We flew to Cairns the night before the cruise and stayed at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in a one-bedroom apartment. It was super spacious and in a great location, with a short taxi ride from the airport and to the port the next day.

Before we boarded the ship, we enjoyed the morning catching up with some lovely Clean Cruising clients. Thank you Stephen and Liz. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast out and then a tour around the city, which included a visit to the top of Castle Hill for sweeping views over Townsville. It was such a beautiful morning. We then arrived at the port later that morning where we embarked the ship. This process was very smooth. Once through security we were welcomed on board with a lovely cool towel as it was very humid, and a glass of Champagne while we completed check-in.

After check-in we went to our Deluxe Veranda Stateroom to unpack and then explored the ship. Our stateroom was in a mid–aft location, easily accessible to the lifts. The stateroom had a minimalist design with well-appointed plugs, side tables, a cosy sitting area with a coffee table, as well as a private veranda with outdoor seating. There were plenty of drawers and closet space with a good quantity of wooden hangers. The beds were extremely comfortable, and we appreciated the inclusion of premium Freyja toiletries. The minibar was stocked with soft drinks, water and snacks, which were replenished daily. We both loved the convenient suitcase storage under the bed, which helped keep the room spacious and tidy. We would also recommend upgrading to a Penthouse Veranda Stateroom for the additional space and earlier access to dining and shore excursion bookings, as it is one of the most popular and best-value categories on Viking’s ocean ships.

Our itinerary included only one port, Cairns, which provided us with the perfect opportunity to fully enjoy and explore everything the ship had to offer. We actually didn’t even get off the ship in Cairns, instead spending time in the Spa area and relaxing on board.

Dining on our cruise was a delight and we were able to enjoy the many dining options available on board. The World Café, Viking’s buffet-style dining on Deck 7, would have to be one of the best buffets we have ever eaten at on any ship. Whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, every meal was of high quality. Some of our travel party preferred eating here for dinner to experience so many different flavours and options. There is plenty of seating and an option to dine outside in the lovely al fresco area on the Aquavit Terrace, which has stunning views off the back of the ship. The Restaurant is the main dining room offering à la carte dining every night. You are surrounded by glass walls so the views are amazing when still light and we had the most amazing filet mignon with foie gras.

The Wintergarden offers a beautiful afternoon tea service where you sit beneath a Scandinavian trellised wood canopy inspired by the tree of life and it is also a lovely area to sit any time of the day. We also had a lovely dinner at The Chef’s Table. We upgraded to the Silver Spirits beverage package, which we highly recommend as it enhances your cruise experience and offers excellent value, particularly when paid in AUD before departure. Our dinner included a multi-course tasting menu with paired wines. The menu will offer something you may never have tried before, so you need to be open to flavours and textures. Manfredi’s is the best of Italian cuisine. As we had limited nights on board and due to the popularity of this venue, we didn’t get to eat here, but we are told this is a must and should be booked early. Out by the pool area you have the Pool Grill and you must try the Viking Burger at least once as it was to die for. We also enjoyed a specialty themed lunch which was a mussel station with three flavours, garlic, saffron infused and Italian, served with crusty bread.

As Viking is destination focused, the entertainment on board during the day was predominantly enrichment activities with guest lectures and destination insights. The historians on board were very knowledgeable and kept you captivated. During the evening we listened to live music around various areas of the ship, enjoyed fabulous pianists and the onboard shows, and most nights ended up at the Torshavn bar where the house band, made up of crew, played covers and we danced the night away with other guests.

Another lovely space to relax on board is the Explorers’ Lounge on Decks 7 and 8 at the bow of the ship. We enjoyed sampling some of the beautiful sweet and savoury treats including traditional waffles from Mamsen’s while we sat enjoying the breathtaking views out the front of the ship. It is a very popular area throughout the day as it is so relaxing. In the evening there is live music entertainment and we also took part in a ‘name the tune’ game which was lots of fun.

We especially loved spending time in the Nordic Spa, a highlight of the ship. Facilities include a steam room, snow grotto, heated loungers, a thermal pool and a hot tub. It is such a beautiful place to relax and unwind, a real must and Rita’s favourite place on board. We opted to upgrade to the Silver Spirits beverage package and the bar staff quickly learned our cocktail preferences. The service across the ship was exceptional with a genuine “nothing is too much trouble” attitude from the crew.

Viking has a no children under 18 policy and you really noticed this around the outdoor pool and hot tub areas. We both used the Wi-Fi every day and never had an issue keeping in touch with our families, checking social media and posting pictures. We really loved the relaxed atmosphere on board. Casual by day, smart casual by night, not a tuxedo in sight, and we met many guests on board who were from all over the world. Everyone was well travelled, had some fantastic stories and the majority were repeat guests. We could not recommend Viking enough.