Viking Ocean Cruises·Viking Orion

Viking Orion - Alaska & Inside Passage

4.4(52 reviews)
via U.S. News · Sep 2026
|11 Nights|4 Ports|6 Sea Days

Explore Alaska's vast wilderness aboard the intimate Viking Orion, with smaller ship access to ports the mega-ships can't reach, enrichment lectures by naturalists, and Viking's all-inclusive luxury experience.

Nature LoversLuxury SeekersWildlife EnthusiastsAdults Only

Price Range

$$$

Premium

DepartureVancouver, BC
Dress CodeElegant Casual
MealsIncluded
WiFiIncluded

*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Viking Ocean Cruises before booking.

Ship Details — Viking Orion

View full Viking Orion details
Viking Orion cruise ship

Year Built

2018

Tonnage

47,800 GT

Passengers

930

Crew

550

Decks

9

Class

Viking Ocean

Itinerary & Route Map

Loading map…

Where this cruise calls, day by day

6 ports and 6 sea days over 11 Nights.

  1. Day 1

    Vancouver, BC

    CanadaDepart
    Vancouver, BC port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
  2. Day 2 · At sea

  3. Day 3 · At sea

  4. Day 4

    Juneau

    United StatesPort
    Juneau port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
  5. Day 5

    Skagway

    United StatesPort
    Skagway port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
  6. Day 6 · At sea

  7. Day 7

    Sitka

    United StatesPort

    Sitka is the one Southeast Alaska call that faces the open Pacific rather than the Inside Passage, and it was the capital of Russian America until 1867 - St Michael's Cathedral still stands in the middle of the main street. The volcanic cone of Mount Edgecumbe sits across the sound. Its history is also the hardest of any Alaskan port: the Tlingit fought and lost a battle here in 1804, on ground that is now a national park.

    • Sitka National Historical Park, with a totem trail through the 1804 battlefield
    • St Michael's Cathedral and the Russian Bishop's House
    • Alaska Raptor Center's flight training centre for injured eagles
    • Wildlife boat tours into Sitka Sound for sea otters, puffins and whales
    Getting ashore
    Larger ships use the Old Sitka Dock about five miles north with a paid shuttle; smaller ships still tender straight into the downtown harbour.
    Best months
    May-Sep (Jun-Aug best; Sitka is exposed to Pacific weather and can be rough at the shoulders)
  8. Day 8

    Ketchikan

    United StatesPort
    Ketchikan port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
  9. Day 9 · At sea

  10. Day 10 · At sea

  11. Day 11 · At sea

  12. Day 12

    Seward

    United StatesArrive

    Seward sits at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula and works mainly as a turnaround port for Gulf of Alaska crossings, where passengers swap ship for the Alaska Railroad or a coach to Anchorage, 120 miles north. It is also the road gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park. A new Royal Caribbean-funded cruise terminal with a 748-foot floating dock has been replacing the old railway-side facility.

    • Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour to the tidewater glaciers in Aialik Bay
    • Exit Glacier, the one part of the park you can reach and walk to by road
    • Alaska SeaLife Center on the waterfront, a research aquarium and rescue facility
    • The Coastal Classic train to Anchorage through the Kenai Mountains
    Getting ashore
    Ships berth alongside at the cruise terminal beside the railway, a walk or short shuttle from Seward's small downtown.
    Best months
    May-Sep (Jun-Aug for glacier boat tours; the season ends abruptly in September)

Onboard Amenities

The Spa (Thermal Suite Included)
Infinity Pool
Explorers Lounge
Theater
World Café
The Restaurant
Manfredi's Italian
Aquavit Terrace
Library
Fitness Center
Wine Bar
Planetarium
Aft infinity pool
Main pool with retractable glass roof (Magrodome)
LivNordic Spa with snow grotto and thermal suite (complimentary)
Manfredi's Italian restaurant
The Chef's Table tasting menu
The Restaurant (main dining room)
World Cafe buffet
Mamsen's Norwegian deli
Star Theater
Explorers' Dome planetarium
Wintergarden afternoon tea venue

Cruise Highlights

Planetarium star-gazing at sea
Hubbard Glacier scenic cruising
Small-ship port access in Sitka
Naturalist-led wildlife programs

About the Ship

What Travelers Say About Viking Orion

Reviews of the ship itself — the same for every Viking Orion sailing. Distilled from 6 traveler threads, passenger reviews and travel blogs.

Viking Orion is one of the more established ships in Viking's ocean fleet, sailing since 2018, and it carries a genuinely distinctive feature: the Explorers' Dome planetarium, a high-resolution domed theater that Orion was the first Viking ship to introduce. Beyond that signature, it delivers the classic Viking experience, a small, adults-only ship of roughly 930 guests with understated Scandinavian styling and an itinerary-driven, mature sensibility that appeals strongly to seasoned travelers who prefer enrichment over entertainment.

What People Love

  • Adults-only atmosphere with no guests under 18, giving a calm and mature onboard feel
  • Strong no-nickel-and-diming value with Wi-Fi, self-serve laundry, one shore excursion per port, and wine, beer and soda at lunch and dinner all included
  • Consistently friendly and efficient service that guests rate highly

Common Complaints

  • Shore excursions draw criticism, with included options seen as low value and optional ones overpriced
  • Main dining food can be bland or limited in variety, especially for dietary restrictions
  • As a smaller ship it has more noticeable motion than megaships in rough seas
See the full Viking Orion ship page — all 16 pros & cons, review & FAQs

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