Viking Tops Both Categories Together for First Time in 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards
Los Angeles (October 5, 2021) – Viking® (www.viking.com) for the first time has been voted both the Best Ocean Cruise Line and River Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is the only cruise line with the top scores in two categories in the same year—a distinct honor awarded by Condé Nast Traveler readers.
More than 800,000 readers submitted responses rating their travel experiences and tens of thousands of comments as part of the 34th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey. Viking will also be featured in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler US and UK print editions; the full results of the awards can be found at www.cntraveler.com/rca.
“Since we restarted operations in May of this year, tens of thousands of travelers have begun exploring the world in comfort once again. The guests on these Welcome Back voyages enjoyed the experience so much that they have provided some of the highest-ever ratings in post-trip surveys,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “In that same spirit, it is a great honor to once again be voted the #1 river cruise line and the #1 ocean cruise line in the world. Thank you to our guests and the readers of Condé Nast Traveler.”
Today’s announcement comes ahead of Viking’s 25th anniversary in 2022, which is slated to be the company’s biggest year yet. In January 2022, the company will launch Viking Expeditions, with two purpose-built Polar Class 6 vessels, Viking Octantis® and Viking Polaris®, sailing voyages in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes. Next summer, Viking will launch its highly anticipated U.S. river cruises and bring modern river cruising to the region with the debut of Viking Mississippi®, sailing between New Orleans and St. Paul. The company will also continue to expand its award-winning fleet on the rivers and the seas – with the addition of Viking Saigon℠ in Southeast Asia and Viking Osiris® in Egypt, as well as its two newest identical ocean ships, Viking Mars® and Viking Neptune®.
Not only will next year mark major fleet development milestones for Viking, the company is also experiencing robust sales. As of August 2021, bookings for 2022 are at record levels—up 42 percent over 2019, which previously had been Viking’s top year.
Booking Details
Limited space is still available on fall 2021 and 2022 sailings. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent for details.
Media Assets
For more information, images and b-roll for Viking, contact vikingpr@edelman.com.
About Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person’s Cruise® in contrast to mainstream cruises. With more than 250 awards to its name, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking has also been consistently rated the #1 ocean cruise line and one of the best river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.