There are few cruise lines who make headlines like Viking. The company has pushed boundaries ever since it embarked on river cruises in Russia 25 years ago. Now operating a vast fleet of 80 river ships, Viking has also taken the luxury ocean sector by storm and has now launched its first expedition vessel, Octantis. The expansion has been relentless. In fact, since the pandemic began, Viking has launched 16 ships if you include the up-and-coming Viking Mississippi.
Last month, the company launched eight ships in one ceremony – four in Paris and four in Amsterdam – at a dual christening that harked back to a pre-Covid golden era. The Seine Longships have been built specially for Paris and come in at 125m instead of Viking’s usual 135m. The reduction in length was a stipulation made by the French authorities worried about tight turning positions on the Seine. Viking obliged and were given a premium docking position at Port de Grenelle, right by the Eiffel Tower, for their efforts.
The four Seine ships – Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid, Viking Skaga and Viking Fjorgyn – will sail north from Paris on eight-day itineraries to experience the history of the Normandy beaches and the towns of Rouen and Giverny, the latter made famous by Claude Monet. However, despite being shorter than the typical fleet, all four are undoubtedly Viking vessels.
Viking’s ships are unique because of the philosophies of founder Tor Hagen, one of which is to design ships perfectly – once. It’s the reason why Viking’s Longships and Ocean ships are all beautifully identical. There are no “classes” of ship and even when Viking goes on to expand its ocean ships to more than 15 vessels, as it plans to do, the differences between them will be minor. It’s also the reason why Viking’s guests can step on to a ship heading to Antarctica, the Caribbean or the Seine but instantly recognise that they’re on a Viking ship.
When it comes to Viking’s Longships, the company has utilised areas of the ship, such as the bow, which are usually off limits for guests. On Viking, the area is the Aquavit Terrace, a second dining venue. That, and other onboard recalibrations, mean that Viking can fit 190 guests onto its typical Longship (fewer for the Seine Baby Longships) without lowering onboard standards.
Hagen was present at the launch and, during a press conference, was typically candid on the future of his company, and the industry as a whole. One of his most interesting comments was on the future of fuel and particularly criticism for those adopting LNG, which he claimed was more harmful than traditional fuels that go through cleaning processes. However, Viking are investing in hydrogen-powered ships, with Hagen planning on the company’s 11th and 12th ocean vessels to be partially powered by hydrogen. It will mean that the ships can sail for a limited time with no emissions in pristine environments, such as the Norwegian fjords.