Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. Read More
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line Will Require Vaccinations for All Passengers and Crew

    Norwegian Cruise Line hopes to resume sailing out of the U.S. on or around July 4.
    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • BookTandL.com
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals and Events
    • Bus and Trains
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines and Airports
    • Ground Transportation
    • Travel Guides
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • See All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

LIVE
  1. Home
  2. Cruises
  3. Five Things to Know About Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Star Cruise Ship

Five Things to Know About Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Star Cruise Ship

By Travel & Leisure
February 14, 2017
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises
Passengers:930
World's Best 2016 Awards Rank: #1 Large Ocean Ship
Best for: Grown-ups—no children are allowed on board—looking for a cruise that emphasizes food and culture and doesn’t cost the earth

Sails: The British Isles, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe

At a Glance: A Travel + Leisure World’s Best 2016 winner, placing first in the Large Ocean Ship Category. Best known for its river cruises, Viking debuted its first ocean vessel, the Viking Star, in 2015. With its sleek Nordic design, destination-focused itineraries, and no-nickel-and-diming philosophy, it’s proved to be a game changer.

Related:Explore 100+ ships with the T+L Cruise Finder
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Design Feels Fresh

Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

While many cruise ships seem to have a more-is-more design aesthetic, Viking goes all in on Scandinavian simplicity with warm, blond woods of juniper and ash, low-slung furniture, and made-for-Instagram statement pieces by big-name designers like Frank Gehry and Mario Bellini.

  • Related:Five Things to Know About Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Sea Cruise Ship
  • Five Things to Know About Viking River Cruises' Gefjon Cruise Ship
  • Five Things to Know About Viking River Cruises' Kadlin Cruise Ship

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Every Cabin Has a Balcony

Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

Light-strewn and decked out in blue-and-white striped fabric headboards and navy leather-covered coffee tables, the 464 chic staterooms are roomy enough for you to hole up in with a book on sea days: Sizes range from a 270-square-foot veranda cabin to a 757+-square-foot Explorer Suite, which has a wraparound balcony and a deep soaking tub with a window. Bonus: Since every stateroom has a veranda, you can eat your room service omelets al fresco.

2 of 5

3 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Almost Everything Is Included

Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

In keeping with Viking’s no-nickel-and-diming philosophy, everything from unlimited WiFi to alternate restaurant dining to yoga and Pilates classes is wrapped into your cruise fare. Beer and house wine at dinner are also complimentary, as is one shore excursion per port of call. The free options tend to be tours that take you through the highlights of a destination, while more involved outings—like an off-road 4x4 adventure in Seville, for example—generally cost extra.

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Cuisine Is Top-Notch

Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

Food and wine are a priority on this ship, so even if you spent your entire voyage ordering classics like poached Norwegian salmon at the main dining room or grazing on the excellent sushi at the World Café’s buffet, you’d probably be satisfied. But the other options are too good to skip. Make a reservation at Manfredi’s for Italian fare like beef tartare topped with a quail egg or bistecca Fiorentina. At the Chef’s Table, the five-course, often regionally-themed tasting menu rotates every three days, so you can make repeat visits. The Kitchen is the only restaurant that charges a fee, and that’s because the experience is part meal, part excursion. Passengers go shopping at a local market with the ship’s chefs—say, La Boqueria in Barcelona—then help them prepare the meal for dinner.

4 of 5

5 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Pools Are Spectacular

Viking Star
Credit: Courtesy of Viking Cruises

There’s no casino onboard, so guests spend their sea days at one of the two main pools. The one at the center of the ship has a retractable roof, but the real stunner is the infinity pool, which cantilevers off the back. For cloudy days, there’s thalassotherapy pool and hot tub in the thermal suite at the spa (access is complimentary), where you can also visit the snow grotto—perfect after a stint in the sauna.

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Travel & Leisure

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 5 The Design Feels Fresh
    2 of 5 Every Cabin Has a Balcony
    3 of 5 Almost Everything Is Included
    4 of 5 The Cuisine Is Top-Notch
    5 of 5 The Pools Are Spectacular

    Share options

    Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
    Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Sitemap
    • Travel Guide Sitemap

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletters
    Travel + Leisure Group
    Other Meredith Sites

    Other Meredith Sites

    • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
    • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
    • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
    • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
    • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
    • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
    • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
    • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
    • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
    • Health this link opens in a new tab
    • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
    • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
    • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
    • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
    • More this link opens in a new tab
    • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
    • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
    • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
    • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
    • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
    • Parents this link opens in a new tab
    • People this link opens in a new tab
    • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
    • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
    • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
    • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
    • Shape this link opens in a new tab
    • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
    • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
    • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
    MeredithTravel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

    View image

    Five Things to Know About Viking Ocean Cruises' Viking Star Cruise Ship
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.