6 Ways Viking Venus Cruise Ship Bowled Me Over!

I review and take you on Viking Venus ship tour, a ship that came into service cruising as part of the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet in 2021. I discuss and review the public areas, including lounges and bars, recreation facilities like the pools and spa, show you all the cabin grades and the restaurants. All while looking at if the Viking Venus improves on or is better than other cruise ships in the Viking Cruises fleet.
I booked and paid for the cruise I did on Viking Venus. I mention that as people always ask me to confirm that.
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#VikingVenus #VikingCruises #VikingVenusShipTour
00:00 Start
00:26 Seeing Double
02:16 Signatures
04:16 Entertain Me
05:30 Missing In Action
05:56 Time To Dine
08:13 Planning To Sleep

[@janet1717]

There is nothing to endure on Viking ships. Everything is a pleasure and geared to luxury and comfort in my opinion. It’s relaxing. I believe it’s geared to being informed on destinations. Viking does everything with class.

[@johnp.1460]

I hadn’t previously considered Viking, but after viewing the tasteful, restrained decor and ambience (which is such a welcome contrast to so many gaudy ship interiors that look like a tacky hybrid of Las Vegas and an indoor mall), I think they’re worth a second look. As an American with some Scandinavian roots, I would welcome the change.

[@denizalgazi]

The fully wraparound Promenade Deck on cruise ships is a wonderful feature! I avoid cruise ship lines that have eliminated them.

[@ReyOfLight]

Viking definitely looks like a cruise line I need to cruise with if I ever have the chance to go on a proper cruise! I don’t gamble so the lack of casino doesn’t bother me, and the spa looks amazing (I’d probably be there a lot) and I’m totally into trying a nice afternoon tea at least once. Food looks amazing, pool areas look amazing. As a Scandinavian (from the land of IKEA: Sweden) it to me looks cozy and homey, and as we say: Lagom (when something is not too much, not too little, it’s just right) The adult only policy is just an added bonus as I’d go on a cruise to just relax, enjoy the view and maybe have some nice and civilized conversations with fellow cruisers over a cup of coffee or tea. I don’t even care where I’m cruising as long as the weather is nice (so I’d never want to cruise to Antarctica or Svalbard or Greenland or something like that) but guess Mediterranean or around there would fit my weather preference the best lol

[@erics607]

Viking cruises fit the definition of Lagom perfectly. It's essentially a luxury ship, but they don't go all out to impress you like other luxury ships. They also pride themselves on making sure you're educated on the places you visit. Their whole philosophy is education and relaxation.

[@marygillespie2028]

I've taken several Viking river cruises and booked the Alaska inside passage for next year. Loved this review - can't wait to go! I am convinced Torstein Hagen is a genius! Thanks so much for the review and video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great itinerary!!! Very envious 😀😀

[@thejokerspeaks]

Looks delightful, especially those cabins, food, and general ambiance.

[@RockSimmer-gal4God]

The Explorer Lounge looks awesome!!! I love wrap around decks!!! The Casino, and Art dealership won’t be missed!!!

[@Maililnajul]

Just finishing cruise on the Viking Sky. This is our fourth cruise on these ships. Circumnavigation of Iceland this trip. I love the shipboard experience, even with COVID protocols complicating things. The River Cruises are also great. Give me Scandinavian decor any time. And the Viking staff excels in good service, sometimes they almost try to please too much. 😀 Glad you liked it since you are way more experienced than I.

[@stephenbeck4636]

Gary, Thanks for most excellent reviews of cruising. River and ocean.

[@billk8780]

In March 2023 we've booked 'In Search of the Northern Lights' on the Venus. We're escaping the Michigan winter and heading to Norway! Have had our vaccinations and been looking forward to this trip for a long, long time! Gary, thanks much for great insights on the Viking Venus.

[@fuzzylon]

I'm one of your viewers who's never thought about cruising before, but I think if I did I'd choose a Viking ship. I really like the understated décor and all the other things that make Viking different. They are definitely on to something. And I like Scandinavian furniture too.

[@hieyrin]

You had me at over 18.

[@blueberryblues3365]

Just got back from a cruise on the Viking Sky. Our first cruise and it won't be our last. This video shows exactly what our ship looked like. Nothing like IKEA. Everything is high end contemporary. The restaurants were all good with lots of choices. The staff is amazing. We almost wished we would have stayed on board instead of going on the tours since it was so relaxing, but we didn't want to miss anything. The local tour guides were all great. And the bus drivers too. Driving on windy roads isn't easy in a big buss. One this was we wished they had a day or two on the sea, just to rest. We had them do the arrangements for the air since they do the transfers. There was a bad mess up with the planes once we got in the US but that was the airlines fault. And they handled it terribly. Next we may try a river cruise with Viking. We heard from many many people that had been on a lot of Viking trips that its a great way to travel.

[@erics607]

I'm the same as you. I would love to stay on the ship all day long because of how relaxing it is, but at the same time, I love learning about all of the destinations the ships travel to.

[@Tippytin]

I love the clean lines and uncluttered atmosphere of Viking! Love the afternoon tea. The Explorer’s lounge is a great place to relax. Nice vlog Gary.

[@justinsimmonds5674]

The question at the start of the video: Is Viking Venus better than the rest of the fleet? The answer in a nutshell: All of Viking’s fleet are the same as one another. If you like one ship, you will like them all. Focusing more on the itinerary than the ship is what Viking are trying to get cruisers to do.

[@skqq3250]

Love your clogs. So good I always have to watch them twice.

[@lineapearce1865]

Another excellent video ~ feels like we’re there with you! So glad the ships are all the same ~ we’re booked next year to Alaska on Orion ~ can’t wait. Your tips and education on each video ~ superb!! Thank you @tipsfortravellers 👌🏻

[@Imeraldgyrl]

Smaller sounds like the way to go. Thanks

[@trgtsk8r73]

Looks lovely

[@PuenteAJ]

Thank you Gary

[@billcook4768]

Nice cabin!

[@victoriasmith1897]

I would so love to do a Viking cruise! I wish they came down to the Pacific!

[@exploringwitheric]

Thanks for this video just booked the northern lights Norway 13 nights on this beautiful ship

[@leighgilligan6908]

First cruise this year (April) on Viking Orion from Hong Kong to Tokyo. Lovely ship, wonderful accommodation, excellent food and wine. Staff superb, friendly and helpful. Never felt crowded, it was a very relaxed atmosphere. Always wanted to go on a cruise and this totally surpassed my dreams and expectations.

[@geograph-ology4343]

Viking's "over 18" rule is a fvorite of one career field. On a river cruise, almost everyone was a retired teacher. I guess after decades of working with children, they need a break and Viking does it for them.

[@glennaa11]

that looks beautiful. If I ever take a cruise it would probably be on a ship like this

[@InnocentsAbroad]

Holly & I watched this again…. Really well done as always. It’s definitely a beautiful ship, and as they’re all the same, we know how to get around on it in Feb after Orion 😉

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks again! When do you set off on your next adventure? Must be soon

[@InnocentsAbroad]

@@tipsfortravellers DM'd :)

[@suegordon6805]

I love Viking and would never sail on any other ship. I sailed many decades ago on a huge ship that had gambling, slot machines, horrible shows. It took forever to get onto a boat to shore. Such large numbers of people pushing and shoving trying to board. Also families with children which made it noisy with crying and screaming and parents yelling at them. We never cruised again until 2022 when we cruised on Viking to Antarctica. It was so wonderful. Everything except the shops and spa was included. The food selection was over the top. From sushi to fresh fish, desserts, varieties of coffee like cappuccino. There were educational movies and talks about the area, animals, fish, mammals and such. The music was a classical trio, a pianist and violinist. It was perfect. Going in February to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.

[@chellib3533]

Definently a bonus that it is adults only.

[@paullewis2413]

What a great change from all that fake luxury kitschy crap you get on most cruise ships these days. Also a real promenade deck, someting all ships used to have, is an essential for me. If I was to book a cruise in the near future this is the line I would choose unhesitatingly. Thanks for all the information

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear, thanks for watching

[@gilbydog7350]

Very nice ship. For those who remember the Royal Viking Line of the 1980s, which were ultra luxury ships of that time with the Sea, the Sky and the Star, had that line still been around it is likely their ships would have looked like this.

[@Beachdudeca]

It’s a beautiful ship and experience if you are destination focused

[@curetiamhices289]

Love Viking! We just got news though that our Viking cruise scheduled to start December 27 and go from Auckland to Sydney has been cancelled due to COVID. Both New Zealand and Australia are strict on tourism. Viking has automatically rebooked us for the same time next year, with additional onboard credits. We’ll also be on Viking Mars, one of their newest ships. We’re bummed, but looking forward to going. Great review!

[@user-nx3fk6mv6q]

We tried to do their Bali/Australia and Australia/New Zealand cruises TWICE and were cancelled b/o Covid! Not their fault, but they rescheduled us w/out asking for well over a year from now! I hope I live to see it.

[@curetiamhices289]

@@user-nx3fk6mv6q we have friends scheduled to do the 33-day Hawaii/Polynesia cruise in January. Hawaii is closed down to cruise ships, so Viking revised the itinerary. The will skip Hawaii and sail directly to The Marquesas Islands. That’s 8 or 9 days at sea before reaching their first stop. They don’t mind 3-4 days in a row, but 9 seems a bit much to them, so they are checking their options.

[@user-nx3fk6mv6q]

@@curetiamhices289 I agree w/your friends--3 or 4 days at sea is enough. Only so many massages, classical music recitals, and drinks you want, even if they were all free, as a courtesy for the disappointment. Can't wait to get back to pre-covid travel! Good luck to them!

[@andyrob3259]

Honestly people need to start looking in a mirror. I think that ship looks very classy and classic. Very ‘understated country house’ style. Since when did luxurious come to mean glitzy and glossy. That’s tacky ‘nouvelle riche’

[@dan_38]

I think people are conditioned to see with the glitzy 1950's , as in art deco or ocean liner era themes.

[@andyrob3259]

@@dan_38 yea but even in the 50’s I wouldn’t have said it was ‘glitzy’ when I look at the Queen Mary - it was certainly luxurious with discrete service, and certainly no steerage. Viking isn’t the only line I think of lux by the way.

[@brucemarsico6]

It comes from the 'Las Vegas-ation' of the world. If it's not over done and almost sloshy with over priced amenities, then it isn't worth discovering. That why (for me) two days in Las Vegas is too much.....

[@andyrob3259]

@@brucemarsico6 yup I think that’s a lot of it. And those reality tv programmes often set in glitzy homes or the jet set - often new money neither known for taste but equate ‘lux’ with conspicuous spending and consumption for etc - and it comes to be seen as ‘lux’.

[@barbaralazier8352]

I love the Viking ships

[@barbaralazier8352]

I have been on 5 Viking cruises both river and ocean with 2 more booked. My next trip is a Celebrity repositioning cruise through the Panama Canal. I only hope that they have the educational talks that i am used to. As a solo traveller Viking has been wonderful. I only wished that they had a single supplement

[@loumello8813]

I love the Scandinavian decor and the contemporary feel. The Wintergarden is my second favorite place on the ship, second only to the Explorers Lounge. The pool deck is very nice although I rarely lay out or swim in the pool. It's a nice quiet place on the outside area. The Promenade deck is very important for me, just great to be able to walk around the ship in a traditional way. Dining is great on board and we go to Manfredi's nearly every other night, best tiramasu at sea. We have only done the Chef's table once because we so enjoyed Manfredi's and the Main Dining Room. We usually get the deluxe veranda although we have the Penthouse Veranda booked for our next cruise in the Baltic in 2023. For me, the Viking Ocean ships meet every key factor that I like and it is just outstanding.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for watching as always! I preferred Chef's table to Manfredi's but think overall I lose that argument with most!

[@loumello8813]

@@tipsfortravellers My wife is a bit picky with food and unless we know what's being served at Chef's Table, she is reluctant to book it.

[@HrHaakon]

A winter garden is basically a Norwegian thing, which I'm sure is not ONLY a Norwegian thing but anyways: If you have a patio or similar, it's kind of not that useful in winter. But if you glass it in, you can use that part of the garden during the winter, hence the name. And Viking's Wintergarten is basically just that: Adding glass around an outdoor area so that you can use it when it's cold, and take the glass off to let the sunny air in when it's nice and warm. It really is a good name for it. :D

[@happytraveller2122]

Just disembarked Viking Venus. I’m in two minds. Beautiful ship. Really great staff , everything very well organised… laundries very convenient…spa- outstanding …food average to good. Things to do ?? Not much. Music- not to my taste. More contemporary music on later in the evening- didn’t suit me after a day of touring. I found myself bored at times.

[@pj1043]

I would love to go on a Viking Cruise one day. I did book to go on a 15 day Viking Cruise from New Zealand to Australia which included flying business class for free. Sadly I had to cancel when the pandemic 😷 hit in March 2020.😪

[@keeganseva3975]

Viking Venus has ruined all other cruise lines for me. I was onboard 29-December-2021 through 5-January-2022 (Rome to Barcelona Iconic Western Mediterranean). This ship is amazing, the food was some of the best I've ever had, the spa was so relaxing. Thank you for sharing. I'm watching this right now, really missing that ship haha

[@tipsfortravellers]

It’s a great ship !!!!

[@timl5970]

Yes, once you've taken a cruise on Viking, the other cruise lines have a really hard time measuring up to the Viking standards.

[@canisdeumnox4925]

It seems a more relaxed ship. Perhaps it's the older demographic or smaller ship size.

[@jeanetteemmarco1054]

Looks and sounds like just what I would like. I'll be going as a solo traveler. I wonder if the beds separate to two singles for a friend?

[@nmr440]

Yes, they do - you can request this set-up via myvikingjourney.com (and a lot of other personal preferences too) once you’ve made your reservation.

[@kenlawdavis1742]

Thanks for another great video. After 30 months since our last cruise, we are looking at a trans Atlantic in 2022 with Viking. I understand they have a very thorough Covid testing protocol and this would be a huge plus for us in making a decision. Are Viking one of the best lines in this regard in your experience? Any other as good or better?

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes they test daily. They have very strict protocols, I agree definitely the strictest

[@happytraveller2122]

I’m booked 2023

[@karlstriepe8050]

Buries the lead: same ships, no kids. That's about it.

[@carolejohansen5675]

When you make a reservation at the spa, what is included and what do you have to pay for?

[@michaelvoisey8458]

First thing I liked your breakfast no Hash Browns I am getting a bit bored with them I like the option of Saute Potatoes . I do not see it as a small ship considering all the options a passenger can use , and the number of passengers the ship has . The decor has a timeless appeal , it looked comfortable and the Scandinavian style is something I have always seen as sophisticated . The only problem I have is the all inclusive basis of the cruise the price must reflect that as you are paying for items you may not want , but if my lottery ticket came up I would give it a try and some of the other lines as well

[@erics607]

These are expensive, but IMO it's well worth it if you use most of the stuff. An 8 day cruise will cost you somewhere around $3,400. Everyone gets a balcony in their room, everything in the mini fridge is included, you get a very comfortable king size bed, large bathroom, and heated bathroom floors. The spa and exercise areas are included as well unless you want a treatment. Beer and wine are included with dinner so you don't really need the drinks package unless you want to upgrade your alcohol or you love to drink. All of the restaurants are included so you don't have to pay an additional fee for that, and room service is included as well. Self service laundry is included so you don't have to pack a ton of clothes. One and sometimes 2 excursions at each port of call is included with the fee as well. The only additional things you have to pay for are excursions that aren't included, free/reduced airfare, drinks not included with meals, and stuff you buy in ports. When I returned from my trip, the total bill for onboard purchases came out to be $250.

[@marissamassa9043]

In the begging of this video you have a shot of you laying in lounge chairs in front of floor to ceiling windows - can you remember exctly where this is? Would be a great place to hang out during Cold Weather crusies! Thanks!

[@erics607]

That would be the area surrounding the main pool and the Wintergarden. You can also go to the Explorers Lounge which is 2 stories of floor to ceiling windows, and it's rarely busy there. I went to the Explorers Lounge during a sea day in the afternoon, and there were maybe 5 people there.

[@QuintusAntonious]

I really like the concept of Viking and I think once I can save enough to take an "adult" cruise (as opposed to the Disney family cruises I'm used to), I'd seriously consider Viking. I don't have any problem with the trim efficient Scandinavian design, but to me it does very much look like a floating university Student Union.

[@liana1760]

Which are the best balcony room decks? Can you get a bathtub in the room?

[@happytraveller2122]

Only in suites

[@daryllafferty]

Only in Explorer Suites or Owners Suites. Jr Suites just have showers.

[@yagh5653]

Viking venus today in Greenwich London 14:11----2023/05/28 🛳️🛳️🇬🇧

[@davepratt9909]

So, bottom line: Oceania or Viking?

[@jbmorrow5390]

Just what I was going to ask - as we love Oceania!!

[@TJ-pd7cp]

Oceania allows children

[@user-nx3fk6mv6q]

@@TJ-pd7cp That's all I'd need to know. But if you're okay w/kids, then let the itinerary decide.

[@DavidGonzalez-61shamy]

February cant get here soon enough. 27 days on board. 18 stops. Hopefully its still ago with all this nonsense going on.

[@JackDecker63]

Would you mind living on it full-time? In fact, if you had to pick just ONE cruise line and had to live on it full-time, which would it be? Viking? I think that might be a good topic for a video.

[@myopicdreams]

I would love to see that kinda video.

[@skqq3250]

I would also like to see that kind of video/vlog

[@aditimallya9691]

everyday testing and less travellers may be deterrent of cruising.

[@user-nx3fk6mv6q]

Since Covid, there's been a lot of Covid-theater w/Viking. Felt very safe, but at some point, this daily test-tube spitting , face diapers, and hand acid needs to stop. After all, you must be fully vaccinated to board. I wanted them to test me for genetic diseases since they had so much of my DNA and I had given them so much $, but they refused. Had a good time, anyway:)

[@forrestbro]

Didn't you just review this ship or am I having deja vu.

[@andyrob3259]

Yes I am sure he did a review on the entire line. Because I’ve recently seen one as well and thought this was a repost.

[@jacquelyns9709]

He did a video showing off his suite recently.

[@ceceliamoreno1845]

IKEA? Are people insane????

[@gbear8207]

Viking cost a arm and a leg! Way more than Celebrity and others.

[@happytraveller2122]

You get more inclusions though

[@skqq3250]

The river cruises are expensive but it could be a deal after you go on others and consider the nickel and diming.

[@Sabbathissaturday]

I’ll go on any cruise that doesn’t require masks or vaccine passports.

[@user-nx3fk6mv6q]

Viking does. The countries themselves have a lot to do w/this. Parts of Europe require your vaccine "passport" to be uploaded to an app, VeriFly, which, I think, is HQ'd around Langley. Look at what the US is doing to get home. It's ridiculous. Onboard, outside ur stateroom, masks are req'd unless ur eating or drinking. (Social distancing rules don't apply, however; they pack the excursion tour buses to the gills, almost as bad as a United flight out of Newark! It's called Covid Kabuki Theater.