About Viking
History
Viking was founded in 1997 with the vision that travel could be more destination focused and culturally immersive.
The company expanded into the American market in 2000, establishing a sales and marketing office in Los Angeles, California. Since then, Viking has grown to a fleet of more than 90 vessels, offering river, ocean, and expedition voyages on all seven continents. Viking provides destination-focused itineraries for curious travelers, with each journey including a shore excursion in every port and an onboard and onshore enrichment program that provides deep immersion in the destination through performances of music and art, cooking demonstrations, informative port talks, and carefully selected guest lecturers.
With more than 450 awards to its name, Viking is a leader in the industry and was rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans (for ships sized 500 to 2,500 berths) and #1 for Expeditions for the second consecutive year in Condé Nast Traveler's 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. This is the first time in history that a travel company has been voted #1 in all three categories simultaneously.
In 2016 Viking began to offer European River cruises in the Asian markets with dedicated river ships. In 2021 we added Ocean cruises as we moved the Viking Sun – now re-christened the Viking Yi Dun – to the region.
In late 2024 Viking will start to offer Japan Coastal cruises to the Japanese market as the Viking Yi Dun will begin homeporting in Japan for part of the year.
Viking is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol VIK.
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 15 days, with itineraries featuring Europe’s Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers.
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 joined the fleet in 2022; the Viking Saturn joined in 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.
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 current International Maritime Organization (IMO) requirements by approximately 205 percent and will exceed the 2025 EEDI requirements by almost 23 percent. Additionally, Viking ships are the first new builds in the world with a closed-loop exhaust cleaning system designed so that pollutants can be removed and disposed of safely.
The Viking Yi Dun, formerly the Viking Sun, has been dedicated to the Asian market since 2021. It offers unique Coastal cruises along both the Asian coastlines, allowing our guests to truly explore some of the unique destinations that this storied region has to offer. Starting in 2024, the Viking Yi Dun will begin offering Japanese coastal cruises dedicated to the Japanese market. Our Japanese cruises will be tailored to the Japanese guest and include Japanese-speaking crew/translators onboard.
Expedition Ships and Itineraries
In 2022, Viking launched expedition voyages with the arrival of the 378-guest Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris. Both ships sail expedition voyages in Antarctica, the Arctic, 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 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 current 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.
*Since January 1, 2016, the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) was made mandatory for new ships, requiring a minimum energy efficiency level per capacity mile. This was the first legally binding climate change treaty to be adopted since the Kyoto Protocol.