Review: Viking Octantis

After taking the best attributes of Viking’s riverboats and making them even better, the cruise line has truly outdone itself with the new Viking Octantis. 

From the outside, the long and narrow Octantis sports proportions similar to a signature Viking Longship riverboat, while displaying architectural cues comparable to the Viking Star and its seagoing sisters. Size-wise, the expedition ship sits in the middle, closer to the ocean vessels at 30,150 tons with a guest capacity of 378, resulting in an impressive passenger-to-space ratio of 79.76. That is to say, there is even more public venue volume per passenger on Octantis than on Star.

Guest Cabins

Guest cabins apply Viking’s oceanic template with the same oversize showers that continue to raise the bar for entry-level bathrooms industry-wide, and suite and stateroom categories maintain familiar layouts.

Bonuses unique to the expedition ship include Nordic balconies (floor-to-ceiling windows that mechanically open to reveal a veranda railing); drying closets for wet garments after adventuring in wild weather; and not just standard USB charging ports and electrical outlets at each nightstand, but also USB-C varieties and surface induction charging.

The Explorers’ Lounge, The Aula and The Hide

As on Viking’s ocean ships, the emphasis remains on the destination, and to that end, the marvelous Explorers’ Lounge has been reprised, again as an expansive forward-facing, double-decker observation venue. It has been improved by extending scenic social space into the now-adjacent Living Room and Library, with cozy seating nooks among faux fireplaces.

Taking observation venues to the next level is The Aula. At the stern, overlooking the outdoor Finse Terrace — just one of a multitude of decks for viewing wildlife — is an aft-facing, dual-level convertible theater with stadium seating and wraparound 270-degree vistas unlike anything else at sea. Expedition briefings and entertainment are hosted onstage, and a massive, curved screen can also descend from the ceiling to project feature films and documentaries.

Rounding out a trifecta of observation spaces is The Hide. The small but super cool industrial-themed lounge is a speakeasy of sorts that serves evening cocktails and is tucked into the bow with additional windows overlooking the dramatic vertical prow and beginnings of the wake.

Wellness and Dining

Even The Nordic Spa has been given the scenic treatment on Octantis. Its hair salon and fitness center always had a view on the ocean ships, but now so does its exceptional thermal suite, with an indoor set of padded and heated tile loungers, a glass-lined therapy pool and an outdoor whirlpool overlooking the side of the ship, all in addition to a dry sauna, a steam room, a snow room and other treatment rooms.

And behind the Aquavit Terrace is another set of three infinity-style pools set to different temperatures for Nordic bathing, or for alternating between hot and cold water to improve circulation.

The ship is equally focused on food, offering The Restaurant (the main dining room), Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant, Mamsen’s (a Norwegian bakery) and World Cafe (a buffet) with their excellent fare all carried over from the larger ocean ships. In fact, Octantis improves upon them by better delineating Mamsen’s and the buffet stations into separate sections such as the buffet’s grill, a sushi station, the bakery and a neat Cold Stone Creamery-like ice cream bar for mixing in ingredients.

Expedition-Specific Amenities

Still, as expected, Octantis is predominantly focused on the expedition itself, and there is no shortage of ways to adventure onshore, from loading into full-size tenders to embarking on Zodiacs, kayaks, Special Operations Boats (SOB) and six-passenger submarines housed in The Hangar.

The massive onboard garage contains all sorts of equipment, as well as The Science Lab, where guests can participate in activities such as helping count the microplastics found in regional waters.

RELATED: Why Viking’s SOBs Are a Game Changer for Expedition Cruises

Most remarkable is the ease in which all types of expedition equipment can be boarded. The Hangar is accessible by elevator, and the SOBs can be loaded from gradually sloping ramps up to a solid platform that smoothly ejects the custom 12-passenger vessels directly into the water.

Additional interactions with the ace crew are available at Expedition Central, where cruisers can peruse topographical maps and digital displays showing data, such as what’s gathered from weather balloons launched right from the ship. It is all truly outstanding.

In short, no other ship — expedition or otherwise — has impressed me to the same degree that Octantis has. Viking has simply knocked it out of the park with this one.