There are some cruise strains that attempt to be all issues to all folks. Viking isn’t considered one of them.
The upscale cruise model has carved out a distinct segment since its founding in 1997, catering particularly to a sure kind of considerate, inquisitive, usually older traveler who’s seeking to discover the world and be taught a factor or two alongside the best way.
Most Viking prospects are approaching their retirement years — or are already there — and so they’re desirous to lastly see all of the locations they didn’t have time to go to once they have been elevating children and establishing careers of their youthful years.
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For this subset of vacationers, Viking gives a variety of each ocean and river cruise itineraries which have a heavy give attention to the locations visited. These aren’t cruises the place it’s all concerning the ship.
Viking voyages carry quite a lot 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. The road gives 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 further. (Basically, Viking voyages are extremely inclusive, in line with its “no nickel-and-diming” philosophy.)
On board, Viking’s programming revolves closely round what the road calls “cultural enrichment” — lectures by consultants on subjects associated to the locations its ships go to, in addition to cultural and culinary choices that always have an area tie-in.
What Viking ships don’t supply is quite a lot of onboard amusements aimed toward households and youthful vacationers. In reality, the road doesn’t even permit kids below the age of 18 on its ships. It’s one of many solely main cruise manufacturers on the planet with such a rule.
Viking ships additionally don’t cater to the celebration crowd. If it’s a floating celebration you’re in search of in a trip, this isn’t the road for you.
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As Viking founder Torstein Hagen likes to say, a Viking cruise is the “pondering individual’s cruise,” not the “ingesting individual’s cruise.”
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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 some other main cruise model on the planet, greater than 90 in all. It additionally has each ocean ships and river ships — one thing that’s uncommon amongst main strains. Regardless of this, it has one of many easiest-to-understand fleets.
That’s as a result of the overwhelming majority of Viking’s ocean vessels are carbon copies of one another. Should you’ve seen one, you’ve seen all of them. Ditto for the road’s river vessels.
Viking presently operates 10 ocean ships, eight of that are almost similar. The exceptions are two just lately unveiled Viking ocean vessels particularly designed for expedition cruising — a kind of cruising that entails touring to distant, hard-to-reach locations on hardy vessels that carry their very own touchdown craft.
The eight almost similar ocean ships — Viking Mars, Viking Venus, Viking Jupiter, Viking Orion, Zhao Shang Yi Dun, Viking Sky, Viking Sea and Viking Star — started rolling out in 2015 and every has the capability for 930 passengers. Yet another of the vessels is scheduled to debut later this 12 months, with three extra ships within the collection coming in 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively.
At 47,800 tons, these ocean ships are lower than a fourth the scale of the large megaships being constructed by the likes of Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises, in line with Viking’s give attention to intimate, upscale voyages. Large floating resorts, they aren’t.
Observe that one of many eight ships on this collection, Zhao Shang Yi Dun, has been completely transferred to a three way partnership that operates for the China market. When it debuted in 2017, it initially catered to the North American market and was referred to as Viking Solar.
Viking’s two expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, are smaller than the above vessels, as is typical for expedition ships, and carry 378 passengers at most occupancy.
Then there are the river ships. Finally depend, Viking had greater than 80 river ships in its fleet — an astounding quantity that’s the results of blistering development over the previous decade. (As just lately as 2012, the road operated simply 29 river ships.)
As famous above, nearly 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 right 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 example, have been particularly constructed to have the ability to sail into the center of Paris on the Seine River.
Whereas most Viking river ships are Longships, there are a number of exceptions within the Viking river fleet. Viking operates several smaller, purpose-built vessels on the Nile River in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and it has a number of older river vessels that predate the Longships that function in Russia and Ukraine. (For now, river cruise itineraries in each nations are on maintain as a result of Ukraine struggle.)
Viking additionally just lately began sailings on the Mississippi River with a brand new ship particularly designed for the river and its tributaries.
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Locations and itineraries
Viking has one of the vital various arrays of itineraries of any cruise line, principally on account of 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’ll discover Viking river ships working on the Rhine, Foremost and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; the Moselle and Elbe in Germany, the Volga in Russia and the Dnieper in Ukraine (as famous above, sailings on the latter two rivers are on maintain, for now, as a result of struggle in Ukraine).
Viking additionally operates river journeys on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and it just lately started journeys on the Mississippi River.
The road’s ocean ships could be present in almost each ocean and sea world wide, from North America to Europe and Asia.
Viking’s ocean ships have a serious presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which the road considers its dwelling turf. (The corporate was based by a Norwegian household.) It’s additionally an enormous participant within the Mediterranean. You’ll discover Viking’s ocean ships in different key cruise locations as nicely, similar to Alaska, the Caribbean and Panama Canal, Canada and New England, South America, Asia and Australia.
Simply this 12 months, the road started its first cruises to Antarctica with its first expedition ship, Viking Octantis. The identical vessel this previous summer season launched the road’s first voyages within the Nice Lakes — a vacation spot that solely a handful of cruise operators go to.
Among the many line’s voyages, you’ll discover all the pieces from eight-day cruises within the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages.
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Who sails Viking
Most Viking passengers are North People who’re approaching retirement age or already retired. 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.
Basically, it’s 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, and so they’re lastly prepared to begin having fun with the fruits of their labor by spending a number of the financial savings on journey to locations they’ve lengthy postpone visiting.
They’re additionally individuals who can afford a comparatively high-end trip expertise. Whereas Viking doesn’t market itself as a luxurious line, some would name it that. Viking vessels are stuffed with luxurious touches, with the pricing to match (see extra on what Viking journeys price on the backside of this story).
Basically, you’ll discover quite a lot of {couples} on Viking ships and a few solo vacationers. You’ll additionally discover the occasional multigenerational group — a retired couple touring with their working-age grownup kids, as an example.
Nonetheless, in contrast to almost each different cruise model, what you received’t discover are households with younger children. As famous above, Viking doesn’t permit passengers below the age of 18 on its ships — a key differentiator for the model as in comparison with different cruise strains.
Cabins and suites
Is a balcony one thing you possibly can’t dwell with out when staying in a cabin on a cruise ship? Viking may very well be your line.
Viking is without doubt one of the solely cruise manufacturers on the planet that provides a balcony with each cabin on each ocean ship it operates — even the least costly, smallest cabins. That’s one thing that even probably the most upscale of Viking’s ocean cruise rivals together with Oceania Cruises, Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises can’t say.
Viking’s ocean ships additionally supply 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 most important suites measure almost 1,500 sq. toes.
Should you’re in search of an enormous open room on an ocean cruise (and are prepared to pay for it), Viking gives you loads of choices.
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Viking additionally gives a number of balcony cabins and suites on its river ships, one thing that isn’t all the time the case within the river cruise enterprise, the place house on vessels is at a premium. 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 means, with Scandinavian-influenced furnishings and decor that tie to the Norwegian heritage of the corporate’s founder.
You’ll 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.
Consistent with the high-end nature of the model, Viking cabins and suites have quite a lot of upscale touches, from luxurious bedding that envelops you to heated flooring in bogs. The rooms aren’t overly flashy, although.
What they’re is eminently purposeful, with storage in all the appropriate locations, a number of retailers for charging your units 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 received’t have bother seeing the pages of the Viking Each day exercise publication whereas mendacity in a Viking cabin mattress.
Different little touches in Viking cabins that present a line fascinated with performance as a lot as decor embrace the big and clear lettering on the Freyja toiletries that you simply’ll discover in each Viking cabin toilet. The toiletries have been particularly designed with greater and clearer lettering than is widespread for toiletries on cruise ships and at motels in order that the road’s older prospects would don’t have any bother 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 simply’ll discover on Viking ships will differ vastly relying on whether or not you’re crusing on an ocean or a river ship.
All of Viking’s oceangoing ships, that are a lot greater than its river ships, have no less than 4 and often extra retailers serving meals of some kind.
Each one of many line’s 930-passenger ocean ships has a foremost restaurant (referred to as, merely, The Restaurant) with rotating menus that embrace dishes that tie to the vacation spot the place the vessel is crusing. There are also informal buffet eateries referred to as World Cafe on each vessel. You’ll most likely eat most of your meals in considered one of these eateries.
The principle eating places on these ships are notable for his or her partitions of glass that may slide open to create al fresco eating, one thing that’s uncommon within the cruise world.
Every of the 930-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 gives a five-course tasting menu themed round a selected delicacies that modifications each few days.
There’s no further cost for eating within the smaller eating places, however reservations are required. Every passenger is simply allowed to make one to a few 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 gourmand hamburgers and different grill objects. 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 referred to as Mamsen’s. Named after Viking founder Torstein Hagen’s mom (Ragnhild “Mamsen” Hagen), it gives genuine tastes of Norway similar to conventional heart-shaped waffles, specialty desserts 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 prime of each vessel.
The road’s smaller expedition ocean ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, supply 4 of the above venues: The Restaurant, World Cafe, Manfredi’s and Mamsen’s.
Viking’s river ships, in contrast, usually supply simply two eateries: a foremost restaurant the place passengers eat most of their meals and a smaller, informal buffet with indoor and out of doors seating.
Enjoyable truth: The Manfredi’s eating places on Viking ocean ships are named after former Silversea Cruises proprietor Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, a pal of Viking founder Torstein Hagen. Some Silversea ships, in flip, have lounge areas named after Hagen.
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 may discover an professional on one of many locations you’re visiting lecturing within the theater, or a classical musician performing within the central atrium, often known as The Dwelling Room. The ships additionally supply some conventional leisure, together with manufacturing exhibits with singers and dancers.
On the road’s river ships, you’ll 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 may need a tasting of native French cheeses or French wines, as an example).
You’ll additionally discover dwell piano music within the evenings in river ship lounges.
Theaters, lounges and exhibits
Every of the road’s ocean ships has a theater at its entrance that’s dwelling to manufacturing exhibits, film showings (with recent popcorn out there) and enrichment lecturers.
Consistent with Viking’s give attention to cultural immersion, lecturers typically have experience associated to the locations you’ll be visiting in your crusing. The road additionally attracts a variety of attention-grabbing and completed folks from all walks of life to function visitor lecturers, together with well-known lecturers, diplomats and even astronauts.
Along with the theater, a secondary lounge house on the ships referred to as Torshavn is dwelling to musical leisure at evening. It’s additionally identified for an intensive assortment of Armagnacs, with one from nearly yearly of the previous eight many years. (A enjoyable recreation is to strive the Armagnac out of your beginning 12 months. Simply watch out — some years are far costlier than others.)
You’ll additionally discover musicians together with pianists and guitar gamers acting at occasions within the Viking Dwelling Room — a three-deck-high, atrium-like house on the heart of the ship. Crammed with comfy seating areas and residential to a bar, the Viking Dwelling Room serves as a central assembly level for passengers all through the day and evening. It’s additionally dwelling to the ship’s Explorers’ Desk — the equal of a visitor relations space on different ships.
There’s additionally dwell music at evening within the Explorers’ Lounge, a two-deck-high commentary lounge and bar space on the very prime 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 primary pool space, which is dwelling to a pool, sizzling tub and rows of lounge chairs, in addition to comfy seating areas.
All the foremost 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 primary pool space on every of the ocean ships is a stunning, glass-topped lounge with comfy seating referred to as the Wintergarden that’s dwelling to afternoon tea. A den of serenity, it’s 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 might be a part of the ocean ships embrace a trendy spa with a thermal suite space that’s open to all passengers at no further cost (one thing that isn’t widespread on cruise vessels) and a health heart.
Observe that Viking river ships don’t have health facilities, which is comparatively uncommon for river ships. Viking has lengthy argued that few of its prospects use health facilities and the house that might be devoted to 1 is best used for different issues. Nonetheless, in the event you’re fitness-obsessed, Viking river ships might not be your best option in your river journey.
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Kids’s program
Viking doesn’t permit 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 no less than six months. Observe that it is necessary that the title in your reservation be precisely as it’s said in your passport or different official proof of nationality.
Gratuities
Viking provides an automated service gratuity (which it calls a “resort and eating cost”) of $15 per individual per day to ultimate payments, relying in your cabin class. If you’re sad with the service you obtain, you possibly can alter this quantity earlier than disembarking on the Explorers’ Desk. (You may also 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 gives free Wi-Fi service to passengers on all its ships all through sailings. Observe that web service could be sluggish at occasions of heavy use, as is typical on cruise vessels. As well as, to be able to guarantee truthful utilization for all, the road limits some heavy-bandwidth purposes, downloads and software program upgrades.
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Carry-on drinks coverage
Not like many strains, Viking permits you to carry your individual wine, Champagne, beer and liquor onto ships at embarkation with no limits. The road additionally doesn’t cost a corkage price.
Smoking coverage
On all ships, smoking (together with digital cigarettes) is simply allowed in designated out of doors areas. It’s forbidden in cabins and on cabin balconies.
Laundry
Some Viking ships, together with the entire line’s ocean vessels (together with its one expedition vessel), 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, in contrast to on many cruise ships with launderettes, don’t include an additional price.
As well as, most Viking vessels supply laundry and urgent companies. Such companies are complimentary for passengers staying in sure classes of cabins. In any other case, there are charges corresponding to what you’ll pay cleaners at dwelling. Dry cleansing is accessible on the road’s ocean ships however not on Viking river ships.
Viking’s soon-to-debut Mississippi River ships will supply self-service launderettes however no takeout laundry and urgent service.
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Electrical retailers
The entire line’s vessels have normal North American-style, 110-volt retailers in rooms in addition to European-style, 220-volt retailers and USB ports in cabins.
Forex
The forex used on Viking ships is U.S. {dollars}.
Consuming age
You have to be 21 to devour alcohol on Viking ships.
Costume code
Throughout the day, there is no such thing as a particular gown code, and folks gown casually. If it’s 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 high-quality.
Evenings have an official gown code, but it surely’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 gown, skirt or slacks with a sweater or shirt for girls, and trousers and a collared shirt for males. A tie and jacket for males are optionally available. Denims usually are not permitted.
This night gown code shouldn’t be 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 doesn’t have a loyalty program within the conventional sense — one the place passengers earn factors each time they journey with the model and progress by way of a number of tiers that carry an ever-expanding array of perks. Nonetheless, it does supply a number of primary perks for previous friends.
When you journey with the model for the primary time, you’ll routinely be enrolled within the Viking Explorer Society. As a part of this society, you’ll obtain:
- A credit score of $200 per passenger anytime you ebook a Viking voyage inside one 12 months of your final Viking voyage. Should you reserve inside two years, you obtain a $100 credit score.
- An invite to a members-only Viking Explorer Society cocktail celebration 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 gives.
Observe that the credit talked about above can’t all the time be mixed with promotions the road gives.
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How a lot does a Viking cruise price?
Viking sailings aren’t cheap. Ten-night “Greek Odyssey” voyages to the Greek Islands begin at $3,799 per individual. That works out to greater than $750 per day for a pair sharing a room. A few of the line’s extra unique sailings similar to its expedition journeys to Antarctica price much more. Fourteen-night Antarctica journeys begin at $14,995 per individual — greater than $2,000 per day for a pair.
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Nonetheless, as is typical for cruise strains on the excessive finish, Viking features a lot in its base worth. Along with a room on board and all meals, the fares embrace beer, wine and mushy 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 strains roll into their base fares, and shore excursions could be costly.
Viking additionally contains entry to the thermal areas of its spa in its base fares. Such entry nearly all the time comes with an additional cost on cruise vessels.
Viking fares do embrace port taxes and charges, which may add as much as lots of of {dollars} per crusing. Most different strains don’t embrace port taxes and charges of their base fares and add them later within the reserving course of.
Observe that Viking does cost further for 2 key issues that many luxurious strains similar to Silversea, Seabourn and Regent don’t: alcoholic drinks at bars and gratuities. That is one motive some cruisers don’t take into account Viking at fairly the identical degree as these different manufacturers.
Methods to ebook
Should you’re positive you understand 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 straight.
That mentioned, given the complexity of reserving a cruise — there are quite a lot of choices to make in the course of the reserving course of, belief us — we all the time suggest that you simply use a seasoned travel agent who makes a speciality of cruises.
An excellent journey agent will quiz you about your specific pursuits, journey fashion and preferences, and steer you to the right cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. An agent also can show you how to if something goes wrong earlier than, throughout or after your voyage.
Should you’re positive that Viking is your line, search for a journey agent who makes a speciality of journeys with the model. You need somebody who is aware of the entire line’s many itineraries intimately and, ideally, has sailed on or no less than inspected a number of the line’s vessels, too, to grasp the varied cabin varieties and onboard facilities.
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Whether or not you utilize a journey agent or not, make sure that to maximize your credit card spending when paying for the cruise by utilizing a bank card that offers extra points for travel purchases. This may very well be the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which gives 3 Ultimate Rewards factors per greenback on journey and eating (excluding the annual $300 journey credit score). There’s additionally the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which gives 2 Final Rewards factors per greenback on journey (and three Final Rewards factors per greenback on eating).
Backside line
Viking could be outlined as a lot by what it isn’t as what it’s. It’s not a line for households with younger kids. It’s not a line that provides megaships topped with each type of amusement identified to people. And it’s not a line for the celebration crowd.
What it is is a line that has targeted very particularly on “pondering individual’s cruises” that supply a deeper dive into the locations that its ships go to than is typical at many strains. It’s all about exploring the world and doing so in consolation.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
