Viking Eastern Seaboard Explorer Cruise, Including the St. Lawrence Seaway — Peter Knego Reviews the Viking Polaris

Viking Eastern Seaboard Explorer Cruise

By Peter Knego

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Viking and have been since first laying eyes on a rendering of the soon-to-be Viking Star at a cruise industry preview event in 2013.

I was thrilled to see a new ocean-going ship with classic features like an observation lounge, a wrap-around promenade and an indoor/outdoor winter garden.

From the gorgeously proportioned clipper bow and streamlined funnel that was inspired by the Royal Viking Line ships of yore, to the epicurean food offerings, the sophisticated, tasteful decor and all the now familiar Viking hallmarks like no kids, no casino, included excursions, great enrichment lectures, heated bathroom floors and on and on and on.

The handsome, 47,832 gross ton, 930-passenger Viking Star, captured at Bergen, Norway in 2015. * Photo: Peter Knego

I was “all in,” although I wondered if the highly competitive cruise industry would welcome Viking’s growth from river cruising to ocean cruising with such a sensible and almost traditional but still very modern and comfortable ship.

Well, not only did the Viking Star become a smashing success, she now has nine identical sisters and 10 more slightly enlarged, hydrogen-enhanced sisters to come.

Meanwhile, Viking’s river fleet has grown from a few dozen second-hand ships to now 60 of the line’s trademark Longships (including the slightly smaller Douro, Seine and Elbe vessels), which I think are among the most fetching, comfortable and innovative vessels on any river today.

The 195-passenger Longship Viking Eir captured in the Rhine River Valley in 2024. * Photo: Peter Knego

Viking has also expanded into the Mississippi with a purpose-built vessel and the Nile, with eight ships, as well as one on the Mekong.

Talk about success!

Subscribe to our monthly small ship cruise email

Subscribe to QuirkyCruise.com for monthly curated newsletters highlighting our top small cruise ship reviews, round-ups & offers!

Viking’s Pair of Expedition Ships

The Viking story doesn’t end there, however. In 2022, they launched a pair of spectacular expedition ships, the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris.

The striking Viking Polaris anchored off Cape Breton. *Photo: Peter Knego

Thus far, this dynamic duo has been wintering in Antarctica and summering in the Great Lakes, while offering longitudinal world cruises (from Ushuaia to Toronto) as positioning voyages; northbound in the spring and southbound in the fall.

I finally was able to join the Viking Polaris for a 15-night sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto, this past April.

At 30,150 gross tons, the Polaris is about two-thirds the size of Viking’s ocean ships and carries, with a capacity of 378 (yes, 78 over the QuirkyCruise max but she is a worthwhile and rare exception to that limit), less than half the number of guests

Many Viking Ocean and Viking River Longship hallmarks remain — the Scandinavian style decor by Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios and chief designer Richard Riviere, the top notch food and service, no kids, etc. — and in this case, they are infused with the added innovations of expedition cruising.

Among the latter are a pair of submarines, a fleet of zodiacs, science labs where guests can participate in experiments, an open bow observation area and much more.

RELATED: Read a review of the Viking Octantis on the Great Lakes by Judi Cohen.

RELATED: Read a review of an unusual Viking river cruise land combo in Europe by John and Sandra Nowlan.

Expedition Meets Elegance Afloat on Viking Polaris

Encountering this relatively small, well-proportioned ship at the Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal, which is normally engulfed by behemoths that are five times (or more) the size of the Polaris, was like a refreshing trip back to the era when all cruise ships were on a human scale.

Upon boarding, we were shown to our 215-square-foot category Category DN3 (Deluxe Nordic Balcony) stateroom #3061 on aft Deck 3. Nordic Balconies are actually full-length windows with a switch that lowers the top half, providing a balcony experience without sacrificing the real estate for a separate exterior balcony area.

Our beautifully appointed Nordic Balcony Stateroom 3061. * Photo: Peter Knego

The cabin had a classic layout with twin beds and a small sitting area separated by a shelving unit stocked with a few books about exploration, binoculars (for use during the cruise) and an espresso machine with several brew choices, cups and saucers.

There was plenty of storage space for our 15 nights’ worth of clothing, although the main closet was a bit awkward to access with its unfolding door panels. There was also a nice desk with a leaf that opened up to reveal a backlit make up mirror, in addition to a mini-bar stocked with complimentary soft drinks.

With expedition cruising in mind, a second closet featured a heating element that is used in cold climes to dry out and warm up clothing. It is also where the zodiac lifebelts are stored.

The bathroom was very nicely laid out with storage space above and beneath the sink, a large shower compartment with easy-to-use, handheld or rainforest style dispensers, heated floors and a nightlight setting for those 3:00 AM wake-up calls. Viking also supplies Freya amenities (shampoo, soap, shower gel, conditioner, moisturizer).

Although it was plenty spacious and beautiful to behold, our stateroom was actually the lowest of five categories that include a 1,238-square-foot Owner’s Suite, four 548-square-foot Explorer’s Suites, 26 322-square-foot Nordic Junior Suites and 20 269-square-foot Nordic Penthouse Suites.

The second highest category, the 549-square-foot Explorer’s Suites, feature a separate bedroom, a living room with a balcony and a small dining nook. * Photo: Peter Knego

Those familiar with the ocean and river vessels will feel right at home on the expedition ships, ensconced in all the light wood tones, upscale and comfortable furnishings, full length window panoramas in most public areas that infuse natural light and, of course, the low key lifestyle on board.

This beautiful nook on Deck 4 is typical of Viking Polaris’ Scandinavian Modern style. It was a favorite spot to gaze out at the sea and catch up on a good read. * Photo: Peter Knego

Both my partner Mike and I felt that the Polaris seemed much larger than her modest size, perhaps because she is quite long at 665 feet, so walking from one end of the ship to the other didn’t seem much different than on the much larger 745-foot-long Ocean ships.

Including the hangar on Deck A, Viking Polaris has seven guest decks, beginning at the top with Deck 6, which is home to the top suites and their private garden areas as well as an open deck with access for all, featuring seating alcoves that stretch aft along either side of the funnel casing.

The Owner’s Suite takes up the forward/port portion of Deck 6 and features a huge bathroom, master bedroom, dining area, a large private garden and this beautiful living room space. * Photo: Peter Knego

The four Explorer’s Suites on starboard Deck 6 share a private garden that is very similar to the Owner’s Suite’s private garden area on the port side. * Photo: Peter Knego

Midships Deck 6 has a sunning terrace and nice alcoves of seating for all guests aboard Viking Polaris. * Photo: Peter Knego

The upper level of the Explorer’s Lounge is an ideal space, offering dramatic views over the bow and off to either side. With its ceiling inlays depicting the constellations, full length windows and intimate seating areas, it is one of the most handsome spaces on the ship. * Photo: Peter Knego

Deck 5 has open promenades on either side that wrap around the stern, the catch being that one has to descend to forward Deck 4 and back up again for the full wrap-around experience. This is a welcome compromise that provides an unencumbered view from the upper level of the Explorer’s Lounge, which begins a lineup of public spaces on this deck.

In addition to the gorgeous views, the Explorer’s Lounge has some inviting alcoves that make ideal spots to curl up with a book or hang with friends for cocktails and good conversations.

Aft of Explorers is the Living Room/Library, which is also divided up into smaller sections with a video screen and bar area in its center. This is where the Daily Briefings (about the next day’s excursions, etc.) and, most importantly, the Team Trivia gatherings were held.

On Viking, the trivia can get very spirited and guests are encouraged to get there early for the best seats and trivia partners.

The Living Room is the main gathering spot for briefings and quizzes. * Photo: Peter Knego

The Living Room continues aft with a long gallery on the starboard side, while that corresponding space on the port side is delegated to booth seating and a buffet area for Mamsen’s, the traditional Norwegian eatery named for Viking founder and CEO Tor Hagen’s mother.

Dining on Our Viking Polaris Eastern Seaboard Explorer Cruise

Mamsen’s offers up a smorgasbord of salmon, herring, reindeer and other specialties as well as supremely delicious treats like fresh waffles with clotted cream and delightful cakes and cookies. Like all of the eateries on board, it is included in the fare.

Mouthwateringly delicious Norwegian waffles are among the many offerings at Mamsen’s. * Photo: Peter Knego

The most popular eatery, the World Cafe, continues aft from here, offering a wonderful selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner options on both sides, with an open kitchen in between.

At the forward end, the Bakery provides superb cookies, cakes and assorted sweets, including some of the best gelato at sea.

There is also a pizza and pasta station, hot entrees, a vast selection of cold cuts and cheeses and an excellent salad bar. Continuing aft on the port side, there is an excellent sushi and sea food bar and its complement on the starboard side is a burger, sandwich and hot dog Grill.

Fans of Japanese cuisine will be very content with the World Cafe, where there is a resident sushi chef and sushi bar. * Photo: Peter Knego

The Aquavit terrace adjoins the World Cafe at its far aft end with a glass enclosed seating area and a lido with a small wading pool that one can “swim” under a guillotine-style glass partition “outside” to the open terrace overlooking the stern.

The aft portion of the Aquavit Terrace on aft Deck 5 features an enclosed lido and a small indoor/outdoor wading pool. * Photo: Peter Knego

At the forward end of Deck 4, there is the bottom level of the exquisite Explorer’s Lounge with the Paps Bar (named for Hagen’s father) overlooking the ship’s bow. Staterooms continue aft from here.

On Deck 3, there is that wonderful open bow area, which is adjoined with a nice enclosed shelter with cushioned seating where guests can make a quick retreat to warm up on especially cold or windy days.

A thoughtful nod to the Viking Polaris polar cruising duties is the partially enclosed shelter that leads out to the open bow. If it is cold outside, guests can retreat here to warm up. * Photo: Peter Knego

A group of cabins leads from here to the midships lobby, where the shop is on the port side and the travel consultant’s office is to starboard. More cabins continue to the stern, where there is access to the upper level of the Aula.

The Aula is a double deck theater with walls of glass on either side where enrichment lectures are held, along with the occasional guest artist performances. * Photo: Peter Knego

This gorgeous theatre has panoramic windows on three sides and a soaring glass ceiling. Backdrops depicting the Munch paintings that are in the actual Aula (the Nobel Prize building in Oslo) can enclose the space for enrichment lectures and when not needed, the main stage backdrop slides up into the ceiling to offer up a stunning view over the stern.

Deck 2 begins with cabins that lead aft to Expeditions Central, a space with displays that showcase the flora and fauna encountered during the ship’s voyage. Farther aft on the port side, there is the hair salon, spa treatment rooms and the fitness center, which has cardio machines, free weights and a stretching area.

On the starboard side, there is the spectacular Nordic Spa, with its large hydrotherapy pool with windows overlooking the sea and featuring various steam and sauna options, as well as a snow room.  On most ships, there is a charge to use such a spa but on Viking, unlimited access is included in the fare.

Although she is an expedition ship, the Viking Polaris has a wonderful Nordic Spa with a large hydrotherapy pool, a dunker, several types of saunas, a snow grotto and a well-equipped gym, all free of charge. * Photo: Peter Knego

At the far aft end of Deck 2, there is the lower level of the Aula and just beyond, on the fantail, an enchanting outdoor garden area called the Finse Terrace, named for Karine Hagen’s (the elegant “voice” of Viking on the television commercials) beloved dog, who takes his name from a mountainous region in Norway.

The Finse Terrace on the Viking Polaris’ fantail is a gorgeous teak-lined garden that was an ideal spot to relax in and watch spectacular sunsets. * Photo: Peter Knego

Deck 1 starts with The Hide, a fantastic hideaway built into the ship’s bow, with its outer bulkheads being angled to conform to the bow’s contours. This is a great place to escape to during the day for a quiet read as the waves splash up against the windows and at night, it is a nice venue for enrichment presentations and a bar set up in a speakeasy-meets-explorer’s manner.

The Hide is an extraordinary lounge that is built into the ship’s bow. * Photo: Peter Knego

From there, crew accommodation leads aft to the midships guest services lobby (which is laid out in living room style like the ocean ships) and the two reservations-required eateries, Manfredi’s on the port side and The Restaurant on the starboard side.

Named for Silversea Cruises former chairman, who is a friend of Viking’s Chairman, Tor Hagen, Manfredi’s is a wonderful Italian-style trattoria with an open kitchen. Again, there is no surcharge, but reservations are required.

Manfredi’s is an included-in-the-fare, reservations-required trattoria serving up deliciously authentic Italian food. * Photo: Peter Knego

On our cruise, our stateroom level was guaranteed one night here and one night in the Restaurant but once on board, we found it rather easy to add additional nights by making reservations at guest services.

Despite my being mostly a vegetarian, it was evident that the seafood options (fish, lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters, etc.) here and throughout the ship were particularly outstanding and my partner Mike can certainly attest to that.

The Restaurant is much like the Restaurant on the Ocean ships but much smaller. Even with the limited space, it was an extremely enjoyable place to dine and enjoy the exemplary service, just a few feet away from the surging sea.

Multi course meals in the restaurant include starters, salad choices, a soup, entrees and desserts and there is always a selection of “favorites” including the ever reliable “Chairman’s Choice,” a mouthwateringly tender salmon with Norwegian style potatoes and cucumber salad.

The Chairman’s Choice as served in The Restaurant. * Photo: Peter Knego

In all venues at lunch and dinner, a red and white wine are included, along with beer and other drinks. We found the wait staff to be very generous in keeping all glasses filled and that made the dining experiences even more enjoyable.

Expedition Toys on Viking Polaris

The far aft portion of Deck 1 contains a science lab and the Hangar, with its fleet of zodiacs, the two submarines (which cannot be used in U.S. waters because the Jones Act prevents the subs from being launched from a foreign ship in US waters.) and the two high speed special operations boats that are launched off the stern and provide bare knuckle rides at up to 28 knots when deployed.

A tip to future cruisers: As soon as the excursions become accessible, book these special ops boat offerings, as they fill up quickly. By the time we booked, we could only make the waiting list but thankfully, we eventually cleared and were able to enjoy a thrilling ride around Halifax harbor.

On Midships Deck A, there is a medical center and an embarkation lobby for the tenders and aforementioned boats, as well as lockers where guests can store their expedition gear and clothing. On aft A Deck, there is the lower level of The Hangar, which is open for guests to explore once per cruise.

Ideal Itinerary on Viking’s Eastern Seaboard Explorer & St Lawrence Seaway Cruise

Our voyage was the perfect way to experience some of the U.S. East Coast’s most alluring ports and included my first visit to Charleston, South Carolina.

Viking offers a complimentary tour in each port and here, we thoroughly enjoyed their Charleston walking tour with a visit to the authentically restored colonial era Nathaniel Russell House.

Charleston has much more to take in than one days’ excursion can allow, including the preserved USS Yorktown aircraft carrier, but this four-hour soupçon provided a great first impression.

In Norfolk, we took Viking’s provided tour of the botanical gardens and had time to explore the USS Wisconsin, the preserved battleship moored next to the cruise terminal.

New York was a very special highlight, as our call coincided with the partial solar eclipse. Thoughtfully, Viking gave every guest eclipse viewing glasses and we took them along on the excursion to behold the cosmic event from the World Trade Center site, which is a visual marvel unto itself — even without the moon upstaging the sun.

In New York for the partial solar eclipse, Viking thoughtfully provided eclipse-viewing glasses. * Photo: Peter Knego

Sailing past the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty, then under the Verazzano Narrows Bridge was another wonderful event, especially as Viking staff circled the decks with complimentary chilled glasses of champagne. My enjoyable challenge was balancing that flute of bubbly with my i-Phone as we navigated through the splendor of it all.

Viking Polaris guests gathered on the open foredeck to watch the sun set behind the Statue of Liberty as the ship departed New York. * Photo: Peter Knego

The sun followed us up the eastern seaboard to glorious and friendly Halifax, where the included morning tour took us to Peggy’s Cove, the legendary artists’ hamlet by the sea, after visiting the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 victims of the TITANIC are buried.

With its unusual rock formations and quaint fishing shanties, Peggy’s Cove is a favorite Halifax-adjacent attraction. * Photo: Peter Knego

That afternoon, we were adrenalized with a white-knuckle ride around Halifax harbor aboard one of the special operations boats.

Viking Polaris has two special operations boats that can transport guests at speeds up to 28 knots. * Photo: Peter Knego

In Lunenberg, Cape Breton, we enjoyed the included excursion to the restored French Louisbourg fortress that guarded the once strategic harbor, then spent part of the afternoon zodiac-ing around the scenic bay in search of local wildlife.

Our call at Cap Aux Meules in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was called off due to inclement weather but the good news was that Viking Polaris rode the seas with an impressive solidness that I frankly wasn’t expecting.

When Viking announced that she would have a relatively narrow beam (width) of just 77 feet to clear the locks of the St. Lawrence Seaway, I assumed she would be a “roller” but she rode those swells like a rock, so kudos again to Viking for excellent engineering and/or seamanship.

When we entered the St. Lawrence River on the following, much calmer morning, there was to be a weather balloon launch from Deck 7. To get guests “warmed up,” a spicy warm cider with a bit of “rocket fuel” was served but after a slight delay, the wind conditions were deemed unfavorable and the launch had to be postponed.

Viking’s expedition ships are among the numerous participants in launching these weather balloons that are used by various apps to provide the latest in weather conditions. The second attempt a few days later went without hitch and throughout that day, guests could monitor the balloon’s data via digital screens in the Expedition Central area.

In gorgeous Quebec City, Viking Polaris berthed within walking distance of the major attractions. Our included morning tour took us to nearby Montmorency Falls and on an informative walk through the Haute-Ville or upper town, where we had a generous amount of time on our own to explore. Later, after a full day of touring and shopping, we toasted the gorgeously lit Chateau Frontenac hotel from the World Cafe.

Viking Polaris berthed within walking distance of the Haute Ville or upper town, where most of the attractions are located. * Photo: Peter Knego

Our final port of call was quaint Trois Rivieres, where we took the included excursion to a maple syrup farm and then had time to wander on our own before embarking on a zodiac ride along the riverbanks.

All hands on a zodiac excursion around Trois Rivieres. * Photo: Peter Knego

That evening, we sailed past the vibrant lights of Montreal and entered the first of the St. Lawrence Seaway locks that would deliver us to Lake Ontario.

Viking Polaris transits the locks of the St. Lawrence seaway to enter Lake Ontario. * Peter Knego

The next morning, the naturalists were on deck, explaining the history and function of each of the locks that the Polaris cleared by mere inches — albeit with a few scrapes here and there. Meanwhile, there were bald eagles gliding above the ship, while servers with refreshing drinks circulated.

The scenery became especially magnificent as we sailed through the Thousand Islands archipelago, past sprawling, majestic chateaus and mansions soaking up the golden light of the afternoon sun.

The final morning found us in Toronto, greeted with a metaphoric downpour that summed up our utter dismay that such an ideal adventure on board one of the finest ships afloat could possibly end.

Interested in This Viking Eastern Seaboard Explorer Cruise?

Here’s are details of a similar itinerary to what Peter sampled; a 12-night Eastern Seaboard Explorer cruise between New York City and Montreal starting at $8,499 per person, including one shore excursion in each port as well as beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner on board.

If you need help, drop us an email at Heidi@QuirkyCruise.com and we can recommend a great travel advisor who can assist with booking.

Don’t miss a post about small-ship cruising, subscribe to QuirkyCruise.com for monthly updates & special offers!  

© This article is protected by copyright, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the author. All Rights Reserved. QuirkyCruise.com.