Viking Cruises
Europe River Ships and Itineraries
Sailing Europe’s storied rivers, the award-winning fleet of identical Viking Longships offer a variety of stateroom categories and true two-room suites with full-size verandas. Onboard amenities include a restaurant, bar and lounge, library and expansive sun deck. The ships feature al fresco dining on the revolutionary indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace, elegant Scandinavian design and environmentally considerate features, such as solar panels, an onboard organic herb garden and energy-efficient hybrid engines for a remarkably smooth ride.
Europe river voyages range from 8 to 23 days, with itineraries featuring Europe’s Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Douro, Moselle, Elbe, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers.
Viking also offers voyages on Egypt’s Nile River and Southeast Asia’s Mekong River.
Mississippi River Ship and Itineraries
Viking is launching new destination-focused travel experiences on the Mississippi River in 2022, with sailings ranging from 8 to 15 days between New Orleans, Louisiana and St. Paul, Minnesota.
Viking’s arrival brings modern river voyages to the Mississippi and represents a major commitment to tourism and economic development in many communities along the river. Currently scheduled ports of call on Viking’s new Mississippi River itineraries comprise seven U.S. states: Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville); Mississippi (Natchez and Vicksburg); Tennessee (Memphis); Missouri (Hannibal, St. Louis); Iowa (Burlington, Dubuque and Quad Cities); Wisconsin (La Crosse); and Minnesota (Red Wing, St. Paul).
The new state-of-the-art Viking Mississippi is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships and features elegant Scandinavian design, as well as public spaces that are familiar to guests but that have been reimagined for Mississippi River voyages. Purpose-built for the Mississippi and currently under construction in Louisiana, the five-deck, 386-guest ship’s cutting-edge design features expansive windows and comfortable amenities, making it the largest and most modern ship in the region.
The Viking Mississippi has been designed as an environmentally considerate vessel and is equipped with a variety of measures to maximize energy efficiency and emissions—including a diesel-electric hybrid system of eight small load-sharing generators, a state-of-the-art propulsion system that reduces vibration for a remarkably smooth ride, electric-driven hydraulic units and pump jet thrusters and a highly advanced exhaust scrubbing system to significantly reduce sound and emissions.
Ocean Ships and Itineraries
In 2015, Viking introduced its first ocean ship with the naming of the 930-guest all-veranda Viking Star. One year later, Viking launched its second ocean ship, the Viking Sea, which was joined by sister ship the Viking Sky in 2017, the Viking Orion in 2018, the Viking Jupiter in 2019 and the Viking Venus in 2021. Identical sister ships the Viking Mars and the Viking Neptune join the fleet in 2022, followed by Viking Saturn in early 2023.
The company’s award-winning ships are engineered at a size that allows direct access into most ports, so guests can easily and efficiently embark and disembark—allowing for more time in port. Viking’s ocean fleet features modern Scandinavian design with elegant touches, intimate spaces and attention to detail. Each ship boasts a private veranda in every stateroom, a choice of restaurants offering a variety of fine dining options, the most al fresco dining at sea, an infinity pool, a Nordic-inspired spa, the two-deck Explorers’ Lounge with panoramic views, thoughtfully curated book collections throughout the ship and more.
Ocean itineraries are designed to maximize the amount of time travelers spend in their destination. These enriching itineraries include base and combination voyages around the world—with particular focus in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, Asia, Alaska, North and South America and Africa.
Viking’s ocean ships have been designed to be environmentally considerate, with energy-efficient hull, propeller and rudder arrangements and engines with heat recovery systems. This allows ships to reach the best Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI)* in its class, exceeding the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements by almost 20 percent. Additionally, Viking ships are the first newbuilds in the world with a closed-loop exhaust cleaning system designed so that pollutants can be removed and disposed of safely.
Expedition Ships and Itineraries
In January 2022, Viking launched new expedition voyages with the arrival of its first vessel, the 378-guest Polar Class Viking Octantis. A second, identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris, joins the fleet later in 2022. Both ships will sail expedition itineraries in Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes.
Designed by the same experienced nautical architects and engineers that designed Viking’s Longships and ocean ships, the ships are optimally sized and built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety, comfort and onboard amenities in remote destinations. An integrated bow creates a longer waterline for the ships; state-of-the-art fin stabilizers allow the ships to glide over the waves for the calmest possible journey; ice-strengthened Polar Class hulls provide the safest way to explore; and U-tank stabilizers significantly decrease rolling by up to 50 percent when the ships are stationary. The ships feature the company’s signature Scandinavian design, with public areas that are favorites on Viking’s ocean ships, as well as new spaces created specifically for expeditions.
Viking has also created the world’s leading scientific enrichment environment in an expedition setting. Exclusive partnerships with the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—as well as other prestigious scientific institutions—match leading researchers and educators with each expedition.
Viking’s new expedition vessels have set a new standard for responsible travel, with an energy-efficient design that exceeds the EEDI* requirements by nearly 38 percent—more than any other expedition ship. In addition to an integrated bow, engines with heat recovery systems and Azipod® Electric Propulsion, the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris have received one of the industry’s first SILENT-E notations – the highest-level certification for quiet ship propulsion, minimizing underwater noise pollution.