Viking Cruises

What sailing with Viking is really like

Viking has built its reputation on one idea: the destination is the reason for the voyage, and the ship should help you experience it more deeply. There are no casinos, no children’s clubs, and no rock-climbing walls. Instead you’ll find spacious, Scandinavian-designed staterooms, a calm onboard atmosphere, and a programme of lectures, films and TED Talks in The Theater that connect you to the places you’re about to visit — or have just left behind.

The fleet sails from some of the world’s great embarkation cities: Barcelona, Athens (Piraeus), Rome (Civitavecchia), Venice, Lisbon, Bergen, Istanbul, Tokyo and Sydney, among others. Itineraries range from seven-night snapshots to grand 80-night odysseys, with the median voyage sitting at around two weeks — long enough to get somewhere meaningful, short enough to suit working travellers or those dipping a toe into longer cruising.

On board: what’s included and what’s extra

Every sailing includes access to the ship’s core spaces and experiences as part of your fare. The main dining venue, The Restaurant, serves regional specialities and classics through floor-to-ceiling ocean windows. The open-kitchen World Café offers international live-cooking including sushi and seafood. For a casual bite, the Pool Grill keeps things relaxed poolside, and the Aquavit Terrace® — with more outdoor dining seats than almost any comparable ship — lets the port scenery become the backdrop for your meal. The Wintergarden serves an included Afternoon Tea with scones, finger sandwiches and live classical music each day.

Specialty dining is also available on board. Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant® delivers trattoria-style cooking in a more intimate setting, The Chef’s Table offers a multi-course tasting menu paired by sommeliers, and The Kitchen Table brings hands-on local cooking experiences to life using regional ingredients — all worth reserving early.

For evenings, Torshavn® channels the atmosphere of a golden-age jazz lounge, the Explorers’ Lounge wraps two-storey panoramic windows around your sundowner, and The Living Room — at the heart of each ship — offers live classical music from Viking’s Resident Musicians. Wellness is covered by The Nordic Spa, a fully equipped Fitness Center, and a Sports Deck with a running track, bocce, minigolf and shuffleboard.

Where Viking sails

The Mediterranean Sea is Viking’s biggest programme, with departures from Venice and other key ports. If you prefer cooler, dramatic scenery, the Norway programme sails from Bergen into the fjords. Further afield, Viking reaches South America, Japan, South East Asia, the Baltic, Arctic waters, and closer to home, Australia and New Zealand — including sailings departing from Sydney. Transatlantic crossings and transpacific repositioning voyages connect the hemispheres for travellers who want to cross an ocean rather than fly it.

For Australian travellers interested in the Asia-Pacific region, cruises to Japan from Australia are a natural extension of Viking’s cultural focus — the line’s enrichment programme is particularly well-suited to destinations with deep history. All-inclusive Mediterranean sailings in 2027 are also available if you want to lock in your European summer now.

Which ships to consider

Most of Viking’s ocean fleet shares the same elegant, mid-size design philosophy. The Viking Orion is a popular choice for Australia and Asia-Pacific itineraries. The Viking Neptune — browse its cabins and deck plans to find the right grade — is well-suited to longer European voyages. For expedition-minded travellers heading to the Arctic, the Viking Polaris and Viking Octantis are purpose-built for polar waters. The Viking Jupiter — with its full cabin and deck plan guide available — covers a broad sweep of Mediterranean and European itineraries throughout the year.

Who Viking suits

Viking appeals strongly to travellers who read ahead, enjoy a lecture before a port visit, and prefer conversation to entertainment spectacle. The adult-only environment keeps the atmosphere consistently relaxed. Solo travellers, couples and small groups of friends all sail comfortably — the inclusive dining and open social spaces mean you can be as sociable or as private as you like. If you value knowing what’s included before you board, Viking’s clear fare structure makes budgeting straightforward.

Planning your Viking voyage with Cruise1st

For most Australian travellers, a Viking sailing means flying first — to Barcelona, Athens, Bergen, Tokyo or one of the other major embarkation cities. Cruise1st can wrap the entire trip into a single booking through our Cruise1st Packages, combining your flights, pre- or post-cruise hotels, transfers and the cruise itself. That means one call, one itinerary, and none of the coordination headache of assembling it yourself.

For the small share of sailings departing from Sydney, local travellers need no international flight at all — and if you’re connecting from another Australian city, it’s a short domestic hop rather than a long-haul journey, which is still the most convenient way to reach the ship.

Our Australian cruise experts are available seven days a week to help you choose the right ship, the right cabin grade, and the right fare inclusions for your circumstances. Every booking is also backed by our Best Price Guarantee, so you can book with confidence.

Viking sailings currently start from A$4,345pp* — use the offers grid below to find a departure that fits your dates, or explore our guides to Mediterranean cruises in 2027, Vancouver to Alaska voyages, and transpacific crossings.