This morning, Viking Orion is docked at Heritage Wharf in King’s Wharf, Bermuda. One of the great things about the Explorer’s Bar on Viking Ocean ships is that you can quickly step outside to get photos like the one below.

Viking Orion looks quite stately docked at Heritage Wharf.

I thought today would be the perfect time to check out the LivNordic Spa (Deck 1 Fwd). There are separate and very nice locker/changing rooms for men and women. There is a sauna and cold plunge pool in the changing room area.

The main spa area features a huge Thallasotherapy pool and a nice-sized hot tub. I was hoping the hot tub would be a bit warmer than it was. I could not tell any difference in water temperature between the two pools. The hot tub does have stronger jets, however.

Although I did not photograph it, the steam room is quite large and occupancy is currently limited to only 2 guests at a time, although it could easily hold 6. The steam was very relaxing. After the steam, there is a cold water bucket that you can dump on your head to cool down. However, it is so dark in that area I could not get a photo. It is, however, quite refreshing.

There is a Snow Grotto with piles of fresh snow if you really want to cool down fast. Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs today.

You can finish drying off on one of the heated relaxation beds below. They are super comfortable.

There are padded loungers surrounding the pools for additional relaxation or napping. The LivNordic Spa is one of the nicest I have seen on any cruise ship, and it is complimentary! Many cruise lines charge an extra $30 to $50 per day for access to their “wet” spa areas that are not nearly this well equipped.

For lunch today, I decided to keep it simple and just have a cheeseburger at the Pool Grill (Deck 7 midship). The burgers are cooked fresh and I like that they melt the cheese in a broiler before serving to get the cheese fully melted. The fries were crispy and hot and the burger was cooked to a perfect Medium. Very tasty.

Afternoon Tea at Wintergarden is just too hard to resist. The scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream are my favorite. There is a extensive list of teas from which to choose. I selected White Strawberry today.

*Raisin scone with strawberry jam and clotted cream*

A three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches with a top tier of delectable sweet treats accompanies every Afternoon Tea service. Afternoon Tea is complimentary and available every afternoon from 4pm to 5pm.

Dinner this evening is at The Chef’s Table (Deck 1 aft). The menu changes here every 3 to 4 days to feature a different ethnic cuisine. When I learned that tonight’s cuisine was Mexican, honestly, I was a little disappointed. Being from Texas, I eat a LOT of Mexican food. However, I would soon be very pleasantly surprised.

The Wine Steward informed me that since I had purchased the Silver Spirits drink package, the optional wine pairing was included with the meal (a $25 value). I am beginning to realize that the Silver Spirits package is quite a bargain. The wine steward would return between each course to pour a different wine (four wines in all) and they were all very good.

The meal started with an Amuse Bouche of shredded chicken topped with greens, avocado and a lime sauce. It was delicious! I could have eaten three of them.

The second course, Tamalito de Pollo, is basically a chicken tamale served atop salsa verde. I am not a huge fan of tamales, but the masa used in this tamale was especially good and the salsa verde was excellent.

Next to appear was an interesting and quite refreshing intermezzo dish consisting of a lime granita topped with chili flakes. But the star of the show was the beef short rib main course pictured below. The short rib was plated atop a superbly complex mole that included chocolate and agave. The rib was topped with fine shreds of shallots and there was a side of sweet potato mash. The short rib fell apart as soon as I put the fork to it. It had obviously been braised for hours to achieve this level of tenderness. It was fatty, beefy, tender and, most of all, delicious. This is NOT the Mexican food we get in Texas!

And finally, the meal ends with a chocolate mousse topped with chocolate crumble, and two chocolate cake strips topped with a beautiful quenelle of vanilla ice cream. Words cannot describe how good the chocolate mousse was!

This was the best meal that I have ever eaten at The Chef’s Table on Viking Ocean ships. It was truly memorable.

Time to relax with my glass of port and prepare myself for tomorrow, another day at King’s Wharf. Tomorrow evening, Viking Orion sets sail for Hamilton, Bermuda.

Viking Orion Blog

Day 4 - King's Wharf, Bermuda

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