From the glass-enclosed Wintergarden with elegant furniture to a lounge with a built-in fireplace surrounded by blanket-topped armchairs with footstools, there’s a chic space around every corner.

Not only is this the best thermal suite at sea, it’s free for all passengers, not just those booking treatments. Plus, it goes way beyond saunas and steam rooms to offer an ice shower — complete with a bucket-style shower head — and a snow room.

Sure, it’s not the fastest at sea, especially at busy times before and after dinner. It’s a pleasure nonetheless to have round-the-clock access to email and the internet without clock-watching or racking up giant bills.

While the food on the river ships rarely blows our hair back, dining on Viking Ocean ships is a real treat. Don’t leave without trying the handmade pastas in Manfredi’s and the creative, original menus in the Chef’s Table that include elegant updates on authentic Lapland-inspired dishes such as reindeer consommé and cloudberry soup. Best of all, there’s no additional charge to eat in these specialty spaces.

That Dutch-style split pea soup in the Explorers' Lounge? That was the CEO’s grandmother's recipe, and the knit hats sold in the spa were handcrafted by a spa manager's grandmother. The books in the Owner's Suite were also personally chosen by the CEO and his daughter.

One of our least favorite moments on a mega ship is walking through the casino on the way to a different part of the ship, and realizing that our hair just may smell from the smoke by the time we get to the other side. And, even if it doesn’t, the cacophony of the slot machines can be equally jarring.

Sure, this small secondary pool is located just off the outside-dining area connected to the buffet, so you may not want to strut around in a bikini during mealtimes. But this aft-facing, infinity style pool, when you’re sailing out of port or into a sunset, is still the best vantage point on the ship.