A 7-night Bermuda Escapes cruise aboard Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Orion.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 9/5/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 9/5/21

Viking Orion Review

I spend seven nights on Viking Orion in Bermuda.

Video Review

REVIEW OF VIKING ORION

I spent a week aboard Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Orion on their Bermuda Escapes cruise. This was my third cruise on Viking Ocean and I was on this one by myself. I will tell you why I was alone, and all of my thoughts on this cruise coming up right after this.

In the spirit of full disclosure, we were invited on this cruise by Viking Cruises. However, no money has changed hands. Viking has no input in the content of this review and they have no idea what I am going to say. I should clarify, that unlike many review websites, CruiseReport is NOT affiliated with a travel agency. We are simply travel journalists. So, if you end up booking a Viking Cruise directly with Viking or through a travel agency, we gain nothing either way.

As I mentioned in my opening, I was on this cruise by myself. My girlfriend, Rickee, who also is the Senior Editor at CruiseReport.com, suffered injuries from a freak accident just days before the cruise. So, we decided it would be better for her recovery to forego this cruise.

This seven night cruise is referred to by Viking as Bermuda Escapes. The itinerary is basically two nights in Hamilton, Bermuda, followed by a day at sea, then two nights at King’s Wharf Bermuda, followed by another day at sea, then one more night in Hamilton before disembarkation. Not the most exciting itinerary, to be honest, but hey, after 18 months of no cruising, it’s good just to be back on a ship.

BERMUDA REQUIREMENTS

Cruising from Bermuda comes with a host of requirements. Everyone sailing on Viking Ocean is required to be fully vaccinated. You must show proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test that was taken within four days of arrival in Bermuda. This is a requirement of the Bermuda government. You must also complete an online form to receive a Bermuda Travel Authorization, which you must have with you at the Bermuda airport upon arrival. If you do NOT have this travel authorization, there is a $1,000 fine. So…get the authorization before you go. Oh, and there’s a $75 fee for obtaining the authorization form online. But, $75 is a Hell of a lot better than $1,000.

Upon arrival at the airport in Bermuda, which by the way, is brand new and very nice, you will be required to undergo another PCR nasal swab at the airport. And, let me tell you, this is a SERIOUS nasal swab. It will bring tears to your eyes.

VIKING OCEAN CRUISES

Before I get into Viking Orion, let’s talk about what’s going on with Viking Cruises. The company started in 2000 with the purchase of four river cruise ships and proceeded to build a reputation as the world leader in European river cruises. We have been sailing with Viking since 2003, way before the launch of their revolutionary Viking Longships. So we have watched this company quietly grow and expand and develop into a major player in the cruise industry.

In 2015 Viking launched their first Ocean cruise ship, the Viking Star, and every year after that, or so it seems, they crank out another ocean-going ship. There are currently seven Viking Ocean Ships, with another on the way in 2022.

Unlike most cruise lines, Viking ocean ships are all virtually identical. They all carry just over 900 guests, which, by today’s standards almost qualifies them as small ships.

From the outside, the ships are honestly nothing special. If you see Viking Orion docked next to Celebrity Edge or Carnival Mardi Gras, your eyes are going to move toward the larger, more glitzy ship.

On the inside, Viking ships are subtle. Nothing is “in your face”. There’s no shock-and-awe when you step aboard a Viking ship. The decor is understated and most definitely Scandinavian, but not in an IKEA sense. All of the furnishings and materials are of the highest quality. The ships are contemporary, but very tasteful. And, they are all virtually identical on the inside. What this means is that when you book your next cruise with Viking Ocean, you only need to concern yourself with the destination, because no matter which ship you choose, it’s going to be just like the last one you were on.

Also, these ships are geared toward adults, in fact, no children under 18 are allowed.

In my final summary, I will go into a few more details about what makes Viking unique, but let’s get started with my review of Viking Orion.

EMBARKATION

Once you have completed the Covid test at the airport, Viking representatives will greet you just outside of the airport, make sure you have all of your hand luggage, and direct you to a shuttle van for the ride to the port in Hamilton. It’s about a 30-minute drive to the ship. Our flight landed about 3:00 o’clock and I think we arrived at the ship by 4:45.

Once at the pier, you will go through a small terminal building where you are given your contact tracing device. We will talk more about this device later. After you put your hand luggage through the X-ray machine, you are then ready to board Viking Orion. If you have mobility issues, there will be someone from Viking to assist you up the long gangway to Deck 1.

Once aboard Viking Orion, we were escorted to the Star Theater, which was my designated muster station, where Sophie, a member of the ship’s entertainment cast, was conducting a short demonstration on how to put on a life vest. There were maybe 15 people in our group. The demonstration only took a few minutes. One important difference in Viking and some other cruise lines is that Viking does not put life vests in your stateroom. Instead, they keep the life vests at the muster stations. This is actually pretty smart. In the event of an emergency, you don’t have to go back to your stateroom to get your life vest. You simply go to your muster station where a life vest will be waiting for you. Makes much more sense to me. It also frees up storage space in your stateroom, and prevents guests from dragging life vest straps up and down stairs, which can easily cause someone to trip and fall.

After the life vest demonstration, I was free to go to my stateroom. Just a couple of minutes after I arrived in my stateroom, Jerrick, my stateroom attendant, knocked on the door and introduced himself. He informed me that, due to Covid protocols, he was not allowed to come into the stateroom, so he just pointed things out from the hallway. He explained the mini-bar, told me if there was anything I needed, just to ask him or his assistant Fauzy, and he suggested that I watch the mandatory safety video playing on the stateroom television. He also pointed out that I needed to complete yet ANOTHER Covid test, the Viking Covid PCR test, within the next 15 minutes. Basically, you have to spit into a small plastic tube and collect at least 2ml of saliva. He said he would return in 15 minutes to retrieve the sample.

So, once you watch the safety video, which takes about 5 minutes, and complete the saliva test, that completes the embarkation process. MUCH simpler and quicker than the traditional muster drill.

THE SHIP

Viking Orion can accommodate 930 guests. There are 10 Decks accessible via elevators and stairs. Public spaces are on Decks 1, 2, 7, 8 and the Sun Deck, which could be considered Deck 9 forward. Deck A is below Deck 1 and is only used for embarkation in some ports or tender operations. A bank of 4 elevators aft are quite large and very fast and they go from Deck A to Deck 8. There are two forward elevators that go all the way from Deck A to Deck 9. The medical center is located on Deck A forward.

The ship is extremely easy to navigate and large touch screens are located in the elevator lobbies to help, just in case you get lost. The elevators even have a GANGWAY button that will always deliver you to the correct deck for disembarkation when in port. Very smart design. In fact a lot of thought has obviously gone into the design of these ships.

ACCOMMODATIONS

My Penthouse Veranda stateroom (#6015) was located on Deck 6 forward. It was a great location for me since each morning I could simply walk up one flight of stairs and easily get to Explorer’s Bar where I would have my morning coffee and work on my blog.

The Penthouse Veranda is 338 sq. ft., which I assume includes the balcony. A standard or deluxe veranda stateroom is 270 sq. ft. which is what we have occupied in the past. The additional 68 sq. ft. is immediately noticeable. The stateroom was very comfortable. Now, I don’t want to give too much away because I have a complete video review of the Penthouse Veranda stateroom on Viking Orion. And, In that video I will tell you exactly what I loved about the Penthouse Veranda, and a few things I was not so crazy about.

I will put a link in the corner of this video and in the description of the video. So, for complete details about the Penthouse Veranda, make sure to watch that video.

In the next section, I am going to cover the health protocols employed by Viking Ocean. But before I do, I would like to ask you a favor. If you are passionate about cruising, it would be a huge help to us, if you would take the time to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Our business was basically wiped out due to the cruise shutdown and we are trying to re-establish our social media presence. Subscribing to our channel is completely free, and you can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I will put links in the description of this video. Now, on with the review of Viking Orion.

VIKING HEALTH PROTOCOLS

Viking has a comprehensive set of protocols in place to keep guests safe from Covid-19 and other illnesses. All guests and crew are required to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to boarding the vessel. Each guest is provided with a contact tracing device, a small round plastic disk, that can be worn around the neck or carried in your pocket, Guests are required to keep this device on their person at all times, even when ashore.

Each Viking Ocean ship has its own testing lab for Covid-19 and saliva samples are collected from every guest each day. Each evening, during turn down service, a clean collection tube is left in the stateroom. Guests are required to provide at least 2 ml of saliva in the tube each morning and leave the sealed tub on their desk for collection by their stateroom attendant. The process is much less invasive that a nasal swab and really is not a big deal.

Temperature checks are required one each day using electronic iPad devices which are located at the entrance of every restaurant. The devices use facial recognition technology and are pretty cool.

Guests are routinely reminded to wash their hands when entering The Restaurant or World Cafe using sinks near the entrance to these venues. At other venues, guests are reminded to use the hand sanitization stations. And, there is always a crew member there to remind you. And, these sanitization stations are located throughout the ship.

There is a daily health questionnaire that each guest is required to complete. This can be done through the interactive stateroom television, the Viking app, or a paper form left in the stateroom. Basically, the questionnaire asks you to confirm that you are not experiencing any flu-like symptoms.

When guests are moving about the ship, they are required to wear a mask. Of course, when eating, drinking or in your stateroom, you are not required to wear a mask. All crew members are required to wear a mask at all times.

Masks are provided in your stateroom and available throughout the ship in case you forget yours. This is probably the least popular policy because it is the most controversial one, given that all guests have been fully vaccinated. Also, the science has shown that these masks are minimally effective at preventing the spread of Covid-19. I believe the effectiveness of cloth masks is at about 10% and surgical masks only 12%. Also, the mask policy itself lacks basic common sense. You have to wear a mask when walking down a hall by yourself, but when you sit down at a restaurant with five other people to eat, drink laugh and have conversation, you can remove your mask. Ironically, this would be the most likely time for particles to be spread between guests.

So, on a fully vaccinated cruise, a mask policy begins to look more like window dressing and not a serious health policy based on any available science.

There is one other area of the ship that is often overlooked and that would be the public restrooms. Being a pretty heavy coffee drinker in the mornings, I do tend to visit the public facilities often to, shall we say, return a gift. The public restrooms on Viking Orion are spotless, first of all. There is hand soap and sanitizer at the sinks along with real hand towels to dry your hands. But from a health and safety standpoint, they also put paper towels by the doors and even a sign recommending that you use a paper towel to open the door handle. I have always done this in hotels, restaurants and cruise ships, but it is nice to see the Viking actually accommodates this sanitary behavior. And, they provide a small trash can so you can quickly dispose of the paper towel upon exiting the restroom. Oh, and to make using the public restrooms a pleasant experience, they even play the natural sounds of birds chirping while you are doing whatever it is you do in there.

FOOD AND DINING

There are many dining options available on Viking Ocean ships. Let’s start at the top of the ship and work our way down. On Deck 7 aft you will find World Cafe, the ship’s Lido Buffet. World Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. Quite simply, this is one of my favorite buffets on any cruise line. If you have followed us in the past, you know that neither Rickee nor I are big fans of buffets. The food is usually cold, flavorless and sub-standard. Not so at World Cafe. There is seating and nearly identical serving lines on both the port and starboard sides of World Cafe. At the aft of World Cafe, you will find some additional seating as well as seating on the Aquavit Terrace for Al Fresco dining. When the weather is nice, large sliding doors can be opened to give the entire dining room an open-air feel.

At breakfast, you can choose from all of the popular items, or you can have eggs made-to-order. There is a waffle station where a fresh hot waffle can be topped with anything you can imagine. My favorite breakfast at World Cafe is the fried rice and Shu Mai dumplings. I am sure these are provided for Asian guests, but not being a huge fan of eggs and bacon, this was my go to breakfast!

For lunch and dinner, the hot dish items change every day and there is a carving station where you can have a slice of roast beef, chicken, or even Porchetta on one day at lunch! The pizza can be found at the aft section of the starboard serving line, while ice cream is served on the port side.

There is a new station, unique to Viking Orion and Viking Jupiter, located at the aft of World Cafe. At dinner, this station prepares Asian stir-fry to order and at lunch it becomes a pasta station. At breakfast, made-to-order omelets are created here.

On Deck 7 Midship you will find the Pool Grill serving burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. The burgers here are thick and juicy and can be made to order. The fries are hot and crispy and there is a small salad bar where you can enjoy some pre-burger starters.

On Deck 7 Forward, port side, you will find Mamsen’s. I like to think of Mamsen’s as a Norwegian snack bar. Norwegian specialties are available here throughout the day and this was my Go To spot for early riser’s coffee each morning. The traditional Norwegian waffle is something that every guest should try at least once. And, don’t balk at the dark curls of Norwegian cheese. The cheese is a carmelized goat cheese and it actually complements the flavor of the syrup-soaked waffle.

Mamsen’s is generally open from 6:30am to 11:00am then reopens with snacks from 4:00pm - 5:00pm and 10:00pm to midnight. The cakes and sweets here looked amazing.

There is one other dining venue on Deck 7, but I am going to save that one until the end of my Food and Dining review.

On Deck 2 aft, you will find The Restaurant, which is the largest dining venue on the ship. The Restaurant has full table service and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day with lunch and dinner menus that change each day.

I had dinner here on my first evening. The service was excellent and the food was served hot and was delicious.

Reservations are requested to dine at The Restaurant and you can make reservations through the Viking app, the interactive stateroom television, or by calling Guest Services.

There are two specialty restaurants on Deck 1 aft. Manfredi’s is Viking’s Italian Restaurant and, in my opinion, one of the best restaurants on any cruise ship. Manfredi’s is only open for dinner and the menu is the same every evening. It offers an excellent choice of Italian specialties. On my first visit, I had the Antipasti starter, which was excellent, although almost too large for just one person. On my second visit, I ordered a starter portion of the Pasta of the Day, a mushroom tortellini that was decadent.

On both visits, my main course was the legendary Bistecca Fiorintina, a marinated and grilled Rib Eye that is a steak lover’s dream come true. This is the best steak you will find on any cruise ship.

There are several side dishes on offer at Manfredi’s. I tried the sautéed Cherry Tomatoes and the creamed spinach. I would definitely order the creamed spinach again, but I would take a pass on the tomatoes.

Manfredi’s? Maybe the best restaurant at sea.

Next door to Manfredi’s on Deck 1 is The Chef’s Table, also only open for dinner. This is a unique ethnic Dégustation dining concept that features a set 5-course tasting menu which changes every 3 or 4 days. The meal includes a wine pairing with each course, however, an upgraded premium wine pairing is available for an additional $25 per person.

On my first visit to The Chef’s Table, the menu was MEXICO, featuring Mexican flavors. Being from Texas, I was disappointed since I already get so much Mexican food, or so I thought. This turned out to be one of the best meals I had on this cruise. On my second visit, the menu had changed to Asian Panorama, which I have had previously at The Chef’s Table on other Viking ships. The presentation and preparation were even better than I remembered. Both of my meals at The Chef’s Table were excellent.

Oh, and in case I failed to mention it, all dining on board Viking Orion, and all Viking Ocean ships is complimentary. On other cruise ships, you would easily pay an additional $30 to $50 per person to dine at Manfredi’s or The Chef’s Table.

There is one other dining venue on Deck 1. The Kitchen Table, which is an interactive cooking lab. Unfortunately, this venue is temporarily closed due to social distancing measures.

Viking also offers 24 hour complimentary room service with a menu which can be found on the stateroom television. Room Service breakfast can be ordered using the breakfast menu in your stateroom and hanging the menu on your door before going to bed.

There is that one bonus venue on Deck 7 I promised to tell you about at the end of this section. But before I do, I would like to once again ask you to take a moment to click the SUBSCRIBE button and join our community of passionate cruise enthusiasts. Remember, it is free to subscribe and as a subscriber, you can be notified each time we post new videos.

The last dining venue which is very special is Afternoon Tea at Wintergarden on Deck 7 midship. Wintergarden may be one of the most beautiful spaces on any cruise ship and is perfectly suited for Afternoon Tea. Afternoon Tea is offered every day from 4pm to 5pm. Guests are offered a choice of teas from a vast menu. Fresh made scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserves are delicious. And, a three-tiered tray of more sweets and savory finger sandwiches may have you reconsidering, or at least delaying, your dinner plans.

I promised to tell you what I liked and what I didn’t like about Viking Orion, but honestly, when it comes to the food and dining, there is really not much to complain about. Overall, it may be the best overall dining of any cruise ship.

BAR SERVICE

There are five bars and lounges on Viking Orion. The Viking Bar is located on Deck 1 midship, just off the Atrium. Here you will find very comfortable seating on Deck 1 and even on Deck 2 just above the Atrium. The Viking Bar is open from morning to midnight.

Torshaven is located on Deck 2 and is more of a nightclub atmosphere with live entertainment most evenings. Torshaven is open from 9pm till closing, whenever that is.

The Pool Bar is on Deck 7 midship and on Deck 7 aft is the Aquavit Bar. Both of these bars open at 10am. The pool bar closes at 8:00pm while Aquavit stays open until 10pm.

My favorite watering hole, however, is on Deck 7 forward. Explorer’s Lounge offers your favorite beverage along with beautiful views of the ocean.

Bar service in all of these venues was excellent and drink prices are competitive with other cruise lines. A glass of Viking Sparkling Wine is $5.50 and it is our favorite sparkling wine on any cruise line, by the way. A glass of Ponte Prosecco is $8. Most beers are in the $5 range which is pretty typical. Canadian Club or Crown Royal are $8. I seem to recall a Happy Hour special on previous Viking Ocean cruises, but I did not hear it mentioned on this cruise.

In should be pointed out that beer, wine, soft drinks are complimentary with meals. Sooooo, if you are primarily a wine or beer drinker, you could get by quite nicely with a lengthy dinner at the World Cafe which is open until 9:00pm. Just sayin.

Viking offers a Silver Spirits Beverage Package for $19.95 per night/per guest, or $140 for a 7-night cruise. Compare that to Carnival that charges $51.95 per day for their Cheers drink package. And, on Carnival, you are limited to 15 drinks per day. Does anyone really exceed 15 drinks per day?

I purchased the Silver Spirits package on this cruise and consider it to be a very good value. Not only do you get all house wines, beers and liquors, including cocktails, house drinks, mixers, long drinks and soft drinks throughout the day, but it also includes the Premium Wine Pairing at The Chef’s Table. That’s a $25 value by itself. When I dined at Manfredi’s the wine stewardess recognized that I had the Silver Spirits package and brought a better quality red wine to the table rather than the house wine.

ENTERTAINMENT & ACTIVITIES

When it comes to keeping guests entertained, the primary focus is on the destination itself. There are included excursions in every port, and optional excursions, at an additional cost, in most ports. There are lectures held in the Star Theater during the afternoons which also focus on the destination.

Viking is not known for it’s high impact, glitzy production shows. If you want broadway-style entertainment, you will only find that on ships with 4,000+ passengers. Viking places more emphasis on relaxation and destination than it does on elaborate production shows. That said, I have seen a lot of YouTube videos where they completely dismiss the entertainment on Viking ships, and that is unfair and inaccurate. Viking DOES have a cast of vocalists and a live band that put on some entertaining evening shows.

We were treated to two such shows on our cruise. An ABBA tribute and a 60s British Music tribute, both of which were very entertaining. There is a Classic Duo that performs in the Atrium at various times during the day, as well as Antal Farkas, one of the best pianists I have ever heard on a cruise ship. And, Michael plays the guitar and sings at various venues. One of the best shows on our cruise was from Brian Rodriguez, Viking Orion’s Cruise Director. Brian is an accomplished tenor and has an amazing voice. One evening in the Atrium he treated us to a wonderful display of his vocal talents.

On previous Viking Ocean cruises, we have seen Adagio dancers, but there were none on this sailing. Most likely, Viking is still rebuilding their entertainment after the Covid shutdown.

There are not as many daytime activities on Viking Ocean as you would find on other cruise lines. There is Team Trivia, lectures and a few other organized activities, but it is sparse. Again, the focus is on the destination.

One area where Viking really excels in the LiveNordic Spa located on Deck 1 forward. There is a substantial fitness center fully equipped with TechnoGym circuit machines, free weights, treadmills and other cardio equipment. The spa is one of the best you will find on any cruise ship and it is complimentary. There are beautiful locker/changing rooms for both men and women, dry sauna, cold plunge, showers, a huge Thallasotherapy pool and hot tub. The Snow Grotto was being worked on during our cruise, but is usually full of real snow and is quite refreshing after stepping out of the steam room.

The heated relaxation beds are amazing and there are pool loungers where you can take a peaceful nap. If you want to really wake up, try the cold water bucket dump!

The LivNordic Spa offers a wide variety of spa treatments and massages and has a full hair and nail salon.

There are two swimming pools on Viking Orion, one is located midship on Deck 7 and a sliding roof can completely cover this pool in inclement or cold weather. There is a large hot tub at one end of the pool and plenty of loungers, both in the sun and in the shade.

There is an infinity pool and another hot tub aft on Deck 7 at the Aquavit Terrace which is a signature feature of all Viking Ocean ships. This is the best place on the ship to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

There is no promenade deck or jogging track, so if you are a runner/jogger, you are pretty much limited to the treadmills in the LivNordic fitness center.

The Sun Deck on Viking Orion is located above Deck 8 forward and features mini-golf, table tennis and lawn bowling as well as two shuffleboard courts. The large dome rising from the Sun Deck is the planetarium which is accessible from the Explorer’s Dome on Deck 8 forward. Viking Orion and Viking Jupiter are the only Viking Ocean ships to feature a planetarium and it is really a cool feature. There is no charge for the planetarium experience, but you do need to make a reservation.

The Star Theater is located on Deck 2 forward and is where you can enjoy lectures during the day, or evening entertainment. There are also two cinemas in the aft section of the Star Theater which are used to show movies, or can be used for additional theater seating during a show.

If you are a sun worshipper, you will probably spend most of your time on Deck 7 aft, around the Infinity Pool, or on Deck 8 aft where an expansive deck can accommodate a lot of sun loungers. This space was virtually unused on our cruise since the ship was only at about 25% guest capacity.

ITINERARY

My seven night cruise was Viking’s Bermuda Escapes cruise. Honestly, not the most exciting itinerary I have done with Viking, but after 18 months of no cruising, it is nice just to be back on a ship regardless of the destination. I don’t mean to disparage Bermuda as a destination, but I have been here so many times in the past and feel as though I have seen everything I need to see. Viking did offer a lot of included excursions both in Hamilton and in King’s Wharf, making this cruise a good value from the excursion point of view. There are also several optional excursions and all of them were very reasonably priced.

SUMMARY

As you may already be able to tell, I am a pretty big fan of Viking Orion. This was my third Viking Ocean cruise and it is one of my three all-time favorite cruise lines.

I cannot detect any lack of service or quality from our past Viking Ocean Cruises. They are consistently good in all aspects. Are there some things I would like to see changed? Maybe a few more daytime activities, and pump up the evening shows a bit more. Covid may have tamped down these things a bit so it may be a case of waiting until things completely return to normal. Unless, this IS normal?

I sort of wish they had a casino, but I can live without it. I love the fact that there are no children under 18 allowed, no pushy photography sales, no art auctions, no charge for alternate dining, free WiFi, complimentary use of laundrettes, no smoking and no formal nights. You don’t experience that feeling of being nickel-and-dimed on Viking.

I was also very impressed with the fact that, inspite of my cruise being at less than 25% of capacity, about 175 guests actually, they kept both sides of the buffet service open. Most cruise lines would have shut down one serving line, but they kept every restaurant open and at full service. THAT was impressive. They wanted every guest who did make the trip to get the full Viking experience.

A Viking Ocean cruise is one of the best values in cruising. And, it is the only cruise line that can take you through the rivers of Europe, the oceans of the world, soon, the Mississippi River and expedition cruising.

If you have any specific questions about my cruise on Viking Orion, please post them in the comments section of this video. We do read all of the comments. If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs up, that really does help out our YouTube channel.

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Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/27/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/27/21

Day 8 - Disembarkation

Great job by Viking, not so much by the airlines.

Viking Ocean utilizes a more-or-less traditional method of disembarking guests. A couple of days before disembarkation, guests are given colored numbered luggage tags indicating their disembarkation group. The order of disembarkation is generally based upon your return flight schedule. Those with early flights will disembark first. Those with later flights will disembark later, and so on.

My flight on United, from Bermuda to Newark then connecting to DFW, was scheduled to depart Bermuda at 3:10 in the afternoon. It seems that most of the flights out of Bermuda depart in the afternoon. My group was Gray 2 and we were scheduled to disembark Viking Orion at 11:20.

Now, this is where Viking Ocean does things a little differently on disembarkation day. While guests were asked to be out of their staterooms by 8:00am, they were free to use the public spaces until 11:20 (for my group). Most cruise lines would just dump you off at the airport at 9:00am leaving you to "enjoy" the wonderful food and atmosphere there for all those hours before your flight departure time. But, not Viking. In fact, they even kept the World Cafe open until 10:30am for breakfast. And, it was not some abbreviated breakfast with just some pastries. World Cafe was serving their full buffet breakfast, just like every other day. The Restaurant and Mamsen’s were open as well. This makes the unpleasantness of disembarkation much easier to tolerate. Thank you, Viking Ocean!

After breakfast, I went to sit and do some work on Deck 1 in the Atrium. I decided, just for the heck of it, to download the United Airlines app on my phone. When I logged in to the app, I was greeted with a message saying that my itinerary had changed. Oh joy. My flight from Newark to DFW had been cancelled, and United had re-routed me through Houston, with a connection to DFW at...wait for it... 7:30am the following morning! And, of course, there was no mention as to whether or not United was going to provide me with a hotel for my forced overnight stay in Houston.

I only had about an hour before I had to disembark the ship and I was scrambling to get someone at Guest Services to see if they could get me booked on another airline. Honestly, they really tried to accommodate me, but there was little they could do. And, I was not the only guest facing this issue. There were several of us from Dallas that were on the same itinerary. Trust me, I had no intention of sleeping in an airport overnight if there were any way I could avoid it.

I opened the Delta app on my phone and found a flight departing Newark at 6:55 to Atlanta, then connecting to DFW, getting me home by midnight. By some miracle, the cost of the flight was only $168 one-way and they even offered me an upgrade to first class on both flights for a total cost of only $432. I was stunned by the reasonable cost so I booked the itinerary and paid for it. I am now out $432 but maybe I can get my travel insurance to reimburse part of that cost since my flights were cancelled. Right.

Now for the rest of the drama. It is imperative that my flight from Bermuda arrive on time in Newark for me to be able to make my connection. Since my connecting flight is on a different airline with a completely different booking number, I cannot check my luggage from Bermuda all the way to Dallas. I have to collect my luggage in Newark, then figure out how to find the Delta ticket counter to check my bag through to Dallas. This is no easy task in Newark which, in my opinion, is possibly the worst airport in the US, and the US has the worst airports of any developed country thereby making Newark the worst of the worst. Wait, Miami International is pretty bad, too. But that is another story for another time.

So, as I am waiting to board the United flight in Bermuda, all these possible scenarios are running through my mind. If my flight is late getting to Newark and I miss my Delta flight, I am screwed because the Delta flight is a separate booking number originating in Newark. Delta has no way of knowing that I am actually coming in from Bermuda on United. As far as Delta would know, I just did not show up in Newark for my flight. End of story. That would mean $432 down the drain and spending the night in Newark and having to pay for yet another ticket to get home. I mean, all of this is going through my mind. It’s called stress. So, when the gate agents in Bermuda take their sweet time getting the eight pre-board passengers in wheelchairs on the plane, I am thinking “this flight is going to be late getting off the ground.” And, to make matters even more fun, the little weather symbol on the screen at the gate changes from cloudy to thunderstorms in Newark. Now I have to worry about a weather delay!

I am scheduled to have two hours to make my connection in Newark, so I should be able to make it, right? I did gain some much needed time due to the fact that you clear US Customs and Immigration at the Bermuda airport. I was unaware of this process until I got to the Bermuda airport. Pre-clearing in Bermuda shaves about 30 to 45 minutes off the time needed to connect in Newark.

We did take off about 20 minutes behind schedule but arrived in Newark only 15 minutes late. Good for me, right? But remember those predicted thunderstorms I mentioned earlier? Yep, we get stuck sitting on the tarmac because of lightning in the area. And, because of weather in the area, they have delayed flights from taking off, so there is a shortage of available gates. We sit on the tarmac for 15 minutes before we finally pull up to a jetway. But, that 15 minutes seemed like a lifetime!

By the time I exit the plane, I have about one hour and 40 minutes before my Delta flight is scheduled to depart. I still have to collect my luggage from this baggage claim in this third-world airport and somehow find the Delta ticket counter, which is in a different terminal building. The wait at baggage claim took about 25 minutes, but the bag finally did come down the chute. Now, my next task is to find the Delta terminal and check-in. I saw a lady sitting at a United Airlines desk and thought I would ask her for some directions on how to get to the Delta terminal. You have all heard stories about how people in the travel industry are so happy to be back at work after Covid? Yeah, well that wasn’t her. She had NO interest in helping me at all.

Fortunately, I met another passenger at baggage claim who was in my exact same situation. He and I were on the same flights that got cancelled and he also re-booked himself on Delta to Atlanta. Coincidentally, I later learned that he works for Viking Cruises. He was hosting some travel agents on the Viking Orion cruise. Well, he and I, working together, managed to find the Delta ticket counter and get our luggage checked for the flight to Atlanta.

Oh, but it’s not over. No, not by a long shot. After all, Delta hasn’t had their shot at taking a few years off of my life with their issues. And, if you are thinking about bailing out on this lengthy rant, I promise you a nugget of wisdom at the end that will be worth your continued attention.

Let’s fast-forward to 7:15pm (EST). We have boarded the plane, I am in my seat, the cabin doors are closed and we have pushed back from the gate. Remember: the flight was scheduled to depart EWR (Newark) at 6:55pm and I have one-and-a-half hours to make my connection in ATL. We sit on tarmac in Newark for at least 30 more minutes. To make the situation even more delightful, the APU on this plane is not working, so we have no air conditioning. And, throughout all of these flights, we are constantly being reminded that, if we remove our mask, we are in violation of federal law, will be removed from the flight and prosecuted, and most likely never allowed to fly on Delta again. I honestly think you could charge the cockpit aggressively and suffer fewer consequences!

When it reaches 90 degrees in the cabin, the mask makes the experience so much lovelier, especially when it is the same mask you have been wearing since 7:00am. As I continue to sit in seat 4A enjoying my steam bath on this non-moving aircraft, flight 2876 from Newark to Atlanta, I suddenly realize that there is a good chance I will miss my connection in Atlanta! This means that for my $432 all I did was trade an overnight of hell in the Houston airport for an overnight of hell in the Atlanta airport.

Our flight finally does take off and the Captain says he can make up some of the lost time in the air and that we should only be 30 minutes late arriving in Atlanta. If this is true, then I have some relief that I can make my connecting flight with one hour to get to the next gate. Tight, but doable. Once we get to altitude, I get one last notification on my phone from the Delta app. My flight to DFW has been delayed 30 minutes. At this point, I don’t even care anymore. I am just glad to have the extra 30 minutes to make the connection.

We land in ATL 30 minutes late, as promised, and I get to the gate for my DFW flight which is now scheduled to depart at 11:15pm and arrive in Dallas at 12:15pm (there is a one hour time difference).

So, what is the nugget of wisdom that I promised you? First, travel is most definitely back. I have never seen airports any more crowded or busier than I have seen on our last two trips. Second, if you are planning to cruise internationally, don’t even consider doing so unless you plan to fly into the city of embarkation a day or two before the cruise. Air travel was horrible, disgusting and unreliable before the pandemic. Ahh, the good old days. Now, air travel is completely unreliable and more uncomfortable, if you can believe it. Covid has given the airlines another excuse to cut services that they did not want to provide anyway, like meal and beverage services. You don’t even get anything to eat in First Class on domestic flights. It is almost laughable to use the term "First Class". My third suggestion is to buy as much travel insurance as your budget will allow, because you are probably going to have to use it. And my fourth and final nugget: if your international flight itinerary requires a connecting flight, forget it!

Rickee and I have flown internationally four times in the past six weeks. Three out of the four flights experienced delays and/or cancellation. Now, to be fair, we made it to our destinations, albeit late. But, it is the stress of not knowing if you are going to make it that takes a toll on you.

The bottom line on disembarkation from Viking Orion is that everything within the control of Viking Cruises went smoothly. Unfortunately, every guest has to rely on the inept and poorly-run airlines to get to and from a Viking cruise. Maybe Viking should start an airline? Someone damn sure needs to.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/27/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/27/21

Day 7 - Hamilton, Bermuda

A relaxing day in Hamilton, Bermuda aboard Viking Orion and another excellent dinner at The Chef’s Table.

Without any excursions or destination information, this blog can start to sound redundant. And honestly, this destination is just not that compelling to someone like myself. Perhaps if Rickee were along? I am sure the fact that we have been to Bermuda many times does not help matters. For me, I much prefer taking advantage of all the ship has to offer in the way of relaxation.

I should also remind you that I am posting a lot of photos and short video clips on Instagram (@Cruisereport). You can click the logo to the right to access.

Breakfast again this morning was at World Cafe where I once again indulged in the fried rice and Siu Mai dumplings.

After breakfast, it is a beautiful morning to sit outside at the Aquavit Terrace and enjoy the view of Hamilton, Bermuda.

Afternoon Tea is so special that I decided to make one last visit to Wintergarden. This truly is one of the most enjoyable Afternoon Tea services you will find on any ship. Antal plays the piano as I enjoy one last scone before I have to say goodbye to Viking Orion.

For dinner this evening, I am back at The Chef’s Table. The menu has changed from Mexican to Asian Panorama. Since Asian cuisine is one of my favorites, I just had to indulge. Rickee and I enjoyed Asian Panorama on Viking Sea five years ago, so I was anxious to see what, if anything, has changed in this meal.

I was seated at a table for two next to a video. There are lots of two-top tables available at The Chef’s Table, and due to Viking’s strict social distancing, there is a lot of privacy for each table. Only every other table is available for seating at this time due to onboard health and safety protocols.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the menu appears identical to the one we enjoyed five years ago.

The meal begins with an Amuse Bouche consisting of chilled lobster meat topped with a coconut milk foam and curry spices. The only difference I can tell from this dish today and when I had it five years ago is that the portion seems to be a bit larger.

The second course is a trio of delicious Lobster and Chicken Shu Mai dumplings. The dumplings were larger than what I think of when I think of Shu Mai, but they were amazing. The dumpling wrappers were tender and fresh and the Thai chili dipping sauce was spicy and the perfect complement to the dumplings. The only difference I could see in this dish from when I had it on a previous voyage is that I think on our last cruise the dumplings were served in a bamboo steamer basket.

I was served a refreshing intermezzo of lemongrass and red chili granita made with just the right amount of spice to make it interesting.

The main course is the Peking Duck. Shredded duck leg meat is stuffed inside of a thin egg “burrito”, for lack of a better description. Slices of duck breast are layered on top with a couple of shards of crispy duck skin inserted to add some additional flavor and texture. The entire “burrito” has been drizzled with Hoisin sauce, a sweet sauce made from fermented soy beans. Hoisin is sort of like Chinese BBQ sauce. A small stack of paper-thin egg pancakes are provided to enjoy with the duck breast meat. Take an egg pancake, place a slice of duck breast on top, and maybe a piece of the crispy skin, then dredge it through the smear of Hoisin sauce on the plate and you have a memorable bite. Every bite of this dish is rich and flavorful. If my memory serves me, tonight’s menu appears to be identical to the one we enjoyed five years ago.

The final course is a trio of sweets. From left to right, a banana egg roll sitting in a pool of Dulce de Leche, a creme brûlée which had a hint of lemon, and a green tea cheesecake. My favorites were the cheesecake and the brûlée. The banana egg roll was a little tough and hard to chew, although the flavor was nice.

The meal comes with four different wines paired to each course (other than the intermezzo). As a Silver Spirits Package customer, I received the upgraded wine pairing (normally $25 per person). Each of the four wines was excellent. I am not a wine snob by any stretch, but I do think these wines are well worth the $25 up charge.

Sadly, after dinner it is time to begin packing for the trip home tomorrow. I will be disembarking at 11:20 for my 3:00pm flight to Newark, then on to Dallas.

It has been an amazing week aboard Viking Orion. It is good to be cruising again, and good to be back on Viking. Watch our YouTube channel for a final in-depth video review of Viking Orion.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/25/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/25/21

Day 6 - At Sea

A relaxing day at sea, an interesting lecture, and another dinner at Manfredi’s

While it is a fact that everyone loves exploring new and exotic destinations, most cruise enthusiasts also cherish relaxing days at sea. After all, you can sleep late since there are no morning excursions for which to ready yourself.

For breakfast this morning, I made a new discovery. Hidden underneath some parchment paper at the far end of the hot dish serving line are fried rice and Siu Mai Thai dumplings. Who knew? I suspect that Viking has these dishes on offer every day at breakfast for Asian guests. Personally, I much prefer fried rice and dumplings to eggs and bacon, which I can always get at home. The dumplings are filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp and they even offer Thai Sweet Chili sauce to drizzle on top! This is my new favorite breakfast.

After breakfast, I went back to my stateroom to work on my blog and I encountered my stateroom attendants in the hallway. Jerrick and his assistant, Fauzy, have both done an excellent job at keeping my stateroom clean and neat. They are always in the hallway smiling and greeting guests. Great job guys!

After my blogging is finished, I go down to Deck 1 and spend some quality time in the LivNordic spa. Unfortunately, the snow grotto is still under maintenance, but the steam room is working perfectly and I have the entire spa area to myself this morning!

After a morning of steam, hot tub, and relaxation, it’s time for lunch. It is amazing how much of an appetite I can work up doing nothing! I go back to World Cafe for a beef extravaganza. Two steak kabobs and two slices of roasted top sirloin, along with some green beans, should meet my low-carb needs. The kabobs were delicious. They were a perfectly-cooked medium rare and had the tenderness of a filet. The top sirloin, unfortunately, fell short. It was overcooked for my tastes and pretty dry. It is a lean cut of beef to begin with and, when you cook it well done, it can get really dry. The kabobs and green beans, however, were money!

I spent the afternoon relaxing in Explorer’s Dome (Deck 8 forward). This is a great place to get comfortable with a good book, or in my case my laptop, and enjoy a day at sea.

For dinner this evening, I return to Manfredi’s for my second meal there this week.

As you can see, even though Manfredi’s could be considered an upscale restaurant, it is still not too formal. There are no linen tablecloths here. Casual evening wear is acceptable attire.

The menu (below) is extensive and remains the same every day. However, there are daily specials that your waiter will explain before you order. There is no charge to dine at Manfredi’s and I can tell you that a restaurant of this caliber would cost you an additional $30 to $50 per person up-charge on other cruise lines.

Did you know? Manfredi’s is named after the founder of Silversea Cruises, Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, who just happens to be good friends with Viking founder Torstein Hagen.

The breads served with each meal at Manfredi’s are delicious, as is the aged Parmesan and olive oil with balsamic reduction. My only suggestion would be for them to add a French baguette to the bread basket assortment.

When my waiter explained the daily specials, he mentioned a “pasta of the day,” a mushroom-stuffed Tortellini served with a mushroom sauce. It sounded delicious, so I asked if I could get a small order as a starter. The two large Tortellini pictured below were some of the best I have ever eaten. In fact, the Tortellini were so good that I was tempted to cancel my Bistecca order and have the Tortellini as my main course.

When my Bistecca Fiorintina arrived, I knew I had once again made the correct choice. This is the best steak on any cruise ship, and better than most you will find on land. I think the cut might be slightly smaller in size compared to what was being served on my last Viking cruise, but the meat is no less tender or delicious. And, even if it is smaller, all that means is I leave less uneaten on the plate since it is still too large to finish.

I ordered two side dishes with my steak: sautèed cherry tomatoes and an order of creamed spinach. The tomatoes could have been sautèed a bit longer to bring out more sweetness. The dominant flavor was rosemary. The creamed spinach, however, was perfection.

Something I have never done before was try dessert at Manfredi’s. I was so stuffed that I could not even finish my steak, but the waiter insisted I try the Churros with chocolate dipping sauce. The little sticks of fried dough are covered in cinnamon and sugar, a good start for any dessert. The chocolate sauce was the consistency of Nutella. It was a good dessert, but again, I could not finish it.

Dinner at Manfredi’s is always the highlight of any Viking Ocean cruise for me. I think it is one of the best restaurants you will find on any cruise ship. After dinner, I need to burn off some of the calories consumed with this meal, so a walk around the deck is in order.

It is almost 8 o’clock and the sun is setting off the stern of Viking Orion, just as it rose off the bow early this morning.

I finish the evening with a cocktail, enjoying the stylings of the excellent pianist, Antal, as he fills the Atrium with beautiful music.

It has been a relaxing and enjoyable day aboard Viking Orion. Tomorrow, we will be docked again in Hamilton, Bermuda, and sadly, I will have to begin packing for the trip home.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/24/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/24/21

Day 5 - King's Wharf, Bermuda

A great breakfast, a short walk around King’s Wharf, and a great show by our Cruise Director.

After my blogging and coffee this morning, I decided to do something out of character for me. I decided to go to breakfast! I do not normally eat breakfast, but today I wanted to see what was going on at World Cafe. My first stop was at the breakfast meat station for some corned beef hash, link sausages and English bacon. I also placed an order there for two eggs over medium.

As I walked back to my table, I saw Svetlana making waffles and I could not resist the opportunity to compare her waffles to the ones I enjoyed at Mamsen’s a couple of days ago.

The waffle prepared at World Cafe was more of a traditional “American-style’ waffle with butter, maple syrup and a lot of other available toppings like nuts, chocolate, basically anything you would want to put on top of a waffle.

The waffle was very good and more to my tastes than the one at Mamsen’s. There’s nothing better than a hot, crispy waffle. My eggs (see below) were cooked perfectly over medium as ordered and the corned beef hash was especially good.

After breakfast, I disembarked Viking Orion to take a walk around King’s Wharf and maybe do a little souvenir shopping. It is warm this morning, but tolerable, and a good time for a walk.

There is a free open-air shuttle train that takes guests around King’s Wharf and makes stops at the shopping areas. The whole loop only takes about 20 minutes. It is a good option for those with mobility issues. However, if you can walk and you are just doing some shopping, you can walk from the ship to the souvenir shops in about 10 minutes.

I am not sure why, but until I saw the row of shops in the photo below, I did not realize that I was just here three years ago on another cruise ship. I guess my memory is failing me!

I remember the exact souvenir shop (below) where I purchased souvenirs on my last visit. Just walk about another block and there is a nice air-conditioned mall with lots of shops.

Back on board Orion, I decided to make a return trip to the LIvNordic spa for another shot at the hot tub and snow grotto. The snow grotto is still being repaired, but it is very cold in there with some remnant snow on the ground from when it was operational.

For lunch today, I am back at World Cafe for some grilled vegetables and bacon pizza (which was quite good).

I have never seen Porchetta on a cruise ship before, but there it was, just waiting for me to try! Porchetta is a fatty, boneless pork roast and an Italian tradition. The pig carcass is deboned, arranged carefully, stuffed with various parts of the pig and wild fennel. With all fat and skin still on, the carcass is spitted or roasted (traditionally over wood) for at least eight hours. Not sure how traditional the Porchetta is on Viking, but it was damn good!

This afternoon, I attended another lecture by Lou Thieblemont titled, “Aviation: A Flight in Real Time,” where he took us inside the cockpit of a Boeing 757 virtually. He explained many of the switches, lights, breakers and other knobs in the cockpit then did a simulated takeoff and tour of Bermuda from the air.

Team Trivia was going on in the Explorer’s Bar with Sophie, one of the ship’s entertainers. I got there just in time to hear the answers to the questions and it was a tough game of trivia for sure. I don’t think I would have done very well.

As trivia winds down, Viking Orion pushes away from the dock at Heritage Wharf and sails away for Hamilton, Bermuda.

For dinner this evening, I chose to go back to World Cafe. The shrimp and sushi are just so darn good! Tonight, they also have Prosciutto on the buffet, which was also delicious.

I went back to the Stir-Fry station to try the Szechuan fried chicken, which was very good.

After dinner, I could not resist going out to the Aquavit Terrace to enjoy a beautiful Bermuda sunset.

Tonight, we were treated to Una Notte di Canto, an amazing vocal performance by Brian, our Cruise Director, backed up by pianist Antal Farkas. Antal is unquestionably the best pianist I have ever heard on a cruise ship. We sailed with Brian back when he was one of the Viking Vocalists on Viking Sea in 2017, so I was familiar with his amazing talents. The show was held in the Atrium and it was truly memorable.

It was another amazing day aboard Viking Orion. Tomorrow is another day at sea as we sail toward Hamilton, Bermuda.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/23/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/23/21

Day 4 - King's Wharf, Bermuda

We are docked at King’s Wharf, Bermuda. I have burger for lunch and an amazing dinner at The Chef’s Table.

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.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/22/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/22/21

Day 3 - At Sea

I treat myself to sugary treats, visit a planetarium, and enjoy Afternoon Tea.

Today, Viking Orion is at sea, sailing to King’s Wharf, Bermuda. The day begins with the mandatory Covid-19 PCR test which requires depositing saliva into a plastic tube (see below). Only 2ml of saliva is required, but you would be amazed at how long it takes to produce just 2ml of saliva!

I start my morning coffee and blogging routine in Mamsen’s on Deck 7 forward. However, today is Sunday, and Sunday is my food “cheat day” when I allow myself to have anything I want to eat. The rest of the week I stick to a low-carb lifestyle but, on Sundays, watch out!

I decided to try one of Mamsen’s made-to-order waffles. The signature waffle (shown below) comes with sour cream, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and some unique curls of Norwegian cheese.

The cheese is a caramelized goat cheese which is a product of Norway. I opted to try the cheese on the side instead of on the waffle itself. The cheese is actually quite good, and I ended up putting some on the waffle.

*Traditional Norwegian Carmelized Goat Cheese*

I ordered my waffle with strawberries and maple syrup.

The waffle was very filling, enough so that I decided to skip lunch today and wait for Afternoon Tea at 4pm. At 11am, I attended a lecture by resident astronomer, Lou Thieblemont, in the Star Theater. The topic was, “How Big Is Space?” The presentation was very interesting and informative and I highly recommend the lectures on Viking.

At 3:30 I made a reservation for “Under the Dome.” I had no idea that Viking Orion (and Viking Jupiter) has a planetarium on board. The Explorer’s Dome is located on Deck 8, accessible by stairs from Explorer’s Bar. Lou Thieblemont was our host for the 20-minute planetarium experience and it was truly amazing. I can’t remember the last time I was in a planetarium. This unique feature is an excellent addition to the ship!

At 4pm, I was the first one through the door at Wintergarden for Afternoon Tea. I remember Rickee and I enjoying Afternoon Tea on Viking Sky and Viking Sea, so I knew I was in for a treat. The scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam are my favorite.

Following my Afternoon Tea, I decided to explore the Sun Deck. The weather this afternoon is surprisingly mild. It is only about 80 degrees (F.) with almost no wind. First, I try my hand at Mini Golf and, as you can see, easily made a hole-in-one. Of course, I had to shoot about 10 minutes of video to get the hole-in-one shot! Don’t tell anyone.

On the port side of the Sun Deck you will find lawn bowling. I don’t remember this activity being offered on the other Viking ships on which we have sailed. Basically, you roll a small wooden ball down the lawn to knock down the wooden pins. Again, it took me a few minutes of video to get the shot below. I should also point out that there are shuffleboard courts on both port and starboard sides of the ship.

After my Mini Golf and Bowling, it was time for a cocktail. I head to Explorer’s Bar and enjoy the music of onboard guitarist, Michael, while sipping on my Crown Royal.

For dinner this evening, I chose to enjoy World Cafe which could very easily be the best buffet on ANY cruise ship. I love the fresh cocktail shrimp they offer every night, and the sushi is some of the best you will find anywhere. This is the perfect way to start a meal!

The Lamb Curry on the buffet looked really nice, so I decide to give it a try. The lamb was fork tender and the curry was flavorful but, as I feared, lacked the spicy heat that I expect in an Indian curry. I realize that a cruise ship buffet has to prepare dishes to suit less adventuresome palettes than mine.

In need of something with a little more heat, I went to the Stir-Fry station where I requested that the Orange Chicken be made with some chilies. The chef went scurrying off to the main galley to find some chili flakes. I was able to personally request that he add more garlic, leave out the cilantro and to not hold back on the peppers. The resulting dish was delicious! The Stir-Fry station may be my new favorite place for dinner.

This evening, I went back to Star Theater for the first show of the cruise. “The Abba Songbook” was performed by the onboard vocalists and they really nailed the ABBA hits. This was a great show that seemed to be enjoyed by all that attended.

It was another enjoyable and sugar-filled day aboard Viking Orion. Tomorrow, the ship will dock in King’s Wharf, Bermuda, and I have dinner reservations at The Chef’s Table. Stay tuned!

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/21/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/21/21

Day 2 - Hamilton, Bermuda

Viking Orion is remains docked in Hamilton, Bermuda, today. My day starts off in typical fashion: with coffee and a computer. The morning is when I get most of my work done. I go through all of the photos and video from the previous day, and write my blog. Mamsen’s/Explorer’s Bar is one of the most comfortable work spots on the ship. A waitress brings me my coffee and offers to take my photo.

As the sun begins to rise, I run out to the forward deck in front of Explorer’s Bar to grab a photo of the bow. Viking Orion appears to be docked right in the city, which it practically is! I am not a big breakfast eater, so I skip it today, but tomorrow is Sunday, my cheat day, so I will be trying one of the signature waffles at Mamsen’s.

For lunch today, I decide to keep it fairly light since I have reservations for dinner at Manfredi’s tonight. World Cafe is one of the best cruise ship buffet restaurants, so the choice is an easy one. All of the food at World Cafe is served by crew members from behind the line. There are serving lines on the port and starboard sides of the ship, which are mostly the same except that pizza is only served on starboard side for lunch. It is easy to walk around the back of World Cafe to go from port to startboard, or vice-versa.

I started with a salad plate with Taboulleh, Russian Salad, Chorizo, Cheese and Black Forest Ham.

My main course today was the Margherita Pizza. The pizza at World Cafe is very good, but you have to get it when it is fresh. If it sits under the heat lamp for more than a few minutes, the crust loses its flavor and crispness. I think a glass of sparkling wine with pizza is a perfect pairing, don’t you?

After lunch, I decide to venture into Hamilton to do a little souvenir shopping. I stop along the way for a photo with the ship.

From a couple of blocks away, Viking Orion really does look like it is docked right in the middle of town! There are lots of shops, restaurants, bars and businesses along Front street and the adjacent streets, all within easy walking distance from the ship.

When I got back onboard the ship, I took a shower and shot a short video for YouTube of my embarkation experience. At 4:00pm, I attended a lecture, “Explorers-The Age of Discovery,” given by Dr. Bryan Babcock. It was very interesting and I look forward to attending more lectures.

Soon it was time for my Happy Hour before going to dinner. I enjoy a Crown Royal in the Viking Bar on Deck 1 and the waiter brings me some delectable treats to enjoy with my drink.

I showed up for my reservation at Manfredi’s a little early, but it was no problem getting seated at a beautiful table for two next to a window. My waiter brings a basket of beautiful breads and a bowl of Parmesan cheese and olive oil with balsamic.

When it came time to place my order, it was an easy decision. For my main course, it had to be the Bistecca Fiorentina. This tender and delicious rib-eye is the best steak on any cruise ship, and is my ‘go-to’ main course at Manfredi’s.

I also chose to try the Antipasti starter and it was very good, but way more than I was expecting.

When my Bistecca arrived, it brought back fond memories of previous Viking voyages where Rickee and I enjoyed wonderful meals at Manfredi’s. The steak was perfectly cooked, tender and delicious. I ordered a side of creamed spinach which was the perfect accompaniment to the steak.

After devouring the huge steak, I took what was left of my glass of red wine back out to the Atrium on Deck 1 and enjoyed the sounds of the Classical Duo.

There is no theater show tonight, only a movie. So, I decide to head back to my stateroom early. It was an amazing and relaxing day aboard Viking Orion. Tomorrow, the ship will be at sea, sailing towards Kings Wharf, Bermuda.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/20/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/20/21

Day 1 - Embarkation in Hamilton, Bermuda

THE FLIGHT TO BERMUDA

My first Viking Ocean cruise in nearly three years starts off with a very stressful flight from DFW to Charlotte, NC. After only three hours of sleep, I am up at 2am to finish getting packed. My driver picks me up at 2:45am for the drive to the airport. When we arrived at the DFW airport, I was surprised at how many people were in line to check-in for flights at 3:00am. My flight is scheduled to depart at 5am. Operative word: scheduled.

I only checked one small roll-aboard bag on this flight and was charged $30 for the privilege. It’s the first time I have ever had to pay to check luggage. I showed the agent my Executive AAdvantage CitiBank Mastercard (which is supposed to always provide one checked bag free), and was told that it only applied to domestic flights.

We boarded the plane on time by 4:30am. At 5am, the cabin doors are closed and the Captain tells us that our plane was originally scheduled for a flight to San Francisco and when it was serviced last night, they put too much fuel on board and some of the fuel would need to be removed. Okay, here we go.

I am not going to bore you with all of the details, but we did not take off until 6:30am. At that point, everyone on the plane is wondering if they are going to make their connecting flights in Charlotte, myself included. Now, the good news is that I did make the connecting flight. The bad news is, I had to stress about it for five hours. We got to Charlotte about ten minutes before my flight to Bermuda was scheduled to begin boarding. And, by some miracle, our flight from DFW parked at gate D2 and my flight to Bermuda was at gate D4.

Because of the tight connection, I did not have time to get anything to eat in Charlotte, so I have not eaten since lunch yesterday. This is American Airlines and, currently, you get virtually nothing to eat on any flight. On the flight to Bermuda, they did give us a Biscoff cookie and a Diet Dr. Pepper. That will have to hold me until dinner onboard Viking Orion.

EMBARKATION IN HAMILTON, BERMUDA

Our flight landed on time and, in spite of all of the paperwork and Covid testing required by Bermuda prior to the flight, getting through immigration was pretty smooth. They had workers every few feet to collect various forms. Even after going tthrough the process of getting the Bermuda travel authorization form before the trip, I still had to fill out two more forms on the airplane!

After collecting checked luggage, everyone had to get in line to get a Covid-19 PCR test administered by the Bermuda government. This was not the gentle, front of the nose swab. This was the medieval, go deep, almost to your brain, swab. It will bring tears to your eyes for sure.

Once that was out of the way, I exited the airport and boarded one of the small shuttle vans for the ride to the ship. The drive took about 30 minutes, and our driver was a good tour guide along the way. The ship is docked on Front Street in Hamilton.

Shuttles transfer us from the airport to the ship

Once the shuttle pulled up next to Viking Orion, I think everyone felt a sense of relief that the hard part of the trip was over and the fun and relaxation was about to begin. Everyone enters the terminal building on a red carpet.

Once inside the terminal, our photos are taken and we are given our contact tracing devices. The small round plastic disc can be worn around the neck, or placed in your pocket, but you must keep them on your person for the entire cruise.

After exiting the terminal, it is time to board Viking Orion.

Once onboard, we were escorted to the Star Theater where we were briefly greeted by Cruise Director, Brian Rodriguez, at the entrance to the theater. A small group of us were seated and a crew member gave us a short demonstration on how to put on the life vests. Viking does not place life vests in the staterooms. They are kept at muster stations, which really makes more sense. Instead of having to go back to your stateroom to get your life vest should the need arise, no matter where you are on the ship you just go to your muster station and they will provide you with a vest.

After the demonstration, we are escorted to our staterooms. I am in 6015, a , Penthouse Veranda. The stateroom is very spacious and I cannot wait to explore all of the features. However, my stateroom attendant, Jerrick, arrives shortly thereafter and told me some of the features of the Penthouse Veranda.

Jerrick pointed out the Covid testing tubes in the stateroom for the daily saliva tests, one of which needed to be completed within the next 15 minutes. He also explained that I needed to watch the safety video on the stateroom television, which I did. At the end of the video, you must click OK on the TV remote indicating that you watched the video. The life vest demo plus this video replaces the traditional muster drill and it is a welcome change.

After watching the video, I took a quick look at my balcony, which overlooks Front Street in Hamilton. The balcony is not too deep, but is very wide and should be a nice place to spend some time while at sea.

It is 6:00 in the evening and I have not had anything to eat (notwithstanding the Biscoff on American Airlines) since 11am yesterday. I am hungry! Even though I have dinner reservations at The Restaurant this evening, I feel compelled to take a quick pre-dinner snack at World Cafe on Deck 7 aft. This ship has a new stir-fry station at the back of the buffet line and I could not resist the turkey stir-fry. It was very good!

I showed up early for my dinner reservation at The Restaurant on Deck 2 aft. I ordered the White Bean Soup, which was delicious and the filet. The filet was cooked perfectly to order and was very tender. It was served atop white beans. A side of creamed spinach complemented the steak well. A glass of Fronterra Cabernet from Chile was the perfect wine. This was an excellent first (or second) meal aboard Viking Orion.

After dinner, I am exhausted and head straight for my stateroom for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow evening, Viking Orion departs Hamilton for Kings Wharf, Bermuda.

*My comfortable blogging station in Explorer’s Lounge Deck 7*

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/18/21 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/18/21

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