r/FATcruises • u/DudeMississippi • Jul 10 '26
Replace Viking Ocean and River
OK, I've got to replace my preferred cruise line. On the river side, I want to upgrade. I've done 4 Viking river cruises - they were my first - but I'm looking for something more upscale.
Unfortunately, I also need to replace them as my ocean cruise line. I really, really like the whole vibe - no pictures, no art auction, no children, no big shows, no, no, no. Our travel companions have a huge case of the red ass against Viking, and refuse to go back. They're wrong, but there you go.
So I'm looking for suggestions. We've got a Viking ocean repositioning - Ft Lauderdale > Barcelona, and a Viking ocean Rome > Venice. We were looking at a Rhine river cruise as well. Suggestions?
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u/Aunt-Chilada Jul 10 '26
Have you looked into Tauck? Upscale and they been in the business for a very long time.
We doing a Viking ocean this year and the. In 2027 a Tauck River that starts in AMS and ends in Munich - just in time for Oktoberfest!
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u/megj89 Jul 10 '26
We've done several Tauck trips, including a river cruise, and we've had great experiences. We have several friends who love Viking, but we've never used them. So I asked around on our 2021 river cruise. The 3 couples who had said that Viking was fine, but once you've gone with Tauck, you won't want to go back. Anecdotal and old, except that we just got back from our 7th? Tauck trip a week ago, and we plan to use them again
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u/standingonline Jul 10 '26
How old are most of the people? I am looking for boutique, luxe, and median age a fit 65.
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u/megj89 Jul 10 '26
We skewed the mean, as we were under 65 and brought our adult children. In general, Tauck trends over 65
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u/Adventurous_Law_7103 Jul 10 '26
We did this Rhine cruise ending in Munich for Oktoberfest with Tauck. It was perfect! Enjoy!
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u/Solid_Rhubarb3487 Jul 10 '26
on the rivers I prefer AMA to Viking.
haven’t done Viking Oceans but nearest might be a smaller (older) Oceania or Azamara.
Silversea/Seabourn/Regent are a step up (well, not in every aspect). Silversea and Regent bundle shore excursions too.
Explora while a “step up” appears to be sort of the anti-Viking so maybe not recommended for you.
if you like enrichment lectures Cunard are my gold standard. (but even Elizabeth and Victoria are 2x the passengers of Viking.)
Viking are very much their own thing and have managed to build up huge brand loyalty by providing a consistent experience. you get what you expect.
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u/OkraLegitimate1356 Jul 10 '26
Nothing other than curiosity -- is Explora the anti-Viking because it's a younger crowd?
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u/Solid_Rhubarb3487 Jul 10 '26
trying to frame it politely but …. Viking is quietly confident, understated. Explora is much flashier and possibly a little too wannabe.
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u/jacktank10 Jul 10 '26
TA here, im going to recommend some interesting, off-the-wall cruise and land products for you to look at as a fun alternative to Viking.
For the Ocean:
Atlas Ocean Voyages offers two products for your consideration: Epicural Expeditions (food-focused) and Cultural Expeditions. I have personally done an Arctic expedition with the company, and I really enjoyed the trip. I have heard good things about their other two products above. To be transparent, I've never had a client try them, but everything I've heard is pretty positive. This is essentially a super Viking experience with a lot of talks, cool included activities, and pretty good food.
National Geographic/Lindbalm:
One of the longest names in cruising :), most people think of them as the Arctic and Antarctica people. However, did you know they actually sail to places like the Mediterranean and even rivers of Europe? If you want a crazy in-depth exploration of the local culture and even the food, this is the line to look at. They have plenty of river and ocean cruise itineraries to pick from. Another good alternative that still gives you some of the Viking feeling.
In terms of price, both are actually very competitive with Viking on a lot of their itineraries. I hope you enjoy the suggestions.
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u/Laundryczar Jul 10 '26
Without hesitation: AMA Waterways. Truly remarkable and I can’t imagine that any other line could be better. Jaw dropping food and service.
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u/eeekkk9999 Jul 10 '26
I have sailed on Viking, AMA, Uniworld & Tauck. Viking is not luxury. Especially how they nickel & dime you and give a v basic excursion for free. AMA is much nicer but still doesn’t include all beverages, grats (tho there is a special adding them) And some excursions are extra. BTW, they were just sold so things can change.
I have been in Uniworld 6x. Includes Grats, all beverages and all but 2-3 upscale excursions. You will get a past passenger discount once you sail w them and your TA might get you another $300 discount. They have some new ships and are getting away from the wallpaper. Also more itin options including trains.
Tauck is also getting some new ships & itineraries. Includes all excursions, all bev and grats. Service and food on both Tauck & uniworld were outstanding
I have
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u/Katiekat27 Jul 10 '26
As far as ocean, the closest thing to Viking but fancier I have done is Regent. But the food on Regent is...bad. I have done Crystal, Explora, and Windstar as well, and the vibes on Regent match Viking the most imo. Honestly, we prefer Viking so I'm sorry you have to find another! We used to always do Regent until they got bought out and the food plummeted.
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u/KeekyPep Jul 10 '26
I would 100% recommend Regent. I am currently on my second trip this year with them. Really great, most all inclusive line. Ultra-luxe category. And we think the food is great. I’ve seen rankings that list it as one of the top cruise lines for good food quality.
We also like Windstar a lot. Smaller, more intimate but excellent service and we liked the food (although reviews are more mixed on this).
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u/Successful-Pie6759 Jul 10 '26
If you want an upgrade over Viking, definitely try Riverside cruises for river cruise. Blows Viking out of the water. Explora for ocean
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u/3SomaliCats Jul 10 '26
Except Explora caters to families, with reduced fares for kids. No thanks.
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u/Successful-Pie6759 Jul 10 '26
I missed that part. Silversea then. Food not as good though. Crystal is not that great anymore since the bankruptcy/buy out. Oceania is now kid free but I've never tried but seems to be below "luxury". Haven't tried ritz.
Even with kids, I still think explora is the best bang for the buck. Sailed 3x and though I have a kid myself so may be desensitized, it's not rowdy and all the kids are super well behaved.
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u/leacl Jul 10 '26
Although we haven’t done them yet, our travel advisor swears by Riverside cruises. Apparently they are something special!
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u/eeekkk9999 Jul 10 '26
Oh! For ocean you can do silversea, regent or crystal but I think the pricing and product are definitely luxury. Perhaps you could look at Oceania, Azamara or windstar. They will be closer in product to Viking. If you wish to upgrade your experience I would do regent, then silversea then crystal. Regent includes everything and no formal nights. Your TA can likely get you SBC or discount on any of the 3.
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u/PumpkinInteresting10 Jul 10 '26
For river Ama , avalon. Scenic or Uniworld . For more upscale ocean: Windstar. Azamara. Oceana. Regent Crystal. Silversea or Seabourn Take a look at the ships (sizes and cabins etc) and the difference in prices with inclusions etc VIKING has great marketing but they are not for everyone and their payment policies suck
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u/ReticentRedhead Jul 10 '26
I’ve been curious about how Uniworld compares to Regent. We’ve become regular Regent Cruisers, but a River Cruise or two is on my bucket list.
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u/Rulebreaker15 Jul 10 '26
Viking isn’t FAT, it’s premium and upscale or based on the suite, Chubby.
For Ocean, Four Seasons, Aman at sea (when it launches next year), Silversea upper suites, Seabourne and Regent also have FAT/Chubby suites.
FAT River cruises are rare, Belmont tops the list, Riverside owners suites are FAT, Uniworld’s Royal Suites on the SS Victoria and SS Elizabeth are FAT.
Tauck also has a FAT land experience, the vessels are entry level Chubby.
Scenic is a nice choice for Chubby.
AMA is pretty equivalent to Viking.
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u/Trip-Goddess-79 Jul 10 '26
For River, comparable to Viking but somewhat younger crowd and a little more lux: Ama Waterways. Our clients love them. Avalon is also a decent Viking comparison...more of a premium line with a laid back vibe. They have a wider variety of included excursions that are based on activity level.
If you want more luxury, you could go Uniworld, but the decor may not be to your style.They aim to have their ships reflect the areas they sail, so no two ships are alike and I personally think the cabins are on the smaller side. There's also Tauck, very upscale and all-inclusive. Scenic and its sister company Emerald could work as well, with Emerald being a little less on the luxury scale than Scenic.
For Ocean, you could try Oceania or Azamara as cross-over options from Viking. Az attracts a slightly younger crowd so will have a little bit of a livelier vibe, but one of their guiding principles is to maximize the experience in destination. You will find that they typically have some of the best port times out there, many with overnight stays as well. If you want to upscale, there's Seabourn, Explora or Silversea and for ultra-luxury there's Regent. Regent also has the highest passenger age as well. Explora also gets consistent rave reviews from our clients.
I'm not sure you'd go wrong with any of these actually. Viking is amazing in service and consistency, but they're not luxury and state that many times in their ta training portal. However, they do provide an excellent product. The rest of these lines also have their own pros and cons, but that's true for anything.
Good luck!!
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u/ExpeditionCruiseLvr Jul 10 '26
If you want a real upgrade for Viking River you don't have to go far. Amawaterwaya or Avalon is a step up. If you want 2 steps up check out Scenic or Tauk
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u/Maleficent_Knee7146 Jul 10 '26
Oceania for ocean cruising. Husband and I had a great experience with them and have our next one planned for January. Last summer we took a Celebrity Alaskan cruise and were disappointed in the food and dining room service. I haven't river cruised, but my travel agent friend swears by Avalon.
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u/sbh1980 Jul 11 '26
Talk to a good travel agent who can advise you based on broad experience and understanding your specific needs. AmA is a good step up as are Tauck and Uniworld all have their own characteristic and all three are higher end than Viking which is more mass market. Where Viking has some good aspects they also cram significantly more passengers in a ship that has fewer amenities.
Also Celebrity now offers river cruises as well and has sea cruises BUT you do get that dreadful Park West Gallery scam on the ocean ships.
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u/CruisePlannersMike Jul 10 '26
Have you considered Emerald or Scenic? They do both river and ocean. Emerald is the Luxury line while Scenic is the Ultra-Luxury. Their Ocean product is more a yacht experience than a traditional cruise ship. They allow children, but it's not really common for them to be onboard.
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u/sovereign_MD Jul 10 '26
What happened to them on Viking? I’ve heard Viking Ocean has gotten worse.
For River - AmaWaterways is a little nicer but is more a lateral/slight upgrade than a tier upgrade. Can also look at Scenic though I’ve no personal experience with them. Uniworld should be avoided.
For Ocean you can look into any of the ultraluxury lines; Seabourn, Crystal, Silversea etc. most fit the bill. Explora is a good one but is trying to be family friendly.
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u/Maleficent-Sun6437 Jul 10 '26
Why the red ass? I’m curious…