Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Orion
- Cruises
- 55
- From
- $5,999
Ship comparison
Viking Orion vs Viking Polaris
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Polaris
- Cruises
- 31
- From
- $7,999
The verdict
Which should you choose?
Viking Orion is a mid-size Viking Ocean Cruises ship carrying 930 passengers, in service since 2018. Viking Polaris is a small Viking Ocean Cruises ship carrying 378 passengers, in service since 2022.
Choose Viking Orion if you want a more family-friendly ship, more culture or a bigger ship: it outscores Viking Polaris for family friendly (5.0 vs 2.0) and cultural (8.0 vs 5.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it carries 930 passengers (vs 378).
Choose Viking Polaris if you want more adventure and nature, more space per passenger or a more active cruise: it outscores Viking Orion for adventure & nature (10.0 vs 7.0) and active (10.0 vs 8.0) in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores and it has 79.8 gross tons per passenger (vs 51.4).
Side by side
Specifications
marks the better figure where more, or less, is plainly better.
| Viking Orion | Viking Polaris | |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line | Viking Ocean Cruises | Viking Ocean Cruises |
| Ship size | Medium | Small |
| Maiden voyagenewer highlighted | 2018 | 2022 (better) |
| Gross tonnage | 47,800 | 30,150 |
| Passengers | 930 | 378 |
| Crew | 550 | 260 |
| Passengers per crew memberfewer is better | 1.7 | 1.5 (better) |
| Space per passengergross tons per passenger; more is roomier | 51.4 | 79.8 (better) |
| Cabins | — | 189 |
| Decks | 14 | 7 |
| Length | 745 ft | 665 ft |
| Beam | 95 ft | 79 ft |
| Speed | 23 mph | — |
| Cruiseable ratingout of 10 | 10 / 10 | 10 / 10 |
| Cruises on sale | 55 | 31 |
| Upcoming sailings | 105 | 112 |
| Cruise lengths | 10 to 92 nights | 7 to 80 nights |
| Fares fromlower highlighted | $5,999 (better) | $7,999 |
Bliss scores
How they rate, out of 10
Cruiseable rates ships out of 10 on ten parts of a cruise holiday. Viking Orion leads on 2 of the ten, Viking Polaris on 4, with 4 level.
- Active
- Adventure & nature
- Cultural
- Dining
- Entertainment
- Family friendly
- Party
- Romantic
- Spa & fitness
- Staterooms
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Orion
Sailing now
55 cruises on sale, from $5,999.
Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Polaris
Viking Polaris debuted in August 2022 with sailings from Norway to the Arctic. Polaris is the second expedition cruise ship introduced by Viking Cruises under its new Viking Expeditions brand, following Viking Octantis.
Sailing now
31 cruises on sale, from $7,999.
Questions
Viking Orion or Viking Polaris?
Which is bigger, Viking Orion or Viking Polaris?
Viking Orion is bigger at 47,800 gross tons, against 30,150 gross tons for Viking Polaris. Viking Orion carries 930 passengers and Viking Polaris carries 378.
Which ship is newer, Viking Orion or Viking Polaris?
Viking Polaris is newer, with a maiden voyage in 2022 against 2018 for Viking Orion.
Which has more space per passenger?
Viking Polaris, with 79.8 gross tons per passenger against 51.4 on Viking Orion. The higher the figure, the more ship there is for each guest.
Which has more crew per passenger?
Viking Polaris, with one crew member for every 1.5 passengers against one for every 1.7 on Viking Orion.
Which is better for families?
Viking Orion scores higher for family friendliness in Cruiseable’s Bliss scores: 5.0 out of 10, against 2.0 for Viking Polaris.
Still deciding?
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