46 INTERVIEW Since launching in 1997 with four river ships, cruise brand Viking has adopted an aggressive expansion strategy that shows no sign of abating. Today, the company operates over 80 river vessels on European rivers, the Mississippi River in the USA, the River Nile in Egypt and the Mekong in Southeast Asia. It also has 16 small ocean cruise ships and two polar-class expedition vessels taking guests to destinations worldwide. Based on Viking’s committed orderbook, the company expects to take delivery of 27 additional river ships by 2028 and 10 extra ocean ships by 2031. With these orders, Viking will have 112 river ships in 2028 and 23 ocean and expedition ships in 2031. Six of the river ships will be deployed on the Nile by the end of 2027. The next to set sail will be the 82-guest Viking Amun, which was delivered by Cairo’s Massara shipyard in mid-August 2025. “The Nile is one of our most popular river cruise destinations, and we’ll have a total of 12 ships on the river by 2027,” says Wendy Atkin-Smith, managing director of Viking UK. “We’re launching a second ship on the Mekong in 2025 too.” In late 2027, Viking will debut its first India-based river ship, the 80-guest Viking Brahmaputra. “Our guests have particularly enjoyed visiting Indian ports on our ocean itineraries so this introduces a new way for them to explore this fascinating country,” explains Atkin-Smith. “The ship will sail on the Brahmaputra River between Guwahati and Nimati Ghat in Assam as part of a 15-day itinerary. It includes an eightday river voyage and a fully guided land programme with overnights in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.” Viking, which christened its first ocean ship a decade ago, plans to continue expanding its ocean cruise product too. The brand frequently updates its itinerary portfolio to maximise choice for guests. “We’ve introduced calls in multiple new destinations, such as Malta and Greenland,” says Atkin-Smith. “The length of itineraries has also grown. We launched our first world cruise in 2017 and now sail them annually because they’ve been so popular. Our next one departs in December 2025 and will sail for 138 days through the South Pacific and Asia to the Indian Ocean and Africa.” Some destinations remain enduringly attractive to guests. “Norway has always been a popular destination – it is our homeland, and we are very proud of our Nordic heritage,” says Atkin-Smith. Wendy Atkin-Smith of Viking gives Rebecca Gibson an insight into the brand’s plans to welcome 37 newbuilds across its ocean and river cruise fleets by 2031 Cruises for the curious traveller The 930-guest Viking Star was christened in Bergen, Norway, during a city-wide celebration for Norwegian Constitution Day attended by around 20,000 people
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