Cruise Trade News catches up with Neil Barclay, head of sales, Viking UK who looks back on an “exceptionally strong” 2024, while explaining what the industry can do to ease the burden on travellers as living costs continue to rise

Many cruise lines posted record-breaking booking numbers in 2024 with the general consensus being that it was an incredibly positive year for cruise. How do you look back on the last 12 months? 

Last year was exceptionally strong for the cruise sector and, based on forward bookings, 2025 is already shaping up very well. Demand is so high that we have opened up bookings on most of our itineraries through until the end of 2027.

We had some significant launches which broadened our customer base. We celebrated a return to China as the Viking Yi Dun completed her first voyage from Shanghai to Shenzhen. Our new itineraries feature a domestic sailing of China’s coast that include rarely visited destinations and ports to which only Viking has access—something that has never been offered for international visitors before.

We have also celebrated some exciting scientific advances on the expedition side which all of us – including our guests – are very proud to be a part of.

In 2023 we published our first scientific paper about observations of giant phantom jellyfish, and 2024 was also a year of discovery. Our expedition team supported the identification of a new colony of chinstrap penguins not previously known to science on Diaz Rock, near Astrolabe Island, in Antarctica.

Were there any booking trends that emerged in 2024 that surprised you?

We have seen a rise in multi-generational bookings with families travelling with older children, parents and grandparents – occasionally even great-grandparents.

I think there has been a realisation that a cruise can work very well for different age groups and that cruising isn’t just for couples. We are seeing this particularly on our ocean ships. If some of the group prefer to relax onboard, there’s always lots going on from the onboard lecture programme to the curated libraries and the Nordic Spa and fitness centre.

We have seen some shift among UK travellers’ preferences for visiting Europe. For the peak summer months of July and August, an increasing number of our guests have been drawn to the cooler climes of Scandinavia, and as a result have introduced new itineraries to meet this demand and to offer more choice in terms of destinations.

Guests have been telling us they may have missed out on having a gap year before university or might be looking to have more adventures after their children have left home

Other guests have also shown increased interest in the “quiet season” — which spans from autumn to spring — in the Mediterranean. We travel all year-round to the Mediterranean and it’s always a popular destination, but our guests seem increasingly keen to visit Europe when there are fewer crowds.

Due to high levels of demand, we are increasing capacity during the quiet season by basing more of our small, all-veranda ocean ships in the Mediterranean from late October 2025 through to mid-March 2026.

We have seen a gradual rise in demand for longer itineraries across our ocean, river and expedition collections on all seven continents, based in part on the increase in enquiries from guests planning a ‘golden gap year’.

Guests have been telling us they may have missed out on having a gap year before university or might be looking to have more adventures after their children have left home – or that they have dreamt of revisiting a well-trodden backpacker journey such as the east coast of Australia, Vietnam or India – but from the comfort of a Viking ship.

Viking announced more than 12 months ago that it would add 10 ships to its river fleet by the end of 2026. What’s the reasoning behind your investment into the sector?

This was a real milestone announcement for us – eight of the new vessels will sail our popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the Seine River.

More and more travellers are recognising the benefits of river cruising – whether it’s visiting multiple destinations in one trip without having to unpack or reaching destinations in fewer flights.

Then there’s the excellent value. If you add up the cost of multi-city break, including flights, drinks, accommodation, transfers, entertainment and excursions, it demonstrates the excellent value a river voyage offers.

We want to continue being able to meet this increasing demand for years to come which is why we’re continuing to add capacity.  We’re looking forward to the launch of some of these new ships during the first half of 2025.

Are there any emerging destinations that you feel have particularly high growth potential in 2025?

This year our ocean ships started sailing more frequently to Greenland and in 2025 we are launching three new summer season expedition voyages in the Arctic. Debuting in July 2025, the new itineraries, which range from 13 to 27 days, explore the polar north in Canada and Greenland, with two of the three voyages visiting the Canadian High Arctic.

There continues to be an ongoing demand from guests to travel to remote destinations and Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic definitely ticks those boxes. They are bursting with fascinating wildlife, rugged terrain, snowcapped mountains, drifting icebergs and vast ice fields. I think these itineraries are going to generate a lot of interest and slip up to the top of travel wish-lists quickly.

It’s likely that consumers will continue to be hampered by rising costs which could further impact their travel decisions. Is this something the cruise industry generally should be concerned about and what is Viking doing to ensure it continues to offer great value?

Our guests are keen to travel in comfort, but they also appreciate good value which is a key part of the Viking Difference. We are all about inclusive value which makes it easier for guests to budget and plan ahead.

For UK guests, gratuities and return flights are already included in the cruise fares as well as excursion in most ports and complimentary wi-fi.  Wine and beer and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner – and we do not charge corkage if guests choose to bring their own wine on board.

We remain very anti ‘nickel and diming’ which our guests appreciate – no art auctions, no photographers – and of course, no casinos

We do not charge anything extra for guests to use the spa facilities or to dine in alternative restaurants on our ocean and expedition ships and we also offer room service 24/7 which is included.

Our staterooms all have verandas so, although we offer different stateroom grades, there is no extra charge for enjoying private outdoor space and ocean views and there is even a complimentary self-service launderette across our ocean, expedition and Mississippi ships.

We remain very anti ‘nickel and diming’ which our guests appreciate – no art auctions, no photographers – and of course, no casinos.

Lastly, what exciting developments are on the horizon for Viking that should be on our readers’ radars?

There are also some exciting launches within our ocean fleet coming up. Our newest ocean ship, the Viking Vesta, will enter service this year, offering itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

Meanwhile, the Viking Yi Dun will sail six new itineraries in Asia that will expand exclusive access for guests to Japan and China, with Tibet (Xizang) in 2025. The new voyages range from 15 to 22 days and explore iconic destinations in China, including Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an and Lhasa in Tibet (Xizang), as well as Osaka, Japan.

In 2025, for the first time, we will circumnavigate Australia on a roundtrip from Sydney. Guests will discover a combination of beauty and culture as they sail around Australia, encountering iconic natural wonders and lesser-known cultural gems. This is a 32-day voyage – we have a sailing departing in January and a second in December along with sailings in 2026 too.