- Headquarters
- Basel, Switzerland
- Founded
- 1997
- Fleet
- 13 ocean ships, 2 expedition ships, 80+ river vessels (2026)
- Loyalty
- Viking Explorer Society
Viking is the adults-only (18+) cruise brand of Viking Holdings and the most standardised operator in premium cruising. Its ocean fleet is a single class of near-identical 930-guest ships, its expedition pair works the polar regions, and its river fleet is the largest in the world. Everything about the product — no casino, no children, no photo studio, no upselling culture — is built around the destination rather than the ship.
About Viking
Viking started on Europe's rivers in 1997 and moved into ocean cruising in 2015 with Viking Star. The ocean product deliberately rejected the mass-market playbook: no casino, no children, no formal nights, no art auctions, no waterslides, and no nickel-and-diming. Instead the ships carry 930 guests in all-veranda staterooms, a Nordic-spa complex with a snow grotto, and an enrichment programme built around lectures, resident historians, and destination performance.
The fare architecture is Viking's real differentiator. One shore excursion in every port, all onboard meals including the two speciality restaurants, beer and wine at lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, self-service laundry on ocean ships, and port charges are all bundled into the base price. The Silver Spirits beverage package and additional excursions are the main paid upgrades — a materially shorter list than at any mainstream competitor.
Itineraries run long by mainstream standards: 8-15 nights is typical on ocean voyages, with Viking World Cruises exceeding 120 nights. The ships are small enough for genuine port access — Bergen city centre, central Stockholm, the Grand Canal approach at Venice — and the expedition ships (Octantis and Polaris) extend the same design language to Antarctica and the Great Lakes.
Fleet
7 published ship profiles — more coverage rolling out.
Launched 2015
Viking Star
The ship that launched Viking Ocean — lead vessel of the 930-guest class and still the template for the entire fleet.
Launched 2016
Viking Sea
Second of the ocean class — Mediterranean and Caribbean workhorse with the full Viking inclusive fare.
Launched 2017
Viking Sky
Northern Europe specialist — Norwegian fjords, Iceland, and the British Isles from UK-convenient ports.
Launched 2019
Viking Jupiter
The first Viking ocean ship with a planetarium — and a regular on the line's World Cruise programme.
Launched 2021
Viking Venus
Delivered in 2021 and named in Portsmouth — the ship that restarted UK cruising after the shutdown.
Launched 2022
Viking Octantis
Polar Class 6 expedition ship — Antarctica in the austral summer, the Great Lakes in the northern one.
Launched 2022
Viking Polaris
Sister to Octantis — Antarctica, the Chilean fjords, and Arctic Canada with a full science programme.
Ship Classes
Compare the Viking fleet at a glance — classes, ship highlights, and who each is best suited to.
Showing 3 of 3 classes
| Class | Introduced | Tonnage | Capacity | Ships | Highlight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Expedition Class | 2022 | 30,150 GT | 378 (double) | Viking Octantis, Viking Polaris | Polar Class 6 sisters with submarines, Zodiacs and a working science laboratory. | AntarcticaGreat LakesScience lab |
| Viking Ocean Class | 2015 | 47,800 GT | 930 (double) | Viking Star, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Jupiter, Viking Venus | Thirteen near-identical 930-guest sisters — Nordic Spa, Explorers' Lounge and included speciality dining. | Adults-onlySmall shipAll-veranda |
| Viking Longship Class | 2012 | 1,364 GT | 190 (double) | — | The patented 190-guest river design that reset European river cruising. | RiverRhine & DanubePatented design |
Class · 2015
Viking Ocean Class
Thirteen near-identical 930-guest sister ships — the most standardised small-ship ocean platform in premium cruising.
Class · 2022
Viking Expedition Class
Polar Class 6 expedition sisters Octantis and Polaris — Antarctica and the Great Lakes with the full Viking onboard product intact.
Class · 2012
Viking Longship Class
The patented 190-guest river design that reset European river cruising — and the largest single class of river vessels in the world.
Onboard Experiences
Suite enclaves, fare tiers, and signature onboard products.
Loyalty Programme — Viking Explorer Society
The Viking Explorer Society is the line's recognition programme, joined automatically after a first Viking voyage. Members receive a onboard credit and referral credits, an annual Explorer Society sailing catalogue, and priority access to new itineraries before general release.
Benefits scale with voyages completed rather than a formal points ladder — the practical value sits in the repeat-booking credit and the early access window, which matters because Viking's small ships and long itineraries sell out unusually early.
Destinations
Ocean deployment is genuinely global: Northern Europe and the Norwegian fjords in summer, Mediterranean shoulder seasons, Caribbean and Panama Canal in winter, plus Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and Alaska programmes. Viking World Cruises run 120-180 nights and are the deepest long-voyage product in premium cruising.
The expedition ships work Antarctica and the Chilean fjords from Ushuaia in the austral summer, and the North American Great Lakes and Arctic Canada in the northern summer. River itineraries cover the Rhine, Danube, Douro, Seine, Rhône, Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi.
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