Well, DaK finally took a Viking Ocean Cruise after 3 Viking River Cruises. Viking once again exceeded our expectations. The Viking Jupiter’s cleanliness and service was outstanding! The only disadvantage we found with the Ocean Cruise (vs the river cruise) was that a couple of the ports were inconvenient to get off and on the ship at our leisure.
Our 12-day cruise itinerary included stops in Stockholm Sweden (overnight), Mariehamn (Finland territory), Gotland (Visby) Sweden, Gdansk Poland, Kariskrona Sweden, Bornholm (Ronne) Denmark, Warnemunde (excursions to Rostock or Berlin) Germany, Aarhus Denmark, and Copenhagen Denmark (overnight). After the cruise we decided to spend an additional 6 days in Copenhagen, on our own, taking advantage of the Viking Air “stop over” option. We really got to know the Copenhagen region (Zealand) of Denmark in the 8 days we were there.
We felt comfortable on the Viking Jupiter and our room (and bathroom) was spacious enough. Having our own balcony was an added treat. Although there were several dining venues to choose from, we preferred the “World Cafe” alfresco dining option. There was always a large variety of exceptional food from which to choose. Additionally, Viking had a good selection of beer including Grembergen Dubbel Amber. This is a Belgian, 6.5% ABV beer that is now owned by Carlsberg Brewery (Copenhagen, Denmark) and is one of our “go to” beers on any Viking Cruise.
All the furnishings, facilities, and condition of the ship were outstanding. However, most of the entertainment was lackluster. But many Viking travelers are onboard for the history and phenomenal shore excursions/tours.
The Viking Jupiter was docked in Stockholm, Sweden for our first two days. Stockholm was arguably our second favorite stop. It is an entirely walkable historical city packed with beautiful architecture, a spectacular waterfront, and plenty of culture.
Leaving Stockholm was simply breathtaking as we dined on an aft deck and listened to live music!
Our second stop, and probably least favorite, was Mariehamn, Aland Islands. It is a Swedish speaking, autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty. Other than an old, nicely restored ship (below) and the beauty of the island, there was not much to see or do.
Our next stop Visby (on Gotland Island – Sweden’s largest island) was very fun and interesting. Many of Visby’s ancient stone walls, churches, and some buildings date back as far as the 6th century. It’s two miles of defensive walls and 44 watchtowers are among the most remarkably preserved in Europe. After our wonderfully informative included Viking toured and a quick stop for gelato we rented e-bikes and tour more of the island beyond Visby’s city walls.
The nest stop, Gdansk, Poland totally caught us by surprise. While we didn’t have any real expectations, the city was amazingly beautiful and vibrant. The 14th – 16th century Old Town was remarkably restored with a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, and baroque styles of architecture.
We were able to find a great, subterranean brewery in the Old Town (don’t ask me to pronounce or spell the name) that also had a nice outdoor beer garden right in the heart of Old Town Gdansk.
It was a dreary day for our next stop in Karlskrona, Sweden. It was probably our second least favorite stop. Other than some shopping and a fort/museum we did not find much going on there.
Next, the Danish Island of Bornholm was founded around the year 1000 and it’s village of Ronne has played an important role in the maritime trade of the Baltics. Germans, Swedes, and Soviets variously overtook the island throughout its history. Many of the historic cobblestone lanes and low-timbered, red roofed houses of merchants still exude the Ronne of yesterday.
After our included Viking tour of Ronne and other parts of Bornholm, DaK rented e-bikes to explore more of this wonderful and lush island in the Baltic Sea.
After leaving Bornholm Island, the Viking Jupiter pulled into the port of Warnemunde, Germany. The main attraction here was Berlin. However, we decided against the 3-hour (each way) train to get there and went to Rostock, Germany instead. We were very happy with our decision and guided tour of Rostock. Rostock was part of East Germany after WWII, and we could still see the influences from its communist past.
Instead of taking our Viking bus back to our ship in Warnemunde, we stayed in Rostock for lunch and some additional sightseeing on our own. Afterwards we took a ferryboat back to Warnemunde were we once again rented bikes and toured the city of Warnemunde and surrounding area.
I love the choices and freedom that Viking affords its passengers.
Our next stop was Arhus, Denmark’s second largest city and one of the country’s oldest dating back to an 8th-century Viking settlement. Today the Old Town retains its old-world charm with medieval landmarks, including centuries-old timbered houses and the 13th-century Arhus Cathedral.
We enjoyed the informative Viking tour and then free time to explore this historic city.
Our final stop, and our favorite, on the 12-day Viking Ocean Cruise was Copenhagen, Denmark. Our ship was in port for 2 days before we departed to the Copenhagen Marriott to spend 6 more days, on our own, exploring Copenhagen and the surrounding area. We utilized several modes of transportation to get around including taxi, water taxi, train, bus, walking, and of course bicycle.
We found Denmark to be one of friendliest and safest places that we have ever visited. Their lifestyle was more worry-free and unencumbered than the U.S. or even other European counties. This may be attributed to the amount of benefits their government provides to each citizen (free health care, education, retirement, and more). Everyone we spoke with was happy to pay the approximately 50% tax rate for these benefits.
The images below showcase our 6 days, post cruise, exploring the region on our own.
We appreciated the extra time we had in Denmark to experience the culture and lifestyle of this part of the world. We really enjoyed our adventures everyday!