Recommend May2017 - 74

Celebrating 50 Years of Helping Travel Agents Sell Travel

Viking Cruises

"The Viking brand has been
straightforward since it
launched, and I believe that
consistency contributes to
its success. Viking doesn't try
to be all things to all clients,
and proudly says so. I see the
Viking brand becoming much
more than a travel brand.
After sailing on Viking Sky
(Viking's third ocean ship),
I know I want the 'Viking
shower.' Perhaps the 'Viking
bed' is next?"
"Twenty years ago, I lost everything
in life," Torstein Hagen, Viking's
chairman, said in a press conference on
board the recently christened Longship,
Hild. "With a guy and two phones, we
started Viking, and since then, we have
come quite far."
In 1997, Viking debuted its first river
cruises in Russia in what was then just
a small travel niche. Now river cruising
is one of the fastest growing segments
in the travel industry, and Viking holds
49 percent of this market share. This
year, Viking celebrates 20 years on the
world's rivers-and now oceans. In
Europe alone, its fleet has expanded
to 41 signature Longships and five
custom-built "baby" Longships designed
to navigate the shallower waters of the
Douro and Elbe rivers.
"We have designed a much smarter
ship," Hagen said when comparing
the 190-person Longships to its
competitors, many of which can't
carry more than 160 passengers. The
difference? A square bow makes all
three decks usable, with space for seven
additional cabins. And while other
ships have specialty restaurants,
Hagen decided this space should be
used to house the best cabins: two
74 may 2017

445-sq.-ft. Explorer Suites, featuring
wraparound terraces and 270-degree
views of the water.
By the end of the year, Viking will
expand its ocean product as well,
upping the current fleet to four ships
with the addition of Viking Sky and
Viking Sun. Modeled after a similar
philosophy as the river ships, Hagen
calls Viking Ocean Cruises the "no
cruise line." You won't find children
under 18, a casino, formal nights,
butlers and umbrella drinks. Instead,
the 930-passenger, all-verandah ships
maintain that similar Scandinavian
chic design aesthetic, with immersive
itineraries designed to offer more time
in port and fewer days at sea.
"We like to be quiet," Hagen
explained. "Some people use the term
understated elegance [to describe
Viking Ocean Cruises], and I prefer that
to boudoir cruising."

Where Viking is Headed

"The big thing for us is going to
be a continuation of the theme
of the 'Viking way,' getting more
immersive in the destination. You'll
see that in the shore excursions,"
says Richard Marnell, Viking's senior

- Nancy Fowler, General Manager,
Willamette International Travel

v.p. of marketing. "Those distinctive
experiences take you beyond the iconic,
and it's a great way to really get in and
experience something firsthand."

What's Ahead

In January, Viking took over one of its
chartered ships on the Douro River in
Portugal, and next year, the company
will return to the Ukraine. In March
2018, Viking will debut its first ship
on the Nile, becoming the first foreign
company to operate trips on the river
since the Egyptian revolution. When
Viking Sun debuts in November, the
ocean ship will spend the season sailing
Viking's first World Cruise. A fifth ship,
Viking Spirit, will join the fleet in 2018
cruising itineraries in Australia, Asia
and Alaska, and a sixth ship is slated to
follow in 2019.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Viking River Cruises
Tel: (877) 668-4546 (reservations);
(888) 505-7984 (groups)
recommend.com
http://www.recommend.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May2017
