Anastasia plays the violin with loving hands. She is tall and thin, her black dress clings tightly to her frail and delicate body, her long fingers expertly hold the bow as she strums the violin with confident ease. She cradles the instrument as if it were a newborn child, eyes shut in loving concentration, every string following her command and streaming soothing classical notes of famous artists long gone. I take a step closer and descend into her trance as do all the others in the room, enjoying the moment of quiet inspiration, not wanting to leave. A wall-sized screen projects famous works of art behind her, the soft light dancing along with the notes. Soon a small crowd stands by, in silent admiration. A soft voice behind approaches me and takes me away from this scene: “Welcome to Viking cruise line, would you like some champagne?” then hands me a bubbly flute.
And so, it begins. My husband and I have booked a week-long cruise to Cuba, and to be perfectly honest, the destination is the main reason we chose this particular company. Although he would have preferred to fly straight into Cuba, rent a motorcycle and explore the countryside on our own, I don’t share the same revolutionary free spirit. I am at a point in my life where I desperately need a bit of pampering, luxury and splurge. Viking has such a reputation and I am ready to take the plunge…so to speak.
I am not what you call a frequent cruiser. Sure, my friends and I take a quick girl’s cruise every other year or so, to spend some time together and catch up on our lives. I have been on other lines in the past, for work and play, but I do not have any “frequent cruiser” badges or get VIP boarding privilege because of my recurrent bookings. However, as a travel blogger, I am determined to examine every detail and give an honest feedback.
We arrive at the Miami airport and a cruise representative spots us right away although my husband has refused to wear the identifying “Viking Cruise” label provided to us ahead of time. Our bags are swiftly taken from us to be delivered to the ship. We mostly travel carry-on, so packing for a cruise takes some extra planning, but I feel confident. We arrive at the dock; a large red Viking awning welcomes us. I brace for the expected hustle and bustle of long lines, frazzled passengers lining up desperately clutching passports, crumpled forms and papers ready to be handed in. However, the security checkpoint is quick and thorough. The check-in lines fluid as an early Sunday morning drive. A smiling Viking representative shows us to a counter where our stateroom keys are quickly handed to us. This appears too smooth; has everyone else already boarded at this early morning hour?
I quickly fluff my hair, in annoyed anticipation of the port photographer who will take our picture as we board the ship, posing in front of a glamorous background that everyone knows is fake. But…no, not a shutterbug in sight! Relief. We are ushered to the front desk where our Cuban visitors’ visa is handed to us and then to the elegant hall lined with rich wooden game tables. Checkers, backgammon, puzzles, champagne, and then the welcoming soft music of Anastasia.
We decide to locate our room and then get our bearings around the ship. Cabins on Viking cruises are all the same. All exterior rooms, all have large beds, ample space and a large balcony. The balcony will soon become our favorite spot to enjoy breathtaking views and gourmet style breakfast in the mornings. There are a few larger suites available at each end of the ship, but all other cabins are equal in space and décor. Walking in the room, our steward Konang, smiles and welcomes us. He proudly shows us the lights, the amenities, the bottled water and Swiss chocolate-filled mini fridge, the personal light-up vanity and personal whisperers charging for the excursions ashore. He gives us intructions to get the free internet access. Then room has a real bathroom with a full-sized shower, soft-close drawers, space for everything. An array of bathroom essentials from Europe, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, lined up like perfect little perfumed soldiers. It feels like a smaller, although spacious, bathroom in an elegant hotel.
The ship is fairly new, three years old since it was built in Venice, but it feels like we are the first to sail on it. In the sitting area, a fabric-covered coffee table holds a leather tray with our schedule for the next day, the “Viking Daily”. My husband jokes that I don’t need to read it because they will announce all the activities over the loudspeaker. He will soon find out that he is wrong, happily, the announcements are few and far between. I ignore his comments and explore the large closet. The plushest slippers and robe wait patiently for me nestled among the smooth wooden hangers. Everything is discreetly elegant, colors muted, quiet, very Scandinavian.
As we take off to visit the rest of the ship and we go down the elegant but understated staircase, where images of the medieval Bayeux Tapestries cover the walls. Considered to be the description of a Viking story, this seems very appropriate décor. All eight floors have different versions of them on the murals. I know this because my health-minded husband insists we go up and down the stairs every day and never take the elevator. The elevators are elegant, glass enclosed and silent. I took them when my husband was not around. Just so I could describe them, of course.
There are several restaurants on the ship, no assigned seating or time, so you can show up during meal times and get seated alone with your travel mate or ask to share a table to meet others on the cruise. We stop by the reservations desk to ensure we have a spot for the two restaurants that require them.
At The Chef’s Table, there is no menu and the chef serves his choice of dishes accompanied by the appropriate wines. The other is Manfredi’s, the Italian restaurant where you can order a la carte specialties. Both restaurants have excellent offerings although I notice the Italian place is more popular. Probably because of the many choices available. During our cruise, my favorite meal is in The Restaurant, the regular venue that most passengers use. I can still taste the seared foie gras, cooked to perfection. And because we had to wait a few minutes to get seated, we received apologies from the maître d’hôtel and are offered champagne while we wait. Nice touch.
Viking is elegant yet casual all at once. On the deck and around the ship, the dress code is relaxed, including when dining at the grill or World Café. The dress code is a bit more restrictive in the formal restaurants where shorts or even jeans are not allowed. It makes for a better dining experience all around. There are no formal nights which means that you miss out on more uncomfortable posed photography moments to the delight of my husband.
We reach the World Café, a more casual, buffet-style restaurant that offers the option of dining al fresco, on the lovely outdoor deck overlooking the infinity pool. Passengers are already taking advantage of the delicious food selections, but we opt to skip it since we have just taken a food detour in Miami’s little Havana prior to boarding the ship. I notice that even in the casual buffet area, the tables are set with lovely linen napkins, sparkling wine glasses and brightly polished cutlery.
Outside of restaurant opening hours there is the Explorer’s lounge, filled with amazing books about world explorations and floor to ceiling windows. Here, while you read famous explorer’s tales, you can sample delicious Scandinavian salmon or shrimp sandwiches plus amazing pastries featuring the Suksessterte (better known as success cake), a meringue and soft buttercream delight. A formal tea hour is also set up every afternoon in the Winter Garden, along with a live trio playing classical music and three-tiered porcelain stands brought to your table with an assortment of French pastries and English tea sandwiches. If you are still hungry, room service available 24 hours a day.
We decide to start using our Premium Drink package in one of the many bars on board, and we get to know the friendly bartenders. With this optional package, you can have unlimited premium cocktails, beer or wine during your cruise. If you don’t buy the package, don’t worry, wine and beer is served during lunch or dinner, free of charge and generously poured. Everyone seems happy to work on this ship. They all seem to want to share their personal stories. The bartenders get to know our names very quickly (I suspect their iPads equipped with passenger’s photos help) but their interest appears genuine. No one walks around pushing “drinks of the day” looking like they must make their quota before sundown. This is truly a laid back, no hassle atmosphere. Dirty Martini and Spritz in hand, we keep touring the ship.
The decks are spotless and uncrowded. Understated plants are here and there among the white and blue sun worshiping furniture. Somehow, the 930 passengers and 500 crew members don’t make this ship ever feel jam-packed. Outdoor sports deck, walking or jogging track, putting green, bocce ball, an outdoor movie theater with retractable roof and quiet reading areas are all for the taking. A purified water station, with sparkling blue glasses, is a nice touch for those who will be dehydrated from their energetic workouts. I pity them as I sip my martini.
I am determined to examine every part of this ship, no matter how mundane, so I go inspect the dreaded place every cruise passenger tries to avoid: the public bathroom. Mostly used when your cabin is too far to get to, it is usually noisy, cramped and full of spay-on disinfectant to avoid the dreaded roto virus. I go in and I am alone. Quiet music pipes in as I see a spotless room. Cleaned by invisible genies who are never seen but are always on the job, it looks like the kind of bathroom you find in an indulgent spa. Muted colors, baskets full of neatly rolled-up hand towels, a choice of fine soaps, soft lighted mirrors. Another fellow passenger enters, and she is as pleasantly surprised as I am. She looks around at the decor, we both smile and pretend this is what we expected all along.
Inside the main deck, is the essential cruise spa, with the usual massages, facials, hair salon and nail bar. Next to it is the well-equipped workout room and yoga area. Beyond that is the sauna where courageous passengers try the famous Scandinavian bathing ritual. This consists of going into a steam sauna for a few minutes followed by a time in a freezing snow grotto. If you are even more courageous you get doused by a cold-water shower at the end. I am not a fan of cold, snow and steam together, but my husband tries it and loves the experience. He goes again and insists he is invigorated by this. He talks about the people he met and the interesting conversations he had. All I know is that I don’t want to have any interesting conversations while I stand in snow wearing nothing but a bathing suit. To each his own.
Entertainment on these cruises is much different than on larger lines. There are no large-scale shows, no late-night nightclubs, no comedians, no casino. And we don’t miss any of it. We were well entertained by smaller scale shows, a talented cruise director who once dabbled in Broadway musicals, live music by top performers, outdoor movies, informative lectures by historians and the Torshavn lounge, where a faithful crowd gathered every evening to dance along to the Viking band, a young and very talented group.
Every port-of-call we visited had free and optional excursions included. I will not get into detail about what we visited during the excursions because I wrote about them extensively in my Cuba blog. On our first night on the ship, we received in our cabin, a letter of apology from the general manager, explaining that Hemingway’s house would not be open to visit as described on our tour brochure to Havana. We were given the option to cancel the tour and get our money back, but we want to see the city. Instead of visiting the famous writer’s house, we are surprised by the free addition of a tour of the city riding the famous American vintage cars. Sorry Hemingway, this topped it all and made the tour unforgettable.
I don’t want you to think that every aspect of the cruise went off without a hitch. Things happen in every tour as I well know from experience in the travel business. The tours are well organized and interesting. The buses offer first class comfort and the guides are local which gives us a great insight on the culture and day to day life of the Cuban people. However, Viking cannot control every single aspect of what happens outside their ship. During one particular tour in Havana, there is a glitch when the obviously newbie tour guide manages to lose one of the elderly participants during the walking tour. The guide, visibly shaken, leaves the group in the bus trying to locate the lost tourist. There is much grumble from the passengers looking forward to drinks and lunch. While the guide is gone, a lady sitting close to me says she has the lost tourist’s cell number and calls poor missing Amelia. She finally reaches her but the panicked and lost Amelia is almost in tears, not knowing if she will have to take up permanent residence in Havana. The bus driver, still missing his guide, does not speak English and is perplexed by the scene. At this point my husband turns to me and tells me: “Go ahead, I know you are going to take over”. I have been leading tours abroad for many years, still do, so I take the cell phone, do my best to calm Amelia as I walk to the front of the bus and explain the situation to the bus driver in Spanish. He is grateful to be able to understand. I ask questions on the phone regarding what this lady can see around her, and we figure out where she is. I feel like I am in a movie scene, standing next to the bus driver, pointing which way to turn and drive, looking for Amelia. We finally spot her, sweating profusely from fear but grateful to be found. We then pick up the red faced tour guide on the other side of the city and there is a long silence in the bus for a while. The mood finally changes when we arrive to our next destination and drinks are served all around.
Part of the reason Americans can get visas to visit Cuba is that the trip must be cultural and educational. Therefore, during the cruise, several lectures are expertly given by historians and professors. Most of these lectures are very informative, entertaining and very well attended. My husband travels around the wold and lectures for a living so he can be rather hard to please in this aspect. One of the speakers does not impress my husband but the others are wonderful and so educational, we feel we have a good grasp on Cuba’s history and culture.
How was our Viking experience? Would we do it again? Overall, it was a first-class experience. I loved the relaxed luxurious atmosphere, the friendly but not over-the-top staff, the soothing surroundings, the quality and great choice in restaurants and the interesting lecture and excursions. I keep in mind that this is a luxury cruise, not everyone can afford this type of travel all the time. But you get what you pay for and this was worth every cent.
As we approach our return to Miami, seated in our balcony enjoying the lovely breakfast of smoked salmon and fresh fruit, I relish in the soft relaxation that had taken over me during this trip. I feel pampered, rested, somehow ready to face reality. In the cruise world there are many choices, budgets and large menus of offerings. There is a time and place for each type of cruise and destination. In my particular case, I feel I needed this precise experience and can’t wait to cruise again. The best part, I think my husband forgot about the motorcycle and is ready for another Viking experience. Anastasia, keep playing that song.
