We speak to Wendy Atkin-Smith, Viking Cruises UK MD, about being named godmother to Viking Sigrun and her love of river cruising.

My alarm goes off at…

5.40am, when my husband gets up to take our two dogs, Pip and Wren, out for a walk. He gets back around 6am and we have breakfast together before getting ready and leaving for work.

My job entails…

Heading up the UK office for Viking Cruises. I lead a team of 80 staff across all departments. The most rewarding aspect of my job is leading a team of people who are as passionate about the brand as I am.

I got my job…

After leaving school at 16 and working in the retail travel sector, before joining KD River Cruises and then Travel Renaissance Holidays. This is when my love of river cruising started. I worked in every department in the company before being appointed managing director. I stayed in this role when Viking Cruises acquired Travel Renaissance Holidays in 2007 and I just celebrated my 25th anniversary of working in the cruise industry.

A typical day involves…

We could be in the office working on our business strategy, at the Chelsea Flower Show overseeing our garden, at one of the events we sponsor such as Classic FM Live or Opera Holland Park, hosting a talk by the curator of the Munch exhibition at the British Museum on our ocean ship or at a river ship naming ceremony in Basel.

The most stressful part of my job is…

Availability, believe it or not! The biggest challenge we face is meeting demand, especially on our ocean ships.  We have to stay ahead of the game and plan at least two years ahead.  We have very limited in 2019 and we are already taking bookings for ocean in 2021.

I love it when…

A plan comes together. Especially when a project the whole team has been working on proves to be massively successful. In 2012, we set a new world record by christening 16 Viking Longships in 24 hours, which started as a germ of an idea and we saw through to fruition.

I also love bringing our brand to life in the UK market through our cultural partnerships and events – it’s a fantastic way to boost brand awareness and to meet our loyal guests.

I’ll never forget…

My first river cruise on the Rhine 25 years ago. I fell in love with river cruising on that trip and I’ve never looked back. I am also very proud to have been made godmother to Viking Sigrun, which will sail on the Rhine.

We bring to the table…

An alternative to mainstream cruise lines. Viking has an average of 190 guests on our river ships and 930 guests on ocean ships, so offers an intimate experience and exceptionally high levels of service. It is exceptional value.

I’d like to shake up the industry by…

Continuing to think outside the box. By innovating, Viking remains at the forefront of the cruise industry – both in terms of our ships or product and our brand through our sales and marketing strategy – and I am confident we will continue to do so.

It’s also important that we encourage younger professionals, especially women and those with experience in different sectors, to join the industry to bring in fresh ideas and a new perspective.  I am a big believer in empowering my team and giving them the freedom to achieve their full potential.