16 Sep 2020
London, 16 September 2020: Viking, the world's leading river cruise line and leader in small ship ocean cruising, has been recognised at the 2020 Silver Travel Awards. Viking was named winner of the 'Best Luxury River Cruise Line Award' which was based on public votes and also the 'Silver-i Breakthrough Award for Innovation' for its new digital platform, Viking.TV, which was awarded by a judging panel made up of industry experts.
With a record 225,000 consumer votes cast this year the annual Silver Travel Awards are hosted by Silver Travel Advisor, the travel review and advice website for travellers over 50.
Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK, said: 'Silver Travel Advisor is the leading voice of travellers over 50 in the UK so we are thrilled that Viking has been recognised as the best river cruise line. Viking revolutionised river cruising with the introduction of our state of the art Viking Longships which, since their introduction in 2012, now make up 80 percent of our river fleet. Given that it is based on public votes, to have won this award in 2020 is even more meaningful than ever and it is testament to the efforts of our whole team who have worked exceptionally hard to maintain the high standards of service Viking is known for. We are looking forward to returning to the rivers of Europe, Africa and the Far East as soon as it is safe to travel again.'
Viking has been expanding its fleet and portfolio of river cruise itineraries to meet demand, and launched seven new river vessels in 2019, including six Viking Longships and an additional ship specifically designed for Portugal's Douro River. Viking will soon be launching several new river ships including Viking Osiris on the Nile, two new Longships for the Rhine, Main and Danube and four new ships designed for the Seine.
Karine Hagen, Executive Vice President of Viking, said: 'Viking is known for our innovative approach to every aspect of our business so we are very proud that Viking.TV has been recognised by our industry peers. We launched Viking.TV as soon as we all went into lockdown to ensure our guests and crew have a way to stay connected and to help keep everyone entertained. We offer culturally enriching, destination-focused river and ocean cruises and, whilst sailings are temporarily suspended, we have tried to recreate these experiences and continue delivering our cultural programme via Viking.TV. The platform enables all of us to explore the world from the comfort of our homes until we can safely travel again. We hope that Viking.TV will continue to spread positivity during these challenging times.'
The host of the virtual ceremony, Gyles Brandreth, the actor, broadcaster and comedian, shared the judges' feedback about Viking.TV when he presented the award: 'This company has clearly demonstrated its ability to pivot their business, even in the toughest of climates. This initiative has allowed them to create positivity and ensure that their customers remain part of a community with daily livestreams. A great initiative done exceptionally well.'
Developed within two weeks from the original conception of the idea and launched at the beginning of April 2020, Viking.TV was designed to provide enriching cultural content and daily livestreams featuring fascinating and inspiring guests from around the world. Every day at 7pm BST, viewers can join the conversation and interact with guests by submitting questions in real time. The livestreams are also available to watch on demand the following day and the site also features video messages from guests and crew, interactive competitions including a photography challenge and content designed to keep children and grandchildren entertained with digital books and quizzes. To date more than 165 live sessions have been streamed, which have attracted over 1.1 million unique users and approximately 4.2 million page views. The site is open to everyone and access is free.
With different themes every day from 'Museum Mondays' to 'At Home in Fridays' and 'Wellness Weekends' with rejuvenating online yoga sessions, regular hosts include journalist and TV presenter, Anne Diamond, and Viking's resident photographer, Alastair Miller. The diverse range of guests have included Dr Anna Fisher, a NASA astronaut and the first mother in space; actress Lesley Nicol, Mrs Patmore in Downton Abbey; The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle; Nicky Dunne, CEO of Heywood Hill, booksellers to the Queen and curators of Viking's onboard libraries; Professor Julian Dowdeswell, Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute; polar explorers and godmothers to Viking's expedition ships, Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft; the Duke of Devonshire of Chatsworth House; explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison; Viscount Brookeborough, Lord-in-Waiting to the Queen; Li-Da Kruger, independent filmmaker and the adopted daughter of Prue Leith; Dr Claire Guest, CEO and Founder of Medical Detection Dogs; Xander Parish OBE, the first British dancer to join Russia's Mariinsky Ballet company; Dr Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg; Gavin Thurston, the wildlife cameraman who has worked with Sir David Attenborough for decades and Dr Robert Walters, volunteer surgeon and trustee of Orbis, one of Viking UK's new charity partners.
Having recently celebrated the launch of Viking's new Mississippi river cruise which will set sail in 2022, Viking.TV will feature a week of content about the region from Monday 28 September. Viewers can look forward to learning how to prepare traditional southern dishes with a live cooking demonstration from Houmas House in Louisiana, unwinding to the smooth, soulful tunes of a jazz concert starring Wendell Brunious at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, and engaging in an interesting conversation with the author of Man on the River, Paul Schneider. Viewers will also enjoy a glimpse of Viking's new Mississippi ship when architect Richard Riveire talks to Alastair Miller about how he has brought Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen's vision to life. The following week from 5 October Viking.TV will be celebrating World Space Week 2020 with a diverse line-up of guests and lecturers including NASA astronauts and Viking's Resident Chief Astronomer, Howard Parkin.
Viking, a Which? Recommended Provider for both ocean and river cruises for 2020, was recently named a winner at the 10th annual Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice 2020 Awards, based entirely on traveller reviews posted on the website over the past year. Viking was named winner of several small ship categories including Best Overall Ship for Viking Star, Best Shore Excursions, Best Value for Money and Best Service.
Viking has been nominated for the Best River Cruise Holiday Company and Best Consumer Travel Magazine for Explore More in the 2020 British Travel Awards, one of the largest and most influential polls of consumer opinion in the UK. The winners will be determined by real travellers and voting is open until 22 November 2020 via https://britishtravelawards.com/.
To access Viking.TV go to https://viking.tv/ or to make a booking or for more information about Viking call 0800 298 97 00 or go to www.vikingcruises.co.uk
To watch the Silver Travel Awards virtual ceremony go to: https://youtu.be/KDN6IgViiCI
ENDS
Media contacts:
Viking UK Press Office: ukpressoffice@vikingcruises.com
Bryony Gammon: bryony.gammon@vikingcruises.com
Carmen Walker: carmen.walker@vikingcruises.com
Telephone: +44 208 780 7945
About Viking
Viking offers culturally enriching, destination-focused river and ocean cruises for travellers curious about the world, its rich culture and varied history.
Viking takes its guests on curated, elegant voyages to some of the most iconic rivers in Europe, Africa and the Far East, allowing a unique window on inspiring destinations and rewarding experiences. Viking revolutionised river cruising with the introduction of its state of the art Viking Longships which, since their introduction in 2012, now make up 80 percent of its river fleet.
Viking is quickly expanding its fleet and portfolio of river cruise itineraries to meet demand, and launched seven new river vessels in 2019, including six Viking Longships and an additional ship specifically designed for Portugal's Douro River. Viking will soon be launching seven new river ships including Viking Osiris on the Nile, two new Longships for the Rhine, Main and Danube and four new ships designed for the Seine.
In 2015 Viking debuted its maiden season of ocean cruising and in February 2019 Viking took delivery of its sixth ocean ship, Viking Jupiter, making it the largest small ship ocean cruise line. Viking Venus is launching in early 2021. The sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking ocean ships can accommodate 930 guests on itineraries all across the world.
Viking recently announced it will expand its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new expedition voyages. Viking Expeditions will begin sailing in January 2022 with its first vessel, Viking Octantis, embarking on voyages to Antarctica and North America's Great Lakes. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. Viking has also just announced that its custom-built vessel, Viking Mississippi, will debut in August 2022 and will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, between New Orleans and St. Paul.
Join Viking online at:
https://www.facebook.com/VikingCruisesUK/
https://twitter.com/VikingCruises
