Five nights of luxury cruising: Travelling around New Zealand on the Viking Sky

The Viking Sky; less a floating city, more a floating resort. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

Viking Sky is not like other cruise ships. Not only is it luxurious with a capital L, Viking cruise line challenges the status quo like no other, writes Ethan Griffiths

“We’ve been wondering what you’re up to,” a friendly American named Gary whispers as my partner and I sit down in a lounge, watching our ship break the waves as we sail past Rangitoto Island.

“Everyone was talking about the man who pushed in line for the lobster until you showed up.”

We’re the youngest guests by at least 20 years onboard the Viking Sky, wearing sandals and jorts rather than boat shoes and Ralph Lauren polos. We’re also the only new guests and the only New Zealanders, embarking in Auckland on the 45th day of a 145-day world cruise.

We’re greeted with champagne and soon we’re cradling glasses of whiskey, aged for almost as long as we’ve been alive. The ship is taking us from Auckland to Tauranga and on to Wellington. We’re still at home, but it feels far from it.

I’m a seasoned cruiser – but this is my first in such luxury, with so few people.

Viking Sky: What’s the ship like

Viking is most notable for what it doesn’t have; kids, a casino, pushy salespeople, and an eye-watering on-board account to settle when you get off.

The line is in the upper echelon of cruises. Its reputation is solid, stemming from its decades of sailing Europe’s rivers. Its ocean division is relatively new, first launching in 2015, while our ship is just seven years old.

The ship is less a floating city and more a floating resort. We’re sharing the journey with just 928 other guests, a far cry from the thousands of holidaymakers (and kids) on the big ships.

Our first impression is our stateroom; one of the nicest I’ve ever slept in at sea. All rooms come standard with a balcony, a spacious bathroom, super-king bed and an included mini-bar.

Our spacious veranda stateroom aboard the Viking Sky.

A cruise ship where the pace is slow

A welcoming stateroom is a must, two seasoned Viking cruisers tell us. The line’s cruises are journeys, in this case four months long – not brief escapes.

On other cruises, the time spent in your stateroom is minimal. Bars, nightclubs, events and pools are always calling. Viking is the opposite. It’s not for you if you desire a constant buzz, a long list of activities and plenty of partying. The stateroom proves one of the many relaxing places to be, and the included balcony is a must.

Elsewhere, the ship is designed with distinct quiet and social spaces. The main sun deck, particularly in the unpredictable New Zealand summer, was the place to be at all hours with a retractable roof.

On board are multiple lounges, two cafes, a library, a spacious theatre and a putting course. No matter where you are, the pace is slow; some quietly drink, others lounge and read.

The main sun deck is the place to be, rain or shine.

As the sun goes down the social butterflies scurry to Torshavn, the onboard night lounge, serving impressive cocktails that make good use of the top shelf.

The most peaceful place on the ship is deep down in the spa. This has to be one of Viking’s best assets; relaxation and wellness with a Nordic twist. There was a Nordic tradition I just had to try; heat, cold, then heat. I started in the sauna, then a few minutes in the snow grotto as flakes fell around me, then a dip in the plunge pool. The Nordic shower sounded more impressive than it was (a bucket on a chain), but I added it to the routine for good measure.

As always, spa treatments didn’t come cheap but were well worth it. There’s something about a massage as the ground beneath you slowly rocks and rolls. It’s a special kind of peace.

The food

“You’re about to experience magic, we hope.”

Our new American friends Gary and his husband Deanare are taking us to dinner, at the shining star of the ship’s dining offerings, The Chef’s Table.

The kitchen spins the globe and changes the menu every three days around a certain cuisine. Your enjoyment depends on how worldly your tastes are.

For us, it was the Asian Panorama set. We were delighted with chilled king crab, lobster and chicken shu mai and Peking duck with a mandarin pancake. It was all so good I forgot I hated crustaceans.

Our Peking duck – the peak of our dining experience. Photo / Ethan Griffiths

Dessert was an east-meets-west adventure consisting of a chocolate and banana spring roll and an enchanting yuzu creme brulee. It was all top-notch, but the duck was on a level above the rest.

Also impressive was the carefully selected wine pairings for each dish, journeying across Europe with reds and whites from Spain, Germany, France and Italy. It was an experience you’d expect to pay hundreds for onshore. Next door was Manfredi’s, a fine Italian restaurant that was too popular for us to get a spot for – perhaps a reflection on how good it is.

As with all Viking ocean liners, the Sky has eight dining options and five bars. All are included and contain some of the most attentive wait staff you’ll find at sea. We’re told they’re handpicked, with experience on other lines before they arrive at Viking.

The Aquavit Terrace – the nicest place to eat and drink on the ship.

As with any ship, it’s also home to a buffet – but a decent one. The World Cafe is constantly changing, serving the fare of the ship’s current position. For us, it was a taste of home that included salmon, crayfish, pavlova, New Zealand lamb and fresh snapper. It’s also the best place on the ship to eat; aft in a charming al fresco terrace set around an infinity pool, with no kids splashing about.

Five decks down is The Restaurant, with set meals but also specialty dishes. It’s the Goldilocks restaurant of the ship, a memorable middle ground that’s not too flashy nor too casual. It’s open for breakfast and dinner and serves steaks, pastas and salads. The set menu doubles as the room service menu, open 24/7 and completely free of charge.

What’s included

The business model for cruising is a smart one; lure in punters then take advantage of a captive audience.

Viking bucks the trend. The upfront cost of the trip is higher (there’s no doubt it’s a luxury line) but onboard you’re paying for almost nothing. Guests are offered free beer and wine with every meal and have included access to the internet. Another drawcard is the free shore excursion at every port.

For our trip around New Zealand, these options were not extravagant but decent. A coach tour of Auckland’s sites and a walk around Auckland Museum was a great way to spend the day. In Tauranga, we were offered another coach tour around Te Puke and its kiwifruit. Napier had the most attractive offering, New Zealand wine tasting in an Art Deco building, but sadly the sea was too rough to dock. As a Kiwi, the included excursions were simple, but as a tourist in a far-flung land, it would make the trip.

The Nordic Spa on the Viking Sky – the line's best asset.

The point of difference

Viking’s slogan is “the thinking person’s cruise”, and its overarching focus is on enrichment; activities onboard and onshore are steeped in learning. It’s sophisticated and worldly.

Stage shows are replaced with lectures, and bands are replaced with pianists or string players. In Auckland, Viking brought a kapa haka group on board, while talks, not excursion sales pitches, were given daily on all upcoming ports.

For me, the lectures were the highlight of the entertainment. On our journey was a former BBC presenter turned historian, a flora and fauna specialist and a World War II expert. The latter gave an enthralling talk on the Pacific Offensive during an otherwise uneventful sea day, with deep knowledge of New Zealand’s role in the conflict.

It was while we were sipping on cocktails, marinating what we’d just learnt at a lecture, that we learnt something else; our retired friend Gary was born in New Zealand, but hadn’t been back since he was just weeks old.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be back,” he says. “With no jetlag and in first class for four months, not 18 hours.”

We load them up with ideas for their day in Wellington and off they go on their trip of a lifetime, while we head into the hustle and bustle of the city towards our apartment, longing for the wine and the waves.

For more information on Viking Sky’s itineraries and other Viking cruises, see vikingcruises.com