1 6 and her identical sister ship, the Viking Mars, this year, we are proud to firmly establish Viking as the leading small-ship travel company.” The move into expedition cruising represented a natural extension of Viking’s focus on providing its guests with a sense of exploration. The cruise line spotted an opportunity to deliver a unique experience in the sector, explains Wendy Atkin-Smith, managing director of Viking UK. “We could see there was a gap in the market for expedition ships which harness all the latest technology and cutting-edge design, but which are also extremely comfortable,” she says. “Our first expedition ship, Viking Octantis, embarked on her inaugural voyage to Antarctica in January.” The Norwegian explorer Liv Arnesen, is godmother to Viking Octantis. Sister ship, Viking Polaris, will join the fleet in late 2022. More details of the design and concept behind the expedition vessels can be found on page 70 in CFI’s interior view of Viking Octantis. “Leveraging our long history of destination-focused travel, enrichment and innovative ship design, we are now perfecting expedition voyages and offering curious travellers the opportunity to visit the world's most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible,” says Hagen. “With the arrival of Viking Octantis, Viking is now exploring all seven continents.” After a successful 25 years, Viking is continuing to look forward to new experiences for its guests and deliver firsts for the cruise industry. According to Riveire, feedback from guests will help shape its plans for its future ships and their interior designs. “Back when we finished the first ocean ships, I sat at the bar and talked to guests,” he says. “You get a sense of what does and doesn’t work, and if there’s a detail that people just latch onto then you know that it has been successful. Since then, the world has changed, and we want to keep in front of that. The best way to do that is to talk to guests and crew, pay attention, and find out what’s working.” CFI KEYNOTE “ Different aspects of Viking’s identity bubble to the top depending on where the vessels are and what cruising experience we’re offering to guests” Richard Riveire, Rottet Studio
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