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Onboard/Offboard is a series that explores the can’t-miss highlights of our favorite cruises—from the shore excursions to book to the spa treatments too relaxing to pass up.
A new ship sometimes needs time to work out the kinks, but at this point—more than 100 vessels later—Viking has the routine down pat. In early November, I boarded the Viking Vesta, the line’s 12th ocean vessel, in Istanbul, a few months into service. It marked my first Viking sailing and first time to Türkiye. I was instantly charmed by the line’s size and Nordic-inspired spaces. The ships are nearly the same across each category, both in design and onboard experiences, though this one has the distinction of being the largest (998 passengers verses 930). This sameness has its plusses, as they’ve clearly figured out a nice setup: The lounge areas feel spacious but also cozy and homey, with endless corners to curl up with a good book or simply sit and watch the waves go by. This isn’t a go-go-go type of line, where you’re racing to visit every last dining venue or lining up for rides—instead, it welcomes and fosters a more restorative type of trip. Read on for the highlights of my time onboard and off.
Onboard: A sea day at the spa
We were met with an unexpected sea day pretty early on in the seven-night Ancient Mediterranean Treasures cruise, which gave me the perfect opportunity to check out the spa. As soon as I did a loop of the space, I knew I’d be back at least a few more times before getting off the ship. If you’re a fan of hot and cold therapy, you’ll love the setup here: In the locker rooms, you can alternate between the cold plunge and sauna (which, in the women’s lounge at least, is positioned to look out at a sea, a very pleasant way to pass the time as you sweat). Out in the main spa area, there is a sauna and a snow grotto, which looks just like you might imagine—a small room filled with snow and a slab of ice to sit on (bring your towel!) for a few minutes in the brisk air.
Three times during the sailing I made my way through this circuit, ending with a bit of time to read in the hydrotherapy pool or on one of the lounge chairs seen above. The space is open to all guests, so you don’t have to have an appointment booked in order to access the amenities. And even on the sea day, it was never packed—maybe I got lucky, or maybe the ship’s size just allows for it.
Offboard: A half-day excursion through Istanbul
The port I was most excited to visit was also our first, Istanbul. I flew in a night early so I could maximize my time there; it was also one of two overnight ports on the itinerary (the second was Athens). Viking itineraries, especially longer ones, prioritize overnights like this—giving passenger ample time for exploring ports that you can’t get a feel for in a single afternoon.
On my third and last day in Istanbul, I signed up for a half-day excursion, “Beautiful Istanbul and a Traditional Turkish Bath,” that brought me back to the Spice Bazaar to smell and taste some of the city’s most well-known exports (this time, less overwhelmed by the market’s size with a guide to talk me through it, I purchased saffron as an early Christmas present for my dad), to the 16th-century Rüstem Pasha Mosque, and most notably, to a hammam, where my wellness-tinged week really began.
