Don & Kully's World Cruise on Viking Neptune

Those of you that have been following along so far realize that we have a large number of days at sea during this voyage, especially during the first two months. During the month of January alone, we have 22 days at sea. So, what do we do to keep busy on those days.

First, we have amazing sea views like these every day.

Viking isn’t the typical cruise line. Mr. Hagen, the CEO of Viking doesn’t like the word “cruise” he prefers to use the term Voyage. He sees cruises as a party type of vacation with glitzy shows, umbrella drinks and casinos. He calls a Viking Voyage a “thinking person’s” journey of exploration. The journey is an opportunity to become immersed in the various destinations. It’s an opportunity to learn about the cultures, and the history of the places visited. It’s also an opportunity to learn about the sea and the creatures within and how explorers of the past have navigated her waters. The voyage is also an opportunity to meet with like-minded travelers, to socialize and share new discoveries. The first thing that impressed us about Viking is what Viking is not. For example, no children, no casino, no onboard photographers pestering you to take pictures, no umbrella drinks and no nickel and diming…most things are included. Not that any of those things are necessarily bad, it’s just a different approach to a cruise vacation. Also, this doesn’t mean Viking Voyages are a stuffy teetotaling experience either. Viking ships have a beautiful pool deck with a retractable roof that can be closed during inclement weather, infinity pool on the back of the ship, hot tubes, several bars, a night club with live entertainment, nightly shows in the theater and an amazing thermal spa. There are Wine, Bourbon, Scotch and Gin tasting events, as well as cooking demonstrations. 

The daily activities that make Viking special is the enrichment program that consists of an onboard resident historian, guest lecturers and various workshop hosts. The guest lecturers focus on topics relative to the Voyage itinerary. So, the speakers on board at the moment are focusing on the history and culture of the Pacific. Here in a list of the speakers and workshop hosts currently on board.

On most days there will be three or four lectures or presentations offered ranging from the history of pacific explorers to whale migration/watching to World War II battles in the Pacific. Every day we receive the Viking Daily which provides the schedule for the day. The Daily is four pages long. The front page shows the weather forecast, if in port the dock location and ship contact info as well as a brief description about the port of call. Page two and three shows the daily schedule of events, if it’s a port day page three will list information about departure times and gathering places for the various excursions. Page four shows the hours of operation for the restaurants, spa and shops. Here’s an example:

In addition to the planned activities the ship has many cozy little alcoves where you can sit and take in the views of the sea, read, visit with friends, or enjoy a quiet cocktail or coffee. There is also well-equipped fitness center and .25-mile walking/jogging track on the promenade deck.

“To travel is to live.” Hans Christian Anderson