Venice, the Adriatic & Greece -Viking Saturn

 A Memorable Voyage

I was so fortunate to be invited to experience Viking Saturn sailing from Athens to Venice. What an incredible experience it was! Viking has paved a different path to cruising with no passengers under 18 and no casinos, offering a quiet and serene environment for the discerning traveler.

Seamless Onboarding

After a seamless check-in experience, we were onboard within 10 minutes. We were greeted with a glass of Champagne and whisked away to the theatre, which was our muster station for a quick safety briefing, and then we were free to enjoy the ship. Viking Saturn is part of 13 ocean ships they currently have in their growing fleet and is only 12 months old. She holds 930 passengers, is 9 decks high, and is an all-Veranda ship.

A Family Heritage

The owner of Viking, Torstein Hagen, has created his ships with a personal sense of family and heritage. The ship is truly beautiful, and all Viking's ocean voyages have a cookie-cutter design, which is quite clever because no matter which ship you sail on, you will feel as though you are being welcomed home to experience all your favorite things. Interestingly, their ships are designed by hoteliers and not cruise ship designers, which makes for a different level of experience than I have had with other cruise lines. It feels luxurious and comfortable and pays homage to their Nordic heritage.

Art and Culture Onboard

There is a Viking Museum onboard and an extensive art collection. You can even take yourself on an art tour throughout the ship with your ‘Quietvox’ audio headset that you are provided with in your cabin, which you also take with you on your shore tours. Viking offers complimentary shore excursions in every port, which you can choose to take advantage of or purchase additional excursions. I did a combination of both, and their additional excursion prices were well-priced.

Well-Organized Excursions

I was so impressed with the organization of all tours I did. The departure times and meeting points were clearly communicated, and the tours were so well put together. Having the QuietVox headset was great; you were tuned into the channel allowing you to wander off and explore while still hearing your guide. The guides were all so informative, and they gave us great local restaurant recommendations. I really learned a lot, and I felt I got the most out of the destinations having done them.

Comforting Public Spaces

Now back to the ship: their public areas are designed so you feel like you're sitting in a beautiful Scandinavian hotel. With stunning LED fireplaces throughout, comfortable seating with throws and pillows create that warm and cozy feeling. One of my many favorite places onboard was Mamsen's cafe in the Explorers Lounge, which offers the best waffles I have ever tasted! The recipe is Torstein's mum's recipe, and as a special surprise to Torstein from his daughter before their ocean ships launched, she secretly had the pattern from his mum's China replicated on the plates served in Mamsen's cafe -just an incredibly special and meaningful touch that is felt throughout the ship.

Spacious Cabins

Any ocean cruiser knows about the bathrooms onboard. Well, Viking has really excelled with their design. No little corner bathroom to fit in here! They have a rectangular design with his-and-her vanities and drawers; it is so spacious, and there is also a lot of storage in the cabins allowing you to completely unpack and feel at home.

Culinary Delights

The food onboard was amazing. What I loved about Viking is they have smaller portions and light healthy lunch and dinner options allowing you to experience fantastic food but not feel overwhelmed. They have two specialty dining options onboard: ‘Manfredi's' and ‘Chef’s Tables So again playing into that personal touch-fun fact: ‘Manfredi's' was warmly named after his friend Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, who is the Chairman of Silversea cruise lines. In return, Manfredi warmly named the observation libraries on most Silversea ships after Torstein called 'Tor's'

Manfredi's offered some of the best Italian I have experienced; the Sogliola al Limone (Sole with Lemon) was delicious! The Chef's Table was also spectacular, offering different menus every two days from Californian cuisine to an Asian tasting menu. Both restaurants are very popular, so it is best to pre-book if you can!

Exceptional Service

Kate Killnet, the Cruise Director onboard, is the ultimate host and an absolute joy. She met us on the gangway every day and would always chat with us whenever we saw her around the ship, making sure we were enjoying ourselves. She and the entertainment team put on incredible shows every evening for us to enjoy!

Insights from the Bridge

We got to do a bridge tour and meet Captain Patrick Critti, who was so generous with his time and happy to answer all our questions. He took photos with us and even let us sit in his chair! It is always a special privilege to see the bridge and get inside information on how the brain of the ship works; we learned so many interesting things.

For example, they do not connect to the internet at all for safety reasons-to avoid being hacked-and they have several navigation systems onboard to ensure that if one goes down there are backups.

Relaxation at Sea

I can't go without mentioning their unbelievable Nordic spa onboard! They offer complimentary use of the day spa which includes the therapy pool, spa, sauna, ice baths, and ice showers-wow just amazing! We certainly took advantage of this and used it every morning on a seven-day itinerary without any sea days; it was go-go-go in each port! So having this was a game changer; it really helped us with all the walking and kept our feet and legs feeling revived.

I got off the ship feeling stronger, healthier, and believe it or not lighter than when I got on-truly! I really loved this inclusion!

A Wonderful Cruise Line

I cannot say enough great things about Viking; they are a really wonderful cruise line. Having the combination of river, ocean, and expedition cruising means you can travel all over the world and experience incredible destinations from Egypt to Antarctica-Viking offers it all, and it's all-inclusive!

I for one can't wait to travel with them again on my own personal adventures. Next on my bucket list is the European Christmas markets on their river cruises! Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions about Viking or want to look into an adventure of your own!