Cruising for Grownups

Looking for some adults-only time with your sweetheart? VERNE MAREE reports back from a blissful 28-night cruise on the fabulous Viking Sun from Sydney to Durban via Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, Albany, Fremantle, Mauritius, Madagascar and Mozambique.

For those who love laidback luxury, can do without casinos and prefer not to party too hard, a Viking cruise may be just the thing. What’s more, it’s the perfect excuse to leave the children behind: only adults are allowed.

The difference is apparent right from the get-go. Champagne, Guinness and freshly shucked oysters flowed at the St Patrick’s Day-themed sail-away from Sydney harbour. And that was how it continued – no photo opportunities with Donald Duck, no line-dancing with Mickey Mouse, no surf simulators, no deck races and no inter-generational screeching.

Peace and quiet reigned. Throughout the ship are pristine, light-filled Scandinavianstyled interiors for curling up or stretching out with something to read and something to drink. Birdsong plays in the restrooms, gentle classics play in the background. And, except for the Captain’s noonday message, you hardly ever hear the PA system.

The Ship

Viking made its five-star name in cruising the rivers of Europe and elsewhere, and launched the first of its brand-new ocean fleet as recently as 2015. Classified by Cruise Critic as “small ships” – each carries 930 passengers – the Viking Sun and her five identical sister ships are described as “state of the art” and “engineered at a scale that allows direct access into most ports”.

More than two decades in the river cruise business allowed the company to establish exactly what “discerning travellers” like us are looking for in a cruise. Here’s what they found we really don’t want, apart from being surrounded by other people’s children: • Casinos. No space is wasted on smoky casinos, or those depressing photo galleries that try to sell you faintly tacky images of embarkation and other events.