Viking Venus cruise review
This story begins with a birthday brunch and coast walk on a sunny Saturday in late May. Post brunch we commenced our 45 minute car drive home from the coast just as an email from Viking plopped in my inbox. The offer was for a cruise leaving two weeks from that day at a price that was simply irresistible. We couldn’t get home quick enough to secure a place on this cruise and after quite a long hold on the phone getting through to Viking Cruises we were booked, such a wonderful surprise birthday present.
After two weeks of excitement, booking shore excursions, restaurant reservations, drinks packages and embarkation slots we arrived at Portsmouth cruise terminal at 9am exactly (our embarkation slot was 9-9.30am). Upon arrival we had a temperature check, showed our paperwork confirming vaccination status and joined a very short queue to check in, where we were soon acquainted with our new best friend, the track and trace device we would need to keep with us for the next week. Within 10 minutes we were heading through security and boarding the coach to take us to the ship. By 9.15am we were on the ship, surely the earliest embarkation we have ever had!
Upon boarding we were directed to our Muster station and shown how to put on a life jacket before being directed to our suite where we had to watch the muster drill video and fill our saliva PCR test tube for collection from our room steward. We had booked a Penthouse Verandah suite which was situated mid ship on deck 5. The room was very spacious with so much storage we even managed to find room for all of our camera equipment (believe me that doesn’t happen often), a large balcony, a luxurious bathroom and a very comfortable seating area (for more information on Viking’s suite options watch out for a more in depth suite guide coming soon).
So it was that by 10am we were unpacked and ready to explore. After a wander around the public areas getting a feel for the layout of the ship, we headed to the World Cafe for lunch and our first temperature check of the voyage. All guests are required to get their temperature checked every day at either the main restaurant, the World Cafe or passenger services, and if you accidentally forget you get a friendly reminder on the Viking app. There is also a very short, four question health questionnaire to complete on the Viking app each day.
The World cafe is the buffet style restaurant which offers a wide range of very high quality food which, as seems to be de rigueur in this post-covid world, is served up to you by crew from behind the plastic screens. As Portsmouth was basking in warmth and sunshine we chose our lunch and headed out to the Aquavit terrace to enjoy the lovely weather with a glass of wine. The Aquavit terrace is named after the rather unusual and distinctive Nordic spirit made with herbs and spices which are matured in barrels as they are transported by sea from Norway to Australia and back again. Being brave of heart Rich did try a shot of Aquavit and though he described it as an acquired taste we love the attention to detail and Nordic tradition this ship exudes. The terrace itself is Viking’s nod towards al fresco dining and provides a lovely spot for World Cafe diners to eat their meal, though to us it did feel a somewhat confused area with the infinity pool and sunbeds vying for the deck space too. We didn’t feel that we would be completely comfortable taking a dip in the otherwise wonderful infinity pool whilst people were sitting round eating their lunch!
After lunch we headed up to the sports deck to enjoy a few deck games, table tennis and golf putting, all so we could build up an appetite for afternoon tea. Afternoon tea on all Viking ships is served in the delightful Wintergarden, a glass roofed conservatory type venue which sits next to the main swimming pool. Every afternoon at 3pm a musician arrives to play their instruments while guests indulge in a cup of tea chosen from a vast tea menu, a range of finger sandwiches, a fruit scone and a plate of tempting sweet treats. It’s a relaxing and indulgent way to while away an hour, especially on a chilly sea day.
Although we had only been on board for a few hours we were already getting a very relaxed vibe wherever we went on the ship. The decor throughout is very Scandi, with cosy blankets draped over chairs, comfy sofas and footstools inviting guests to put their feet up, and homely ‘fireplaces’ (not real fire obviously, but very realistic steam flames). We soon found our favourite spot at the front of the ship spanning decks 7 and 8, the Explorers lounge. During the day we gravitated to the upper lounge area where there are some very cosy corner sofas to lounge away the hours taking in the 180 degree bow view, all while being kept hydrated by the amazing Viking crew. And if you ever tire of the view there are books, artwork and displays galore to muse over. In the evening we loved the bar area for a pre or post dinner drink with the fabulous cosmic lighting, divine cocktails and delightful background music.
That evening we had reserved a table at the Chef’s Table speciality restaurant which was serving the Asian tasting menu. Viking ships have 2 main speciality restaurants which can be pre-booked before boarding. The number of reservations you can pre-book will depend upon your room category (we had pre-booked two nights), however once on board there is a dedicated restaurant reservation desk where guests can check availability and book extra nights if they are able to accommodate you. Thankfully for us our voyage was sailing at about one third capacity so once we were on board we added an extra two nights in Chef’s Table. This meant we were able to try all three of the tasting menus offered in the Chef’s Table (more on that in an upcoming dining guide). Suffice to say the Asian menu was delicious and as we had purchased the Silver drinks package it also came with a perfectly matched premium wine pairing.
Viking’s inclusive drinks package includes soft drinks and beer or wine with lunch and dinner. Other drinks are very reasonable priced on an individual basis (for example most of the cocktails are priced at around $6.50) but there is the option to purchase a drinks package which then includes all drinks up to a value of $15, which in all honesty is most of them. The Silver drinks package is priced at around £15 a day per person so if you, like us, enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or refreshing Pina colada round the pool then we would recommend pre-purchasing this. The bar team soon get to know if you have the package or not and will then also offer more choice of wines and beers with lunch and dinner, as well as the drinks from the bar menus.
After a delicious evening meal we were finally able to set sail for our first destination, Liverpool. Departure was later than planned because there had been a slight delay in processing all of the passengers PCR test results, but it did mean that we had the chance to see Portsmouth and the Spinnaker Tower lit up against the nights sky.
With the sun still shining the next morning we made the most of it and took our breakfast out on the Aquavit terrace again before heading to the main pool area for a swim and laze in the large rectangular hot tub. For some reason the roof was still over the central pool despite the weather being glorious and as the temperature inside this glass-roofed pool area rose to the point of uncomfortable we made the decision to find a subbed outside. Just as we were about to move the roof started to retract to let the fresh air and sunshine in and the mounting heat out so we decided to stay out for a little bit longer. The central pool area, like the Aquavit terrace is a multi-functional area, with sunbeds placed around the pool, day loungers facing out to sea, tables for the pool grill and bar and sofas for the outdoor cinema screen. However, unlike the Aquavit terrace the combination of uses seems to work here, probably because it’s much larger with defined and separate areas for bathing, relaxing and eating. Whilst we are on the topic of eating, lunch at the Pool Grill is a must, serving all the usual grill favourites.
As this was our first sea day we had pre-booked a slot in the thermal spa area for the afternoon. The thermal spa area is available to all guests at no additional cost and in normal circumstances guests just turn up and use it whenever they feel like it. However, on these sailings the occupancy was limited to six guests at any one time so pre-booking was required for a 45 minute slot. With Viking ships well geared up for cold weather sailings, the thermal spa is one of the best of any ship we have been in. There is the usual hydrotherapy pool, a large hot tub, four hot stone beds, a large steam room and a rather unique snow room, which has real snow in it for guests to rub over their skin (unfortunately, due to covid, this isn’t fully functioning at the moment but is still cold enough to offer a contrast to the steam room). In true Nordic style the thermal spa offers guests the opportunity to experience hot and cold therapy in 3 different ways. There is a steam room/snow room; a hot tub/ice bucket; and in the changing rooms is a sauna and cold plunge pool.
Following a very relaxing day involving lots of warmth and water we changed for dinner and headed to the Living Room for tonight’s pre-dinner drinks. The Living Room is the heart of the ship, sitting at the bottom of the three storey atrium and adorned in the usual Nordic style furnishings, set out around the very chic and minimalist large central staircase with a large screen on the wall to decorate the atrium with themed artwork or famous landmarks of the port the ship is docked in. A magnificent grand piano sits at the bottom of the staircase for the live music that fills the atrium every evening. The Living room bar offers teas, coffees, cold drinks and cocktails from early morning until late at night, along with time relevant snacks ranging from buttery pastries, to delicious sandwiches and cakes and cookies. Much like the Aquavit terrace and the central pool area, the Living Room is a multifunctional venue serving as both a cosy place to come and read a book, play games on the interactive games tables, listen to live music or enjoy a pre and/or post-dinner drink at the bar. And it works really well, this is a wonderful space to spend time, either during the day or into the evening.
That evening we had reserved a table at Viking’s second speciality restaurant, Manfredi’s, an Italian restaurant named after the founder of Silversea cruises, a friend and contemporary of Torstein Hagen, the founder of Viking cruises. We had heard great things about Manfredi’s and were advised to try the Bistecca Fiorentina steak, which was as delicious as everyone had told us it would be - though I couldn’t resist adding a ‘side dish’ of one of my favourite pasta dishes, gnocchi, which was absolutely divine. The food here was plentiful and delicious, the service impeccable and the wine perfectly matched to the food we ate. Overall, a wonderful evening - we can see why this is the hardest restaurant to get a reservation at, just one word of advice - don’t let the amazing bread basket tempt you into eating it all at once or you won’t be able to finish your meal (believe me, i know)!
Waking up in Liverpool the next morning and still full from the meal the evening before we headed to Mamsen’s for a light breakfast before setting off on our walking tour. Mamsen’s deli is named after Torstein’s grandmother and offers a menu reflecting the sorts of dishes she would prepare for the family, all served up on exquisite crockery which has been specially made to mimic the style of tableware Mamsen herself used to own. It is located within the Explorer’s lounge and has a few tables along the side of the deli counter, although guests are more than welcome to take the food to their seat within the lounge. The waffles here are a Viking signature dish, served with traditional brown goats cheese, which though wasn’t my cup of tea, didn’t detract from the scrumptiousness of the waffle it topped. The menu here is small but everything is delicious and varies throughout the day - we would definitely recommend stopping here for lunch one day to try one of the hot or cold open sandwiches with a slice of one the the unusual but very tasty cakes.
We had chosen to do one of the extra cost tours whilst we were docked in Liverpool so at our allotted time we headed off of the ship to meet our group dockside for our three hour maritime walking tour. Despite being quite a large group our tour guide was able to keep us all safe and socially distanced throughout our walk thus ensuring our ship bubble wasn’t compromised. We made our way round some historic maritime buildings, then visiting some iconic local landmarks, including the famous Cavern Club, a walk through the shopping district before finishing our circular walk with a stroll along the dockside. As we made our way around this compact city centre our guide regaled us with local history and folklore, all delivered with a generous smattering of humour. We paid $59 each for this excursion but we really enjoyed it, concluding that it was very good value for money and ultimately pleased that we had ‘upgraded’ from the included coach tour.
After all that walking we thought we would have a slightly more relaxed evening and decided to take our dinner in the World Cafe. Unlike some luxury cruise lines the buffet remains a self service area in the evening which we thought was a pity, but we have to say that we were blown away by the variety and standard of food on offer. Before making our way up to the World cafe I had taken a quick look at the menu for that night on the Viking app and seen that Chateaubriand was on the menu. It is worth mentioning here how fabulous the Viking app is for showing all the menus for all the venues, including detail on the afternoon tea sandwiches and cakes on offer. And it is accurate despite Rich and Tips for Travellers Gary (who joined us for dinner that night) not believing me when I told them over our pre-dinner drinks in the Living Room, there was chateaubriand being served in a buffet, and it was melt in the mouth delicious.
Fittingly the show tonight was a Beatles tribute featuring the ship’s singers and many of our Beatles favourite tunes. The theatre on Viking Venus is large, spacious and comfortable with rather clever side ‘wings’ at the back of the theatre which can be shut off and used as small cinemas, or opened up to extend the seating in the theatre (which is what they were used for in our socially distanced voyage). This was the first performance of the voyage as Viking had purposefully avoided having lots of guest in one area until we had been on board a few days and developed a ship bubble. Suffice to say it was worth the wait, the performance and show was great.
Despite a late night and maybe one cocktail too many we did remember to hang out our room service breakfast request before we went to bed that night so woke up to the doorbell ringing (and yes, each room has a doorbell, which we love) and our rather delicious room service breakfast. Although we love to eat outside on our balcony the weather had turned rather autumnal so we ate in our very spacious lounge area. And what else do you do on a sea-day morning when the weather was not that nice, eat breakfast then go and lounge in a hot tub, right?
Although the weather was not great it didn’t dampen our spirits and we enjoyed a very relaxing sea day before meeting up with Cruise With Ben & David for dinner in the Chef’s Table, this time sampling the British tasting menu. After another delicious menu and perfect wine pairings we all headed out for a walk on a very windy promenade before heading to the show. We love that Viking ships have full wrap around promenade deck, perfect for an evening stroll (perhaps if it’s a little less windy!).
Not wanting to end the evening just yet we all headed to Torshavn to listen to the band while enjoying one of the many exclusive drinks only available at this bar. Torshavn is the Viking ‘nightclub’ and is a dark sultry venue with a very large bar, a resident band that plays most evenings, and a dance floor for burning off those excess calories (unfortunately at our time of sailing we were not allowed to dance because of Covid). It is a very popular venue for all those guests that like to stay up a little bit later and will pretty much stay open until the last guest has gone to bed. The bar team here are very knowledgeable and as well as offering advice on new drinks to try also hold gin, whisky and vodka tasting sessions, some of which are at no additional cost if you have the Silver drinks package and are good fun if you like to try new drinks.
Realising that we had been on the ship for four days and still hadn’t eaten in the main restaurant, we headed off for breakfast there the next morning. The restaurant is decorated in light tones with panoramic windows looking out over the promenade deck to the sea beyond. It is nicely divided up into smaller areas to give it a more personal feel to it, though I did miss being able to see the complete width of the ship from my table, but that’s a personal thing. The food here is very similar to the offerings in the World cafe but served to you by the attentive wait staff and a little more refined.
Our second and last port on this trip was a stop in beautiful Falmouth in Cornwall, a port we are very familiar with and have written a port guide for on No Fly Cruises. The sail into the dockside was interesting, docking alongside some pretty large naval vessels, and the weather had improved for us so once we were alongside we had a lovely view over this picturesque fishing town. I had booked myself onto the inclusive shore excursion for this port and set off early to board my allotted coach for this three hour excursion. We headed along the coast road for our one and only stop on this tour at Marazion beach to take a photo of nearby St Michael’s Mount. The coach then continued up to the north coast of Cornwall passing many of the old tin mines. Although our guide did a good job describing the heritage and sites along the way, as someone who knows Cornwall quite well, I didn’t feel that this tour showed off the best bits of Cornwall and I wished I had booked onto one of the extra cost tours. Better still would have been the chance to just wander around Falmouth, but alas in these covid times guests were only allowed off of the ship on an accompanied tour.
Arriving back on the ship I headed back to our room to meet back up with Rich (who had stayed on board) and we decided to order a room service lunch which arrived within about 30 minutes of ordering it and was a very welcome sight after a long morning on a coach. Later that afternoon was the Viking Explorers Club party out on the open decks around the middle pool, a perfect precursor to another wonderful evening on this lovely ship.
And so it was that we had reached our final full day on board. I had arranged to have a massage in the afternoon which was heavenly. The Spa is so serene and the staff are so knowledgeable and helpful. I had had a facial earlier in the week and both that and the massage were a wonderful indulgence on a voyage with so many sea days. That evening we had booked an early table (Rich wanted to watch the England football team who were playing in the Euros at 8pm) at the Chef’s Table to sample the last of the three menus, the Californian cuisine. this menu is very heavily seafood based which we loved, but if you’re not a fan of seafood you might be advised to favour one of the other menus.
After a very boring football match we headed to the theatre for the virtual crew parade and final show, featuring our very talented Cruise Director, Heather Clancy. The show finished just in time for us to head outside and watch our sail back into Portsmouth where we were docking overnight prior to disembarkation early the next day.
Our disembarkation was scheduled for 7am which suited us well. All of the restaurant options were open on the final morning but we chose to finish our voyage at our favourite eatery, Mamsen’s, and we were the only ones there. When it came to finally disembarking this all went very smoothly and we were at our car within 15 minutes of leaving our room. This had been our first experience of sailing with Viking and hopefully it won’t be our last, their ships are beautiful and serene and we can’t leave without a special mention to the fabulous crew who were outstanding.
This was not a paid for or sponsored trip, was fully funded by ourselves and is an honest and truthful account of our experience on board. If you enjoyed this blog why not take a look at our Azamara Pursuit voyage blog.
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