Coming back to any cruise line speaks volumes to how well travelers were satisfied on a previous visit.  Big ship cruise lines have robust past guest programs that aim to reward loyalty. With those, benefits add up over time, bringing bonus value.  They make a good stab at being everything to everybody.   Then there is Viking.

Over the years, we have watched with pleasure as Viking went from a little river cruise company to pretty much owning the river cruise space.  Taking that success to the sea, Viking hit one out of the park with the revolutionary (less than 1000 guests) Viking Star. We grabbed ahold of that rocket and never looked back.  

After an overnight flight from Orlando to London, we boarded Viking Sky to see a ship that looked and felt brand new, as though it had just been launched.  More importantly and perhaps the biggest most differentiating factor on the topic Viking vs. Everyone Else is the people and systems they continue to impact.  Now with ten ocean-going ships plus one on the Mississippi and a growing expedition fleet, Viking’s success continues unabated.  That’s probably a thread that will run throughout my account of this British Isles Explorer experience.