Viking has solidified its position in the cruise industry by welcoming nine new river vessels during a naming ceremony in Basel, Switzerland. This increases Viking’s total fleet to 103 ships, surpassing Carnival Corporation, which now operates 94 ships following recent reductions. Viking’s founder, Thorstein Hagen, humorously noted, “We’ve been adding ships like counting sheep,” during the event honoring the newly launched Viking Honir.
The Viking Honir, a 190-seat ship, will navigate the Rhine from Basel to Amsterdam. The other eight ships were launched across various rivers, including the Nile and Douro. At the ceremony, the ships were named by smashing Norwegian aquavit bottles against their hulls, reflecting Viking’s Norwegian heritage.
With these additions, Viking now operates 88 river vessels, 12 ocean ships, and has plans for further expansion, having ordered 31 more river vessels by 2030 and 14 marine vessels by 2033. This growth is expected to boost passenger capacity by over 50%, while Carnival’s forecast is under 10%. Although Viking has more ships, its smaller average size means it carries fewer passengers than larger competitors like Carnival and Royal Caribbean Group. However, Viking is considered the most profitable among them, boasting a return on invested capital of around 40%.
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