Viking

Viking (formerly Viking Cruises) is a cruise line providing river, ocean, and expedition cruises. Its operating headquarters are in Basel, Switzerland and its marketing headquarters are in Los Angeles, California.

The company has three divisions, Viking River Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Viking Expeditions. As of February 2020, it operates a fleet of 76 river vessels and 6 ocean ships, offering cruises along the rivers and oceans of North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Russia, Egypt, China, and Southeast Asia.

The company was established by Torstein Hagen in St. Petersburg, Russia as Viking River Cruises in 1997. In May 2013 the company modified its name to Viking Cruises as it announced the launch of its ocean cruise division, Viking Ocean Cruises. 

Viking Cruises placed an order for four identical vessels with the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy in 2013. Following the delivery of the first vessel the company commenced operations in 2015, sailing itineraries in Scandinavia, the British Isles, the Baltic and Mediterranean Sea. Each sister ship is one-third the size of many cruise ships being built by major cruise lines allowing them to enter into smaller ports. Viking Ocean Cruises has exercised options for further vessels from Fincantieri and in March 2018 it was announced that the company had raised its total ocean ship order and options to 16 – the highest-ever for a shipyard from a single owner.

In January 2020, the company shortened its name to Viking, citing the brand’s added emphasis on destination-oriented enrichment and experiences. That same year, Viking also announced the launch of Viking Expeditions with a planned January 2022 debut. It would become the expeditions arm of the brand and operate small-ship trips to exotic destinations. It also finalized its river cruising business’ expansion plans into the United States with the announcement of the first vessel’s debut in August 2022 on the Mississippi River.