Viking takes to the seas

Viking Cruises moved from the river to the sea on Friday, launching Viking Ocean Cruises, the travel industry’s first new cruise line in almost a decade.

Viking Ocean Cruises’ first vessel, Viking Star, will sail on its maiden voyages in Scandinavia, the Baltic, and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean in May 2015.  

Viking has aggressive expansion plans in both the ocean and river cruise categories, the company said, with a second ocean ship being delivered in 2016 and conditional orders placed for four more. In in the river cruise sector, 10 new ships were christened in March and a dozen more are planned for 2014.

As ships get bigger and bigger, "many cruise lines have lost sight of the destinations to which they sail," said chairman Torstein Hagen.

Extensive feedback from Viking passengers has led Viking Ocean Cruises to focus on maximum time in port, often with late evenings or overnights, so guests can experience local nightlife.

Ports were chosen for their history, art, and culture; all-inclusive pricing includes veranda staterooms, shore excursions in each port of call, meals, and all port charges taxes.

Beer and wine with lunch and dinner, wi-fi, self-service laundry, and 24-hour room service are complimentary on every ship.

There will be no casino and no formal night.

The new 928-passenger all-veranda Viking Star is engineered to allow direct access into most ports. It has 14 two-room suites with wrap-around private verandas; a domed main pool and an infinity pool; a sauna and a "snow grotto";  a two-deck Explorers’ Lounge and multiple restaurants; a three-deck atrium; and an onboard cooking school.

2015 Maiden Voyage Itineraries include Viking Homelands (15 days; Stockholm – St. Petersburg – Copenhagen – Bergen) ; Western Europe (15 days; Bergen – London – Paris – Barcelona) ; Mediterranean Odyssey (13 days; Barcelona – Rome – Dubrovnik – Venice) and Empires of the Mediterranean (10 days; Venice – Athens – Ephesus – Istanbul) .

From now through July 31, 2013, Viking is offering the US market an Early Booking Discount with 2-for-1 pricing on cruise departures and savings of $2,000 per couple on international air. The 2015 maiden season is initially being offered only in the US; Viking will begin marketing the new ocean cruises in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand later this year.