On Viking River Cruises fleet of Viking Longships, little space is wasted.  There’s no room/need/desire for a casino. The culturally curious travelers who sail with Viking have done their share of gambling. They prefer to bet on a sure thing: an engaging travel experience the likes of which their cruising world has never seen before.  There is a micro sized shop of sorts that offers some Viking memorabilia-style jewelry, a few items of logo wear and some literature.  That’s about it. But those limited offerings have created a nearly viral demand that fell surprisingly short on the ships of Viking Ocean Cruises.  Until now.

 

 

Viking Star premiered with virtually nothing Viking-themed for sale,  save for some very nice paperweights.  That is changing with the launch of Viking Sea. The new twin sister to Viking Star has a new all-things-Viking shop that will surely have fans making a wish list.

 

 

To bring home Viking’s Travel The World In Comfort mantra we see a variety of colors, textures and fabrics throughout Viking Sea.  Taking home one of the comfy chairs that dominate public spaces is not an option.  But Norwegian-made accent blankets that complete individual furniture groupings indeed are for sale in the onboard boutique.

 

 

The Onboard Boutique (like the Disney Store of Viking) is full of logowear, artifacts, jewelry and much more.  Interestingly, this is a space that was nearly deserted on first-ship Viking Star. Frankly, there was no good reason to go there.  Fans of Viking would make the obligatory trudge in and out to show their support for the brand, even though the offerings were less than inspired.  Basically, products similar to those of other cruise lines were offered, unique only because of the Viking logo on them.

 

 

Now offered for sale are solid choices for fans of the brand.  On display, unique Norwegian-made clothing, blankets, scarves and collectibles.  Also featured, gifts from Downton Abbey that include all-natural soaps, aprons and the fascinating stories of Highclere Castle shared by the Countess of Carnarvon in her New York Times best-selling books.

 

 

How deep does this fan frenzy run?   As mentioned in this space on numerous occasions, online video resources on the Viking website are a tested and accurate depiction of what we experience when sailing. Driving the images we associate with Viking is the work of award-winning British photographer Alastair Miller.  Available onboard, a limited first edition highlighting his work.

 

 

Now we’re dabbling into the arena of microscopic fan knowledge.  This is along the lines of what your teenage idol enjoyed for breakfast every day. The particular color of M&M’s that must be in so and so’s dressing room before each concert. On sale here, favorite Grooks (poems that reveal details of the human condition) of Viking chairman Torstein Hagen.

Also featured, The World of Finse (pronounced Fins-AH).  This is the golden labrador retriever of Viking’s Karine Hagen, sharing cultural discoveries from her world travels in a series children’s books. Originating on the fleet of Viking Longships, the nicely-illustrated series carries forward a consistent positive view on the world of travel, from rivers to oceans.

We’ll have more on that nearly seamless transition from rivers to oceans, the consistent message of positive travel and more as we continue to explore Viking Sea and reprofile an evolving Viking organization.  For now, a gallery of items for sale on Viking Sea, for your dreaming wishlist pleasure:

[URIS id=58991]

 

 

Follow Along Live

 

Bookmark our In Progress page for a complete listing of all posts related to our Viking Sea sailing.
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Or check at the bottom of each post like this one for a complete list of what we experienced, in blog form

Pre-Cruise

• Coming Up: Viking Sea Empires of the Mediterranean 
• My Viking Journey: Two Weeks Out
• My Viking Journey: Itinerary Disrupted, And We’re OK With That
• My Viking Journey: New Fish In The Water
• My Viking Journey: One Week Out
• Viking Sisters Meet For The First Time: Papa Pleased 

Posted Live From Viking Sea’s Maiden Voyage

• Security Concerns Vs Travel Thwarting Fear
• Viking Sea Comfortable Cruising
• Desktop-Worthy Photos Of Beautiful New Cruise Ships
• Viking Sea: The Other Guys Should Have Seen This Coming
• A Ride On The Rocket: Fueled By Viking Ocean Cruises
• Viking Cruises Cultural Exploration A Consistent Theme
• Viking Cruises Global View Via Tiny Details
• Viking Upgrades Logo Shop, Feeds Fan Frenzy

Follow along socially too:

Instagram- ChrisCruises will have a post each day

Facebook- Chris has periodic posts and Photo Albums created along the way

• Istanbul With Viking Cruises
• Touring Troy With Viking Cruises
• Ephesus With Viking Cruises
• A Day In Athens With Viking Cruises

Twitter- @ChrisCruises will have posts along the way