Design Time
Viking Sea shows off Nordic culture through its onboard décor.
Viking Sea shows off Nordic culture through its onboard décor.
IN MANY WAYS VIKING OCEAN CRUISES’ newest ship, Viking Sea, is a welcome return to basics — comfortable destination-based cruise travel at its heart and soul without any unnecessary bells and whistles. It’s elegant simplicity by design. And it’s something special.
The onboard décor could be described as modern Scandinavian but with a far homier effect. Simple, understated elegance with clean lines, woven textiles, and light wood evoke the Viking spirit of discovery and connection to the natural world. In fact, the design concept was inspired by the Nordic heritage and vision of Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking Cruises.
Starting at the aptly named Living Room atrium, voluminous venues embrace guests with soft tones, creamy wooden panels, and plenty of natural light pouring in from numerous windows. In the elegant Wintergarden, guests can enjoy afternoon tea under a canopy of Scandinavian-inspired trellised wood.
Those who have sailed on the line’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, will find sister ship
Viking Sea to be nearly identical. Returning favorites include unique al fresco dining options, a retractable magrodome that reveals the pool deck to the sky, and an infinity pool cantilevered off the ship’s stern.
The only thing that really differs is the carefully curated Scandinavian art collection that adorns the walls of restaurants and public spaces. Artists represented in Viking’s collection include Edvard Munch, H.M. Queen Sonja of Norway, Jakob Weidemann, and many others.
To really learn about the pieces in the collection, an audio art guide can be accessed from smartphones and tablets, along with a headset. Just punch in the number displayed adjacent to the artwork, and the soothing sound bite of host, Karine Hagen, Viking’s senior vice president, Torstein’s daughter, and the ship’s godmother, describes its significance.
“While our onboard experiences are inspired by our many destinations, our onboard art is very much an ode to our Nordic heritage.”
( This feature is expected to eventually roll out on Viking Star.)
While touring the artwork, the family influence on the ship becomes quite apparent as Torstein Hagen introduces the collection: “Like all travelers, no matter how far our journeys take us, we like to remember where we came from. That’s why — while our onboard experiences are inspired by our many destinations — our onboard art is very much an ode to our Nordic heritage.
“We have carefully selected a diverse spectrum of work by established, as well as up-and-coming, artists — most of whom are Norwegian — to complement and enhance the light-filled, Nordic-influenced interiors of Viking Sea.”
Following Torstein’s concept of showcasing artwork inspired by the destinations visited, stateroom art features Chinese children’s drawings of Dubrovnik, Copenhagen, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona from photographs juxtaposed on the wall next to the illustrations. The company, in fact, financially contributes to the schools attended by the children who sketched the original pieces.
Elsewhere, natural motifs continue with lichens under the atrium staircase — itself crowned with a dramatic tapestry-sized digital screen that displays images of the itinerary’s destinations on rotation.
Plenty of birch and ash woods adorn the LivNordic spa, where delightfully complimentary facilities feature the holistic wellness philosophy of Scandinavia. For example, guests can partake in the centuriesold tradition of Nordic bathing, which means various ways of immersing in contrasting hot and cold environments, such as the signature steam and sauna and Snow Grotto.
In addition, the décor in the two- deck Explorers’ Lounge observation venue at the bow of the ship was inspired by ancient Viking trade routes and navigation methods. You’ll find imagery of star constellations and astronomical maps, as well as antique globes, astrolabes, and sofas with comfy pelts. As the ship always draws the focus back to the destination, nowhere else is it accomplished so brilliantly than in this space, with its floor-to-ceiling windows gazing out over the passing scenery.
But no matter where the ship travels, it never loses sight of its home. A Viking Heritage Exhibit showcases the lives and exploration of early Vikings with displays of traditional Nordic dress, a historic timeline, artifacts, photos, and detailed scale models of a traditional longship and the cruise line’s own modern river Longship design.
Addressing the art once more, Torstein Hagen concludes, “Taken together, we like to think these pieces celebrate the traveler as collector of ideas and experiences, a tradition that dates back to long before the Vikings. We hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some of these works that we believe embody the spirit of our motherland.”•