Taking a reflective look at Viking Ocean Cruises unique Into The Midnight Sun itinerary, place by place.

Viking Midnight Sun
Greenwich, England

Greenwich, England

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Viking Midnight Sun
Cruising The Atlantic Ocean

Cruise The Atlantic Ocean

Cruising the Atlantic ocean after an overnight stay in London, one might think to be a relaxing day.  On some other cruise line perhaps.  Well-traveled Viking passengers enjoyed onboard lectures from four different resident Enrichment Lecturers.
One was the retired head of BP’s geoscience.  This was an appropriate choice due to the diverse geology we would see on our trip.
Another was a historian, best-selling author, columnist and war correspondent who’s expertise included military history and world politics.
A veteran diplomat rounded out the three guest speakers
A fourth enrichment lecturer was a Resident Historian focused on archeology, medieval cultures and more

The enrichment lecturers on your cruise will probably be different.  I have yet to meet a Viking enrichment speaker who did not add a great amount of context to what we were experiencing.

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Viking Midnight Sun
Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, Scotland

Our first stop in Scotland, Edinburgh brought a great way to begin international travel.
At a place that speaks English. A win right off the bat.
Touring on the Motorcoach of the Year, all of these images were captured through the coach windows.
Many thanks to our Viking guide Ann, who showed us around her hometown that day.

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Our Edinburgh Facebook Photo Album

 

Viking Midnight Sun

Orkney Islands
Kirkwall, Scotland

Kirkwall, Scotland

This was a port I really looked forward to and was not disappointed with.  First visiting with Azamara Club Cruises aboard Azamara Journey, that itinerary was themed Castles, Pubs and Distilleries and featured many of each.

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Our Facebook Kirkwall Photo Album

 

Viking Midnight Sun
Torshaven
Faroe Islands

Torshaven

Stopping in Demark’s Faroe Islands we spent the day in Torshavin on first-ship Viking Star. While it was a cloudy, rainy day, this is rather typical of the destination.
Seen here, photos from our included tour, part of the deal with Viking Ocean Cruises, much like we enjoy on sister-line Viking River Cruises. Like one, you’ll like the other.
That’s becoming rather more significant as the Viking ocean fleet grows to an eventual 16 ships.
Once all ships are in service, Viking will offer cruise travel options on all the oceans and many rivers of the world.

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Our Torshaven Facebook Photo Album

Viking Midnight Sun
Lofoten (Leknes), Norway

Lofoten (Leknes), Norway

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Our Facebook Lofoten Photo Album

Viking Midnight Sun
Honningsvag, Norway

Honningsvag, Norway

Honningsvag is the northernmost city in Norway.
It is also one of the smallest cities in Norway.
Not far from Honningsvag is a point located north of the tree line that offers a wide range of sights and activities, arctic food with fresh produce and a fascinating history and culture.

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Viking Midnight Sun
Tromso, Norway

Tromso, Norway

Considered the gateway to the Arctic, Tromso is located in the middle of the Northern Lights Oval; the area with the highest probability of seeing the lights. This means that there will always be good chances of Northern Lights, regardless of the sun’s cycles.

Northern Lights can be observed from September to April, depending on the weather conditions and solar activity. If the sky is clear, you might be able to see the Northern Lights right above the city, but to increase your chances we recommend going on a tour away from the bright lights of the city centre.

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Viking Midnight Sun
Molde, Norway

Molde, Norway

Molde brought the opportunity to photograph multiple sites in one day with the weather on our side.
Located on a south slope overlooking the Moldefjord and the Romsdal alps with its many islands and surrounded by alpine summits.

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Our Molde Facebook Photo Album

 

Viking Midnight Sun
Geiranger, Norway

Geiranger, Norway

Hiking some of the most magnificent mountains in the world? Pure joy would abound for those two whom that elevation called.
We all make our golden memories in different ways. The only important part about how we go about that is actually doing it as opposed to simply dreaming about it.
Viking Cruises, rivers or oceans, brings our dreams to life. What more do we need to know?

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Our Geiranger Facebook Photo Album

 

Viking Midnight Sun
Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway

Returning to Viking Ocean Cruises two years later, the experience was even better than before.
Nice to see: thoughtful improvements to existing features. Commonly, we see a strong initial guest focus that seems to wane a bit as the crew gets settled into their roles.
Not a lower level of service, they have that locked down solid.
What we saw here are motivated crew, on point and eager to check all the boxes then move on to what they genuinely enjoy: guest interaction.

On previous sailings, it was difficult not to notice this level of service which, to me, is true luxury.
I have seen it on far more expensive travel options and it was not nearly as enjoyable.
Happy passengers is really a big deal here, as it should be.
The ships are just lovely.
Everyone has a balcony, none have an obstructed view
The two upcharge-worthy specialty restaurants, included in the price, make choosing difficult.
An easy-to-learn deck plan that is the same for all the ships they have makes navigating the ship second-nature.  Those who have sailed before, know exactly where they will be on board.

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Posted While We Sailed

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