Taking you deep inside the world of cruise vacations, we cover just about every angle from planning to booking, sailing, coming back home and what to expect every step of the way. The thought behind that focus is rather simple: informed buyers make better decisions. That’s an obvious conclusion. Still, looking around the Internet much of the same information can be found from multiple sources. Buyers might even click their way to the perfect travel experience, go home happy and think nothing of it. Hold that thought for a moment.

At an Amsterdam christening today, Viking launched six more of the industry-defining Viking Longships, a travel product that has put other river cruise lines on notice: the game has changed. What was once a lazy trip on the rivers of Europe has become the vacation of choice for the culturally curious travelers who sail with Viking and has energized the industry. Now, we see the other guys picking up the scraps, looking for just about any way to save face in what has to be bit of an embarrassing time in their respective histories. Viking has become quite good at the game by delivering what we want, when we want it and at an incredible value.

They do that primarily through travel agents, the same handholding guides that helped us begin booking ocean cruises decades ago. Click-to-buy has not been an option with Viking, and rightfully so: we need agents far more when booking that first river cruise, largely due to the unknown if not volatile world of international travel. For many in the 55+ age bracket, it comes at a time in our lives when the familiar is comfortable and personal security is a serious matter. Still, the life clock is ticking and we never know when the shoe will drop, bringing some ‘thing’ into our lives that will prevent seeing places we may have dreamed about since childhood.

 

 

That’s where those travel agents come in, fully schooled and supported by Viking to an extreme not seen at any other cruise line. The importance of travel agents was highlighted today in Amsterdam as six were made Godmothers of the 2016 class of Viking Longships. Bestowing the honor of being a ship’s Godmother underscores Viking’s commitment to doing whatever they do right, something we see in all facets of their operation.

Beyond the armada of Longships, Viking has an impressive European infrastructure in place that brings a fleet of new Mercedes motor coaches for touring, top guides at every destination and first place in line anywhere we go, if there is a line at all. It’s a commitment to excellence we’ve that we have been fortunate enough to have a front row seat to view, experience and report back about.

Why You Should Care

If any travel experience was nearly flawless from beginning to end, who wouldn’t be happy?  You and I sure would be…but not Viking. At Viking the focus starts far before we come aboard one of their ships and continues far after we get home with marketing materials that do more than fill our mailboxes. They give us a clear roadmap to fulfilling lifelong dreams. Honoring their valued travel partners as Godmothers of 6 shiny new Viking Longships seals the deal in a steadfast, permanent way we could only hope other travel companies would attempt to emulate.