| Cruise Style | Destination-focused river, ocean and expedition cruising; small ocean ships of up to about 930 guests | Mainstream, casual large-ship cruising from many US homeports | — | — |
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| Target Audience | — | Families and value-minded travellers; kids clubs Camp Ocean (2-11), Circle C (12-14), Club O2 (15-17); adults-only Serenity Retreat on select ships | — | — |
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| Fleet | 17 ocean ships listed on official site (incl. Viking Star, Sea, Sky, Sun, Orion), expedition ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, plus a large river fleet (76 vessels as of 2019) | 29 ships (Mar 2025); classes incl. Excel (Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee), Vista, Dream, Conquest, Spirit; Carnival Festivale (2027) and Tropicale (2028) on order | — | — |
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| Destinations | River: Europe, Asia, Egypt, Mississippi; Ocean: Scandinavia, British Isles, Mediterranean, North, Central & South America, Caribbean, Asia, Australia & NZ, World Cruises; Expedition: Antarctica, Arctic, Great Lakes | Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska and more from US ports incl. Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston, Long Beach, New York, Baltimore, Seattle; Australia from Sydney and Brisbane; seasonal Europe | — | — |
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| Price Positioning | Premium | Mainstream, value-oriented | — | — |
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| What's Included | Not verified | Main dining room, Lido Marketplace buffet, Guy's Burger Joint, BlueIguana Cantina, pizzeria, basic non-alcoholic drinks, shows, WaterWorks and SportSquare; alcohol, soda, specialty dining, Wi-Fi extra | — | — |
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| Onboard Highlights | — | WaterWorks aqua parks, SportSquare, Dive-In Movies, comedy and live music; BOLT roller coaster and IMAX on select ships (extra cost); Seuss at Sea on select ships | — | — |
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| Gratuities | Automatic US$20 per person per day, all cabin types (as of Oct 2026) | Automatic US$17 per person per day (standard cabins), US$19 in suites (as of Oct 2026) | — | — |
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| Loyalty Programme | Viking Explorer Society; no tiers | Carnival Rewards (replaced VIFP Club on 1 Sep 2026): 3 points per US$1 eligible spend; tiers Red, Gold, Platinum, Diamond | — | — |
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| Private Destinations | — | Celebration Key (Grand Bahama, opened July 2025), RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay (Bahamas), Isla Tropicale (Honduras) | — | — |
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| Optional Packages | — | Cheers! drinks package (max 15 alcoholic drinks per 24 hours), Cheers Zero Proof, Bottomless Bubbles soda package | — | — |
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| Parent Company | — | Carnival Corporation & plc | — | — |
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| Founded | 1997, as Viking River Cruises | 1972; headquarters Doral, Florida, USA | — | — |
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| Headquarters | Basel, Switzerland (operations); Los Angeles, California (marketing) | — | — | — |
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