Some cruise traces attempt to be all issues to all individuals. Viking is not considered one of them.
Since its founding in 1997, the upscale cruise model has carved out a distinct segment catering to a sure sort of considerate, inquisitive, typically older traveler trying to discover the world and be taught a factor or two alongside the way in which.
Most Viking prospects are of their retirement years — or rapidly approaching retirement — they usually’re wanting to lastly see all of the locations they did not have time to go to whereas elevating youngsters and establishing careers of their youthful years.
For this subset of vacationers, Viking provides a variety of each ocean and river cruise itineraries which have a heavy concentrate on the locations visited. These aren’t cruises the place it is all concerning the ship.
Viking voyages convey loads of prolonged stays in ports the place passengers get extra time to discover historic websites and expertise the native tradition than is typical on cruises. Not like most traces, Viking additionally provides included-in-the-fare excursions in each port, permitting each passenger on board to get a guided expertise throughout stops with out having to pay additional. (Typically, Viking voyages are extremely inclusive, consistent with its “no nickel-and-diming” philosophy.)
On board, Viking’s programming revolves round what the road calls “cultural enrichment” — lectures by specialists on subjects associated to the locations its ships go to, in addition to cultural and culinary choices that usually have an area tie-in.
The onboard expertise additionally is understood for sophisticated leisure.
What Viking ships do not provide is loads of onboard amusements aimed toward households and youthful vacationers. Actually, the road would not even enable kids below the age of 18 on its ships. It is one of many solely main cruise manufacturers on this planet with such a rule.
Viking ships additionally do not cater to the get together crowd. If it is a floating celebration you are in search of in a trip, this is not the road for you.
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As Viking founder Torstein Hagen likes to say, a Viking cruise is the “considering particular person’s cruise, not the consuming particular person’s cruise.”
Associated: A inexperienced persons information to selecting a cruise line
3 issues TPG loves about Viking
- Its focus is on locations and enrichment
- The elegant, Scandinavian-influenced design of its ships
- Its “no nickel-and-diming” philosophy
What we may do with out
- The shortage of health facilities on Viking river ships
The Viking fleet
Viking has extra ships than every other main cruise model on this planet, greater than 90 in all. It additionally has each ocean ships and river ships — one thing that’s uncommon amongst main traces. Regardless of this, it has one of many easiest-to-understand fleets.
That is as a result of most of Viking’s ocean vessels are constructed to the identical primary design. When you’ve seen one, you have seen all of them. Ditto for almost all of the road’s river vessels.
Viking presently operates 14 ocean ships — 12 of that are basically the identical. The exceptions are two Viking ocean vessels particularly designed for expedition cruising — a sort of cruising that entails touring to distant, hard-to-reach locations on hardy vessels that carry their very own touchdown craft.
The 12 ocean ships which can be basically the identical — Viking Vesta, Viking Vela, Viking Saturn, Viking Neptune, Viking Mars, Viking Venus, Viking Jupiter, Viking Orion, Viking Sky, Zhao Shang Yi Dun, Viking Sea and Viking Star — started rolling out in 2015. Excluding Viking Vesta and Viking Vela, every has the capability for 930 passengers. Viking Vesta and Viking Vela (the most recent ocean ships within the line’s fleet) are barely greater, with a capability for 998 passengers. However they’ve the identical primary design.
Ten extra ocean ships of the larger measurement are scheduled to debut between 2026 and 2031, and Viking has choices with a shipyard to order 4 extra of the ships for supply in 2032 and 2033.
At 47,800 to 54,300 tons, these ocean ships are lower than a fourth the dimensions of the enormous megaships being constructed by the likes of Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, consistent with Viking’s concentrate on intimate, upscale voyages. Massive floating resorts, they are not.
Observe that one of many 12 ocean ships on this collection, Zhao Shang Yi Dun, has been completely transferred to a three way partnership with a Chinese language firm that principally provides cruises for the China market. When it debuted in 2017, it initially catered to the North American market and was known as Viking Solar.
Viking’s two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, are considerably smaller than the above vessels, as is typical for expedition ships, and carry 378 passengers at most occupancy.
Then there are the river ships. By the top of this yr, Viking could have 91 river ships in its fleet — an astounding quantity that’s the results of blistering progress over the previous decade. (As lately as 2012, the road operated simply 29 river ships.)
As well as, six extra Viking river ships are scheduled to debut in 2026, with one other eight on order for 2027 and 4 extra on the way in which for 2028. The corporate additionally has choices with shipbuilders so as to add 4 extra river ships in 2029 and one other 4 in 2030.
As famous above, virtually all of Viking’s river ships are of the identical primary design and are often known as the Longships — a reference to the historic vessels utilized by Vikings within the Center Ages.
Most Viking Longships are 443 toes lengthy, the proper size to suit into the locks on lots of Europe’s rivers. Viking has additionally constructed barely shorter variations of the Longships measuring 262 toes, 361 toes or 410 toes in size particularly to sail on rivers the place lock sizes or different navigational components require a smaller vessel. The 410-foot-long variations of the vessels, as an illustration, had been particularly constructed to have the ability to sail into the guts of Paris on the Seine River.
Whereas most Viking river ships are Longships, there are just a few exceptions within the Viking river fleet. Viking operates a number of smaller, purpose-built vessels on the Nile River in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. It additionally has a number of older river vessels that predate the Longships, which till lately operated in Russia and Ukraine. (For now, river cruise itineraries in each nations are on maintain because of the Ukraine conflict.)
Viking additionally lately started sailings on the Mississippi River with a brand new ship particularly designed for the river and its tributaries.
Associated: The three kinds of Viking ships, defined
Locations and itineraries
Viking has probably the most numerous arrays of itineraries of any cruise line, principally resulting from the truth that it operates each ocean cruises and river cruises.
Viking has a very massive footprint in relation to European river itineraries, with a variety of sailings on almost each European river of any observe.
You will discover Viking river ships working on the Rhine, Essential and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; and the Moselle and Elbe in Germany.
Till 2022, Viking additionally operated cruises on the Volga in Russia and the Dnieper in Ukraine. (As famous above, sailings on the latter two rivers are on maintain because of the conflict in Ukraine and will not resume for a few years.)
Viking additionally operates river journeys on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and it lately started journeys on the Mississippi River.
The road’s ocean ships may be present in almost each ocean and sea all over the world, from North America to Europe and Asia.
Viking’s ocean ships have a significant presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which the road considers its dwelling turf. (The corporate was based by a Norwegian household.) It is also a giant participant within the Mediterranean. You will discover Viking’s ocean ships in different key cruise locations as nicely, equivalent to Alaska, the Caribbean and Panama Canal, Canada and New England, South America, Asia, and Australia.
As well as, since 2022, the road has operated seasonally in Antarctica and within the Arctic in addition to the Nice Lakes — a vacation spot that solely a handful of cruise operators go to — with voyages on its two comparatively new expedition ships.
You will discover every part from eight-day cruises within the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world journeys among the many line’s voyages.
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Who sails Viking
Most Viking passengers are North Individuals who’re both retired or approaching retirement. The corporate’s core market is individuals who vary in age from 55 to 75 years, though it does draw some passengers who’re youthful or older.
Typically, it is an informed crowd, with many passengers coming from skilled backgrounds or a lifetime of operating their very own companies. They’re typically individuals who have spent years targeted on work and increase financial savings for retirement, they usually’re lastly prepared to begin having fun with the fruits of their labor by spending a few of the financial savings on journey to locations they’ve lengthy delay visiting.
They’re additionally individuals who can afford a comparatively high-end trip expertise. Whereas Viking would not market itself as a luxurious line, some would name it that. Viking vessels are filled with luxurious touches, with the pricing to match (see extra on what Viking journeys price on the backside of this story).
Typically, you will discover loads of {couples} on Viking ships and a few solo vacationers. You will additionally discover the occasional multigenerational group — a retired couple touring with their working-age grownup kids, as an illustration.
Nevertheless, what you will not discover are households with younger youngsters. As famous above, Viking would not enable passengers below the age of 18 on its ships — a key differentiator for the model as in comparison with different cruise traces.
Cabins and suites
Is a balcony one thing you possibly can’t stay with out when staying in a cabin on a cruise ship? Viking might be your line.
Viking is without doubt one of the solely cruise manufacturers on this planet that gives a balcony with each cabin on each ocean ship it operates — even the least costly, smallest cabins. That is one thing that even essentially the most upscale of Viking’s ocean cruise rivals — together with Oceania Cruises, Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises — cannot say.
Viking’s ocean ships additionally provide a lot of suites, lots of that are fairly spacious. Even the smallest cabins on Viking’s ocean ships are massive by cruise ship requirements at 270 sq. toes, and the biggest suites measure almost 1,500 sq. toes.
When you’re in search of a giant, open room on an ocean cruise (and are prepared to pay for it), Viking provides you loads of choices.
Associated: The last word information to Viking cabins and suites
Viking additionally provides a number of balcony cabins and suites on its river ships, one thing that is not all the time the case within the river cruise enterprise, the place area on vessels is at a premium. However not like its ocean ships, Viking’s river ships aren’t all-balcony-cabin vessels.
Designwise, Viking cabins and suites throughout all classes are trendy and chic in an understated type of manner, with Scandinavian-influenced furnishings and decor that tie to the Norwegian heritage of the corporate’s founder.
You will discover beds topped with crisp, white duvets and Scandinavian throws, comfy up to date sofas and chairs in impartial tones, and light-wood desks and facet tables that mix to supply a residential really feel in bed room areas. Soothing, minimalist colours — assume lotions, grays and lighter blues — are the order of the day.
Loos in Viking cabins are serene, modernist escapes with luxurious travertine-lined partitions, Scandinavian-influenced wood-veneered vanities, shiny white sinks and chrome fixtures.
In step with the high-end nature of the model, Viking cabins and suites have loads of upscale touches, from luxurious bedding that envelops you to heated flooring in loos. However the rooms aren’t overly flashy.
What they’re is eminently practical, with storage in all the fitting locations, a number of shops for charging your gadgets and lighting proper the place you want it. We love the studying lights constructed into the material headboards, that are along with the lamps on bedside tables. You will not have hassle seeing the pages of the Viking Day by day exercise publication whereas mendacity in a Viking cabin mattress.
Different little touches in Viking cabins that present a line occupied with performance as a lot as decor embody the big and clear lettering on the Freyja toiletries that you’re going to discover in each Viking cabin lavatory. The toiletries had been particularly designed with greater and clearer lettering than is frequent for toiletries on cruise ships and at resorts in order that the road’s older prospects would don’t have any hassle differentiating the physique wash from the physique lotion and shampoo.
Eating places and eating
The variety of eating places and different eating choices that you’re going to discover on Viking ships will differ significantly relying on whether or not you might be crusing on an ocean or a river ship.
All of Viking’s oceangoing ships, that are a lot greater than its river ships, have not less than 4 and often extra shops serving meals of some type.
Each one of many line’s 930-passenger and 998-passenger ocean ships has a essential restaurant (known as, merely, The Restaurant) with rotating menus that embody dishes that tie to the vacation spot the place the vessel is crusing. There is also an off-the-cuff buffet known as World Cafe on each vessel. You will in all probability eat most of your meals in considered one of these eateries.
The primary eating places on these ships are notable for his or her partitions of glass that may slide open to create alfresco eating, one thing that’s uncommon within the cruise world.
Every of the 930-passenger and 998-passenger ocean ships additionally has two smaller eating places with specialised delicacies: Manfredi’s, a high-end Italian eatery, and The Chef’s Desk, which provides a five-course tasting menu themed round a selected delicacies that adjustments each few days.
There is not any additional cost for eating within the smaller eating places, however reservations are required. Every passenger is barely allowed to make one to 3 reservations per cruise on the eateries, relying on which class of cabin they’ve booked.
Viking’s greater ocean ships even have poolside grills that serve made-to-order connoisseur hamburgers and different grill gadgets. Passengers can seize a snack — with a Norwegian twist — on the forward-facing lounges atop the ships, that are dwelling to a small meals counter known as Mamsen’s. Named after Viking founder Torstein Hagen’s mom (Ragnhild “Mamsen” Hagen), it provides genuine tastes of Norway equivalent to conventional heart-shaped waffles, specialty muffins and the brown goat cheese that’s discovered across the nation.
Passengers may also discover finger sandwiches, scones and teas within the afternoon on the glass-topped Wintergarden lounge on the high of each vessel.
The road’s smaller expedition ocean ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, provide 4 of the above venues: The Restaurant, World Cafe, Manfredi’s and Mamsen’s.
Viking’s river ships, against this, usually provide simply two eateries: a essential restaurant the place passengers eat most of their meals and a smaller, informal buffet with indoor and out of doors seating.
Enjoyable reality: The Manfredi’s eating places on Viking ocean ships are named after former Silversea Cruises proprietor Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, a buddy of Viking founder Torstein Hagen. Some Silversea ships, in flip, have lounge areas named after Hagen. Lefebvre now owns luxurious line Crystal after shopping for the model out of chapter.
Leisure and actions
Lots of the actions on board Viking’s ocean ships revolve round “cultural enrichment,” to make use of a phrase typically utilized by Viking executives. On any given day, you would possibly discover an knowledgeable on one of many locations you are visiting lecturing within the theater, or a classical musician performing within the central atrium, often known as The Residing Room. The ships additionally provide some conventional leisure, together with manufacturing reveals with singers and dancers — all with an aesthetic vibe.
On the road’s river ships, you will additionally discover onboard lectures, often associated to the locations the ships are visiting, in addition to destination-related demonstrations and tastings. (On a Seine River voyage, you might need a tasting of native French cheeses or French wines, as an illustration).
You will additionally discover stay piano music within the evenings in river ship lounges.
Theaters, lounges and reveals
Every of the road’s ocean ships has a theater at its entrance that’s dwelling to manufacturing reveals, film showings (with recent popcorn out there) and lectures.
In step with Viking’s concentrate on cultural immersion, lecturers typically have experience associated to the locations you will be visiting in your crusing. The road additionally attracts a variety of attention-grabbing and completed individuals from all walks of life to function visitor lecturers, together with well-known teachers, diplomats and even astronauts.
Along with the theater, a secondary lounge area on the ships known as Torshavn is dwelling to nightly musical leisure (one evening it could be a small band taking part in slow-dance music; the subsequent evening a guitarist). It is also identified for an intensive assortment of Armagnacs, with one from virtually yearly of the previous eight many years. (A enjoyable recreation is to attempt the Armagnac out of your beginning yr. Simply watch out — some years are far dearer than others.)
You will additionally discover musicians, together with pianists and guitar gamers, acting at instances within the Viking Residing Room — a three-deck-high, atriumlike area on the middle of the ship. Full of comfy seating areas and residential to a bar, the Viking Residing Room serves as a central assembly level for passengers all through the day and evening. It is also dwelling to the ship’s Explorers’ Desk — the equal of a visitor relations space on different ships.
There’s additionally stay music at evening within the Explorers’ Lounge, a two-deck-high commentary lounge and bar space on the very high of the ship. The Explorers’ Lounge is also dwelling to Mamsen’s, the meals counter serving tastes of Norway talked about above.
The pool deck and different venues
The centerpiece of the highest deck of every of Viking’s ocean ships is the principle pool space, which is dwelling to a pool, scorching tub and rows of lounge chairs, in addition to comfy seating areas.
Your entire essential pool space is roofed with a glass magrodome that may be opened on brief discover on heat and sunny days — or closed if the ship encounters inclement climate.
Simply behind the principle pool space on every of the ocean ships is a beautiful, glass-topped lounge with comfy seating known as the Wintergarden that’s dwelling to afternoon tea. A den of serenity, it is considered one of our favourite locations on these vessels.
A secondary pool space with an infinity pool is behind every of the ships.
Different inside areas which can be a part of the ocean ships embody a trendy spa with a thermal suite space that’s open to all passengers at no additional cost (one thing that’s not frequent on cruise vessels) and a health middle.
Observe that Viking river ships do not need health facilities, which is comparatively uncommon for river ships. Viking has lengthy argued that few of its prospects use health facilities and the area that will be devoted to 1 is best used for different issues. Nevertheless, for those who’re fitness-obsessed, a Viking river ship will not be your best option to your river journey.
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Kids’s program
Viking doesn’t enable kids below the age of 18 on its vessels and thus has no kids’s packages on any of its vessels.
What to know earlier than you go
Required paperwork
Viking operates worldwide itineraries the place a passport is required. Passports have to be legitimate for not less than six months. Observe that it is vital that the identify in your reservation be precisely as it’s said in your passport or different official proof of nationality.
Gratuities
Viking provides an computerized service gratuity (which it calls a “resort and eating cost”) of $17 per particular person, per day to remaining payments. If you’re sad with the service you obtain, you possibly can regulate this quantity earlier than disembarking on the Explorers’ Desk. (You can even enhance the tip quantity if that’s the case desired.) Additionally, a 15% gratuity is added to payments at bars and for drinks at eating places.
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Wi-Fi
As a part of Viking’s “no nickel-and-diming” philosophy, the road provides free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships all through sailings. Observe that web service may be sluggish at instances of heavy use, as is typical on cruise vessels. As well as, as a way to guarantee truthful utilization for all, the road limits some heavy-bandwidth functions equivalent to film streaming, downloads and software program upgrades. As an example, you will not have the ability to stream Netflix reveals whereas utilizing the free Wi-Fi.
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Carry-on drinks coverage
Not like many traces, Viking means that you can convey your personal wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. The road additionally would not cost a corkage price.
Smoking coverage
On all ships, smoking (together with digital cigarettes) is barely allowed in designated out of doors areas. It is forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.
Laundry
Some Viking ships, together with all the line’s ocean vessels (together with its two expedition vessels), have self-serve launderettes on cabin decks with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. The launderettes are stocked with detergent for the washing machines that, not like on many cruise ships with launderettes, don’t include an additional price.
As well as, most Viking vessels provide laundry and urgent providers. Such providers are complimentary for passengers staying in sure classes of cabins. In any other case, charges are corresponding to what you will pay cleaners at dwelling. Dry cleansing is accessible on the road’s ocean ships however not on Viking river ships.
Viking’s Mississippi River ship provides self-service launderettes however no send-out laundry and urgent service.
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Electrical shops
The entire line’s vessels have commonplace North American-style, 110-volt shops in rooms in addition to European-style, 220-volt shops and USB ports in cabins.
Foreign money
The forex used on Viking ships is U.S. {dollars}.
Ingesting age
You have to be 21 to devour alcohol on Viking ships.
Costume code
Through the day, there isn’t any particular costume code, and other people costume casually. If it is a sea day in a warm-weather vacation spot, and also you’re sure for the highest deck, a short-sleeve shirt and shorts are simply positive.
Evenings have an official costume code, nevertheless it’s not too formal. The road asks passengers to maintain issues “elegant informal” when heading to any of the ship’s eating venues, performances or particular occasions. To Viking, meaning a costume, skirt or slacks with a sweater or shirt for ladies, and trousers and a collared shirt for males. A tie and jacket for males are optionally available. Denims will not be permitted.
This night costume code is just not enforced on the informal World Cafe eateries on Viking ocean ships, the place passengers can go much more informal within the evenings.
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Viking cruise loyalty program
Viking would not have a loyalty program within the conventional sense — one the place passengers earn factors each time they journey with the model and progress by means of a number of tiers that convey an ever-expanding array of perks. Nevertheless, it does provide just a few primary perks for previous friends.
When you journey with the model for the primary time, you’ll routinely be eligible for:
- A credit score of $200 per passenger anytime you ebook a Viking voyage inside one yr of your final Viking voyage. When you reserve inside two years, you obtain a $100 credit score.
- An invite to a past-passengers cocktail get together when crusing on Viking ships.
- Early phrase by e-mail or common mail on new Viking Cruises itineraries and new ships, in addition to particular limited-time provides.
Observe that the credit talked about above can’t all the time be mixed with promotions the road provides.
Associated: The last word information to Viking’s cruise loyalty program
How a lot does a Viking cruise price?
Viking sailings aren’t cheap. Ten-night “Greek Odyssey” voyages to the Greek islands begin at $3,999 per particular person. That works out to roughly $800 per day for a pair sharing a room. Among the line’s extra unique sailings, equivalent to its expedition journeys to Antarctica, price much more. Fourteen-night Antarctica journeys begin at $13,995 per particular person — about $2,000 per day for a pair.
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Nonetheless, as is typical for cruise traces on the excessive finish, Viking features a lot in its base worth. Along with a room on board and all meals, the fares embody beer, wine and comfortable drinks with lunch and dinner; specialty coffees, teas and bottled water across the clock; shipboard Wi-Fi; and (maybe most notably) a shore tour in each port. The latter is one thing comparatively few traces roll into their base fares, and is a major worth. Shore excursions within the cruise world may be costly.
Viking additionally consists of entry to the thermal areas of its spa in its base fares. Such entry virtually all the time comes with an additional cost on cruise vessels.
Observe that Viking does cost additional for 2 key issues that many luxurious traces equivalent to Silversea, Seabourn and Regent don’t: alcoholic drinks at bars and gratuities. That is one cause some cruisers don’t think about Viking at fairly the identical degree as these different manufacturers.
The right way to ebook
When you’re positive what kind of cabin you need, on which ship, on which itinerary — and a couple of dozen different issues — you possibly can head over to viking.com and ebook immediately.
That stated, given the complexity of reserving a cruise — there are loads of choices to make through the reserving course of, belief us — we all the time suggest that you simply use a seasoned journey agent who focuses on cruises.
A superb journey agent will quiz you about your explicit pursuits, journey type and preferences, and steer you to the proper cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent can even enable you to if one thing goes mistaken earlier than, throughout or after your voyage.
When you’re positive that Viking is your line, search for a journey agent who focuses on journeys with the model. You need somebody who is aware of all the line’s many itineraries intimately and, ideally, has sailed on or not less than inspected a few of the line’s vessels, too, to know the assorted cabin sorts and onboard facilities.
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Whether or not you utilize a journey agent or not, ensure that to maximise your bank card spending when paying for the cruise by utilizing a bank card that gives additional factors for journey purchases.
Backside line
Viking may be outlined as a lot by what it is not as what it’s. It isn’t a line for households with younger kids. It isn’t a line that gives megaships topped with each type of amusement identified to people. And it is not a line for the get together crowd.
What it is is a line that has targeted very particularly on “considering particular person’s cruises” that supply a deeper dive into the locations that its ships go to than is typical at many traces. It is all about exploring the world and doing so in consolation.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
