Exploring the Bermuda Triangle with Viking Cruises

By September 9, 2021Cruises

Exploring the Bermuda Triangle in comfort on the Viking Orion Ship and cruising around Bermuda on the Bermuda Escape Cruise. It’s my first time to Bermuda and it’s been a treat to break away from the never-ending pandemic, dig my toes in the pink sandy beaches and see the orange and purple sunsets.

Viking Cruises is taking health and safety precautions to ensure guests are safe throughout their cruise.
✔️Daily health safety checks ✔️Daily temperature checks ✔️Daily saliva PCR testing ✔️Masks required
✔️Contact tracing necklace ✔️New air purification technology ✔️Staff is sterilizing ship around the clock
✔️Social distancing ✔️Laboratory onboard & medical personnel

Excellent standards and protocols are in place, and Viking awaits to welcome guests back on board.

We’ve docked at a couple ports along the way — toured the oldest English Settlement in St George, snorkeled shipwrecks and coral reefs, kayaked through caves and coves, and met the delightful Bermudian people who shared their history, music and delicious cuisine as we’ve toasted with the island’s traditional drinks — the Rum Swizzle or Dark ‘n Stormy.

Sharing some highlights from this cruise and insights about Viking Cruises and their upcoming itineraries.

Viking Cruises are curated for curious travelers and referred to as “the thinking person’s cruise” with opportunities to learn and understand each destination and its people.  Viking offers 403 ports, 95 countries, 7 continents, 5 oceans, 20 rivers and 5 great lakes to explore.  Known for its River and Ocean cruising, Viking is adding the Viking Mississippi, new ships in Egypt and Mekong, as well as Viking Expedition ships to cruise through the polar regions.

Some of the top itineraries include the Rhine Getaway an 8-day trip offering the famous castles of the Rhine River, the Romantic Danube, an 8-day trip that offers the magnificent cities and towns along the Danube River and the Grand European Tour, a 15-day trip that travels the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers.

Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen shares, “We have stretched ourselves creatively and technologically, evaluating every aspect of our guests’ cruising experience and asking ourselves how we can surpass it.”  Torstein is a visionary and aims for perfection as seen in the smallest details on the ship and experiences created.  His success is evident as guests return time and time again for another cruise with Viking.

Captain Richard and his crew welcomed us as we boarded the Viking Orion Ship in the capitol city of Hamilton. We explored Hamilton and St Georges, then cruised at sea before we docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard on the West End.

We learned about its rich maritime history at the Bermuda National Museum, and the British Royal Navy was a stronghold for 150 years. You can shop the local boutiques for jewelry, swimwear, crafts at the Clocktower Mall. Don’t Miss! Sampling the rum cake at the Bermuda Rum Cake Company. Meet with local artists at the Arts Center. There are also bike rentals, snorkeling cruises and swimming with the dolphin encounters.

The Viking Way of exploration is like no other with onshore experiences with cultural and historic highlights that bring guests closer to the art, architecture, history, traditions and people that define each destination.  Viking Founder Torstein Hagen and his daughter Karine create behind-the-scenes access and open doors to the unexpected, enlightening and delighting guests on their cruises. 

We spent some days at Sea in the Bermuda Triangle enjoying the ship, relaxing at the spa and on the balcony in 80 plus degrees as we cruised through the Atlantic Ocean.

Sharing some Top Reasons to Love Viking Cruises

#1: Viking Ship & Staterooms: the design is understated elegance – classy and comfortable in every way!  Each of the nine decks is designed with open and light-filled spaces with high-end finishes like leather handles, handstitched patterns in stools, heated bathroom floors and towel warmers & hundreds of other details that please the eye, heart & soul.

There are five types of spacious staterooms with layouts that optimize the living spaces inside and outside, designed for comfort and serenity.  Throughout the ship, there are thoughtful touches that evoke the Hagen Family’s Viking Heritage. One of my favorite places to spend time is in the Explorers Lounge where you can sit at the front of the ship with a faux fur throw on a leather chair by the fireplace and admire the panoramic views while reading a book on art, literature, or history from the ship’s library.  There’s also the Dome where you can view 3-D shows on Space, the Arctic Sky or Dolphins & Whales.

#2: LiV Nordic Spa & Fitness: Complimentary use of the Nordic Bathing & Thermal Spa – solarium, snow grotto, cold dipping pools, sauna, steam room, hydrotherapy…here’s the Bade (Nordic Bathing Ritual)…
✔️Relax in the sauna🧖‍♀️
✔️Dip into the cold plunge🥶
✔️Heat up in the sauna again
✔️Step into the refreshing Snow Grotto ❄️
✔️Repeat🔁
Viking Cruises adds spa treatments inspired by the Nordic Culture – Arctic Detox Scrub, Northern Stillness with blueberry body wrap, Viking Restart with a cranberry body scrub & more.

The Fitness Center is well-equipped with ocean views – treadmills, weights, private training.  My favorite places to walk were the rooftop sports deck and the promenade deck on level 2 (4 laps = 1 mile).

#3:  Art Collection:  The art pieces throughout the hallways and staterooms on every deck are impressive from digital to print, oil paintings, sculpture and photography.  Guests can take a self-guided art tour to see works by Scandinavian and Nordic artists including the H.M. Queen Sonja of Norway and Edvard Munch, and even some children’s art.  Also, there are exhibits where you can learn about the Nordic heritage and Viking spirit of discovery on board.

#4: Culinary Delights!  The ship’s restaurants offer an array of cuisines – Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant presents handmade pasta and Florentine steak, The Chef’s Table features themed dinners – Asian dumplings or Mexican tamales, and there’s a California Coast dinner with crabcakes too.  The main Restaurant and World Café menus change daily and offer a gastronomic medley of cuisine. 

Don’t Miss!  A Nordic smorgasbord including waffles are at Mamsen’s in the Explorers Lounge or dining on the Aquavit Terrace.  An afternoon tea at the Wintergarden, a light and airy space inspired by a Nordic wonderland with wooden trees branding out across the ceiling, with stacked tea trays of finger sandwiches and decadent desserts while listening to a pianist play classical music. There’s even a Tea Sommelier to help guide you through the tea menu of Chinese oolong, Bombay chai, Lapsang souchong teas.

#5:  Excursions, Lectures and Entertainment:  Viking introduces culture and insights to its guests through unique excursions, history lectures and performances.  On our cruise, we snorkeled over some of the shipwrecks in the Bermudian reefs, listened to lectures on the Bermuda Triangle by Viking Resident Historian Dr. Babcock and on space by Astronomer Lou Thieblemont.  We especially enjoyed the ABBA musical performance one night, and the evening concerts by guitarist Michael and the Classical sounds and traditional Norwegian music in the 3-story Atrium in the heart of the ship’s main reception area.

#6:  Viking’s selection of destinations: Viking Longships have cruised rivers throughout Europe and now cruise rivers in Mississippi, Russia, and soon the Great Lakes, Mekong and Egypt.  Viking Ocean Ships are offering new itineraries and its Expedition Ships cruise Svalbard and Antarctica waters.

#7:  Above all, the Service is perfection!  The crew and staff raise the bar for servicing guests on cruise ships.  My stateroom attendant welcomed me on board and took great care of my room, cleaning and sanitizing my room, restocking my towels, amenities, and drinks, shined my shoes and pressed my dresses with a smile.

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