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I cruised Scandinavia with Viking, here's all your questions answered
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As the sound of birch leaves slapping bare skin fills the sauna we exchange alarmed glances.
Our nordic bathing ritual started gently enough, with dry skin brushing before alternating between getting steamed in the sauna and rubbing snow over our hot skin in the snow grotto. But now that our spa therapist has started thwacking us with birch twigs, things have taken a turn.
When it's my turn to stand with my hands high on the sauna glass in my swimmers, bare legs and back to the group, I soon discover a birch twig's bark is worse than its bite. It feels almost like a leafy caress and as the birch scent fills the sauna it adds to the sensory experience.
Why Norway should be the next place you travel
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Why Norway should be the next place you travel
natural...... more more beauty and cultural richness, beckons travellers from around the world to explore its captivating landscapes and unique heritage.
Norway, a land of awe-inspiring ... more
Passengers cruising on Viking's ocean ships around the world can use the sauna, snow grotto, hot tubs and cold water plunge pools in LivNordic spas for the guided group experience I opted for, or enjoy their own independent hot and cold routine.
It seems particularly apt that we're doing it where it all began – on a Viking Homelands cruise in Norway, where by the end of the voyage I'm tipping a bucket of cold water over myself after getting out of a hot tub in a not to be repeated 'when in Scandinavia' moment.
I may have been to Scandinavia before but this is the first time I've travelled by ocean ship and it's a journey that is taking me back to some of my favourite spots in the world as well as introducing me to places I've always wanted to visit. Here's what you can expect when you set sail on the 15-day Viking Homelands cruise.
Sailing into Stockholm, one of the world's most beautiful harbours. Picture: Amanda Woods
Where did the cruise go?
After sailing out of Viking Jupiter's port of registry in Bergen we visited towns and cities in Denmark, Germany, Poland and Estonia before sailing into one of the most spectacular harbours in the world in Stockholm. Highlights included cruising through majestic fjords in Norway, the Baltic beauties of Gdansk and Tallinn, and exploring city and market town life in Denmark's Copenhagen and Rønne.
Sunset in Tallinn, Estonia, one of the ports on the Viking Homelands cruise.
What was the ship like?
Modern Scandinavian with lots of sleek lines, light wood, woven textiles and the occasional reindeer hide, over eight main decks plus a small sports deck.
Viking ships are happily casino-free zones with lots of comfy spaces from which to watch the world go by, and Viking Jupiter is one of the few ships in the world to have a planetarium. The Explorers' Dome seats 26 and with only a few live talks from the ship's astronomer tickets can be hard to get. After missing out I book a seat in the Dome to watch the Experience the Aurora documentary instead. The all-veranda cabins, including our Deluxe Veranda Stateroom, start at 25sq m and include generous bathrooms with heated floors, seats for two on the balcony, 24-hour room service and a mini bar with soft drinks and snacks replenished daily.
The Explorers' Dome, a high-tech planetarium.
How many people were on board?
Viking Jupiter carries a maximum of 930 adults and no children thanks to its 18-year-old minimum age limit. Ship guests came from nine nationalities, while the very multicultural and so lovely I didn't want to say goodbye crew was made up of 64 nationalities. Eighty per cent of guests were American but other passengers included Brits, Canadians and Irish, along with 78 Australians.
What can you do on board?
Viking leans into their 'thinking person's cruise' theme with interesting lectures on local history, art, architecture and geopolitics as well as talks by the ship's resident astronomer in the theatre. At night the theatre switches into entertainment mode with performances by special guests and skipping down memory lane shows by the Viking Jupiter Vocalists.
You can work out in the gym, relax in the spa, take dips under the retractable roof in the indoor pool and soak in the indoor or outdoor hot tub. And on special nights you can watch movies and dance under the stars by the pool.
Eidfjord, Norway, viewed from the ship's sports deck. Picture: Amanda Woods
What are the excursions like?
Our Viking cruise had at least one complimentary shore excursion in every port and I enjoyed them all. Included excursions are mostly walking tours and scenic drives to interesting spots, while paid excursions go deeper into a destination and can include castle and museum tours, cycling, sailing and taking to the sky in seaplanes and helicopters.
How about the food?
Whether you're in the mood for the tastes of Scandinavia or a more familiar dish from home this cruise has you covered. And apart from the $US99 ($151) kitchen table experience, every meal from the buffet to the speciality Manfredi's Italian and Chef's Table restaurants is included.
In the main dining venues, The Restaurant and World Café, the regional specialities change daily. In the Pool Grill casual bites and an excellent ahi tuna steak are always on offer, while Mamsen's is where you can enjoy Norwegian specialities including brown cheese on heart-shaped waffles. I also loved the pop-up cooking stations, including Norwegian hot dogs on the Aquavit Terrace. And if you can somehow fit it in, afternoon tea is served with live classical music in the Wintergarden.
Gjetost (brown cheese) on waffles from Mamsen's, the ship's Norwegian deli. Picture: Amanda Woods
Did you get pampered in the spa?
You bet. Along with my nordic bathing ritual I signed up for a signature Northern Stillness treatment where I was blissed out during a full body massage, body scrub, blueberry body mask and scalp treatment. While I did add a tip, no gratuities are automatically charged in this floating spa.
Did you see the Northern Lights?
No, but I have seen them every other time I've been on a ship in Scandinavia so you never know your luck with the aurora gods.
The writer travelled as a guest of Viking Cruises. The 15-day Viking Homelands journey from Bergen to Stockholm (or vice versa) is priced from $12,095pp twin share.
Originally published as I cruised Scandinavia with Viking, here's all your questions answered
