On January 16, less than two weeks after the glittering Golden Globes took place at the historic Beverly Hills Hilton, the hotel’s spotlight was shining on another award winner: Viking Cruises.
From its launch in 1997, single-handedly creating the modern river cruise industry, through today, when we find the Viking logo upon 72 riverboats and six ocean ships (with six more under construction and four more in the planning stages) which, combined, attract more than 500,000 guests each year.
The Viking Evolution
Amazingly, in 2015, the first year of Viking’s ocean operation, it was voted the best small-ship cruise line by a number of prestigious travel publications and websites. The largely inclusive Viking (complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, at least one complimentary shore excursion at each port, free wi-fi and no restaurant surcharges) continues to hold that top spot through a commitment to “elegant simplicity,” a calm and quiet onboard ambiance that is destination-focused with an emphasis on enrichment … and no casino!
Your Viking shipmates will likely be well-educated, well-to-do English speakers with an interest in history, science, culture, and music. Your ocean-going ship will carry 930 guests. No matter which ship you sail, the design will be identical, a concept that Hagen believes will allow repeat passengers to feel at home no matter which ship they’re on.
Water parks and pool slides? You won’t find them, or the children that tend to use them, here — a guest must be a minimum of 18 years old to sail the award-winning line because, as Hagen points out, “Guests love their grandchildren, but not other people’s grandchildren.”
Riverboats … ocean ships … and, beginning in 2020, Viking Cruises adds two expedition ships to its family: Viking Octantis (January 2020) and Viking Polaris (August 2020). Each of these six-deck purpose-built 30,150 grt ice-strengthened Polar Class-6 ships will have a capacity of 378 guests and 260 crew. The ships’ design features two forms of stabilizers (the conventional fin-type that reduce rolling while sailing and a U-tank stabilizer that decreases rolling when the ship is stationary) along with innovative safety features that will allow comfortable exploration as they ply some of the world’s roughest waters.
The 430-square-foot Laboratory also allows each ship to operate as a working research vessel with a cast of onboard scientists (including biologists, botanists, oceanographers, ornithologists, and more) conducting a variety of studies that guests may choose to participate in by assisting in data collection and other tasks. For this new venture, Viking has partnered with world-renowned scientific institutions including the University of Cambridge and Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology.
Ready to explore? Daily briefings and lectures by Viking’s Resident Scientists and expedition leaders will prepare you to for your landings and on-shore experiences.
Climb into a RIB or military-grade kayak for the journey, or, for an undersea experience, board one of the ship’s two six-passenger submarines — yes, they’re yellow — for a close-up view of extraordinary sea life. These undersea adventures are free of charge, as is all equipment related to your expedition. You can even keep the parka.
Expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic range from the 13-day Antarctic Explorer to a 44-day voyage from the Arctic to the Antarctic.
Beginning in April 2022, Viking Polaris will let us explore closer to home with a lineup of expeditions that let us discover the wonders in our own backyard. America’s Great Lakes are one of the most under-explored regions of the world — from the majesty of Niagara Falls to the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore and wildlife that includes moose, bald eagles, black bears, and more.
In less than 25 years, Viking Cruises has evolved into a major industry force that sails to 95 countries on seven continents, plying five oceans, 20 rivers, and, soon, five Great Lakes. While it’s known as the “thinking person’s” cruise, it’s obvious there’s a lot of thinking going on at the line’s home office as well, with extraordinary innovations and experiences a Viking signature.
