The Viking Difference: The Thinking Person’s Cruise
We travel to explore, to learn, to understand. As the world’s leading river cruise line, we believe in offering you extraordinarily well-designed cruises that bring you closer to the cultures of the world. That’s why our intimate, inclusive itineraries are designed to help you explore nuances of your destination: its food, culture, people and customs. Here’s some of what we feel defines the Viking Difference:
SAIL WITH THE #1 RIVER CRUISE LINE. You’re about to discover the most convenient way to see the world. This is cruising on an intimate scale, with a personal touch. Meander along the world’s great waterways at the easy pace of the river gliding past magnificent vistas and pausing to explore riverside ports, all while unpacking your bags just once. To see what life is like on board one of our state-of-the-art Viking Longships, watch this short video.
SMALL SHIP EXPERTS. On a Viking ship, you will sail into the heart of your destination, so you can explore up close and in depth. Our innovative, award-winning Viking Longships have set the standard in river cruising: our intimate vessels have all the amenities of a fine hotel, providing the ideal opportunity to comfortably be transported each day to and from your next destination—where enriching discoveries are usually just a short walk from your ship.
THE VIKING WAY. With more itineraries in more destinations worldwide, we offer behind-the-scenes insights and opportunities that set us apart from other travel companies. While our included and optional shore excursions cover cultural and historic highlights, we also go beyond, sharing with you The Viking Way with our Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences—opening doors to people and places otherwise difficult to visit.
CULTURAL ENRICHMENT. Our Culture Curriculum, an exclusive onboard program, brings local history to life with lectures on history and art; tasting of vintage wines from your destinations; restaurant menus inspired by local cuisine; informative port talks; enriching Destination Performances featuring folkloric shows and musicians playing regional and classical music. Enlighten yourself further with our Library’s carefully curated collection of informative and inspirational books.
SERENE SCANDINAVIAN SPACES. We have fine-tuned the art of exploring the world in comfort. Our ships have been thoughtfully engineered by nautical architects to bring the outside in with large, expansive windows. Graceful staterooms and suites are designed for ultimate comfort and serenity, and light-filled public spaces inspire and refresh you throughout your journey. We’ve designed our ships down to the most minute detail—from the light and airy Atrium to the relaxing Viking Lounge. TAKE A 360° TOUR
MORE STATEROOM VARIETY THAN OTHER SHIPS. Your private sanctuary on the river. Viking’s innovative thinking and patented design provides you with more choices and a more enriching overall experience than other ships. Each of our spacious staterooms offers deluxe comfort during your river cruise. Whichever stateroom you choose, your hotel-style bed topped with European linens and duvets provides the perfect place to turn in after a full day of exploring Europe’s great towns and cities. And you’ll feel pampered by bathrooms equipped with heated floors and premium Freyja™ bath products.
DESTINATION-FOCUSED DINING. Whatever your tastes, we believe dining is an important part of your journey, both on shore and on board. Our highly trained chefs are passionate about food and committed to providing an enriching culinary experience, whether you’re savoring authentic regional specialties or American classics. And our ships’ dining areas—from our elegant Restaurant to the Sun Deck and Aquavit Terrace, our al fresco dining area at the bow of the ship—are the ideal setting for hospitable, attentive and personalized service.
GENUINE & THOUGHTFUL SERVICE. At Viking, our Swiss-trained, friendly and knowledgeable staff are all devoted to making your onboard stay the most memorable possible. Our ships are small and intimate, and every member of our staff—from stateroom stewards to our Guest Services team—is dedicated to personally hosting you. We are quite confident we will exceed your expectations that we have guaranteed our award-winning service—the only cruise line to do so.
VIKING INCLUSIVE VALUE. At Viking, we firmly believe that you should not have to open your wallet every time you want a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or an excursion ashore. Instead, our goal is to provide you with great value, so we’ve designed our cruises to give you more for your money with a cruise fare that includes everything you need, from meals and beverages to shore excursions and Wi-Fi. That is what we call Viking Inclusive Value.