My (COVID-19) Positive Experience Cruising To Iceland On Viking Sky Last Week
July 19, 2021 —
Viking has taken the pandemic seriously. They’ve spent the past year and a half creating the only full-scale testing labs at sea, putting them into place on every one of their ships (not an inexpensive undertaking) along with health and safety protocols that are setting the gold standard for cruising during these unsettling times.
April 28, 2021 — Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen talks to CNN’s Richard Quest on “Quest Means Business” to discuss our plans for welcoming vaccinated guests back on board our ocean ships in 2021.
April 9, 2021 — Torstein Hagen, Viking chairman, joins “Squawk on the Street” to discuss the cruise line’s reopening plans and outlook for the company.
February 21, 2021 — Applause to travel companies that have gone the extra mile during the pandemic by creatively developing free virtual entertainment. One of the best and brightest roll-outs to build community and share positive experiences comes from Viking Cruises, which launched, in April 2020, a new digital platform called Viking.TV, available online. Now approaching its one year anniversary, Viking.TV has amassed an impressive collection of engaging original cultural content and live-stream video adventures.
January 21, 2021 — How many of the 58 ports on this 138-day cruise have you been to? Once the world is vaccinated and the pandemic subsides, many will be craving a cruise again. Viking Cruises has a new 138-day World Cruise that might be the most relaxing way to (almost) circle the globe. It visits some of the world’s most famous destinations on almost every continent.
December 11, 2020 — Viking Cruises will test all guests and crew for COVID-19 with daily PCR tests when sailings resume, as part of the company’s new Viking Health & Safety Program, the cruise line recently announced.
December 10, 2020 — I never should never have taken my mother on that Viking Cruises trip. Two weeks pinballing around Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea and now she expects every vacation to include a sumptuous stateroom, white-glove room service, and excursions to see the likes of Finnish reindeer. To propose we travel any other way is to be met with, “Does Viking not go there?” I’ve created a monster.
November 4, 2020 — Viking Star will offer daily PCR testing to all passengers and crew via the first floating laboratory of its kind at sea.
October 5, 2020 — As Viking.TV celebrates six months of offering award-winning programming this week, four astronauts will host a special panel discussion on Friday sharing what it’s like to live and work in space.
September 1, 2020 — You’d be hard-pressed to find a renowned river that Viking doesn’t ply. Make like Mark Twain on the Mississippi, taste the best of Portugal’s port wines on the Douro, see the pyramids on the Nile, or go deep into the Mekong Delta—all while enjoying sleek staterooms and regional dining.
July 30, 2020 — When Viking launched their ocean cruises in 2015, they had one goal in mind; to bring their passion for Scandinavian aesthetic and natural elements to the ship's design. And the spa, which is featured on all of their ocean liners, represents everything you’d come to expect from a Norwegian designed bathhouse.
July 28, 2020 — Viking World Cruises just announced plans to launch a 136-day cruise that will take passengers around the world. The trip will be on the luxury Viking Star and will be of the longest cruise itineraries in the world — visiting 27 countries in four and a half months.
July 8, 2020 — While Viking may have begun as a river-cruise line, its expansion into ocean cruising has been met with much excitement by readers, who’ve voted the company as their favorite in this category for five straight years. The Scandinavian-minded line earned Travel + Leisure readers praise for its fascinating shore excursions, caring crew, and exceptional amenities and ship design.
April 5, 2020 — As with other travel entities turning to web-based content during COVID-19 related cancellations, Viking Cruises has set a new course with the launch of Viking.TV. This digital library, created by the river and ocean cruise company, will showcase experiential programming that Viking guests have access to onboard their respective cruises, on deck levels or their cabin TV. Its culturally-focused content will feature appearances by the Viking executives and crew and subjects relating to its at-sail and at port ventures, plus live video of happenings from around the world.
March 24, 2020 — Viking staff was there to greet me in Bergen and whisk us off to the ship. It was really upon arrival to the port that it became clear protective measures and a company protocol were put in place early. Everyone was well-prepared: a medical team took temperatures while asking health-related questions prior to boarding, the ship was exceptionally spotless, the crew were friendly and answered all questions, and there were hand sanitizer stations at nearly every turn. I felt safe in their hands.
February 25, 2020 — There’s a certain magic in sailing to Scandinavia and Russia. Your Baltic Sea voyage aboard the luxurious Viking Jupiter, the newest member of the Viking fleet, brings you to eight intriguing countries over 15 days. The Viking Homelands itinerary gives cruisers a surreal opportunity to revisit history and become immersed in the culture of Russia’s St. Petersburg, without a visa on ship-run excursions, over two days.
January 15, 2020 — Number 1: Viking Cruises earned its reputation through its affordable, destination-focused river cruises. With the debut of the Viking Star in April 2015, the line made a grand entrance into the world of ocean cruising.
January 7, 2020 — Eight months on a cruise ship — could you do it? For some, it’s an unimaginably long time at sea, while for others continuous cruising has become a way of life. For well-off and time-rich travelers, there’s a hunger not only for expeditions to novel, remote and less-accessible destinations, but also a growing interest in super-long world cruises that can last the better part of a year.
December 4, 2019 — Viking Cruises dominated the 12th annual Cruise Critic Editors' Picks Awards for the third year in a row with five wins in 2019.
December 2, 2019 — Book a Viking Ocean Cruise for all that it is. Love it for what it is not. No pushing drinks or other products. No sales pressure at all. Just top-notch service.
November 22, 2019 — Viking’s Ocean Cruises carry 930 peeps (max) and are classified as “small” ships—which means you can get into harder-to-reach ports of call and see more than your mega-ship counterparts.
November 11, 2019 — And when it comes to the best cruise lines for couples, Viking Ocean Cruises offer plenty of romantic amenities and an adult-focused environment.
October 21, 2019 — Thanks to a sponsorship with Viking, fans of the show, movie, and those fabulous costumes can head to the UK for privileged, private access to Highclere Castle, the real Downton Abbey — home to the fictitious Crawley family on screen, and the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon in real life.
October 17, 2019 — There really is no better way to take in the natural beauty of the fjords than by sailing on them. Plus, the region is Viking’s home, so this itinerary is specially thought out and exclusive for travelers.
October 9, 2019 — Baltic-rooted and destination-focused Viking is most at home in Scandinavia, where its 14-night “Viking Homelands” voyage, aboard a quartet of sister ships, delivers a well-rounded and immersive introduction to Scandinavia and its diverse, yet interconnected, Baltic Sea ports.
October 7, 2019 — Travelers who embrace the joy of ocean cruising understand this maxim: The ease of simply unpacking once on a ship for the duration of an expansive journey is a self-nurturing luxury. A best bet for entrance is award-winning Viking Ocean Cruises, which steers six elegant 930-passenger vessels to ports on six continents, where memorable moments are curated in culture-enriching destinations.
October 3, 2019 — Viking has brought its signature Scandinavian-chic to long distance cruising. This is the longest world cruise currently offered, taking a total of 245 nights, or about eight months at sea.
September 29, 2019 — Showcased here is Heather Clancy, a cruise director at award-winning, state-of-the-art Viking Cruises, a company founded by Norwegian visionary Torstein Hagen, who first launched innovative Viking River Cruises in 1997 and then grew the game-changing Viking Ocean Cruises in 2015.
September 25, 2019 — To "Downton Abbey" fans, Highclere Castle – the fictional home of the beloved Crawleys and their staff, and the real-life home of the equally-beloved Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and their staff – is like sacred, holy land. Since the show premiered in 2010, hundreds of thousands of viewers have made the pilgrimage to England to see the grand house that’s as familiar to them as their own.
September 18, 2019 — Viking Cruises has confirmed the name of its seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus, which will join the fleet in early 2021. The line's newest 930-passenger ship is set to spend its maiden season in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, sailing popular itineraries including British Isles Explorer, In Search of the Northern Lights, Viking Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun.
September 12, 2019 — As we get closer to the movie's long-anticipated September 20 release date, a number of tour packages have been announced to get travelers to the filming sites. Viking recently announced that cruise guests can get access to Highclere Castle as part of a special Great Homes, Gardens & Gin excursion.
September 10, 2019 — When the lights finally went down in the theater, in typical film-premiere style, the audience clapped just as loud for the film’s production companies and for Viking Cruises, the series’ longtime sponsor, as they did for the Dowager Countess’s cutting zingers.
September 3, 2019 — Viking Cruises has just launched the Ultimate World Cruise, an eight-month journey that will attempt to set a Guinness world record for the "longest continuous passenger cruise."
September 2, 2019 — Viking Cruises has won numerous industry awards over the years but now, the cruise line has set its sights on achieving a Guinness World Record. When the 930-passenger Viking Sun returns to port in Greenwich (London) in eight months, it hopes to set a world record for the “longest continuous passenger cruise.”
August 7, 2019 — Take Viking's 161-day Miami to London world cruise on Viking Sun, departing December 14, 2020: You'll average just one sea day between ports, and some segments, such as Venice to Corfu, or Naples to Grenada, don't have any.
July 22, 2019 — The Viking Cruise line has quickly become the world’s most awarded cruise line on both river and sea. One of its most exciting adventures is its 13 day sea voyage from Barcelona to Venice aptly named The Mediterranean Odyssey.
July 17, 2019 — Viking Ocean Cruises took the cake in the small-ship cruise line category, winning two awards — one each for the Baltic and the British Isles/Western Europe.
July 12, 2019 — This year, Viking Cruises unveiled a new addition to their fleet: Viking Jupiter. Take a look at the cruise line’s latest seagoing vessel, with a Scandinavian design made for an upscale ocean experience.
June 28, 2019 — We sent writer Florence Derrick on Viking's 29-day Along Africa's Western Shore sail from Durban to Casablanca—part of a 21-country world journey from Miami to London. The cruise took her through Cape Town, Dakar, Morocco, and more.
June 12, 2019 — With the launch of Viking Jupiter earlier this spring, Viking Ocean Cruises now has a fleet of six 930-passenger oceangoing cruise ships. While the vessels are nearly identical, we're struck by how the line has evolved since it debuted in 2015.
May 30, 2019 — From its television commercials and word of mouth, Viking has established itself as a well-known river cruise brand – even among those yet to sail. But with the introduction of Viking Star in 2015, the company has rapidly expanded into the ocean space, as well. Viking Sea was even voted Best Small Ship in the 2019 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, with Viking Sky coming in third. The current fleet of six highly-acclaimed ships is scheduled to grow to a staggering 16 by 2027, and each takes the company's successful river cruising philosophy to the seas.
May 3, 2019 — There’s no better (or more comfortable) way to see Norway’s highlights than on a Viking Ocean Cruises coastal cruise that dips into some of the country’s famous fjords, the most breathtaking (and famous) of which are along Norway’s west coast.
April 15, 2019 — As the sparkling blue waters and red-roofed towns of Croatia drift by, Torstein Hagen makes his way through the minimalist, Scandinavian-style lobby of the Viking Jupiter cruise ship, explaining what makes Viking’s voyages successful. The secret is in what the ships don’t have. There are no casinos, no kids, no umbrella drinks, no formal nights, no waterslides and absolutely no butlers. Hagen has been in the cruise industry long enough to know what he doesn’t like.
April 15, 2019 — Torstein Hagen, the founder and CEO of Viking Cruise Lines, shows no signs of slowing down and has embarked on his biggest endeavor yet: To make a name for himself in ocean cruises.
March 6, 2019 — Viking has conquered the small to mid-sized cruise ship market. Viking Ocean Cruises, which was established in 2015, racked up 10 first-place awards in the 9th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards on Wednesday. Viking's long-established river cruise line also earned top honors, with Viking Vidar named best for river cruises in a new category.
March 4, 2019 — We’re just back from a Northern Lights cruise on Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Sky, which visited various ports along Norway’s coast, heading into the Arctic Circle. Visiting a cold-weather destination in the heart of winter isn't everyone’s cup of tea, but for those willing to brave the sometimes-frigid temperatures, the payoff could very well be a big check off your bucket list. That is: spotting the rare and beautiful natural phenomena of the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis.
February 25, 2019 — As well as its innovative sea and river voyages around the world, Viking Cruises is also renowned for its continual support of the arts. Following on from last year’s sponsorship of the V&A’s major Ocean Liners: Speed & Style exhibition, this year, the cruise line is working alongside the British Museum on the anticipated Edvard Munch: Love and Angst exhibition, which will run from 11 April – 21 July 2019.
February 11, 2019 — Viking Cruises inaugurated a new 13-day sailing to northern Norway, called “In Search of the Northern Lights,” which bills itself as the first full-length winter itinerary in the arctic from an American cruise line.
February 4, 2019 — On our cruise aboard Viking Ocean’s Viking Sea, our “Into the Midnight Sun” itinerary visited some of Norway’s better-known destinations. But what really caught my eye, both in planning the trip and then again in experiencing it, was the smaller, more remote and off-beat places that the ship also visits.
January 31, 2019 — I never saw myself as a cruiser, i.e., somehow who loves cruises. In fact, I studiously avoided them. But my experience on the Norwegian-owned Viking completely changed my mind. My journey up the coast of Norway on the Viking Sky was luxurious and comfortable, full of hygge, the Nordic concept that translates, loosely, into “enjoying life’s simple pleasures.” Floor-to-ceiling windows in the ship’s public areas bring the outside in and make you feel close to nature.
January 25, 2019 — The cruise line (one of AFAR readers’ favorites) enters Alaskan waters for the first time in the company’s 22-year history. In May 2019, the 930-passenger Viking Orion, sets sail. Ten-night summertime itineraries between Vancouver and Seward highlight Viking’s entertaining excursion options such as dogsled rides with Iditarod huskies in Seward and gold panning in Juneau.
January 23, 2019 — While taking port in Sydney, during its new Australia and New Zealand route, Yahoo Lifestyle was welcomed aboard the ocean cruiser to truly uncover what is this so-called ‘Viking difference’ – and we have to say, we walked away feeling pretty impressed.
January 5, 2019 — The 930-guest Viking Sea was built in 2016 as the second oceangoing vessel in the Viking fleet. Itineraries are destination focused, but onboard, passengers enjoy an inclusive experience with all-veranda staterooms, plenty of public spaces to spread out, excellent alternative dining options and top-notch service.
