"If you've seen one, you've seen them all." More than once, Viking founder and CEO Torstein Hagen has said this about his river and ocean ships, which are famous for their sameness: the same public spaces, the same Scandinavian-inspired design and decor.
It's a mark of predictability and consistency -- brand pillars that make Viking, well, Viking, no matter where the line is sailing in the world.
Becky Walters
Advisors say Viking's simplicity serves as welcome familiarity for clients, leading them to know exactly what to expect when they step onboard.
Becky Walters, the top Viking seller for Vincent Vacations in Oklahoma City, said Viking's design choices are particularly helpful when she's weighing ocean cruise options with clients; it enables her to focus solely on the destination rather than spending time poring over deck plans.
That uniformity bolsters the guest experience, too, said Michelle Shumate of Fairy Godmother Travel in Greenville, Tenn. Cruises make up 65% of Shumate's business, and Viking is the top choice for her river cruise clients.
The familiar ship layout and design are especially helpful for older travelers who crave stability on their vacations. Sometimes, older travelers are "completely overwhelmed" trying to find their way around a ship, she said. "You're not going to get lost on a Viking ship."
The consistent ship design and familiar elements found across the brand's products -- river, ocean and expedition -- also give travelers the confidence to try new itineraries in the Viking portfolio, the advisors said.
For example, Shumate's clients are very interested in Viking's ocean cruises in China, a country she didn't initially expect would be on their bucket lists. But, she said, that highlights the strength of Viking's consistency.
"It's where that ship design comes into play," she said. "They know what to expect. They don't have to worry about that. They can just focus on going to this new destination."
That many Viking customers want to visit a new place with the same company is borne out in Viking's high percentage of repeat passengers. In its registration statement filed in 2024 before becoming a public company, Viking said its repeat guest percentage was 51% in 2023, up from 27% in 2015.
So, unsurprisingly, loyal Viking cruisers have jumped at the chance to visit India when Viking launches on the Brahmaputra River in December 2027. Michele Saegesser, Viking vice president of sales and national accounts, said sold-out India cruises were reserved by passengers who have turned into Viking enthusiasts.
When Viking announced its expansion to India last July, Walters said her clients would consider traveling to the country to be a "safe bet" due to Viking's brand standards and predictability.
In addition to trying new destinations with Viking, guests will try new cruising styles with the line, Shumate said. Viking frequently has repeat river cruise guests who jump to ocean or expedition cruising due to their love of the brand.
Longships changed the game
The replicated design for Viking's river ships came about in 2012 when the first four Longships debuted, Saegesser said. With the development of those initial vessels, Hagen announced his plan: Viking would create ships based on passenger feedback that used Norwegian-influenced furnishings and wouldn't require an updated version to be developed every year. The design, from drawers to tiles, would reflect Scandinavian style: clean-cut, understated and simple.
Michelle Saegesser
"The carpets are the same," Saegesser said. "The leather staircases are the same. The food menus are consistent along the way, the chefs have an easier time, and the guest knows exactly what to expect. There are no surprises. … It's very effective financially, and it's very effective with the kind of guest we have onboard."
Saegesser added, "The industry thought we were a bit mad. Name a cruise line where everything is identical."
Indeed, it's not the typical school of thought among cruise line executives, either on the river or the ocean. But Hagen takes pride in being an industry contrarian, evidenced by what the brand omits onboard: no casinos, no kids.
Plus the familiar design makes staff and crew training easier -- Viking has some 10,000 employees.
And when Viking needs to bus guests to another ship when a river's water level is too low -- an occasional situation in Europe -- the fleet design makes the move relatively easy for passengers and crew (check out of the cabin on one ship, head to a Viking ship on the other side of the low water and check in to the same cabin on that ship).
The brand's approach to design is simple: If ain't broke, don't fix it.
"You don't see a lot of difference from 2012 to 2026 in how river ships, or even ocean ships and expedition ships, are built, or how the design looks," Saegesser said. "Until we see the day that a client doesn't like it, it's working."