SLOW TRAVEL
Viking Star Qualities For People Like Me
Viking Cruises new Viking Star is a lot of things to a lot of people, some of which I agree with having now seen the ship in person, others not so much. But what else is new? Regular readers of this space know we like to cut right to the core of what makes a cruise line tick and don’t get into criticizing.
We inform.
You decide.
Got it.
Still, there are stand-alone features of this vessel, the company behind it and those who will sail Viking Star that are undeniable. As we continue to illustrate the nature of Viking Star, enabling readers to decide on their own if this is a ship for them, let’s look a bit deeper.
Respected Travelers
Built into Viking Star are a number of features that resonate with the well-traveled 50+ travelers who sail with Viking. These are pure Viking qualities not open to interpretation, subjective by nature or designed to grab our attention for a moment; reeling in travelers like bait might attract fish. Simply put: the Viking organization respects travelers. They believe we have brains and know how to use them.
That’s from the company chairman to the bartender, waiter or cabin steward. That core value is pure, honest and exactly what cruise travelers need to see in a seller of travel. Strip away the warm and fuzzy words you will read here and it’s what we need to see from an organization we will trust our lives to when out in the middle of an ocean.
A Ship Designed For Conversation
Proof of the above can be found in the furnishings that fill public spaces of Viking Star. Many of the largest areas on the ship include living room style seating with groupings of chairs, sofas, tables and other comfortable elements that encourage Viking passengers to gather. One large area of the ship’s interior is accurately named “The Living Room”, but this conversation-promoting layout does not end there. All over the ship, we see furnishings, open spaces and venues set up to be places where the culturally curious travelers sailing with Viking can gather and enjoy one another’s company.
Attention To Detail For People Like Me
This is a theme that weaves its way through the entire ship and its operation in very broad strokes and tiny details. Example: Bath products come in jumbo sized, differently colored containers that have large print letters stating what each contains. That’s a feature designed by Viking chairman Torstein Hagan (pictured above, as a child) who personally identifies with those who have a bit of trouble reading in the shower, without corrective lenses.
Going back in time a bit, it has always been quite clear who are the target passengers for Viking ships. “People like me,” said Hagan at a Viking River Cruises press conference several years ago, a consistent message that has been carried forward into Viking Star. It’s that consistency, that trust and that commitment that are far more important to me and should be for you.
Take This Information And Hang On Tight
Compiled lists of ship features, attractions, itineraries and pricing can be found at a number of online sources. Search here for ‘cruise information’ and you’ll find plenty of those. I’ll compile a list of links to click on shortly that will take you to the best of the bunch. Still, now another 24 hours into exploring Viking Star, comparing to other cruise lines is now becoming not only inappropriate but also unwise.
Regardless of where one goes for information, who they talk to about ships, cruise lines or itineraries, one solid goal in the hunt for finding “our” cruise line is clear: We need one that is designed for people like us. Not one designed for everyone, one for people like us. Reasons continue to pile up in favor of Viking, first by river and now by ocean, for people like us.
See more about Viking Star Qualities in these previously published posts:
Coming up via the photo below: What is this all about?
