Viking Slows Its Expansion
After adding 14 ships in 2015 and christening six more for 2016 in Amsterdam last week, Viking River Cruises is taking a breather. It will add just two ships in 2017.
“We probably (have) a couple ships too many this year, quite frankly,” Viking chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen said at the ship unveiling last week.
While demand for river cruising has exploded, Hagen said that Viking needs time to absorb the existing capacity increase.
The expansion has increased Viking’s river fleet to 56 total ships, more than double any of its competitors. In addition, its ocean-cruising segment will officially begin sailing one ship this year and another in 2017.
Boutique River Cruise collection, which will debut one new ship this year, sails a fleet of 21 ships; AmaWaterways sails a fleet of 18; and Tauck River Cruises sails a fleet of 11.
