Viking Cruises Celebrates New Accolades from Cruise Critic

Viking Cruises has once again proven its excellence in the cruise industry by receiving seven awards in the 2024 Best in Cruise Awards from Cruise Critic®, the world’s largest online cruise resource. These awards recognise Viking’s exceptional offerings across the Luxury (Ocean), River, and Expedition categories. Award-Winning Luxury (Ocean) Cruises In the Luxury (Ocean) category, Viking was honoured with two prestigious awards:

• Best Enrichment: Viking’s cultural enrichment program is celebrated for its comprehensive and engaging lectures on history, geography, and culture. Guests can enjoy demonstrations like traditional tea ceremonies, making learning an integral part of the cruise experience.
• Best Spa: The LivNordic spa complex aboard Viking’s Ocean ships continue to impress with its spacious thermal suite, hydrotherapy pool, and unique offerings like the Nordic Bathing Ritual night.

Leading River Cruises Viking’s commitment to river cruising excellence was recognised with awards in the River category:

• Best Enrichment: Viking’s partnerships with cultural institutions such as the BBC and the British Museum enhance their onboard enrichment programs, providing guests with deep dives into local history, wine and food tasting, and more.
• Best New River Cruise Ships: Viking’s new ships on the Nile, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, offer a comfortable and stylish way to explore Egypt with Nordic decor and vast windows for scenic views.

Top Expedition Cruises Viking excelled in the Expedition category, earning the title of #1 Cruisers’ Choice Cruise Line and more:

• Best for Light Expedition: Viking’s thoughtful programming ensures guests enjoy expedition cruising in comfort, with indoor roller systems for easy loading and unloading and onboard sessions like weather balloon releases.
• Best Spa: Viking’s expedition ships feature well-lit thermal spas, including thalassotherapy pools and spots for hot and cold treatments, providing the perfect way to relax after a day of adventure.

Praise from Cruise Critic Experts Cruise Critic’s experts lauded Viking’s unique approach, noting that Viking is a “thinking person’s cruise line” with impressive cultural enrichment programs and stunning spa facilities. Reviewers also praised Viking’s culinary offerings, engaging excursions, and the opportunity to participate in scientific research. Continuous Recognition These latest accolades add to a series of recent recognitions for Viking. For the second consecutive year, Viking was rated #1 for Oceans, Rivers, and Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. This marks the first time a travel company has won these three categories in back-to-back years. Viking was also named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples, and Best Line in the Mediterranean in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Additional honours include Best Adventure Cruise Line by Women’s Health and Best Expedition Cruise Line Worldwide by Men’s Health. Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking, expressed gratitude for the recognition: “We are honoured that Cruise Critic’s editors and community members, who are also our guests, have once again recognised Viking with top rankings across our river, ocean, and expedition products. Thank you to our entire Viking family for delivering experiences around the world that make prestigious awards like these possible.” As Viking continues to set the standard in the cruise industry, travellers can look forward to more exceptional experiences and the Viking way of exploration in the years to come.