Viking Voted “World’s Best” By Travel + Leisure Readers In 2017 Awards
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Winning Streak Firmly Establishes Viking Above All Competitors
LOS ANGELES, July 11,2017 – Viking Cruises® (www.vikingcruises.com) has once again been named a #1 Ocean Cruise Line and one of the Best River Cruise Lines by Travel + Leisure readers in the 2017 World’s Best Awards. Viking won the same Ocean Cruise Line award in 2016, and it has been voted one of the World’s Best River Cruise Lines since the inception of the award in 2011. Now coming on the heels of the launch of two new Viking Longships® on the rivers and its third ocean ship, Viking Sky®, this year’s awards reinforce Viking’s position as a formidable industry leader. Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards are based on results from an annual survey, where readers are asked to cast their votes for the very best in cruising with considerations in the following cruise features: cabins/facilities, food, service itineraries/destinations, excursions/activities and value. Viking will also be featured in the magazine’s World’s Best issue, which will be on shelves in July; the full results of the awards can be found at www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest.
“We did not set out to be the world’s best luxury cruise line; we set out to be the world’s best travel experience, with the best value for guests on rivers and oceans. In doing so, we have become as much known for what we are as what we are not. We offer a travel experience with no casino, no children, no umbrella drinks and no nickel-and-diming,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “To us, luxury is not butlers in white gloves, formal nights and frivolous gimmicks; to us, luxury is personalized service, serene spaces and comfortable exploration. We offer understated luxury: everything you need and nothing you don’t, for a better value than any other cruise line. We want to thank our guests and the readers of Travel + Leisure for this great honor and for embracing the Viking way of travel.”
Since launching in 2015, Viking’s ocean cruises have been on a winning streak, quickly amassing industry awards. Classified as “small ships” by Cruise Critic, all three of the company’s 930-guest sister ships have been awarded a top rating of five stars by that publication. Viking also recently dominated Cruise Critic’s 2017 Cruisers’ Choice Awards, with Viking Star and Viking Sea winning the top two placements in nearly every category where they were eligible, including “Best Overall” and “Best for First-Timers.” Additionally, Viking Star was named “Best New Ocean Ship” in Cruise Critic’s 2015 Editors’ Picks Awards, and Viking Star and Viking Sea were the highest rated ships in their category in the 2017 version of the “cruising bible,” Berlitz’s Cruising and Cruise Ships guidebook. Quickly-expanding Viking will welcome three more sister ships in the next three years, and by 2019 it will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. Two additional ships are also on order for delivery in 2021 and 2022.
The Viking Difference
Designed for discerning travelers, Viking’s “thinking person’s cruise” is an alternative to mainstream cruises. The Viking difference provides guests with extraordinarily well-designed cruises that facilitate engagement with other guests and with the cultures of the world. Viking’s ocean ships are small to get guests closer to their destination, with more time in port, more overnights and fewer days at sea. Onboard, guests find serene Scandinavian spaces, where every room is beautiful and functional, quiet and filled with light. All-veranda ships mean that guests experience every day with a new, expansive vista. With the most al fresco dining at sea, featuring regional cuisines and always-available American classics, Viking’s guests can truly dine in their destination. A focus on cultural enrichment brings immersive experiences onshore and onboard. And only The Viking Way brings guests itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.
In addition, Viking Inclusive Value provides a small ship experience at a big ship value – with every ocean cruise fare including a veranda stateroom, shore excursions in each port of call, all onboard meals, and all port charges and government taxes. Guests also enjoy many complimentary amenities as part of their fare, including: beer and wine with lunch and dinner service; alternative dining venues; Wi-Fi; self-service laundry; access to the Thermal Suite in the LivNordic Spa; and 24-hour room service—an included value of more than $200 per person, per day for an average cruise.
About Viking Cruises
Viking Cruises was founded by Chairman Torstein Hagen in 1997 with the purchase of four ships in Russia. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, Viking is the leader in river and small ship ocean cruising, offering destination-focused itineraries designed for experienced travelers who have an interest in geography, culture and history. In its first two years of operation, Viking has been rated a #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure‘s 2016 and 2017 “World’s Best” Awards. Viking currently operates a fleet of 62 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. By 2022 the company will operate eight 930-guest ocean cruise ships and will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. In addition to the Travel + Leisure honors, Viking has also been honored multiple times on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” as well as recognized by Cruise Critic as “Best Overall” Small-Mid size ship in the 2017 Cruisers’ Choice Awards, “Best River Cruise Line” and “Best River Itineraries,” with the entire Viking Longships® fleet being named “Best New River Ships” in the website’s Editors’ Picks Awards. For additional information, contact Viking Cruises at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or visit www.vikingcruises.com.
