommend staying on the 7th deck because it is so convenient to many areas and there are only a few rooms on that deck. You feel like you have the whole ship to yourself.
Thinking about going on our first Viking cruise in October 2025 to the Caribbean for 11 days. Also was thinking the junior Penthouse suite as well. The only thing is there is NO sea days very port intensive. We usually sail Celebrity on 11 day cruises and we usually have a couple sea days on the front end and 1 or two at the end. We are definitely considering Viking. We're you the youngest couple on board? If we go we would be 58 yrs old. Thank you for the comprehensive information on viking staterooms.
Yes, we were the youngest on the ship lol. It was actually a great feeling - not sure that’s ever happened before. Frankly, no sea days is perfect. The ship is much smaller than Celebrity with far less onboard entertainment. You will have plenty of time to do everything on the ship multiple times over within 11 days, even with having a port each day.
I've gone back and forth in both the DV and PV rooms. It all depends on the price. If the PV is more than $2K pp than the DV, I'm not sure if it's worth and extra money for 60sf more space and alcohol in the room. As for access to shore excursions and restaurant reservations, I found the concierge to be very helpful and accommodating and we were able to get everything we wanted once we got on board.
It’s definitely not worth the alcohol in the room. We never drank any of the alcohol in the room bc you could just walk to the bar and get top shelf. We loved having the sitting area in the room. However, we do like to relax in our room on cruises.
How do the Viking ships handle rough seas. We are planning on sailing across Bass Strait, the Tasman sea and Cook Straight on the Venus and the seas can be very rough.
Sorry, we didn't encounter rough seas so I can't speak to this personally. I know the larger ships are better equipped for rough seas but that's as far as my knowledge goes.
The Deluxe Veranda's mini-fridge is restocked once daily, verses the Veranda's which is not. I haven't seen it published anywhere how often the Veranda's mini-fridge is restocked. Does anyone who has stayed in a Veranda know?
We actually were on deck 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent a lot of time in the back of the ship on deck 7. I like walking through the atrium to get to the front/back of the ship rather than walking through a hallway of staterooms. Deck 3 has the atrium to walk through but decks 4 and above, you walk through hallways. Deck 3 is also close to the living room which we thoroughly enjoyed for happy hour or early morning coffee.
On our third Viking cruise in Spring 2023 from Port Everglades, we were scheduled to board at 1 PM to our penthouse veranda cabin. We instead found near chaos and were boarded at 2:30. Then we were told our cabin had been changed due an "engineering issue" (leaking pipes). After a visit to guest services to inquire about our missing luggage, we had it delivered three hours later. Meanwhile, twice we had bags that weren't ours delivered.to our stateroom. Upon disembarking at the end for our two day stay in Barcelona, our bags didn't arrive although we had taken them to the bus from the ship ourselves. The Viking reps were of no help so I repeatedly asked the hotel staff to get involved. At 9 PM that night they arrived. It seems that the port handlers had returned them to the ship for no apparent reason. What a cluster f..k! Yeah, Viking gave us a small credit for use on a future cruise but I think we'll pass.
Ugh, that sounds like a nightmare. After that experience, they should have given you much more than a small discount on future travel. Hopefully you were still able to create some good memories. -K
Hubby and I love Viking. We took an expedition ship to Antarctica several years ago and everything about it was perfect. We are going on another Viking cruise to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania in February. While we don’t get the upgraded rooms as described by this man, we are happy with the standard size room. It gives us all we need. The whole Viking experience is perfect in every way.
Taking our first Viking cruise in April. This is a super-helpful. We were booked for last September but Viking was oversold and offered us a full refund on that cruise plus a free cruise with cabin upgrade and air fare We are in a Penthouse Junior Suite on deck 8 and just booked our shore excursions last week. Thanks for the helpful video and insights. Just subscribed.
We were able to upgrade to a Penthouse Junior Suite on deck seven. WOW! Very impressive cabin for the two of us. Never got in each others way because of the openness of the floor plan. The large bathroom and spacious shower were amazing. At my bedtime, my wife pulled the curtain and watched tv and chilled on the sofa (without disturbing me) until she got sleepy. The BEST PART of having the junior suite was the large balcony. EVERY MORNING, we started the day by having breakfast delivered to our balcony and set up on the table. This really was a luxury cruise. Book it at least once in your cruise life. Add on: The laundry service was something we had never experienced before. We loved it. The first time we saw a fanciful box on our bed, we thought Viking was giving us a present. Much to our surprise, my wife’s freshly cleaned delicates were inside; our hanging clothes had been put away in our closet. Luxury service!!
Couldn’t agree more! Great point on the blackout curtain to separate the seating area. That’s a great touch. Thanks for sharing. -K
The video was very well done. Complete yet easy to understand. I encourage you to continue making more
How were you able to upgrade? We leave in 3 weeks from Rome
@@lisakrc-langhamer9253 My TA received a phone call from Viking asked us if we wanted to upgrade to the junior penthouse suite. We jumped on it. Viking initiated the communication. We were scheduled for the highest non-suite cabin. I just assumed Viking was offering the class below junior penthouse suite first chance. Gave us a 50% allowance between the difference in cost between the two cabins. Loved staying on deck seven. Have fun!
Viking does not completely book up their specialty restaurants in advance so getting in to them is not that difficult but you might have to take a different time than you wanted.
Thanks!
This was not my experience. Manfredis was completely booked during our cruise
Loved the video. I have cruised on Viking and Silversea. I think Viking has Silversea beat with one exception, the closet space. They have a walk-in closet, helps a bunch with space.
That’s good to know. We thought that room on Viking had so many drawers that we were able to easily fully unpack. It’s very well designed.
I only chose staterooms which have some sort of dining table. The table doesn’t have to be big but a proper table nonetheless. (I often eat dinner in my room and eating hunched over a coffee table just isn’t pleasant.) On Viking, these larger staterooms often book swiftly. I have to default to Regent for a cruise as Viking will have nothing available in a layout I want. This video was excellent for someone thinking about a Viking cruise and doesn’t have access to a competent travel agent. Keep up the good work! 👍
Great information! I use a CPAP machine and it requires distilled water. Would you know if I would be able to get distilled water? Again, great information, we plan on cruising the Panama Canal in 2025.
One of the most useful cruise videos I have seen. Thanks!
Glad you found it helpful. -K
I liked your comprehensive comparison regarding the cabins available on Viking cruises and I have booked an ocean cruise from Tokyo to Vancouver in May 2025 but unfortunately I just can't justify spending an extra $17,000 AUD to upgrade from a Deluxe Veranda (DV2) to just a Penthouse Veranda (PV3). Obviously the price difference varies on the duration and itinerary but for some reason the difference on this particular cruise is crazy!
Wow, that’s crazy. I agree. I’d rather put that $17k towards another cruise. You’ll spend most of your time in the explorer’s lounge or wintergarden anyway. We loved those areas. -K
And that's on the AUS website for the 23 day cruise but we are definitely looking forward to it. Not sure what the difference comes out at on the US site! @@ShaunaAndKevin
I felt the same for the Chilean Fjord itinerary. A difference of $2800 pp didn't seem justifiable when we don't spend a lot of time in our room. We are the sleep and shower room kind of people.
I bought the CHEAPEST Viking cabin. I had no trouble getting excursions, specialty dining. Would never pay so much extra for early boarding / excursions/ anything..
Great feedback. Thanks
Very informative video. Clear and concise. I did take a couple screenshots!
We also enjoy a larger cabin and we also like spending quiet and relaxing time in our room.
The Penthouse JS looks amazing. Only hesitation could be the price
Glad you found it helpful. -K
Good points. Funny you recommend the Penthouse Junior Suites as the best choice. I came to the same conclusion, before watching this, and I have a SUite on deck 7 reserved for a 14-day British Isles cruise in 2025. Looking forward to it.
It’s the perfect blend of price + amenities! Thanks for watching.
@@ShaunaAndKevin BTW, I picked deck 7 for mine so I'll see what I get but what would you consider the "best" deck level for the Penthouse Junior Suite in terms of ease of access to the amenities, quietness, comfort etc... Thanks
We just did the British Isles cruise in April - you'll love it!
@@timlewis1956 Hi there. Good to hear. Say, how long and walk-intensive are the standard day excursions on this cruise? My wife has some mobility issues so I'd like to be aware of what's coming. Any real good ones you'd recommend? Thannks
@@danielgrenier2417 Daniel, most of the free excursions involve an easy walk around town or a "panoramic tour" which is basically a bus tour showing the various interesting sites. The only caveat for those is that some places have cobblestone streets and/or walkways and can be a bit much for a person with mobility issues. You'll need to find out prior to going on those. We went on some very interesting excursions including the Loch Ness Outlander Experience in Invergordon (you see a cool castle, take a boat ride on Loch Ness, and go to see the battlefield at Culloden), plus the Braveheart excursion in Edinburgh, where you see Stirling Castle and the Bannockburn battlefield. The Standing Stones in Orkney were very cool. We also saw the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland (they have shuttles so very little walking if you so choose) and visited the Guinness storehouse in Dublin (worth doing). In London, the Thames River night cruise was really cool. Overall, just an excellent trip!
Great info! Love the dog :)
With the addition of the Viking Vela and next year's Viking Vesta, the rooms on every ship are no longer identical. Penthouse Veranda for instance is up to 360 SF, rather than the traditional 338.
Thanks for the additional insight!
We loved the Penthouse Junior Suite for all the reasons you listed. I highly recommend staying on the 7th deck because it is so convenient to many areas and there are only a few rooms on that deck. You feel like you have the whole ship to yourself.
Deck 7 is the best spot on the ship!
Super informative and well presented. Thank you!!!!
Thanks!
Very nice. Brilliant breakdown/coverage.
Thanks
Thinking about going on our first Viking cruise in October 2025 to the Caribbean for 11 days.
Also was thinking the junior Penthouse suite as well.
The only thing is there is NO sea days very port intensive. We usually sail Celebrity on 11 day cruises and we usually have a couple sea days on the front end and 1 or two at the end.
We are definitely considering Viking.
We're you the youngest couple on board?
If we go we would be 58 yrs old.
Thank you for the comprehensive information on viking staterooms.
Yes, we were the youngest on the ship lol. It was actually a great feeling - not sure that’s ever happened before.
Frankly, no sea days is perfect. The ship is much smaller than Celebrity with far less onboard entertainment. You will have plenty of time to do everything on the ship multiple times over within 11 days, even with having a port each day.
I've gone back and forth in both the DV and PV rooms. It all depends on the price. If the PV is more than $2K pp than the DV, I'm not sure if it's worth and extra money for 60sf more space and alcohol in the room. As for access to shore excursions and restaurant reservations, I found the concierge to be very helpful and accommodating and we were able to get everything we wanted once we got on board.
It’s definitely not worth the alcohol in the room. We never drank any of the alcohol in the room bc you could just walk to the bar and get top shelf. We loved having the sitting area in the room. However, we do like to relax in our room on cruises.
How do the Viking ships handle rough seas. We are planning on sailing across Bass Strait, the Tasman sea and Cook Straight on the Venus and the seas can be very rough.
Sorry, we didn't encounter rough seas so I can't speak to this personally. I know the larger ships are better equipped for rough seas but that's as far as my knowledge goes.
The Deluxe Veranda's mini-fridge is restocked once daily, verses the Veranda's which is not. I haven't seen it published anywhere how often the Veranda's mini-fridge is restocked. Does anyone who has stayed in a Veranda know?
My guess would be once daily. The stews replenished ours with their first of two daily housekeepings. -K
Well done!
Looking at deluxe veranda, which deck would you recommend
We were on 6 and loved it (front of ship). Level 7 is where we spent the vast majority of our time when out of the room.
We actually were on deck 3 and thoroughly enjoyed it. We spent a lot of time in the back of the ship on deck 7. I like walking through the atrium to get to the front/back of the ship rather than walking through a hallway of staterooms. Deck 3 has the atrium to walk through but decks 4 and above, you walk through hallways. Deck 3 is also close to the living room which we thoroughly enjoyed for happy hour or early morning coffee.
Thank you. Very nice visuals 👍
Glad you enjoyed it. -K
On our third Viking cruise in Spring 2023 from Port Everglades, we were scheduled to board at 1 PM to our penthouse veranda cabin. We instead found near chaos and were boarded at 2:30. Then we were told our cabin had been changed due an "engineering issue" (leaking pipes). After a visit to guest services to inquire about our missing luggage, we had it delivered three hours later. Meanwhile, twice we had bags that weren't ours delivered.to our stateroom. Upon disembarking at the end for our two day stay in Barcelona, our bags didn't arrive although we had taken them to the bus from the ship ourselves. The Viking reps were of no help so I repeatedly asked the hotel staff to get involved. At 9 PM that night they arrived. It seems that the port handlers had returned them to the ship for no apparent reason. What a cluster f..k! Yeah, Viking gave us a small credit for use on a future cruise but I think we'll pass.
Ugh, that sounds like a nightmare. After that experience, they should have given you much more than a small discount on future travel. Hopefully you were still able to create some good memories. -K
Hubby and I love Viking. We took an expedition ship to Antarctica several years ago and everything about it was perfect. We are going on another Viking cruise to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania in February. While we don’t get the upgraded rooms as described by this man, we are happy with the standard size room. It gives us all we need. The whole Viking experience is perfect in every way.
Viking Expedition is definitely on our bucket list. Happy to hear that you enjoyed it so much! -K
What ship will you be on?
@@jimdriver1 Orion
Taking our first Viking cruise in April. This is a super-helpful. We were booked for last September but Viking was oversold and offered us a full refund on that cruise plus a free cruise with cabin upgrade and air fare We are in a Penthouse Junior Suite on deck 8 and just booked our shore excursions last week. Thanks for the helpful video and insights. Just subscribed.
Wow. What a deal! Enjoy your cruise.