Viking Octantis Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Viking Cruises would be my top consideration for vacation. However I do think notification that certain services would not be available would be appreciated. also some additional information on walking distances could be provided by guest services crew.

The best trip we have ever been on, the Antraticia is the bext

The scenery was fab when we could get ashore and if your excursion did go, they were great. The service, ship, and food were first rate which is good since not much to do on board. Best thing was pre trip to Easter Island.

This is a great cruise for those who want to learn and experience the great outdoors. it's not for you if you're looking for a casino! The ship was thoughtfully designed and we had 3 couples who could easily find spaces to sit and relax. The World Cafe is great for lunch and Manfredi's and The Restaurant are wonderful venues for dinner. The spa pool can be enjoyed even without spa treatments.

Never choose Viking Octantis if you want to explore….

Put is on your bucket list as soon as you can. Go go go.

Outstanding trip- We really need to conserve this land and pay attention to the significant loss of ice and animals that is now pervasive on this continent.

Cruising through the island’s and narrow passages surrounding the Antarctic peninsula brought incredible scenery probably unique to planet earth with awesome mountains, glaciers, icebergs and occasional sea life. Cruising Norway, Patagonia and Alaska’s inside passage are gorgeous, they are all similar whereas Antarctica is unique.

This is a true expedition ship, definitely not your usual cruise! Multiple PhD's on board giving lectures on geology, oceanography, etc., and gathering data for NOAA and universities. The ship itself is magnificent, and has very unique facilities -- Zodiac boats, high-speed boats, and two mini-subs!! Visiting small settlements on Great Lakes islands and taking hikes, boat trips, etc., while the scientific teams do their research and give scientific lectures.

The scenery was outstanding both from on board and excursions. The Expedition Scientists were readily available and knowledgeable. We attended all daily briefings and lectures which added depth and content to the overall experience. Viking hospitality was in full effect. Our cabin was well tended and spacious. We sampled all dining venues and were pleased with all.

felt more like a shakedown cruise with problems getting into Thunderbay, skipped ports, lack of quality on shore activities at Duluth

Most expensive per diem cruise we’ve taken as a portion of the fare helps fund their research into ocean cleanliness in Antarctica and the Great Lakes health. They partner with NOAA on various projects.

We chose the Viking Octantis Expedition cruise because we were both celebrating milestone birthdays and a milestone wedding anniversary. The main "included" excursion that we wanted to go on was Niagara Up Close because we had never gone on a boat ride to the base of Horseshoe Falls. This "included" Niagara Falls Up Close excursion was "sold out" before 75% of the passengers could even sign up for it. We spend countless hours on the phone with Viking Customer Service Reps to no avail. It felt like Viking had pulled a 'bait and switch' number on us. After much frustration, we went ahead and made arrangements for the excursion we wanted with a private company. Three days before we sailed, we received a call from Viking Customer Service that there were two openings on the Niagara Up Close excursion because there had been a cancellation. Needless to say, our unfortunate experience with Viking Customer Service, tainted what turned out to be an enjoyable cruise. Marketing Lesson # 1: If you have a positive experience with a company, you will tell at least one person. If you have a negative experience, you will tell ten or more people.

Another opportunity to explore, marvel, learn from other cultures and Viking certainly provided the best expedition accommodation available to-date.

Choosing the excursions needs to be improved. We went through the process of picking excursions and times and they were all changed, or dropped, once we were on the ship. Instead of having guests go through the excurions process like on the ocean or river cruises, they should just check off a box on which type of excursions they would be interested in doing. Then the excursion people could go through the process of organizing the timing and assignments each day. I am sure someone can have a better way of doing it then I suggested, but what they had did not work well.

This was a cruise of a lifetime. Learned so much. Viking made the experience wonderful with their crew, staff, and attention to details.