Viking Sea Review
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Iceland, Scotland and Norway were on our list of vacation destinations, and this seemed the perfect itinerary to see all three countries in one trip. My husband and I began our journey with the 3-day Iceland and Golden Circle pre-cruise extension. We were met at the airport and transported to the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica hotel. Although rooms would not be ready for check-in until after 2:00 p.m., we were invited to enjoy the buffet breakfast. We freshened up in the lobby restrooms and walked to the downtown area. This was not a big deal for us as we are active, fit, "60-somethings"; however, the majority of people on this trip were older and less mobile, so I can see where the location of the hotel might be inconvenient. The downtown area is compact, with shops, restaurants and museums. We visited The Settlement Exhibition and The National Museum of Iceland, neither of which impressed me, compared to similar museums in other countries. The following morning we were picked up by bus for the Golden Circle Tour. This tour took most of the day and included lunch (but not beverages) at a lovely restaurant. The ride and the landmarks we visited were scenic. After dinner on our own, we walked to the nearby Laugardalur Park. Day three included two excursions: a morning bus tour, and a trip to the Blue Lagoon (Viking paid for admission and towels), with a couple of hours of free time between the two. Weather could have been better, but we did have pockets of sunshine amongst the clouds, rain and wind.
We had to be ready to leave our hotel at 4:00 a.m. Sunday to go to the airport for the flight to London. A "grab and go" breakfast was offered at the hotel. Boarding passes and luggage tags were available at kiosks at KEV, and we only had to wait in line to check our baggage. Our flight departed late, and there was also a long wait to leave Heathrow by bus; so even though we could have checked in at 2:00 p.m., we didn't arrive in Greenwich until after 4:00 p.m. Embarkation was a breeze, and we were in our stateroom, along with our luggage, within a short time.
Our time in Greenwich was brief, and it was a bit of a train ride to London. My husband and I skipped the included tour and split up since I had a ticket to attend the Princess Diana Fashion exhibit at Kensington Palace, and he wanted to visit places I had seen on a previous trip. Since most attractions do not open until 10:00 a.m., and we had to be back on board by 1:30 p.m., we didn't have much time to enjoy the pleasant weather.
Cabin Review
Our cabin lived up to the expectations seen on the Viking web site. We had enough room for all of our belongings. The king bed was very comfortable, and our checked and carry-on luggage fit underneath. The bathroom is the best we've seen on any cruise ship. We utilized our veranda when the weather cooperated. Our cabin steward was friendly and attentive. We didn't use the coffee maker.
The location of our cabin was perfect. It was far enough from the staircases that we didn't hear passengers going up and down, but close enough to be convenient to get to other locations on the ship. (We did not use the elevators at all.) Whether we were going up to the World Cafe, Pool Deck, Explorer's Lounge, etc., or down to the Fitness Center, Specialty Restaurants, or Theater, we didn't have to walk too far.
I can't say the extra cost for the Deluxe Veranda was worth it for our needs. (That was the only category available when we booked.) We certainly did not need tonic water, multiple cans of soda, potato chips, and candy bars replenished daily. There's already so much food available in various venues on the ship, and room service is available 24 hours. I used the cashmere throw a couple of times, but would not have missed it; and we didn't use the binoculars at all.