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Viking Ocean Cruises: No casino, no formal nights and no NCFs

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By Tom Stieghorst

VikingStar-renderBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Viking Ocean Cruises will be defined as much by what it is not as by what it is, and one of the things it won’t have is a noncommissionable fare (NCF), Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen said.

Hagen unveiled the details of his project to expand Viking River Cruises into ocean cruising at a function for travel agents and past passengers here on Thursday.

In a Q&A session moderated by McCabe World Travel President Anne Morgan Scully, Hagen said he will continue the practice of his river cruise line of not charging NCFs when Viking Ocean Cruises debuts in 2015.

“We don’t nickel and dime customers, and we shouldn’t nickel and dime travel agents either,” Hagen said.

Hagen also said ocean cruise lines are trying too hard to be all things to all people. Viking Ocean will be squarely aimed at couples age 55 and older, he said. There will be no third- and fourth-berth accommodations for families.

There will be no casino. Hagen said the plan is to spend an average of 12.1 hours in port each day, so there will be no time for gambling. Each cruise will have just one sea day.

Appearing before an audience of about 300 at the posh Beverly Hills Hilton in a suit with an open shirt, Hagen also said there will be no formal nights and no need to wear a tie.

And, there will be no surcharges in the ship’s specialty restaurants. Reservations preference will be determined by cabin category.

Hagen said the ship’s best food will be reserved for the main dining venue, The Restaurant.

Travel agents interrupted Hagan several times with applause and appeared enthusiastic about the new line.

“You can sell it,” Vicky Garcia, Cruise Planners’ chief operating officer, said of Viking Cruises in general. “This is such an innovative company. They’re not stuck in the old ways of doing things. They’re nimble.”

In addition to building the 928-passenger Viking Star, Viking expects to take delivery of 10 more Longship river cruise vessels this year and 12 in 2014. It also has a firm order for a second ocean ship for delivery in 2016.

Viking unveils ocean cruise plans

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Viking unveils ocean cruise plans

By Tom Stieghorst
Viking Star renderingBEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Viking Cruises has taken the wraps off a two-ship ocean cruise subsidiary that will launch in 2015 and complement its extensive river cruise operation.

The first ship in the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet will be called the Viking Star and will launch in May 2015 on itineraries in Scandinavia, the Baltic and the eastern and western Mediterranean. (Click here or on the photos for a slideshow of renderings of what the ship will look like.)

The 928-passenger ship will compete in size and emphasis with lines such as Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises.

Viking Ocean Cruises has a firm order for a second ship to be delivered in 2016 and conditional orders and options for four additional ships. The Viking Star will be built by Italy’s Fincantieri.

Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen unveiled the details of the new product, itineraries and amenities at a function for travel agents and media here.

Viking Star Explorers Lounge renderingViking will straddle the ocean and river cruise markets, an unusual feat; most firms tend to compete in one style or the other.

“With our new ocean cruises, we are applying the same principles behind our award-winning river cruises to our itinerary and ship design, privileged-access excursions and onboard experiences to make destinations the true focus,” Hagen said.

The fare on the Viking Star will include shore excursions, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, WiFi, self-service laundry and 24-hour room service, along with port charges and government taxes.

Designed with the experienced traveler in mind, Viking Ocean cruises will maximize time in port, often with late evening departures or overnight stays.

Similar to Viking’s river ships, the interior design of the Viking Star will be understated and Scandinavian modern.

Viking Star Main Pool renderingThe all-balcony ship will have five cabin categories, ranging from a 270-square-foot model to a 1,448-square-foot suite. There will be two pools, one with a retractable dome, the other a glass-backed infinity pool at the ship’s stern.

Another unusual feature will be a “snow grotto” in the spa in which “snowflakes gently descend from the ceiling through chilled air,” according to a Viking description.

Dining options include a main dining room called the Restaurant, an intimate Chef’s Table, an Italian Grill, a Viking Deli with Scandinavian specialties, a World Cafe and a cooking school and intimate restaurant called the Kitchen Table.

Pricing for the 10-day cruises starts at $2,999 per person, with discounted airfares from $695 per person.

The 2015 maiden season is initially being offered only in the U.S.; Viking will begin marketing the ocean cruises in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand later this year.