Viking Cruises is a cruise line providing river and ocean cruises, with operations based in Basel, Switzerland. It is the parent company of Viking River Cruises and Viking Ocean Cruises. As of November 2017, it operates a fleet of 62 river vessels and 4 ocean ships, offering cruises along the rivers and oceans of North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, Egypt, China and Southeast Asia.
Video Viking Cruises
History
The company was established as Viking River Cruises in 1997, launched by Torstein Hagen with the purchase of four Russian vessels for $8 million. In 2000, Viking purchased KD River Cruises of Europe, which was founded in 1827. The acquisition added ships to Viking's fleet, bringing its total to 26, making it the largest fleet in the world. Since 2000, the company has built nearly all of its own river ships, uniquely designed Longships. The company embarked on a rapid growth in 2012, adding 54 ships to the fleet from 2012 to 2017. The 28 combined ships built in 2013 and 2014 represented a world record, which was noted in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Viking expanded into the American market in 2000, establishing its US headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The company expanded into China in 2004 with Yangtze River cruisetours, itineraries that combine a river cruise with hotel stays in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Since then, the company has brought this model in other regions, including Europe and Southeast Asia.
In May 2013, the company modified its name to Viking Cruises as it announced the launch of Viking Ocean Cruises, a division of small, oceangoing vessels. In 2015, its first ship, Viking Star, began sailing itineraries in Scandinavia, the British Isles, the Baltic and Mediterranean Sea. The company launched its second ship, Viking Sea, in 2016. Viking Sky and Viking Sun joined the fleet in 2017, with Viking Orion scheduled to debut in 2018 along with three more by 2022. They plan on adding two new ships in 2018, another in 2019, and seven new river boats. As of November 2017, they operate a fleet of 62 vessels. The company's operations center is in Basel, Switzerland, with its marketing headquarters in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. Their cruises are marketed primarily toward English-speaking customers in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Maps Viking Cruises
River cruises
River destinations
Viking River Cruises offers cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. Viking's European ships have a typical capacity of 190 passengers; its Russian ships' capacity averages just over 200 and its China ship carries up to 256. Viking itineraries range from 8 to 23 days along Europe's Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Elbe and Douro Rivers; Russia's Volga and Svir; Ukraine's Dnieper; China's Yangtze; Egypt's Nile and Lake Nasser; and Cambodia and Vietnam's Mekong. Some voyages, including those in China, Southeast Asia and Egypt and a few in Europe, are cruisetours, which include both hotel stays and river cruising.
River cruise ship design
In 2009, Viking launched Viking Legend, the first of its ships to have hybrid diesel-electric engines. According to the company, these engines use an estimated 20% less fuel than conventional engines. Noise-insulated engine rooms reduce noise and vibration and the ship has its own membrane water treatment plant to further reduce environmental impact. In 2012, as Viking expanded, it introduced its Viking Longships class designed by Scandinavian naval architects Yran & Storbraaten. The design firm was later replaced by Rottet Studio. The ships have an environmentally friendly engine system, with three decks and an interior design configuration that creates large two-room suites, full-size rooms with full-size verandas and French balcony staterooms. Additional features include an indoor-outdoor terrace for outdoor dining at the prow of the ship; large suites at the stern; solar panels; and an organic herb garden. The first six Viking Longships that launched in 2012 collectively won Cruise Critic's award for Best New River Ship.
Yran & Storbraaten are also designing Viking Ra, an addition to the company's Egypt fleet. The refurbished ship will offer a blend of Scandinavian design, with traditional geometric Arabic patterns. The 48-passenger Viking Ra is scheduled to sail on the Nile River in Egypt starting in March 2018.
Fleet
Viking River Cruises operates a fleet of 62 vessels as of 2017. All of its ships have been custom built or fully renovated since 1999. As of 2017, more than two-thirds of the company's European fleet are classed as Viking Longships. In 2019, the company plans to launch six new Longships, sailing on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, and an additional smaller vessel for Portugal's Douro River. This will bring Viking's total to 69 river vessels.
Ocean cruises
Ocean destinations
In 2013, Viking announced plans to open its ocean cruise division, Viking Ocean Cruises, the first new cruise line in nearly a decade. Viking's ocean cruise division began sailing its first vessel, Viking Star, in 2015. It was joined by the fleet's second vessel, Viking Sea, in 2016; and its third and fourth ships, Viking Sky and Viking Sun, in 2017. Viking has announced plans to add four additional ships to its current ocean fleet. Viking Orion is scheduled to launch in 2018, becoming the company's fifth ocean ship. It will spend its first year sailing in the Mediterranean, before expanding to Asia, Australia and Alaska. Construction began on an unnamed sixth ship in October 2017, at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona, Italy. Two more are scheduled to launch by 2022.
Viking's itineraries feature travel in Northern Europe, the Baltic, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Their ships spend more time in port than is common at other ocean lines, emphasizing a focus on the culture of their destinations.
In December 2017, Viking will launch its first round-the-world cruise, with a 35-country itinerary on the Viking Sun's maiden voyage. It will start in Miami, Florida, and continue to five continents, 35 countries and 66 ports, 22 of which will have overnight stays. It will be one of the longest around-the-world excursions, at nearly five months.
Ocean ship design
Viking Ocean Cruises' vessels carry up to 930 passengers and 550 crew. The ships have a Scandinavian design with modernist décor, and an emphasis on clean, uncluttered spaces. They were built by Fincantieri shipyard, and the Scandinavian-influenced interior design was developed by London-based SMC Design and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studio.
Viking Cruises was the first cruise line to launch a new purpose-built ship since Disney Cruise Line introduced Disney Magic in 1998. Viking Star and its identical sister ships have 465 rooms, all with private verandas. The cabins are large by cruise ship standards. Onboard areas include lounge and dining venues; a three-story atrium; theater; library; sun deck including two pools, spa, gym and yoga area; and an infinity pool. Conde Nast Traveler called the amenities "industry-changing."
Technical specifications
Each sister ship is one-third the size of many cruise ships being built by major cruise lines, allowing it to enter into smaller ports. Its overall length is 745.4 ft. (227.2 m); its beam is 94.5 ft. (28.8 m); the draft is 20.7 ft. (6.3 m); and the gross tonnage (GRT) is 47,800 t.
Sponsorships
Since 2011, Viking has sponsored programming on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, including Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Poldark, and is a sponsor of National Geographic's Genius, a scripted series about the life of Albert Einstein. Viking has also sponsored the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl, Metropolitan Opera, BBC, Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, and Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Awards
Viking River Cruises
- Travel + Leisure magazine's readers have recognized Viking River Cruises as one of the Best River Cruise Lines in the annual World's Best Awards 7 times since 2011. Viking River Cruises was also voted the #1 River Cruise Line on Travel + Leisure's 2012 and 2015 World's Best Lists.
- TravelAge West, a travel industry publication, named Viking River Cruises the best overall cruise line for river cruising 11 times, from 2006 to 2016.
- Cruise Critic, a cruise review website, has selected Viking River Cruises in its Editors' Picks Awards for 6 consecutive years for awards including Best River Cruise Line, Best New River Ship and Best River Cruise Itineraries.
- Travel Weekly, a trade publication, named Viking River Cruises the Best River Cruise Line for 11 consecutive years, from 2006 to 2016, in its Readers Choice Awards.
- Recommend magazine, a publication for travel agents, awarded Viking Best River Cruise Line in their Readers' Choice Awards for 11 consecutive years.
- Porthole Cruise Magazine readers voted Viking River Cruises the Best River Cruise Line 4 times in the Readers' Choice Awards.
- CruiseReport.com commended Viking River Cruises in its Editors' Choice Awards as Best River Cruise Line 3 times, the Best Way to See Russia in 2012 and Best River Cruise Accommodations in 2016.
- LuxuryTravelAdvisor.com has awarded Viking River Cruises the Best Luxury River Cruise Company 4 times.
- Seatrade Insider awarded Viking River Cruises their first-ever River Cruise Innovation Award in 2011 for the company's Viking Longships.
- Fodor's Travel awarded Viking River Cruises' Legends of the Rhine river cruise the World's Best Cruise for 2015.
- Conde Nast Traveler named Viking River Cruises the Best River Cruise Line in the publication's 2017 Readers' Choice Awards.
Viking Ocean Cruises
- Cruise Critic named Viking Star the Best New Ocean Ship of 2015 in its 8th annual Editors' Picks Awards.
- Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2016 rated Viking Star the highest in her category during her debut season. In the guidebook's 2017 edition, Viking Sea was rated the first in her category, with Viking Star following in second place.
- Cruise Critic's editors awarded Viking Sky with 5 stars, the highest rating, in 2017. In their 2017 Cruisers' Choice Awards, Viking Star and Viking Sea received first place in 10 categories, including Best Overall and Best Shore Excursions.
- Travel + Leisure readers named Viking the #1 Ocean Cruise Line in the World's Best Awards in 2016 and 2017.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
0 Comments