Viking will dedicate four river vessels in Europe to the Chinese market in 2025, CEO Torstein Hagen told an earnings call.
These vessels are staffed with Chinese personnel and offer a menu focused on Chinese cuisine.
Hagen described the company’s approach as distinct from other cruise lines, with Mandarin spoken onboard for Chinese-speaking guests.
Viking operates through a joint venture with China Merchants, aiming to tap into China’s expansive market.
The strategy involves marketing directly to Chinese consumers, focusing on providing comfort and cultural experiences while cruising.
Torstein Hagen shared “If you go on a Viking ship, the ones we normally go on, it is English only onboard. If you go on the Chinese-speaking ships, it’s Mandarin only onboard and largely Chinese food. They come to places to experience the history and culture around the river, and then they want to come home and be in comfort on our ships. And that is probably more of an opportunity than anything else we have. It’s not easy because we are again marketing directly to the Chinese consumer, which is quite gutsy, but that is our belief,”
