The Stage Is Set: The Vikings Of 2015 Are Next

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

Later today, Viking River Cruises will christen a dozen more of the revolutionary Viking Longships, eight at in a dockside ceremony in Amsterdam, four remotely from the shipyard in Rostock, Germany.  On hand will be Godmothers, company employees appropriately chosen for their dedicated service to Viking and representative of the focus, values and vision commonly experienced on Viking ships around the world.  We will have live coverage of that event beginning at 12:30PM Eastern time, no doubt complete with some inspiring words curated from the festivities.  I already know that.   The interesting part is that I do.

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Chris has no crystal ball and is not privy to the outline or text of any inaugural speech that will bring those words of which we speak but we know they will be there.  In much the same way as we know  that travelers will like what they experience on Viking, we know the words we hear at this christening will be consistent with Viking’s solid core values.  They are why we are here. Brand loyalty, you see, is something we take very seriously, giving it only when earned on a consistent basis.  Viking does that.  Adding to the value of this cruise vacation option, Viking’s seamless experience very much reminds me of the way all cruise lines operated a couple decades or so ago.  As a much younger travel agent, I knew all I had to do was get people on a ship and they would love what they experienced.  No hesitation about that thought at the time, today that nearly-guaranteed satisfaction is a bit more elusive, depending on which cruise line one might be talking about at any given time.

Not so with Viking, a company that has experienced phenomenal growth, and for good reason.  It’s those values and an on board choreography carefully planned to consider the entire experience that is Viking’s big secret to success.  Somewhat inherent to small ship cruising, we expect more and generally get it.  Still, putting together a seamless package that brings a word-of-mouth endorsement, the best any company can hope for, is no easy task.  But then, they are Vikings.

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Today is all about Vikings and what it means to be one, as select Viking employees are honored as Godmothers.  More importantly to those who have sailed with Viking and are also now ‘Vikings’ themselves; the clear and consistent message that fuels what those program directors, concierges and home office employees do every day.  We/they will take up that message again tomorrow, enticing would-be Vikings to make the jump and share their vision for travel.

Today is about tradition.
Today is about celebrating a travel product that brings more than a way to go from place to place, a topic we cover like a blanket here.   Stay tuned for more on that, the christening and other related topics we just love sharing with you.  For now, some photos of the dockside scene in Amsterdam, just to get you in the mood.

Wondering what the significance of a photo full of paint brushes is?  I’ll have the answer to that question next.

 

 

Stay tuned for more about the 2015 Viking Longships Christening.

Chris is not a paid spokesperson.   Not compensated by cruise lines, what you read here are his observations, thoughts and interpretations, biased only by a positive outlook and appreciation for what cruise vacations have to offer travelers.