Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1078347
22 V I K I N G C R U I S E S I overhear one passenger describing the additional sea day as a blessing in disguise, providing more time to enjoy the ship. Indeed, though Orion is not a mega-cruiser with an overwhelming slate of options, we find there's plenty to engage our time, whether it's playing Scrabble in the comfortable Living Room or selecting from the excellent selection of books scattered throughout the ship. ere's always food to keep us occupied, as well — as Mr Dean says at one point, you could eat nine times a day aboard Orion. Our favourites include Mamsen's, a casual dining venue named for Torstein Hagen's mother. Set in the double-storey Indeed, as the ship's name suggests, the stars and space are a particular theme aboard Orion. It's Viking's first ship to have a resident astronomer — in our case, the knowledgeable, personable Howard Parkin — and a high-definition planetarium called the Explorer's Dome, which screens panoramic films about space and other topics. Furthermore, Orion's godmother is retired NASA astronaut Anna Fisher, and its art collection includes prints of rare and well- known photos of space exploration. If the weather's right, Mr Parkin also runs stargazing on the top deck — though the weather is, as he says, "the one thing we astronomers can't control". It seems this extends to cruise ship captains, too, as powerful typhoon Yutu soon threatens to disrupt our voyage. Mr Dean and Capt. Anders Steen keep us updated with the latest, and eventually the latter announces that our planned calls to Naha and Ishigaki Island in Japan's Okinawa prefecture have to be cancelled, with the ports likely to be closed. Our schedule is quickly rearranged to encompass an extra night in Hong Kong and an additional sea day, and we're each given $US150 ($208) in on-board credit to mitigate the disappointment. I put mine to good use on a massage in the spa — where, refreshingly, no one attempts to up-sell me a treatment package, in contrast to my experience aboard some other ships. We do have a couple of days of noticeable "rocking and rolling" — as our housekeeping attendant puts it — due to the high seas and winds but Explorer's Lounge at the front of the ship, it serves Norwegian favourites inspired by Mamsen's cooking, such as gravlax, cinnamon rolls and apple cake, in reproductions of her classic Scandi-style crockery. Also included in the cruise fare are meals at all of the dining venues, among them the two specialty options — Manfredi's for very tasty Italian fare and the Chef 's Table for themed multi- course tasting menus — and the afternoon tea, featuring superlative scones, served daily in the Wintergarden. is prompts not-inconsiderable amazement from Mum, an experienced cruise traveller more used to paying for Passengers enjoy the view from Viking Orion