I was lucky enough to be invited to look around the Viking Ship Mars whilst it was docked in Portsmouth. We boarded the ship in to the Living Room which is where you can relax and we were given a drink along with freshly cooked cookies - the best breakfast. The Living Room is the main entrance with the wonderful grand stairway and is split over 3 levels. There is bar area where you relax and, in the evening, they have a pianist playing in the background.
I then went to look at the restaurants on board, they have a great choice of dining options. The main dining room is called The Restaurant, and there is an Italian called Manfredi's, and The Chef’s Table that serves a taster menu that changes daily. The menus can be viewed on big electric screens that list everything you can order, and this is available all day, so you can pick your dinner at before you go to the restaurant. In the Wintergarden room you can get daily afternoon tea and they have a wide range of different teas you can choose from. The Main outdoor pool area has a retractable roof so can used in all weather hot, cold or rain which is ideal for all their cruises. There is the Star Theatre which holds evening entertainment, and this can be turned into 2 cinemas. This also where the lectures are held.
Next stop was my favourite place - the Spa. It was so quiet and there was nobody at the spa. There is free access to the Sauna, Jacuzzi in the pool and they have a unique feature of a room called Snow Grotto which does have real snow inside. It is a Scandinavian tradition to go in the Sauna and then into the Snow Grotto… not my idea of fun.
There are plenty of areas you can chose from to relax and watch the world go by. The Explorers Lounge has a sitting area looking out through the panoramic windows for some wonderful views or you can enjoy a drink at the Explorer Bar with fantastic sea views.
At the back of the ship is a fantastic infinity pool which would be a great place to be whilst sailing away from port. There is world cafe in the same area, and this is where we had lunch. It is a buffet style, and you are spoilt for choice as there is so much to choose from. Of course, we had to sample the desserts and I can highly recommend the ice cream - so many flavours!
I really liked the Viking Mars it did feel like it was a hotel as soon as I arrived onboard, and with just 937 passengers and lots of areas to explore, I don't think you would get the crowded the feeling. I can definitely see me doing a Viking Cruise very soon.
