Viking Ocean Cruises: the back story

About Viking Ocean Cruises: the back story

By the ULTIMATE the world’s cruise lines Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Viking was founded in 1997 on the rivers of Europe. In 2015 it took the same thinking to sea with the Viking Star, the first of a family of near-identical small ships, and it has added sisters almost every year since.

From the rivers to the sea

Viking began in 1997 on the rivers of Europe and spent almost two decades refining one kind of holiday: unhurried, destination-led and quietly comfortable. When it went to sea in 2015 with the Viking Star, it built the ocean ship that its river guests had been asking for, at a scale that, in Viking’s words, allows direct access to most ports, so you step ashore rather than queue for a tender.

One ship, many times over

The fleet is a family of sisters. The earlier ships carry 930 guests; the newer generation, from the Viking Vela of 2024 onwards, carries 998. Inside they are almost identical, which is the point: the Living Room beneath the Atrium, the two-storey Explorers’ Lounge, the Wintergarden for afternoon tea, the Infinity Pool and the pale Scandinavian woods throughout. Return guests board knowing exactly where the library corners and the quiet seats are.

Viking does not try to be all things to all people.

The fare that covers it

Viking sells what it calls inclusive value. From the UK, the fare covers return flights and transfers, one guided excursion in almost every port, every meal, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, onboard gratuities and port taxes. On the ocean ships, the alternative restaurants and The Nordic Spa are included too. What you add are spirits outside meals, private tours and spa treatments.

Evenings on board

The evenings follow the same quiet rhythm: lectures in the Theater, classical sets from the Viking Resident Musicians in the Living Room, jazz in Torshavn and dinner in The Restaurant behind its glass walls. Viking calls its guests thinking people, and the ships are built for reading, conversation and long views.

Hydrogen at sea

In March 2026 the Viking Libra was floated out at Fincantieri’s yard in Ancona. Viking describes her as the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, capable of operating with zero emissions; delivery is scheduled for November 2026, with a first season in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Her sister Viking Astrea, due in 2027, will also run partly on hydrogen.

Our advice: choose by itinerary rather than by ship, because the ships are sisters. Book the Veranda Stateroom if value matters most, and the Penthouse grades if you want priority at The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s. On longer voyages, the aft Explorer Suites, up to 1,215 sq ft, are the ones to ask for.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Viking Ocean Cruises: the back story before you go.