Viking Ocean Cruise Staterooms: What You Need to Know

Are you considering booking a Viking Ocean cruise and wondering about your stateroom choices (in a floating hotel room)? Viking Ocean cruise ships have an excellent array of stateroom options that range from 270 to over 1,000 square feet. There are some basic amenities that all staterooms share, like private balconies, mini-fridges, upholstered furniture, bathrooms with heated floors, and TVs. Soothing Scandinavian colors are the hallmarks of Viking staterooms and shared spaces like the Explorers’ Lounge and Living Room.  

Stateroom stewards take good care of guest rooms. They clean staterooms twice daily, restock the refrigerator, and ensure guests have what they need. For example, on the first evening before dinner, I asked for extra hangers for my clothes, a top sheet (as the bed was outfitted with just a duvet), and a tea kettle. When my husband and I returned from dinner a few hours later, we noticed that the bed was remade with a top sheet, and I had the extra hangers and tea kettle. Perfect!

Stateroom Conveniences

All staterooms come equipped with the conveniences listed below. Higher (and more expensive) stateroom levels have more overall space and additional furniture in the living area, double sinks in the bathroom, and other amenities. Two staterooms (Penthouse Junior Suites #6020, #6021) are wheelchair accessible. All staterooms have:

• Private full-size balconies with two chairs and a small table.
• King-size bed that can be configured into two twin beds. (The default selection is “Together.” If you prefer two twin beds, go to MyVikingJourney.com and choose “Separated”: Onboard Experience > Preferences > Stateroom Preferences > Edit > Separated.)
• Comfortable upholstered furniture in the living room area.
• Electrical Outlets. There are plenty of outlet options to charge your devices without needing an adaptor, but remember to bring an adaptor for use in hotels if you’re traveling elsewhere before or after the cruise.
  • 2 USB and 2 Type B (American standard) outlets on either side of the bed
  • 2 Type C (Europlugs) and 2 Type B (American standard) outlets by the desk
• Storage
  • Closet with wooden hangers. Request more hangers from your stateroom steward if you need them.
  • Dresser drawers for clothes.
  • Desk with lift-up lid with storage for makeup, pens, paper, etc.
  • Under-bed storage for luggage. Store your suitcases here after unpacking.
  • Safe. You set the code so it’s easy to remember. It easily holds passports, other travel documents, jewelry, and money. One tip we learned is to put a shoe (just one!) in the safe the day before you check out. Having to look for the show on the last day will remind you to open the safe so you don’t forget your valuables.
• Bathroom
  • Heated bathroom floor and heated towel rack. (These two amenities can help dry wet shoes and clothing if you get drenched on an excursion. It worked perfectly for us!)
  • Anti-fog mirror.
  • Hair dryer.
  • Freyja toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion).
  • Shower and toilet.
• 42” TV to view daily port talks, lectures, and maps to see the ship’s current location, other Viking programming, major TV networks, movies, and other shows.
• Free Wi-Fi (though connection speeds vary depending upon location).
• Full-length mirror.
• Coffee machine with a variety of coffee and tea selections. Let your stateroom steward know if you have special requests with types of coffee or tea pods for the machine.
• Mini-fridge with sodas and snacks refilled daily. Let your stateroom steward know of any special requests like stocking it with diet instead of regular soda.
• Pitcher of purified water (that will be refilled daily) and two glasses. Viking also offers guests a bottle of water when leaving the ship on excursions.
• QuietVox receivers on lanyards (with earpieces) for excursions. Keep these in the charger when you return to your stateroom after excursions so they’re ready for the next day.
• Laundry services are available by completing a form in your stateroom. They are complimentary for guests in the Owner’s Suite, Explorer’s Suite, and the Penthouse Junior Suite staterooms and at a nominal cost for guests in other stateroom levels. For instance, laundry charges are $3.50 for a pair of jeans or pants, $2.50 for a men’s sports shirt, $6.00 for a dress, and $1.00 for a pair of socks. Regular service means that if the laundry is picked up in your stateroom by 9:00 am, it will be returned by late afternoon/early evening the next day. There is a 50% surcharge for same-day service. 
• Self-service launderettes are on decks 3, 4, 5, and 6 and are complimentary for all guests. They have washing machines and dryers. Viking provides complimentary laundry soap they want guests to use in their machines. Viking does not allow dryer sheets to be used in their dryers. In addition to the washers and dryers, the launderettes have ironing boards and irons.

Stateroom Perks

There are six levels of staterooms aboard Viking Ocean cruise ships. They all have some of the same conveniences (as detailed in the previous section). As the stateroom category prices increase, there is more square footage, living room space, and perks. Some considerations impacting passengers’ decision-making include when you can board the ship and book excursions, specialty restaurants, and spa services. The schedule is as follows.

• Embarkation Status (when you can access your stateroom on the first day):
  • 11:00 AM: Owner’s Suite, Explorer Suites, and Penthouse Junior Suites
  • 1:00 PM: Penthouse Veranda Staterooms
  • 2:00 PM: Deluxe Veranda Staterooms
  • 3:00 PM: Veranda Staterooms
• Excursion Status (when you can first book excursions):
  • Owner’s Suite—107 days from the sail date
  • Explorer Suites—97 days from the sail date
  • Penthouse Junior Suites—87 days from the sail date
  • Penthouse Veranda Staterooms—77 days from the sail date
  • Deluxe Veranda Staterooms—67 days from the sail date
  • Veranda Staterooms—60 days from the sail date
• Dining and Spa Status (when you can first book specialty restaurants and spa services):
  • Owner’s Suite—100 days from the sail date
  • Explorer Suites—90 days from the sail date
  • Penthouse Junior Suites—80 days from the sail date
  • Penthouse Veranda Staterooms—70 days from the sail date
  • Deluxe Veranda Staterooms—60 days from the sail date
  • Veranda Staterooms—No priority reservations

Stateroom Locations

There are 9 decks for passenger use on Viking’s ocean cruise ships (with staterooms on 6 of those decks):

• DECK 1: The Chef’s Table restaurant, Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, The Living Room, Guest Services, Spa, Fitness Center
• DECK 2: The Restaurant, Atrium, Torshavn (nightclub), Star Theater
• DECK 3: The Atrium, staterooms, launderette
• DECK 4: staterooms, launderette
• DECK 5: staterooms, launderette
• DECK 6: staterooms, launderette
• DECK 7: Aquavit Terrace with infinity pool and hot tub, World Café, the main pool with pool grill and bar, Wintergarden (for afternoon tea), The Explorers’ Lounge (lower level), Mamsen’s (Norwegian café within the Explorers’ Lounge), 10 staterooms
• DECK 8: Sun Deck, The Explorers’ Lounge (upper level), 20 staterooms
• DECK 9: Sports Deck with shuffleboard and other outdoor amusements

The medical center is located on the deck beneath Deck 1, considered Deck A. It’s the only Deck A area open to cruise passengers.

Stateroom Tips:

• If you arrive before the embarkation time for your stateroom, you can relax on the ship – and have lunch – before your stateroom is ready. 
• Before your trip, you can reserve, cancel, and change excursions, dining, and spa reservations online at MyVikingJourney.com. Once aboard, you can use the Viking Voyager app (active once you board the ship) to manage your reservations.
• If you think you’ll want to provide an extra tip to your stateroom stewards, you might want to pack some thank you notes to share your thoughts on the service provided. I know that’s always appreciated.

Related Articles

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• Viking Ocean Cruises: The Ultimate Guide
• Viking Ocean Cruise Dining: What You Need to Know
• Viking Ocean Cruise Excursions: What You Need to Know
• Viking Ocean Cruise Onboard Experience: What You Need to Know
• Viking Cruises: Best Action Steps to Take After Booking a Cruise
• Viking River Cruises: The Complete Guide
• Best Sights to See on a Viking Grand European Tour Cruise
• Viking Antarctica Cruise: A Complete Guide for Adventurers

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• Travel Planning Timeline

Final Thoughts

My husband and I prefer having extra space in our stateroom as we like to read, enjoy a leisurely room-service breakfast, or just unwind after a busy day in our room. That’s why our top choice is a Penthouse Junior Suite. We could only book a Deluxe Veranda stateroom on an upcoming popular cruise because all the higher-class staterooms were sold out. However, I regularly check the Viking website for cancellations for a Penthouse Junior Suite so we can upgrade. Time will tell. Truth be told, we’d be happy with a Deluxe Veranda stateroom even though we prefer the other. 

One feature I like is the private balconies with each stateroom. My husband and I enjoyed spending time on our balcony: we sat there and ate breakfasts (from room service) some mornings and sipped wine in the evening while enjoying the views.

Some passengers prefer a specific side of the ship – port or starboard. Whatever stateroom you have, I think it’s nice knowing they all have some outdoor space to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way.

Comments

Feel free to share your suggestions and experiences with Viking Ocean cruise staterooms. Your thoughts could help other travelers. Thanks! 🙂