Viking Cruises

v i k i n g c r u i s e s . c o m . a u 19 Scanning the lunch menu at the Pool Grill aboard the cruise ship Viking Orion, my choices range from seared tuna to cheese-steak sandwiches to burgers. What really catches my eye is the Nordic hot dog. Hot dogs are a much- loved snack in Scandinavia, and this version is packed with quintessential flavours of the region: shrimp salad with mayo, apple, dill, lemon and horseradish, served atop a sausage along with pickled red onion and salmon roe. Such tastes of the line's Norwegian roots — founder and chairman Torstein Hagen — can be found throughout the new ship, which launched in June as the fifth vessel in Viking's growing ocean-going fleet. You'll find, for example, a Nordic bathing experience complete with sauna and snow grotto in the spa, and clothing by designers from the region for sale in the shop. In the theatre, cushions depict Scandinavian film stars such as Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. And under the main staircase in the ship's central atrium, there's a geometric, multi-coloured lichen garden inspired by the austere beauty of Norway's Finse plateau. en there's Orion's understated, Scandinavian inspired decor: all muted tones and tasteful timbers, with elegant modernist-style chairs, reindeer hide throws and tabletop arrangements of moss and driftwood. e on-board art collection is comprised mostly of pieces by Norwegian artists — some up-and-coming, some established (among them, Edvard Munch) — and is complemented by replicas of Viking relics such as axes and helmets, along with playful touches including trolls peeking from a forest of birch trees in the lift shafts. Viking Orion docked in prime position in Hong Kong

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