Viking cruise cabins and suites: A guide to everything you want to know

When staying in a cabin on a cruise ship, is a balcony a must have? Vikings could be your line.

Viking is one of the only cruise brands in the world that offers a balcony with every cabin on every ocean ship. Even the most upscale of Viking's ocean cruise rivals can't say that.

Many of the suites on the ocean ships are large. If you want a room that is big and open on an ocean cruise, Viking has many options.

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It isn't always the case in the river cruise business that space on vessels is at a premium. Unlike its ocean ships, Viking's river ships aren't allbalcony-cabin vessels. Some ships have as many as 25 cabins that are below the water line and have windows high in the walls.

Most of the cabins are balcony cabins.

A Viking cabin primer

Most cruise ships have four different types of cabins: balcony cabins, inside cabins, ocean-view cabins and suites.

There are only two types of cabins on the ocean ships. The English-speaking market is the focus of seven traditional ocean ships operated by Viking. The passenger rooms on all the vessels are either balcony cabins or suites. That is extremely rare in the cruise business.

There are several subcategories of rooms within the balcony-cabin and suite categories. Unlike Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, which offer as many as 36 different sub-types of cabins, Viking has just six.

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When choosing a cabin on a viking ocean ship, you will be less confused than when choosing a cabin on most other vessels.

There is a guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin.

The smallest cabins on the ocean ships are 270 square feet and the largest suites are over 1,500 square feet.

The design of the cabins and suites is modern and elegant in a way that ties in with the Norwegian heritage of the company.

You will find beds topped with crisp, white duvets and Scandinavian throws, comfortable contemporary sofas and chairs in neutral tones, and light wood desks and side tables that combine to offer a residential feel in bedrooms. The colors of the day are creams, grays and lighter blue.

The bathroom in a viking cabin has luxurious travertine marble-lined walls, wood-veneered vanities, and shiny white sinks.

Some might think that Viking is a luxury line, but it isn't. There are a lot of thoughtful touches in the cabins and suites. The rooms are modest.

They are functional, with storage in all the right places, plenty of outlets for charging your devices and lighting in the right place. The reading lights built into the fabric headboards of the beds are wonderful. The pages of the Viking Daily activity newsletter are easy to read while lying down.

There are some places you can visit on a Viking cruise.

The large and clear lettering on the Freyja toiletries that you'll find in every Viking cabin bathroom is one of the small touches that show the line's attention toFunctionality. Viking's core market is in the 55 to 75-year-old range, so the line's older customers would have no difficulty differentiating the body wash from the shampoo.

The remote controls for cabin TVs were specially designed to only have a few buttons.

Balcony cabins on Viking cruise ships

There are many balcony cabins on the ocean ships. There are 418 balcony cabins on the seven traditional ocean vessels aimed at the English-speaking market.

• 42 Veranda Staterooms (10% of the total).
• 272 Deluxe Veranda Staterooms (65% of the total).
• 104 Penthouse Veranda Staterooms (25% of the total).

The first two categories are the same size at 270 square feet. The two look the same. The staterooms that cost more have better locations on the ships and come with more amenities and services. Extra amenities and services are included.

• Earlier access to shore excursion reservations (67 days in advance of sailing versus 60 days).
• Priority access to spa treatment bookings (60 days in advance).
• One guaranteed priority reservation at every alternative restaurant on board, which can be made 60 days in advance of sailing.
• Binoculars in the room.
• Coffee machines with premium coffee and tea selections in the room.
• A traditional, super-soft Norwegian Marius-weave blanket for use in the room.

One hour earlier on embarkation day, passengers in the Veranda Staterooms can access their rooms, while those in theDeluxe Veranda Staterooms can't.

The first two categories of balcony cabins have complimentary soft drinks and water. The staff replenishes the minibars on a daily basis.

There are more amenities and services in the Penthouse Staterooms than in the other categories.

• Priority shore excursion reservations that can be made 77 days in advance of sailing.
• Two guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant on board, which can be made 70 days in advance.
• Priority spa treatment bookings that can be made 70 days in advance.
• Minibars that include complimentary alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks, water and snacks (replenished once daily).
• Complimentary clothes pressing and shoeshine services.
• A welcome bottle of Champagne.
• Earlier access to cabins on embarkation day.

There are three different types of balcony cabins on the two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. The cabins of the three Nordic Balcony categories are slightly larger than the cabins of the three Nordic Balcony categories on the traditional viking ocean ships. They have a different type of balcony that makes them feel bigger than they actually are.

A balcony-like space is created by a window wall that opens from the top of the ship. The Nordic balconies are called by the vikings.

There are two types of balcony cabins on the majority of Viking river ships: 205- square-foot Veranda Staterooms and 135- square-foot French Balcony Staterooms.

The latter doesn't have balconies that you can step on. The French balcony or Juliet balcony is a nod to the balcony in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" Even though they are not quite as satisfying as a balcony with space to lounge, they are still balconies.

The majority of the cabins on the Longships have balconies.

Smaller versions of Longships with fewer balcony cabins are one of the things Viking offers.

Suites on Viking cruise ships

The suites on the ships are easy to understand. There are 47 suites on a traditional ocean ship.

• 32 Penthouse Junior Suites.
• 14 Explorer Suites.
• One Owner’s Suite.

Extra amenities and services are included in the Junior Penthouse Suites, which are 405 square feet.

• Priority shore excursion reservations that can be made 87 days in advance of sailing.
• Three guaranteed priority reservations at each alternative restaurant, which can be booked 80 days in advance.
• Priority spa treatment bookings that can be made 80 days in advance.
• Minibars with complimentary alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, water and snacks.
• Complimentary laundry, dry cleaning, pressing and shoeshine services.
• A welcome bottle of Champagne.
• Binoculars in the room.
• Coffee machines with premium coffee and tea selections in the room.

Junior Penthouse Suites have a large sitting area with a sofa, coffee table and chairs, as well as a television. The bathroom are big.

The Explorer Suites on the traditional ocean ships are where life begins to get better. They range from 757 to 1, 163 square feet and include balcony space.

There is a guide to Viking ships and itineraries.

There is a well-appointed living and dining area in each of the Explorer Suites, with a table that can seat four people. You won't find any of the lesser cabin categories on the vessels in the large master bathroom.

The complexes that make up the Owner's Suites measure 1,448 square feet and are the largest of their kind. The suites are used by the founder and chairman of Viking, who uses them when he sails on the ships, and they feature some of his personal souvenirs, such as family pictures.

You should spend a lot of money on a suite for your next cruise.

Each of the owner's suites has a separate bedroom, living room, dining area, and a sauna with a glass wall facing the ocean.

Each of the complexes has a long table that can seat 12 people for dinners and meetings. Staff can use the adjacent pantry to serve room service or host an event. Book, wine and music collections that hecurated for the rooms are among other personal touches.

There are three categories of suites on the two oceangoing expedition ships.

• Nordic Junior Suites (322 square feet).
• Explorer Suites (548 square feet).
• Owner’s Suites (1,238 square feet).

There are two types of suites on the typical Viking river ship, the Veranda Suites and the Explorers Suites.

Bottom line

The variety of cabins on the ships of Viking is very easy to understand.

Every passenger room on its ocean ships is a balcony cabin or a suite, which is atypical in the cruise world, and these cabins break down into just a few subcategories. Booking a room on a Viking vessel is relatively easy compared to other ships.

There are lots of luxury touches in Viking's cabins, including heated floors in the bathroom.

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