Not too large. Not too small. Simply the fitting dimension and this ship gives one of many smoothest cruises I’ve ever loved.
Titled “Panama Canal & Central America,” our 15-day round-trip cruise itinerary from Fort Lauderdale supplied a treasure of wonderful shore excursions. Will discuss extra about them later. Proper now, want to share what makes the Viking Mars so particular.
Launched in 2022 as Viking’s seventh ocean ship, the 14-deck Viking Mars has a capability of 930 friends. We had 849 friends on our cruise.
Boarding was effectively organized and fairly simple with no lengthy traces. Stroll onboard. Get pleasure from scrumptious lunch buffet. Stateroom prepared with cabin attendant greeting us.
Staying in Fort Lauderdale Evening Earlier than Cruise
For the Viking Mars cruise, my brother Joe and I met in Fort Lauderdale the day earlier than and stayed at Embassy Suites by Hilton on 17th Road. I realized way back that it’s best to reach a day earlier than a cruise to get some relaxation and to make sure you might be on the ship when it cruises away. I’ve heard too many unhappy tales about folks having flight issues and arriving after their ship had already departed.
The lodge will not be low cost however the rooms are like small residences. Plus, every visitor will get two drink coupons for the nightly cocktail/snack time and a complimentary delicious breakfast the following morning.
Because the final two siblings in a household of 9, Joe lives in Colorado and I dwell in Indiana. We attempt to get collectively as typically as potential and a cruise is the right approach to do this. We get to share what’s taking place in our lives whereas seeing the world and being pampered by a superb cruise crew.
My brother Joe at a photograph cease in Roatan with the Viking Mars behind him
Elegant Scandinavian Ship Décor
Similar to its dimension, Viking Mars’ décor will not be overdone. It’s not an excessive amount of. Not too little. Excellent with earthen colours and blue hues that create an inviting, enjoyable and comforting Scandinavian ambiance.
The Dwelling Room
The ship’s 9 decks are effectively laid out. Public areas are totally on Decks 1 and a pair of and Decks 7 and 9. Elevators are speedy. No lengthy ready occasions.
The Atrium with a musical efficiency
The three-deck-high Atrium options an open ground plan for dwell music and performances. But it additionally has loads of nooks and crannies for quiet time. On the high of the Atrium’s beautiful staircase is a video display screen image that modifications often in line with what’s happening within the Atrium.
Make sure to look beneath the Atrium staircase to see an interesting lichen backyard made from moss, lichen, slate and birch bark. Specified by knitting patterns, the distinctive design characteristic is meant to emulate the panorama of the mountain plateaus close to the Norwegian village of Finse.
Lichen backyard beneath the Atrium staircase
Off from the reception space is a spot with computer systems that can be utilized freed from cost by passengers. Stroll just a few steps previous there to a lounge space with stacks of e book for passengers to get pleasure from. No checkout vital. Simply decide up a e book that strikes your fancy.
Star Theater on Deck 2 is the place enrichment lectures, port talks, dwell music and someday even a film are schedule. Viking Mars has two swimming pools and scorching tubs.
Deck 9 encompasses a small sports activities deck with a strolling observe, bocce ball, golf placing inexperienced and shuffleboard.
Atrium staircase options modifications scenes on a giant display screen
What Viking Mars Doesn’t Have
Viking doesn’t have among the “issues” that different ships have which is perhaps one cause Viking cruises are so fashionable. Viking Mars doesn’t have a on line casino; inside staterooms; no kids beneath 18; no charges for different eating places (aside from The Kitchen Desk the place diners assist the chief chef put together their dinner); no artwork auctions; no photographers attempting to promote images; no spa employees bugging you to purchase costly merchandise; no decks dedicated to a number of retailers and no price to make use of the spa and exercise heart.
Books can be found across the ship for passengers to get pleasure from
A part of Viking Mars Cruise Fare
Some ships supply additional expenses that certain can add up a cruise invoice. On Viking Mars, these are a part of the cruise fare: each cabin has a balcony; beer, wine and mushy drinks at lunch and dinner; shore tour in each port; Wi-Fi; espresso, tea and bottled water always; each day afternoon tea; a number of no-charge-extra eating places; self-service laundry; laptop station with computer systems for passengers to make use of and port taxes and charges.
Going by way of the Panama Canal
The ship’s infinity pool is a good place to benefit from the Panama Canal journey
Wonderful Workers
Viking Mars additionally has one crucial factor to make passengers really feel at residence and fairly pleased with their cruise – a superb employees.
Bartender Moh knew what drinks my brother and I favored
Regardless of how lovely a ship is, if the employees and crewmembers are lazy or unprofessional, passengers should not going to be blissful.
Viking Mars crewmembers knew our names on the primary day and promptly greeted us. In addition they knew the place we most well-liked to sit down within the eating places and infrequently what drinks we’d order. Joe and I appreciated to sit down at a two-seat restaurant desk by the window and that’s what we all the time acquired.
Chef’s Desk is a inventive eating spot with mounted menus from world wide
One other passenger instructed me that she had put down an open e book she was studying in her stateroom. When the passenger returned after her room had been cleaned, the attendant had put a paper bookmark within the e book and neatly closed it.
Our Stateroom
Strolling right into a ship’s stateroom that will likely be my cruise home-away-from-home is all the time thrilling. Though I’ve seen on-line images of my Deluxe Veranda cabin 4089, it’s not the identical as utilizing my key card to open the door for the primary time.
Even earlier than I opened my Viking Sky cabin door, I seen a distinction. The stateroom opening door deal with is roofed in leather-based as are most handrails on the ship. A small factor, maybe, however a touch in any respect that Viking Cruises does to make passengers comfy and blissful.
My stateroom
I undoubtedly was not upset once I stepped into my Deluxe Veranda Stateroom on Deck 4. It’s bigger than anticipated and fairly comfy with so many additional options that I used to be glad to have my room steward present me round.
One in every of my favourite stateroom options was the 270-square-foot non-public veranda with two chairs and a desk. However then all 465 staterooms on the Viking Mars have verandas.
One other merchandise I actually appreciated was the mini-fridge stocked with six cans of complimentary mushy drinks and two bottles of tonic water, together with snack sweet and nuts. The fridge was replenished as soon as a day.
A canister of filtered water sat on the desk. No costly bottle of water to have to purchase in case I acquired thirsty or by accident opened it with out studying the excessive cost price. The truth is, I seen that complimentary consuming water was plentiful on Viking Mars. Any time we left the ship, we had been supplied a bottle of water to take with us.
My lavatory is rom and spotless
On the wall throughout from the mattress is a 42-inch flat display screen LCD TV with a distant management. The distant may be very easy to make use of and the TV shows a wealth of knowledge – date, time, temperature, the place we’re, together with a piece to entry my onboard account and my private itinerary.
My balcony has a desk and two chairs
Handles on the closet doorways are also wrapped in leather-based and the closets have motion-activated lights. Open the closet door and the sunshine comes on. Cabin additionally has umbrellas, shoehorn, hair dryer, protected and loads of USB ports in addition to European and American electrical sockets. The desk has a pop-up make-up mirror with some binoculars tucked inside.
The lavatory has a spacious glass-enclosed bathe, heated lavatory ground and anti-fog mirror. Bottles of Freyja toiletries have simple flip-open tops and extra-large print which makes it less complicated to learn with out eyeglasses.
A number of Eating Venues
The Restaurant is the primary eating room. Situated on Deck 2, the menu modifications each day and likewise has “all the time obtainable” choices like steak, rooster, salmon, ice cream, Caesar salad and cheesecake. Vegetarian and vegan choices are also served each day.
A favourite desk for my brother and me
Though there isn’t any reserved seating in The Restaurant, Joe and I all the time acquired the identical desk by the window. Different passengers appeared to sit down at their favourite tables, too.
World Café on Deck 7 is the ship’s buffet-style restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I realized way back to stroll the buffet earlier than I fill my plate. So many decisions and all the pieces I picked was scrumptious. World Café additionally gives nice views as we cruise alongside or dock in an fascinating port.
Pool Grill options burgers, scorching canine, sandwiches and salads plus particular cookout occasions on the informal eatery.
Mamsen’s on Deck 7 is nice for a light-weight breakfast or Nordic lunch buffet or late night time snack.
Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant is really genuine Italian. Though Manfredi’s is one among Viking Mars specialty eating places, there isn’t any cost to dine there however reservations are required. One of many good issues about Viking Mars is that reservations will be made on my cellphone app and stateroom TV in addition to by calling the reservation desk.
In contrast to the Scandinavian-themed décor on the remainder of the ship, Manfredi’s undoubtedly has a dark-woods Italian vibe. The menu options a variety of starters, salads, soups, pasta, sides and entrees like like thick minimize ribeye coated in garlic oil and rubbed with porcini mushroom powder, kosher salt, brown sugar and crimson chili flakes.
Or Linguini ai Frutti de Mare – contemporary linguini pasta, mussels, clams, langoustine with a Pinot Grigio and cherry tomato sauce.
The Chef’s Desk, once more no cost however reservations are required. Altering each three days, the five-course menus give attention to a sure delicacies or area of the world. There aren’t any menu decisions, simply gadgets chosen for that exact area.
Joe and I ate there 3 times for superior eating experiences. Our menus? “Yumi’s Nook: Voyage to Korean Delicacies,” “California Delicacies” and “Xiang, Impressed by China’s Catonese and Huailyang Delicacies.”
My favourite was “California Delicacies,” which featured a candy potato chip for amuse bouche; crab cake for first course; Moscow Mule (vodka, ginger beer and lime juice) palate cleanser; seared halibut with roasted cauliflower and buttered panko for important course;and Ojai mandarin parfait for dessert.
The Kitchen Desk is a culinary expertise divided into two elements – a shore tour and a meal. The ship’s govt chef and an area information take contributors ashore in a port to go to markets and meals shops for genuine substances. Within the night, the chef and his staff put together a meal from scratch utilizing these substances picked earlier that day. Joe and I didn’t do The Kitchen Desk. The expertise usually prices $199 per particular person.
Wonderful Leisure
Viking Mars supplied all kinds of leisure with proficient performers. Resident pianist Artur performed some musical interludes as an exquisite backdrop within the Atrium in addition to elsewhere on the ship; guitar entertainer Jobie carried out acoustic favorites and classical duo Agnes and Paulina typically serenaded us with Norwegian music on the violin and cello.
The ship has an interesting Viking Heritage Museum
Regardless of your musical desire, the Home Band appeared to share it on our cruise. Resident vocalists Elsa and Arlando added their musical types to the applications.
Shipboard Applications
The principle stage on Viking Mars is the Star Theater on Deck 2 which additionally doubles as a movie show. Arrive early, decide up a drink and a few popcorn on the bar outdoors the theater, cozy up with a cushion on a padded chair.
Ensure and take a look at these theater pillows. They characteristic black-and-white images of well-known Scandinavian actors similar to Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. On the flip aspect of the pillow is the signature of the star.
Visitor audio system give talks on a mess of topics
Visitor lectures coated a big selection of topics and had been fascinating. Consultants onboard shared information about wildlife, the Panama Canal, house flights, pirates and treasure hunters, sunken treasures, NASA, the universe and others.
We additionally had port talks the afternoon earlier than docking to tell us what to anticipate. The port talks had been recorded and obtainable on-demand on our stateroom TV.
Star Theater is roomy and comfy with good visibility for each seat
Sensational LivNordic Spa
The LivNordic Spa on Deck 1 has the identical enjoyable décor for which Viking ships are famous – muted colours, birch twigs and a protracted entrance wall stuffed with birch tree design. It additionally has a very talked-about snow grotto – on a cruise ship, for goodness sakes. The small snow grotto has piles of snow on the ground and operating up the partitions.
The Nordic Spa is free to make use of
Obtainable for passengers with out cost, the Nordic Spa encompasses a thermal deep thalassotherapy pool, jetted scorching tub, sauna, steam room, showers, padded loungers, heated ceramic loungers, lockers, dressing rooms and loads of towels and consuming water.
The sensational spa is simply a part of the free-to-use services aboard Viking Mars. The ship’s health heart on Deck 1 gives a very good number of cardiovascular health machines, similar to treadmills, elliptical, stationary bikes and TechnoGym weight machines.
The snow grotto is a well-liked characteristic within the Nordic spa
After all, Viking Mars additionally options massages, haircuts, manicures and different companies in an space on Deck 1.
Shore Excursions
I’ll simply share one which appeared to get a large viewers – Rose Corridor Nice Home, a chic late 18th century Georgian mansion in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
However the cause most guests come to Rose Corridor is to listen to the story of Annie Palmer. The “White Witch” of Rose Corridor, Annie is alleged to have voodoo powers which she used to homicide three husbands and an unknown variety of slaves. Karma caught up with Annie from Haiti when the White Witch murdered the grandniece of a former slave named Takeo.
In revenge, Takeo strangled Annie. She is supposedly buried in a tomb on the grounds however legend says her ghost roams free at Rose Corridor. Fact or fiction?
‘White Witch’ Annie Palmer’s grave in Montego Bay, Jamaica
Annie was as soon as immortalized within the Seventies tune, “The Ballad of Annie Palmer” by Johnny Money. Johnny and June Carter Money lived in close by Cinnamon Hill Nice Home for about 40 years. We didn’t go to the Money residence however a information instructed me that Johnny and June and different members of the family had a horrifying expertise at Cinnamon Hill on Christmas Day 1982.
Seems like I must return on one other Viking cruise to study extra about Cinnamon Hill. The truth is, many individuals on my cruise had been already reserving their subsequent Viking journey whereas we cruised. Best praise to any cruise line.
Images by Jackie Sheckler Finch
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