Viking has hosted travel advisors, and their companions, onboard the Viking Vesta, Viking’s newest ship, sailing the Iconic Western Mediterranean itinerary.
The eight-day voyage, hosted by Viking’s new PR manager Nicole Tapster, departed Rome (Civitavecchia) and concluded in Barcelona, Spain, offering advisors an immersive shoulder-season snapshot of the Mediterranean.
The famil was designed to give travel advisors first-hand experience of Viking’s ocean product, from the onboard experience and dining to the flow of the itinerary and culturally immersive shore excursion program. The goal was to help advisors confidently bring the Viking experience to life for clients considering a Mediterranean sailing.
Ports of call
The itinerary featured a mix of classic and Riviera-style Mediterranean destinations, including:
- Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy
- Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
- Marseille, France
- Sete, France
- Barcelona, Spain
Shore excursion highlights
Across the voyage, advisors experienced a mix of included and optional shore excursions, including:
- Touring Tuscany and visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Seeing Gaudí’s recently completed Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
- Exploring Monaco, blending old-world elegance with modern luxury
- Cruising Sete’s Etang du Thau Lagoon by boat
Group excursion highlight: In Marseille, the group joined the Le Castellet & Bandol Wine Tasting excursion together, exploring the historic 11th-century hilltop village of Le Castellet on a guided walk, followed by wine tastings and local snacks at Domaine de Fregate in Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, before returning to the ship.
Onboard experience
Onboard, the group sampled Viking’s dining, enrichment and entertainment, including:
- Speciality dining at The Chef’s Table, featuring a Korean-inspired menu on one night and a Californian-inspired menu on another.
- Manfredi’s Italian Restaurant (with the Bistecca rib eye ordered more than once).
- Dining across The Restaurant, World Cafe, and Mamsen’s for the famous Norwegian waffles.
- Entertainment at The Star Theatre, including a Beatles-themed night.
- Social moments like trivia and line-dancing, sunset drinks in the Explorer’s Lounge, after-dinner cocktails at Torshavn, and experiencing the Nordic Bathing Ritual in the Nordic Spa.
