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We are just home from a 14-night cruise from Bergen to Barcelona aboard Viking Neptune, our second with this line.

Choosing a cruise line is more complicated now, with more ships heading down the slipway. Today you have purpose-built expedition vessels and sophisticated, oversized yachts like Scenic Eclipse or the SeaDream fleet. There are cruise lines that only cater to the younger generation looking to party like Virgin – and of course there’s the ever-growing crop of monsters catering mostly to families being pumped out by Royal Caribbean and others.

Viking Neptune Sea views, soothing bubbles, zero circus

When you look around, remember the old rule: you only ever get what you pay for. Cruise ship advertising is loud, and often dishonest. Sure you paid a small deposit and got a great deal on a balcony cabin, but once you are onboard and the ship steams out, so could your wallet. Depending on the deal, you could be up for internet, every drink, specialty restaurants, excursions, every barista coffee, laundry and ironing. The super deal you saw on, say, Facebook often only applies to inside cabins or cabins with obstructions. When you look at the cabins available, from luxury suites through larger balcony offerings to lower-deck inside accommodation, the advertised price can double depending on what you want.

For instance, on the Viking website, you can choose an itinerary, select a range of dates, and choose from cabin options. Choose a date, and you will see which cabins are available and their prices. As an example on a cruise in Europe the top suite is priced at $20,595, penthouse junior suite $14,495, penthouse veranda that we prefer $11,795 and the cheapest deal is a veranda cabin for $10,295. All Viking cabins have balconies, however. Your search may show that only a few forward or rear cabins remain; people often prefer mid-ship when the seas are rough. Finally, you might find that the ship is booked out on the date you want to travel.

Viking Neptune Even deadlines enjoy a sea view

You could splash out and book Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, Crystal Cruises, or Silversea, and you’ll likely have most costs covered, but it might exceed your budget. You could go for a short, cheaper cruise, but is it worth the hassle of finally getting onboard, finding your sea legs, and figuring out where everything is?

To summarise: families and Royal Caribbean are a great match; Virgin is for the party crowd; Seabourn caters to a more affluent, older crowd; and the yachts are for people who love being treated like the owners, with just 55 other couples onboard. I really enjoy cruising with SeaDream. Next we have a number of cruise lines like NCL, Cunard, Azamara and Oceania offering a value cruise experience. The important thing to remember is to know what you are going to pay for before you get onboard. They’ll bombard you with drinks and excursion packages that could save you heaps.

I have cruised on most of these lines over the years, and I prefer Viking, and I will tell you why. First, it is a nice feeling to step onboard a ship you have already fully explored. All 17 ships in the Viking Ocean fleet share the same design. We always choose the same cabin category, so you won’t have to worry about power plugs or USB slots, and you won’t get the ancient bath/shower combo or a shower curtain that clings to you like a second skin. All ships have a buffet-style restaurant, a main restaurant, and specialty restaurants you usually pay for, typically headlined by the steakhouse. Royal Caribbean ships offer much more; you can even get fish and chips. The buffet food and service are usually fairly average, and most people head to the main restaurant at night. Not on Viking, though – a specialty menu is available each night that is really hard to beat. Crayfish was the drawcard one night – as much as you could eat. The main restaurant also excels; we spent 50% of our time there, or you can get room service, which can be great after a long day of sightseeing, and it’s also very well done on Viking.

On Viking, even the seafood travels first class.

A speciality Italian restaurant is also included in your fare. Like a wine or beer with your meals? – They are also part of the deal. Each port also includes an excursion and a regular shuttle bus. Service with a smile is the rule on Viking; you quickly get the feeling that these are happy, well-managed ships. There are no inside cabins, by the way, which means there are more public areas where guests can sit, relax, and read. Finally, the ship handles rough seas with ease.

So to summarise, Viking offers cleverly designed ships with a relaxing, understated Scandi decor, an excellent crew – well trained in making every request seem a pleasure – a peaceful, quiet atmosphere, large, well-equipped staterooms (power and USB’s either side of the bed, for instance) and a good-sized, well-designed bathroom with a heated floor. It has a modern gym with exceptionally well-maintained equipment, cleaned all day. All in all, this ship represents the next level in the cruise industry, that’s assuming you won’t miss Broadway shows in the theatre every night, a casino, kids screaming around, lift music everywhere, pool slides, and lots of people.