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• Dec 10, 2019

Working & living on board a Viking river cruise ship

By daniel papadimas , greek chef & now manager recruiter of viking cruises, and stavroula kitsanou , workathlon’s social media coordinator, 1. who is viking, and why work with viking.

More than 20 years ago, Viking started in Russia with four river ships. Through the years, we have set the standard for what river cruising should be, and today we are the leader that all others follow. In 2015, we took the same small ship, destination-focused experience to the seas and redefined ocean cruising. And after just one year of service, Viking® became the world’s best ocean cruise line. We are a financially stable, dynamically growing company—the largest, most award-winning in the industry—with a fleet of more than 70 river ships and six ocean vessels cruising over 100 itineraries around the world.

As The World’s Leading River Cruise Line®, we are constantly innovating and adding to our fleet each year. This means great opportunities for those who work for us. There is tremendous potential to advance your career, whether on board our ships or in our corporate offices. In addition, more people sail with Viking than any other river cruise line, and we have over 40% of the market share. Our customers are English speaking, and the majority are Americans with an interest in the history and culture of the countries through which we sail. Because our onboard product and service quality levels are high, our customers are typically very satisfied – and this, combined with our gratuity guidelines , means that as an employee on board a Viking ship you can be well rewarded financially.

RELATED ARTICLE Customer diversity: One size doesn’t fit all  HERE

2. Have you worked on board a Viking river ship before? What is life on boardlike, and what does Viking offer to its employees?

I had the opportunity to work several contracts as an Executive Chef for Viking in the river division before progressing to the role of recruiter. The majority of the river fleet consists of our award-winning Viking Longships® featuring streamlined Scandinavian design and casual elegance. They include state-of-the-art staterooms with full-size verandas boasting the largest suites on Europe’s rivers. The maximum capacity of the Longships is 190 guests and 60 crew members.

Back in 2012, before I started my career in river cruising, I was invited to a Viking assessment center in Greece where I was interviewed along with other applicants. What I learned was that working on board a river ship is different from working on land. For instance, we were told that each ship operates like an individual hotel in a large chain, and you are required to work and live at the same place.

From a personal point of view, it was indeed like that, but even better! What I experienced during my early steps working for Viking was astonishing—a small community of approximately 60 employees working in harmony and cooperating daily to deliver the best possible experience to our guests. We all had to share the ship’s premises as we all lived under the same roof, and of course we all had to adapt to the house rules. Crew members are required to share a well-designed and relatively spacious cabin for two, comprised of a bunk bed, shower and toilet, wardrobe, and TV. Additionally, onboard Wi-Fi is free of charge for everyone—guests and crew alike.

Viking offers a competitive compensation package by position. Contracts are either Swiss, French or Portuguese, depending on the operation into which you are placed. Your contract offers you two days off per month and is packed with a generous number of paid holidays: approximately 6–8 weeks’ worth, with some reaching up to ten weeks depending on contract duration. In this industry, you are required to work 7 days a week away from home; therefore, you can take a lot of time off during the season to rest and visit loved ones.

Board and accommodation are included in your gross salary, along with social/health benefits and pension fund payments. On board you have a recreational area, called the crew mess, where you can enjoy a snack, mingle with fellow crew members and take a break. In addition to the crew mess, our ships have a designated crew deck on the Sun Deck where crew members are able to relax and take in some fresh air during their break.

3. What are the values or key factors you seek when hiring a Viking candidate?

We are looking for dedicated, hardworking individuals who are able to commit to working 7 days a week for a period of approximately 6–9 months (including vacation time). You must be trustworthy, flexible and open to working with people from different cultures, plus have a true passion for the hospitality industry. Most of all, you must have an outgoing, friendly and positive attitude.

4. Have you ever regretted leaving Greece?

To this day, I have never regretted my decision to go and work on board away from home. After all, it has been Viking and its leadership that has carved and developed my professional growth and led to some of the most important milestones in my career and life. So, I persevered without giving up and always kept in mind the growth opportunities that Viking has to offer.

As mentioned, at Viking you have approximately 6–8 weeks of paid holidays during which you can go home to visit your loved ones and rest. Interestingly enough, though, each time I went back home I found myself looking forward to getting back on board! With that, I realized that Viking had become my home away from home, as it has for many of my fellow crew members.

5. Speaking of career growth, how fast do you think someone can attain a higher – level position on a ship?

At Viking, we have clear promotion guidelines. Promotions are earned based on performance rather than seniority. After growing through various positions and ranks in the kitchen and eventually reaching the role of Executive Chef, I had the impression that I had hit the rooftop in terms of my career growth with Viking, and so I came to wonder: what is the growth limit at Viking? As I am writing this, I can comfortably confirm that, when working for Viking, there are limitless opportunities to advance in your career.

Although career growth really depends on yourself, leadership and mentorship can, of course, assist you, but are not single players! What makes this specific industry’s growth opportunities more attractive compared to those of a hotel is that you can also grow during the season. Many crew members are given the opportunity to step into their supervisor’s roles during their absence, that absence being either a holiday or a day off. You will be surprised how much you can shine by performing a higher role for a single day, and that shine is what gives you the potential to learn and grow! Statistically speaking, with 70+ river vessels, those numbers speak for themselves and you can observe that, alongside these great numbers, many crew members advance in their careers. Having worked with Viking for 7 years, what I have observed over time is that talent and potential are always acknowledged and harvested to its full capacity.

6. What do you recommend to potential employees who are unfamiliar with working abroad or on a river ship?

Starting your career with Viking is a great and exciting experience. What you should be prepared for is the fact that you will be leaving the comfort of your home to go abroad and live on board a river ship, so you must pack all necessities with you accordingly. Working on board a river ship generally can seem like a big step and change in your daily routine; however, you will find yourself adapting to your new lifestyle quickly. For people with hotel experience in which they were provided with on-site accommodation, it can be a slightly familiar experience, with the difference of sharing a cabin instead of a room. If you are concerned about getting nauseous during sailing, I can assure you that sailing on a river can be so smooth that many times you might not even notice you are moving!

Furthermore, in preparation for this exciting step in your career, know that Viking is renowned for its quality and services, and that’s thanks to the dedicated effort and passionate work of our employees. To better prepare our employees with no ship experience, prior to their assignment Viking invests many of its resources in training programs. For instance, we train our crew for at least one week before they even interact­ with guests, giving them the opportunity to visit our vessels and perform hands-on duties alongside the resident crew.

7. For people reading this article and interested in starting a career with Viking, how would you recommend they forward their application?

If you are interested in starting a career with Viking, please submit your application by going through our website, vikingcareers.com . There, you will find information about working for Viking, including videos and statements from our crew, and a listing of all open positions in our Career Portal.

We are proud to employ 10,000 of our own crew worldwide—all dedicated to making our guests’ stay the most memorable possible. At Viking, we care about your career as much as you do, and we will give you the training, skills and confidence you need to be the best you can be. In fact, we very much hope that once you have joined us, you will stay with us, just like the 90% of our employees who come back to us—one of the highest retention rates in the industry.

Viking Cruises cooperates with Workathlon, so you may also apply to Viking’s open positions at portal.workathlon.com .

For all readers who are eager to expand and develop their career with Viking, we are looking forward to welcoming you on board one of our ships!

#interview #workathlon #river #ship #cruiseship #vikingcruises

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A Viking Cruises crew member died after falling overboard in Scotland

• A Viking Cruises crew member died after falling overboard on Friday, BBC first reported.
• The employee fell from the company's Mars ship while at the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland.
• The man, reportedly in his 40s, is the most recent person to fall from a cruise ship this summer.

A Viking Cruises employee died after falling from a ship on Friday, BBC reported . The incident occurred at the Port of Cromarty Firth in Invergordon, Scotland. 

Police Scotland confirmed to Insider they received reports of the man falling overboard a Viking Mars cruise ship around 11 a.m. Friday. The man, reportedly in his 40s, was airlifted to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, a hospital about 120 miles from Invergordon. He died a few hours later, a police spokesperson said. 

The spokesperson said they sent a report to the Procurator Fiscal, Scotland's "public prosecution service and death investigation authority," according to its website . 

Related stories

Viking on Sunday confirmed the employee's death to the BBC. 

"We shared our deepest sympathies with the crew member's family and are working to ensure they have the support they need during this difficult time," a statement to the outlet read. 

Viking did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of regular working hours.

The company's Mars cruise ship primarily sails throughout Europe but has expeditions across the Atlantic and to Central America.

"Viking's focus remains on the safety and wellbeing of our crew and guests," the statement continued. "Our operations team is working with local authorities to determine how this occurred."

The Viking crew member is the latest person to have fallen from a cruise ship. In May, a Carnival Magic passenger fell overboard after leaning over his room's balcony. It was his first cruise.

In June, passengers banded together to help look for a woman who'd fallen from the 10th deck of a Royal Caribbean ship . She was ultimately saved after a nearly hourlong rescue .

Watch: Airplane accidents are 95% survivable. Here are seven ways to increase those odds even more.

• Main content

• Viking Ocean

What's the appropriate tipping on Viking?

By CaptainCook808 , July 14, 2023 in Viking Ocean

Recommended Posts

CaptainCook808

First off, my wife and I were so happy with the service last time we had them double the tip charge on our bill. And I'll likely do that again going forward. I like that because the great service is due to a ton of people, including ones I don't interact with (those clean towels are washed by someone). I want to get it to everyone.

So question 1: In this case should I let crew members know I did that so they know their specific efforts were appreciated? Or is that awkward? Because the immediate effect is basically $1.00/mo. (If every passenger did it then it's 1K/mo and that's real money.) We did not tell anyone because it didn't feel right to tell anyone.

Question 2: When I do this, what direct tips should I do in addition? How much and to who?

thanks - dave

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Share on other sites, cilcianrqts.

Dear Mods -

Please close this thread after 800 responses.

hook baited, waiting for a strike, sorry, feeding frenzy... blood in the water

Peregrina651

3 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said: So question 1: In this case should I let crew members know I did that so they know their specific efforts were appreciated? Or is that awkward?

Telling the crew that you tipped double seems awkward to me.

A thank you note to the entire crew telling them how much you appreciated all that they did to make your time on board a delight is a different story.  Another way is positive comments of appreciation for the entire crew and for specific crew members in guest surveys and in notes to heads of departments (in which you can ask the head to share your note with their team).

I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.

So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

11 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:   Telling the crew that you tipped double seems awkward to me.   A thank you note to the entire crew telling them how much you appreciated all that they did to make your time on board a delight is a different story.  Another way is positive comments of appreciation for the entire crew and for specific crew members in guest surveys and in notes to heads of departments (in which you can ask the head to share your note with their team).    

A note to the General Manager before the end of the cruise goes a long way.  In our experience, the outstanding crew members are recognized within their departments and are very gratified that their efforts have been appreciated.

17 minutes ago, drink2me said: I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.   So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

Perhaps if this question didn’t show up as a new thread every other day…

15 minutes ago, drink2me said: I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.   So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

This topic is always incendiary as you'll no doubt see. This is Viking's tipping policy from their FAQ's (applies to NA pax, other geographies have different standards):

What is the tipping policy?

Our onboard staff is dedicated to providing you with the best cruise experience possible, and it is customary to give gratuities in recognition of their service. How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. To save you worry over whom to tip and how much, we automatically add a discretionary hotel and dining charge of $17.00 USD per guest per day to your shipboard account, which appears on your final invoice at the end of your cruise. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience, including the waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others. Please note this charge excludes bar gratuity; a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs . Should you wish to make changes to the gratuity amounts or pay in cash, stop by Guest Services at any time. You may also wish to tip your local excursion guides and/or drivers; we suggest doing so in cash at the end of each tour. For your convenience, you can pre-purchase gratuities at our standard recommended rate in My Viking Journey. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide for your cruise experience, including your Program Director, waitstaff, stateroom stewards, galley staff, nautical staff and others.

A couple of observations on the above. The discretionary charge can be increased (as did the OP) or removed from your bill should you wish it. In the end, whether you tip at all, how much and to whom is entirely up to you - you will find that looking for 'standards' in this area is fruitless.

We now return you to your current program ... 🥌 🍺

I didn’t see any other queries with the caveat of doubling the automatic tip. That’s why I asked anew.

Capt., your post reminded me of the great response to the intro of all the crew marching into the theatre for us to thank them. The group that got the biggest cheer was the laundry!

The CD reminded us that Viking considers guest comments in evaluations, when promoting. I called our three waiters (head and two assistants) superstars, in my evaluation.

I have a suspicion they’ll know that you tipped double, even without your telling them. I think it’s a great idea, but I would never do it in advance. What if, for some random, rare reason, you run into average, or worse, service? Then you could leave the std. gratuities but tip the stellar ones with additional cash.

CannyScotTor

You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.

We choose to pay the recommended “tips“, augmented by cash tips to staff that we feel have gone above and beyond.

30 minutes ago, CannyScotTor said: You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.

As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.

I concur that Viking guards this information closely. It may be that they consider their compensation structure to be proprietary and a competitive advantage, and have no intention of making it known to their competition. It may be that they just don't think it's any of our business.

Personally, I accept Viking's statement that the assessed gratuities "will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience" - irrespective of how and when they distribute the money. I don't believe that I have any right to demand that they divulge the details of their internal business processes. I do have the right to decide if I believe I'm receiving value for my overall cost - and I make that decision every cruise booking. 🍺 🥌

1 minute ago, CurlerRob said:   As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.

I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

3 minutes ago, CaptainCook808 said: I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

Glad to hear that the GM would ensure the crew were aware of the increased contribution - that's just smart personnel management and I'd accept the statement as well.

My post was in response to the earlier one (not by you) that made the definitive statement that "the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the 'tips' " - that is unknown. As stated, I believe that the gratuities do flow to the crew, we just don't know the details of how or when. 🍺 🥌

stephenandrew

53 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:   As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.   I concur that Viking guards this information closely. It may be that they consider their compensation structure to be proprietary and a competitive advantage, and have no intention of making it known to their competition. It may be that they just don't think it's any of our business.   Personally, I accept Viking's statement that the assessed gratuities "will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience" - irrespective of how and when they distribute the money. I don't believe that I have any right to demand that they divulge the details of their internal business processes. I do have the right to decide if I believe I'm receiving value for my overall cost - and I make that decision every cruise booking. 🍺 🥌

I dunno.  Seems to me one video on YouTube by a current or ex-Viking employee would make it pretty easy for everyone to know Viking’s tip distribution policy.   

16 minutes ago, stephenandrew said: I dunno.  Seems to me one video on YouTube by a current or ex-Viking employee would make it pretty easy for everyone to know Viking’s tip distribution policy.   

Had such a video appeared, it might have satisfied the posters who want to understand the minutiae of Viking's comp. systems - but I'm not aware that it has happened.

It's likely not that easy, even for employees. Here's a scenario. I'm a Viking crew member. Each month I receive my pay. A portion is a fixed amount, another portion is variable, based on the amount of gratuities paid by pax. This month, Viking tells me that my variable portion was up 10% because gratuities were up 10% to plan (or vice versa). I smile (or snarl) and cash my cheque.

Nothing in this provides any insight into whether my variable pay came from the pax on my cruises in the month, or some accumulation across ships in the fleet, or any number of other permutations. What's clear is that a portion of my compensation came from pax gratuities - the gory details are not disclosed even to me as a crew member.

FWIW, HAL has disclosed that gratuities are pooled on a fleetwide basis and distributed to crew on a periodic basis. That means that the grats indeed do go to the crew, but there's no way to determine that your particular gratuity dollar went directly to crew on your cruise - and I'm not sure why that would matter, as it works out in the end. HTH a bit. 🍺 🥌

11 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said: I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

The four crew members we tipped had similar reactions. Viking does SOMETHING to keep their best employees happy. Honestly, I think Viking’s success depends on the great service.

JeffElizabeth

14 hours ago, CannyScotTor said: You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.   We choose to pay the recommended “tips“, augmented by cash tips to staff that we feel have gone above and beyond.   YMMV      

Even if you tip in cash at the end of the cruise? We tip the stewards and those in the main dining room. 

One thing I'd like to add to all this. I worked my way through college washing dishes. If they would let me, I'd go into the dish room and give each of the dishwashers $100 because it's such a crappy job that gets no thanks or recognition.

So doubling the tips is how I can get tips to all the people who we don't see, but are key to a great voyage. The dishwashers, the laundry, the cooks, etc.

• 3 weeks later...

onlyslightlymad

Okay, I bite.  You are scaring me.  One of the reasons I have booked Viking is because 'tips' are included.  Thank god.  Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

2 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said: Okay, I bite.  You are scaring me.  One of the reasons I have booked Viking is because 'tips' are included.  Thank god.  Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

You aren't wrong, tips are included for UK, NZ and Aus passengers. 

Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

1 hour ago, KBs mum said: You aren't wrong, tips are included for UK, NZ and Aus passengers.  Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

1 hour ago, May B said: For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

Gratuities are added to U.S. pax accounts but are not required and one can opt out just by letting Guest Services know before the last day of the cruise.

2 hours ago, May B said: For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

Thing is, when we visit a country with a tipping culture we don't worry about it, we just add the minimum to be polite, or go with any auto amount if about the same (easy to check online in advance) and give it no further thought. 

If someone goes well above and beyond we give an amount equivilent to a drink or two, asking them to have a drink on us after work. A traditional thank you among equals in UK and some other non tipping cultures 

5 hours ago, KBs mum said:   Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

And Canadians too. 🙂

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• Cruise Line Offers Work & Travel Program for Guests
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Viking Goes Step Further with Crew Standby Pay, Vaccination and Testing Labs

Viking ocean-going cruise ships are in the final stage of preparations for the upcoming cruise season, starting with the Viking Venus which will set sail on her first voyage on May 22, with round-trip cruises in the U.K. from the port of Portsmouth. The crew onboard Viking Venus have already received the first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 ahead of the ship’s maiden voyage. According to our source, Viking Venus crew were the first to get the vaccine while the ship was in Malta.

The main goal is for all the crew on board Viking ships to get vaccinated before resuming cruises, as a first layer of protection against Covid-19. In an interview for CNBC Viking Cruises Chairman, Torstein Hagen said it is in everyone’s interest for the cruise lines to operate safely and the cruise industry can't afford to have another outbreak. That’s why Viking went one step further, investing in full-scale labs onboard their ships. Unlike the Swab tests done by other cruise lines, PCR testing on board Viking ships is done with a non-invasive saliva sample. This gives Viking an advantage because testing is done on each crew member, and soon on all passengers, on daily basis. Each morning saliva samples are collected from the crew and the test results are ready the same day. This allows for unprecedented testing capacity onboard the Viking ships as an additional layer of protection against the virus which is very important part of safe cruising.

Crew Standby Pay

Another great news for the Viking crew is that the company announced standby pay until the ships are in full operation. The crew will earn basic salary while on standby status even while in mandatory 14-day quarantine on board. 

As the company is working to bring many crew members back on board as fast as possible, Viking management decided to pay the standby crew basic salary until ships start operating with revenue cruises. This will allow Viking crew who have recently joined ships to have an income and to send some money home to their families. Viking has worked with the Norwegian Seafarers Union to provide the crew with this standby pay. During this period the crew will not be asked to work, and the company will provide necessary training on the new health and safety protocols.

Financial Support for Crew

Viking was the first cruise line to stop cruise operations in 2020 at the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic. However, the company continued to financially support its crew after the global shutdown. In April 2020 Viking announced generous financial compensation amid the global coronavirus crisis for the crew on board and thouse waiting to join the ships. Read more here: Viking Crew to Receive Goodwill Payment - The New Hires Eligible for Financial Support.

During the Christmas holydays Viking management once again expressed their appreciation for the crew's continued commitment and support. As a sign of gratitude for their hard work and dedication, Viking team members received a gift of $250. Read more here:  Viking Ocean Crew To Receive $250 Holiday Payment

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‘Worth Every Single Cent’: Couple Splurge on Viking Cruise for Anniversary

M ichelle and Gary Brown, of Collegeville , usually very budget conscious, decided to treat themselves to a luxury Viking cruise down the Rhine River in Europe for their 25th wedding anniversary, writes Nathan Diller for USA Today .

The trip cost around $13,000, but after spending years longingly watching Viking commercials on television, they felt that the trip for such a special occasion was “worth every single cent,” said Michelle.

The price tag of the cruise included a veranda suite on the Viking Hervor ship, all the meals, excursions, airport transfers, flights, and more.

The ship makes stops in Cologne, Germany and Strasbourg , France as well as other popular destinations along the way.

“If I would have done a European trip to all these different cities, it would have probably been close to that (price),” said Michelle.

The cruise had a capacity of just 190 guests, which made it possible for the crew members to properly get to know them during the eight days.

The cruise line offered “top-of-the-line everything,” including lamb chops for lunch on the ship on the first day.

“I mean, it was just something that we are not really accustomed to in the life that we live,” said Michelle. “This was a real special treat.”

Read more about the couple in USA Today .

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Expertly Finding Crew

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Whether you are a Ship Owner or Operator, Captain or Head of Department, our team works to match the right candidates personally and expertly for the role you need.

Our ethos is about placing people first™, which is why we invest significantly in our systems, in our well-positioned offices around the world and in employing an industry-leading team, dedicated to providing an excellent level of personal service and support.

Why use Viking Crew

• Over 35 years of experience
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Viking Crew is one of my first ports of call when looking for new Crew Members. The experience held by the Placement Managers makes the process much more streamlined and saves a lot of time in backward and forwards comms. They consistently provide high quality candidates of all ranks.

Joe nuttall - chief officer 100m+ private yacht, i was coming to the end of my fixed term contract with my first employer and wanted to use my newly acquired oow to explore the world. viking crew helped secure my first cruise ship role with seabourn cruise lines. the interview process was not daunting but a friendly, professional conversation. i have remained in contact with viking over the years and now as c/o and regularly use viking for recruitment onboard. i have a good rapport with viking and secured some great candidates., chief officer, 120m+ private yacht, be the first to see our new jobs.

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Where possible, our new recruits are taken through a comprehensive induction procedure to ensure they are fully prepared for their new placement and will be of maximum benefit to their employers.

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We have in-house experts on marine, shoreside and fire safety training and are able to help each candidate meet the high standards (ISO:9001) of commercial operators by maintaining or building their professional certifications.

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Scandinavia Cruises

Our Scandinavia itineraries offer unrivaled cultural and culinary diversity. Discover the world’s most beautiful and historic cities, from Stockholm to Bergen. Under the midnight sun in the summer, Viking shows you colorful cities, quaint wooden houses and cascading waterfalls. In the winter, the northern lights dazzle over snowy landscapes.

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Highlights of scandinavia cruises.

From soaring, deep-cut fjords and dramatic peaks to historic Scandinavian cities and atmospheric fishing villages rich in tradition, immerse yourself in remarkable maritime history and colorful cultures. Here are some sample highlights of a Viking itinerary to Scandinavia:

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