Viking’s Secret to Success? It Doesn’t Gatekeep Its Strategies

In April, then-Viking CEO Torstein Hagen held an event onboard Viking Octantis docked in the Port of Manhattan where he proclaimed to a room full of media, “Viking is a marketing company first and a cruise line second.” Two weeks later, Viking was named to TIME’s list of the “10 Most Influential Travel & Tourism Companies of 2026.” Two weeks after that, in May, Hagen stepped down after 29 years, retaining a role as executive chairman.

These three events served as a reminder that travel is a transformative experience, but it’s also a multibillion-dollar business. What about the Viking brand has — and continues — to set it apart in the cruise industry? Is it just the marketing?

Of course, there is the ubiquitous list of what Viking is not, which any advisor familiar with the brand can probably recite from memory: no casinos; no kids; no nickel-and-diming, etc. But to gain insight beyond what’s promoted on their website, we spoke with Michele Saegesser, Viking’s senior vice president of sales.

The verdict? Viking isn’t gatekeeping its secrets to success.

Viking’s Training Model Is Streamlined — for Both Staff and Advisors

“I guarantee that most folks — and this includes travel advisors — have no clue how large the Viking fleet actually is,” Saegesser said.

The answer is 103 (and counting), but the layout of nearly all 89 river ships is virtually identical, and the same goes for Viking’s dozen ocean ships and two expedition vessels.

This means that when anyone is learning about the brand and its expansive fleet, whether it’s a new member of the crew or an advisor, the focus lies not on the individual ships but what they offer onboard. Once a travel professional is familiar with the product, they simply have to check deployment schedules.

Saegesser explained that there are two river ships docked just outside of Vienna that are used solely for training purposes. The staff live onboard and learn the layout so that when they go to their assigned ship, they can expect more of the same.

“In my opinion what makes us super successful is the consistency of the service with the staff,” she said. “They all know their job; they know where everything is…we all obsess over the details of the training.”

Their Marketing Funnel Is a Solid Formula That’s Free to Use

Traditionally, Viking guests first sail a river cruise then convert to an ocean voyage, but that has now evened out, according to Saegesser.

 “You always know what the guest is looking for, because they will tell you,” she said.

In this case, she’s referring to a wealth of consumer data that guides the Viking marketing team to determine not only the itineraries that clients are most eager to book next, but also the itineraries that Viking then serves to clients through emails, digital ads, and direct mail.

For example, a couple might find a brochure in their mailbox about Nile River cruises after they return home from a week in the Mediterranean.

“What Viking does very well is we share with our advisors, statistically, where that cruiser is going to go next,” Saegesser explained. “We have a sheet that we give to them that says ‘If [your client] went on the Rhine Getaway, here’s one of the five cruises that they are going to go on next.’ It’s not only statistically where they’re going to go next, it’s where we tell them to go next.

“So, we give [advisors] the inner workings of what our marketing is by saying, ‘Look, follow up with your guest when they get home and talk about these five itineraries.’ We share this information freely with our advisors to help them and their marketing; we share it from the advisor level all the way up to the consortia level,” Saegesser said.

Sales Policies Were Designed with Advisors in Mind

“We’re the easiest cruise line in the world to sell with our awareness numbers, and our repeat numbers, and we’re going to tell [the advisor] where the client is booking next…so close it!” Saegesser said about helping advisors make sales.

In addition to these built-in resources, she highlighted Viking’s longstanding booking policies that work in favor of the advisor, admitting, “I don’t think we talk enough about it; I think we just assume people know.”

She emphasized that Viking was the first cruise line to introduce no NCFs [non-commissionable fares], “… where we pay on everything, no ifs, ands or buts. On port charges, on everything; no cutting out air programs. And we’ve been doing it for 15 years.”

Additionally, bookings made onboard ocean ships are not only subject to promotional programs, but the booking goes straight to the advisor with full commission.

“There is a 60-day takeover policy on bookings for advisors of Viking guests — the largest of any cruise line.”

“That’s their client, and we want them to feel very comfortable in knowing that we support them in what they’ve developed for us,” she said.

Professional Development Is a Personal Priority

Several times a year, Saegesser hosts and personally teaches a series of seminars called the Executive Retreat.

“It’s probably one of my favorite things that I’ve created at Viking. This not our sales team, not a product session, just a weekend class with me in our L.A. office on how to market; how to position yourself; how to find the Vikings in your database,” Saegesser said.

As an example, she shared that if an advisor doesn’t know how to qualify a guest, referring them to Viking.TV is a brilliant way of doing it. The site hosts short episodes and livestreams that touch upon abundant topics from cultural insights into each destination to Viking’s partnership with Downton Abbey and fun facts from their resident historian.

“Advisors can say, ‘Take a look at these few segments and see if you think you are a Viking [traveler].’ There’s no call to action, but it’s an easy, fun way to learn for advisors and a great resource for clients,” she said.