Viking Kara

Located in the Lounge, the bar is lively and inviting - a gathering place for guests to view the scenery, have a drink and catch up on the day with friends.

Located in the heart of the Upper deck adjacent to the Aquavit Terrace, the library has comfortable seating and excellent reading light. Their ships’ libraries carry approximately 80 books, in various languages but mostly English, and several games such as chess, backgammon and playing cards. Pick up a magazine or board game and enjoy it in the lounge just steps away.

Forget to bring something? Looking for a magazine or some gift items? The onboard boutique on the main deck has everything you need to make your voyage comfortable and convenient.

The lounge has a baby grand piano, where a pianist plays classical and modern melodies during cocktail hour and sometimes at lunch. The music drifts to and through the Aquavit Terrace -a nice accompaniment on warm, sunny days.

The cruise director hosts a variety of informal evening entertainment in the lounge; from pub trivia nights to the cruise slideshow cum sales pitch, it's all done in a spirit of fun and inclusivity. The lounge is also equipped with large pull-down movie screens and surround-sound for movie nights, and regional performers occasionally come onboard to provide additional entertainment. 

Located on the Middle Deck

Enjoy the sunshine up on the Sun deck with its 360-degree views and shaded sitting area. Guests are also provided with a small putting green and a walking track, for those looking to keep fit.

Complement your onshore experiences with our onboard lecture program, designed to shed light on your destination’s art, architecture, music, geopolitics, natural world and more. Also, gain an overview of your next day’s port of call through informative multimedia presentations covering the history and culture of your destination, as well as highlights of must-see landmarks.

Each Viking itinerary includes one or more Destination Performances representing the most iconic cultural performing art form of the region—whether it be Portuguese fado with its melancholy melodies and poignant lyrics; Viennese opera, a centuries-old storytelling art form; or world-renowned Mariinsky Theatre singers from St. Petersburg.

Local artisans demonstrate time-honoured craft traditions of your destinations, such as glassblowing, lace making and wooden shoemaking. Our culinary demonstrations present recipes of regional treats and drinks—Austrian apple strudel, Rüdesheim Coffee and more.

From local ensembles to acclaimed choirs, we invite on board a wide range of talented musicians to perform well-known and lesser-known melodies. We hope you will find yourself transported by their performances and enjoy some of the benefits of classical music—lifting your spirit, soothing your soul and adding to your onboard enrichment.

Join us for a special series of short films, screening on your stateroom television, intended to inform you about the iconic destinations and little-known gems you will be visiting. This series provides insights and information intended to deepen your understanding—and enjoyment—of the time ahead, and perhaps encourage you to engage with your destinations in a way you otherwise would not have.

The onboard Library was curated by Heywood Hill, an independent London bookseller and Royal Warrant holder, who dedicated hundreds of hours to understanding the unique, inquisitive nature of our guests. From art to history to destination-focused reading, each book was hand-selected to enhance your experience, both on board and at your destination.

An included excursion in every port, plus The Viking Way® of exploration.

Local Life

Viking provides fascinating insights into Local Life during excursions that reveal the rhythms of daily living in your destination. Visit a Russian home in the quaint town of Uglich. Taste your way through a culinary tour of Budapest. Meet some winsome children at a Viking-sponsored elementary school in China. This is the ideal way to experience a place like a local.

Working World

Witness the inner workings of a historic Kinderdijk windmill. Tour the impressive wine cellars of a Wachau Valley winery. Learn the intricate art of truffle hunting from a local Périgord farmer and his hound. Glimpsing the world at work helps you tap into its passions and see its people anew.

Privileged Access

We have arranged exclusive entry for Viking guests to cultural treasures all around the world. Visit seldom-seen collections with before- and after-hours access to world-class museums; be a special guest at private homes and palaces not open to just anyone; or attend cultural performances of folklore, ballet and opera to get an insider’s view during these private tours.

Viking welcomes disabled guests; however, guests must realise there are inherent risks associated with traveling on board ships that are unique to cruise travel. For people who are ill, or have a mental or physical disability or impairment, the risks can be more significant. Guests must be able to independently move around the ship in case of an emergency or rough seas, deal with the lack of immediate access to medical services in certain parts of the world, and acknowledge that access to some areas of the ship and ports of call may be limited or impossible. Shore excursions may require the ability to traverse cobblestones or go up and down stairs. We reserve the right to determine whether a guest is fit to travel and to deny boarding in the event that a guest represents a risk to themselves or to the safety and well-being of those on board the ship.

When you make your reservation, please advise us of any disability that will require special attention while sailing on a Viking cruise and provide a completed Fit to Travel Form along with a physician’s letter. Should you have any medical, physical or other special needs, check the fleet information on our website to gain an understanding of the layout of any particular ship and contact a Viking Expert at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) directly with additional questions and to obtain a copy of our policy statement.

In most cases, we can. Every meal has vegetarian options and the chefs will make reasonable efforts to accommodate special requests. Guests requiring special meals (low salt, diabetic, gluten-free or low cholesterol) should alert us 90 days prior to departure over the phone at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) or online on the Dietary Restrictions page in your My Viking Journey account. Guests should also inform the Maître d’ when on board.

While we take steps to minimise the risk of cross contamination, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free kitchen.

All guests must be 18 years old on or before the day they are scheduled to embark on their cruise; we do not maintain facilities or services on board for younger individuals.

During the day, dress is casual including shorts (if the season is warm), slacks or jeans and comfortable shoes for walking tours. There are no “formal nights” in the evening; recommended evening dress is “elegant casual.” For ladies, this may include a dress, skirt or slacks with a sweater or blouse; and for gentlemen, trousers and a collared shirt. A tie and jacket are optional.

Some shore excursions visit religious sites that require modesty of dress. To avoid being denied entry, we recommend men wear long pants and refrain from sleeveless shirts; and for women, clothing that covers the knees and tops that are not sleeveless or too revealing.

Viking vessels are generally nonsmoking. In order to accommodate guests who choose to smoke, there is a designated outdoor smoking area. All other areas of the ship, including your stateroom and veranda, are designated nonsmoking areas. Smoking restrictions also apply to e-cigarettes.

All ships sailing our Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt and the Mississippi itineraries offer free Wi-Fi, while our China ship offers complimentary Internet access. You may use your personal device or one of the ship’s computers. Our connection relies on a cellular or satellite terminal—the best possible solution for river cruising. Due to the nature of data bandwidth and latency, as well as potential interruptions in satellite signals based on terrain and weather, you may experience slower online connections than you are accustomed to at home. In order to ensure fair usage for all, we reserve the right to limit heavy-bandwidth applications, downloads or software upgrades so that all our guests have access to Wi-Fi. We suggest that guests limit large uploads/downloads and live streaming. Please download your content prior to your cruise, as bandwidth will affect your service and cannot be guaranteed. We would be pleased to help you with your device settings once you are on board. We hope you will understand that we will do our very best to provide you with an enjoyable online experience, and remember you will likely be able to access standard Wi-Fi and data roaming services on shore in most towns and cities you visit. Please be aware that the Internet is censored in China, and select sites, such as Google (including Gmail), popular social media sites and Yahoo Mail, are typically blocked except in Hong Kong.

On our Mekong ship, you may use one of the public computers on board to access the Internet; however, please be aware that Internet access across all of Southeast Asia is very limited and Wi-Fi is not available.

Guests may bring alcohol and beverages with them or purchase alcohol ashore at destinations that sell alcohol. Alcohol can be consumed in the guest’s stateroom or in public spaces, including dining venues. There is no corkage fee.

Depending on your stateroom category, laundry services, including pressing, may be complimentary. A full listing of amenities by stateroom category can be found on each ship page. If your stateroom category does not include these services, they may be purchased for a modest fee and arranged through your stateroom steward. Dry cleaning is not available on board.

On board ships sailing our Mississippi itineraries, self-service launderettes including irons and ironing boards are available free of charge, with detergent available for your use at no additional cost.